Godzilla is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It’s also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama made in Japan at a time when the country was still reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population’s fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning more than twenty sequels. This first thrilling, tactile spectacle continues to be a cult phenomenon; here, we present the original, 1954 Japanese version, along with Godzilla, King of the Monsters, the 1956 American reworking starring Raymond Burr. –The Criterion Collection
Ishirō Honda (本多 猪四郎 Honda Ishirō), sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as “Inoshiro Honda”, (May 7, 1911 in Yamagata Prefecture – February 28, 1993) was a Japanese film director. His early film career included working as an assistant under the famed director, Akira Kurosawa.
Alongside his film duties, he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II in China and was a prisoner there when the war ended.
He is probably best known for his tokusatsu films including several entries in the Godzilla series. He directed the original Godzilla along with King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), All Monsters Attack (1969) and many others until 1975. He also directed such tokusatsu films such as Rodan and Mothra. His last feature film was Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975).
The following years were spent directing various sci-fi TV shows. The superhero shows Return of Ultraman, Mirrorman and Zone Fighter were also his. In addition, he… read more
More than just a monster movie. The booming noise when Godzilla is near gives me chills.
Godzilla is the only Japanese that did not surrender after the bombs were dropped. As a consequence, he is treated like a monster. Watch this to see an alternate ending to the Pacific War.
1954 Japanese lanquage version (Gojira). Classic anit-nuclear monster film that started the series. Even with the terrible miniatures and awkward split screens this is a film that stands the test of time. Still exciting and still moving. Coming out just 9 years after Hiroshima and Nakasaki this was a film that for all its 'King Kong' trappings had an agenda as well. Miss those after school monster filicks.
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Toho Studios producer Tomoyuki Tanaka (“Sword for Hire” & “The Angry Street”) inspired by the tragic fate of the Daigo Fukuryū Maru, not to mention the commercial success of the 1952 re-release… read review
Most of the sequels to this movie are really campy and silly (in their own glorious way of course), however Ishiro Honda’s original film that kicked off the franchise is a truly ominous monster movie… read review
I’m a tremendous fan of the more campy later Godzilla films, but people usually forget that the first one is an excellent and serious sci-fi disaster film about the extents of using the a-bomb. read review
