Talkback: Latitude Zero (1969)

[Gigantis]

I've been meaning to watch this one for a while. Is it any good?

It's... interesting. I'd definitely recommend watching it at least once, if only to see Cesar Romero ham it up as Dr. Malik. It's unlike any other Honda film and I definitely don't think it's among the director's best, but it has its fun moments for sure. Just don't go in expecting a kaiju extravaganza; the Griffon doesn't show up til toward the end and barely gets any screentime, and the Giant Rats and Bat Men pretty much appear for one short action scene each. But if you want an absurd sci-fi adventure with an even mix of American and Japanese actors, you'll have a good time.

[Spuro]

I've been meaning to watch this one for a while. Is it any good?

It's... interesting. I'd definitely recommend watching it at least once, if only to see Cesar Romero ham it up as Dr. Malik. It's unlike any other Honda film and I definitely don't think it's among the director's best, but it has its fun moments for sure. Just don't go in expecting a kaiju extravaganza; the Griffon doesn't show up til toward the end and barely gets any screentime, and the Giant Rats and Bat Men pretty much appear for one short action scene each. But if you want an absurd sci-fi adventure with an even mix of American and Japanese actors, you'll have a good time.

And be sure to watch it in English. This is one of those weird moments where a Toho film was *filmed* in English, rather than dubbed.

Latitude Zero is fucking weird.

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

I actually really enjoyed this movie. If you love campy 60s sci-fi/superhero fair I the you'll derive quite a bit of enjoyment out of this. Its like Batman 66 meets Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

[Mac Daddy MM]

REVIVE! THREAD! NECROPOSTING GO!


Just finished this for the first time in probably 3 or 4 years. I remember all the excitement about the US DVD release nearly 20 years ago and the let down upon seeing it. I know there's some wonky production drama behind the scenes, but a lot of it just seems phoned in. Some great actors are in this and I just can't understand why, or how, Toho managed to convince them to stay onboard with it when their US partner backed out. If it wasn't from from the fathers of Godzilla and the genre as a whole, I'm pretty sure this would have been forgotten about and a hugely unknown movie (even more so than it already is).

Some of the effects are decent, but Mysterians this is not. The monster suits are also prolly some of the worst of this era of Toho.

[Terasawa]

Some great actors are in this and I just can't understand why, or how, Toho managed to convince them to stay onboard with it when their US partner backed out.

Apparently it was the integrity of Jo Cotten, Cesar Romero, and Patricia Medina. In Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo, Medina gives an account of their learning that the American producers had reneged -- a Toho executive offered them a new deal where they'd complete the film as scheduled and that the U.S. actors' expenses would be covered; their pay for the film would have to wait for 6 months. They weren't keen on accepting that deal at first, but they decided to trust the Japanese side and ultimately accepted that agreement. Basically, they got an expenses-paid trip to Tokyo and still got paid for making the movie (albeit months later).

IMO Richard Jaeckel deserves the same kind of adoration that G-fans give Nick Adams. Sure, Adams' two monster films are better than The Green Slime and Latitude Zero (not to mention inherently more interesting to typical Godzilla fans), but that's not Jaeckel's fault. Like Adams, he brought to his Japanese films enthusiasm, a sense of earnestness, and occasional scenery-chewing; in both of his films, he's better and more engaging than Russ Tamblyn, Rhodes Reason, Vic Morrow, or (gulp) Don Frye were in their solo shots.

[Mac Daddy MM]

IMO Richard Jaeckel deserves the same kind of adoration that G-fans give Nick Adams. Sure, Adams' two monster films are better than The Green Slime and Latitude Zero (not to mention inherently more interesting to typical Godzilla fans), but that's not Jaeckel's fault. Like Adams, he brought to his Japanese films enthusiasm, a sense of earnestness, and occasional scenery-chewing; in both of his films, he's better and more engaging than Russ Tamblyn, Rhodes Reason, Vic Morrow, or (gulp) Don Frye were in their solo shots.

Woah woah woah. Slow down there, chief.

His role in the movie was the biggest surprise for me when I first saw it. Not knowing many older actors' names at the time, I was floored when the guy from Grizzly showed up in a Toho movie. I knew Cesaro and Cotten were in it, but he was the biggest surprise for me. I do admit, I wish he was in more of Toho's sci-fi and kaiju movies. It also makes me wonder if Nick Adams would have been in his role if he hadn't died some time prior.

[Terasawa]

It also makes me wonder if Nick Adams would have been in his role if he hadn't died some time prior.

I've wondered that, too. He only lived a little longer than a year after completing The Killing Bottle, and in that span he did some guest shots on American TV shows and three movies (shot in Miami, Mexico City, and Iowa). Had he lived, and barring an incredible film comeback role, he very well might have washed out of acting after a few more years of the same kind of roles (i.e., TV or foreign/low budget independents). It's not hard to imagine him taking Latitude Zero had Toho offered it. He was well-liked there, but his star was very quickly falling, so who knows if he'd have even had that chance.

[Mac Daddy MM]

It also makes me wonder if Nick Adams would have been in his role if he hadn't died some time prior.

I've wondered that, too. He only lived a little longer than a year after completing The Killing Bottle, and in that span he did some guest shots on American TV shows and three movies (shot in Miami, Mexico City, and Iowa). Had he lived, and barring an incredible film comeback role, he very well might have washed out of acting after a few more years of the same kind of roles (i.e., TV or foreign/low budget independents). It's not hard to imagine him taking Latitude Zero had Toho offered it. He was well-liked there, but his star was very quickly falling, so who knows if he'd have even had that chance.

Toho seemed to love him. Could have probably made a career out of the Godzilla and Kaiju genre. Imagine Nick Adams in some of the 70s era films.