Talkback: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

For the discussion of Toho produced and distributed films or shows released before 1980.
User avatar
Fropston
GPN Volunteer
Posts: 120
Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2017 9:46 pm

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

Post by Fropston »

I prefer how the octopus looks in this film, but at the same time, I feel bad for the octopuses that were eaten so I end up thinking that the way FvB did it was better.
(Less) Rare poster. :pelops2:

User avatar
ShinGojira14
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5340
Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:08 pm
Location: Under the Wild Montana Skies

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

Post by ShinGojira14 »

To this day, Mr. Tako is one of the best characters to watch in the entire franchise.
"William Knifeman! AH! AH! AH!"

Resized ImageResized Image

User avatar
shadowgigan
Futurian
Posts: 3089
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:11 pm

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

Post by shadowgigan »

ShinGojira14 wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 12:00 pm To this day, Mr. Tako is one of the best characters to watch in the entire franchise.
Easily. And he is played with so much charisma.

edgaguirus
Keizer
Posts: 8559
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:25 pm

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

Post by edgaguirus »

I always chuckle when he accidentally depresses the plunger and opens the one eye to see if he's blown up his prize ape.
I've got a good mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it.

Then expect something that's fiercer, more cruel, and deadly than anything that's walked the Earth.

User avatar
ShinGojira14
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5340
Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:08 pm
Location: Under the Wild Montana Skies

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

Post by ShinGojira14 »

edgaguirus wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 11:06 pm I always chuckle when he accidentally depresses the plunger and opens the one eye to see if he's blown up his prize ape.
Same.

I especially get a kick out of when he and his crew get caught by security as they're about to watch Godzilla and Kong's first fight, and he tells them he has permission to be there because "he's King Kong's sponsor."
"William Knifeman! AH! AH! AH!"

Resized ImageResized Image

User avatar
MechaGoji Bro7503
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6117
Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:02 pm
Location: Black Hole Planet 3 branch of Majima Construction.
Contact:

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

Post by MechaGoji Bro7503 »

ShinGojira14 wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 12:00 pm To this day, Mr. Tako is one of the best characters to watch in the entire franchise.
Big agree from me. Mr. Tako is so much fun, he's meta but it doesn't detract from him feeling so real. It adds to his character! He honestly feels like a manager for a wrestler at times mixed with that bombastic personality of a tv host (which makes sense).

I'd say Mr. Tako is one of the most well realized stand ins for Shinichi Sekizawa's self-aware themes of commercialization.
"Bang on, mate.", - Murdoc Niccals 2018.

"Right, wrong... Nobody's got a clue what the difference is in this town. So I'm gonna have more fun... and live crazier than any of 'em." - Goro Majima.

Our G-Force a Kaiju Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g ... 1509725595

For unique discussions on Ultraman, Godzilla, and much more check out my channel Tiger Drop Films: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCng0uL ... VCg/videos

User avatar
Gailah 1966
Monarch Researcher
Posts: 318
Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 11:30 am
Location: gog

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

Post by Gailah 1966 »

This Godzilla is making me sick! *tearing hair*

The whole movie is somehow epic in it´s own way.
BIG FAN SURVEY 2023 --> viewtopic.php?t=34920
BIG FAN SURVEY 2020 --> viewtopic.php?t=30470
Video of 2020´s results --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUxyzsQxwa4

edgaguirus
Keizer
Posts: 8559
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:25 pm

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

Post by edgaguirus »

It's a fun and colorful movie.
I've got a good mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it.

Then expect something that's fiercer, more cruel, and deadly than anything that's walked the Earth.

User avatar
Voyager
Keizer
Posts: 7822
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 12:34 pm
Location: On a boat

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

Post by Voyager »

I love a light hearted film, I should probably give this one a rewatch.
Image
For Emperor and Empire!

User avatar
Gailah 1966
Monarch Researcher
Posts: 318
Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 11:30 am
Location: gog

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

Post by Gailah 1966 »

I watched it a few weeks ago for 60th anniversary. It was the approximately 30th time I watched this movie.
BIG FAN SURVEY 2023 --> viewtopic.php?t=34920
BIG FAN SURVEY 2020 --> viewtopic.php?t=30470
Video of 2020´s results --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUxyzsQxwa4

User avatar
LegendZilla
Sazer
Posts: 10354
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 3:57 am
Location: British Columbia, Canada

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

Post by LegendZilla »

For a early Showa film from the golden era, this movie has a surprisingly mixed reception among the fandom. The most common criticism is Kong's design. Also, I think a ton of the satire from the Japanese version got lost in translation.

User avatar
Janjira-York
G-Force Personnel
Posts: 783
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 9:18 am

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

Post by Janjira-York »

this movie's main theme is like in the top 3 of the showa era best themes.


like man its bitchin'

User avatar
Maverick Centigrade
Keizer
Posts: 8124
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2013 8:14 pm
Location: Hargenteen

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

Post by Maverick Centigrade »

No one can convince me this movie doesn't have Godzilla's best entrance. The whole scene with rhe submarine and iceberg, just fantastic.
"I vote for outer space, no way these are local boys"
"Hello, Japan? Connect me to Godzilla please"

edgaguirus
Keizer
Posts: 8559
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:25 pm

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

Post by edgaguirus »

LegendZilla wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 9:20 pm For a early Showa film from the golden era, this movie has a surprisingly mixed reception among the fandom. The most common criticism is Kong's design.
It looks better than the KKE suit.
I've got a good mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it.

Then expect something that's fiercer, more cruel, and deadly than anything that's walked the Earth.

User avatar
HedorahIsBestGirl
Gotengo Officer
Posts: 1770
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2019 10:17 am

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

Post by HedorahIsBestGirl »

LegendZilla wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 9:20 pm For a early Showa film from the golden era, this movie has a surprisingly mixed reception among the fandom... I think a ton of the satire from the Japanese version got lost in translation.
You hit the nail right on the head. Three or so years ago, I would've ranked this movie toward the bottom of the pack based purely on the U.S. version. After watching the original version, it's become one of my absolute favorites. This film's satirical nature is one of the main things that makes it so great.

Doesn't help that the American cut also removed a lot of establishing scenes with the human cast, butchered the score with stock music and inserted those awful scenes with the newscaster. Forget "Gigantis the Fire-Monster," this is the Godzilla movie with the worst "Americanized" cut.
Last edited by HedorahIsBestGirl on Sun Nov 27, 2022 7:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The wisest words ever spoken on TK: "When I Saw The Showa Movie's white My Friend's They seid WTF is This Your showing Me to Men Fighting In suit's they found At party city Butt when I Showed Them The Heisei film's they thoght They where pritty fun To Watch"

:Godzilla68: and :Anguirus: were never really friends.

:Hedorah: is best girl, :Baragon: is best boy

User avatar
Spuro
Keizer
Posts: 9532
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2011 10:34 pm
Location: Monster Island

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

Post by Spuro »

LegendZilla wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 9:20 pm For a early Showa film from the golden era, this movie has a surprisingly mixed reception among the fandom. The most common criticism is Kong's design. Also, I think a ton of the satire from the Japanese version got lost in translation.
The awful Americanization certainly didn't help matters there.

Edit: I was beaten to it by the post above me. Yeah, my experiences with this movie were exactly the same as yours, Bestgirl. I'd agree with your statement about it being worse than Gigantis. At least with Gigantis, the original movie wasn't so hot to begin with, so it only manages to bring down what is otherwise an okay movie at best. And Raids Again's Japanese original is widely available.

But the Americanized KKvG not only destroys a Japanese classic and any semblance of wit and sociological satire it had, it also kept the Japanese version from being nearly impossible to find through legal means until the Criterion Collection miraculously picked it up... and even then it's hidden away in a bonus feature disk, giving the terrible Americanized cut the spotlight on the main disk. It's hard not to resent that movie.
Last edited by Spuro on Sun Nov 27, 2022 11:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
eabaker wrote: You can't parse duende.
Breakdown wrote: HP Lovecraft's cat should be the ultimate villain of the MonsterVerse.

User avatar
LegendZilla
Sazer
Posts: 10354
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 3:57 am
Location: British Columbia, Canada

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

Post by LegendZilla »

^The elusiveness of the original Japanese cut only adds to the appeal.

User avatar
MechaGoji Bro7503
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6117
Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:02 pm
Location: Black Hole Planet 3 branch of Majima Construction.
Contact:

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

Post by MechaGoji Bro7503 »

I felt like Megatron finally getting the allspark or golden disk when I got the Japanese cut through the Criterion collection.
"Bang on, mate.", - Murdoc Niccals 2018.

"Right, wrong... Nobody's got a clue what the difference is in this town. So I'm gonna have more fun... and live crazier than any of 'em." - Goro Majima.

Our G-Force a Kaiju Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g ... 1509725595

For unique discussions on Ultraman, Godzilla, and much more check out my channel Tiger Drop Films: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCng0uL ... VCg/videos

User avatar
m0nster01
Samurai
Posts: 86
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:13 am

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

Post by m0nster01 »

Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out more about the production on Toho's side, like when the film did actually start production?

User avatar
LegendZilla
Sazer
Posts: 10354
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 3:57 am
Location: British Columbia, Canada

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

Post by LegendZilla »

I'm surprised that both times Toho did Kong in the Showa era, they didn't use the suit actors' real eyes in portraying the character.
Last edited by LegendZilla on Tue Jan 10, 2023 11:37 am, edited 2 times in total.

Post Reply