Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

For the discussion of Toho produced and distributed films or shows released before 1980.
Post Reply
edgaguirus
Keizer
Posts: 8563
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:25 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by edgaguirus »

Zarm wrote:And thank goodness that it was an original score, or we might have been deprived of the majesty that is the Jet Jaguar motif, and song!
Agreed. What would we do without that song?
The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made.

The strength of the vampire is that people will not believe in him.
User avatar
Jeff-Goldblum2
G-Force Personnel
Posts: 635
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 3:36 am

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by Jeff-Goldblum2 »

Anyone notice the look on Gigan's face when Jet Jaguars starts to fly and rescues himself and Godzilla from the ring of fire?

Now Gigan's and Megalon's reaction is intentional, but Gigan's jaw is dropped and I wonder if that was also intentional or just because of the design of the suit.
User avatar
Terasawa
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5841
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:06 am

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by Terasawa »

Jeff-Goldblum2 wrote:Anyone notice the look on Gigan's face when Jet Jaguars starts to fly and rescues himself and Godzilla from the ring of fire?

Now Gigan's and Megalon's reaction is intentional, but Gigan's jaw is dropped and I wonder if that was also intentional or just because of the design of the suit.
Likely intentional: Megalon's mouth is agape too.
寺沢. He/him/his, etc.
edgaguirus
Keizer
Posts: 8563
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:25 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by edgaguirus »

It's not unusual for kaiju to show reactions or some kind of emotion. Hedorah is closing its eyes in satisfaction as it feeds, and then they fly open as soon as Godzilla's roar is heard. Gigan and Megalon acting shocked that the heroes escape their trap is in the vein. Things like that help audiences connect to these giant monsters.
The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made.

The strength of the vampire is that people will not believe in him.
User avatar
Terasawa
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5841
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:06 am

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by Terasawa »

The tagline on the poster proclaims:

「傷だらけのゴジラ必殺のウルトラC!」

...which means something like "Severely-wounded Godzilla's deadly Ultra C!"

Jisho.org defines Ultra C: "noun. amazing feat; trump card; (something) earth-shattering​. Colloquialism, Wasei, word made in Japan, From English “ultra C”. Wasei (word made in Japan), from C having been the highest degree of difficulty in artistic gymnastics when the term was coined."

According to August Ragone, "At the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Yukio Endo had captured three gold medals and one silver with his lightning-fast parallel-bar maneuver called the "Ultra C." The term became a household word due to its frequent use by NHK announcer Bunya Suzuki, who shouted "ULTRA!" every time the Japanese gymnast scored high marks. "Ultra" became quite the catch-word in Japan." Wikipedia gives a slightly different history, tying it to the 1968 Olympics instead.

"Ultra C" was the inspiration for the title Ultra Q. What is Godzilla's deadly Ultra C?

Image
寺沢. He/him/his, etc.
User avatar
LSD Jellyfish
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 14259
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 11:57 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

Terasawa wrote:The tagline on the poster proclaims:

「傷だらけのゴジラ必殺のウルトラC!」

...which means something like "Severely-wounded Godzilla's deadly Ultra C!"

Jisho.org defines Ultra C: "noun. amazing feat; trump card; (something) earth-shattering​. Colloquialism, Wasei, word made in Japan, From English “ultra C”. Wasei (word made in Japan), from C having been the highest degree of difficulty in artistic gymnastics when the term was coined."

According to August Ragone, "At the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Yukio Endo had captured three gold medals and one silver with his lightning-fast parallel-bar maneuver called the "Ultra C." The term became a household word due to its frequent use by NHK announcer Bunya Suzuki, who shouted "ULTRA!" every time the Japanese gymnast scored high marks. "Ultra" became quite the catch-word in Japan." Wikipedia gives a slightly different history, tying it to the 1968 Olympics instead.

"Ultra C" was the inspiration for the title Ultra Q. What is Godzilla's deadly Ultra C?

Image
Awesome discovery. I love it.

It also adds to the idea that the moment, is intentionally over the top and crazy. Better name than the "drop-kick".
Spirit Ghidorah 2010 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 4:54 pm Anno-san pleasures me more than Yamasaki-san.
edgaguirus
Keizer
Posts: 8563
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:25 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by edgaguirus »

I've always called it the tail slide.

Anyway, it was a great move to defeet Megalon and Gigan.
The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made.

The strength of the vampire is that people will not believe in him.
User avatar
MinorBone Good
G-Force Personnel
Posts: 628
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2018 8:41 am
Location: Quatheral

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by MinorBone Good »

The reactions that Gigan and Megalon have after Godzilla and Jet Jaguar escape is still one of my favorite moments out of the entire showa series.

Recently rewatched this with my mates at a new years eve party, and we had a great time watching it.It was probably our favorite of the four we watched. :D
Current Quatheral Population: 600!
Current Quatheral's Perfected: 283!
Image
The Quatheral Wiki!: https://quatheral.fandom.com/wiki/Quatheral_Wiki
The Quatheral Voices!:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSRtkOo-Lhs

PM me if you wanna join my Discord to see the updates about Quatheral!
BlankAccount
Sazer
Posts: 12648
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2014 10:49 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by BlankAccount »

Something I find insane is Megalon's stats claim he can not only fly at Mach speed in the air but also underground and even underwater. I'm not calling bullshit, we do see him drill fast in the movie looking like a rocket headed towards the surface. I'm just impressed he almost reaches hypersonic speed in the water.
User avatar
skuzzy-punk-kid
Monarch Researcher
Posts: 331
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2012 1:52 pm
Location: Bastrop, TX
Contact:

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by skuzzy-punk-kid »

I have to admit that this was 1 out of my 2 favorite Godzilla movies (after King Kong vs. Godzilla) as those 2 were the ones I watched the most...as those 2 were the ones I owned when I was a kid.

However, the frequency that I've watched these 2 movies has led to me musing over the idea of 2 separate Godzillas, due to how dynamically different the KingGoji and the MegaroGoji looked. It wasn't until well into my teenage years that I've realized that, despite the fact the 2 suits were dramatically different in appearance, Godzilla was the same character in both movies, although in 2 separate points in time. Feeding into the 2 Godzillas fantasy made me want to see a fight between 2 separate Godzillas, and I don't mean partial doppelgangers like SpaceGodzilla and MechaGodzilla or Kiryu. Having the 2 Godzillas in the Pipeworks games fighting it out was about as close to acting out that fantasy as I could get, but it was the MegaroGoji that led me to imagine the representation of "good" Godzilla. I'd be hard-pressed to imagine a villainous Godzilla with the MegaroGoji appearance.
What :g2k:is :g2k:so :g2k:frikkin' :g2k:wrong :g2k:with :g2k:the :g2k:frikkin' :g2k:G2K :g2k:smiley :g2k:?
The :g2k:G2K :g2k:smiley :g2k:is :g2k:not :g2k:causing :g2k:you :g2k:any :g2k:freakin' :g2k:harm :g2k:!!!
User avatar
LSD Jellyfish
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 14259
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 11:57 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

I was thinking of how Godzilla vs. Megalon is a good example of a "dumb fun movie". It doesn't contain any negative stereotypes, it isn't overly violent or edgy, and delivers some satisfying action here and there. The film also seems to be self aware and embraces some of the more outlandish aspects of itself. You can choose to watch it seriously, or laugh at it and there's no problem with it either way. It's also relatively short.

A lot of people use "just turn your brain off" as an excuse to defend bad movies, but I think GVM is a good example of a "turn off your brain movie" as it's not insulting.
Spirit Ghidorah 2010 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 4:54 pm Anno-san pleasures me more than Yamasaki-san.
User avatar
Terasawa
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5841
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:06 am

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by Terasawa »

There's a particularly violent kidnapping but I guess otherwise I agree. It depends on who’s watching it.
Last edited by Terasawa on Fri Jan 31, 2020 7:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
寺沢. He/him/his, etc.
User avatar
godjacob
Futurian
Posts: 3439
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:16 am

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by godjacob »

Eh, I feel this is one of the more uninspired films. Granted not much they could have done with the slashed budget so I extend sympathies to all who work on it but that doesn't change it being the go to "genetic" kid Godzilla film in the series. The fights are super basic, stock footage is a bit overused (Though not on the level of say All Monsters Attack), Godzilla may as well have not even been there given his lack of presence till the final fight (Should have just made this a solo film for Jet Jaguar like I believe they intended) and the human plot isn't anything special to make up for it.

With that said, it still has its merits. Jet Jaguar is utterly ridiculous but has an undeniable charm to it and is easily the highlight of the film. Some bits in the tag battle (Like the dropkick) are iconic and a good laugh every time adding life to it. And it is paced well enough so it doesn't drag so it is easy for viewing.
Image
User avatar
eabaker
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 13758
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:16 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by eabaker »

I'd say that the "ring of fire" sequence in the final battle is a pretty unique highlight.

Outside of the fight scenes but sticking with the effects sequences, Megalon destroying the dam is widely considered a bit of solid gold slipped into this otherwise pretty shoddy production.

I consider this in most respects the weakest Showa series entry, but it's certainly not without its charms.
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.
User avatar
JAGzilla
Sazer
Posts: 11819
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2011 6:45 pm
Location: Georgia

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by JAGzilla »

'Super basic' is not a term I'd use to describe the final battle. Disregarding the stock footage from vs Gigan, they really went all out and made this one of the most unique and memorable fight sequences in the franchise. It starts out as a 1v1 Jet Jaguar and Megalon battle, including the inventive scene where JJ flies circles around Megalon and disorients him. Then Gigan shows up to make it a 2v1, and they proceed to beat the snot out of JJ for a while. Then finally Godzilla arrives to even the odds, and we get a long, over-the-top brawl filled with iconic moments like the Ring of Fire, Gigan taking Jet Jaguar hostage, JJ breaking Gigan's arm, and the legendary tail-slide kick. The rest of the movie may be bottom of the barrel junk, but it's more than made up for by the battle.
"Stop wars and no more accidents. I guess that's all I can ask." -Akio
User avatar
Terasawa
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5841
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:06 am

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by Terasawa »

“The fights are super basic”

:o Maybe in that it takes place in the countryside (as does nearly every other Showa Godzilla battle), but the action and choreography is fast-paced and elaborately staged. I think it’s actually the single most unusual battle in the entire franchise because they clearly drew from wrestling and the popular tokusatsu shows from the time.

And it was always going to be a Godzilla movie, that rumor that it was a Jet Jaguar movie has been debunked.

(JAG sniped me dammit.)
寺沢. He/him/his, etc.
User avatar
Tamura
EDF Instructor
Posts: 2481
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 8:32 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by Tamura »

The lengthy bit of minimally edited Gigan stock footage, besides being really shameless and sticking out like a sore thumb, really shows how different the tone of Megalon's and Gigan's battles are.
Image
User avatar
LSD Jellyfish
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 14259
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 11:57 pm

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

Yeah the Godzillla which everyone has memorable gifs of the final fight is the most basic...

Image
Image

I can’t find it, but the early part with Megalon burrowing is also really cool.
Last edited by LSD Jellyfish on Sat Feb 01, 2020 12:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Spirit Ghidorah 2010 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 4:54 pm Anno-san pleasures me more than Yamasaki-san.
User avatar
godjacob
Futurian
Posts: 3439
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:16 am

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by godjacob »

I stand by my statement, though I admit the Godzilla handshake with Jet Jaguar was pretty neat cheesiness and all.
Image
User avatar
JAGzilla
Sazer
Posts: 11819
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2011 6:45 pm
Location: Georgia

Re: Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

Post by JAGzilla »

godjacob wrote:I stand by my statement
And you're free to do so, but some sort of explanation would be appreciated. What about this battle makes it so basic'?
"Stop wars and no more accidents. I guess that's all I can ask." -Akio
Post Reply