GODZILLA (SERIES)
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(Redirected from Godzilla (film series))
'Godzilla' is a series of giant monster films starring Godzilla, a Japanese creation usually portrayed by a man in a rubber suit. Starting in 1954, the Godzilla series has become the longest running film series in movie history.
The first film, ''Godzilla'', was first released in the United States in 1955 in Japanese-American communities only. In 1956, it was adapted by an American company into ''Godzilla, King of the Monsters!'', edited and with added principal scenes featuring Raymond Burr, and this version became an international success. Unfaithful translation and editing led to a different story - often said to be 'unpure' by fans.
The original Godzilla was greatly inspired by the commercial success of the 1952 re-release of ''King Kong'', and the 1953 success of ''The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms''. Godzilla would go on to inspire Gorgo, Gamera, and many others.
The name "Godzilla" is said to be a combination of two Japanese words: ''gorira'' (ゴリラ) 'gorilla' and ''kujira'' (鯨, ãã˜ã‚‰) 'whale', though this is unconfirmed. The word alludes to the size, power and aquatic origin of Godzilla. "Gojira" was allegedly the nickname of a large employee of Toho, but in the 50+ years since the film's original release, no one claiming to be the employee ever stepped forward and no photographs have ever surfaced.
The Godzilla series is generally broken into three eras, reflecting the broader division of daikaiju eiga into the ShÅwa era, Heisei era, and Millennium era.
The initial series of movies is named for the ShÅwa period in Japan (as all of these films were produced before Emperor Hirohito's death in 1989). This ShÅwa timeline spanned from 1954, with ''Godzilla'', to 1975, with ''Terror of Mechagodzilla''. With the exception of the serious ''Godzilla'' and the semi-serious sequels ''Godzilla Raids Again'', ''King Kong vs. Godzilla'', and ''Mothra vs. Godzilla'', much of this series is relatively light-hearted. Starting with ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'', Godzilla began evolving into a more human and playful antihero (this transition was complete by ''Son of Godzilla'', where he is shown as a good character), and as years went by, he evolved into an anthropomorphic superhero. The films ''Son of Godzilla'' and ''All Monsters Attack'' were aimed at youthful audiences, featuring the appearance of Godzilla's son, Minilla. The ShÅwa period saw the addition of many monsters into the Godzilla continuity, two of which (Mothra and Rodan) had their own solo movies. This period featured a well documented continuity, although the chronology becomes confusing after ''Destroy All Monsters''. This film, set in the year 1999 transports all the monsters to Monster Island. The following film appears to be in the Japan when it was made, but Monster Island still features. Subsequent films ''Godzilla vs. Gigan'' and ''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' followed this idea of Godzilla being on Monster Island from 1999 onwards (though the world is un-futuristic), while ''Godzilla vs. Hedorah'', ''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla'' and ''Terror of Mechagodzilla'' set him as a free roaming wild monster again.
In all films of this original series, Godzilla was 50 meters tall (or about 164 feet), and weighed 20,000 metric tons. The American release ''Godzilla, King of the Monsters!'' (1956) incorrectly stated Godzilla's height to be 400 feet, an inaccuracy that lingers today. Although it should be noted that visual consistency between the size of Godzilla and other monsters, as well as the cities he is depicted destroying, is constantly varied.
The timeline was revamped in 1984 with ''The Return of Godzilla''; this movie was created as a direct sequel to the 1954 film, and ignores the continuity of the ShÅwa series. Known as the VS Series, (unofficially known to American fans as the "Heisei Series", for the ruling emperor of the time), the continuity ended in 1995's ''Godzilla vs. Destoroyah'' after a run of seven films. The reason for the continuity shift was based on a realization that the marketing of the movies had removed the reason it was so loved. When it was discovered that Godzilla was becoming more popular with children (and less so with the original adult audience), less complex themes were removed and Godzilla was made out to be a good guy instead of an indestructible, abhorrent mistake of men. However, the further Godzilla was taken away from his origins, the less long-term popularity his films held. Hence, ''The Return of Godzilla'' brought the series back to form with a grittier, more serious feel.
The "new" Godzilla was 80 metres tall (about 262 feet), and portrayed as much more of an animal than the latter ShÅwa films, or as a destructive force as he began. The biological nature and science behind Godzilla became a much more discussed issue in the films, showing the increased focus of the moral focus on genetics. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah gave the first concrete birth story for Godzilla, featuring a ''Godzillasaurus'' that got mutated by radiation into Godzilla. The film also increased Godzilla's size to a record 100 metres (328 feet).
In October 1992, Toho allowed Sony Pictures to make a trilogy of English-language ''Godzilla'' films, with the first film to be released in 1994. In May 1993 Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio were brought on to write a script, and in July 1994 Jan De Bont signed on to direct. DeBont quit due to budget disputes, and director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin signed on before the release of the highly successful ''Independence Day''. They rejected the previous script and Patrick Tatopoulos radically redesigned the titular monster. The film was finally scheduled for release on May 19 1998.[1]
''Godzilla'' was met with poor reviews and negative reaction from the fan base. Having grossed $375 million worldwide though, the studio moved ahead with a spin-off and a sequel. Tab Murphy wrote a treatment, but Emmerich and Devlin left the production in March 1999 due to budget disputes. The original deal was to make a sequel within five years of release of a film, but after sitting on their property, considering a reboot, Sony's rights to ''Godzilla'' expired in May 2003.
The Millennium Series is the official term for the series of Godzilla movies, unofficially called the "Shinsei Series" (or even the "Alternate Reality Series") by American fans, made after the VS Series ended with ''Godzilla vs. Destoroyah''. The common theme to this era is that all movies use ''Godzilla (1954)'' as the jumping-off point. After the American Godzilla, Toho decided to show people who the "real" Godzilla was again (previously, plans for revitalizing the series were scheduled for 2004), while at the same time reinventing him.
Since the films are different, the sizes are different in some cases. Godzilla's most prominent size in this series is 55 meters (180 feet). In '' he was 60 meters (about 196 feet), and in '' he was 100 meters tall (about 328 feet). Godzilla was originally supposed to be 50 meters (about 164 feet) in ''Final Wars'', but budgetary cutbacks in miniature sets forced this size change.
is the last Godzilla film as of 2004; Toho has decided to retire the franchise for a period of 5-10 years to renew interest in the future and will be returning with a new film in 2013.
Since 1954, there have been 28 Godzilla films produced by Toho Studios in Japan, with the US film bringing the total to 29. (Please note that the titles listed below are Toho's preferred English titles; for further discussion, see Toho Kingdom.)
Yoshimitsu Banno, director of ''Godzilla vs. Hedorah'', has acquired permission to make a 40-minute film for IMAX theaters, and has secured close to complete funding.
Also, the following movies are in the Godzilla franchise, but were not produced by Toho.
Godzilla was originally an allegory for the effects of the hydrogen bomb, and the unintended consequences that such weapons might have on Earth. The radioactive contamination of the Japanese fishing boat Daigo Fukuryū Maru through the United States' Castle Bravo thermonuclear device test on Bikini Atoll, on March 1, 1954 lead to much press coverage in Japan preceding the release of the first movie in 1954. The Versus and Millennium Series have largely continued this concept. Some have pointed out the parallels, conscious or unconscious, between Godzilla's relationship to Japan and that of the United States; first a terrible enemy who causes enormous destruction, but then becoming a good friend and defender in times of peril.
Films have been made over the last five decades, each reflecting the social and political climate in Japan. All but one of the 29 films were produced by Toho: a version was made in 1998 by TriStar Pictures and set in the United States by the directors of ''Independence Day'' (ID4) and is somewhat despised by most Godzilla fans due to the lack of similarities between its titular monster and the traditional Godzilla. Toho immediately followed it with 1999's '', which began the current series of films, known informally as the Mireniamu or ''Millennium'' series. Then, in 2004, Toho officially made the creature of the 1998 film (named "Zilla") one of their own kaiju, and gave it an official appearance in '', in which it attacks Sydney, Australia and is quickly defeated by the "true" Godzilla.
Much of Godzilla's popularity in the United States can be credited with TV broadcasts of the Toho Studios monster movies during the 1960s and 1970s. The American company UPA contracted with Toho to distribute its monster movies of the time, and UPA continues to hold the license today for the ''Godzilla'' films of the 1960s and 1970s. Sony currently holds some of those rights, as well as the rights to every Godzilla film produced from 1991 onward. The Blue Öyster Cult song "Godzilla" also contributed to the popularity of the movies. The creature also made an appearance in a Nike commercial, in which Godzilla went one-on-one with NBA star Charles Barkley. And made an appearance in the Honey Nut Cheerios commercial.
In 1995, after his then-final appearance in ''Godzilla vs. Destoroyah'', Godzilla received an award for Lifetime Achievement at the MTV Movie Awards. Creator and producer Shogo Tomiyama accepted on his behalf via satellite but was joined by "Godzilla" himself.
★ On November 29, 2004, Godzilla received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. and near Drew Barrymore 1.
At least two prehistoric creatures from the fossil record have been named after Godzilla:
★ ''Gojirasaurus quayi'' is a theropod dinosaur that lived in the Triassic Period; a partial skeleton was unearthed in Quay County, New Mexico.
★ ''Dakosaurus andiniensis'', a crocodile from the Jurassic Period, was nicknamed "Godzilla" before being scientifically classified.
As with any pop culture icon, Godzilla has been parodied, referenced to and homaged in many movies, TV shows, comic books, internet articles, and so on. Here is a partial list of such references:
★ Marv Newland's two-minute ''Bambi Meets Godzilla'' (1969) is one of the more memorable examples of independent animation.
★ Featured in the Animaniacs short, "Warners and the Beanstalk" where Yakko tells the Giant, ''"Would you like it in Japan with Godzilla and Rodan?"''(a parody of Green Eggs and Ham) The Giant ignores Yakko's offer resulting in Godzilla burning him with his Atomic breath, and Rodan blowing him away.
★ In Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Pee-wee rides through a film set filming a battle between Godzilla and King Ghidorah.
★ "Godzilla" is a song by Blue Öyster Cult and Feeder.
★ "Godzilla" is also a song by Michale Graves on his 2005 album Punk Rock Is Dead
★ "We are Godzilla, You are Japan" is a song by Lostprophets, on the album Start Something (UK edition).
★ "Biotech is Godzilla" is a song by Sepultura, on the album Chaos A.D..
★ "Keep it Godzilla" is a song by hip hop group Papoose.
★ "ThrashZilla", "ThrashZilla's Revenge" and "MechaNukeThrashZilla" are a conceptual trilogy of songs by the Swedish Thrash Metal-band Immaculate about the monster ThrashZilla waking up and spreading mayhem on earth, eternally batteling the style of Glam, then gets captured by Glam just to rise again and reconquer the world and destroy Glam once and for all.
★ In two different episodes of the television series "M
★ A
★ S
★ H", Alan Alda (as Hawkeye Pierce) refers to someone disliking him as, "I'm just short of Godzilla in his eyes." This is odd, because the Korean War entered a cease fire in 1953, a full year before the original "Gojira" was released, and three years before the name "Godzilla" was used in the US.
★ In the first ''Inspector Gadget ''movie , the evil robot clone is shadow-puppeting a dinosaur and lighting buildings on fire with a flame-thrower, and a Japanese man screams "This is why I left Tokyo!" while fleeing. This is most likely an in-joke to the previous year's American made film, and makes sense in light of actor Matthew Broderick portraying the lead character in both films (Inspector Gadget in the titular film, and Dr. Tatopoulos in "Godzilla.").
★ In '', the entire third act is rife with references to Godzilla, due to an escaped ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' being loose in San Diego. A noteworthy scene includes a group of Japanese businessmen fleeing the ''Tyrannosaurus'' while shouting "I left Tokyo to get away from this!"
★ During the couch gag in The Simpsons episode Homerazzi when the Bart ''Tyrannosaurus'' and Lisa ''Stegosaurus'' were fighting, Godzilla's roar can be heard.
★ In the last scene of ''The Simpsons'' 10th season finale "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo", Godzilla attacks a plane going from Japan to the USA that the Simpsons are on. Godzilla is distracted by Mothra, Rodan and Gamera, allowing the plane to escape.
★ In the episode of the Comedy Central animated reality show parody ''Drawn Together'' entitled "Super Nanny", Godzilla plays a minor role as Ling-Ling's conscience (with his size probably meant as a subtle joke to Ling-Ling's cultural responsibility).
★ In The Fairly Oddparents TV movie before the Mayor starts singing it shows Godzilla destroying the city.
★ In ''Austin Powers in Goldmember'', Austin crashes his car into a dinosaur like parade float while in Japan, causing it to roll around the streets uncontrollably. It is identified by a civilian as Godzilla, but another civilian corrects him, stating that it looks like Godzilla, but it is not Godzilla, due to copyright issues.
★ Mariah Carey's video for "Boy (I Need You)", which takes place in a futuristic Japanese metropolis, features a yellow, fire-breathing Godzilla-like monster, also brought to life by suitmation.
★ In ''Olive the Other Reindeer'', a show often shown on Cartoon Network during the Christmas season, Olive, Santa, and Santa's reindeer sing a song titled "Merry Christmas After All" while traveling the world delivering presents. However, when they visit Tokyo, Ultraman flies by them, waves, and then starts dancing and singing with Godzilla.
★ A great many of ''The Far Side'' cartoons feature Godzilla, including one where he is driving a car with a license plate saying "I 8 NY" (I ate New York}.
★ In one Calvin and Hobbes strip Calvin, after having seen ''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' on television, rises from the bath tub and pretends to be Godzilla (which includes spitting water on his mom, pretending that she is Megalon). In another, he tramples a city of sandcastles, pretending to be Godzilla.
★ There is a ''Warcraft'' creature called Gahz'rilla who is a hydra. However, his name gives away that he is a parody of Godzilla.
★ One ''The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy'' episode is titled ''"Giant Billy and Mandy: All Out Attack."''
★ ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show'' episode "Mario Meets Koopzilla" revolved around Bowser stomping around a Tokyo-like city after eating a kind of sushi that enlarges the consumer in size and strength. A later episode from ''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'', titled "Dadzilla", had Wendy and Morton going to Hollywood to find their so-called "real dad", whom they believe to be a giant robotic reptile named Madzilla.
★ Godzilla has cameoed or inspired likenesses in several other (usually animated) shows:
★
★ ''Reign Storm''
★
★ ''Garfield and Friends''
★
★ ''Animaniacs''
★
★ ''Pinky and the Brain''
★
★ ''Jimmy Neutron''
★
★ ''The Fairly OddParents''
★ There is a drink in Malaysia called "Milo Godzilla", consisting of a cup of Milo with ice cream and/or whipped cream on top of it.
★ Invader Zim episode hamstergeddon had the class hamster turned into a giant with Godzilla's spikes and had him destroying the city. [1]
★ In an episode of the anime series Viewtiful Joe, Joe is at one point seen playing with a Godzilla toy. The antagonists rush in, and Joe tells them to go away because he is playing with his Godzilla. At that point, one of the antagonists states, "How about I play Godzilla, and you play Tokyo!"
★ Several Mecha from Tomy's Zoids model line and anime closely resemble Godzilla. Examples of such are Gojulas, Gojulas Giga and Death Saurer. In the Marvel UK Zoids comics and original European model release, Gojulas is called Zoidzilla.
★ The Pokémon character "Tyranitar" is said to be designed from Godzilla. However, several fans have said how the Pokemon "Feraligatr" looks more like him.
★ Godzilla is one of the major fighters in the popular internet cartoon ''Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny.
★ Blackzilla! - a send up of Godzilla movies in which a giant Dave Chappelle battles (a crudely hand-made costume) Godzilla in the middle of Tokyo and scares Japanese citizens because he is black. Blackzilla is also the nickname of porn actor Shane Diesel.
★ In one episode of ''South Park'', Barbra Streisand is transformed by a mystical artifact and became Mecha-Streisand, a Mechagodzilla-like creature.
★ In the comedy movie ''One Crazy Summer'', Bobcat Goldthwait dons and becomes trapped in a Godzilla costume that he took from the back of a prop truck on a movie set. Later he destroys a large model of a city at a development party for real estate investors, after a lit cigar is inadvertently tossed into the costume. The lone Japanese guest at the party is the only person who enjoys the "show" as the other guests scramble in panic.
★ There is a 12 foot pig nicknamed Hogzilla.
★ In the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 game , in a boss battle Gex becomes Gexzilla and fights MechaRez.
★ In an episode of '', Sheen suggests they use their powers to attack Tokyo.
★ In one episode of ''Hannah Montana'', Jackson becomes addicted to junk food. Putting two chocolate bunnies on the Rico's counter, he announces the tabletop as Happy Bunnyland, Tokyo before shouting in a high pitched bunny voice, "Look out, it's Jackzilla!" He then rises from the other side of the countertop in a manner similar to Godzilla rising from the sea and eats the two bunnies viciously.
★ In the popular US show ''The Golden Girls'', the character Dorothy Zbornak (portrayed by the statuesque Bea Arthur) is often humorously compared to Godzilla due to her height. Other references include Sophia mocking Blanche for having a voracious appetite like Rodan's, and imitating Mothra's screech when Dorothy suspects hearing loss. Finally, in one episode Rose describes role-playing Godzilla and King Kong with her boyfriend as a form of foreplay.
★ In '', Tom and Jerry go driving through a number of movie sets, one of which contains an actor playing Godzilla complete with trademark roar. The actor destroys a few sets before accidentally stepping on Jerry's car going for a brief ride as his costumed head ends up on Tom who immediately takes it off.
★ In the animated show ''Mucha Lucha'', Ricochet bulks himself up to enter into a higher weight class and ends up becoming Godzilla-esque in height. During his fight he occasionally emits Godzilla's classic roar.
★ In an episode of the animated show ''Teen Titans'', the Titans find themselves in an alternate cartoony universe. As they attempt to return to their Tower, a cartoonish Godzilla look-alike shows up breathing fire and chases them in a long musical sequence before the Titans finally escape. Also, Johnny Rancid, one of the Teen Titans' enemies, got a robot named Rexzilla, which was quickly eaten by a larger Mothra-like creature named Silky.
★ In the sixth episode of ''Love Hina'', a Godzilla can be seen on the news attacking a small town.
★ In the ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'' film ''Good Wilt Hunting'', Bloo thought Godzilla was Wilt's creator after the group traced the location of Wilt's creator to Japan.
★ In '' Para-Medic's mention of Godzilla celebrating its 50 years in 2004 is a prediction into the future, and is a reference to ''Godzilla Final Wars''.
★ Soft drink Dr Pepper released a television commercial featuring Godzilla and an eccentric, female bear-like monster. In the commercial, Godzilla tries to impress the bear, and eventually grabs a Dr Pepper from a billboard and gives it to her.
★ In the novel Bridge to Terabithia, when confronted with the option of fighting Janice Avery, Jesse silently concludes that he'd rather fight Mrs. Godzilla herself.
★ In one episode of Full House, Jesse buys a large inflatable dinosaur that Becky refers to as Godzilla. As he walks out of the room in the scene, he says, "Let's go take a bite out of Tokyo," to it as he leaves the room. In a later episode, after Jesse tells the family never to disturb him while the red light is on (indicating that he's recording downstairs), Joey asks if Godzilla attacking would be an exception to the rule. He then proceeds to do both an imitation of Godzilla and frightened people on the street saying that they need to inform Jesse but can't because the red light is on, all the while making his words not match his lip movements in a reference to the Godzilla movies having below-standard dubbing.
★ In an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will tells Geoffrey that Lady Penelope ran off and "hooked up with a human Godzilla." They later confront the large man at a bar to question him about Lady Penelope's whereabouts. At one point, Will tells Geoffrey, "Don't push him G, you saw what he did to Tokyo."
Godzilla also had his own series of books published by Random House during the late 1990s. The company created different series for different age groups, the Scott Ciencin series being aimed at children.
Putting the Godzilla films' suits and effects crew to further use were several Japanese television shows; ''Ultraman'' and some shows inspired by it used the suits occasionally for cameos but ''Godzilla Island'' primarily followed the further adventures of the kaiju featured in the films.
★ ''Ultraman''
★ ''Ultra Q''
★ ''Zone Fighter''
★ ''Godzilla Island''
★ ''Monster Planet Of Godzilla''
The success of the Godzilla franchise has also spawned two U.S. Saturday morning cartoons, both featuring an investigative scientific team who call upon Godzilla as an ally. The series make several homages to the ShÅwa films and several antagonist monsters have been inspired by extant Toho creations.
★ ''The Godzilla Power Hour''
★ ''
: ''Main article: 'Godzilla comics'''
Several manga have been derived from specific Godzilla films, and both Marvel and Dark Horse have published ''Godzilla'' comic book series (1977–1979 and 1987–1999, respectively).
: ''Main article: 'Godzilla video games'''
Godzilla and his fellow monsters have appeared in several video games, including:
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''Super Godzilla''
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
★ In the Sega Genesis Game, ''Shinobi 3'', the player encounters a creature very similar to Mecha Godzilla.
★ In the first game of the ''SimCity'' series, the creature sent to lay waste to the player's city during the "Monster Attack" disaster seems to bear a strong resemblance to Godzilla. The 1961 Tokyo Monster Attack scenario also seems to have been inspired by the first film.
1. GODZILLA 2 RUMORS UNFOUNDED
★ Allsop, S "Gojira?Godzilla' in 24 Frames: The Cinema of Japan and Korea, , Justin, Bowyer, Wallflower Press, 2002,
★ "''Godzilla taking a break -- for now''". Japanese film producer putting star on hiatus. CNN. 4 March 2004.
★ "'Monster Theory' Godzilla: Cross-Cultural Analysis of Godzilla''". AN332/CS310 2 November 2000.
★ Kroke, Arthur, and Marilouise Kroke, "''Ctheory: Tokyo Must Be Destroyed''". Theory, technology and culture, Ctheory. VOL 18, NO 1-2 Article 27b 95/06/22 Editors:
; Official sites
★ Godzilla Official Website (Japan)
★ Godzilla Official Website (US)
★ Classic Media's Godzilla site
; Unofficial sites
★ Toho Kingdom
★ A number of highly detailed reviews
★ Kaijuphile: Monster Site. Monster Obsession.
★ [2]
★ Kaijuhq
★ Monster Zero News
★ Sci-Fi Japan
★ Godzilla Stomp
★ Rodan's Roost
★ Tokyo Monsters The premiere kaiju multimedia site
★ Giant Monster Movies
★ Henshin! Online, Japanese fantasy website
★
★ GreenCine primer on ''Godzilla''
★ Godzilla and other Monster Music
★ Club Tokyo, kaiju collectibles reference
★ Godzilla U.K., The British Godzilla Webzine
★ G-FAN, an international fanzine
★ Twisted Kaiju Theatre, a webcomic
★ Kaijutopia, a new and ever-growing fanbase
'Godzilla' is a series of giant monster films starring Godzilla, a Japanese creation usually portrayed by a man in a rubber suit. Starting in 1954, the Godzilla series has become the longest running film series in movie history.
The first film, ''Godzilla'', was first released in the United States in 1955 in Japanese-American communities only. In 1956, it was adapted by an American company into ''Godzilla, King of the Monsters!'', edited and with added principal scenes featuring Raymond Burr, and this version became an international success. Unfaithful translation and editing led to a different story - often said to be 'unpure' by fans.
The original Godzilla was greatly inspired by the commercial success of the 1952 re-release of ''King Kong'', and the 1953 success of ''The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms''. Godzilla would go on to inspire Gorgo, Gamera, and many others.
The name "Godzilla" is said to be a combination of two Japanese words: ''gorira'' (ゴリラ) 'gorilla' and ''kujira'' (鯨, ãã˜ã‚‰) 'whale', though this is unconfirmed. The word alludes to the size, power and aquatic origin of Godzilla. "Gojira" was allegedly the nickname of a large employee of Toho, but in the 50+ years since the film's original release, no one claiming to be the employee ever stepped forward and no photographs have ever surfaced.
Films
The Godzilla series is generally broken into three eras, reflecting the broader division of daikaiju eiga into the ShÅwa era, Heisei era, and Millennium era.
ShÅwa series (1954–1975)
The initial series of movies is named for the ShÅwa period in Japan (as all of these films were produced before Emperor Hirohito's death in 1989). This ShÅwa timeline spanned from 1954, with ''Godzilla'', to 1975, with ''Terror of Mechagodzilla''. With the exception of the serious ''Godzilla'' and the semi-serious sequels ''Godzilla Raids Again'', ''King Kong vs. Godzilla'', and ''Mothra vs. Godzilla'', much of this series is relatively light-hearted. Starting with ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'', Godzilla began evolving into a more human and playful antihero (this transition was complete by ''Son of Godzilla'', where he is shown as a good character), and as years went by, he evolved into an anthropomorphic superhero. The films ''Son of Godzilla'' and ''All Monsters Attack'' were aimed at youthful audiences, featuring the appearance of Godzilla's son, Minilla. The ShÅwa period saw the addition of many monsters into the Godzilla continuity, two of which (Mothra and Rodan) had their own solo movies. This period featured a well documented continuity, although the chronology becomes confusing after ''Destroy All Monsters''. This film, set in the year 1999 transports all the monsters to Monster Island. The following film appears to be in the Japan when it was made, but Monster Island still features. Subsequent films ''Godzilla vs. Gigan'' and ''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' followed this idea of Godzilla being on Monster Island from 1999 onwards (though the world is un-futuristic), while ''Godzilla vs. Hedorah'', ''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla'' and ''Terror of Mechagodzilla'' set him as a free roaming wild monster again.
In all films of this original series, Godzilla was 50 meters tall (or about 164 feet), and weighed 20,000 metric tons. The American release ''Godzilla, King of the Monsters!'' (1956) incorrectly stated Godzilla's height to be 400 feet, an inaccuracy that lingers today. Although it should be noted that visual consistency between the size of Godzilla and other monsters, as well as the cities he is depicted destroying, is constantly varied.
Heisei series (1984–1995)
The timeline was revamped in 1984 with ''The Return of Godzilla''; this movie was created as a direct sequel to the 1954 film, and ignores the continuity of the ShÅwa series. Known as the VS Series, (unofficially known to American fans as the "Heisei Series", for the ruling emperor of the time), the continuity ended in 1995's ''Godzilla vs. Destoroyah'' after a run of seven films. The reason for the continuity shift was based on a realization that the marketing of the movies had removed the reason it was so loved. When it was discovered that Godzilla was becoming more popular with children (and less so with the original adult audience), less complex themes were removed and Godzilla was made out to be a good guy instead of an indestructible, abhorrent mistake of men. However, the further Godzilla was taken away from his origins, the less long-term popularity his films held. Hence, ''The Return of Godzilla'' brought the series back to form with a grittier, more serious feel.
The "new" Godzilla was 80 metres tall (about 262 feet), and portrayed as much more of an animal than the latter ShÅwa films, or as a destructive force as he began. The biological nature and science behind Godzilla became a much more discussed issue in the films, showing the increased focus of the moral focus on genetics. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah gave the first concrete birth story for Godzilla, featuring a ''Godzillasaurus'' that got mutated by radiation into Godzilla. The film also increased Godzilla's size to a record 100 metres (328 feet).
American film series (1998)
In October 1992, Toho allowed Sony Pictures to make a trilogy of English-language ''Godzilla'' films, with the first film to be released in 1994. In May 1993 Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio were brought on to write a script, and in July 1994 Jan De Bont signed on to direct. DeBont quit due to budget disputes, and director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin signed on before the release of the highly successful ''Independence Day''. They rejected the previous script and Patrick Tatopoulos radically redesigned the titular monster. The film was finally scheduled for release on May 19 1998.[1]
''Godzilla'' was met with poor reviews and negative reaction from the fan base. Having grossed $375 million worldwide though, the studio moved ahead with a spin-off and a sequel. Tab Murphy wrote a treatment, but Emmerich and Devlin left the production in March 1999 due to budget disputes. The original deal was to make a sequel within five years of release of a film, but after sitting on their property, considering a reboot, Sony's rights to ''Godzilla'' expired in May 2003.
Millennium series (1999–2004)
The Millennium Series is the official term for the series of Godzilla movies, unofficially called the "Shinsei Series" (or even the "Alternate Reality Series") by American fans, made after the VS Series ended with ''Godzilla vs. Destoroyah''. The common theme to this era is that all movies use ''Godzilla (1954)'' as the jumping-off point. After the American Godzilla, Toho decided to show people who the "real" Godzilla was again (previously, plans for revitalizing the series were scheduled for 2004), while at the same time reinventing him.
Since the films are different, the sizes are different in some cases. Godzilla's most prominent size in this series is 55 meters (180 feet). In '' he was 60 meters (about 196 feet), and in '' he was 100 meters tall (about 328 feet). Godzilla was originally supposed to be 50 meters (about 164 feet) in ''Final Wars'', but budgetary cutbacks in miniature sets forced this size change.
is the last Godzilla film as of 2004; Toho has decided to retire the franchise for a period of 5-10 years to renew interest in the future and will be returning with a new film in 2013.
Filmography
Since 1954, there have been 28 Godzilla films produced by Toho Studios in Japan, with the US film bringing the total to 29. (Please note that the titles listed below are Toho's preferred English titles; for further discussion, see Toho Kingdom.)
Yoshimitsu Banno, director of ''Godzilla vs. Hedorah'', has acquired permission to make a 40-minute film for IMAX theaters, and has secured close to complete funding.
| No. | Title | Year | Director | SFX Director | Monster Co-Star(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ''Godzilla 3D to the MAX'' | 2008 | Yoshimitsu Banno | Eiichi Asada | Deathla |
Also, the following movies are in the Godzilla franchise, but were not produced by Toho.
| Title | Year | Monster Co-Star(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. ''Godzilla'' | 1998 | Zilla (Did not feature Godzilla) | Dean Devlin | Roland Emmerich |
Culture
Godzilla was originally an allegory for the effects of the hydrogen bomb, and the unintended consequences that such weapons might have on Earth. The radioactive contamination of the Japanese fishing boat Daigo Fukuryū Maru through the United States' Castle Bravo thermonuclear device test on Bikini Atoll, on March 1, 1954 lead to much press coverage in Japan preceding the release of the first movie in 1954. The Versus and Millennium Series have largely continued this concept. Some have pointed out the parallels, conscious or unconscious, between Godzilla's relationship to Japan and that of the United States; first a terrible enemy who causes enormous destruction, but then becoming a good friend and defender in times of peril.
Films have been made over the last five decades, each reflecting the social and political climate in Japan. All but one of the 29 films were produced by Toho: a version was made in 1998 by TriStar Pictures and set in the United States by the directors of ''Independence Day'' (ID4) and is somewhat despised by most Godzilla fans due to the lack of similarities between its titular monster and the traditional Godzilla. Toho immediately followed it with 1999's '', which began the current series of films, known informally as the Mireniamu or ''Millennium'' series. Then, in 2004, Toho officially made the creature of the 1998 film (named "Zilla") one of their own kaiju, and gave it an official appearance in '', in which it attacks Sydney, Australia and is quickly defeated by the "true" Godzilla.
Much of Godzilla's popularity in the United States can be credited with TV broadcasts of the Toho Studios monster movies during the 1960s and 1970s. The American company UPA contracted with Toho to distribute its monster movies of the time, and UPA continues to hold the license today for the ''Godzilla'' films of the 1960s and 1970s. Sony currently holds some of those rights, as well as the rights to every Godzilla film produced from 1991 onward. The Blue Öyster Cult song "Godzilla" also contributed to the popularity of the movies. The creature also made an appearance in a Nike commercial, in which Godzilla went one-on-one with NBA star Charles Barkley. And made an appearance in the Honey Nut Cheerios commercial.
In 1995, after his then-final appearance in ''Godzilla vs. Destoroyah'', Godzilla received an award for Lifetime Achievement at the MTV Movie Awards. Creator and producer Shogo Tomiyama accepted on his behalf via satellite but was joined by "Godzilla" himself.
Awards
★ On November 29, 2004, Godzilla received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. and near Drew Barrymore 1.
Paleontology
At least two prehistoric creatures from the fossil record have been named after Godzilla:
★ ''Gojirasaurus quayi'' is a theropod dinosaur that lived in the Triassic Period; a partial skeleton was unearthed in Quay County, New Mexico.
★ ''Dakosaurus andiniensis'', a crocodile from the Jurassic Period, was nicknamed "Godzilla" before being scientifically classified.
Homages
As with any pop culture icon, Godzilla has been parodied, referenced to and homaged in many movies, TV shows, comic books, internet articles, and so on. Here is a partial list of such references:
★ Marv Newland's two-minute ''Bambi Meets Godzilla'' (1969) is one of the more memorable examples of independent animation.
★ Featured in the Animaniacs short, "Warners and the Beanstalk" where Yakko tells the Giant, ''"Would you like it in Japan with Godzilla and Rodan?"''(a parody of Green Eggs and Ham) The Giant ignores Yakko's offer resulting in Godzilla burning him with his Atomic breath, and Rodan blowing him away.
★ In Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Pee-wee rides through a film set filming a battle between Godzilla and King Ghidorah.
★ "Godzilla" is a song by Blue Öyster Cult and Feeder.
★ "Godzilla" is also a song by Michale Graves on his 2005 album Punk Rock Is Dead
★ "We are Godzilla, You are Japan" is a song by Lostprophets, on the album Start Something (UK edition).
★ "Biotech is Godzilla" is a song by Sepultura, on the album Chaos A.D..
★ "Keep it Godzilla" is a song by hip hop group Papoose.
★ "ThrashZilla", "ThrashZilla's Revenge" and "MechaNukeThrashZilla" are a conceptual trilogy of songs by the Swedish Thrash Metal-band Immaculate about the monster ThrashZilla waking up and spreading mayhem on earth, eternally batteling the style of Glam, then gets captured by Glam just to rise again and reconquer the world and destroy Glam once and for all.
★ In two different episodes of the television series "M
★ A
★ S
★ H", Alan Alda (as Hawkeye Pierce) refers to someone disliking him as, "I'm just short of Godzilla in his eyes." This is odd, because the Korean War entered a cease fire in 1953, a full year before the original "Gojira" was released, and three years before the name "Godzilla" was used in the US.
★ In the first ''Inspector Gadget ''movie , the evil robot clone is shadow-puppeting a dinosaur and lighting buildings on fire with a flame-thrower, and a Japanese man screams "This is why I left Tokyo!" while fleeing. This is most likely an in-joke to the previous year's American made film, and makes sense in light of actor Matthew Broderick portraying the lead character in both films (Inspector Gadget in the titular film, and Dr. Tatopoulos in "Godzilla.").
★ In '', the entire third act is rife with references to Godzilla, due to an escaped ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' being loose in San Diego. A noteworthy scene includes a group of Japanese businessmen fleeing the ''Tyrannosaurus'' while shouting "I left Tokyo to get away from this!"
★ During the couch gag in The Simpsons episode Homerazzi when the Bart ''Tyrannosaurus'' and Lisa ''Stegosaurus'' were fighting, Godzilla's roar can be heard.
★ In the last scene of ''The Simpsons'' 10th season finale "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo", Godzilla attacks a plane going from Japan to the USA that the Simpsons are on. Godzilla is distracted by Mothra, Rodan and Gamera, allowing the plane to escape.
★ In the episode of the Comedy Central animated reality show parody ''Drawn Together'' entitled "Super Nanny", Godzilla plays a minor role as Ling-Ling's conscience (with his size probably meant as a subtle joke to Ling-Ling's cultural responsibility).
★ In The Fairly Oddparents TV movie before the Mayor starts singing it shows Godzilla destroying the city.
★ In ''Austin Powers in Goldmember'', Austin crashes his car into a dinosaur like parade float while in Japan, causing it to roll around the streets uncontrollably. It is identified by a civilian as Godzilla, but another civilian corrects him, stating that it looks like Godzilla, but it is not Godzilla, due to copyright issues.
★ Mariah Carey's video for "Boy (I Need You)", which takes place in a futuristic Japanese metropolis, features a yellow, fire-breathing Godzilla-like monster, also brought to life by suitmation.
★ In ''Olive the Other Reindeer'', a show often shown on Cartoon Network during the Christmas season, Olive, Santa, and Santa's reindeer sing a song titled "Merry Christmas After All" while traveling the world delivering presents. However, when they visit Tokyo, Ultraman flies by them, waves, and then starts dancing and singing with Godzilla.
★ A great many of ''The Far Side'' cartoons feature Godzilla, including one where he is driving a car with a license plate saying "I 8 NY" (I ate New York}.
★ In one Calvin and Hobbes strip Calvin, after having seen ''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' on television, rises from the bath tub and pretends to be Godzilla (which includes spitting water on his mom, pretending that she is Megalon). In another, he tramples a city of sandcastles, pretending to be Godzilla.
★ There is a ''Warcraft'' creature called Gahz'rilla who is a hydra. However, his name gives away that he is a parody of Godzilla.
★ One ''The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy'' episode is titled ''"Giant Billy and Mandy: All Out Attack."''
★ ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show'' episode "Mario Meets Koopzilla" revolved around Bowser stomping around a Tokyo-like city after eating a kind of sushi that enlarges the consumer in size and strength. A later episode from ''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'', titled "Dadzilla", had Wendy and Morton going to Hollywood to find their so-called "real dad", whom they believe to be a giant robotic reptile named Madzilla.
★ Godzilla has cameoed or inspired likenesses in several other (usually animated) shows:
★
★ ''Reign Storm''
★
★ ''Garfield and Friends''
★
★ ''Animaniacs''
★
★ ''Pinky and the Brain''
★
★ ''Jimmy Neutron''
★
★ ''The Fairly OddParents''
★ There is a drink in Malaysia called "Milo Godzilla", consisting of a cup of Milo with ice cream and/or whipped cream on top of it.
★ Invader Zim episode hamstergeddon had the class hamster turned into a giant with Godzilla's spikes and had him destroying the city. [1]
★ In an episode of the anime series Viewtiful Joe, Joe is at one point seen playing with a Godzilla toy. The antagonists rush in, and Joe tells them to go away because he is playing with his Godzilla. At that point, one of the antagonists states, "How about I play Godzilla, and you play Tokyo!"
★ Several Mecha from Tomy's Zoids model line and anime closely resemble Godzilla. Examples of such are Gojulas, Gojulas Giga and Death Saurer. In the Marvel UK Zoids comics and original European model release, Gojulas is called Zoidzilla.
★ The Pokémon character "Tyranitar" is said to be designed from Godzilla. However, several fans have said how the Pokemon "Feraligatr" looks more like him.
★ Godzilla is one of the major fighters in the popular internet cartoon ''Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny.
★ Blackzilla! - a send up of Godzilla movies in which a giant Dave Chappelle battles (a crudely hand-made costume) Godzilla in the middle of Tokyo and scares Japanese citizens because he is black. Blackzilla is also the nickname of porn actor Shane Diesel.
★ In one episode of ''South Park'', Barbra Streisand is transformed by a mystical artifact and became Mecha-Streisand, a Mechagodzilla-like creature.
★ In the comedy movie ''One Crazy Summer'', Bobcat Goldthwait dons and becomes trapped in a Godzilla costume that he took from the back of a prop truck on a movie set. Later he destroys a large model of a city at a development party for real estate investors, after a lit cigar is inadvertently tossed into the costume. The lone Japanese guest at the party is the only person who enjoys the "show" as the other guests scramble in panic.
★ There is a 12 foot pig nicknamed Hogzilla.
★ In the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 game , in a boss battle Gex becomes Gexzilla and fights MechaRez.
★ In an episode of '', Sheen suggests they use their powers to attack Tokyo.
★ In one episode of ''Hannah Montana'', Jackson becomes addicted to junk food. Putting two chocolate bunnies on the Rico's counter, he announces the tabletop as Happy Bunnyland, Tokyo before shouting in a high pitched bunny voice, "Look out, it's Jackzilla!" He then rises from the other side of the countertop in a manner similar to Godzilla rising from the sea and eats the two bunnies viciously.
★ In the popular US show ''The Golden Girls'', the character Dorothy Zbornak (portrayed by the statuesque Bea Arthur) is often humorously compared to Godzilla due to her height. Other references include Sophia mocking Blanche for having a voracious appetite like Rodan's, and imitating Mothra's screech when Dorothy suspects hearing loss. Finally, in one episode Rose describes role-playing Godzilla and King Kong with her boyfriend as a form of foreplay.
★ In '', Tom and Jerry go driving through a number of movie sets, one of which contains an actor playing Godzilla complete with trademark roar. The actor destroys a few sets before accidentally stepping on Jerry's car going for a brief ride as his costumed head ends up on Tom who immediately takes it off.
★ In the animated show ''Mucha Lucha'', Ricochet bulks himself up to enter into a higher weight class and ends up becoming Godzilla-esque in height. During his fight he occasionally emits Godzilla's classic roar.
★ In an episode of the animated show ''Teen Titans'', the Titans find themselves in an alternate cartoony universe. As they attempt to return to their Tower, a cartoonish Godzilla look-alike shows up breathing fire and chases them in a long musical sequence before the Titans finally escape. Also, Johnny Rancid, one of the Teen Titans' enemies, got a robot named Rexzilla, which was quickly eaten by a larger Mothra-like creature named Silky.
★ In the sixth episode of ''Love Hina'', a Godzilla can be seen on the news attacking a small town.
★ In the ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'' film ''Good Wilt Hunting'', Bloo thought Godzilla was Wilt's creator after the group traced the location of Wilt's creator to Japan.
★ In '' Para-Medic's mention of Godzilla celebrating its 50 years in 2004 is a prediction into the future, and is a reference to ''Godzilla Final Wars''.
★ Soft drink Dr Pepper released a television commercial featuring Godzilla and an eccentric, female bear-like monster. In the commercial, Godzilla tries to impress the bear, and eventually grabs a Dr Pepper from a billboard and gives it to her.
★ In the novel Bridge to Terabithia, when confronted with the option of fighting Janice Avery, Jesse silently concludes that he'd rather fight Mrs. Godzilla herself.
★ In one episode of Full House, Jesse buys a large inflatable dinosaur that Becky refers to as Godzilla. As he walks out of the room in the scene, he says, "Let's go take a bite out of Tokyo," to it as he leaves the room. In a later episode, after Jesse tells the family never to disturb him while the red light is on (indicating that he's recording downstairs), Joey asks if Godzilla attacking would be an exception to the rule. He then proceeds to do both an imitation of Godzilla and frightened people on the street saying that they need to inform Jesse but can't because the red light is on, all the while making his words not match his lip movements in a reference to the Godzilla movies having below-standard dubbing.
★ In an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will tells Geoffrey that Lady Penelope ran off and "hooked up with a human Godzilla." They later confront the large man at a bar to question him about Lady Penelope's whereabouts. At one point, Will tells Geoffrey, "Don't push him G, you saw what he did to Tokyo."
Other media
Literature
Godzilla also had his own series of books published by Random House during the late 1990s. The company created different series for different age groups, the Scott Ciencin series being aimed at children.
Television
Putting the Godzilla films' suits and effects crew to further use were several Japanese television shows; ''Ultraman'' and some shows inspired by it used the suits occasionally for cameos but ''Godzilla Island'' primarily followed the further adventures of the kaiju featured in the films.
★ ''Ultraman''
★ ''Ultra Q''
★ ''Zone Fighter''
★ ''Godzilla Island''
★ ''Monster Planet Of Godzilla''
The success of the Godzilla franchise has also spawned two U.S. Saturday morning cartoons, both featuring an investigative scientific team who call upon Godzilla as an ally. The series make several homages to the ShÅwa films and several antagonist monsters have been inspired by extant Toho creations.
★ ''The Godzilla Power Hour''
★ ''
Comics
: ''Main article: 'Godzilla comics'''
Several manga have been derived from specific Godzilla films, and both Marvel and Dark Horse have published ''Godzilla'' comic book series (1977–1979 and 1987–1999, respectively).
Video games
: ''Main article: 'Godzilla video games'''
Godzilla and his fellow monsters have appeared in several video games, including:
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''Super Godzilla''
★ ''
★ ''
★ ''
★ In the Sega Genesis Game, ''Shinobi 3'', the player encounters a creature very similar to Mecha Godzilla.
★ In the first game of the ''SimCity'' series, the creature sent to lay waste to the player's city during the "Monster Attack" disaster seems to bear a strong resemblance to Godzilla. The 1961 Tokyo Monster Attack scenario also seems to have been inspired by the first film.
References
1. GODZILLA 2 RUMORS UNFOUNDED
★ Allsop, S "Gojira?Godzilla' in 24 Frames: The Cinema of Japan and Korea, , Justin, Bowyer, Wallflower Press, 2002,
★ "''Godzilla taking a break -- for now''". Japanese film producer putting star on hiatus. CNN. 4 March 2004.
★ "'Monster Theory' Godzilla: Cross-Cultural Analysis of Godzilla''". AN332/CS310 2 November 2000.
★ Kroke, Arthur, and Marilouise Kroke, "''Ctheory: Tokyo Must Be Destroyed''". Theory, technology and culture, Ctheory. VOL 18, NO 1-2 Article 27b 95/06/22 Editors:
External links
; Official sites
★ Godzilla Official Website (Japan)
★ Godzilla Official Website (US)
★ Classic Media's Godzilla site
; Unofficial sites
★ Toho Kingdom
★ A number of highly detailed reviews
★ Kaijuphile: Monster Site. Monster Obsession.
★ [2]
★ Kaijuhq
★ Monster Zero News
★ Sci-Fi Japan
★ Godzilla Stomp
★ Rodan's Roost
★ Tokyo Monsters The premiere kaiju multimedia site
★ Giant Monster Movies
★ Henshin! Online, Japanese fantasy website
★
★ GreenCine primer on ''Godzilla''
★ Godzilla and other Monster Music
★ Club Tokyo, kaiju collectibles reference
★ Godzilla U.K., The British Godzilla Webzine
★ G-FAN, an international fanzine
★ Twisted Kaiju Theatre, a webcomic
★ Kaijutopia, a new and ever-growing fanbase
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