Talkback: Rodan (1956)

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LSD Jellyfish
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

KaijuMan80 wrote: Tue Feb 09, 2021 5:26 pm Just went to amazon to see if I could I buy this for my collection and no luck :(. Haven’t seen it since I was a kid in the 80s.
It should be easy to find on streaming services and online. Even if you can't buy a physical copy, it's certainly worth rewatching!
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

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LSD Jellyfish wrote: Tue Feb 09, 2021 5:28 pm
KaijuMan80 wrote: Tue Feb 09, 2021 5:26 pm Just went to amazon to see if I could I buy this for my collection and no luck :(. Haven’t seen it since I was a kid in the 80s.
It should be easy to find on streaming services and online. Even if you can't buy a physical copy, it's certainly worth rewatching!
Yeah I’ll probably do that. Hopefully one day I can add a physical disc to my collection! :)

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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

Post by godjacob »

Iconic film that I never gave a real chance cause I was exposed to the English Dub and the constant undying narration began to get obnoxious. I have no idea why the dub team felt they had to tack on so much exposition for every little movement the characters made.
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

Post by LegendZilla »

I think Rodan deserves his own solo film again one day.

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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

Post by ShinGojira14 »

Either my second or third favorite Kaiju movie ever. Rodan is another of Mr. Honda's true works of art.

If the Monster of the Skies is ever so lucky as to get his own solo film again, I'll be happier than ever.
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

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godjacob wrote: Tue Feb 09, 2021 6:49 pm I have no idea why the dub team felt they had to tack on so much exposition for every little movement the characters made.
It was only the third Japanese monster movie imported for wide release in the U.S., and more importantly, it was the first to forego the practice of filming new footage with Hollywood actors to orient the audience. At the time, it wasn't known how Americans would react to--much less *if* they'd even accept--Japanese films without an American frame of reference. It sounds especially foolish in hindsight because now we know these films were capable of doing solid business at the box office without having to undergo all the fuss of the early Americanizations.

The narration in Rodan might have been the King Bros. team trying to mimic some of what worked in Godzilla (a veritable success) without going to the expense of hiring new actors, building sets, renting additional equipment, etc. In this case, that meant giving their film a voice (as Burr had been for much of the original footage retained in Godzilla) to guide what they suspected would be a hesitant American audience through a foreign film.
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

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AK Siwach wrote: Thu Feb 11, 2021 10:10 pm This is one of the best Toho movies without Godzilla. Rodan is one of my favorite kaiju so it is great to see not one but TWO! I also am kind of interesting in what appears to be some kind of breath weapon. Not explosive by Godzilla's but he clearly is shooting something that I guess adds to the wind gusts?
I know they gave Rodan a full-blown heat-ray like Godzilla in 1993, but would you be opposed to Toho giving him one again some day?

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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

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I wouldn't. I guess if it comes right down to it I prefer him without a beam, but I by no means object to one. So long as he remains a melee fighter first, I'm open to other weapons and powers being experimented with.

... but I actually don't care for the wind breath at all. He already has the wings to generate wind. The Big Bad Wolf act is redundant and frankly kind of lame.
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

Post by Major sssspielberg! »

I actually like Rodan's vapor breath.
I picture it in a modern context like Shin's breath before it turns to flame, and that Rodan would use it to create a smokescreen before he dips out.
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

Post by edgaguirus »

If an American version of Rodan did get a solo film, his breath could be an extension of his volcanic nature. He could spit smoke or some kind of gas that chokes people. Hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide are commonly released by volcanos.
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

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edgaguirus wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:23 pm If an American version of Rodan did get a solo film, his breath could be an extension of his volcanic nature. He could spit smoke or some kind of gas that chokes people. Hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide are commonly released by volcanos.
Maybe this is more Hedorah's territory, but it's a cool idea regardless. I'd be down for it if we get another aggressive, dangerous Rodan.
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

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AK Siwach wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 8:07 pm
LegendZilla wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 1:08 am
AK Siwach wrote: Thu Feb 11, 2021 10:10 pm This is one of the best Toho movies without Godzilla. Rodan is one of my favorite kaiju so it is great to see not one but TWO! I also am kind of interesting in what appears to be some kind of breath weapon. Not explosive by Godzilla's but he clearly is shooting something that I guess adds to the wind gusts?
I know they gave Rodan a full-blown heat-ray like Godzilla in 1993, but would you be opposed to Toho giving him one again some day?
Not one bit! In fact I would like to see Fire Rodan again sometime. Seems to be pretty iconic despite that one major appearance. It doesn't necessarily have to be a clone of Godzilla's ray in like GvM but giving him a beam every now and then could give him more iconic traits or a unique one off experiment type thing.
What kind of beam are you thinking?

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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

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Terasawa wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 5:58 pm The narration in Rodan might have been the King Bros. team trying to mimic some of what worked in Godzilla (a veritable success) without going to the expense of hiring new actors, building sets, renting additional equipment, etc. In this case, that meant giving their film a voice (as Burr had been for much of the original footage retained in Godzilla) to guide what they suspected would be a hesitant American audience through a foreign film.
There was also quite a bit of narration in Gigantis so I guess it was kind of the formula they were going with.
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

Post by edgaguirus »

And I suppose it means cutting dialogue they feel isn't important.
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

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Crazy Jim Films wrote: Sat Feb 13, 2021 5:42 pm
Terasawa wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 5:58 pm The narration in Rodan might have been the King Bros. team trying to mimic some of what worked in Godzilla (a veritable success) without going to the expense of hiring new actors, building sets, renting additional equipment, etc. In this case, that meant giving their film a voice (as Burr had been for much of the original footage retained in Godzilla) to guide what they suspected would be a hesitant American audience through a foreign film.
There was also quite a bit of narration in Gigantis so I guess it was kind of the formula they were going with.
In that case, though, Gigantis was probably made to resemble Rodan (the most recent U.S.-released kaiju film at the time) as much as possible. Rodan was produced by the King Bros. and was an enormous hit for independent distributor DCA, so much so that it was evoked when promoting later releases.

Gigantis was likewise produced independently, although by different producers. Hugo Grimaldi was in charge of the Americanization process; Grimaldi didn't work on Rodan but obviously he had to have been familiar with it. He might even have been directed by his producers to replicate it while making Gigantis. Not only is the narration he scripted incredibly similar (even using some of the same language), but he employed the same key voice talent that had dubbed Rodan.
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

Post by Anguirus »

Rewatching this, I still really enjoy the film. I love the horror vibes. One day I plan on watching the Japanese cut, hopefully we see a Blu Ray release eventually.
Last edited by Anguirus on Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

Post by mwbworld »

Agreed. I really liked Rodan as well. The horror vibe was great and I too really want a blu ray of it.

Fingers crossed.

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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

Post by shadowgigan »

I think Rodan will be my film of choice tonight. It's probably been 10 years since the last time I watched it. Why that long? I don't know.

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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

Post by edgaguirus »

I hope that time made watching the film even sweeter.
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Re: Talkback: Rodan (1956)

Post by LegendZilla »

Does anyone think that Rodan deserves a solo film again one day? Not that it's likely to happen, but still one can dream right? If they did, it should maintain the 50's kaiju morbid/melancholic atmosphere like the original Godzilla and Rodan '56.

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