Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
- LSD Jellyfish
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
One thing that always really bothered me, in a film about giant apes, is how they constructed the raft for Kong and got him on it....
_JNavs_ wrote:The MV is like cheap imitation crabmeat, it tastes good, but it isn't real, while Shin is kino peak Japanese performance.
Rodan95 wrote:The Shobijin are sat on by a fatass explorer and killed. Mothra is pissed and destroys Japan.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
They used the Carl Denham 'offscreen magic' method.
KaijuCanuck wrote:It’s part of my secret plan to create a fifth column in the US, pre-emoting our glorious conquest and the creation of the Canadian Empire, upon which the sun will consistently set after less than eight hours of daylight.
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- Orichalcum
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
They used the inventor's indestructible wire and pulled him onto the raft 

*Formerly known as Stump Feet*
- Terasawa
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
So how many people are seeing the Japanese version for the first time with the Criterion set? Gotta admit, I was expecting and anticipating a lot of discussion about this movie after that set was released.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
There are some cuts I kind of like with the U.S. version. I kind of like that we cut back to the military preparing for Godzilla approaching rather than just immediately he's by a base. I don't know why thinking of that made me think of a cut I love from Godzilla 1985 the 'Godzilla's alive he's chasing the Super X' *cue music and showing Steve Martin being sadly proven right.*
My copy isn't coming for a day or two but I have seen the Japanese cut years ago.
My copy isn't coming for a day or two but I have seen the Japanese cut years ago.
- LSD Jellyfish
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
Terasawa wrote:So how many people are seeing the Japanese version for the first time with the Criterion set? Gotta admit, I was expecting and anticipating a lot of discussion about this movie after that set was released.
The people who genuinely cared about Godzilla vs. Kong would have gone out of their way years ago to see the film's Japanese version...
Please prove me wrong!
I think KVG isn't one of the all time greats, but it's definitely one of my favorites and I think would be better appreciated if people saw the Japanese version. It's almost tonally a completely different film.
_JNavs_ wrote:The MV is like cheap imitation crabmeat, it tastes good, but it isn't real, while Shin is kino peak Japanese performance.
Rodan95 wrote:The Shobijin are sat on by a fatass explorer and killed. Mothra is pissed and destroys Japan.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
LSD Jellyfish wrote:I think KVG isn't one of the all time greats
I think it is. It rocketed up from fringe top 10 Godzilla to third behind 54 and Mothra vs., after seeing the 4K version earlier this year (the first copy I’ve seen with a consistent and appealing visual/aural presentation of the movie). I think it’s excellent in the same way a classic MGM musical is: every aspect of the large and complicated production comes together in a very entertaining and satisfying way. There is no other Godzilla movie quite like it; among other Toho monster movies, I think only Mothra (1961) compares.
Sure the Kong costume is pitiful and some of the SFX work is below Tsuburaya’s usual standard, but I think the faults are eased a bit because the movie is so self-aware and funny. And while I certainly don’t mind humor in the monster content in these movies, I think it’s best implemented in this one. Obayashi jokes about how preposterous it is that Kong and Godzilla should fight as if in a wrestling match and that’s precisely what Tsuburaya gives us later in the movie.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
I finally got a copy of the Japanese version. I cant wait to see Godzilla emerge the winner at the end.
Watches movie.
What the?
Damn it. That's the last time I listen to Bob Costas.
Watches movie.
What the?
Damn it. That's the last time I listen to Bob Costas.
- eabaker
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
Terasawa wrote:Obayashi jokes about how preposterous it is that Kong and Godzilla should fight as if in a wrestling match and that’s precisely what Tsuburaya gives us later in the movie.
I have long maintained that, among other things, this movie is a very conscious comment on the exploitive absurdity of its own concept.
Tokyo, a smoldering memorial to the unknown, an unknown which at this very moment still prevails and could at any time lash out with its terrible destruction anywhere else in the world.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
Terasawa wrote:LSD Jellyfish wrote:I think KVG isn't one of the all time greats
I think it is. It rocketed up from fringe top 10 Godzilla to third behind 54 and Mothra vs., after seeing the 4K version earlier this year (the first copy I’ve seen with a consistent and appealing visual/aural presentation of the movie). I think it’s excellent in the same way a classic MGM musical is: every aspect of the large and complicated production comes together in a very entertaining and satisfying way. There is no other Godzilla movie quite like it; among other Toho monster movies, I think only Mothra (1961) compares.
I agree. (Mostly; I'd still rank MvG and SoG on the same level). It's reached top 10, if not top 5, franchise-wide status for me.
KaijuCanuck wrote:It’s part of my secret plan to create a fifth column in the US, pre-emoting our glorious conquest and the creation of the Canadian Empire, upon which the sun will consistently set after less than eight hours of daylight.
Winner of the last-ever(?) TK Fantasy Match tournament.
#ProLife
The Zone Fighter campaign is funded and complete, with translations in progress! PM me if you want to be part of the Facebook updates group.
Maranatha!
- Shhh! The Octopus
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
I always thought this picture was cool.


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