GODZILLA ENCOUNTER Pictures from Comic-Con. 75 Pictures From Inside Legendary's GODZILLA ENCOUNTER at Comic-Con 2013.
Looking back, this was a truly incredible gesture toward longtime Godzilla fans and a fun introduction to a vast history for newcomers. With all the references, the real suits and props, obscure and small run figures on display, and tremendous attention to every detail, Legendary left no doubt that they had immersed themselves in the waters of Godzilla before creating their own iteration of the monster.
Wee preview of my entry in the Legendary Pictures/Godzilla Encounter video contest. That's me on the left with my good friend Ross cowering on the right. What (or who) could we be reacting to? Stay tuned!
Decided to look up the Shindo's Ramen Bar menu from Godzilla Encounter because mum and I were talking about it (mostly because I swear the pass I got smells like fried food). Honestly how could you not want to try everything (or almost everything) on the menu?
With monster movies, as with any science fiction, one must find a proper balance between serious cinema and pure pulp. In this vein, below I have listed, with arguments, what I think are the 10 greatest monster movies, to be followed by another post with the 10 worst. To be clear, there are other bad monster movies that are even more unwatchable, but these are uniquely bad and enjoyable, at least with a group of friends giving the films the “Mystery Science Theater" treatment.
Though I am giving arguments here, there is a degree of taste involved in each and so, consequently, there is plenty of room for disagreement. I welcome alternative lists and criticisms of particular films-particularly in the list of the “greatest” films.
The criteria for the greatest films includes serious social commentary, relatively good effects work (for the time and context of the film-making), story line, character development and enjoyability factor, as well as impact on cinematic history. Though few carry all of these elements, all of these carry a significant number of them.
GOJIRA (1954)
This film-not the Americanization, called Godzilla King of the Monsters-is stunning from start to finish. With a solid cast, solid acting and incredibly solid camera work, it captures the mood of an era. Actual footage of the devastation of World War II is mixed in with special effects work (by the legend himself, Eiji Tsubaraya). Throughout the film we are subjected to the horrors of nuclear weapons, the legacy of World War II and the consequences of U.S. imperialism, all embodied in the form of a terrifying, enraged monster who cannot be said to be “misunderstood,” or “just passing through.”The Lucky Dragon Number 5 incident is referenced, especially in the opening sequence of the film, rounding out its timeliness.
With destructive intent, Gojira (Godzilla for those uninitiated) lays waste to Tokyo with a fury, leaving nothing to stand in the end. The final sequence of the film involves a heroic sacrifice by Dr. Serizawa, one of the, if not THE most memorable scene in the history of monster movies. What is more, rather than make the hero into a swashbuckling savior who “gets the girl,” Serizawa gives up his arranged relationship with Emiko in order for her to be happy with her true love, Ogata (played by Akira Takarada, who appears in the upcoming 2014 Godzilla reboot).
THE HOST (2006)
Though little known, this dark comedy/political satire from 2006 grips you with its characters, breaks you down with laughter and ultimately-if you have a heart-leaves you in tears. Throughout the film, idiotic American characters-all military personnel, on and off duty-create a bad situation and in their attempts to fix it always make things worse. Indeed it can easily be said that the Americans are the true monsters of the film, and Korea is the host of its monstrous policies. That said, this effect is accomplished primarily through humor thereby softening the blow (a bit).
The family of protagonists embodies many of the contradictions of South Korean society following the Asian Financial Crisis, which forms the backdrop for the entire film. Indeed one of the opening sequences involves a rather common image of that period: a financier committing suicide. There is no film out there that packs as much humor and social criticism into such a small space alongside an admittedly ridiculous, but nonetheless horrifying monster (and the CGI is solid).
DAIMAIJIN (1966)
It is difficult to isolate just which of the three Daimaijin films ought to be considered for this list. Out of respect for the original film I have listed it, but if you love it you should not neglect the Return of Daimaijin, nor the Wrath of Daimaijin. Each is a standalone film in the medieval universe of the Maijin creature, a demonic spirit that inhabits the statue of a giant warrior from time to time in order to exact vengeance on those who have committed atrocious acts.
What makes the Maijin (“dai” here is “giant,” as in “daikaiju”) monstrous, besides the intimidating persona it reveals onscreen, is the fact that it is never satiated by its deeds of revenge…it craves more destruction, often upon those who have summoned it to action. These films are dark, there is feudal oppression, child death and more…not to mention incredible lighting in some scenes and the horrifying face of the Maijin itself, with its very human eyes on an otherwise unmoving stone face.
GAMERA 3: AWAKENING OF IRYS (1999)
In this case the viewer really should see the first two films, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe and Gamera 2: Advent of Legion, but they do not compare to the accomplishment of effects and story that culminates in the final film. The 1990’s Gamera trilogy is the only kaiju series that has involved a coherent and cohesive narrative across each film, making it into an arc culminating in the highly emotional experience of this third film. Shusuke Keneko really knew how to make monster films in this era, especially since he had a smaller budget than the 1990’s Toho Godzilla films, but accomplished so much more with characters, narrative and effects work.
A misplaced desire for revenge compels one character to unleash a monstrosity uniquely capable of fighting off Gamera, an ancient genetically-engineered weapon designed to protect the Earth (not necessarily humanity). There is a memory sequence in which we see “nightmare Gamera,” a truly horrifying thing to behold. And remember: in Keneko’s Gamera universe, there are no turtles in the world, so that ought to help you suspend your incredulity before the sight of the giant fire breathing turtle monster.
MONSTERS (2010)
Highly unappreciated by monster movie fans, Gareth Edwards’ 2010 film is a masterpiece thrown together with a shoestring budget of only $500,000 dollars. Each and every effect shot was put together by Edwards himself, making for a remarkable achievement of independent, low-budget films (indeed this accomplishment is what attracted Legendary Pictures to assimilate him into the Hollywood machine to direct the upcoming 2014 Godzilla film). Before you cry: “why are there not more action scenes?” Remember those facts.
Set some years after an alien species crashes to Earth on the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. and Mexican forces battle to maintain order as the creatures spread and clash with the pesky humans populating the place. The background scenes will remind you of Alfonso Cuaron’s Y Tuma Tambien or Children of Men. The story is told largely in the background in the form of destruction, murals and the struggles of ordinary people to continue their lives in the midst of a permanent monster invasion. The political themes are intriguing, though denied by Edwards, and readily apparent to the observer with even a modicum of knowledge of U.S. imperialism in Mexico. The scene at the U.S. border packs a particular punch, as do the murals begging the Americans to stop bombing civilian populations. This one is not to be missed.
KING KONG (1933)
The original King Kong stands out as the masterpiece that gave birth to the American monster movie genre (though not initially, it took a re-release in the 1950’s to inspire more films). Set in a rather crude colonialist fantasy, the film nevertheless carries with it the seeds of its own transcendence in the character of Kong. Rather than just constructing a mindless monster, Merian Cooper created the first monster character of the big screen, brought to life by the legendary work of Willis O’Brien, the original master of stop motion animation.
The human drama of crossing into the world of Skull Island certainly propels the narrative, but the creatures-then absolutely state of the art special effects work-from dinosaurs, to reptiles to Kong himself truly dominate the screen as a great spectacle. One can easily adopt the standpoint that sees Kong as a villain, but once he is seen as the protagonist (brilliantly captured in Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake), the film becomes a true epic. The real adventure story is not of the humans to Skull Island, but Kong’s journey from Skull Island to New York City, the center of the global capitalist (and colonial) system itself.
MOTHRA V.S. GODZILLA (1964)
Released in the U.S. as Godzilla v.s. the Thing, this is the movie that really launched the shared universe of Toho’s creations. Mothra, released in 1961, brought fantasy into the emerging kaiju genre as well as the concept of an Earth (but not humanity) defending kaiju. This film brought this together with the original nuclear menace, along with serious social commentary on the rapid economic growth Japan experienced during and after the Korean War. While the 1962 King Kong v.s. Godzilla dealt with this theme in satirical form, this film took the decadence of the nouveau riche more seriously.
This is one of the few versus films in which Godzilla remains the villain, and the 1964 “Goji-Mosura” suit remains a fan favorite for its menacing eyes and scowling face. The human story brings the best protagonist archetypes of the kaiju genre together: the intrepid reporter(s) and the relentless scientist. The special effects work is excellent in most places, though the final battle is somewhat lackluster-especially compared to what was coming down the line in just a few short years. All in all it represents the birth of a sequence of kaiju films directed by Ishiro Honda in the 1960’s that would leave their mark on the cultural history not only of Japan, but of the entire world.
CLOVERFIELD (2008)
Many fans of the kaiju genre do not care for J.J. Abrams’ Cloverfield, and if you are not a fan of the “shaky cam”/found footage style of film-making, then this is not a film for you. Personally I find this style of film-making rather weak, but it is wonderfully executed in this 2008 American blockbuster. The characters are grating at times but incredibly believable, and one cannot help but empathize with a few of them. The use of the hand held video camera as a artifice to construct the narrative stands out from most other found footage films, particularly with the use of random footage interspersed from the characters’ pasts, allowing for more character development than would be possible in the film itself.
What makes Cloverfield an excellent monster/kaiju movie is not only its state of the art special effects work and fabulous creature design, it’s also the way in which it broke new ground for a terribly predictable genre. It’s the first time we’ve been entirely street level with no “global" view of what’s happening. You aren’t with the scientists discovering things, the generals planning to fight back or the political leaders making the big decisions-you’re with the poor folks on the street, trying desperately to make sense of what’s happening and survive. Furthermore, the destruction is apocalyptic and the monster is utterly terrifying. The small creatures that fall off of its back allow for more human action than just a giant creature (not unlike the effect of Legion in Gamera 2 or Destroyah in Godzilla v.s. Destroyah).
Abrams also was mindful of the film’s relation to past classics and he paid homage by inserting frames from The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, Them! and King Kong into the film. The disease spreading to people exposed to the creatures seems to be an homage to the Beast From 20,000 fathoms as well. The overture composed by Michael Giacchino, “Roar!”, is an homage to Akira Ifukube, composer of the iconic Godzilla musical scores. Abrams did not succeed in his goal of making an American icon comparable to Godzilla, but he did make a fantastic monster movie.
WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS (1966)
One of the most popular monster movies of all time, War of the Gargantuas stands out as a remarkable achievement on the part of Toho in terms of special effects. Scaling down the kaiju allowed for more miniature work and the introduction of human-form kaiju allowed for better suit acting. The characters and the actors’ performances are actually somewhat lackluster, but the Japanese cut of the film maintains a solid storyline in spite of these faults.
What marks it off, beyond its importance and the special effects work, is also the creatures themselves: Gaira and Sanda. Beyond their physical execution by the suit makers, the creature design and concept behind them is remarkable. Building on the world introduced by its predecessor, Frankenstein Conquers the World, we have true “Frankenstein’s monsters” on the scale of kaiju running amok and-spoiler alert-they are also brothers. Yet they are brothers with entirely different approaches to humanity: destroy and eat them versus let them be. It’s almost Shakespearean…well, of course not, but it makes for some character development with the kaiju rather than mindless destruction.
THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953)
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms was the first film to feature a giant monster unleashed on humanity by the effects of nuclear testing. Inspired by the successful re-release of King Kong, the film itself became the inspiration for the Japanese Gojira (released the following year) and its financial success spawned the entire monster movie genre in the U.S. Based loosely on a Ray Bradbury short story, the film captured the anxieties spawned by the nuclear arms race of the 1950’s (1953 was the year the USSR detonated its first hydrogen bomb), though with nothing of the dark and somber nature of the infamous Japanese film it was to inspire.
The creature itself, dubbed a “Rhedosaurus” in the film, remains iconic in film history. The scene of the creature attacking a light house-lifted from Bradbury’s short story-is one of the most recognized images from the history of monster movies. The main character and human drama is somewhat forgettable, a curse of most American monster movies in that era, but it did set trends for the future of American cinema.
STAY TUNED FOR THE TOP 5 MOST CAMPY, MOST MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER WORTHY MONSTER MOVIES OF ALL TIME!
DISCLAIMER:
Many have voiced opposition to this list. First of all: it’s just a list constructed by myself for my tumblr, it’s not that big of a deal. Secondly, I do think these films fulfill the criteria I listed at the beginning, which is to say these aren’t my favorite movies, but rather the ones that I think represent the greatest achievements of the genre. That said, I welcome critique and alternative lists. In fact, I encourage it! Thoughtful analysis is not something that this genre has a lot of, and yet there are many fans out there with a lot to offer. Let this be a message of encouragement for developing the fandom of this genre.
