News

With the 1995 release of "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah," Toho ended the Heisei era of their Godzilla films in earnest and, in an unprecedented move, handed the reigns of their most popular monster over to TriStar Pictures for a proposed three-picture deal. Rather than make a typical mid-budget film, TriStar elected to make a major summer tentpole, pouring about $150 million into production and hiring "Independence Day" director Roland Emmerich. The film was a 139-minute FX bonanza that reimagined Godzilla as a sleek, square-jawed iguana that terrorized New York City. The monster was small enough to hide inside skyscrapers and spent large portions of the film offscreen in New York's sewers.

The script was more comedic than awe-inspired, populated by chattering Noo Yawk characters whose reactions to Godzilla were more along the lines of "weary acceptance" than awe. The cast would end up featuring Matthew Broderick, Maris Pitillo, Jean Reno, Kevin Dunn, and...

Oi there, listen up! Amazon Prime Video’s list of new releases for June 2024 includes another season of its biggest, bloodiest hit.

The Boys season 4 premieres its first three episodes on Thursday, June 13. Based on the trailers, The Boys is really leaning into the political side of its social satire with a presidential election underway and Homelander on trial for the small matter of killing a guy last season. The season will continue to air on Thursdays, culminating with the finale on July 18.

Amazon is really leaning into its sports offerings this month as well. Fans will get to watch the New York Yankees, the WNBA, and the Nwsl several times throughout June. That’s in addition to a couple of sports docs: Power of the Dream on June 18 and Federer: Twelve Final Days on June 20.

But if you’re looking for something even more explosive than Homelander and Roger Federer,...

What's in a roar? Well, if it belongs to a ginormous prehistoric reptilian monster like Godzilla, it matters as much as what the creature represents or makes us feel. Godzilla's roar has evolved over the years — the original sound resembled a shrill "Skreeeonk!" as described in Dark Horse's "Godzilla" comics, and went on to alternate between deep, guttural sounds and high-pitched screeches that feel otherworldly. Akira Ifukube, who created the score for Ishirō Honda's "Godzilla", was the one who crafted the monster's distinctive disyllabic roar. This was not an easy task to accomplish, especially in 1954, when most creature sounds were created organically with minimal reliance on technological tweaks. How did Ifukube and Honda decide on a sound that would go on to constitute the heart and soul of such a beloved character?

For starters, Ifukube did not believe that Godzilla should roar at all, as the creature's reptilian...

Characters are more often associated with their iconographies, which provide them with an enduring legacy through the ages. When readers think of Sherlock Holmes, the pipe and the iconic hat immediately come to mind; the bat insignia is a cue to Gotham’s caped crusader; and similarly, the mention of Godzilla always evokes the mental image of the atomic monster unleashing its fierce, nuclear-powered breath—akin to the fire-breathing dragons of ancient mythology.

Atomic Breath has been an integral part of the big G’s identity since the character’s first appearance and has been showcased in almost all of Toho Studio’s 30+ cinematic ventures involving Godzilla. Irrespective of the tone and treatment of the movie, whether it’s the campy fun of the Showa era or the grounded, dark approach of the present Reiwa era, makers have always made sure that each version of Godzilla asserts their individuality through their respective atomic breath.

There are few genre films of any kind quite as respected as 1954's "Godzilla." Directed by Ishiro Honda, the film was an examination of post-World War II Japan, a nation that had experienced the horrors of the atomic bomb. The now-iconic monster was a narrative device used to reckon with those horrors, and even though some 70 years later the movie has secured its place in cinema history, it wasn't always a sure thing. So much so that composer Akira Ifukube was advised to back out of doing the project by his peers for fear that it would ruin his career.

In the 2019 book "Life Godzilla," it's explained that production company Toho was not confident in the film ahead of its release. "Godzilla" was a movie that could have ended a great many careers. "We couldn't reassure them," said assistant director Koji Kajita. "There was still no soundtrack and without it the film looked stupid.

With Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire officially stomping its way into theaters tomorrow, some fans will be eager to revisit the many movies which make up the long-running series. If you’re wondering which Godzilla movies you should check out, Godzilla x Kong director Adam Wingard has revealed his personal top five movies in the franchise.

While speaking on the Inside Total Film podcast, Wingard said that the Shōwa era of the Godzilla franchise is his favourite, encompassing the movies which were released from 1954-1975. “I like the psychedelic, colorful vibe,” Wingard said. “Godzilla vs. Hedorah is my favorite of that series, because it’s the most experimental. It’s like the Easy Rider of Godzilla movies.” However, Wingard doesn’t just restrain himself to the Shōwa era, as he also loves 1995’s Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. “In a way, it’s kind of the closest anything has ever been to the Shōwa films,...

Takashi Yamazaki's "Godzilla Minus One" was an unexpectedly large hit in the United States, and currently holds the distinction of being the highest-grossing Japanese-language Godzilla film in U.S. box office history. "Minus One" is also unique in the Godzilla canon in that it affects an optimistic worldview. Several Godzilla movies in the franchise tended to zero in on Godzilla's horrifying nuclear origins, pointing out that the monster is the direct result of atomic testing. Humans were only able to destroy Godzilla in Ishiro Honda's 1954 film "Gojira" by creating a new weapon even more devastating than the atomic bomb. That film is sad and dour and pessimistic. In contrast, "Godzilla Minus One" is about how ingenuity and redemption are still possible after World War II, and that humans needn't be hopeless or obsessed with death. It's okay, "Minus One" argues, to let go of the violence.

"Minus One,...

The resurgence of the monster's popularity on the eve of his 70th birthday later in the year, enhanced in large part by the critical and commercial success of “Godzilla Minus One” as well, has made Godzilla one of the biggest movie stars in the world at the current time. Fans are undoubtedly used to seeing him in such a light, but the current mainstream attention and accolades thrown his way has been a welcome sight to see with the Big G getting plenty of praise for the first time in his career.

Of course, as many of his fans know, one of the enduring qualities in a Godzilla movie is one of the more superficial and subjective qualities imaginable. That would be his entrance scene in the film. Nothing brings about a sense of joy or excitement more than him getting a moment to himself and being graced with a...

The taxonomy of Godzilla movies has been carefully considered and deliberately arranged for many years, cordoning off various "eras" of Godzilla movies — eras named after Japanese emperors — into their own, neatly distinguishable chronologies. 1954's "Gojira" through 1975's "Terror of Mechagodzilla" constitute the Showa era, encompassing 15 films. The series was rebooted in 1984 with "Return of Godzilla," and the second era, the Heisei era, ran through "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah" in 1995. Roland Emmerich's 1998 English-language "Godzilla" is an oddity in that it exists outside of an era or a continuity. 1999 through 2004 — that is: "Godzilla 2000" through "Godzilla: Final Wars" — constitutes the Millennium era, although the continuity of one of the films in that era is questionable.

2016's "Shin Godzilla," like Emmerich's film, also exists in its own continuity. A trilogy of animated Godzilla films, also in its own universe, was released in 2017 and 2018. And, of course, the American Monsterverse series has been humming...

It takes a lot of skill, physical endurance, and a certain je-ne-sais-quoi to play Godzilla. The late great Haruo Nakajima — who played Godzilla in 12 of the Showa-era films from the original "Godzilla" through "Godzilla vs. Gigan" in 1974 — revealed in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter in 2017 that he modeled his movements on bears. He seemingly wanted Godzilla to look like he weighed a lot and lumbered appropriately. Nakajima was no doubt aided by the fact that the Godzilla suit weighed quite a lot and was difficult to move in. It was Nakajima who developed the signature "put up your dukes" movement for Godzilla, a gesture that gave the giant radioactive gorilla-whale a lot of personality.

When Nakajima retired from playing Godzilla, a few different actors took turns in the role until the making of 1984's "Return of Godzilla" (released as "Godzilla 1985" in the United States). In that film Kenpachiro Satsuma took over the role,...

Family, friends, and fans mourn the loss of a man notable for his entertaining performances and bright personality that put smiles on peoples' faces. On December 16th, 2023, beloved actor and stunt performer Kenpachiro Satsuma passed away at the age of 76 following a battle with interstitial pneumonia. Multiple news outlets have reported on his passing. Nikkan Sports says the following on the website Yahoo! Japan: “Kenpachiro Satsuma, the second generation suit actor in the “Godzilla” movie series, died of interstitial pneumonia on March 16 at the age of 76″ Satsuma's family confirmed the news to be true on social media. His passing has been met with an outpour of tributes, including from individuals who knew Satsuma personally, people who worked with him, and those who admired his work.

Kenpachiro Satsuma, born Yasuaki Maeda, was a major player in the tokusatsu performance art known as suitmation, in which a fictional character is brought to...

U.S. audiences tend to accept Toho's earlier Godzilla movies as being high camp, usually thanks to Gen-x's half-remembered airings of late-'60s kaiju flicks broadcast on Uhf TV channels back in the 1980s. While there are some absurd and terrible Godzilla films from the Showa era (1954-1975), and many of them contained surreal, kitschy plot elements like invading aliens, one might also find several movies -- "Gojira," "Destroy All Monsters" -- that focus on Japanese national pride, the role of destructive weapons in the world, and a barely-simmering resentment lingering after a massive attack on the country. If modern superhero movies sprung from the U.S. subconscious as a fantastical revenge/preventative measure against 9/11, so too did Godzilla spring fully formed from the trauma left behind by the U.S.' atomic bomb attacks.

In the original "Gojira," that is literal. The titular creature, a stories-high amphibious animal,...

Godzilla feature films can be separated into six separate, distinct continuities. From Toho's 1954 original "Gojira" until "Terror of Mechagodzilla" in 1975, there were 16 films in the "Showa" era. Beginning in 1984 with "The Return of Godzilla" and running until "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah" in 1995, was the "Heisei" era. Roland Emmerich's 1998 American film was, after the fact, folded into a new rebooted continuity which began in 2000 with "Godzilla 2000." That was the "Millennium" era. That era ran until 2004 and closed out with "Godzilla: Final Wars," a film where Godzilla fights just about every monster imaginable. In 2014, America took a crack at kaiju films again with a new "Godzilla," now part of a multi-film "MonsterVerse" era. Perhaps in response, Japan made "Shin Godzilla" in 2016, the only film to date in the "Shin" era. Shortly after "Shin Godzilla," there was also a trilogy of animated films on Netflix. Call those films the "Netflix" era.

Released in the summer of 1998, Roland Emmerich's "Godzilla" came at a time when the Japanese series was in hibernation. Godzilla's Heisei era, launched in 1984 with "The Return of Godzilla"  (a.k.a. "Godzilla 1985" in the U.S.) came to a close in 1995 with the release of "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah," a film where Godzilla's internal radiation had become so strong, he glowed from the inside. In the film, he fought off an arch-nemesis, Destoroyah, born of the same weapon that killed Godzilla in the 1954 original. He then melted down like a f****** Viking. Godzilla, it seemed, was properly dead. 

Meanwhile, American film studios had been trying...

The post Godzilla Once Took a Swing at These World-Famous Critics appeared first on /Film.

Gavin Jasper Jun 3, 2019

We already know we're getting Godzilla vs. Kong in the near future, but it seems there's more conflict on the horizon.

The following article is full of spoilers for Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Feel free to read our spoiler free review of Godzilla: King of the Monsters here.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the third chapter of the MonsterVerse and centers around Godzilla’s endless rivalry with Ghidorah, the three-headed monster. Ghidorah is Godzilla’s go-to top nemesis in the older incarnations, so building to this epic clash makes all the sense in the world.

It also makes sense that perhaps Legendary isn’t finished with him.

Midway through the movie, they reveal how reality-breaking Ghidorah really is by showing that it not only doesn’t need oxygen to survive, but that it’s able to regenerate an entire head after Godzilla had previously chomped it off.

Gavin Jasper Jun 3, 2019

When the battle between a radioactive lizard and a three-headed demon lay waste to the MonsterVerse, what remains in its wake?

The following article is full of spoilers for Godzilla: King of the Monsters. You have been warned. We have a spoiler free review here if you prefer.

Despite their being over 30 movies to Godzilla’s name, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the third entry in Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse. The first was 2014’s Godzilla, followed by the 2017 prequel Kong: Skull Island. Not only are they linked by their giant monsters (with King Kong himself being way bigger than his classic depiction), but also the presence of the monster-studying organization Monarch. Coincidentally, the character Houston Brooks, originally played by Corey Hawkins in Kong: Skull Island, briefly returns in King of the Monsters, now played by Joe Morton.

The post-credits from Skull Island is elaborated in King of the Monsters,...

After lying low for over half a decade, the world’s most terrifying kaiju is coming out of hibernation. Godzilla: King Of The Monsters is just days away, and fans all over the globe can’t wait to see the beast from the east on the big screen. Seeing as how it already had its red carpet premiere, Warner Bros. Pictures has been dropping a steady stream of clips and trailers, and a recently released promo is teasing a familiar look for the gargantuan monster.

As shared by ComicBook.com, a new international clip has been making the rounds, which features plenty of impressive visuals and some equally epic music. A few observant viewers have honed in on a brief section towards the end of the video though, which shows the titular kaiju stomping on the ground. In contrast to other trailers and clips, his foot looks a bit different...

After laying dormant for half a decade, the world’s most famous kaiju is coming out of hibernation. Godzilla: King Of The Monsters is nearly upon us, and fans all over can’t wait to see the beast from the east on the big screen again. In a lead-up to its release, Warner Bros. Pictures has been rolling out plenty of clips and trailers, and a recently released video is teasing an all-new form for the gargantuan monster.

A new international promo has recently gone live (it can be seen over at ComicBook.com) and features plenty of great music and impressive visuals, but some observant fans have focused in on one particular scene featuring the eponymous kaiju. Halfway through the new footage, you might be able to catch a glimpse at a particularly interesting shot of a reddish Godzilla as it goes toe-to-toe with the three-headed King Ghidorah. As...

Comet TV has announced their September programming and it's a lineup, folks! Godzilla, Rocky, Doctor Who, and Q are all having an outing on the channel this month. Also in today's Highlights: a new clip from Cold Skin and a Q&A with e-Demon writer/director Jeremy Wechter.

Comet TV's September Guide Revealed: "Airing on Comet in September

You Don’T Need A Subscription To Watch These Great Movies They’Re Airing For Free On Comet!

Space: 1999 (series)

Space: 1999 officially crash landed on Comet! The residents of Moonbase Alpha were just minding their own business when the nuclear waste stored there suddenly exploded, causing the moon to hurtle into space. After passing through a black hole and a couple random “Space Warps,” you begin to wonder, is there a mysterious force guiding them?

In September, look out for back-to-back episodes on Saturday and Sunday evenings starting at 10/9 C.

Godzilla Double...

The King of the Monsters was ready to explode (or implode) in 1995’s Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, giving the radioactive reptile a fiery appearance with deadly side effects. Godzilla’s memorable “lava look” is captured with incredible detail in Bandai’s new Gigantic Series figure that is limited to 500 items and will be available at this weekend’s G-fest in Rosemont, Il, before stomping over to the West Coast for the San Diego Comic-Con via Bluefin Distribution.

Press Release (via Dread Central): Bluefin, the leading North American distributor of toys, collectibles, and hobby merchandise from Japan, Hong Kong, and more, announces its participation at the 2016 G-fest with something very special to be showcased at the largest event devoted to Godzilla and Japanese movie monster fandom.

New from Bandai, the Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995 is a massive rendition of the famous monster as he was depicted in the movie Godzilla vs. Destroyah.

After defeating SpaceGodzilla, it wasn’t long before Godzilla suffered from the painful effects of an internal nuclear-like meltdown while also having to deal with the mutated kaiju known as Destoroyah in the 1995 film, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. Paying their respects to this unique big screen appearance of the radioactive reptile is Neca, which just offered a look at their “Burning Godzilla” action figure.

With a height of more than six inches and a body covered in burn rashes from the meltdown occurring within his body, Neca’s Classic 1995 Burning Godzilla action figure will be released in January 2015. We have official details and images of the figure below (via Neca):

“Celebrating the most famous kaiju of all time, we continue to explore the classic decade-spanning Godzilla franchise!

This version of the beloved monster is based on the 1995 movie Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. The figure stands over 6″ tall, with a head-to-tail measurement of over 12″ long.

**Massive spoilers for every Godzilla movie, with the exception of the 2014 reboot, and Mothra follow**

August 6th and 9th, 1945 forever changed the course of history. When the first nuclear bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, World War II ended, but a new fear was born that dominated the thoughts of all men, women, and children for decades to come. The Cold War, atomic bomb testing, a cartoon turtle telling children to “duck and cover”, and this new technology that had the actual potential to literally end the world changed the perception of what was scary. Art reflects life, so cinema began to capitalize on these fears. Gone were the days of creepy castles, cobwebs, bats, vampires, werewolves, and the other iconic images that ruled genre cinema in film’s earliest decades. Science fiction was larger than ever and giant ants, giant octopi, terror from beyond the stars, and...

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), Godzilla vs. Destroyah (1995): special effects guru Koichi Kawakita helped create the look for these and other Godzilla monster mashes. Now Koichi Kawakita has designed a new Godzilla statue that pays homage to the classic Godzilla look while celebrating the King of Monsters’ recent resurgence on the big screen.

Standing at an impressive 60 inches with a width of 24 inches and a length of 42 inches, the ‘Kawakita’ Godzilla is now available for pre-order at Sideshow Collectibles and is expected to ship in August:

“Sideshow Collectibles is proud to present the Kawakita Godzilla Statue from Styles on Video. Legendary director and special effects supervisor Koichi Kawakita along with Hollywood Collector’s Gallery, are thrilled to introduce a new prop replica of Godzilla based on the iconic bronze statue near Tokyo’s Hibiya Park. Developed in the same scale, this fiberglass statue used the original casting...

The new Godzilla remake has finally arrived in theaters. The rebooted king of monsters stars in his 30th film in 60 years but he continues to vacillate between good guy monster and bad guy monster. Which way does Godzilla work better? Should he be the sheriff or the outlaw?

(Spoilers ahead)

60 years ago, Gojira/Godzilla: King of the Monsters debuted on screen; with a towering reptilian protagonist who was basically a rampaging beast. He was really a metaphor for the destructive power of the A-bomb. In the following three sequels, Gojira’s Counter Attack (Aka Gigantus the Fire Monster/ Godzilla Raids Again); Gojira vs. King Kong (Aka King Kong vs. Godzilla), and Mothra vs. Gojira (Aka Godzilla vs. the Thing); the radioactive monster continued his destructive, city-flattening ways, earning the enmity of the citizens of Japan. He was the ultimate threat.

By his fifth and sixth films, however, The Three...

The new Godzilla remake has finally arrived in theaters. The rebooted king of monsters stars in his 30th film in 60 years but he continues to vacillate between good guy monster and bad guy monster. Which way does Godzilla work better? Should he be the sheriff or the outlaw?

(Spoilers ahead)

60 years ago, Gojira/Godzilla: King of the Monsters debuted on screen; with a towering reptilian protagonist who was basically a rampaging beast. He was really a metaphor for the destructive power of the A-bomb. In the following three sequels, Gojira’s Counter Attack (Aka Gigantus the Fire Monster/ Godzilla Raids Again); Gojira vs. King Kong (Aka King Kong vs. Godzilla), and Mothra vs. Gojira (Aka Godzilla vs. the Thing); the radioactive monster continued his destructive, city-flattening ways, earning the enmity of the citizens of Japan. He was the ultimate threat.

By his fifth and sixth films, however, The Three...

With a new Godzilla movie hitting theaters in May, now is the perfect time for Blu-ray releases of the classic movies. Thankfully, many distributors have already announced plans and we can now add Sony to the list. They recently revealed that they will release eight Godzilla movies from the 90′s as double feature Blu-rays.

In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the iconic franchise, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will debut eight classic Godzilla movies on Blu-ray for the first time on May 6th. Titles include: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) + Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1992); Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) + Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994); Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) + Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000); and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) + Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). Bonus features are said to include original theatrical trailers, along with a Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S making-of featurette, and a Godzilla: Final Wars behind-the-scenes featurette.

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

When a mysterious U.

Sony is releasing several of the best Godzilla flicks from the 90s onto Blu-ray high definition, and we have the skinny on each of them right here for you. May is gonna kick all sorts of monster-sized ass!

From the Press Release

Beginning with the introduction of the original Godzilla film in 1954 and continuing through today, the King of the Monsters has entertained generations of movie fans through his big-screen adventures.

In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the iconic franchise, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will debut four classic Toho Godzilla Double Features for the first time on Blu-ray™ with Digital HD UltraViolet™ on May 6. The ultimate collector’s editions of the action-filled franchise include Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) + Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1992); Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) + Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994); Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) + Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000); and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) + Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). Each double...

Jim Knipfel May 31, 2019

Roland Emmerich's 1998 Godzilla was many things (most of them bad), but it wasn't really a Godzilla movie.

After Godzilla was decisively snuffed for only the second time in his then-40-year career at the end of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Toho’s Tomoyuki Tanaka announced the studio would be giving their cash cow a breather. This has happened several times in Godzilla's career. They’d done it before, back in 1975 and 1995, so there was no widespread panic at the news. Let the Big Guy take a little vacation or something. But he never mentioned Godzilla would be taking that vacation in Manhattan.

After announcing the hiatus, Tanaka turned around and sold the licensing rights to Sony on a limited basis for what was supposed to be a three-picture deal. Sony immediately got to work, bringing in the sure-fire team of Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, who...

Godzilla is being reinvented for a new generation. The reboot is due in the summer of 2014. This is a look at the long history of the Godzilla franchise, providing new viewers with everything they need to know about the King of Monsters.

Godzilla always returns. You can't keep a good monster down. A new Godzilla film is being produced by Legendary Pictures and is scheduled for release in 2014, which will be the 60th anniversary of Gojira, the first screen appearance of the perennially popular atomic mutation. (The image below is the only piece of the new teaser trailer which has been leaked to the internet, but it's not very clear.) For those who are unfamiliar with the six decade history of the most popular monster of the Japanese film industry, here's everything you need to know about the king of the monsters.

 

Godzilla--originally called "Gojira"--was inspired by (some...