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Article: 7
Date:
5/18/08
Year:
1969

All Monsters Attack (1969)
 Company: Simitar Entertainment, Inc. (1990)
 Country: United States
 Category: Slip Cover
Simitar’s 1990 release of All Monsters Attack (1969) possesses what could arguably be considered the worst artwork ever to grace a Godzilla movie in any format. A green Godzilla (which, to the artist’s credit, is fairly close to the suit used in the new footage in the film) is holding some sort of weird ant-spider-thing in his hand while a Rodan that looks as though it was drawn by a child flies in the background. In the foreground, a rather disturbing rendering of Ichiro and a Minilla that looks like something a cow would leave in its wake look up at the aforementioned Godzilla. The sides have a smaller picture of the cover art and the film’s title. The back of the box has a synopsis of the film which, for once, is completely accurate. Though that doesn’t say much considering it’s only three sentences long.
Credit: Inferno Rodan

All Monsters Attack (1969)
 Company: Paramount/Gateway (1992)
 Country: United States
 Category: Slip Cover
In this Paramount release of All Monsters Attack (1969), under the more familiar (and confusing) title Godzilla's Revenge, Paramount once again employs its familiar "Godzilla movie" design ethos seen on their various other releases. The pseudo-Asian text font (with "shadows") remains the same, and the main image is the easily-recognizable father-son battle with the Kamacuras. I couldn't find an image that exactly corresponded to this one, but the Japanese Son of Godzilla (1967) poster is loosely similar, and I believe there are other promotional photos that are also roughly the same; if anyone knows the precise image from which this painting was inspired (if any), let us know and we'll update this text. Once again, Godzilla is made very green on the cover, spitting fire instead of his atomic ray. This particular design doesn't appear to be closely based on the Son of Godzilla (1967) suit, however. Here, he's too skinny, sports prominent ears, and his nose looks almost human. Godzilla's canines are also elongated, which might infer some inspiration being taken from the original or 1984 Godzilla suits. Minilla, meanwhile, is also spuriously colored green and given more and sharper teeth. His eyes are bright and menacing, unlike the dorky look in the movies, and the "smoke ring tube" effect emanating from his mouth is similar to a number of depictions in promotional materials. The Kamacuras monsters, for their part, look pretty great, although too small. Along the bottom of the image are gathered an unlikely group of people; none of them appear in the movie as pictured here. On the far right, looking up, is a Caucasian male who might be Myron Healey from the American version of Varan (1958), but looks more like Jeff Morrow, the actor from The Giant Claw (1957) and This Island Earth (1955). Next to him is a Japanese pilot, calling to mind Minoru Chiaki's role as the self-sacrificing flyer in Godzilla Raids Again (1955), but his face doesn't match -- he reminds me more of actor Kenji Sahara (Rodan (1956)) from his expression, and that actor actually appears in All Monsters Attack (1969) as the mostly-absent father. Next to him (almost touching his cheek) is a Xilien from Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965), and then the distinctly recognizable actor Jun Tazaki, hiding behind awkward inventor Tetsuo Teri from Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965), played by Akira Kubo, who is getting some attention from his admirer Haruno Fuji, played by Keiko Sawa. Whoever the artist is, he does human faces very well -- even if he can't put them in the right movies!

On the back is the usual Japan flag motif with a green-colorized promotional image from Son of Godzilla (1967), depicting Godzilla and Minilla playing together in a scene that doesn't exist in any movie. The text, as we've come to expect from Paramount's Godzilla releases, is rather goofy but good-natured, calling Godzilla's atomic ray "the ol' zap breath" and nicknaming him "Thunder Breath." The synopsis is mostly accurate, if not very descriptive, but misspells "praying mantis" (as "preying mantis") and, understandably, uses the older spelling of Godzilla's son's name ("Minya") before it was standardized by Toho as "Minilla." The cast and crew list below is respectable, although once again misspelling the director's name as "Inoshiro." Curiously, the Toho copyright is listed on the box as 1986, and it gives the Japanese title as All Kaiju Daishingeki instead of Gojira, Minira, Gabara: Oru Kaiju Daishingeki. It makes sense to render "Oru" as "All" however, since "Oru" is the English word "All" rendered in Japanese katakana and then Romanized back into English; but either way, the title is incomplete.


All Monsters Attack (1969)

 Company: Simitar Entertainment, Inc. (1998)
 Country: United States
 Category: Slip Cover

Yet another of Simitar's releases, this time boasting a green-colored, ferocious-looking '84-era Godzilla behind a disturbingly illustrated Minilla blowing radioactive smoke rings. The title leaves much to be desired, using Simitar's familiar "Godzilla" font along with some cheesy throwaway gradient Chiller-esque font. The film synopsis is fairly accurate with three screen caps from the films itself. Overall, this VHS cover is nothing to write home about.
Credit: Shounen_Goji

All Monsters Attack (1969)

 Company: Simitar Entertainment, Inc. (1998)
 Country: United States
 Category: Slip Cover
 - DIGITALLY REMASTERED EDITION -

This is the SP release of All Monsters Attack (1969). The artwork features a fabulously rendered Godzilla and a more realistic Minilla (than that which appears in the movie). The differences between this and the EP version are the same as usual for Simitar videos of this time period, which includes the enlarged and expanded artwork, the fleshy background on the rear, and the bonus "Video Art Gallery" and "Godzilla Trailer Collection". All-in-all, this proves to be yet another fine collectible.
Credit: Michael Calhoun