Talkback Thread #1: Godzilla (1954)

[eabaker]

^I've had the same thought, though, and believe that at least some of the Burr scenes could be edited in relatively seamlessly.

[gzilla46]

^I've had the same thought, though, and believe that at least some of the Burr scenes could be edited in relatively seamlessly.

Yeah, I could actually see it happening somehow. That's one of my favorite things about the Raymond Burr version, how they blended him in pretty well. If only he were alive now, so he could return in the 2014 film. THAT would be something.

[Ligerzilla2014]

Wasn't there somebody on here who got their hands on a rare version with scenes from both versions in it? It was a while back, their name escapes me at the moment.

[Bigdog]

Want to know what I think would be really cool? A new version of the original film that uses the uncut 1954 footage, and puts in the Raymond Burr footage WITH the uncut version so that both Steve Martin and the allegory are all intact in one film. It would be longer, that's for sure, but would it be cool?

In some cases, it flat-out wouldn't work, since certain scenes are so completely re-worked to make Burr fit. For example,shots of Emiko standing up in the Japanese version are used in a scene where she's kneeling down in the American version.

I've made a cut that does this exact thing. In fact, it makes King of the Monsters make sense.

Wasn't there somebody on here who got their hands on a rare version with scenes from both versions in it? It was a while back, their name escapes me at the moment.

I've done my own version, which adds all of the omitted footage , save for the NHK Radio journalists on the boat [because of a conflict with Burr's narration, so I cut them out], which only amounts to like 10 seconds gone. Other than that, I moved scenes around and kept the general layout intact save for the intro being moved to after Tokyo's destruction. I did that so it would fit with the Japanese version and it only has the quirk of introducing Emiko again to the audience. It isn't bad though because it functions as a great monologue in this case.

Also cut the narration of the boat in the beginning because it didn't feel needed. I might re-add it later, but I am not sure it is needed.

I carefully re-edited the Emiko flashback sequence to reflect the Japanese version and her talk with Ogata to be its own discussion ,while giving that flashback with Burr for plot reasons. That way, it would make sense for him to be by her side.

[gzilla46]

Want to hear a little known fact? I don't know how many of you know this, but did you know that Gojira when it came out, was actually NOT very well received by Japanese moviegoers at the time? In fact, people actually hated it at the time (key word, AT THE TIME), accusing Ishiro Honda of exploiting the suffering that Japan had gone through during WWII. But, it not till a while later that Gojira got the respect it deserved.

[Legion1979]

Want to hear a little known fact? I don't know how many of you know this, but did you know that Gojira when it came out, was actually NOT very well received by Japanese moviegoers at the time? In fact, people actually hated it at the time (key word, AT THE TIME), accusing Ishiro Honda of exploiting the suffering that Japan had gone through during WWII. But, it not till a while later that Gojira got the respect it deserved.

Read that bit on TV Tropes.

Because TV Tropes is always accurate, right? Where did THEY get that info from?

[LiquidG]

Want to hear a little known fact? I don't know how many of you know this, but did you know that Gojira when it came out, was actually NOT very well received by Japanese moviegoers at the time? In fact, people actually hated it at the time (key word, AT THE TIME), accusing Ishiro Honda of exploiting the suffering that Japan had gone through during WWII. But, it not till a while later that Gojira got the respect it deserved.

Read that bit on TV Tropes.

Because TV Tropes is always accurate, right? Where did THEY get that info from?

Taken from Wikipedia so make of it what you will

When Godzilla was first released in 1954 the film sold approximately 9,610,000 tickets and was the eighth best-attended film in Japan that year.[10] It remains the second most-attended "Godzilla" film in Japan, behind King Kong vs. Godzilla. Its box office earnings were 152 million Yen ($2.25 million).[10]
The film initially received mixed to negative reviews in Japan. Japanese critics accused the film of exploiting the widespread devastation that the country had suffered in World War II,[11] as well as the Daigo Fukuryū Maru (Lucky Dragon) incident that occurred a few months before filming began. Ishiro Honda lamented years later in the Tokyo Journal, "They called it grotesque junk, and said it looked like something you'd spit up. I felt sorry for my crew because they had worked so hard!".[12] However as time went on, the film gained more respect in its home country. Kinema Junpo magazine listed Gojira as one of the top 20 Japanese films of all time, while a survey of 370 Japanese movie critics published in Nihon Eiga Besuto 159 (Best 150 Japanese Films), had Godzilla ranked as the 27th best Japanese film ever made.[13]

[tymon]

Akira Takarada mentioned that many people thought of it as "trash" when it first came out, so the info above doesn't seem too far off.

[toho_guy01]

Yeah I think Godzilla (1954) is not really deserving of #1 spot on top 10 Godzilla movie lists.

[LiquidG]

http://cathartisapien.tumblr.com/post/8 ... 54s-gojira

Taking a quick break form my TK vacation to to add this, my little review of Gojira.

[20th Century Boy]

http://cathartisapien.tumblr.com/post/8 ... 54s-gojira

Taking a quick break form my TK vacation to to add this, my little review of Gojira.

That last sentence was gold!

[ultragonk]

I hadn't seen this film in a long while and much of what I remember had been mashed up with some of the other Godzilla movies. I did however, rewatch it about a week ago and I had completely forgotten how good a film it is and how effective it is as a monster movie. One scene that really stood out for me was just after Godzilla had attacked Tokyo and we were looking at the aftermath. We see dozens and dozens of people huddled together in a building, many injured with radiation burns at one point a Geiger counter is passed over a young child and the doctor just turns to the person next to him and shakes his head. And of course the scene of Godzilla appearing over the mountain.

[Pkmatrix]

Yeah I think Godzilla (1954) is not really deserving of #1 spot on top 10 Godzilla movie lists.

Why?

[gojira96]

Yeah I think Godzilla (1954) is not really deserving of #1 spot on top 10 Godzilla movie lists.

Why?

Look at the date he posted it.

[ILL GREEN]

Anyone to call my work grotesque, is really giving me a compliment

[Pkmatrix]

Yeah I think Godzilla (1954) is not really deserving of #1 spot on top 10 Godzilla movie lists.

Why?

Look at the date he posted it.

Ugh, I hate April Fool's Day.

[toho_guy01]

No. I'm not joking. I don't like Godzilla (1954). Its not my cup of tea.

[gojira96]

No. I'm not joking. I don't like Godzilla (1954). Its not my cup of tea.

I can kind of understand why it might be a bit too dark and depressing for some people.

[toho_guy01]

No. I'm not joking. I don't like Godzilla (1954). Its not my cup of tea.

I can kind of understand why it might be a bit too dark and depressing for some people.

That's why I don't like it.

[Ligerzilla2014]

Even if you don't like it, you have to respect it as the best of the franchise.