Talkback: Gorath (1962)

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ebirahsmeg1
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by ebirahsmeg1 »

According to my fellow Japanese Godzilla-otaku friend, he mentioned that Gorath is still very highly regarded within the Japanese daikaiju/tokusatsu fandom to this day, hence why Gorath itself was incorporated into GFW, and hence Maguma getting his own terrific Xplus 30cm figure a while back.

Overall, if you go into it with an open mind and don't take its premise too seriously, then it's extremely enjoyable and a lot of fun....but for those who tend to get really hung up on the details, they might want to pass...
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Starsteam »

The rare US version of the film (that doesn't have the Maguma scene, sadly) is about to air on Comet TV. If you don't have Comet, they're streaming the channel on their website. They'll be showing it again a couple of more times this month too.

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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Godzilla21 »

I just saw the US version for the first time the other day. As much as I like Maguma, I can see why the scene was deleted. It really adds nothing to the film. Still prefer the Japanese version though. The sound of Gorath itself in the US version is terrible.
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Goji »

Starsteam wrote:The rare US version
It's not even remotely rare. It was released on VHS like six times, and is available to stream via various (legal) streaming sites/apps. It's just not available on a modern home video format.
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by mikelcho »

I wish that it would be released on DVD, with the Maguma scene still in the film and with decent subtitles (yes, I'm looking at you, Arrow Video US!).
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Terasawa »

The Maguma scene would still be in the film if the Japanese version was released. It’s only in the US version and its derivatives (such as the German version) that Maguma is removed.
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by LegendZilla »

I find it a double standard that the US distributors felt that Magma was too dumb looking, yet literally every other Kaiju got a free pass.

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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Terasawa »

Wellllll... Maguma was in a preview version and was laughed off the screen. Even in the version that was finally released (and is available on video and broadcast on Comet) there’s evidence that those shots had been dubbed and originally in the film.

Also come on, Maguma is far and away the dumbest kaiju in a film up to the point of its release. It has very little bearing on the plot of Gorath, it’s only there so Tanaka would have a monster to exploit in the trailers and posters. It’s not like Manda, or Mogera, two “unnecessary” kaiju that had been incorporated into their respective films much more organically.
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Maritonic »

Yeah, Maguma as he is in the film, serves no real point. They could have utilized him more as a plot point, but nope. Having said that, I love Maguma regardless.
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Zarm »

Exactly. He is pointless, and yet wonderful. :) Clearly audiences in the 1960s were simply not cultured enough to recognize that. ;)
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Godzilla21 »

I love Maguma too. I have the super rare X Plus version that I bought for an obscene price. But he is very goofy looking. And one of the worst examples of man in suit in the Toho universe
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by eabaker »

Wait, we're expected to transliterate Magma as "Maguma" now?

No.
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Maritonic »

eabaker wrote:Wait, we're expected to transliterate Magma as "Maguma" now?

No.
He's always been Maguma...has---hasn't he?
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Zarm »

Never heard of him as anything else, in any source. So it's a well-kept secret if he hasn't been.
Last edited by Zarm on Wed Oct 31, 2018 7:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by eabaker »

Maritonic wrote:
eabaker wrote:Wait, we're expected to transliterate Magma as "Maguma" now?

No.
He's always been Maguma...has---hasn't he?
Nope. And including that "u" is basically the equivalent of writing out "Kingu Kongu" (or "Anguirus" or "Moguera"). They're spelling out a full transliteration of each individual katakana character, but misrepresenting how one of them is pronounced in the context of the full word.

Added in 43 seconds:
Zarm wrote:Never heard of him as anything else, in any source. So it's a well-kept secret if he hasn't been.
Really? I don't think I've ever seen it as anything but Magma outside of this website.
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Maritonic »

eabaker wrote:
Maritonic wrote:
eabaker wrote:Wait, we're expected to transliterate Magma as "Maguma" now?

No.
He's always been Maguma...has---hasn't he?
Nope. And including that "u" is basically the equivalent of writing out "Kingu Kongu" (or "Anguirus" or "Moguera"). They're spelling out a full transliteration of each individual katakana character, but misrepresenting how one of them is pronounced in the context of the full word.

Added in 43 seconds:
Zarm wrote:Never heard of him as anything else, in any source. So it's a well-kept secret if he hasn't been.
Really? I don't think I've ever seen it as anything but Magma outside of this website.
Wow! I've never heard of him ever referred to as "Magma". I've only ever seen Maguma. Learned something new today.
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Zarm »

He's Maguma on the various Wikis, TK profile, and various websites (as evidenced by a google of 'kaiju maguma'). 'Kaiju magma' gets pretty much nothing, except one piece of fan art and one collectible toy in the image results. Like Maritonic, I have never once heard of this reference before today- and as my profile pic indicates, I'm pretty obsessed with the guy. :) So at a guess, the name 'Maguma' is a lot more discussion in web forums.

Then again, you also tend to use the actual Japanese film names, so I'm guessing you frequent more bilingual discussions? It would make sense for people with more of a Japanese language focus to use the Japanese form more frequently in conversations, while the 'official' unofficial name in the U.S. is more commonly-bandied in English-only discussions?



Japanese Film-Fantasy Journal in 1982 does indeed reference 'Magma,' the only English-text reference I've found so far. According to TK's site, "Rarely listed in English, the 2005 publication Godzilla: Toho Monster Picture Book (ISBN: 4092800525) cites the English name of "Maguma" for the kaiju." So presumably, that is where the 'official' English-language name comes from?
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by eabaker »

It think it's less about bilingual discussion, and more about timing. Most of my reading about the Showa era films was in books and magazines published in the 90s, before Toho launched their current line of official Romanized names. It's those versions that tend to dominate modern publications, and especially the net.
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Maritonic »

I suppose it makes more thematic sense for him to be named "Magma", if we're to consider the global, earth shattering effects of the plot. Even if he's a walrus.
I just think Maguma is more of a kaiju name.
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Re: Talkback: Gorath (1962)

Post by Godzilla21 »

I've always used both Maguma and Magma. I thought it was the Japanese name and the America name.
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