Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

WHY THE HELL WAS THIS DREDGED UP I DO NOT WANT TO READ PAST JARED'S IDIOTIC RAMBLING AGAIN.

Well, glad I’m glad I read a few posts back, but I figure I’ll offer new insight to a thread that laid dormant for more than a decade.

To me, the Showa films remind me of my childhood, because, truth be told, that’s all we had until 1985, but to me it basically extends until 1990 –the reason being that –you had 15 Godzilla films. G 1985 was pretty much a Solo act, a remake much in the same way that KK 1976 was a remake, it wasn’t until 1991, G vs KG, the 3rd film of the “Heisei” era, that it would be clear that a whole new series was emerging from a couple of independent efforts. In fact, I sometimes wonder when the fandom first used the terms “Showa” & “Heisei”?… probably sometime in the mid-late 90’s when the online community really started to grow.

If I am in a purist mood, I will watch the films in their original form with subtitles. If I am feeling nostalgic however, I will watch them in English, and always with the same dub (AIP where applicable) that I heard as a child. In fact, for most of the films, I can remember a specific time that I watched the films—

I can remember one Saturday afternoon where Godzilla vs. Megalon & Godzilla on Monster Island played back-to-back on a local station @1983 –Yes in reverse chronological order I know, but I at least noticed they had the same monster “Gigan” in both films, and thought it odd at the time. –Truth be told, if you watch both films in reverse order, there really isn’t anything that would dictate what order they came in.

I can remember another occasion, my mom waking me up early on a summer day (probably 7am) to watch Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster, which I had never seen before.

I can also remember watching King Kong vs Godzilla with my cousins. We even acted out some of the scenes. They were all rooting for Kong, while I alone wanted Godzilla to win.

I also remember when my parents first got a VCR in 1986, (I was 10) and my dad telling me that we could record some Godzilla films, but not all because that would take up too much space, and blank tapes were expensive . But of course, I was able to work around that. Although as a child, it seemed like an immensely long time (from 1986-1990), in 4 years I had managed to get all the films in one form or another, except for Destroy all Monsters, which had not aired in the S.F. Bay Area in several years, and was not available commercially on VHS. It was the hardest for me to obtain, and is still my favorite to this day.

I often wonder what a modern remake of a showa era Godzilla film would look and/or feel like. Originally I thought it could not be done, but upon seeing footage of G vs Wolfman, and the Ultraman series of the past decade (where showa era suits are recreated with stunning accuracy). I know it could be done if Toho wanted to. I think it would be awesome, if say…the 1968-1972 G suit was recreated for a new film with both some classic showa-era, and new kaiju that would “fit” showa era imagination. Of course, that’s just me. But at least I have my fond memories when I am able to watch and enjoy these films.

To me the Showa series represents the creative high point of the genre, where the best creative folks behind the scenes produced very entertaining and interesting movies. "Interesting" is an important qualifier because even the lesser installments have something interesting about them, which often makes them superior viewing experiences to even the better films the series has produced in the last 30 years.

The best directors, best writing, best casts, best visuals, best music... Honestly, I have no patience for those who hold to the superiority of the old just because they fetishize the old and denigrate new things - to me the superiority of the "classic" Godzilla movies is the simple fact that they're better.

^ That reminds me of this image set I saw this the other day on Tumblr

When I was younger the Showa films were the "lesser" group of movies. They were older looking and not modern and cool. Sure I still loved some that I watched from since I could remember (Son of Godzilla being one that seems to get a lot of heat but I loved, and still love, the hell out of that movie). But compared to the less seen, more modern, and "realistic" 90's movies the Showa films couldn't hold a candle to them in my young mind.

But as I grew older I started to see them differently and appreciated them more than I did. To me they are the classic iconic era. They are the Golden Age of DC comics to Heisei's 90's Death of Superman era and Millennium to the New 52 (I guess, not the biggest comic guy so this analogy is very loose).

Showa was never lesser, but I was way more into tracking down new Godzilla movies. However movies like vs. Hedorah and Destroy All Monsters were probably more grail-like than some of the others. I mean, minus Destroyah. I hyped that one up a lot.

The Showa stuff oozes quality, craftsmanship, nostalgia, and everything that makes this genre something I adore.

They're some of the few films where I can just sit down and truly relax. I don't mean 'turn my brain off' exactly because I do appreciate what the films are about and how they were made. They kind of suppress any jaded or cynical feelings and instill a sense of wonder in that place. There are lot of movies I enjoy that do that, but since Godzilla has always been the most important character in my life it takes on an extra meaning.

The two quotes above probably says it best. They represent the Golden Age of Toho Godzilla movies. I can just pop in one or two of these movies every week and watch and continue to appreciate what I grew up watching on TV in the 1970's and early 1980's. I've said it before and I'm going to keep on saying this until the day I die. Watching these movies during that time on TV and even a couple in movie theaters was a special privilege as a kid. They continue to be the most fondest of moments I have had growing up, and I really do wish that a number of Godzilla fans on here couldve experienced those same moments. The ones who grew up in the late 60s and 70s know what I'm talking about.

There's just one word to describe what the Showa films mean to me: MAGIC!

I have mixed feelings on the Showa series, but as a whole, it is amazing. The 60s is hands down the best era for Toho in both Godzilla and kaiju in general.