Godzilla (1954) in the UK

[Sam]

John T has just informed me that Empire Magazine claims that the original Godzilla (1954) will be released in the United Kingdom sometime in August. Whether it will be released in selected London theatres or selected nationwide theatres is unknown as of yet.

Awaiting confirmation (by that I mean, I'll go out later when it stops raining and by the magazine myself.)

[Jim Ballard]

Big thanks to yourself and John, Sam! I was down in Basingstoke this afternoon, and managed to find a copy of the issue ( the review, if you haven't managed to pick up a copy yet). I'd heard mumblings about this in the past, but this is the first "official" confirmation I've seen. Nice to have it all down in print. Perhaps I'll see you at the premiere or something?

[Sam]

If anyone knew when it was.

Not to mention, trying to convince a member of family to get me into London (since the terrorist bombings fiasco).

[Jim Ballard]

Heh, well, I've always hated trains anyway. I realise there is a FAR higher chance of dying in a car crash, but still. One of those things. Just gotta bite my lip and get on with my life, though. No doubt I'll be travelling alone, simply because I know very few people that would want to sit through a kaiju movie with me, let alone travel all the way up to London. Then again, my sister drives now, and she wanted to go up to London with me for a day trip anyway. Perhaps I could convince her to do it then

Considering next week IS August, I'm rather concerned that this thing hasn't been advertised much. Knowing me I'll miss it, just like the BRII screening :-\

[Jim Ballard]

[Sam]

I hope to God the premier's on a September weekend!

Who knows, maybe they'll release both movies on a double-bill or something. If they've released the Kurosawa films on DVD, hopefully they'll repeat it for Godzilla and The Mysterians.

[Jim Ballard]

*wonders if TM is a viable excuse for a press pass*

[Jim Ballard]

Hey, wanna see something weird? Although the BFI press release claim it's rated 12, the BBFC database says it's rated PG (which sounds far more reasonable anyway). It's certainly the right one though - film, BFI, rated in June 2005...

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classifie ... enDocument

Same goes for "The Mysterians". I love the reasoning though: rated PG for "peril"

[Jim Ballard]

[Sam]

This morning at 9.00AM, BBC Breakfast News held a special report on the UK screenings of the original Godzilla, starting in October. The report is avaliable by .


Read the transcript below:
(Report by David Sillito, BBC News)

Sillito: (Reporter-BBC News): Godzilla in 1954 was a movie sensation. And over the years the dinosaur from the deep has appeared in more than two dozen films, and acquired an army of fans who will buy anything featuring this monster with radioactive breath, and a grudge against nuclear testing and Tokyo city planners. But the original Japanese Godzilla film has never been shown in British cinemas. Hollywood added American characters and cut out the reason why Godzilla had gone on the rampage: American nuclear testing.

David Sin (British Film Institute): The subtext, especially around nuclear testing in the South Pacific, was probably seen as a subject that the American studios and their perception of the American audiences would find too hard to handle.

Sillto: The uncut "Godzilla" represents deep fears of Japan in the 50s, both of natural disasters, and the atom bomb; this was less than ten years after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and came at a time of high anxiety about tests of the H-bomb in the South Pacific. But there's another reason for releasing the film - restoring Godzilla's reputation.

Because over the years the Godzilla movies became ever more outlandish. "Godzilla" was followed by "Godzilla Counterattacks", and then there was "King Kong vs. Godzilla", "Son of Godzilla", "Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla"!

At London's Forbidden Planet, there are cuddly Godzillas and model Godzillas, and a sense that outside his core fanbase, he's a bit of a joke!

Ian Edwards (Forbidden Planet): It's probably that it's a little bit corny, a little bit pokey, that it's a man in a rubber suit destroying a model of Tokyo.

Sillito: But the British Film Institute feels that the original film is not only interesting,

David Sin (British Film Institute): It's a terrific movie, it's a cult movie, because it works on different levels, it appeals to a wide range of audiences because of those common mythologies around monsters, anxieties about the nuclear age. I think that above all it's an incredibly well-made movie.

Sillito: So 50 years on, an attempt to rescue Godzilla's reputation, both as a screen legend and anti-nuclear campaigner. David Sillito, BBC News.

(From )

[Garasharp K7]

I saw that report at about 7 this morning whilst flicking through the channels. Bit of a surprise seeing that on the BBC and all. Nice to see Godzilla getting some coverage in the UK. Been a long time coming, that's for sure.

[sean]

Can't wait to see Godzilla on the big screen! Do you think BFI will release it on DVD one day?

[kpa]

[Jim Ballard]