Kaiju Fan Confessions

[SoggyNoodles2016]

OK, Watch, I see your point and 100% agree with. it but GOTG is FAR from a good example of bad shot composition in blockbuster films. That's my 2 cents

[MechaGoji Bro7503]

What's with American blockbusters being made with hackneyed thinking......

[Terasawa]

There's a certain big budget quality to Western films. Not always in regards to the script, but almost always in regards to dynamic angles within the film, be it shown in intense conversations, soft spoken confessions, or of course the action itself. It always looks "Quality", like it was made for the biggest screens possible.

Damn look at all this B-movie shit

Nice post. Here's an album of even more dynamic angles, including intense and intimate conversations, all from Japanese, er, "B-movies."

https://imgur.com/a/Rs2eUgo

[_JNavs_]

Meant specifically old Japanese Godzilla films, as that was the discussion at the time. (A mere month ago)

DAM and ToMG are good points. GvKG and that extremely strange Gamera 3 shot are not though.

But regarding GvKG, they were dealing with suit mation so that's no fault of their own.

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

Meant specifically old Japanese Godzilla films, as that was the discussion at the time. (A mere month ago)

Totally not taking advantage of a big theater screen

[_JNavs_]

Meant specifically old Japanese Godzilla films, as that was the discussion at the time. (A mere month ago)

Totally not taking advantage of a big theater screen

I'll agree with the second one and last 2, but the others are pretty basic cinema shots.

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

I'll agree with the first one and last 2, but the others are pretty basic cinema shots.

what does a "pretty basic cinema shot" even mean?

[_JNavs_]

I'll agree with the first one and last 2, but the others are pretty basic cinema shots.

what does a "pretty basic cinema shot" even mean?

Typically used in most films ever.

Normally.

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

Typically used in most films ever.

Normally.

So basically 99% of films look like B-movies because they're conventional and use close-up and medium shots

[_JNavs_]

Typically used in most films ever.

Normally.

So basically 99% of films look like B-movies because they're conventional and use close-up and medium shots

Well I just don't know why you're using run-of-the-mill typical conventional medium shots to prove old Japanese Godzilla films have gorgeous shots.

Use the gorgeous shots first, no?

[Terasawa]

You can’t win, Goji.

[_JNavs_]

You can’t win, Goji.

What's he trying to win, Tera?

The usual?

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

Well I just don't know why you're using run-of-the-mill typical conventional medium shots to prove old Japanese Godzilla films have gorgeous shots.

Use the gorgeous shots first, no?

When was I trying to prove "old Japanese Godzilla films have gorgeous shots?"

Your original post said Japanese films look like B-movies, as opposed to Western films which look " "Quality", like it was made for the biggest screens possible."

These are all shots which take advantage of the scope format, you can't crop the sides without messing with the direction, use of colors, the sense of scale, geography, etc. They're framed and lit well, they're absolutely good shots. You don't need to blow people's minds with some Deakins shit to not look like a B-movie.

[_JNavs_]

Well I just don't know why you're using run-of-the-mill typical conventional medium shots to prove old Japanese Godzilla films have gorgeous shots.

Use the gorgeous shots first, no?

When was I trying to prove "old Japanese Godzilla films have gorgeous shots?"

Your original post said Japanese films look like B-movies, as opposed to Western films which look " "Quality", like it was made for the biggest screens possible."

These are all shots which take advantage of the scope format, you can't crop the sides without messing with the direction, use of colors, the sense of scale, geography, etc. They're framed and lit well, they're absolutely good shots. You don't need to blow people's minds with some Deakins poop to not look like a B-movie.

You're right.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Pretty much in absolute agreement with everything Terasawa and Goji and Watch are saying. It`s not only where actors and there relation to the camera are placed, but also the color composition. A lot of "early Godzilla films" are really colorful. I think a lot of the films were severely destroyed quality wise by how horrible early VHS transfers were. Ebirah HOTD`s opinion changed as it became clear how colorful and delightful the films were.

I think another thing is that of course, there were excellent American filmakers and visual camera work. While a basic bitch example, see the output of Stanely Kubrick. Overall, agreed that the majority of Toho films look better visually without big block buster affects. Hollywood can put layers of color filters and correction on a movie, and they can nail lighting, but if the camera isnt in the right place at the right time its worthless. There`s a reason why many people on this site can continuously rewatch Godzilla films beyond seeing Ghidorah get blasted away for the Nth time.

Anyways, my latest scandalous confession, is I don`t care for "B-Movies" or 1950`s American made scifi films. I like a few of them, like Them, but I find it annoying how Godzilla gets lumped in with them sometimes (though thats died down in recent years). I think also Beast from 20000 Fathoms is a great example of why plot in a film, relative to its quality, is irrelevant. Beast and Gojira have a very similar plot, but the two films are so so different. Beast, to me, is again just another American scifi film.

[UltramanGoji]

Anyways, my latest scandalous confession, is I don`t care for "B-Movies" or 1950`s American made scifi films. I like a few of them, like Them, but I find it annoying how Godzilla gets lumped in with them sometimes (though thats died down in recent years). I think also Beast from 20000 Fathoms is a great example of why plot in a film, relative to its quality, is irrelevant. Beast and Gojira have a very similar plot, but the two films are so so different. Beast, to me, is again just another American scifi film.

I agree. I find it very hard to stomach most 50's monster movies, especially Ray Harryhausen films which I often feel are given too much praise when most of them are just glorified VFX reels. There are some good eggs in the bunch (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Jason & The Argonauts, Clash of the Titans from what I've seen) but most of them are just the Same Old Thing just with time-consuming effects. I feel most of the praise for Harryhausen comes less from the way he integrated the creatures within the world of the movies they're in and more from just how hard of an effect it was to do.

Not that I hate Harryhausen or anything (though a bit miffed on his opinions regarding Godzilla), I'm just kind of sick of boomer sci-fi/horror fans praising the shit out of his movies and then going and dumping on anything Japanese.

[goji89]

Japan movies better than 'Silly Merican movies.

[Smuggers]

Japan movies better than 'Silly Merican movies.

But people were just defending them from someone claiming the opposite?

[goji89]

Japan movies better than 'Silly Merican movies.

But people were just defending them from someone claiming the opposite?

No, 'Merican movies are poopy, Japan movies are the bees knees.

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

But people were just defending them from someone claiming the opposite?

Whatever you say Mr.Doctorate in literacy