Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

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Terasawa
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by Terasawa »

szmigiel wrote:I think Toho shouldn't have made this film, instead fill the slot in the Champion Festival with a recut 60's film. Then spent more time making a movie that didn't try to reuse so much footage from past films.
I think money was the ultimate factor, not time, and I don't think holding off for a year would have granted the eventual film a larger budget.

In fact, time apparently wasn't a factor at all. According to Yoshimitsu Banno, Hedorah was shot over the summer of 1970 (released in July 1971) and a cast photo of Gigan shows the A-unit's principal photography was completed in November 1971, months before the March 1972 release. The Champion Festival films evidently weren't rushed to completion. Atragon, by comparison, was planned and shot and released in the span of about three months, and yet that's still one of the great Toho sci-fi productions.

What really hurt the Champion Festival films was that they were made during a very down time for the Japanese film industry. Toho dissolving the special effects department after Tsuburaya's death didn't help at all, either.
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by szmigiel »

Yes the output by Honda and Tsuduraya in the 60's was amazing. The only one that really suffered was Ghidorah when they couldn't really animate Godzilla's breath and they didn't quite have controlling Ghidorah heads down right. For me this film has the worst effects over all in the franchise.
The Gigan and Ghidorah flying models looks horrible, and are completely out of scale with Godzilla tower.
The night filter on the Ghidorah stock footage.
The mixing of footage where the suits are very different. Godzilla suit falling apart as it is being filmed.
The choice of King Ghidorah and Anguirus so they can use as much stock footage as possible.
The whole pointless scene where Anguirus swims to Japan to get attacked by Maser, Just to swim back to monsterland. Only to turn around and swim back to Japan with Godzilla. And Godzilla saying "Hurry UP".

Now the hippies Vs space cockroaches, that I like.

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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by JAGzilla »

szmigiel wrote:As far as the friend and allies, you can make the comment that long time ally Rodan was kicked to the curve in the Champion Festival films and replaced by Anguirus (cause his suit was newer).
You can make that argument. That's a pretty good argument, even. I wish I had anything to counter that with other than "...but ANGUIRUS." Rodan did anticlimactically disappear in the '70s, and is still struggling to get his spotlight back to this day. I liked his Starscream role in KOTM, but he certainly wasn't a legitimate co-star like in 1964...
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

I just finished translating a comic that serves as a sequel to Godzilla vs. Gigan. I think it’s interesting because it focuses on the darker side of the film.

https://www.tohokingdom.com/forum/viewt ... 2#p1721742
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by edgaguirus »

It certainly expands the environmental angle of the film.
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

Rewatched this. Something fun I noticed is that when the lead enters the children’s land office, he leans on a globe. A seemingly random decoration, but it’s clear they were probably looking at the world map and planning to take over the world for fun.

One thing I also noticed is the films structure. The first 3rd (about 30ish minutes, right until it’s very clear that Kabuto and the other guy aren’t aliens) works really well as a fun mystery plot. It’s something that’s ruined by multiple viewings, but there’s certainly a build up and in contrast to later movies it’s not made clear that aliens are involved. The group does a good job at investigating and being proactive.

I maintain the stock footage is a bit exaggerated, but the brief shot is near unforgivable and I have zero clue why it wasn’t edited out. Come on, it’s not like you could’ve just cut it to the shot of Godzilla getting rammed into the bridge and still got the same idea. I maintain otherwise there’s some fantastic destruction scenes and action.

Also the climax of the film gets bonus points for destroying the park.
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by Frankenheimer »

LSD Jellyfish wrote: Mon Nov 02, 2020 7:04 am Rewatched this. Something fun I noticed is that when the lead enters the children’s land office, he leans on a globe. A seemingly random decoration, but it’s clear they were probably looking at the world map and planning to take over the world for fun.

One thing I also noticed is the films structure. The first 3rd (about 30ish minutes, right until it’s very clear that Kabuto and the other guy aren’t aliens) works really well as a fun mystery plot. It’s something that’s ruined by multiple viewings, but there’s certainly a build up and in contrast to later movies it’s not made clear that aliens are involved. The group does a good job at investigating and being proactive.

I maintain the stock footage is a bit exaggerated, but the brief shot is near unforgivable and I have zero clue why it wasn’t edited out. Come on, it’s not like you could’ve just cut it to the shot of Godzilla getting rammed into the bridge and still got the same idea. I maintain otherwise there’s some fantastic destruction scenes and action.

Also the climax of the film gets bonus points for destroying the park.
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by GojiDog »

I have had a weird love-hate relationship with this film.

As a kid, it was one of my favorites. I was drawn in by the alien mystery plot and the fight at the end, where Godzilla got one his all time biggest beatdowns. I honestly thought he was going to lose that one, but it only made me all the happier when he made his Hulk Hogan style comeback and won the day (with Anguirus' help of course).

As I got older, the dents in the armor started to show themselves. The use of stock footage and clear cheapness of the overall production became obvious and then it became one of my lesser favorite entries.

But now...I'm more middle of the road with it. The stuff I loved about it as a kid is true, and the stuff I hated in my teen to early 20 years is still true, so it balances out to one of the middle of the road entries. Solidly entertaining, but if it had the budget to execute everything well, man, it could have been one of the best.
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by Omegazilla »

While the film's "modest" budget is definitely felt very strongly in this movie I have appreciated it more and more with time. It still has some cool scenes and Gigan is of course a worth kaiju in its own right. It also has one of my favorite title sequences because it reflects the film. Simple, yet effective.

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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by LockBite »

Honestly, the stock footage really drags this down. Even if it were original content. The pacing is really hurt by the DAM stuff. When I get the ability, I’m going to rip my BD and edit out the more egregious stock footage. Not going to distribute it online ofc. But I would love to see a properly cut version.

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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by GodzillavsRayquaza »

This movie’s a mixed bag. The human storyline is really damn good, the characters are entertaining and well written and the mystery and intrigue with the Nebulans is really well done. Easily some of the best human stuff in the Showa Godzilla series.

But then Gigan and King Ghidorah show up, and we get a rampage that’s half stock footage…

And then Godzilla and Anguirus arrive, and we get one of the most boring, slowly paced fights in the franchise that rivals GvSG’s snoozefest of a finale, mixed in with horribly blatant stock footage. I don’t mind stock footage when it’s used well, but this movie does not use it well. The GTTHM scenes are blatantly still daytime despite the fight being at night, same with the DAM stock footage. There’s barely any attempt to hide it being from a different movie except darkening the footage, which doesn’t make it look like it’s night, it just makes it look shit. Even removing the stock footage wouldn’t make the fight that much better, King Ghidorah just stands there the whole time, and Godzilla and Gigan move like they’re in syrup.
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by LegendZilla »

Happy 50th Anniversary Gigan!

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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by Gojira-Fan »

LegendZilla wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 10:08 pm Happy 50th Anniversary Gigan!
Not much discussion about this film on its 50th anniversary.

I watched it last night. I think I have seen this film too much in the last year because it was kinda boring, but I still really like the vibe of this one. Kinda like a Scooby-Doo episode. And those explosions!

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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by MaxRebo320 »

Still a strong contender for the best (Or at least most-entertaining) English dub in the franchise.

There is something so delightfully twisted about a planet being too polluted for even cockroaches to inhabit. And am I the only one who thinks there might have been a...thing going on between Fumio and Kubota (as humans) prior to their deaths? Doubt that was the film's intention, but it's an interesting thought, I suppose.
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by CrimsonBloodX »

Damn! Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of this movie and I didn't know until now!

Godzilla vs. Gigan was the second Godzilla film I ever watched, the first being the 1998 reboot. I was like 7 years old when I watched this film for the first time. It was pretty weird to me to watch a Japanese Godzilla movie since the only one I watched prior to this was an American movie. But I did have a lot of fun watching it. Seeing this giant reptile and his ankylosaurus-like partner battling a chicken-like alien cyborg and his golden three-headed wyvern ally was like eye candy for me. I rented the 2004 Sony DVD so many times from Blockbuster Video.

The amount of stock footage can be annoying and the close-up shots of the King Ghidorah prop flying look really bad, but I enjoyed everything else. The human characters, the plot and the monster action. The fact that the battle takes up like almost half an hour of the film's runtime is really impressive for a 70s kaiju flick and it wouldn't be until Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. 21 years later that we get a very long monster brawl.

While I do think Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and Terror of Mechagodzilla are slightly better when it comes to Godzilla movies in the 70s, Godzilla vs. Gigan still holds a special place in my heart.
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by edgaguirus »

This is one of my favorite films. I enjoy the story and characters, and Gigan is a great design. I'll be watching the movie later this week.
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by LegendZilla »

If only this movie’s production didn’t face the budget cuts that it did. This film would’ve probably be hailed as one of the best in the franchise.

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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by edgaguirus »

They have that Hedorah ornament, so a Godzilla tower one would be the perfect way to honor the 50th anniversary of G vs Gigan.
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by Major sssspielberg! »

LegendZilla wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 9:09 pm If only this movie’s production didn’t face the budget cuts that it did. This film would’ve probably be hailed as one of the best in the franchise.
I say from a story standpoint it's probably my favorite of the Champion era after Hedorah. Overall the stock footage could be cut and the film wouldn't lose much, and probably be better off for it. David Kalat said it was basically Tanaka trying to create a Honda movie with Fukuda at the helm, and I think it definitely captures the best of both worlds. That's just my opinion though. And I'm definitely biased.
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Re: Talkback Thread #12: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Post by shadowgigan »

LegendZilla wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 9:09 pm If only this movie’s production didn’t face the budget cuts that it did. This film would’ve probably be hailed as one of the best in the franchise.
I think many people hold it in that esteem regardless of the stock footage and music.

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