Godzilla: King of the Monsters French-esque Cut

[Bigdog]

I have been trying to do a splicing of Gojira and King of the Monsters as a personal project to show to friends, but I lost the contents of the hard drive of my first attempt sometime back. Apparently, the French cut had the Japanese scenes added in, so in the spirit of the French version, here are my list of intended changes:

-Keeping Japanese audio when between Japanese characters. As much as I recognize that the original King of the Monsters was for mass audiences, I love a multilingual film myself. I loathed Yamane's American voice because it made Takashi Shimura sound so dumb and annoying, but I liked most of the performances. Either way, only the Japanese scenes would be subbed.

-Some scenes edited for flowing with the Burr footage, while extending them. This relates to Steve Martin's arrival in Tokyo where that scene is cut short.

-Adding in Raymond Burr's narrations.

-Adding back the footage of the entire life triangle, and Removing the narration of that. As an amateur filmmaker, I believe in the maxim of "Show, not tell." Not showing their struggles on screen really reduced the impact of the finale. Why should I care about Serizawa dying if I don't get why he's doing these actions? And it makes Yamane look bad as a character because of how he acts over what isn't shown on screen. I might cut some of it ,though to keep it from being too long. Discretion.

-Adding all references of nuclear themes. Like the debate in the Diet, the woman with her children, the newspaper guy on the train. Little things.

-Reordering of scenes to match the Gojira narrative if it works. If not, then it will be just like KOTM.

-Might create a new title sequence that merges the ending credits with the opening of Gojira.


The first attempt added 10 minutes of Japanese footage and ran at 1:45.

[Pkmatrix]

I made something like this a few years ago, actually. Unfortunately, I've also lost it.

On the plus side, I still have the edit list:

1. (JP) Opening credits.
2. (US) Steve Martin narrating as he awakes in the ruins of Tokyo.
3. (US) Steve Martin narrates as he's brought to the emergency hospital and meets Emiko Yamane.
4. (US) Steve Martin's flashback begins on the plane to Japan.
5. (JP) Godzilla attacks the Eiko-Maru.
6. (JP) Ogata cancels his date with Emiko.
7. (US) Steve Martin is stopped by security at the airport.
8. (US) Steve Martin meets Iwanaga.
9. (US) Iwanaga takes Steve to SDF Naval Office. (No Dialogue)
10. (JP) Ogata goes to SDF Naval Office.
11. (JP) Godzilla sinks the Bingo-Maru.
12. (JP) Journalists report sinking, military official talks with families.
13. (US) Steve leaves a message for his Editor at newspaper office.
14. (JP) Survivors of Bingo-Maru found by third ship.
15. (JP) Military reports that survivors were found.
16. (JP) Military learns that third ship was also sunk.
17. (JP) Newspapers report that shipping is shut down.
18. (JP) Survivor of third ship washes up on Odo Island, but dies shortly afterward.
19. (JP) Military officials and reporter Hagiwara land on Odo Island to interview locals.
20. (JP) Hagiwara watches islander ceremony and learns legend of Godzilla.
21. (JP) Godzilla attacks and destroys the village amidst a storm.
22. (JP) Odo Islanders testify before the Diet; Professor Yamane proposes a scientific expedition.
23. (US) Steve leaves press box, asks Yamane for permission to join expedition.
24. (JP) Expedition leaves for Odo Island.
25. Japanese cut of Emiko and Ogata's conversation, intercut with Steve silently watching nearby.
26. Japanese cut of the expedition surveying Odo Island, with a quick shot of Steve and Iwanaga in the crowd watching intercut.
27. Japanese cut of the panic as Godzilla attacks again, with US footage intercut (would've used US cut, but felt the Japanese cut's video quality was better).
28. Japanese cut of Prof. Yamane's report to the Diet, with a quick shot of Steve watching from the press box intercut.
29. (US) Steve has phone conversations with his Editor and Dr. Serizawa.
30. (JP) Commuters discuss Godzilla on the train.
31. (JP) Government announces military plans to kill Godzilla with depth charges.
32. (JP) Navy tries to kill Godzilla with depth charges.
33. (JP) Prof. Yamane, upset at reports that the Navy has killed Godzilla, sits alone in his office.
34. (JP) A party boat spots Godzilla in Tokyo Bay.
35. (JP) Military officials call Prof. Yamane to a meeting, but he has no idea how to kill Godzilla.
36. (JP) Hagiwara's editor sends him to interview Dr. Serizawa, Emiko Yamane's fiance.
37. (JP) Emiko and Ogata talk about breaking off her engagement with Serizawa.
38. (JP) Ogata drives Masaji to the Yamane house.
39. (JP) Hagiwara tries to interview Serizawa without success; Serizawa reveals his dark secret to Emiko.
40. (JP) Emiko returns home, Godzilla attacks.
41. (JP) International advisers brought in, plan to string up high-voltage cables along shore of Tokyo Bay announced.
42. (JP) Montage of military mobilization and residents being evacuated.
43. (JP) Ogata, intending to ask Prof. Yamane for permission to marry Emiko, gets himself thrown out of the house.
44. Japanese cut of Godzilla's second attack on Tokyo, intercut with Steve reporting into his tape recorder. (No narration)
45. (JP) Aftermath of Godzilla's attack.
46. (JP) Emiko tells Ogata about the Oxygen Destroyer.
47. (JP) Ogata and Emiko confront Serizawa.
48. Japanese cut of Serizawa and Ogata confront Godzilla in Tokyo Bay and the ending, only with a couple of quick shots showing that Steve is on the ship.
49. (US) Ending credits.