Here are thirteen horror movies that I've watched this past month. Actually, I've watched many more movies than this, but thirteen sounds like a nice number to settle on, for a Halloween-themed blog. If there is some sort of cohesive theme to this list, I'd say it's best defined by the word "roller coaster". Each one on these is a roller coaster ride of spooky goodness.
A couple of these movies I watch on an annual basis. They will be marked with a scary devil face symbol, like this: >:^D
The Thing (1982) >:^D
This is John Carpenter's classic adaptation of John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?", and scary movies don't get much better than this. Moody, tense, and full of jaw-dropping pre-CGI special effects, this story of a shape shifting alien being which infiltrates and fosters paranoia within an Antarctic outpost is still scary after all these years. The musical score is chilling all on its own, even without the atmospheric visuals, and it features one of the best performances ever by a canine actor (bad dog!). And check out Kurt Russell's ridiculous hat, for Halloween costume ideas!
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
I can't make a list like this without adding at least one horror movie classic from Universal Pictures! Actually, this one's a comedy, but the monsters are never made fun of and are played 100% straight. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello play two bumbling shipping clerks who deliver a crate containing the Frankenstein's Monster (Glenn Strange, in his 3rd time playing the character) to a wax museum and end up becoming embroiled in a monster melee involving Frank, Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi, in his 2nd and only portrayal), and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney, Jr, his 5th go-round). Vincent Price also makes a cameo as the Invisible Man. It's classic, fun stuff.
[REC] (2007)
My favorite movie in the whole "found footage", through-the-lens-of-a-video-camera (a.k.a. "shaky-cam") genre, [REC] follows a spunky Spanish late-night T.V. host (played by Manuela Velasco) as she rides with a group of firefighters on a call to a apartment complex. Soon they're all quarantined inside by the CDC while a virus spreads amongst the residents, turning them into raving madmen. The point of view from the camera lens creates a real roller coaster effect for the viewers. The scares are punchy, the sounds effects are super creepy, the explanation for the virus is wholly original and cool, and the final night vision sequence is still one of the scariest scenes I've ever beheld. There is an American remake called "Quarantine", which pales in comparison, even thought it is, shot-for-shot, nearly the same movie (plus, they changed the spooky origin of the virus, turning it into "super-rabies" - lame). The sequel [REC]2 is nearly as good, so check it out for more fun. And [REC]3 looks spectacular (arrives March 2012).
Dawn of the Dead (1979) >:^D
George A. Romero's undisputed classic, and still the best zombie movie of all time, "Dawn of the Dead" follows a quartet of zombie apocalypse survivors as they shack up in a mall, where they must defend themselves from the dead, the living, and even their own self-destructive consumerist natures. Fun and frightening, with lots of brains and heart, and also featuring the groundbreaking special effects of Tom Savini - this movie is the definitive zombie flick. Not even the many sequels or the 2004 remake can touch it. "We got this, man! We got this by the ass!"
The Gate (1987)
This is one of the best kid-oriented horror movies you'll find, but the funny thing is, if it was released in theaters today, it would most likely be rated R (it was PG-13 back in '87). Set in a quiet suburban neighborhood, an uprooted old tree and an ill-timed pet burial in the exact same spot nudges open the gates of hell, and now the Old Ones need only two human sacrifices to begin their new reign on Earth, and young Stephen Dorff and friends are the only ones who can stop them. Atmospheric, weird, and chock full of funhouse energy, '80s styles, and loopy kid-logic (the kids figure out what the demons are up to by reading the inside cover of a heavy metal record!), the movie appeals to the scared little kid who crouches inside everyone's soul. And those little mini-demons, with their slack jawed mouths and black eyes, still make my skin crawl.
The Devil Rides Out (1968)
I just discovered this movie about three months ago, and it very well might become a Halloween tradition of mine. Christopher Lee is our protagonist, Duc de Richleau (and when Christopher Lee is the good guy, the bad guy must be really bad), who discovers that an old friend of his is involved with a Satanic cult. Now Duc must battle the evil cult leader for his friend's soul. Produced by the British horror masters at Hammer Studios, and directed by legend Terence Fisher, this movie is based on a novel by Dennis Wheatley (there's a whole series of Duc de Richleau novels). It's fast paced and full of accurate Satanic lore, with a few uber-creepy sequences, and featuring a dashing, powerful performance by Lee (one of his best, I think). Some of the special effects are hokey, but they don't interfere with the story (this is one of the few classic movies I think would benefit from a remake). Awesome movie.
Evil Dead 2 (1987) >:^D
You really don't need to see the original "Evil Dead", because the first 15-20 minutes of "Evil Dead 2" is basically a mini-remake of the first movie (although you still should see it). Director Sam Raimi's superior sequel adds a dash of Three Stooges-style mania to his gore-ific demon fest, as Ash (Bruce Campbell) and his girlfriend, on a romantic getaway in a remote cabin, accidentally unleash ancient forest demons who like to possess and torment the living. Soon, with the aid of some other hapless souls, they figure out a way to end the horror once and for all. This is the movie that made Bruce Campbell a cult legend, and Raimi's bravura camerawork and over the top gory/cartoony mayhem culminated in one of the most crazy fun horror films of all time. And the unforgettable, ironic ending led to the equally cult classic (but less gory) sequel, "Army of Darkness". Whatever you do, don't let your hand get possessed by a nasty demon from hell -
Kairo (Pulse) (2001)
During the Japanese horror movie boom of the late '90s early '00s, there were plenty of effectively scary ghost movies ("The Ring", "The Grudge", "Dark Water", "One Missed Call", etc), but the scariest, to me, was "Kairo". Remade in the U.S. in 2006 (the utterly awful "Pulse"), Kiyoshi Kurosawa's film is about ghosts breaking into our world through the internet, isolating us, sapping our will, and taking everything we are, leaving only a stain of black ash where our bodies used to be. It's about isolationism and the dehumanization of the modern age, wrapped in good, old fashioned scare techniques, subtle special effects, apocalyptic mania, and accompanied by the most hair-raising sound design I've ever heard in a movie. The ultimate reason for the ghostly activities is cool, so hang onto the people you love and try not to despair, because technology will ultimately lead us to our doom. Happy Halloween!
Return of the Living Dead (1985)
Since they're not a part of George Romero's series of undead movies, these zombies like to move fast and dine exclusively on human brains. A mixture of humor, EC Comics-style grue, and punk rock music, Dan O'Bannon's "Return of the Living Dead" focuses on ghouls raised by a government-created toxic chemical (Trioxin), and the incredibly colorful cast of characters who must do battle with them. They also can't be killed by being shot in the head - they must be utterly destroyed. And they can talk Full of wit, inventive special effects, fun performances, and shot through-and-through with rebellious punk rock sensibilities, this is one of the few zombie movies to rank as highly in "fun factor" as "Dawn of the Dead". None of the four sequels lives up to this one (although "Return of the Living Dead 3" has its moments).
Psycho (1960) >:^D
Confession time - I've never been scared by "Psycho". Not even by the infamous shower scene. But that doesn't matter, 'cuz it's still a hell of a fun, deviant ride. Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller about a woman on the run who stops at the wrong motel, has been ripped off hundreds of times, but his directorial style and the playful sense of mischief feel fresh every time I see it. Janet Leigh is perfect as the young ingenue, but when Anthony Perkins (as Norman Bates) takes center stage during the second half of the movie, that's when it takes off. He's both sympathetic and menacing at the same time - a masterful performance of nervous energy. Combined with Hitch's directorial style and the moody black and white cinematography (as well as Bernard Hermann's jittery score), it all comes together as a classic slice of American retro horror. A couple of the sequels were good, but stay far away from the 1998 remake, which has Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates. Vince Vaughn? Really??
Murder Party (2007) >:^D
Now we're down to the final three, and I've saved the most Halloween-themed movies for last. "Murder Party" is a little independent flick from a couple of years ago that's become a holiday favorite of mine. When loner Chris literally stumbles across an invitation to something called a Murder Party, he dons his costume (a suit of armor made of cardboard), bakes some pumpkin bread, and foolishly decides to attend. Whaddaya know, the hosts of the party are all self-obsessed artsy types who want to kill him as part of an art project, in order to obtain a grant. This movie is not scary, it's actually more of a comedy with some twisted/gory bits. It's charming in its own way, with plenty of Monty Python-style influences, and because it's set during Halloween, it's perfect holiday viewing! And it shares my utter contempt of pretentious, snide arthouse types.
Trick 'r Treat (2007) >:^D
A 100% Halloween saturated movie, this Bryan Singer-produced, Michael Dougherty-directed spookfest was unfairly ignored by it's distributor and didn't get a theatrical release - but it should have. Every single Halloween trope is touched upon in this movie, an anthology film of sorts featuring five different storylines which intersect during one particularly busy and chaotic Halloween night. The movie feels like a great episode of "Tales From the Crypt" - it's infused through-and-through with very dark, playful humor and energetic direction. And it's dripping with love for the holiday. It's loosely based on a short animated film by Dougherty, and the final (and best) act of the movie features the main creature from that film, Sam, a creepy little dude who punishes all those who disrespect Halloween tradition. It's a perfect movie for the holiday.
Halloween (1978) >:^D
Duh. Still the best. John Carpenter rules.
Happy Halloween, everybody!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The Dead Paranormal Activity Thing 3
Here's a little roundup of some (okay, three) scary movies that I've seen in the past couple of weeks -
The Dead
Another day, another zombie movie. And it's pretty solid.
Set in present-day Africa during the inevitable zombie apocalypse, a plane carrying U.S. aid workers crashes into the ocean during evacuation. The only survivor is an engineer, who must brave the undead-infested countryside to reach the nearest airbase, where he hopes to be able to find an aircraft to take him back to America and to his family. Along the way, he teams up with an African soldier, who's on his way to the same base to find his son. What follows is a kind of buddy movie, as the duo must battle not only the zombie menace, but the harsh environment as well.
Like I said earlier, it's a solid movie, straight-up and serious. Setting the movie in Africa gives it a nice flavor, unique to this particular horror sub genre, with a moody African-tinged musical score, plenty of epic scenery and lots of local color. Storywise, there's not much originality. It follows the classic George Romero zombie rules (slow-moving, infectious bites, shoot 'em in the head, yadda yadda) and fits in well with that series of movies. The acting is hit-or-miss, but the gory special effects are well done and there are a couple of creepy standout sequences, one in particular where a character hides up in a tree while zombies slowly shamble past beneath him. The directors of the film, the Ford Brothers, apparently went through hell to get this film made, nearly losing their lives on a couple of occasions. If there's a Making-Of documentary on the DVD, that would make it worth purchasing all on its own, but the movie's well worth a look, too.
The Thing (2011)
First came the short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, about a shape shifting alien in the Antarctic who infiltrates a scientific outpost, imitates the locals, and causes much paranoia and chaos. It was adapted into a movie in the '50s as "The Thing From Another World", directed by Howard Hawks. It left out the whole shape shifting aspect and made the alien a 7 ft-tall humanoid plant, but is still classic, B-movie fun. In 1982, horrormeister John Carpenter re-adapted the short story, bringing back all the shape shifting stuff and adding Kurt Russell. At the time, the movie was hated by most film critics and was a major box office flop. Now, 30 years later, it's considered to be one of the finest horror movies ever made (I agree). There was an official video game sequel for PlayStation 2, produced by John Carpenter and also called "The Thing". It was was scary good, and a nice expansion of the '82 movie. Currently in theaters is a prequel to the '82 movie, also called "The Thing". Directed by Mathis von Heiningen, the movie extols the fate of the Norwegian camp, who originally dig the Thing out of the ice and are overcome by it before it heads out to bother Kurt Russell and the American outpost in John Carpenter's film.
It's an okay movie. Mary Elizabeth Bastard, um, I mean Winstead, plays an American paleontologist who is hired by the Norwegians to study the Thing, until it begins imitating people and causing mayhem, trying to get to the mainland where it can absorb and copy as many people as it wants. This movie is a prequel, but sometimes feels like a remake, since many scenes come across as slightly faded Xerox copies of scenes from the '82 version. Adding a female main character to the mix doesn't really change any story dynamics - I just thank God they didn't add an unneeded, cliche love story - but it's always good to see Winstead on screen (she's a highly underrated actress, in my opinion). The other actors do fine jobs with what little character development they get (the '82 crew was much more well-defined), but the filmmakers try hard to recapture the magic of the Carpenter film, and succeed to a certain degree (the music is alright, especially when the music from the '82 film makes its return). The film's plot dovetails nicely into the beginning of the '82 movie, and the combination of CGI with animatronic special effects works extremely well sometimes, not so well at other times (it's too well-lit). All-in-all, the movie is a decent monsterfest, nowhere near as good as the Carpenter version (or the Hawks version), but not bad, either. And, true to form, it's currently being hated my most critics and is flopping hard at the box office.
Paranormal Activity 3
Another prequel. Okay, "Paranormal Activity 2" was mostly a prequel as well, because it largely takes place just before the events of the original. Part 3 takes place 18 years before the original and follows sisters Katie and Kristi as little kids, unveiling the origins of how the unseen demon first came to be linked to the girls in the first place. Their step dad conveniently happens to work in the realm of videotape editing, so he sets up a couple of old school video cameras to record the paranormal events that begin occurring around their normal suburban home (who knew that old-time VHS tapes could record in Hi-Def as well as widescreen!). And did I mention that young Kristi has an imaginary friend named Toby. . .
This is the weakest of the the three PA's, but to leave it at that would be a disservice. It's still a pretty damn good "found footage" flick. Sure, it's the same old shtick as the other ones, but there are some very well done scares in this movie, even though a couple of the best ones are "false scares". In particular, I enjoyed the Bloody Mary scene (different from the one in the trailer) and the whole person-under-a-sheet-pretending-to-be-a-ghost bit. Good 'ol funhouse scares. The step dad even attaches the camera to an oscillating fan mount, so that, as the camera turns from side to side, we eagerly (and agonizingly) await for something spooky to enter our view - an awesome idea! Heck, this movie even exploits the inherent creepiness of Teddy Ruxpin! The actors all seem to give more naturalistic performances in this movie than the actors in the previous films. Directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (makers of the good documentary "Catfish") apparently brought their doc knowledge to bear. The big problem with this movie comes with the end sequence (which I won't give away). What could have been a great cat-and-mouse suspense scene turn out to be more maddening than creepy. Okay, so you're being chased - why wouldn't you put down the enormous VHS camera and, more importantly, SHUT OFF THE BLARING CAMERA LIGHT, especially when you're trying to hide. I know, I know, because then we wouldn't be able to see what's going on. Yeah, okay, but it's still annoying. The movie ends with a rather painful looking death, but it feels a bit unsatisfying, probably because there are still some questions lingering in mind. What about the house fire? What exactly happened to their mother, and how come they talk about her in Parts 1 and 2 as if she was still around? What about Katie and Hunter? What about the origins of the "cult"? Who took the box of video tapes, and, more importantly, who found them and edited them into movie form? Will there be another prequel where Thomas Edison, with the prototype film camera, records some paranormal activity and discovers the very beginnings of the "deal with the demon"? No, that would be silly - so I say "go for it"!
While I felt that it was (overall) the most unsatisfying of the three PA's, it's still a pretty good scare flick. There is going to be a Part 4, guaranteed, so maybe all my questions will be answered there. Or not, we'll see.
The Dead
Another day, another zombie movie. And it's pretty solid.
Set in present-day Africa during the inevitable zombie apocalypse, a plane carrying U.S. aid workers crashes into the ocean during evacuation. The only survivor is an engineer, who must brave the undead-infested countryside to reach the nearest airbase, where he hopes to be able to find an aircraft to take him back to America and to his family. Along the way, he teams up with an African soldier, who's on his way to the same base to find his son. What follows is a kind of buddy movie, as the duo must battle not only the zombie menace, but the harsh environment as well.
Like I said earlier, it's a solid movie, straight-up and serious. Setting the movie in Africa gives it a nice flavor, unique to this particular horror sub genre, with a moody African-tinged musical score, plenty of epic scenery and lots of local color. Storywise, there's not much originality. It follows the classic George Romero zombie rules (slow-moving, infectious bites, shoot 'em in the head, yadda yadda) and fits in well with that series of movies. The acting is hit-or-miss, but the gory special effects are well done and there are a couple of creepy standout sequences, one in particular where a character hides up in a tree while zombies slowly shamble past beneath him. The directors of the film, the Ford Brothers, apparently went through hell to get this film made, nearly losing their lives on a couple of occasions. If there's a Making-Of documentary on the DVD, that would make it worth purchasing all on its own, but the movie's well worth a look, too.
The Thing (2011)
First came the short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, about a shape shifting alien in the Antarctic who infiltrates a scientific outpost, imitates the locals, and causes much paranoia and chaos. It was adapted into a movie in the '50s as "The Thing From Another World", directed by Howard Hawks. It left out the whole shape shifting aspect and made the alien a 7 ft-tall humanoid plant, but is still classic, B-movie fun. In 1982, horrormeister John Carpenter re-adapted the short story, bringing back all the shape shifting stuff and adding Kurt Russell. At the time, the movie was hated by most film critics and was a major box office flop. Now, 30 years later, it's considered to be one of the finest horror movies ever made (I agree). There was an official video game sequel for PlayStation 2, produced by John Carpenter and also called "The Thing". It was was scary good, and a nice expansion of the '82 movie. Currently in theaters is a prequel to the '82 movie, also called "The Thing". Directed by Mathis von Heiningen, the movie extols the fate of the Norwegian camp, who originally dig the Thing out of the ice and are overcome by it before it heads out to bother Kurt Russell and the American outpost in John Carpenter's film.
It's an okay movie. Mary Elizabeth Bastard, um, I mean Winstead, plays an American paleontologist who is hired by the Norwegians to study the Thing, until it begins imitating people and causing mayhem, trying to get to the mainland where it can absorb and copy as many people as it wants. This movie is a prequel, but sometimes feels like a remake, since many scenes come across as slightly faded Xerox copies of scenes from the '82 version. Adding a female main character to the mix doesn't really change any story dynamics - I just thank God they didn't add an unneeded, cliche love story - but it's always good to see Winstead on screen (she's a highly underrated actress, in my opinion). The other actors do fine jobs with what little character development they get (the '82 crew was much more well-defined), but the filmmakers try hard to recapture the magic of the Carpenter film, and succeed to a certain degree (the music is alright, especially when the music from the '82 film makes its return). The film's plot dovetails nicely into the beginning of the '82 movie, and the combination of CGI with animatronic special effects works extremely well sometimes, not so well at other times (it's too well-lit). All-in-all, the movie is a decent monsterfest, nowhere near as good as the Carpenter version (or the Hawks version), but not bad, either. And, true to form, it's currently being hated my most critics and is flopping hard at the box office.
Paranormal Activity 3
Another prequel. Okay, "Paranormal Activity 2" was mostly a prequel as well, because it largely takes place just before the events of the original. Part 3 takes place 18 years before the original and follows sisters Katie and Kristi as little kids, unveiling the origins of how the unseen demon first came to be linked to the girls in the first place. Their step dad conveniently happens to work in the realm of videotape editing, so he sets up a couple of old school video cameras to record the paranormal events that begin occurring around their normal suburban home (who knew that old-time VHS tapes could record in Hi-Def as well as widescreen!). And did I mention that young Kristi has an imaginary friend named Toby. . .
This is the weakest of the the three PA's, but to leave it at that would be a disservice. It's still a pretty damn good "found footage" flick. Sure, it's the same old shtick as the other ones, but there are some very well done scares in this movie, even though a couple of the best ones are "false scares". In particular, I enjoyed the Bloody Mary scene (different from the one in the trailer) and the whole person-under-a-sheet-pretending-to-be-a-ghost bit. Good 'ol funhouse scares. The step dad even attaches the camera to an oscillating fan mount, so that, as the camera turns from side to side, we eagerly (and agonizingly) await for something spooky to enter our view - an awesome idea! Heck, this movie even exploits the inherent creepiness of Teddy Ruxpin! The actors all seem to give more naturalistic performances in this movie than the actors in the previous films. Directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (makers of the good documentary "Catfish") apparently brought their doc knowledge to bear. The big problem with this movie comes with the end sequence (which I won't give away). What could have been a great cat-and-mouse suspense scene turn out to be more maddening than creepy. Okay, so you're being chased - why wouldn't you put down the enormous VHS camera and, more importantly, SHUT OFF THE BLARING CAMERA LIGHT, especially when you're trying to hide. I know, I know, because then we wouldn't be able to see what's going on. Yeah, okay, but it's still annoying. The movie ends with a rather painful looking death, but it feels a bit unsatisfying, probably because there are still some questions lingering in mind. What about the house fire? What exactly happened to their mother, and how come they talk about her in Parts 1 and 2 as if she was still around? What about Katie and Hunter? What about the origins of the "cult"? Who took the box of video tapes, and, more importantly, who found them and edited them into movie form? Will there be another prequel where Thomas Edison, with the prototype film camera, records some paranormal activity and discovers the very beginnings of the "deal with the demon"? No, that would be silly - so I say "go for it"!
While I felt that it was (overall) the most unsatisfying of the three PA's, it's still a pretty good scare flick. There is going to be a Part 4, guaranteed, so maybe all my questions will be answered there. Or not, we'll see.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
The Wrath of Godzilla, Part 7: The Resurrection and the Life
After Toho gained the rights to Willis O'Brien's script "King Kong vs Frankenstein", the studio decided to replace Frankenstein's monster with their own homegrown villain, Godzilla, thus giving rise to "King Kong vs Godzilla" (see Wrath of Godzilla, Part 4). Not being ones to let a good monster go to waste, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka (the man behind the kaiju), decided that Toho's next picture would center around ol' flat-top himself, and thus. . .
Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965)
. . .was born. Or reborn, I suppose.
Also known as "Frankenstein vs Baragon", the action begins during the final years of World War II. Nazi soldiers barge into the German laboratory of a madly overacting scientist and swipe the still-beating heart of Frankenstein's monster from its petrie dish cradle. See, this movie is sort of a sequel to the classic "Frankenstein" films produced by Universal studios in the 30's and 40's. Toho was never shy about wearing their influences on their sleeve ("King Kong", "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms"), and this was definitely no exception. Those movies were largely set in Germany, and after getting killed multiple times by torch-wielding peasants and returning from the dead alive and kicking an equal number of times, it seems logical to assume that those dang Nazis would show an interest in Dr. Frankenstein's creation. See, they want to create an army of undead soldiers, so they ship Frank's heart off to scientists in Japan to begin work. Unfortunately, these scientists live and work in Hiroshima. Whoops. Kaboom.
Cut to 15 years later, which would mean that this movie is set in the year 1960. A trio of scientists, led by American actor Nick Adams as Dr. Bowen (Adams starred in "Invasion of the Astro Monsters", also released in 1965), are in Hiroshima studying the aftereffects of the atomic bomb drop. They soon encounter a mysterious homeless kid who's been running around the city eating dogs and rabbits (there were many such orphan "waifs" roaming the city after the bombing). They corner him in some caves and, after realizing that he'd survived all these years after facing the direct force of the bomb, decide to take him back to the lab for study. The characters point out that he's Caucasian, even though he's clearly played (rather well) by a Japanese actor. He also has a weird flat-top head and can speak only in grunts.
Meanwhile, in another movie, a giant prehistoric subterranean beast named Baragon decides to pop up and destroy an oil field. He can tunnel through the earth at lightning speed, shoot a red energy beam, sports a glowing unicorn horn, and has big ears. Back in the original movie, Frankenstein grows at an incredible rate, develops a crush on scientist Dr. Togami (played by Kumi Mizuno, who was also in "Invasion of the Astro Monsters", playing the alien gf of Nick Adams), and throws a T.V. out of a window because he doesn't the show (hippie teens dancing to hippie music).
Alright, about this whole name thing. . .
Technically, it's not Frankenstein, it's Frankenstein's Monster. He's the creation of Dr. Henry (Victor, in the original Mary Shelley novel) Frankenstein. However, over the years, the monster himself has erroneously become labeled "Frankenstein". I will help perpetuate this mistake, mostly because that's how this movie refers to him. Also, in the rival "Gamera" films produced by Daiei Studios, there is a monster called Barugon (this one has a "u" instead of an "a"). Frankly, Daiei's Barugon is cooler than Toho's Baragon, but I'm not talking about those giant turtle movies right now - this is all about the Godzillaverse, baby!
So a Japanese scientist who was present during the exchange of Frankenstein's heart with the Nazis comes forward and identifies the homeless waif as The Monster. He reveals that The Monster can regenerate by ingesting lots of protein (i.e. meat) and that he will grow to huge proportions if he continues to eat as much as he is. Soon he outgrows the lab and needs to live in a zoo cage. Reporters arrive and snap some photos - the flashbulbs cause him to go Frankshit, so he tears his hand off to get out of his shackle and runs off into the wild. While the scientists study the still-living severed hand (it eventually dies because it gets no protein), Frankenstein eats cows, throws trees at birds, and lays pit traps for wild boars. In that other movie, Baragon interrupts hippie dance parties, stomps through a town, and chows down on some hard working miners.
Eventually the scientists find Frank in some local caves (actually, old ammo depots from WWII), and accidentally stir up Baragon instead. However, when Baragon threatens to crush his crush, Dr. Togami, Frankenstein leaps to the rescue and the battle begins! It's a rather exciting, energetic fight, primarily because the actor playing Frankenstein isn't wearing a heavy rubber suit and can leap around like an acrobat. The tussle moves to Mt. Fuji, where the beasts battle against the backdrop of a huge forest fire. In an interesting reversal, Frankenstein grabs a couple of burning trees, and, like the torches that angry peasants used to pester him with, uses them to fight off Baragon. Frank wins the fight by breaking Baragon's neck, and then a giant octopus crawls out of a nearby lake and drags Frankenstein underwater, wrapping up the story perfectly.
The End.
Um, wait. . .
Giant octopus? What did I miss here?
The American co-producers of this movie insisted that Toho insert a giant octopus into the ending of the movie. Why, you ask? Because the giant octopus that the big ape battled near the beginning of "King Kong vs Godzilla" got such a huge positive reaction from the American audience that the producers naturally assumed that octopi = box office gold, so. . . more octopi! In the original Japanese version, there's an earthquake and Frankenstein gets sucked underground. Both endings are copouts, but I prefer the octopus ending, just because it's random and weird and fits perfectly in a movie about a giant Frankenstein's Monster fighting a giant lizard/dog/unicorn.
Despite the addition of the octopus, the movie didn't catch on with American audiences. It was a huge international hit, however, and a sequel soon followed (keep reading). What can I say, it may be the strangest movie in the entire Godzilla universe. Still, it's fun in its own way. The whole Baragon plotline seems tacked on, but. . . well, the entire movie seems tacked on, really. The special effects are wild and the climactic fight scene kicks ass, so this one is definitely worth a look, even more so for fans of weird cinema. Baragon would return in both "Destroy All Monsters" (1968) and over three decades later in "Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack!" (2001). Frankenstein, or, at least, his progeny, would return in. . .
War of the Gargantuas (1966)
This was always my favorite non-Godzilla Toho movie when I was a kid. Until very recently, I never knew that this movie was a sequel, let alone had anything to do with Frankenstein. I guess that would explain the flat-top heads, though. Originally titled "Frankenstein's Monsters: Sanda vs Gaira", the American producers, after the U.S. box office failure of "Frankenstein Conquers the World", wisely decided to omit all references to Frankenstein and instead call the creatures Gargantuas. It worked, and "War of the Gargantuas" became a Stateside hit.
The film opens with a Japanese ship at sea getting attacked by - a giant octopus! I'm assuming that this is the same one from the end of "Frankenstein Conquers the World", maybe even from "King Kong vs Godzilla", which would make this Part 3 of the Octopus Trilogy. Another giant monster, this one hairy and green, arrives to beat the snot out the pesky cephalopod, then trashes the ship himself. A lone surviving crew member makes it to shore and fingers Frankenstein as the culprit. The government turns to the trio of scientists who raised Frankenstein in the first movie, who all have different names now, which is weird. Is this supposed to be a reboot? No, I think maybe they just changed their names to try and distance themselves from the Frankenstein fiasco. Didn't work.
The American scientist, previously played by Nick Adams, is played in this film by Russ Tamblyn ("Easy Rider", Dr. Jacoby from "Twin Peaks"). Adams was much more likable. Tamblyn comes across as a stuck up know-it-all. Kumi Mizuno returns as the female scientist, and the other guy is played by some other guy (Toho regular Kenji Sahara). The trio deny that the green monster in the sea is Frankenstein, especially after the beast trashes a coastal airport and eats a couple of people. This is a grotesque scene, where the monster chows down on a poor lady and then spits out her bloody, mangled clothes. Eww.
There's also been sightings of a giant, hairy gold-colored beast in the mountains. This one avoids humans and leaves giant footprints in the snow (the Abominable Snowman craze was all the rage at the time). The trio seems to think that this monster is more likely to be Frankenstein than the seagoing one.
After attacking a horrible lounge singer on a cruise ship, where it's discovered that he doesn't dig bright lights, the government decides to begin "Operation L" to counter the green guy's attacks. Operation L (for Laser) involves using giant mobile lasers, a.k.a. "Masers", to counterattack the beast. Masers were this movie's greatest contribution to the world of Godzilla. They would be used several times in Toho movies in the upcoming decades, becoming one of the most popular "mecha" creations in the Toho Universe. Operation L is a runaway success, and just as the final killing blow is about to be delivered by their Masers, the gold beast shows up and takes his injured brother to safety.
The scientists confirm that both of the creatures are spawned from the cells of the original Frankenstein. Somehow the cells got some protein and grew into these new monsters. They name the green one Gaira and the gold one Sanda. The friendly one, Sanda, may be easier to control, but destroying Gaira could be a problem. If you blow the creature up, how many more will grow from the Gaira bits?
Sanda proves his good nature by saving the lovely female doctor from falling off of a cliff, breaking his leg as a result. He returns to his brother and finds that he's been snacking on hippie hikers (there's one shot early on where Gaira waits in the fog, stalking the hikers - very creepy and atmospheric), then beats the shit out of him with a tree. Gaira runs off to the ocean, then pops up at Tokyo later on, looking for human shaped protein bars. He threatens Ms. Mizuno, causing Sanda to intervene and try to convince his brother to leave the humans alone. Gaira refuses, and the fight is on! It's another great climactic fight, energetic (because the monster suits are more mobile) and exciting. The battle moves from the city to the ocean, where a giant cyborg Mecha-Octopus, controlled by aliens, shows up and kills both the Frankensteins!
Ha, ha, just kidding. What really happens is far less weird, but remarkably coincidental. An underwater volcano decides to erupt at that exact moment, and Sanda pulls his evil brother Gaira into the eruption, killing them both. The End.
I like this movie far more than "Frankenstein Conquers the World". It's less random, faster paced, there's more monster action, and the special effects are more well done. The actors who play Sanda and Gaira also get to perform in a couple of well-acted scenes, wordlessly conveying depth of character like the best actors of the Silent era. Needless to say, the team of Honda/Tsuburya/Ifubuke is responsible for both these movies, and they do their usual fine jobs, especially with "War of the Gargantuas". The Maser cannons would appear in many Godzilla movies to come, while only the monster Gaira would return, with a cameo appearance in "Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S." (2003). Like I said earlier, this was my favorite non-Godzilla flick from Toho, and I still think it's one of the best.
Next time, Godzilla returns - and there's a new addition to the family!
Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965)
. . .was born. Or reborn, I suppose.
Also known as "Frankenstein vs Baragon", the action begins during the final years of World War II. Nazi soldiers barge into the German laboratory of a madly overacting scientist and swipe the still-beating heart of Frankenstein's monster from its petrie dish cradle. See, this movie is sort of a sequel to the classic "Frankenstein" films produced by Universal studios in the 30's and 40's. Toho was never shy about wearing their influences on their sleeve ("King Kong", "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms"), and this was definitely no exception. Those movies were largely set in Germany, and after getting killed multiple times by torch-wielding peasants and returning from the dead alive and kicking an equal number of times, it seems logical to assume that those dang Nazis would show an interest in Dr. Frankenstein's creation. See, they want to create an army of undead soldiers, so they ship Frank's heart off to scientists in Japan to begin work. Unfortunately, these scientists live and work in Hiroshima. Whoops. Kaboom.
Cut to 15 years later, which would mean that this movie is set in the year 1960. A trio of scientists, led by American actor Nick Adams as Dr. Bowen (Adams starred in "Invasion of the Astro Monsters", also released in 1965), are in Hiroshima studying the aftereffects of the atomic bomb drop. They soon encounter a mysterious homeless kid who's been running around the city eating dogs and rabbits (there were many such orphan "waifs" roaming the city after the bombing). They corner him in some caves and, after realizing that he'd survived all these years after facing the direct force of the bomb, decide to take him back to the lab for study. The characters point out that he's Caucasian, even though he's clearly played (rather well) by a Japanese actor. He also has a weird flat-top head and can speak only in grunts.
Meanwhile, in another movie, a giant prehistoric subterranean beast named Baragon decides to pop up and destroy an oil field. He can tunnel through the earth at lightning speed, shoot a red energy beam, sports a glowing unicorn horn, and has big ears. Back in the original movie, Frankenstein grows at an incredible rate, develops a crush on scientist Dr. Togami (played by Kumi Mizuno, who was also in "Invasion of the Astro Monsters", playing the alien gf of Nick Adams), and throws a T.V. out of a window because he doesn't the show (hippie teens dancing to hippie music).
Alright, about this whole name thing. . .
Technically, it's not Frankenstein, it's Frankenstein's Monster. He's the creation of Dr. Henry (Victor, in the original Mary Shelley novel) Frankenstein. However, over the years, the monster himself has erroneously become labeled "Frankenstein". I will help perpetuate this mistake, mostly because that's how this movie refers to him. Also, in the rival "Gamera" films produced by Daiei Studios, there is a monster called Barugon (this one has a "u" instead of an "a"). Frankly, Daiei's Barugon is cooler than Toho's Baragon, but I'm not talking about those giant turtle movies right now - this is all about the Godzillaverse, baby!
So a Japanese scientist who was present during the exchange of Frankenstein's heart with the Nazis comes forward and identifies the homeless waif as The Monster. He reveals that The Monster can regenerate by ingesting lots of protein (i.e. meat) and that he will grow to huge proportions if he continues to eat as much as he is. Soon he outgrows the lab and needs to live in a zoo cage. Reporters arrive and snap some photos - the flashbulbs cause him to go Frankshit, so he tears his hand off to get out of his shackle and runs off into the wild. While the scientists study the still-living severed hand (it eventually dies because it gets no protein), Frankenstein eats cows, throws trees at birds, and lays pit traps for wild boars. In that other movie, Baragon interrupts hippie dance parties, stomps through a town, and chows down on some hard working miners.
Eventually the scientists find Frank in some local caves (actually, old ammo depots from WWII), and accidentally stir up Baragon instead. However, when Baragon threatens to crush his crush, Dr. Togami, Frankenstein leaps to the rescue and the battle begins! It's a rather exciting, energetic fight, primarily because the actor playing Frankenstein isn't wearing a heavy rubber suit and can leap around like an acrobat. The tussle moves to Mt. Fuji, where the beasts battle against the backdrop of a huge forest fire. In an interesting reversal, Frankenstein grabs a couple of burning trees, and, like the torches that angry peasants used to pester him with, uses them to fight off Baragon. Frank wins the fight by breaking Baragon's neck, and then a giant octopus crawls out of a nearby lake and drags Frankenstein underwater, wrapping up the story perfectly.
The End.
Um, wait. . .
Giant octopus? What did I miss here?
The American co-producers of this movie insisted that Toho insert a giant octopus into the ending of the movie. Why, you ask? Because the giant octopus that the big ape battled near the beginning of "King Kong vs Godzilla" got such a huge positive reaction from the American audience that the producers naturally assumed that octopi = box office gold, so. . . more octopi! In the original Japanese version, there's an earthquake and Frankenstein gets sucked underground. Both endings are copouts, but I prefer the octopus ending, just because it's random and weird and fits perfectly in a movie about a giant Frankenstein's Monster fighting a giant lizard/dog/unicorn.
Despite the addition of the octopus, the movie didn't catch on with American audiences. It was a huge international hit, however, and a sequel soon followed (keep reading). What can I say, it may be the strangest movie in the entire Godzilla universe. Still, it's fun in its own way. The whole Baragon plotline seems tacked on, but. . . well, the entire movie seems tacked on, really. The special effects are wild and the climactic fight scene kicks ass, so this one is definitely worth a look, even more so for fans of weird cinema. Baragon would return in both "Destroy All Monsters" (1968) and over three decades later in "Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack!" (2001). Frankenstein, or, at least, his progeny, would return in. . .
War of the Gargantuas (1966)
This was always my favorite non-Godzilla Toho movie when I was a kid. Until very recently, I never knew that this movie was a sequel, let alone had anything to do with Frankenstein. I guess that would explain the flat-top heads, though. Originally titled "Frankenstein's Monsters: Sanda vs Gaira", the American producers, after the U.S. box office failure of "Frankenstein Conquers the World", wisely decided to omit all references to Frankenstein and instead call the creatures Gargantuas. It worked, and "War of the Gargantuas" became a Stateside hit.
The film opens with a Japanese ship at sea getting attacked by - a giant octopus! I'm assuming that this is the same one from the end of "Frankenstein Conquers the World", maybe even from "King Kong vs Godzilla", which would make this Part 3 of the Octopus Trilogy. Another giant monster, this one hairy and green, arrives to beat the snot out the pesky cephalopod, then trashes the ship himself. A lone surviving crew member makes it to shore and fingers Frankenstein as the culprit. The government turns to the trio of scientists who raised Frankenstein in the first movie, who all have different names now, which is weird. Is this supposed to be a reboot? No, I think maybe they just changed their names to try and distance themselves from the Frankenstein fiasco. Didn't work.
The American scientist, previously played by Nick Adams, is played in this film by Russ Tamblyn ("Easy Rider", Dr. Jacoby from "Twin Peaks"). Adams was much more likable. Tamblyn comes across as a stuck up know-it-all. Kumi Mizuno returns as the female scientist, and the other guy is played by some other guy (Toho regular Kenji Sahara). The trio deny that the green monster in the sea is Frankenstein, especially after the beast trashes a coastal airport and eats a couple of people. This is a grotesque scene, where the monster chows down on a poor lady and then spits out her bloody, mangled clothes. Eww.
There's also been sightings of a giant, hairy gold-colored beast in the mountains. This one avoids humans and leaves giant footprints in the snow (the Abominable Snowman craze was all the rage at the time). The trio seems to think that this monster is more likely to be Frankenstein than the seagoing one.
After attacking a horrible lounge singer on a cruise ship, where it's discovered that he doesn't dig bright lights, the government decides to begin "Operation L" to counter the green guy's attacks. Operation L (for Laser) involves using giant mobile lasers, a.k.a. "Masers", to counterattack the beast. Masers were this movie's greatest contribution to the world of Godzilla. They would be used several times in Toho movies in the upcoming decades, becoming one of the most popular "mecha" creations in the Toho Universe. Operation L is a runaway success, and just as the final killing blow is about to be delivered by their Masers, the gold beast shows up and takes his injured brother to safety.
The scientists confirm that both of the creatures are spawned from the cells of the original Frankenstein. Somehow the cells got some protein and grew into these new monsters. They name the green one Gaira and the gold one Sanda. The friendly one, Sanda, may be easier to control, but destroying Gaira could be a problem. If you blow the creature up, how many more will grow from the Gaira bits?
Sanda proves his good nature by saving the lovely female doctor from falling off of a cliff, breaking his leg as a result. He returns to his brother and finds that he's been snacking on hippie hikers (there's one shot early on where Gaira waits in the fog, stalking the hikers - very creepy and atmospheric), then beats the shit out of him with a tree. Gaira runs off to the ocean, then pops up at Tokyo later on, looking for human shaped protein bars. He threatens Ms. Mizuno, causing Sanda to intervene and try to convince his brother to leave the humans alone. Gaira refuses, and the fight is on! It's another great climactic fight, energetic (because the monster suits are more mobile) and exciting. The battle moves from the city to the ocean, where a giant cyborg Mecha-Octopus, controlled by aliens, shows up and kills both the Frankensteins!
Ha, ha, just kidding. What really happens is far less weird, but remarkably coincidental. An underwater volcano decides to erupt at that exact moment, and Sanda pulls his evil brother Gaira into the eruption, killing them both. The End.
I like this movie far more than "Frankenstein Conquers the World". It's less random, faster paced, there's more monster action, and the special effects are more well done. The actors who play Sanda and Gaira also get to perform in a couple of well-acted scenes, wordlessly conveying depth of character like the best actors of the Silent era. Needless to say, the team of Honda/Tsuburya/Ifubuke is responsible for both these movies, and they do their usual fine jobs, especially with "War of the Gargantuas". The Maser cannons would appear in many Godzilla movies to come, while only the monster Gaira would return, with a cameo appearance in "Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S." (2003). Like I said earlier, this was my favorite non-Godzilla flick from Toho, and I still think it's one of the best.
Next time, Godzilla returns - and there's a new addition to the family!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The Wrath of Godzilla, Part 6: Rest For the Wicked
Witness the transformation, as the world's most destructive monster becomes its most destructive hero -
Mothra vs Godzilla (1964)
A massive typhoon hits the coast of Japan with its mighty flatulence, leaving high flood waters and a giant egg in its wake. An egg? Yup. It's Mothra's. But before the big bug can rescue her progeny, a group of local fishermen swoop in and claim it. They team up with a crooked businessman and form "Happy Enterprises". Their ultimate goal - to build a giant amusement park, with the egg at its epicenter. Mothra's little helpers, the Shobijin (tiny beauties) arrive, team up with a couple of reporters and a scientist, and try to convince "Happy Enterprises" to return the egg to Infant Island, where it was buried for millions of years until the typhoon washed it out, but our heroes are met with scorn and derision by the ardent capitalists, who wisely decide to begin incubating the egg. Huh?
Meanwhile, Godzilla pops up from beneath a pile of washed-up debris, clearly another victim of the raging typhoon. He sways around Nagoya, getting his tail caught in a radio tower and, literally, stumbling into buildings. Many fans explain away Godzilla's behavior as mere disorientation from getting washed ashore by the storm. My own personal theory is this - after getting his ass handed to him by the big ape in "King Kong vs Godzilla", he immediately stomped to the nearest bar and initiated a year-long saki bender. M.A.D.D. = Monsters Against Drunk Destruction. Godzilla needs an intervention.
Our Heroes (the tiny beauties, the reporters and the scientist) travel to Infant Island to convince the locals to lend them Mothra to stop Godzilla's drunken rampage. When they first set foot on the shore of the island, there's a creepy looking giant bone-white turtle sitting in the background. It creeped me out when I was a kid, and it creeps me out even now. I think it's because of its strange bouncing bobble head. Anyhow, Our Heroes convince the natives to let Mothra help Japan, even though Mothra is dying.
Back on the mainland, Godzilla heads for the egg, military in tow, and in serious need of some kind of hangover remedy. Panicking, the crooked businessman shoots the head fisherman and tries to make off all of the money from "Happy Enterprises", but Godzilla barrels through the building and crushes him in a fall of rubble. The Big G approaches the egg, and just as he's about to strike, Mothra brings the pain! She pummels him with gale-force winds, drags him around by the tail, batters him with her little claws, and tries to poison him by excreting some sort of toxic powder - but one blast from Godzilla's heat beam is all it takes to kill the goddess of Infant Island. She falls to earth and dies, but not before sheltering the egg with one of her wings in one final act of protection.
The egg hatches, and twin larvae emerge. Godzilla, hammered and injured from his fight with momma Mothra, is taken by surprise when the baby bugs encase him in a cocoon of sticky silk. He falls into the ocean, frees himself from the cocoon and swims off to sea, humbled and humiliated. But Japan is safe. As the twin Mothra larvae swim back to Infant Island with the tiny beauties, Our Heroes wave goodbye. "Sayonara!"
Released in America as "Godzilla vs the Thing" (apparently the distributor didn't think they had the rights to use the name "Mothra"), this is considered by many fans to be the quintessential example of a "perfect" Godzilla movie. Sure, I'll go with that. It certainly is the prototype for many of the Godzilla movies that have come after. By the way, all three movies in Part 6 are made by the Honda/Tsuburya/Ifukube team, the same guys who've made almost all the movies I've talked about so far, and they do a rock solid job of combining two of Japan's most popular monsters into one story.
Also, look for the scene where Godzilla's head is on fire. While filming some pyrotechnic special effects, Tsuburya accidentally ignited the head of the Godzilla suit, with the actor still inside - and they kept it in the movie!
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1965)
Princess Salno, from the made-up Asiatic country of Selgina (where everyone wears giant ruff collars, like William Shakespeare), is on a flight to Japan when she's suddenly overcome by a bright light which urges her to jump out of the plane - she does, just as the plane explodes, courtesy of a bomb delivered by her rivals in the royal court of Selgina. She survives the fall (explanation: she "fell into the crack between two dimensions" - wha. . ?) and soon she's popping up all over Japan, preaching to the masses and foretelling the end of the Earth, which will come at the hands (or claws) of a powerful being from outer space. As if on cue, a meteorite lands near Mt. Kurobe. Scientists soon investigate the fallen rock and discover that, not only is it highly magnetic, but it seems to be growing larger. Hmmm.
Princess Salno, becoming a media darling and now claiming to be an alien from Venus (after all, she is a woman), also predicts that Godzilla and Rodan will return and cause havoc. Unbeknownst to her, her rivals in Selgina have sent an assassin and his team to finish her off once and for all, but the cop who was originally supposed to be her bodyguard during her visit to Japan, recognizes her and sets off to find her. The cop's sister is, funny enough, a reporter, and not just any reporter, but the one who made a star out of the prophetic princess in the first place. Oh yeah, and the twin beauties from Infant Island have also become pop culture stars in Japan (just like the actresses who play them in real life, the twin sister singing act known as "The Peanuts"). They appear on some kind of make-a-wish variety show, which is hosted by a couple of goofballs.
As predicted, Godzilla and Rodan show up. Godzilla's arrival is kind of cool - first we see a group of whales swimming off in terror for some unknown reason, then the camera pans over and we see the cause of their distress - Godzilla. Rodan pops up from beneath the earth at Mt. Aso, where he was buried in lava at the end of "Rodan". Naturally, the two monsters head straight for each other and begin fighting, taking down whole cities in their wake. What follow is one of the most amusing fights in Godzilla history. The two beasts go at it like a couple of kids, throwing rocks, making funny gestures and moves, and just plain being silly. Many Godzilla fans consider this scene to be the turning point, when the series became more kid-oriented, and that's true. Godzilla was more popular with the kids at this point, so the shift was inevitable. But not permanent.
Funniest part - Rodan hits Godzilla in the head with his pecker.
Also as predicted, a new monster named King Ghidorah bursts from the meteorite and begins leveling Japan with its powerful lightning breath. Ghidorah is the most radical kaiju to date, resembling a three-headed golden Chinese dragon. It would also become one of the most popular.
According to Princess Salno, Ghidorah destroyed the people of Venus (or Ghidorah's parent, it's not made clear whether or not this is the same Ghidorah, since he appears to have just been born). The last surviving Venusians fled to planet Earth about 5,000 years ago and intermarried with the population. Salno is one of their descendants, so this whole "alien possession" thing is apparently not possession, but some kind of genetic memory triggered by the arrival of Ghidorah. Okay, I'm thinking waaaay to hard about all of this. . .
Funny side note - the Japanese military doesn't even bother to send its forces out to do battle with King Ghidorah. They're like, "hey, screw it, this one's too powerful".
So Our Heroes (cop, reporter, scientist, Venusian, twin beauties) call Mothra (with something called the "Happiness Song") to come to Japan to try and convince Godzilla and Rodan to fight Ghidorah. Little larval Mothra arrives (her twin died, according to the beauties) and tries, unsuccessfully, to persuade the other two monsters to fight. This scene is a highlight of the entire series. The twin beauties translate "monster-to-English/Japanese" to our heroes as the three monsters sit down and have a debate. In the American version, there's one point where the beauties scold Godzilla - "Godzilla, watch your language!" In the Japanese version, Godzilla refuses to help save the humans because, "They are always bullying me." It's an oddly touching moment, coming from a giant radioactive dinosaur.
Really, though, I think that this is the intervention that I spoke of in the previous review. Mothra is trying to get Godzilla to channel his anger and negativity into something other than drinking and destruction - namely saving the Earth. She's also trying to stop Rodan from being an enabler.
Well, she fails to convince the others, so little Mothra heads off to face Ghidorah alone. Godzilla and Rodan watch as Mothra gets tossed around like a red-headed stepchild, clearly outmatched. Her selflessness moves the pair so much that they enter the fight, and soon it's the three monsters of Earth versus the planet-killer! In one of the best fights of Godzilla's career (even though Ghidorah hits him in the crotch and in the butt with his lightning ray - very undignified!), the trio make King Ghidorah cry "uncle!", and he flies off into space. At the same time, Princess Salno's would-be assassin is killed by falling rocks from a Ghidorah blast, but not before a bullet from his gun glances off of Salno's skull, restoring her human personality. Godzilla and Rodan, having found their true callings, head off into the sunset while Mothra and the beauties return to Infant Island. The End.
This is one of my favorite Godzilla movies of all time. It's also the first one that hooked me when I was a kid. It's well-paced, endearingly goofy, and full of great monster action. The three scenes I've mentioned (the Godzilla/Rodan fight, the monster debate, the final battle) are scenes that I still find incredibly fun to watch. It was a major box office hit at the time, and a direct sequel was filmed and released in the same year. Ghidorah (who's name was changed to "Ghidrah" in the American release) would also become the most popular villain in all three of the Godzilla series.
Invasion of the Astro Monsters (1965)
Yup, more aliens.
First the Mysterians, than the aliens from Natal, then the SPACE AMOEBA, then Ghidorah, and now - the Xians (Ex-ee-yans). Earth sure is a popular place.
Scientists discover a new moon orbiting Jupiter and name it Planet X (technically, shouldn't it be "Moon X"). The World Space Agency sends their two best astronauts, Fuji (Japanese) and Glenn (American), off to Planet X to take a look. After arriving in their craft, Spaceship P-1, they soon discover that King Ghidorah is there, ravaging the surface. The inhabitants of Planet X, the Xians, bring Fuji and Glenn underground and make them an offer they can't refuse - the Xians want to borrow Godzilla and Rodan to fight Ghidorah (a.k.a. Monster Zero), in exchange for the cure for cancer.
The Xians are very strange. They wear tight turtleneck space suits, odd little sunglasses, are apparently controlled/coordinated by a massive computer overmind, and their leader (the Commandant) likes to make strange hand gestures when he talks. And they have very little water, which should have been a big fat warning signal right there.
Well, humanity accepts their proposal and lets the aliens take Godzilla and Rodan (a.k.a. Monster Zero 1 and Monster Zero 2) to Planet X. The aliens declare this day "Friendship Day".
Oddly enough, Rodan is buried beneath Mt. Aso again and the aliens have to dig him up. So, is this the second Rodan from the movie "Rodan"? What happened to the Rodan from "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster"? Did he die? And what about Mothra? Nobody cares about Mothra. . .
The Earth monsters arrive on Planet X and battle Ghidorah, driving him off surprisingly easy. Then Godzilla does a happy victory dance in the low gravity. This dance, reviled by some, loved by others, would go down in history as the Big G's silliest moment -
After getting funky, the humans leave G and R stranded on P-X. There's a moving shot where Godzilla and Rodan watch as the humans leave them behind, and they seem a little heartbroken. Godzilla begins to feel "the crave" again.
Well, whaddayaknow, the cure for cancer that the aliens give us (in tape form) is actually an ultimatum - surrender and become a colony world of Planet X or be destroyed! We refuse, so the Xians send Ghidorah, Godzilla and Rodan (all under alien control) to destroy our cities.
Subplots - Astronaut Glenn is dating a Japanese lady who turns out to be an alien agent on Earth, but his manly manliness sways her over to the side of good and she helps him to escape alien clutches, getting herself killed in the process. Also, astronaut Fuji's sister is dating a nerdy inventor (Tetsuo) who's created a personal self-defense device for consumers called the Lady Guard, which is supposed to emit a high-pitched tone intended to ward off muggers and rapists. Alien agents on Earth buy the patent, suppress the device, and lock Tetsuo away underground. Why, you ask? Because the tone emitted by the Lady Guard disrupts Xian technology and, oh yeah, kills them.
After Glenn frees Tetsuo, they transmit the frequency all across the planet, killing lots and lots if Xians. The tone also breaks the hold over all of the monsters, so Godzilla and Rodan team up to defeat Ghidorah, sending him packing into space once again. The officials at the World Space Agency breathe a sigh of relief, then tell Fuji and Glenn that they have to return to Planet X to do another survey. Ha, ha, everyone laughs, The End.
This movie is okay. The monster battles (and all action, in general) are incredibly short, and the story is just plain ridiculous, but it has its charms (like "the dance"). Toho attempted to merge the monster rally feeling of "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster" with the alien invasion pastiche of "The Mysterians" and "Battle in Outer Space", but "Invasion of the Astro Monsters" (known in America as "Godzilla vs Monster Zero") never quite reached the level of any of those movies. Somewhat popular American B-movie actor Nick Adams (as Glenn) was hired to provide a bit of international appeal, and provides the movie with a somewhat different flavor. It's amusing to see some redheaded white guy with a 30's-40's style wiseguy attitude running around in a kaiju flick. Plus, in the Japanese version, his voice was dubbed. Oh sweet irony!
This movie also marks Godzilla's brief fall off of the "wagon", stomping cities and crushing armies once again. But he quickly picked himself up again and battled his demons back into submission. From here on out (in the Showa series), Godzilla would remain on the path of sobriety, steadfast and true. Go, Godzilla!
For Part 7, and just in time for Halloween, get ready to experience the Frankenstein monster - Japanese style!
Mothra vs Godzilla (1964)
A massive typhoon hits the coast of Japan with its mighty flatulence, leaving high flood waters and a giant egg in its wake. An egg? Yup. It's Mothra's. But before the big bug can rescue her progeny, a group of local fishermen swoop in and claim it. They team up with a crooked businessman and form "Happy Enterprises". Their ultimate goal - to build a giant amusement park, with the egg at its epicenter. Mothra's little helpers, the Shobijin (tiny beauties) arrive, team up with a couple of reporters and a scientist, and try to convince "Happy Enterprises" to return the egg to Infant Island, where it was buried for millions of years until the typhoon washed it out, but our heroes are met with scorn and derision by the ardent capitalists, who wisely decide to begin incubating the egg. Huh?
Meanwhile, Godzilla pops up from beneath a pile of washed-up debris, clearly another victim of the raging typhoon. He sways around Nagoya, getting his tail caught in a radio tower and, literally, stumbling into buildings. Many fans explain away Godzilla's behavior as mere disorientation from getting washed ashore by the storm. My own personal theory is this - after getting his ass handed to him by the big ape in "King Kong vs Godzilla", he immediately stomped to the nearest bar and initiated a year-long saki bender. M.A.D.D. = Monsters Against Drunk Destruction. Godzilla needs an intervention.
Our Heroes (the tiny beauties, the reporters and the scientist) travel to Infant Island to convince the locals to lend them Mothra to stop Godzilla's drunken rampage. When they first set foot on the shore of the island, there's a creepy looking giant bone-white turtle sitting in the background. It creeped me out when I was a kid, and it creeps me out even now. I think it's because of its strange bouncing bobble head. Anyhow, Our Heroes convince the natives to let Mothra help Japan, even though Mothra is dying.
Back on the mainland, Godzilla heads for the egg, military in tow, and in serious need of some kind of hangover remedy. Panicking, the crooked businessman shoots the head fisherman and tries to make off all of the money from "Happy Enterprises", but Godzilla barrels through the building and crushes him in a fall of rubble. The Big G approaches the egg, and just as he's about to strike, Mothra brings the pain! She pummels him with gale-force winds, drags him around by the tail, batters him with her little claws, and tries to poison him by excreting some sort of toxic powder - but one blast from Godzilla's heat beam is all it takes to kill the goddess of Infant Island. She falls to earth and dies, but not before sheltering the egg with one of her wings in one final act of protection.
The egg hatches, and twin larvae emerge. Godzilla, hammered and injured from his fight with momma Mothra, is taken by surprise when the baby bugs encase him in a cocoon of sticky silk. He falls into the ocean, frees himself from the cocoon and swims off to sea, humbled and humiliated. But Japan is safe. As the twin Mothra larvae swim back to Infant Island with the tiny beauties, Our Heroes wave goodbye. "Sayonara!"
Released in America as "Godzilla vs the Thing" (apparently the distributor didn't think they had the rights to use the name "Mothra"), this is considered by many fans to be the quintessential example of a "perfect" Godzilla movie. Sure, I'll go with that. It certainly is the prototype for many of the Godzilla movies that have come after. By the way, all three movies in Part 6 are made by the Honda/Tsuburya/Ifukube team, the same guys who've made almost all the movies I've talked about so far, and they do a rock solid job of combining two of Japan's most popular monsters into one story.
Also, look for the scene where Godzilla's head is on fire. While filming some pyrotechnic special effects, Tsuburya accidentally ignited the head of the Godzilla suit, with the actor still inside - and they kept it in the movie!
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1965)
Princess Salno, from the made-up Asiatic country of Selgina (where everyone wears giant ruff collars, like William Shakespeare), is on a flight to Japan when she's suddenly overcome by a bright light which urges her to jump out of the plane - she does, just as the plane explodes, courtesy of a bomb delivered by her rivals in the royal court of Selgina. She survives the fall (explanation: she "fell into the crack between two dimensions" - wha. . ?) and soon she's popping up all over Japan, preaching to the masses and foretelling the end of the Earth, which will come at the hands (or claws) of a powerful being from outer space. As if on cue, a meteorite lands near Mt. Kurobe. Scientists soon investigate the fallen rock and discover that, not only is it highly magnetic, but it seems to be growing larger. Hmmm.
Princess Salno, becoming a media darling and now claiming to be an alien from Venus (after all, she is a woman), also predicts that Godzilla and Rodan will return and cause havoc. Unbeknownst to her, her rivals in Selgina have sent an assassin and his team to finish her off once and for all, but the cop who was originally supposed to be her bodyguard during her visit to Japan, recognizes her and sets off to find her. The cop's sister is, funny enough, a reporter, and not just any reporter, but the one who made a star out of the prophetic princess in the first place. Oh yeah, and the twin beauties from Infant Island have also become pop culture stars in Japan (just like the actresses who play them in real life, the twin sister singing act known as "The Peanuts"). They appear on some kind of make-a-wish variety show, which is hosted by a couple of goofballs.
As predicted, Godzilla and Rodan show up. Godzilla's arrival is kind of cool - first we see a group of whales swimming off in terror for some unknown reason, then the camera pans over and we see the cause of their distress - Godzilla. Rodan pops up from beneath the earth at Mt. Aso, where he was buried in lava at the end of "Rodan". Naturally, the two monsters head straight for each other and begin fighting, taking down whole cities in their wake. What follow is one of the most amusing fights in Godzilla history. The two beasts go at it like a couple of kids, throwing rocks, making funny gestures and moves, and just plain being silly. Many Godzilla fans consider this scene to be the turning point, when the series became more kid-oriented, and that's true. Godzilla was more popular with the kids at this point, so the shift was inevitable. But not permanent.
Funniest part - Rodan hits Godzilla in the head with his pecker.
Also as predicted, a new monster named King Ghidorah bursts from the meteorite and begins leveling Japan with its powerful lightning breath. Ghidorah is the most radical kaiju to date, resembling a three-headed golden Chinese dragon. It would also become one of the most popular.
According to Princess Salno, Ghidorah destroyed the people of Venus (or Ghidorah's parent, it's not made clear whether or not this is the same Ghidorah, since he appears to have just been born). The last surviving Venusians fled to planet Earth about 5,000 years ago and intermarried with the population. Salno is one of their descendants, so this whole "alien possession" thing is apparently not possession, but some kind of genetic memory triggered by the arrival of Ghidorah. Okay, I'm thinking waaaay to hard about all of this. . .
Funny side note - the Japanese military doesn't even bother to send its forces out to do battle with King Ghidorah. They're like, "hey, screw it, this one's too powerful".
So Our Heroes (cop, reporter, scientist, Venusian, twin beauties) call Mothra (with something called the "Happiness Song") to come to Japan to try and convince Godzilla and Rodan to fight Ghidorah. Little larval Mothra arrives (her twin died, according to the beauties) and tries, unsuccessfully, to persuade the other two monsters to fight. This scene is a highlight of the entire series. The twin beauties translate "monster-to-English/Japanese" to our heroes as the three monsters sit down and have a debate. In the American version, there's one point where the beauties scold Godzilla - "Godzilla, watch your language!" In the Japanese version, Godzilla refuses to help save the humans because, "They are always bullying me." It's an oddly touching moment, coming from a giant radioactive dinosaur.
Really, though, I think that this is the intervention that I spoke of in the previous review. Mothra is trying to get Godzilla to channel his anger and negativity into something other than drinking and destruction - namely saving the Earth. She's also trying to stop Rodan from being an enabler.
Well, she fails to convince the others, so little Mothra heads off to face Ghidorah alone. Godzilla and Rodan watch as Mothra gets tossed around like a red-headed stepchild, clearly outmatched. Her selflessness moves the pair so much that they enter the fight, and soon it's the three monsters of Earth versus the planet-killer! In one of the best fights of Godzilla's career (even though Ghidorah hits him in the crotch and in the butt with his lightning ray - very undignified!), the trio make King Ghidorah cry "uncle!", and he flies off into space. At the same time, Princess Salno's would-be assassin is killed by falling rocks from a Ghidorah blast, but not before a bullet from his gun glances off of Salno's skull, restoring her human personality. Godzilla and Rodan, having found their true callings, head off into the sunset while Mothra and the beauties return to Infant Island. The End.
This is one of my favorite Godzilla movies of all time. It's also the first one that hooked me when I was a kid. It's well-paced, endearingly goofy, and full of great monster action. The three scenes I've mentioned (the Godzilla/Rodan fight, the monster debate, the final battle) are scenes that I still find incredibly fun to watch. It was a major box office hit at the time, and a direct sequel was filmed and released in the same year. Ghidorah (who's name was changed to "Ghidrah" in the American release) would also become the most popular villain in all three of the Godzilla series.
Invasion of the Astro Monsters (1965)
Yup, more aliens.
First the Mysterians, than the aliens from Natal, then the SPACE AMOEBA, then Ghidorah, and now - the Xians (Ex-ee-yans). Earth sure is a popular place.
Scientists discover a new moon orbiting Jupiter and name it Planet X (technically, shouldn't it be "Moon X"). The World Space Agency sends their two best astronauts, Fuji (Japanese) and Glenn (American), off to Planet X to take a look. After arriving in their craft, Spaceship P-1, they soon discover that King Ghidorah is there, ravaging the surface. The inhabitants of Planet X, the Xians, bring Fuji and Glenn underground and make them an offer they can't refuse - the Xians want to borrow Godzilla and Rodan to fight Ghidorah (a.k.a. Monster Zero), in exchange for the cure for cancer.
The Xians are very strange. They wear tight turtleneck space suits, odd little sunglasses, are apparently controlled/coordinated by a massive computer overmind, and their leader (the Commandant) likes to make strange hand gestures when he talks. And they have very little water, which should have been a big fat warning signal right there.
Well, humanity accepts their proposal and lets the aliens take Godzilla and Rodan (a.k.a. Monster Zero 1 and Monster Zero 2) to Planet X. The aliens declare this day "Friendship Day".
Oddly enough, Rodan is buried beneath Mt. Aso again and the aliens have to dig him up. So, is this the second Rodan from the movie "Rodan"? What happened to the Rodan from "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster"? Did he die? And what about Mothra? Nobody cares about Mothra. . .
The Earth monsters arrive on Planet X and battle Ghidorah, driving him off surprisingly easy. Then Godzilla does a happy victory dance in the low gravity. This dance, reviled by some, loved by others, would go down in history as the Big G's silliest moment -
After getting funky, the humans leave G and R stranded on P-X. There's a moving shot where Godzilla and Rodan watch as the humans leave them behind, and they seem a little heartbroken. Godzilla begins to feel "the crave" again.
Well, whaddayaknow, the cure for cancer that the aliens give us (in tape form) is actually an ultimatum - surrender and become a colony world of Planet X or be destroyed! We refuse, so the Xians send Ghidorah, Godzilla and Rodan (all under alien control) to destroy our cities.
Subplots - Astronaut Glenn is dating a Japanese lady who turns out to be an alien agent on Earth, but his manly manliness sways her over to the side of good and she helps him to escape alien clutches, getting herself killed in the process. Also, astronaut Fuji's sister is dating a nerdy inventor (Tetsuo) who's created a personal self-defense device for consumers called the Lady Guard, which is supposed to emit a high-pitched tone intended to ward off muggers and rapists. Alien agents on Earth buy the patent, suppress the device, and lock Tetsuo away underground. Why, you ask? Because the tone emitted by the Lady Guard disrupts Xian technology and, oh yeah, kills them.
After Glenn frees Tetsuo, they transmit the frequency all across the planet, killing lots and lots if Xians. The tone also breaks the hold over all of the monsters, so Godzilla and Rodan team up to defeat Ghidorah, sending him packing into space once again. The officials at the World Space Agency breathe a sigh of relief, then tell Fuji and Glenn that they have to return to Planet X to do another survey. Ha, ha, everyone laughs, The End.
This movie is okay. The monster battles (and all action, in general) are incredibly short, and the story is just plain ridiculous, but it has its charms (like "the dance"). Toho attempted to merge the monster rally feeling of "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster" with the alien invasion pastiche of "The Mysterians" and "Battle in Outer Space", but "Invasion of the Astro Monsters" (known in America as "Godzilla vs Monster Zero") never quite reached the level of any of those movies. Somewhat popular American B-movie actor Nick Adams (as Glenn) was hired to provide a bit of international appeal, and provides the movie with a somewhat different flavor. It's amusing to see some redheaded white guy with a 30's-40's style wiseguy attitude running around in a kaiju flick. Plus, in the Japanese version, his voice was dubbed. Oh sweet irony!
This movie also marks Godzilla's brief fall off of the "wagon", stomping cities and crushing armies once again. But he quickly picked himself up again and battled his demons back into submission. From here on out (in the Showa series), Godzilla would remain on the path of sobriety, steadfast and true. Go, Godzilla!
For Part 7, and just in time for Halloween, get ready to experience the Frankenstein monster - Japanese style!
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