TALKBACK #6: Invasion of Astro Monster

[lhb412]

I'm naming these films by their current U.S. release titles, baby.

I love this movie. I love, love, love, love this movie, baby. Their are two types of perfect films. There are artistic acheivements that encapsulate aspects of the human experience (like, say, Ikiru or Citizen Kane) and then there are the films perfect in entertainment (like Hellboy 2 or The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad - and Monster Zero).

I remember as a little kid being in a hotel room (I think in another state due to my brother's basebal tournament or some such) with the sound down really low and trying to watch Monster Zero on TNT's Monstervision late at night, baby. I went to sleep about 20 minutes in, but I'll allways remember what Joe Bob Briggs (the host) said; "most Godzilla fans hate this one 'cause its got so little monster footage."


Of course, we know that the characters are so likable, the models so neat, the galaxy-trotting and extratesrestrial encountering so entertaining that having Godzilla, Rodan, and King Ghidorah show up at all is just icing on the cake, baby.

This film really has a distinct visual look. It's spacious and clean and streamlined. This extends to everything, just look at the scenes in the capital compared to the ones from the previous film.

It took me forever to figure out what the blue dots vs. red dots thing was all about. Watching the Japanese version when I got the new DVD helped clarify that the computer predicts the future with all avaliable data and when it's blue dots it means if things continue as they are then there is a great probability of success while red dots means probability of failure and that a change of plans is in order.

I wonder if there was much fun at Glen Glenn Sound when Fuji is yelling "Glenn? Glenn? Glenn!!!"

[Xenorama]

i missed MONSTER ZERO the first time it aired on channel 2 (KWGN) in Denver, i believe i was in the mountains at the time. i also didn't know it was a Godzilla movie (despite one of the coolest titles ever) until the next day at school (had to be 1975, probably, i was in 4th grade) the kids were talking about it and i was greatly upset that i had been left out.

damn my family for making me hike and climb and have fun instead of sitting in front of the tv! :lmfao:

anyway, the next time it aired was a school night a few years later. it was on at 8, so i had to receive special permission to stay up that late for a two hour movie. it was a Tuesday night, i think. and waiting until then was nearly unbearable for me! it's really nice to be able to pop a DVD into the player any time you want, but the anticipation of seeing a movie for at least a WEEK is missing. kids will never know that feeling. which is sad.

and the movie was so worth the wait. i did wonder when the monster fights would be at one point, when i realized it was 9:30 and the heroic monsters hadn't driven Ghidrah from the Earth yet, but it all worked out in a splendid fashion.

David

[jellydonut25]

ahhh yes, Just watched this a couple days ago (again, letting you have the first crack to open up the talkback thread...hehehe)

I used to despise this movie when I was a kid. Although, to be fair, when I was younger, my favorite films were of the 1970s variety, with the monsters going about slugfests and performing wrestling style moves...

Watching it (for the first time) on Classic Media's subtitled original version...really has changed my opinion.

I still wouldn't call it a favorite, but it's so much better than I'd remembered.

Though there's some flaws that make NO and show a touch of lazy filmaking (ghidorah is in the US, oh wait, he's actually right next to Godzilla poised for the final battle)

I also actually enjoy the ending to the final battle. Honda isn't afraid to leave us wondering just who won...and i think it's neat that basically (IMHO) it feels like all the monsters were just confused and got in a scuffle, and then after falling into the water, they kinda just called it quits, each one going off to collect its thoughts/figure out what the hell just happened...

it might be a stretch, but like i said, i like to think of the monsters as characters in the films sometimes...

also, watching it without the dub really helps one appreciate the humor a lot better...the inventor character (sorry, i generally suck with names in these films) comes off as much less of a doofus

I'm giddy with excitement though, up next is the first Godzilla movie I ever saw, lets hope a repeat watching holds up as well (or better as in the case of Monster Zero) so many years later...

[lhb412]

[McGodzilla]

[Gwangi]

[king_ghidorah]

[jellydonut25]

[Legion]

I love Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster very much, but it definitely looks like the rush job that it was. I can't get attached to the human characters the way I can with Mothra vs Godzilla and Monster Zero, there's too much going on and the film flip-flops back and forth a bit too much between all the unrelated action.

Monster Zero is a much more polished film. Ghidora looks fantastic and is handled better, the monsters aren't as silly, the human characters (including Adams, obviously) are much more engrossing, the villains (silly as they are) are entertaining as hell, the special effects are generally pretty strong and it's just such a damn fun movie that you quickly forget how little screen time the monsters get. The movie is just that good.

[MekaGojira3k]

[Gwangi]

[skiddish]

[KaiserGhidorah]

[Tyler E. Martin]

[Henry88]

[kiryugoji04]

[kent]

Ibh really summed up how I feel about this movie: PERFECT! This is also one of my favorites out of the entire series. I prefer it over its predecessor any day.

I like the story, actors/characters, monster battles (even if they are brief), stages, the whole kit and kaboodle. I saw this back in 1994 when my brother and I went to a local video rental store and picked this, Mothra Vs. Godzilla, and Godzilla 1985 up. This film, and Mothra Vs. Godzilla, have remained at the top of my list ever since!

Great film!

[jellydonut25]

My feelings towards this movie have definitely softened over time. This was one of the last Showa films I saw (I think only Hedorah and Destroy All Monsters cam after this) and I thought it was SO boring...

today, i find it to be one of the most fun entries in the entire series.

[armandv]

[Green Dragon]

[MouthForWar]

[the_candidate]

[Legion]

You're greenmachine from Toho Kingdom aren't you?

[Robert Saint John]

To "the_candidate": you're free to dislike the movie and post as much, but that was just flamebait. Please don't think for a single second that such antics are tolerated here. are the board rules. Please review again before posting further.

To anyone else: don't take the bait, please.

[Rodanex]

I just watched this movie for the first time in years. It's always been a favorite of mine.

Upon re-watching it, a few things in the story struck me as a little odd. For instance, Glen dates Namikawa for about two days before asking her to marry him. The way the aliens are defeated is a little silly and raises a number of questions. How can you soundproof bars for a cell? If the cell really is soundproofed, how is it that aliens who are in another room can hear Tetsuo's invention? If they're holding Tetsuo prisoner, you'd think they'd search him to make sure he's not carrying a prototype Lady Guard. I mean...why put him in a soundproofed cell if they don't believe he's carrying it? Is the Lady Guard's sound the only thing that can harm them? Are there other loud noises that could work? How can the aliens hear the sound if they're inside spaceships and the mansion?

I was reading a review of this film in Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo and the author raises a good point. If the aliens are capable of controlling King Ghidorah, Godzilla, and Rodan, and they already had a team infiltrating human society...why not just launch their attack before Glen and Fuji arrive on Planet X?

However, I'm not bashing this film. Adams and Takarada have fantastic chemistry, Akira Kubo and Kumi Mizuno are wonderful as always. The score is great, the pacing is superb, and the city destruction scenes are among my favorites in the series. The monster battles are short, but sweet. Slightly illogical at times, but this movie is just too much fun.