All Things Godzilla

[Calighoula]

I'm pretty much certain it won't be a found footage.

Ditto.

Apparently a full suit has been built for Godzilla, which is awesome.

According to Toho Kingdom, this Godzilla is CGI.

[Angilasman]

According to Toho Kingdom, this Godzilla is CGI.

Norman England (who works in Japan as a set photographer and has a long history with kaiju fandom) says he's personally seen the suit up close, as reported in August Ragone's blog. Apparently, some other folks in Japan have seen the suit, and it's apparently being informally called 'Cancer-zilla' due to its scared, tumorous, ghoulish look.

The final effects will be a combination of traditional and CGI, like Higuchi did with Attack on Titan.

[Calighoula]

Norman England (who works in Japan as a set photographer and has a long history with kaiju fandom) says he's personally seen the suit up close, as reported in August Ragone's blog. Apparently, some other folks in Japan have seen the suit, and it's apparently being informally called 'Cancer-zilla' due to its scared, tumorous, ghoulish look.

The final effects will be a combination of traditional and CGI, like Higuchi did with Attack on Titan.

After I posted, I remembered it was a combo package of practical and digital effects. Either way, I dig that poster. Really looking forward to this movie. If we have to deal with a new Star Wars entry every single year, we deserve more kaiju films to balance out the coming deluge of lightsabers, Falcons and Darth helms.

[Angilasman]

Well, they you might not be a fan of this movie, because they've said Shin Godzilla is a straight horror movie.

I understand that. But I see portrayed as 'evil' (certainly evil looking, here) as a fundamental misinterpretation of the character. In the original '54 film, in the final act, you get the sense of Godzilla as a sympathetic victim after a movie's worth of him as an apocalyptic doom-bringer. That extra-personability is part of why he's become an iconic character, because he is more of a 'character' than simply a 'monster.'

... but, upon further thought, making Godzilla visible scarred and sickened, in agony from painful mutation, might actually lend to that element of sympathy. I'll certainly see the film either way, as I'm a lifelong Godzilla fan and have seen every Godzilla film (even the ones I don't like) probably at least half a dozen times, and I do think Toho should try bold new takes with Godzilla after two decades of largely mediocre, retread films. With Legendary offering a pretty darn traditional Godzilla (characterized similar to his mid-'60s incarnation; hero by chance) in their Hollywood films we'll hopefully have the best of both worlds.

[Calighoula]

I understand that. But I see portrayed as 'evil' (certainly evil looking, here) as a fundamental misinterpretation of the character. In the original '54 film, in the final act, you get the sense of Godzilla as a sympathetic victim after a movie's worth of him as an apocalyptic doom-bringer. That extra-personability is part of why he's become an iconic character, because he is more of a 'character' than simply a 'monster.'

This is how I've always perceived kaiju and the like, since I was a very small kid into watching these movies. I've always viewed them in a sympathetic light, beings dealt unfortunate curveballs, who've no choice but to negotiate the landscape as a result of man's experimentation and resultant failures. They're not out to destroy us so much as make sense of what they were and what they've become. It doesn't matter how many humans end up getting smoked. I always side with the "monster."

...but, upon further thought, making Godzilla visible scarred and sickened, in agony from painful mutation, might actually lend to that element of sympathy.

This.

[simbob4000]

After I posted, I remembered it was a combo package of practical and digital effects. Either way, I dig that poster. Really looking forward to this movie. If we have to deal with a new Star Wars entry every single year, we deserve more kaiju films to balance out the coming deluge of lightsabers, Falcons and Darth helms.

Could be like this short Hideaki Anno and did a few years back.


But mostly I just wanted to post that.

Well damn, I guess they need to be YouTube. Even though the video link says they can be other things too. https://vimeo.com/64987176

[Angilasman]

This is how I've always perceived kaiju and the like, since I was a very small kid into watching these movies. I've always viewed them in a sympathetic light, beings dealt unfortunate curveballs, who've no choice but to negotiate the landscape as a result of man's experimentation and resultant failures. They're not out to destroy us so much as make sense of what they were and what they've become. It doesn't matter how many humans end up getting smoked. I always side with the "monster."

You know, Ray Harryhausen (who hated Godzilla because he felt they ripped off his 'Beast From 20,000 Fathoms') vehemently denied any of his creatures were 'monsters' and preferred the term: 'creature.' According to him, they were all simply out of their element and acting on their own instincts, not evil... not even Medusa, according to him!

I feel the same way about the kaiju: whether Godzilla plays the part of the hero or the villain in the story I never think of him as good or evil. He's just a Godzilla.

[Calighoula]

You know, Ray Harryhausen (who hated Godzilla because he felt they ripped off his 'Beast From 20,000 Fathoms') vehemently denied any of his creatures were 'monsters' and preferred the term: 'creature.' According to him, they were all simply out of their element and acting on their own instincts, not evil... not even Medusa, according to him!

He's right, though I consider "creature" and "monster" two sides of the same coin. Both are fantastically ambiguous terms that have been applied liberally to beings inhuman and human alike.

[MCBT]

Well, they you might not be a fan of this movie, because they've said Shin Godzilla is a straight horror movie.

Works for me. I mean, the original 1954 was a Horror film anyway.

[VivaChiba]

The original '50s flick is the best one, whereas Kitamura's is the worst. Damn, did that man deserve a better script... (and actors!)

As of the American versions: the first film was good entertainment, even if not really a Godzilla film (though what does that mean, when the options are man-in-suit-wrestling-with-other-men-in-suits-to-save-the-world-from-monsters or a pseudo-horror warning of the terrors of chemical warfare?). The other Hollywood Godzilla also wasn't a Godzilla film either, though it can also be argued that it wasn't much of a film at all.

Still, "Japan versus Godzilla" does make it sound like the original, so I'll keep an keen eye open on how this develops.

[FlawedCoil82]

I just don't like the idea of Godzilla being a villain, especially if the humans have to kill him. I will ALWAYS root for him over the humans, which is why the original movie and GMK dont work for me. Toho tries very hard to make me care about the often goofy humans and want to root for them, but I just cant. Godzilla is too awesome looking to wanna see him destroyed.

As far as his head shot, I really dont care for it. I think the various Heisei Godzilla looks will forever remain Godzilla's "ultimate" look in my eyes. I loved his whole side profile in those films. He did seem a bit too "bulky" from the front, but so did the 2014 Godzilla, who was basically a mountain with a head. Overall, I will have to wait until more info/views become available. But I just know that I dont want an ugly looking Godzilla nor one that has to be killed.

[t hedge coke]

The original '50s flick is the best one, whereas Kitamura's is the worst. Damn, did that man deserve a better script... (and actors!)

Madness! Pure madness!

The one with Hedorah was better than Final Wars?

Well, tastes are tastes. I like Final Wars a lot, though, especially as a goodbye.

I don't think the original is necessarily the best, either. It's good, but so is the second, which is pretty much a straight up strife of war movie to counterbalance the original's horror

[The Negative Zone]

Final Wars is like watching a Godzilla video game play through with bits of story. I liked the fight scenes though.

[simbob4000]

Given that Final Wars was Ryuhei Kitamura, and given what it was, I was kind of hoping for something a bit crazier.

[Ken Ashcroft]

Has Godzilla ever met Ultraman who I gather is also pretty popular in the Far East?