Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Post by godjacob »

First Godzilla film I recall watching, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. Only issue is the Kong suit being so ugly, really takes me out of it even if I find the actor's body language to be stellar. Especially considering my fav Godzilla Showa suit is across from it which only causes this look that much worse.

I also wished they handled the Kong absorbs electricity thing better. Either fully commit to the absurd nature of it (Characters being shocked or befuddled at the revelation which would fit with the tone) or an actual explanation to make it appear less of the ass pull it is.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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edgaguirus wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 1:33 pm I watched this one not long ago, and had some fun with it. I heated up some corn and ate one anytime a monster appeared on screen. Has anyone here tried that?
I have to assume you're the first person to ever try that. Most likely I'd have gone the rest of my life without the idea ever, for a millisecond, occurring to me. :lol:
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Post by Voyager »

If there was an award for best B-Movie Villain design of all Godzillas, KingGoji would win. It screams ‘old fashion dinosaur’ and I love it in it’s own special way.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Post by edgaguirus »

eabaker wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 10:13 am
edgaguirus wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 1:33 pm I watched this one not long ago, and had some fun with it. I heated up some corn and ate one anytime a monster appeared on screen. Has anyone here tried that?
Do you mean popcorn, or were you just devouring ears of corn at an insane rate? And, if the latter - why?
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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godjacob wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 11:00 am I also wished they handled the Kong absorbs electricity thing better. Either fully commit to the absurd nature of it (Characters being shocked or befuddled at the revelation which would fit with the tone) or an actual explanation to make it appear less of the ass pull it is.
There is an explanation in the Japanese version, although on its own it's unconvincing. At least in the Criterion translation, Dr. Shigezawa justifies it by relating a story about a man in Switzerland who was struck by lightning but became "charged like a battery." This is in response to a reporter who asks him, "Can something so absurd happen?" So it seems to me that the movie fulfills both of your suggestions. :P

But I don't think an explanation or such a reaction is really that necessary - the film had already set up the relationship between Kong and electrical storms in the first act. It's alluded to in the very first scene on the island, where a thunderstorm causes the natives to prostrate themselves in frightened prayer. It doesn't become clear until later that they're not afraid of the thunderstorm but rather that they're afraid of what they associate with it: Kong.

I do agree that there could have been a line like, "So that's why the natives feared the thunder," but that's actually the sort of exposition that Japanese movies, especially of that period, avoided. The American version does have Dr. Johnson preemptively explain it, but the way it's done is very clumsy.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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Terasawa wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 1:58 pm
godjacob wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 11:00 am I also wished they handled the Kong absorbs electricity thing better. Either fully commit to the absurd nature of it (Characters being shocked or befuddled at the revelation which would fit with the tone) or an actual explanation to make it appear less of the ass pull it is.
There is an explanation in the Japanese version, although on its own it's unconvincing. At least in the Criterion translation, Dr. Shigezawa justifies it by relating a story about a man in Switzerland who was struck by lightning but became "charged like a battery." This is in response to a reporter who asks him, "Can something so absurd happen?" So it seems to me that the movie fulfills both of your suggestions. :P

But I don't think an explanation or such a reaction is really that necessary - the film had already set up the relationship between Kong and electrical storms in the first act. It's alluded to in the very first scene on the island, where a thunderstorm causes the natives to prostrate themselves in frightened prayer. It doesn't become clear until later that they're not afraid of the thunderstorm but rather that they're afraid of what they associate with it: Kong.

I do agree that there could have been a line like, "So that's why the natives feared the thunder," but that's actually the sort of exposition that Japanese movies, especially of that period, avoided. The American version does have Dr. Johnson preemptively explain it, but the way it's done is very clumsy.
I mean I think making more comment on it than that one reply would've helped. The thunder in association with Kong felt more like Kong's roar was equivalent to the thunder before the lighting reveal. Like in say Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla we least see Godzilla getting zapped by the lightning in a training scene before he pulls it out against Mechagodzilla as slight foreshadowing (Even if still a bit of an ass pull).
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Post by eabaker »

I don't feel like any more time spent on Kong's lightning powers was necessary. We are given enough information to follow what's going on, and the story just doesn't call for any more than that. It would be an inefficient use of screen time in a pretty tight movie.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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godjacob wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 2:55 pmThe thunder in association with Kong felt more like Kong's roar was equivalent to the thunder before the lighting reveal.
The reason the relationship isn't too clear to non-Japanese speakers is because it's a pun. King Kong vs. Godzilla is packed with wordplay, and unfortunately, because of the complicated nature of puns, the official English and German subtitles either don't translate some of these jokes or do so only inadequately (such as with the way Criterion translates the gag about Mr. Tako's name). An example of a pun the Criterion translation apparently doesn't touch at all is in the name of the cowardly sidekick (Furue, "trembling").

Sakurai dismissing the "Mammoth Evil Spirit" as simply lightning is more wordplay that goes untranslated. Both Sakurai and Furue use the word "kaminari," which as I understand it, is the word for lightning and thunder (in the combined sense). Kaminari is not only etymologically related to divinity (one word for god in Japanese is "kami," sharing a root with kaminari), it's also an alternate name for the mythological god of thunder, Raijin (雷神, the characters themselves literally meaning "thunder/lightning god"). So, while the joke is that Sakurai doesn't realize the natives *really are* worshiping a god of thunder, it's also a setup for the third act reveal of Kong's affinity for electricity. It just so happens that the setup is obscured outside of its original Japanese context. :/
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Post by VOID GHIDORAH »

Y’know, I actually like the Showa King Kong design. It’s kinda nice, in a cheesy, old-school way.

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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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VOID GHIDORAH wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 9:24 am Y’know, I actually like the Showa King Kong design. It’s kinda nice, in a cheesy, old-school way.
Maybe it’s just because this was my first Godzilla (and King Kong) movie that I ever watched, but I adore these designs, goofiness and all. There’s a rubbery, latex-y charm to them, like a lot of the old suits.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Post by GodzillavsRayquaza »

A very good movie, it’s got an entertaining and well written cast of characters, witty and clever writing, and really fun kaiju scenes all throughout.

The final battle’s not one of my favorites in the franchise, but it’s still super cool.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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I wish Tadao Takashima and Yu Fujiki had been in more tokusatsu movies together.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Post by Major sssspielberg! »

^ hard agree. I also wish they had more time to work their dynamic in Atragon.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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Major sssspielberg! wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:26 am I also wish they had more time to work their dynamic in Atragon.
Yeah, I like Atragon a lot but it's unfortunate that it worked out that way.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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Hypothetically, imagine Fujiki playing Takashima's dopey assistant in Son of Godzilla.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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I feel bad watching this film, since one of the octopuses used for the film was eaten. (Octopuses are one of my favorite animals)

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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Post by Major sssspielberg! »

^ I find Oodako really cool as a "jobber" monster, but the knowledge that so many octopi were tortured for KKvG does suck some of the joy out of the movie. Especially considering how intelligent they are.
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Post by LegendZilla »

If (King) Kong goes public domain in 2029, does that increase the odds of the original cut of this film being released in NA again?

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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Post by Major sssspielberg! »

Interesting question, but I doubt it. Kong may be pubic domain then but that probably wouldn't change the weird licencing kerfuffle that movie is tangled up in.
It would just mean you could make your own Kong films without getting sued
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Re: Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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LegendZilla wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:48 pm If (King) Kong goes public domain in 2029, does that increase the odds of the original cut of this film being released in NA again?
Universal controls the North American rights to KKvG through 2057. The Kong character entering public domain has no effect on that.
Last edited by Terasawa on Tue Aug 03, 2021 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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