Episode 47: Godzilla (1956, 1998)

Welcome to another in our “What, This Again?” series, where we compare originals with their remakes.  Now, we may not be talking great movies this week, but the guy we’re talking about, he’s a true classic, am I right? You know him, you love him, you flee from him in terror, let’s bring him up here, folks: Godzilla! Let him hear you in the back! . . . Aaaand he’s crushed the dais and all our special guests.  Well, that’s our Godzilla! Yes, we’re discussing the original “Godzilla, King of Monsters,” one of the generative kaiju movies, and the 1998 American . . . remake? Tribute? Knockoff? Starring that king of terror, Matthew Broderick.  Say what you will, the man is no Raymond Burr.  You know the story (big lizard stomps all over major city, people object and try to stop him), but how does the telling vary? Come pick up what we’re laying down, man!

3 thoughts on “Episode 47: Godzilla (1956, 1998)”

  1. I have the Toho 2 dvd set “Gojira” with the original Japanese release and the Burr release. I have never watched the Burr dvd after seeing the original. It’s VERY different. pretty dire and sombre and there is much more character development and the story work much better. Many shots of destructions were recreations from photo of cities after the bomb dropped as were some scenes of people being treated for “godzilla radiation poisoning”. People out compare the monster to the bomb in it. I don’t think it’s in the Burr version but a mother holds her kid close and says “don’t worry we’ll be with daddy soon” before they get crushed. So despite the limited of the costume (and the weird hand puppet they used) I think it managed to be pretty intense if you are in the right mood.

    1. See, I’m sure the Japanese version is better than the American, but I like the Raymond Burr version because of its goofiness. That being said, give Toho long enough and the movies will get far goofier on their own, as you well know.

      1. Well you have had to suffer through my small smog monster obsession, so you know how i feel about that later film!

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