Godzilla Minus One

[Keebleman]

Godzilla meets Ozu.

I enjoyed it, it was great how fierce Godzilla was, and when he surfaces it's like a mob of Gothic cathedrals are after you.

But I was shocked at how utterly Noriko's personality changed after her first scene.  It was as if she was a different character.  And it was never plausible for me that Koichi, having reached his plane in the opening sequence, would not have opened fire.  It would have made more sense if he had ducked for cover when he was halfway there.

Also a little disappointing was the ending

Spoiler alert

with not one but two "A-ha it's not over yet!" moments, both unnecessary.  Apparently that bruise on Noriko's neck is significant.  The actress has said, "If there is a next series, I might be the one stepping on and crushing people."

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[horse_renoir]

Also a little disappointing was the ending

Spoiler alert

with not one but two "A-ha it's not over yet!" moments, both unnecessary.  Apparently that bruise on Noriko's neck is significant.  The actress has said, "If there is a next series, I might be the one stepping on and crushing people."

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Shin Godzilla did a similar thing. Maybe its a cultural thing to think of Godzilla like a typhoon that will just keep cycling back to shore.

I'm just grateful we didn't get a mid credit scene of a giant moth sitting down in the sake bar and trying to recruit Noriko into a team.

Deranged opinion. My hunch is that you were watching a different film. Are you sure it wasn't Rocky IV?

I got a slightly similar feeling, not helped by Japan's history of revisionism. Yes, I know war is absolutely horrific, but I felt a theme of absolving the Japanese population from their governments actions.

Which would be fine if the characters were all civilians, but even in the setting of demilitarised Japan the action in the film has a distinctly militarised appearance.

I guess the western equivalent would be a film set in the ruins of Dresden with a plucky ex-Kriegsmarine crew of heroes.

[horse_renoir]

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[Norton Canes]

Great film. If I was a kid again seeing it our old Odeon I'd definitely have sat right where I was for the next screening.

There's a shot during his first attack at sea where his eyes are staring at them with total malice while his jaw is still underwater and it terrified me

Not as much malice as I projected in the look I shot the wrapper-crackling cunts sat behind me

[Magnum Valentino]

Great film. If I was a kid again seeing it our old Odeon I'd definitely have sat right where I was for the next screening.

Not as much malice as I projected in the look I shot the wrapper-crackling cunts sat behind me

That's nothin. Whenever Godzilla wrecked the downtown area, in the immediate silence that followed a yoof loudly quipped "no more jiggy jiggy". Same cunt was MAKING PHONE CALLS by the time the picture was over. Fuck you doing in a subtitled film anyway you witless prick?

[The F Bomb]

Point of order: The Beast From 20,0000 Fathoms came out a year earlier, so Harryhausen was there first. But agreed that it's a brilliant film. My favourite bit is when they go underwater to plant the 'oxygen destroyer' and they peek round the corner and see him just hanging out in his pad. Would like to see a bit more of Godzilla on his downtime.

Poor phrasing on my part, I meant Harryhausen AND what came after. And I love that bit you mentioned, it's such a cool understated moment which kind of freaks you out because of the surprise but also the scale. Despite loving kaiju, I think I've got a bit of the old megalophobia. I once saw a very large pair of brown corduroys pinned to a wall in a clothes shop in central China and I almost had a panic attack. Very very unnerving pair of trousers.

Separately, I recently imported the Toho 4K, looks really good, like, way better resolution, cleaner scan and more depth and contrast than the Criterion Blu-ray. No English subs but if you can add external subs through your player/PC, it's no issue.

Last night, I watched Shin Godzilla again. It's a film I actually enjoy more and more. I've only seen it four or five times but that's more than most films I've enjoyed and rewatched. The constant chopping between characters and departments is less jarring and I can feel the central thread of escalating tension much more. I think there's quite a lot of heavy-handed stuff in there, all the national identity and political satirical elements are rather broad, but on the other hand, they help whip the film through various different strands, it keeps it pacy and varied. The action sequences are very good, simultaneously get the blood pumping and also crushing and despondent. Godzilla is also a fucking weird Godzilla. He most reminds me of his appearance in vs Destoroyah. A desperate, futile aimlessness. The escalation of the atomic breath from the billowing purple toxic belch to full throated column of fire to that hissing purple infinite beam is fucking awesome. It feels completely out of control.

[Norton Canes]

One thing about G-1 (better put this in spoilers...)

Spoiler alert

In the final sequence they lash him up, trigger the gas canisters and he sinks. But while the cables are being wound around him, he looks like he's standing on a shallow sea bed. Is he supposed to be treading water?

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[Butchers Blind]

This is a behind the scenes vid on making the visual effects in the film.