Godzilla movies in US theaters via Fathom

[lhb412]

Listings for a one night only showing of Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla on November 3rd (Godzilla Day) have started appearing on various theater schedules. As they used to say; check your local listings!

As the popularity and volume of these limited engagement screenings have increased over the years I always had a suspicion, or hope, that something like this would happen!

[Benjamin Haines]

SciFi Japan has an article about it: https://www.scifijapan.com/godzilla-toho/godzilla-against-mechagodzilla-returns-to-u-s-cinemas-for-godzilla-day

The official Fathom Events website has a theater search tool: https://www.fathomevents.com/events/Godzilla-Against-Mechagodzilla?date=2022-11-03

As cool as this is, it's such an odd choice for Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla to be the first G flick to get a Fathom Events release, and with extra content supplied by Toho no less. Is it just because this year is the 20th anniversary? I can't think of any other reason why they would go with GxMG.

[lhb412]

Well, I think Funi/Crunchy still has theatrical dibs on Shin and Janus is slowly acquiring more of the Godzilla (and maybe general Honda genre filns) catalog. Toho might have looked at the films they could release on their own without going through anyone else and decided from that limited group.

[Benjamin Haines]

Hmm, yeah that makes sense. Janus Films has theatrical rights to most of the Showa Series, and possibly also G'84 and Biollante if the reports out of those Alamo Drafthouse showings are true. Universal has KKvsG and Sony still has everything from MG'93 to GMK. If Toho initiated this on their own then I guess GxMG makes more sense than GvsKG, Mothra'92, Tokyo SOS or Final Wars.

Speaking of Janus/Criterion, it's awesome that they've acquired the the TV & streaming rights to The Mysterians, Varan, Matango, Atragon, Dogora, Frankenstein vs. Baragon and Space Amoeba to go along with Rodan and War of the Gargantuas. Hopefully Criterion will pursue the home video rights and put together a "sci-fi films of Ishiro Honda" box set to bookend their Godzilla set. I wonder why Latitude Zero is the only one that Media Blasters released on DVD that seems to be left out right now.

[lhb412]

Quality of the movie itself was bad, same crummy blu-ray transfer and there was a frame rate issue, but they showed the Hedorah short and the behind the scenes of said short before the future and that looked good, so I'm guessing it was just a bad copy given by Toho!

Still, I had fun and would do it again.

[lhb412]

Listings have begun popping up for a Fathom screening of Godzilla 2000 in US theaters on November 1st, so it seems that'll be our Godzilla Day celebration while Japan gets Minus One (which we'll get a month later). Pretty exciting to see this in theaters again... I saw it 5 times as an 11 year old!

If course, what I really want is to see Fathom/Toho/Janus wrangle up some Showa screenings!

Oh, and I'd like to mention the last screening they did: Tokyo SOS earlier thus year. I actually enjoyed this screening more than the previous, because even though I feel Against Mechagodzilla is Tezuka's strongest film Tokyo SOS is so much more visually interesting (in tokusatsu and drama scenes) that it made for a better theatrical experience.

[lhb412]

Godzilla 2000 tonight!

If history repeats itself we should get another short before the movie. Last year's live action Godzilla vs. Gigan?

[Benjamin Haines]

Nice. I've seen commercials for this Fathom Events screening on Pluto TV's Godzilla channel.

[lhb412]

No short this time! There was some cool Godzilla Day ads in the beginning, though.

Best presentation so far: no stuttering video and the subs were properly formatted. Toho's transfer of this movie is dang muddy, though. One of their worst HD transfers. I also was really reminded of just how much I prefer the US cut. There's so many little moments that fall flat here that, with tighter editing and bolder sound effects and music cues, just pop more in the Sony version. Also, the tongue-in-cheek, retro gloss they gave this film in the edit helps. In this original cut they're going for this serious, Gamera 3 style tone and this movie does not have the gravitas to cash those checks! Also, can't believe I never noticed more Gamera trilogy similarities: the activities of the UFO and the human response seems to crib heavily from the Gyaos plot line in G1 in ideas and visuals.

Best part is really that opening. The idea of Godzilla chasers alá storm chasers is such a brilliant idea and some of the strongest visuals are here. It's a shame this section isn't longer. I can watch a whole movie like this!

You know, I've been having problems logging onto this site. Over 20 years ago I was a kid in a comic book store, and I picked up an issue of Gfan and saw that there was a new Japanese Godzilla movie in production. Later that night I went on the internet, found out that issue was several months old and the film had already premiered in Japan and was about to get a US release and I began anticipating it, anticipating this film. And where on the internet did I find and discussed this information? It was this very message board.

Ah, how the years go by.

[emeGoji]

Man, I don’t think it can be overstated how much heavy lifting the English localization did in making this film watchable. Saw the not-Godzilla Day Fathom screening and of all the entries to show the original Japanese version of, this would have been the last one I would have picked. Absolutely feels like an assembly cut, with an unfinished soundtrack and missing foley. Scenes, including kaiju battles, just plod on with no musical score whatsoever. Kudos to those that prefer this version, but it’s an awful viewing experience to me.

Was hoping they’d show a Minus One trailer, but didn’t even get that.