Re: Dinosaur TV Week

[Richard W Travsky <rtravsky@uwyo.edu>]

Be thankful they're not showing the Monster Island one, with baby 
Godzilla blowing smoke rings.

On Sat, 23 Oct 1999, Larry Dunn wrote:
> [...]
> 1:00pm
> Godzilla
> Th original and by far best of these peculiar movies. 
> Reptilian behemoth is awakened by nuclear testing and
> pursues singleminded destruction of Tokyo.  This will
> be the version with Raymond Burr crowbarred in.

The "best" because it was considered (so I've read) as a serious movie
by the Japanese, with this movie being viewed allegorically. Japan was
(and still is) the only country ever atomic bombed and Godzilla becomes
a symbol for forces beyond their/our control, etc. Pity about that
Raymond Burr crap...I'd love to see the original cut.
 
> [...]
> 11:00pm
> Godzilla vs. Kingghidora
> This is one of the 1990's Godzilla movies in which he
> looks terrifically evil, as he should.  The movies are
> simply incredibly awful.  They are physically painful
> to watch.  In this one, the litigious lizard fights a
> three-headed golden dragon.  Evil Americans are
> involved, somehow, as is time travel.  In fact, much
> of this movie is a shameless, ridiculous ripoff of the
> Terminator series.

Notable for the scene in which American troops are killed by the
proto Godzilla. As I recall, there was some controversy over this 
when it was released.
 
> [...]
> 4:35am
> Godzilla vs. Destroyer
> Those spunky little Fletcher Classes could sure put up
> a fight. (Obscure joke.)  If only.  Ridiculous spiky
> rubber suit fights Godzilla, who is himself about to
> reach critical mass.  So tedious.  It's too bad all of
> the effort in these movies went into making Godzilla
> look good, which he does.

Spoiler: Godzilla dies in this one. But not to worry! It ain't
really the end!

Stay tuned for Toho's Godzilla 2000. Due in December I think.
http://www.monsterzero.org is supposed to be the "official" site,
but it seems to be down at the moment. They're made available
clips, pics, etc. Plot: something to do with aliens needing
the G1 cells of Godzilla in order to regenerate themselves. Or
something like that.