OT: 10,000 Pt XL - Spring is (no longer) in the Air

[Limekiller]

Now that this is out I can't say I'm a fan either. The arms and the way his neck goes into his chest throw me off a bit too much(it reminds me of something but I can't exactly place it).

Could it remind you of a guy wearing a bad rubber suit?

 

[Fresnel]

If i were to watch only 1 godzilla movie... which should I watch?

 

[The Nemesis]

If i were to watch only 1 godzilla movie... which should I watch?

Depends what you want.

If you want the most interesting movie, watch the original 1954 one. The Japanese language version if possible. If you want to count it as the same movie, watch the english language re-cut with dubbing and the inserted Raymond Burr scenes too. But if you only want to pick one, I'd do the Japanese version with subs. Neither is the corny saturday afternoon matinee fare that most people associate Godzilla with. The Japanese cut is very grim and sombre and takes its theme of Godzilla as an A-Bomb allegory very seriously. The US version takes out all the anti-nuclear message (understandably given the climate of the times) and is a little bit more straightforward as a "monster movie" but it still takes itself seriously and doesn't have much cheese. And it's interesting to see that they did a very good job overall of making it seem like Burr is integral to a movie that had nothing to do with him or a character like him when it was shot.

If you're looking for something that's a bit cornier and more just the fun of people in rubber monster suits slapping the **** out of each other... Oh god. I'm not sure if I can pick just one.

If you're cool with more black & white, Mothra vs Godzilla is pretty solid. A lot of people will tell you it's the best one after the original. I'm not one of them, but that's just my own tastes and maybe I'm weird like that.

If you want something a little bit more modern, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla from the 70s (there are 3 mechagodzilla movies and they can get confusing) is one of my favorites. It's got robot godzilla, space aliens, ancient ridiculous prophecies, and features the very underrated monster Anguirus (a sort of spiky mutant snapping turtle sort of thing) as one of its supporting members. This is excatly what people think of when they remember growing up in the 80s and 90s and finding Godzilla movies on cable on Saturday afternoons.

Godzilla vs King Ghidorah from the early 90s is just crazy, crazy, crazy fun. Plus Godzilla fights a three-headed cyborg dragon that shoots lightning and there's time travel involved, so there's that going for it. It also is only available as a dub, which ups the cheese factor about 50x.

Godzilla vs Destoroyah has one of my favorite Godzilla suit designs, and has some really cool effects and brutal fights. It's also actually kind of sad at the end, but in a good way. It's also only available as a dub with no subbed JP version DVD, but it's still quite good.

and finally Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (yes, that's seriously the title. All of it.) is strikingly different as a monster-vs-monster movie that casts Godzilla as the unadulterated bad guy, but it's got some gorgeous visuals and it gives you a wide-cut swath of bits and pieces from the Godzilla history, even if it beats you over the head with the "war is bad" aesop.

I realize you asked for 1 movie and I gave you like 6. But you're basically asking me to pick which of my children I love the most

Also I think which movie is best for you comes down to what you want.


Best overall movie & most surprising movie when held against the image of Godzilla films: Gojira (1954, Japanese cut)

Best classic 60s drive-in monster movie: Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956 US recut of Gojira)

Most crazy fun: Gozilla vs King Ghidorah (1991)

Biggest monster smackdown w/Godzilla as the bad guy: GMK: GMAAA (I'm not rewriting the whole thing ) (2001)

Best example of the old-school saturday afternoon movie matinee Godzilla: Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974)

Most intense, exciting movie: Godzilla vs Destoroyah (1995)

What most people consider the best movie after the original: Godzilla vs Mothra (1964)


Really, if you know what to expect you can't go wrong with most of them. Just know that when the movie was made impacts the tone a lot. The 50s and 60s movies were often made to be strong sci-fi. The late 60s into the 70s often geared down and were more light fantasy that could appeal to kids. The 80s into the early 90s were often darker and more grown up (vs King Ghidorah and vs Spacegodzilla were crazy trippy, but not necessarily childish) and the 2000s movies were often more serious with a heavier dose of moralizing (except Final Wars, but that was kind of a mess)

Except that under no circumstances would I recommend you watch any of: the 1998 US one with Matthew Broderick, Godzilla's Revenge (aka All Monsters Attack), Godzilla vs Megalon, or Godzilla vs Hedorah (aka Godzilla vs the Smog Monster). All of them are awful in their own unbearable ways.

 

[The Nemesis]

Looking back now that I remember that Hideaki Anno of Neon Genesis Evangelion fame is one of the directors/overseers on the film, the sort of cosmic horror look of the new Godzilla suit makes a lot more sense.

It doesn't mean I like it any better, but I understand it a little more.

 

[Fresnel]

thanks Nem

 

[The Nemesis]

thanks Nem

No prob. You hit my biggest nerd button, right up there with The Transformers. So I realize I probably went overboard in giving you a long answer that was like 6 or 7 answers instead of just pointing you at a move. I hope it wasn't overwhelming.

and honestly, this discussion has now piqued my interest in ranking my own preference for the movies and seeing how my belief in what I think of a lot of them holds up if I watch them all again in short order (I haven't seen several of the movies for at least 5 years) That's also always a tricky proposition because there's this general sense that if you "care" about the movies enough to consider ranking them on quality/watchability/whatever that you're taking giant monster rubber suit sci-fi movies too seriously. In looking at other lists for the franchise, it's hilarious to watch the fight that broke out on Reddit (redditors acting like idiots? Shocking, I know) between camps that believe "I hate movie X because it's dumb", "all the godzilla movies are dumb and you're even more dumb for caring enough to differentiate between levels of dumb" and "all of you are dumb because liking something differently than how I do just means you're trying to be edgy and different and it's dumb because you're dumb for thinking that you're not as dumb as everyone else."

Maybe I'll try to halfway-marathon through the series over the next little while if I have some spare time. Only problem is that even if I could guarantee being able to watch 2 movies per night every night, it'd take me a little over 2 weeks to finish

 

[slocal]

I will always be partial to Godzilla 1985/The Return of Godzilla. The ending gets me to tear up every time.

PS: US version doesn't allow the Soviet captain to be the good guy.

 

[The Nemesis]

I will always be partial to Godzilla 1985/The Return of Godzilla. The ending gets me to tear up every time.

PS: US version doesn't allow the Soviet captain to be the good guy.

Yeah, that's hilarious. They recut the climax of the movie to make sure the soviet guy looks like either a villain or incompetent boob.

It could've been worse though if Raymond Burr hadn't fought to keep things from becoming a screwball "What's Up Tiger Lily" type comedy dub.

My overall initial instinct on the movies is that there's generally going to be 5-6 that you like, 4-5 that you hate, and a giant mess of like 20 movies in the middle that are all more or less on the same tier, and which ones you enjoy or don't will depend on your mood at a given time.

 

[rangerssharks414]

Jeopardy was amazing today.

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

Cousin got a FRS today, manual too. What a sick ride.

 

[Pavelski2112]

Just did sound for Bl'ast, one of the earliest Santa Cruz skate punk bands. Their bassist was in Kyuss originally, and their drummer was in Queens of the Stone Age. So goddamn loud, oh man.

 

[Limekiller]

Speaking of musical incidents, went to the Underworld concert tonight in Oakland. Verrah nice. Kinda liked the Fox Theater. Sound was actually pretty good.

 

[Pavelski2112]

Speaking of musical incidents, went to the Underworld concert tonight in Oakland. Verrah nice. Kinda liked the Fox Theater. Sound was actually pretty good.

I like the Fox. Reminds me of a larger Warfield.

 

[Limekiller]

I like the Fox. Reminds me of a larger Warfield.

You know, I hadn't even thought of it that way, but you're right. That's almost exactly what it's like.

 

[Used As A Shield]

Hey guys, I remember in the past seeing some of you guys had DVR search strings/code to record all sharks games on comcast, tried doing a search for it myself but having a hard time finding relevant hits... Does anyone still have these?
Going to try and set it up for the playoffs, as I may have to be out of town for a week or two and doubt i'd be able to stream (even if there was a legal way). Any help tracking down that old info is appreciated, as just trying to record series of "NHL Playoffs" records all games regardless if sharks are in it or not :/

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

'94 300zx manual
165k miles
$4500

Should I look into it?

 

[LadyStanley]

Hey guys, I remember in the past seeing some of you guys had DVR search strings/code to record all sharks games on comcast, tried doing a search for it myself but having a hard time finding relevant hits... Does anyone still have these?
Going to try and set it up for the playoffs, as I may have to be out of town for a week or two and doubt i'd be able to stream (even if there was a legal way). Any help tracking down that old info is appreciated, as just trying to record series of "NHL Playoffs" records all games regardless if sharks are in it or not :/

Buy a TiVo.

You can set up a recurring "Sharks hockey" wish list.

AND you can connect via TiVo app on your phone or tablet to watch games on the go.

 

[WTFetus]

http://www.nickandmore.com/2016/04/18/disney-channel-to-air-4-day-51-movie-dcom-marathon/

In celebration of Disney Channel’s 100th original movie...the cast is hosting a special 4-day Memorial Day Weekend DCOM marathon.

There has to be other DCOM fans here.

 

[LadyStanley]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/18/entertainment/doris-roberts-dies-obit/

RIP Doris Roberts, 90

Loved her in Remington Steele. But the younger crowd may know her better as the mom in Everyone Loves Raymond.

 

[LadyStanley]

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/04/20/harriet-tubman-replace-andrew-jackson-20-bill/

Harriet Tubman to replace Andrew Jackson on the US$20 bill.

 

[Grave]

Look what got inside

 

[Bizz]

welp it happened. lady came into my lane and sideswiped me on 280 on the way to the Sharks game this afternoon. My Mustang being the tank that it is got out with minimal damage while her front end got smashed up pretty good. my left mirror might need to be replaced but that's about it.

 

[Led Zappa]

Prince has passed away at 57

RIP

 

[hockeyball]

Prince has passed away at 57

RIP

If you have never listened to Kevin Smiths story about prince, it is one of the most well told stories I have ever heard. Really a great glimpse into this insanely talented and incredibly bizarre man.

 

[rangerssharks414]

welp it happened. lady came into my lane and sideswiped me on 280 on the way to the Sharks game this afternoon. My Mustang being the tank that it is got out with minimal damage while her front end got smashed up pretty good. my left mirror might need to be replaced but that's about it.

I hope you're okay.