Talkback Thread #6: Invasion of the Astro Monster (1965)

[miguelnuva]

Probable because their sequels/prequels to each other and apart of the unofficial Ghidorah Trilogy.

I didn't realize that Ghidorah was in MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA. Did I miss something?

I was talking more about GTTHM, MZ, and DAM.

[Lord Gappa]

Oh Jesus here come the inevitable Godzilla/Darth Vader connections....

Well at least Godzilla didn't kill children.

Oh wait.

[Goji]

Probable because their sequels/prequels to each other and apart of the unofficial Ghidorah Trilogy.

I didn't realize that Ghidorah was in MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA. Did I miss something?

I was talking more about GTTHM, MZ, and DAM.

Well in that case, that makes even less sense. DAM was released after the two island films, and takes place decades after both GHIDORAH and MONSTER ZERO. I don't think any fan that considers them a "trilogy".

[miguelnuva]

I didn't realize that Ghidorah was in MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA. Did I miss something?

I was talking more about GTTHM, MZ, and DAM.

Well in that case, that makes even less sense. DAM was released after the two island films, and takes place decades after both GHIDORAH and MONSTER ZERO. I don't think any fan that considers them a "trilogy".

I've heard some people call them that because they all feature Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan to some degree against King Ghidorah as the main villain to a degree.

[Goji]

I've never heard that. Ever. Then again, all of the G-fans I know (whether they be an acquaintance, or friends of mine) are over the age of 15, sooo..

Going by that logic, GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN, GODZILLA VS. GIGAN, and DESTROY ALL MONSTERS must make some kind of trilogy, since they all feature Godzilla and Anguirus.

[miguelnuva]

I've never heard that. Ever. Then again, all of the G-fans I know (whether they be an acquaintance, or friends of mine) are over the age of 15, sooo..

Going by that logic, GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN, GODZILLA VS. GIGAN, and DESTROY ALL MONSTERS must make some kind of trilogy, since they all feature Godzilla and Anguirus.

When I got into the discussion back in high school of why my friends said it was an unofficial trilogy was because in GTTHM you introduce Ghidorah as this great threat that takes Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra to drive away from Earth.

MZ shows that Godzilla and Rodan can drive Ghidorah away but at a much larger cost( it is only a draw and not a win) Monster Zero is clearly a sequel to GTTHM.

Then in Destroy All Monsters Ghidorah returns once again for a final showdown with Godzilla and his allies in which they are finally able to kill once and for all.

They also said look at it from TOHO's pov where Destroy all monsters was to be the last Godzilla movie at the time and it kinda feels like an unofficially trilogy.

[Goji]

Obviously MONSTER ZERO is "clearly a sequel" to GHIDORAH..but lumping DAM with the other two films doesn't make any sense, sorry.

A trilogy would imply that DAM is a direct sequel to MONSTER ZERO, which it's not. It was going to be the last Godzilla film, and Toho took the "everything and the kitchen sink" approach, so having Ghidorah as the final opponent was only natural.

[skuzzy-punk-kid]

Things I enjoyed about this movie:
-The Xilien story arc
-The human storyline
-Kumi Mizuno's legendary appearance
-King Ghidorah's encore presence

Things I did not like about this movie:
-DaisensoGoji's physical design. This is actually my only issue with the movie; Godzilla's head here looks like a definite amphibian, with a wide frog-like mouth and puffy duck-lips. At first, I didn't like MosuGoji's overhanging floppy upper lip (as he appeared in Godzilla vs. Mothra)...but then again, watching Godzilla's mindless advance inland buttered me up; at least he didn't look so much like a duck-lipped frog as in the later movies. And then, of course, was the baggy Godzilla suit. I understand the minimizing of material was for the actor's safety; it's just such a shame, though.

[Rody]

I don't care for Daisenso-Goji either - but Rodan's suit looks far worse.

[The One and Only]

Probably my favorite of the Alien Invasion Daikaiju flicks Toho did. A little off topic here, but one of my favorite parts of the flick where the Controller showed Glenn and Fuji to Monster Zero/KingGhidorah. When Ifukube's cues up, the Controller's screen switches to the exterior view, and we see the monster's gravity bolts run across the planet's surface, and we see the Demon of the Galaxy emerge from the dust cloud. To me ,at least, that's Ghidorah's definitive entrance theme. When I was reading the Cerasini novels, GODZILLA 2000 and GODZILLA Vs. THE ROBOT MONSTERS, when the King of Terror is introduced, that's the score that goes through my noggin when I read the books. If, and when the Legendary flick gets made, and King Ghidorah is a part of it, I'm kind of hoping that bit of the Meastro's score used.

[skuzzy-punk-kid]

Probably my favorite of the Alien Invasion Daikaiju flicks Toho did. A little off topic here, but one of my favorite parts of the flick where the Controller showed Glenn and Fuji to Monster Zero/KingGhidorah. When Ifukube's cues up, the Controller's screen switches to the exterior view, and we see the monster's gravity bolts run across the planet's surface, and we see the Demon of the Galaxy emerge from the dust cloud. To me ,at least, that's Ghidorah's definitive entrance theme. When I was reading the Cerasini novels, GODZILLA 2000 and GODZILLA Vs. THE ROBOT MONSTERS, when the King of Terror is introduced, that's the score that goes through my noggin when I read the books. If, and when the Legendary flick gets made, and King Ghidorah is a part of it, I'm kind of hoping that bit of the Meastro's score used.

I need to watch that scene again. Does that theme play on the rest of the Godzilla movies where King Ghidorah lays waste to Earth?

[The One and Only]

^Yes. But Astro-Monster is the one that particular piece of score really sticks out in my mind.

[skuzzy-punk-kid]

^Yes. But Astro-Monster is the one that particular piece of score really sticks out in my mind.

I wanna see if I got this one correct. Is it this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70WnbVg1z9g

[Tamura]

What is INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER? Don't you guys mean MONSTER ZERO?

[FlamingZilla23]

What is INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER? Don't you guys mean MONSTER ZERO?

Yes there the same thing just with different name.

[The One and Only]

That's the one skuzzy, thanks.

[Goji]

What is INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER? Don't you guys mean MONSTER ZERO?

Yes there the same thing just with different name.

We all know that. He's poking fun at the fact that people have started calling the film by this title ever since the CM DVD was released, even though no known English prints feature the Engrish "INVASION OF ASTRO MONSTER" title.

The prints released theatrically in the 70's used the MONSTER ZERO title. The print seen on most VHS releases read MONSTER ZERO. The print used on the "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero" Simitar releases read MONSTER ZERO. The print used on the Classic Media DVD uses, you guessed it, the MONSTER ZERO title. In short, the film's English title is MONSTER ZERO.

INVASION OF ASTRO MONSTER is the international title, (even though, ironically, the "international" version's title card reads INVASION OF THE ASTRO MONSTERS) as is ALL MONSTERS ATTACK for GODZILLA'S REVENGE. They're simply used for marketing, and Toho probably forced CM to use them.

[Tamura]

I think it's funny that some people refer to all the films by their international titles and then refer to GODZILLA as GOJIRA, which isn't the international title. Way to be consistent.

You know, there are so many English titles to these films that I think we should just type them out in Japanese. Not Romaji, actual Japanese characters. Then we could truly live up to our raging hard-on for standardization!

"怪獣大戦争 is my favorite Godzilla movie!!!1"

[Ethan]

I have no problem with the Astro-Monster and All Monster Attack! titles, as long as we're refering to the Japanese versions.

[Tamura]

I think some of Toho's official titles are stupid, but I see the need to use them in more formal areas like Sci-Fi Japan, books, official guides, etc. But, when we are talking on this message board so casually, it doesn't seem unreasonable to call the films whatever we want.