Weekly Kaiju Movie Viewing Thread #6 (6/16-6/17)

[MekaGojira3k]

[Alpha OTS]

[MekaGojira3k]

[Thomas]

[Henry88]

[MekaGojira3k]

[The Real McCoy]

I've never seen the American version of the movie, and it appears the only way I can get it is on VHS, which I don't really use anymore. I guess it'll come along someday; I more or less want to see it just to say I've seen it.

[MekaGojira3k]

[The Real McCoy]

[lhb412]

[Henry88]

[Thomas]

[Henry88]

[MekaGojira3k]

I finally watched the proper version of Varan.
While I admit that Varan is a pretty average monster movie (which equals below average for the Toho stuff), I still love it.


I love the above shot. I think one of the things that makes me really dig this film is how great Varan's design is. Of all of Toho's dinosaur beasts Varan is my favorite.


His abilities and his design are what make him memorable despite being in a lesser Toho flick. I especially love how his spines look in any of the scenes. They seem to glow and it looks great. I'm also really fond of the score for this one.


Varan kind of takes the "hidden" dinosaur aspects of Godzilla Raids Again and Rodan and ties them into this notion of discovering new mysteries even in the 20th century. This begins with the rare butterflies and leads to Varan being discovered. Maybe a commentary on how in the midst of scientific progress mankind believes it knows so much? I'm also really fond of the Baradagi aspect of the story, which seems like an expansion of the legends of Odo Island in the original Godzilla.


Here's Varan swimming off to explode. The irony, perhaps less dark than in the original Godzilla, is that the very thing the film is commenting on (science creating human arrogance that only a mystery of nature can usurp) is how Varan is destroyed. A new type of explosive is the only way to stop Varan. It's much less effective here and comes off as typical 1950s monster movie (although Varan is devoid of atomic energy or awakening). I think the ending would have been far more effective if Varan just disappeared. The mysterious beast appeared long enough to shake our foundations of science and then returned to its slumber.

I dunno. I still love this movie for all of its flaws, and I think Varan is definitely one of my favorite kaiju.

[Henry88]

so was Varan a monster version of a flying squirrel .

[MekaGojira3k]

A Flaying Squirrel sounds terrifying.
Naw man, Varan was the first TRIPHIBIAN MONSTER!

[Alpha OTS]

I think this is the third time I've sat down to watch this movie. The first was when I picked up the Tokyo Shock three pack with this, Matango and Mysterians. That set was the first time I had ever seen Mysterians too. I had watched Varan again some time after that, but it was more background noise than me really watching intently. I remember not being too impressed by it after watching it the first time, whereas Mysterians was much more up my alley although it certainly had its shortcomings too.

Holy cow, this has 5.1 audio? I didn't have my 5.1 sound system when I watched it before. This will be interesting to see if it's really 5.1.

"We are now about to reveal the most mysterious story ever told."

Ok, I like the monster roar! It ends with a Gorosaurus roar but there's something else different at the beginning of the roar? Or am I imagining it?

"Your brother's jeep was crushed like a paper toy."

Chibee's getting you into trouble, Gen! You're condemned now and everything just for a dog that won't listen! And right after the scientists follow. What's a little Baradagi curse going to hurt? Nobody, I guess, because now the whole village crossed the gate into condemned land. I love that the villagers make a point of closing the stick gate after they run back like it would stop Varan.

Monster reveal time! I really like how the dorsal spines almost look like they're glowing. They contrast so well perhaps because of the movie being in black and white?

"But it's unbelievable that Varan can still be alive after millions of years."
"But, Kenji, you have to believe it now."

I'm watching the whole scene as the military attacks Varan for the first time and I wonder: Would this have been a better movie had it been in color? I had to google the why once I realized this came out *after* Rodan. I wasn't up on the history of this flick, and had always assumed it was in black and white because it was released shortly after Godzilla Raids Again.

Ok, the 5.1 just got kind of weird with an echo effect going on with the rear speakers. The 5.1's nothing worth mentioning. I think having it in stereo and then having my receiver "5.1 enhance" it was better.

You know, maybe firebombing Varan's water hole wasn't the most wise decision. It does seem like the military unnecessarily provoked and prodded the monster out of his home habitat.


Varan doing his Jaws impression, eh? I like this scene.

Varan might not be bulletproof because his skin is too strong, he might be bulletproof because his skin is too flexible!


Ok, the sequence where they surround Varan with depth charges was pretty good. Nicely cut.


They had time to make a mini-Varan for the military planning maps?

"What kind of explosive?"
"It's a kind of bomb that I intended to use for dam construction."

At the airport now and again I'm thinking how much nicer this would be if it were in color. You can tell there was a lot of work put into the miniatures and sets. I feel like I'm missing out on some action scenes that would have been very colorful.

Truck bomb to the crotch! And a swallowed flare bomb. I actually kind of feel sorry for the monster after the bomb initially goes off and while he swims out to sea for the big kaboom.

"Thus, Varan has vanished into a veil of mystery."

Ok, I actually enjoyed this more this time than the previous times I had watched it. Yes, it's pretty formulaic, but there's no time wasted in the storytelling. The monster suit works quite nicely. Its at its weakest when they have Varan stand up, but it looks great when he's crawling around like he should be doing, which is most of the time. I especially like the tail action. They try to always have it up and moving around instead of dragging lifelessly behind.

Yikes! I just started watching the restored broadcast version in the extras and they waste absolutely no time in jumping to Varan and then they cut the scene all to hell! I'm only 5 minutes in and already they removed all the mystery! Unbelievable!

I just noticed while making my screen grabs that Varan does chase after a flare in the first attack. It's a really quick cut, so you don't see him actually eating the flare, but it lends credibility to the scientist saying that he saw Varan eat one before. I had initially thought that they had sort of made that up at the moment for the final attack discussion.

I also noticed that MekaGojira3k used the same screen grab of Varan spreading his wings for the first time that I also grabbed! Had to go back and find another screencap.

[Thomas]

[MekaGojira3k]

[Alpha OTS]