As a lifelong Godzilla fan, I have been waiting for this day all my life... OK, since Godzilla 2000. But really, beyond JUST seeing a Godzilla film in American theatres... I wanna see an EPIC serious Godzilla film in an American theatre that is well received and highly rated. And not scoffed at or "only for the fans." In that sense, yes, I have been waiting all my life. And it looks like... on May 16, 2014, that may finally become a reality.
5.16.14 will be an epic day, with this, TMNT (even if it sucks it's still TMNT right?) and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy movie. It might mark the first time in my life that I watch 3 movies in the theatre in 1 day.
Filming for Godzilla is scheduled for March 14, 2013 and is expected to run through June 22. Rewriting the final script is Frank Darabont
Olsen has confirmed. Johnson and Cranston would be excellent additions.
It's shaping up to be a "dark, serious" Godzilla film, and looks like this could possibly be a legitimately good film. Fingers are crossed...
02-13-2013, 11:20 PM
Dr Shroom
Sounds like 1998 all over again. I saw Godzilla 98 in theaters, goddamn that shit sucked. Quite funny to see his ass getting kicked in Final Wars though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve
It's shaping up to be a "dark, serious" Godzilla film
...with a giant lizard, how serious can you really get?
02-14-2013, 12:19 AM
SouthtownKid
I've been rewatching a lot of Godzilla lately. Maybe the recent news of the upcoming movie has been seeping into my subconscious and putting me in the mood. I've been jumping around all over from Millennium to Heisei to Showa... and while I like pretty much all of the movies to some extent, watching them in random order really reinforces the idea that the Heisei era is by far my least favorite. A couple of those are just downright TEDIOUS to get through at points. Even Showa at its silliest at least keeps things moving. And the Millennium movies are like what the Heisei movies attempted to do but done right. Just my opinion.
Anyway, the ones I've been watching the past few days:
Godzilla 2000 -- love it.
Destroy All Monsters -- like it a lot except I have the shitty dvd with no chapter stops.
Tokyo S.O.S. -- love it.
Space Godzilla -- in the middle of this now. Great in parts, a chore in others.
Next is probably the original, followed by GMK, both of which I love. Then maybe Destroyah, a movie which could stand to lose the entire middle section. Just dump that lame Aliens rip-off subplot completely.
02-14-2013, 12:47 AM
Moon Jump
I gotta get up off my ass and check out the films I haven't seen yet. I watched most of the older ones when I was a kid and sometimes they'll air one of the 80's-90's ones on Encore complete with the English dubbing. Last one I saw was Final Wars and my god was it a lot of fun. It really was like Godzilla walking around like a killer in a slasher flick. The "fight" with Zilla in Sydney was hilarious. I remember rewinding it so I could see it again. Best part of Godzilla 98' was the advertising. They bought out a ton of add space in New York City that summer. I remember going to Six Flags in Jersey and they had bought three billboards and the last one said "His tail is this long" and the city buses would say "His foot is larger then this bus"
I hope this movie comes out alright. I know it's going to be another CG Godzilla so I don't know how that's going to look. The costumes in Final Wars were awesome. It'd be amazing if they could do a suit with CGI to enhance the look, but it'll be straight up CG. As long as they have another monster to fight him off with and not the military like in 98' then it'll be worth checking out.
02-14-2013, 12:48 AM
Trey Burnout
As a Godzilla die hard I need to hear some more from the current crew cause what I have heard I like less then the bull shit starring Faris Buler
02-14-2013, 01:04 AM
jesesfbi
I hope this godzilla doesn't look like the CG POS the US godzilla ended up to be -.- the book was way better then the movie because it didn't have any images lol
02-14-2013, 01:22 AM
SNKorSWM
The figure they used in that Godzilla movie didn't look anything like Godzilla.
This isn't going to be what the new Godzilla looks like, is it? Please tell me no.
02-14-2013, 02:28 AM
Steve
^ Not sure. It was a shot captured by a fan at Comic Con when the teaser aired (and has only aired there.. my guess is there will be a teaser before Pacific Rim movie starts, also by Legendary and dealing with "monsters"). The final Godzilla look could easily be modified... kind of like how some trailers nowadays show things you don't actually see in the real movie.
02-14-2013, 02:56 AM
SouthtownKid
I only ask because I don't know if it's an illusion caused by the rock or whatever in the foreground, but the monster almost looks square-headed like the previous bullshit american Godzilla. Or "Zilla" if that's what he's called now.
02-14-2013, 04:33 AM
AppleiDog
It's cast looks good, Aaron Taylor-Johnson played an excellent John Lennon in nowhere boy, I mean can it really be as bad as 1998
02-14-2013, 06:24 AM
Average Joe
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleiDog
It's cast looks good
totally irrelevant to a Godzilla film though
02-14-2013, 08:45 AM
90s
This is great news. Personally, I liked 98, even if it was quite a departure from the Japanese movies, but I seem to be in the minority.
Any speculation as to who the enemy monster(s) will be?
02-14-2013, 09:00 AM
NeoGeoNinja
I think the grey area lies with the portfolio and experience of the director, Gareth Edwards.
Maybe he'll put out a great Godzilla movie. Maybe he won't. All of his previous works seem to mainly centralise around special effects, so maybe he just thought... he 'could' re: Godzilla.
I wouldn't call that a solid casting though...
02-14-2013, 09:07 AM
Dr Shroom
Toho should know better than giving his monster to the americans...again.
02-14-2013, 10:50 AM
Average Joe
we did get that from the first American Godzilla movie, so i'd say it paid off in a way
02-14-2013, 08:53 PM
SouthtownKid
In the spirit of this thread, I just amazoned the Godzilla Collection dvd box, which fills in most of the Showa movies I didn't yet own. $25 for 7 movies across 8 dvds is a pretty great deal, and couple of them, I haven't seen in decades. It will be my fourth copy of the first movie, but still more than worth it to get the others.
'Raids Again', I think I've only seen once in my life, back around 1986 at some anime fanclub thing they used to hold in downtown L.A.. It didn't even have subtitles. They just handed out a printed synopsis before the movie, and then it was catch-as-catch-can as you watched the thing.
02-15-2013, 03:15 PM
Trey Burnout
Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthtownKid
I only ask because I don't know if it's an illusion caused by the rock or whatever in the foreground, but the monster almost looks square-headed like the previous bullshit american Godzilla. Or "Zilla" if that's what he's called now.
I liked it better when it was just called Creature X I also liked in Final Wars the chapter Godzilla fights it is called "Pretender To The Throne"
No one liked that damn thing
02-16-2013, 03:09 AM
Steve
Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthtownKid
In the spirit of this thread, I just amazoned the Godzilla Collection dvd box, which fills in most of the Showa movies I didn't yet own. $25 for 7 movies across 8 dvds is a pretty great deal, and couple of them, I haven't seen in decades. It will be my fourth copy of the first movie, but still more than worth it to get the others.
'Raids Again', I think I've only seen once in my life, back around 1986 at some anime fanclub thing they used to hold in downtown L.A.. It didn't even have subtitles. They just handed out a printed synopsis before the movie, and then it was catch-as-catch-can as you watched the thing.
Cool. I bought Godzilla vs. Biollante DVD which was officially released for the first time ever on US DVD last December. I'm looking forward to viewing it subtitle style. I've only seen the Miramax dubbed VHS version... probably like 10 years ago, lol
02-16-2013, 02:38 PM
SouthtownKid
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve
Cool. I bought Godzilla vs. Biollante DVD which was officially released for the first time ever on US DVD last December. I'm looking forward to viewing it subtitle style. I've only seen the Miramax dubbed VHS version... probably like 10 years ago, lol
I saw Biolante is the only one they've released to blu-ray so far, too. I couldn't figure out what made that one so special as opposed to, say, the Ghidorah movie that follows it. But if this is the first time it's been released on disc at all, that kind of explains it. Maybe the others are coming on blu-ray.
Have any of the other Heisei movies been released dual-language? It's been so long since I've rewatched these that I was really surprised watching my Space Godzilla/Destroyer double feature dvd trying to change the language and suddenly remembering they were dub-only. What's worse is that I don't think they kept the same dub actors for the continuing parts, like that psychic chick.
The one I'm really interested to watch now is the Japanese version of Godzilla 1985. I've only seen the Americanized chopped-up version.
02-16-2013, 03:10 PM
SouthtownKid
Also, I forgot to ask, but is there a domestic release of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (Heisei) that is in widescreen, either now or on the horizon? I'd really like to upgrade for this movie.
02-17-2013, 12:18 AM
Moon Jump
STK, let us know how that box set is when you get it. I'd like to beef up my Godzilla collection since I only have Final Wars. I watched it again last night. Fun friggen flick. Also, on the back of the case Toho named the American Godzilla, "Zilla". Is it true that the Japanese were in an uproar because the American Godzilla ate people? When my friend Gerard taught English in Japan he told me when he'd talk to people about Godzilla they'd tell him stories how when he ate somebody the audience started shouting and booing then all walked out. Which is almost unheard of in Japanese theaters. (Wish they'd be like that in American theaters now...)
02-17-2013, 02:19 AM
SouthtownKid
I'm hoping Toho won't just sit back and let Hollywood do whatever it wants this time. I'm with Steve in wanting a darker, serious take that still remains true to the spirit (and closer in design) but with Hollywood production values. Like an American GMK or something.
As for the boxset, yeah, I'll report. Seems to have almost entirely 5 star reviews. Anybody who rated it less seems to have done so either because they were upset some of the movies were only available in the set after they'd already bought the others in single releases, or because All Monsters Attack sucks. But they're all widescreen and dual-language, so I'm good.
Supposedly there are even some special features, although I don't know what they are.
02-17-2013, 02:23 AM
Castor Troy
I doubt the new movie will be anywhere as bad as Zilla.
As far as my faves, I would go:
1)Gojira
2)Godzilla vs Destroyah (mostly because of it's connection to the original)
3)GMK
4)Godzilla vs Biollante
*STK knows his shit*
02-17-2013, 03:22 PM
Steve
Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthtownKid
Also, I forgot to ask, but is there a domestic release of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (Heisei) that is in widescreen, either now or on the horizon? I'd really like to upgrade for this movie.
I haven't seen one yet. The US released GvKG '91 and GvM '92 duo combo pack is not even subtitled so that was pretty lame. Godzilla 1985 (or the Return of Godzilla 1984) remains unreleased to US DVD/Bluray at this time. I too wanna see this and dunno why the long holdup, although I'm sure it's connected with money and rights BS. We finally got Godzilla vs. Megalon not too long ago, but that's not the best of the unreleased Godzilla stuff out there. I still am waiting for Godzilla vs. King Kong JP version widescren with English subs as well. I actually rather enjoyed the Japanese version. US GvKK was so butchered...
Here are some fan pics I wouldn't mind seeing the 2014 look resembling...
I'm not a huge fan of the "super spikey" Godzilla fan look I see a lot of nowadays, but I can dig the one above. It's not too spikey. And he does look like a force of nature, a demon from hell.
For some reason, I just have a lot of faith in the entire 2014 Godzilla crew. Gareth is a huge fan of the series and its legacy. The leads aren't big names, but up and coming and big enough to attract some non-fans... and I think Godzilla will resemble the spirit of the 1954 one we all came to know and love. It's gonna be a hell of a film, I like to believe. And if it bombs, hey, it's more modern exposure to the legend of Godzilla, and we will always have the originals. That's one thing I don't get about people bitching about sequels. Yeah if they suck that sucks... but to me it doesn't necessarily detract from the original film(s). They'll always be there. At this point, every G Fan should be rallying and hoping for the best. If it turns out to be any good, there could be a trilogy in the works, and the entire Godzilla history tree would sprout off in directions we can only dream of right now.
In other words, I'm really optimistic and excited... and in a way that is beyond "cautionary" excitement. Godzilla 2014 is gonna rock the house (I hope...)
02-17-2013, 03:38 PM
Steve
Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthtownKid
In the spirit of this thread, I just amazoned the Godzilla Collection dvd box, which fills in most of the Showa movies I didn't yet own. $25 for 7 movies across 8 dvds is a pretty great deal, and couple of them, I haven't seen in decades. It will be my fourth copy of the first movie, but still more than worth it to get the others.
Forgot to mention I bought this package years ago and loved it. Having widescreen and both the dubbed and subbed versions are a great option. I really liked it, it's just too bad they couldn't secure the rights to all the other Godzilla movies, and from what I recall, they never will. Oh well, you take what you can...
02-17-2013, 04:10 PM
SouthtownKid
The one great thing about the upcoming movie is that you know they will pull out all the stops trying to cut through whatever rights issues there are to bring the other movies to dvd/BD to coincide with the new movie's release. Studios LOVE doing that as it means almost free money to them.
I will also be really interested to see what kind of Godzilla merchandise gets released domestically at the time of the movie.
I've been having a good feeling about this 2014 effort, ever since the uproar last summer over at Comic-Con... but NOW, I am 110% excited... Godzilla will be bigger than ever in the US. The timing is right... the stars are aligning... this could be a trilogy of hits in the making... if not more. Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves, but so far, so good. I think it will be a well made and well reviewed film.
So I got the Godzilla Collection dvd set and have watched a couple movies so far.
The first I watched was Terror of Mechagodzilla. I don't know if I've ever watched this. If I did, I was too young to remember. This one gets disparaged a lot by people for killing the series in the 1970s, not being as good as G vs MG before it, not having as good effects, whatever else. So I'd never even bothered with it as an adult. Fuck whoever said all that. Terror of Mechagodzilla was AWESOME. Okay, the Titanosaurus was a terrible design and maybe the least convincing monster suit of the series. But everything else was excellent. Story was good, characters were good, monster fights were good. The story kept moving, and you can't say that about every Godzilla movie. And the effects team went bananas with the pyrotechnics. There's one scene where Mechagodzilla is blasting the city with his lasers. Then he switches to finger rockets, and WHOOOOOM, those fuckers nearly blew up the entire soundstage. You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off, you maniacs. Great stuff.
The dvd also had a documentary about the women of the Toho monster movies. It was interesting. Nice historical stuff if you are into this. Especially nice that they went beyond Godzilla to the other Toho monster stuff of the era. There is also a commentary track on the English version of the movie, which I haven't watched yet. Which brings me to one of the nice things about the dvd set. They don't just have 2 language tracks over the same movie, they actually have the two versions of each movie as they were released. The Japanese original, and the inevitably edited international version that ran in US theaters.
The dvd menus are also cool, being a nice mash-up collage of vintage movie posters of the film in question.
The next one I watched was Godzilla vs Mothra, which I remember liking more. It is good, and I do like the characters, but for some reason, once the bad human characters get theirs, a lot of the movie's momentum leaves. Yet the movie goes on a lot longer. The effects are really good for the time, especially all the stuff dealing with the tiny twin fairies. Sure you can notice some of the rotoscoping halos, but the editing is really clever and the oversized furniture is very convincing. Godzilla looks really great in this movie, too. It's the mid-'60s suit you remember, but before he became friendly to children. There's some real menace in his eyes, which is great. The army tries some stuff you just have to shake your head at, but then you remember this movie was still early in the series and they didn't know any better yet.
This movie had a documentary of composer Akira Ifukube, and this one was very comprehensive. Covered his entire life. Liked it a lot.
Next up to watch will probably be vs. Ghidorah. Although the one I am really looking forward to now is Astro Monster.
And continuing my Godzilla binge, I just ordered the Biolante blu-ray. Can't wait to watch my first HD Godzilla movie. And you can't beat $7. They're practically giving them away.
03-12-2013, 11:12 PM
SouthtownKid
Just watched Godzilla vs. Biollante on blu-ray. WOW.
Easily the best of all the Heisei movies. Story was coherent (which is by no means guaranteed in the Heisei series), characters were good (I didn't know the Miki character started in this movie, I thought her first appearance was Vs. Mechagodzilla), monster was great, all that good stuff. But what sets it above is that it was REALLY well shot. Some of the compositions and framing are fucking worlds above the other movies. It had half the budget of Godzilla 1985, but it's all up on the screen. The effects are great for the time and inventive for the budget. And some of the cityscape miniatures are ridiculously expansive.
And holy shit, did it look good on BD. Best $7 I have spent in years. I'm probably going to rewatch this one very soon.
Seriously, I think this one is in my top-3 with the original and GMK.
03-18-2013, 11:31 PM
Steve
^ I gotta check that out.
In other news... HOLY SHIT! Godzilla 2014, on paper, so far, is looking LEGIT
---
BURBANK, CA, March 18, 2013 – Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced today the final principal cast for the upcoming tent pole “Godzilla.” Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, and Juliette Binoche are starring in the film, with David Strathairn and Bryan Cranston.
The companies also announced that principal photography began today on location in Vancouver.
Gareth Edwards is directing the film from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, Frank Darabont and Dave Callaham. Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing with Mary Parent and Brian Rogers. Alex Garcia and Patricia Whitcher are serving as executive producers alongside Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira.
A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, “Godzilla” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, except in Japan, where it will be distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. Legendary Pictures is a division of Legendary Entertainment.
Slated to open on May 16, 2014, the film is expected to be presented in 3D.
---
Ken Watanabe joins, along with David Strathairn! Two kick-ass mature, no-nonsense serious actors. It is giving me extra faith that the script must be pretty awesome if they're going to attach their names to it.
ALSO... it was up briefly but quickly taken down... it's either a hoax, misinformation or Legendary requested the info to be pulled but...
Holy crap. If Freeman is in as well, that is a seriously "non-campy" and professionally studded cast.
Getting more and more excited. Godzilla could be "big" again, pardon the pun. I think at the very least, the enterprise will garner a lot of new younger fans. I'm pumped to see what this movie will do to the Godzilla legacy going forward. I also smell an American trilogy....
03-19-2013, 02:17 AM
Lan Di
Quote:
Originally Posted by Average Joe
we did get that from the first American Godzilla movie, so i'd say it paid off in a way
That was the best scene for me in Godzilla Final Wars!
Shit just got even more real. Akira has a cameo in Godzilla 2014, and will now be in Godzilla's 1st film, 10th anniversary, 20th, 50th and 60th. Crazy. Any doubts that Edwards wasn't the right man for the job should now officially be thrown out the window. The 1998 sour taste is quickly dissipating with each passing week that we hear more good news about Godzilla 2014.
Shit just got even more real. Akira has a cameo in Godzilla 2014, and will now be in Godzilla's 1st film, 10th anniversary, 20th, 50th and 60th. Crazy. Any doubts that Edwards wasn't the right man for the job should now officially be thrown out the window. The 1998 sour taste is quickly dissipating with each passing week that we hear more good news about Godzilla 2014.
You are really setting yourself up for the heartache of the new millennium if this thing doesn't end up being great. I know you want to believe, but be careful, man.
03-28-2013, 04:26 AM
Ancient Flounder
Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthtownKid
Just watched Godzilla vs. Biollante on blu-ray. WOW.
Easily the best of all the Heisei movies. Story was coherent (which is by no means guaranteed in the Heisei series), characters were good (I didn't know the Miki character started in this movie, I thought her first appearance was Vs. Mechagodzilla), monster was great, all that good stuff. But what sets it above is that it was REALLY well shot. Some of the compositions and framing are fucking worlds above the other movies. It had half the budget of Godzilla 1985, but it's all up on the screen. The effects are great for the time and inventive for the budget. And some of the cityscape miniatures are ridiculously expansive.
And holy shit, did it look good on BD. Best $7 I have spent in years. I'm probably going to rewatch this one very soon.
Seriously, I think this one is in my top-3 with the original and GMK.
Did you get the same feeling that Biollante was severely under-used? It seems like they could have taken him/her/it out and it wouldn't have been missed. Other than that, I agree that it's easily one of the best entries the series has seen. Some of the effects shots and miniature work is dynamite.
03-28-2013, 06:32 AM
SouthtownKid
I don't know. I just loved everything about that movie. I have to be honest and say I used to be kind of dismissive of the Heisei era. Because it didn't have the Showa charm, and because Millennium series did "updated/more realistic" better. But Biollante changed my opinion around completely and gave me a whole new appreciation for that whole continuity.
What's amazing to me, though, and kind of disappointing is that the Biollante director came back to do the immediate sequel, vs. King Ghidorah. But I don't think that one is anywhere near as good. Visually, I don't even think it's a fraction as good. What happened? Different DP? Different effects director?
03-28-2013, 06:46 AM
Ancient Flounder
I need to view 'vs. King Ghidorah' again and see how it compares. It's been a long time since I have watched it. I totally forgot I had an HD rip of it that I snagged off of Cinemageddon a while back, along with the rest of the Heisei films.
03-28-2013, 06:59 AM
SouthtownKid
King Ghidorah is fun but silly as fuck. A lot of the Heisei movies contain cheap rip-offs of Hollywood movies. Like Vs. Mothra features a completely embarrassing Indiana Jones rip-off. And Vs. Destroya pauses the story to do some weird kind of Aliens rip-off in the middle of the movie. And with Vs. King Ghidorah, the embarrassing rip-off du jour is Terminator 2. Except the time travel aspect makes NO SENSE, not even internally.
People come back from the future to the present saying they want to help get rid of Godzilla. So they enlist the modern day Japanese government. Fine. So far, so good. So they go back in time to WW2 and find the dinosaur that would eventually be irradiated and mutate into GOdzilla and they teleport him somewhere else so he can never become Godzilla. FINE. But then they return to the present and people here still have all their memories of Godzilla. They are like, "Did you get rid of him?" "Yes!" "Good! We've just confirmed, Godzilla never existed now!" Huh? Then how the FUCK do you know what Godzilla is? I mean, the people who did not go on the mission to the past, who stayed in the present, still kept all their memories of Godzilla and his rampages, despite him now never having existed and the cities never having been trampled. Screenwriter deserves a throat punch.
Shit just got even more real. Akira has a cameo in Godzilla 2014, and will now be in Godzilla's 1st film, 10th anniversary, 20th, 50th and 60th. Crazy. Any doubts that Edwards wasn't the right man for the job should now officially be thrown out the window. The 1998 sour taste is quickly dissipating with each passing week that we hear more good news about Godzilla 2014.
Nope that sour taste is still there, getting Akira to cameo at this time feels like straight pandering, "see I got Akira to cameo so see I'm so cereal about making a good movie guys!!!! Smiley face"
04-15-2013, 03:33 PM
StealthLurker
Funny thing I recently learned. One of my co-workers is going to be in the new Godzilla movie. He was also in the last US Godzilla movie.
Reason he was in the old one and this new one coming up is because they needed his helicopter and his piloting skills.
My co-worker collects helicopters and they wanted to use one of his rarer pieces. I believe it's supposed to be one of, if not the largest helicopters ever produced. Also, he and his buddy are the only ones around that can still pilot one.
Later this year, he's going to go to Hawaii for about 2 weeks to film some scenes there.
A few weeks ago, he showed me the little bits of the old movie where he was on camera.
Have they said how their going to handle Godzilla himself? Will they use motion capture to give the illusion of a guy in a costume or will they go the full CG route. I'd love to see them go for another costume but since everything has to "appeal to a wider audience" of course their going to go with CG.
07-17-2013, 10:21 PM
Xian Xi
They're filming over here right now for Godzilla. Saw the production crew and everything, at first I actually thought it was Hawaii Five-O.
07-17-2013, 10:23 PM
Castor Troy
Still no teaser trailer clip? :(
07-17-2013, 10:33 PM
Xian Xi
Quote:
Originally Posted by Castor Troy
Still no teaser trailer clip? :(
That's usually not until post-production. They are still filming.
I have not been this amped up for a movie... ever. Easily the single biggest movie event of my life, and it's not even close. I can't believe in 10 short months from now my childhood icon will be roaring into theatres the world over and taking it by STORM.
