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| 12/14/04: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DVD REVIEW: SON OF GODZILLA and GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS Sony Scores with Latest Godzilla Releases for America Author: Keith Aiken Source: Sony Pictures, Toho Pictures Photos Courtesy of Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment Special Thanks to August Ragone (from the Godzillafest program book)
SON OF GODZILLA For many Godzilla fans SON OF GODZILLA is considered one of the weakest films in the series, mostly due to the title character Minya (aka Minilla, known as Minira in the Japanese version) and the rather poor design of the Godzilla suit. In truth, the film is an underrated gem that deserves a second look. While SON OF GODZILLA is not to be taken seriously, it was never intended to be... the film is supposed to be an entertaining popcorn flick and, thanks to a solid story, a strong cast, and quality visual effects, it definitely succeeds on that level. Released in Japan as BATTLE ON MONSTER ISLAND: SON OF GODZILLA (Kaijuto-no Kessen: Gojira-no Musuko), this film was the second of two consecutive "jungle island adventures" by director Jun Fukuda. According to Fukuda, SON OF GODZILLA was "an attempt to go in a new direction because all the variations of monster movies had been used up." The idea for a movie about a baby Godzilla came from producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, who assigned Shinichi Sekizawa (MOTHRA, GODZILLA VS THE THING, GHIDRAH THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER) to write the screenplay. Sekizawa's script was later polished by writer Kazue Shiba.
In order to show a greater contrast in size between Godzilla and his son, the towering baseball legend Seiji Onaka was tapped for the role of Godzilla while seasoned "little person" Ma-chan played Minya. Regular Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima was relegated to Godzilla's water scenes (using the suit from GODZILLA VS THE SEA MONSTER) since the new Godzilla suit was fitted specifically for the much taller Onaka, who later stated "The suit was so heavy I thought I would die." When Onaka broke his fingers after completing only a few scenes another tall performer, Hiroshi Sekita (Sanda in WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS), stepped into the Godzilla suit.
The beautiful cinematography by Akira Kurosawa's regular camera Kazuo Yamada was filmed primarily on location in Guam, with additional shots at Lake Yamana, Oshima, Gotemba, and the soundstages at Toho Studios. Rounding out the production is a marvelous score by Masaru Sato (GODZILLA VS THE SEA MONSTER, GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA, YOJIMBO).
The disc automatically loads to the Previews Menu which features the Japanese teaser trailer for GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS and promos for GODZILLA: THE SERIES - THE MONSTER WARS TRILOGY, the poor-looking CGI feature KAENA: THE PROPHECY, and a new trailer for STEAMBOY, the latest anime film from acclaimed director Katsuhiro Otomo (AKIRA). There is also a lengthy "Godzilla Compilation Trailer" for Sony's recent and upcoming Godzilla DVDs made up of scenes from TOKYO SOS. The Main Menu accesses the usual selection of features; "Play Movie", "Languages", "Scene Selections" (there are 12 chapter stops), and "Previews". The movie itself is presented in 2:35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Those who have only seen the old, faded pan & scan US prints of SON OF GODZILLA are in for a treat; the Tohoscope cinematography and vivid colors look absolutely stunning here. The print on display is the "Toho International" version; the credit sequences are in English, but the film is otherwise (with the exception of new TriStar and Toho logos) identical to the original Japanese release. The pre-title sequence of a plane encountering Godzilla a sea during a storm (featuring ULTRAMAN star Susumu Kurobe) and the opening credits are now available form the first time in America.
One big complaint is the cost of this DVD (and all the recent Godzilla discs). When multi-disc special editions of many films sell for under $20.00, Sony's suggested retail price of $24.96 is too high for a single disc release with no real extras.
In early 2003, director Masaaki Tezuka (GODZILLA VS MEGAGUIRUS) wrote a proposal for a film that would be a direct sequel to both the classic movie MOTHRA (1961) and his own GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA (2002). Feeling that he had focused too much on Mechagodzilla and its pilot Akane Yashiro (played by model-turned- actress Yumiko Shaku) in the previous film, Tezuka resolved to shift the attention back on Godzilla by showcasing the monster's powerful and animalistic nature. He also found a powerful hook to tie the popular Mothra into the story by reviving the character Shinichi Chujo (played by veteran actor Hiroshi Koizumi in both MOTHRA and TOKYO SOS). Toho quickly approved Tezuka's idea, and producer Shogo Tomiyama assigned him to write the screenplay with Masahiro Yokotani (PYROKINESIS, GMK). To helm the movies special effects, Tezuka and Tomiyama chose supervisor Eiichi Asada (GODZILLA FINAL WARS). Asada had joined Toho in 1973 and worked as an assistant to effects directors Teruyoshi Nakano and Koichi Kawakita on such films as GODZILLA VS MEGALON, SUBMERSION OF JAPAN, SAYONARA JUPITER, and GODZILLA 1985. A proponent of the traditional effects methods of Eiji Tsuburaya, Asada worked to create exciting visuals with minimal use of CGI by working closely with designer Shinji Nishikawa (GODZILLA VS BIOLLANTE- GODZILLA FINAL WARS) and monster maker Shinichi Wakasa (GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA II- GODZILLA FINAL WARS) on the most effective ways to bring the monsters to cinematic life. Godzilla and Mechagodzilla return with only slight modifications from the previous film; the most obvious change to the King of the Monsters is a large chest scar from a wound received at the end of GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA. The big difference this time out is in the performance of Godzilla suit actor Tsutomu Kitagawa. Aided by Wakasa's animatronic props, Kitagawa truly makes Godzilla come to life and delivers the brutal and animalist beast Tezuka had envisioned. Mechagodzilla sports new weaponry and a more weathered appearance. In addition, suit actor Motokuni Nakagawa's take on the character creates a much stronger sense of mass and weight than in the previous movie.
The cast is made up of Toho veterans and newcomers, with first-timer Noboru Kaneko (HUNDRED BEAST TASK FORCE: GAORANGER) in the lead role as Mechagodzilla mechanic Yoshito Chujo, and former model Miho Yoshiko playing pilot Azusa Kisaragi. The popular Akira Nakao returns in his supporting role as the Japanese Prime Minister, while Yumiko Shaku appears in a cameo to bridge the events of GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA. The real standout performance comes from Hiroshi Koizumi who reprises his role from MOTHRA after 43 years and adds a needed element of history to the proceedings. Opening in Japan on December 13, 2003 as GODZILLA X MOTHRA X MECHAGODZILLA: TOKYO SOS (Gojira x Mosura x Mekagojira: Tokyo SOS), the film was the top-grossing domestic release of the holiday season, but was seriously hurt at the box office by the American imports FINDING NEMO and THE LAST SAMURAI. Toho retitled the movie GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS for international sales and the film had its US premiere as part of the "Godzilla 50th Anniversary Celebration" at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on June 25, 2004. Since then, the movie has screened at a handful of US festivals, the most recent being Bay Area Film Events' "Godzillafest" in San Francisco. The Sony DVD marks the first time GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS will be officially available to most American fans.
The DVD loads to a series of previews for Sony titles, all of which are also accessible from the Previews Menu. The selection includes all the previews available on the SON OF GODZILLA DVD plus another for ANACONDAS: THE HUNT FOR THE BLOOD ORCHID. The Main Menu features the usual assortment of features (including 28 chapter stops for the movie) plus a "Behind the Scenes Featurette". GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS is in 2:35:1 anamorphic widescreen, and the picture quality is excellent with strong colors and minimal artifacting. This is Toho's international version of the film; while the edit is the exact same as the Japanese release, the opening title is obscured by an English overlay, all Japanese text has been translated into English, and the closing credits are also in English. Since the film is not cut at all, Sony was once again able to include both the original Japanese audio and a new English dub, both of which are in 5.1 Dolby Digital. The English dubbing was not done by Sony; it was created for Toho to use in foreign sales. All the dialogue has been dubbed, even those lines already spoken in English in the Japanese version. The end result is adequate... the quality of the dub is equal to the one done for GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA. While a far cry from the glory days of Titra Sound Studios, the English dub is a vast improvement of the atrocity inflicted on GMK. The English subtitles are similar to those featured on Toho's theatrical print screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival in November, 2003 and across America this past year. While they convey the story well, they are not an exact translation of the Japanese dialogue...the most obvious example is that Mechagodzilla's real name Kiryu (meaning "Mechanical Dragon") is never used although that name, not Mechagodzilla, is heard repeatedly in the Japanese audio. Despite this, they should not be labeled "dubtitles" since the subs were done long before the dubbing was recorded.
THE FUTURE Sony will next release DVDs of GODZILLA VS THE SEA MONSTER (1966) and GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA II (1993) on February 8, 2005. This will bring the number of Godzilla movies available on Sony DVD to 15, with 10 of those films released in little more than a year. While details are still sketchy at this point, Sony has announced that SEA MONSTER and MECHAGODZILLA II will be in widescreen, with both Japanese and English audio, and feature "Bonus Trailers". They have also provided art and the plot synopsis for both films: GODZILLA VS THE SEA MONSTER: "A young man gathers two friends together and sails into the South Pacific in search of his brother. En route, they encounter a fugitive who takes them on his escape. Caught in a severe storm, they arrive at Letchi Island where natives of Infant Island have been enslaved by the terrorist organization Red Bamboo. Red Bamboo runs a heavy water factory to process a juice which holds off the monster Ebirah. The young men meet a beautiful but tough Daiyo, who has escaped her captors, and they wake up Godzilla to put an end to the Red Bamboo."
Meanwhile, on a remote island polluted by nuclear waste, a team of scientists discover a gigantic egg in a pteranodon nest and bring it home for study. When a Baby Godzilla hatches, both Rodan and Godzilla return to claim the cuddly infant as their own. Will their monstrous maternal instincts cause a custody battle capable of destroying Mother Earth? Or will Mechagodzilla prove an effective eradicator, leaving Baby Godzilla an orphan for life?" |
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| 11/18/04: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLICITY MATERIAL FOR GODZILLA FINAL WARS Source: Toho Co., Ltd The following text is taken directly from Toho’s international sales flyer for GODZILLA FINAL WARS... GODZILLA--- its repeated attacks have racked the world as a bizarre nightmare!
Godzilla first appeared in 1954 and caused a sensation. The enormous reptile trampled familiar Tokyo streets causing widespread panic. The film underscored the limitless possibilities of the motion picture medium and techniques that make imaginary monsters take on terrifying reality. Godzilla gave Japan’s confused postwar population a new source of entertainment. At the same time, it warned the world about the murderous potential of the international nuclear race and disrupted peace. After a half century of making Godzilla hits - 27 in all - Toho now brings to the screen the most spectacular Godzilla yet as a climax celebrating the end of this highly popular series. Godzilla fought 25 times, won 18 of the bouts, and came out even three times. GODZILLA FINAL WARS will mark the last great battle and promise to long remain in every moviegoer’s memory. Filmed on location in New York, Paris, Shanghai, Sydney, and Tokyo, four camera crews worked simultaneously for an amazing first of this exciting series. To create a new style of action scenes, Toho chose a fresh, highly talented director- Ryuhei Kitamura- one of Japan’s best, whose works have won many awards. When offered the job, he was already negotiating to make a Hollywood movie, but postponed the opportunity to join Toho for the final Godzilla spectacle. Godzilla stands as the all-time entertainment triumph of Japan. But all good things must come to an end and Toho has spared nothing to make it the greatest ever. THE STORY Incessant wars and nuclear explosions have steadily eroded the global environment, and overdeveloped science has awakened a large number of monsters from hibernation. Having forgone generations of fighting one another, men find themselves in a new era of joining forces to combat the threat of giant monsters. To accomplish this, they assembled an international military organization, the Earth-Defense Force consisting of talented mutants called Organization M. In Hokkaido, Japan’s northern most island prefecture, the mummy of a mysterious monster is found. Shinichi Ozaki, one of Organization M’s mutants, investigates the discovery with Miyuki Otonashi, a biologist sent from the United Nations. Meanwhile, monsters simultaneously attack cities around the world- New York, Paris, Shanghai, Sydney... the Earth-Defense Force promptly mobilizes its’ combatants, but they find themselves outnumbered by the monsters. The world is plunged into panic. In the confusion, a military aircraft becomes missing with U.N. Secretary-General, Daigo, aboard. Earth-Defense Force headquarters does its’ utmost to defeat the monsters. Nothing seems to work. Ozaki tries to purge the monsters using supernatural power in cooperation with Kazama, another mutant combatant. While the battle rages, UFOs appear in the sky and radiate beams, which quickly disperse the monsters. Instead, they gather in Japan, where Earth-Defense Force headquarters is located. From one of the UFOs alights Secretary-General Daigo, who has been missing, and he proposes an affiliation with the aliens from Planet X. The heads of nations around the world agree to shake hands with the aliens. Harboring doubts about the aliens’ intentions, however, Ozaki and Miyuki start investigating them, teaming with Anna, Miyuki’s sister, who works as a newscaster. They ask the captain of a giant submarine, "Goten", for help. With them aboard the huge vessel, the final war begins. Meanwhile, deep under the ice of Antarctica, the king of the monsters sleeps- Godzilla.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR - RYUHEI KITAMURA Ryuhei Kitamura was born May 30, 1969, in Osaka. At 17, he went to Australia to study cinematography at the School of Visual Arts. He made his first film, EXIT before graduation and won acclaim when awarded the year’s best director prize. After returning to Japan, he made an action/horror movie, DOWN TO HELL (1997), which earned him the first Indies Movie Festival grand prix. Later, he made his initial feature film VERSUS (2000), which won prizes at various international film festivals. His recent work AZUMI (2003) is a new type action-packed period play replete with his original ideas. He was five when a movie gripped his heart for the first time in his life. It was GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA (1974), fourteenth in the series. This may have affected his style of film making. One might say that he was destined to make a brilliant finale for the Godzilla series. "I consider it my greatest honor to direct the last Godzilla film with the best possible staff, cast, and monsters," said Kitamura. "I am ready to present a superb example of fast, exciting monster battles using Japan’s excellent special effects to the fullest. I hope it will be able to wrest the throne of entertainment from Hollywood." His works include: FILMOGRAPHY (1997), HEAT AFTER DARK (1999), ALIVE (2002), THE MESSENGER (2002), ARAGAMI (2002). GODZILLA FINAL WARS Toho Co., Ltd presents a Toho Pictures production Directed by: Ryuhei Kitamura Producer: Shogo Tomiyama Screenplay: Wataru Mimura and Isao Kiriyama Music: Keith Emerson Special Effects: Eiichi Asada Title Designer: Kyle Cooper Starring: Masahito Matsuoka, Rei Kikukawa, Don Frye, Maki Mizuno, Kazuki Kitamura, Kane Kosugi, Kumi Mizuno, Kenji Sahara, Masami Nagasawa, Chihiro Otsuka, Shigeru Izumiya, Masakatsu Funaki, Masatou Ibu, Jun Kunimura, and Akira Takarada Color- 7 reels- Approximately 124 minutes This film has not been rated. Some materials (monster violence and certain language) may not be suitable for children.
http://www.godzilla.co.jp |
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| 11/18/04: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| THE DEVIL GETS HIS DUE Go Nagai's classic anime DEVILMAN goes live-action! Writers: Keith Aiken and John Cassidy Translations and research: John Cassidy with Oki Miyano, August Ragone, and Aaron Cooper Source: Source: Official DEVILMAN Site, Toei Animation Publicity Materials
- Akira Fudo in DEVILMAN DEVILMAN (Debiruman), the popular anime and manga character created by Go Nagai (CUTIE HONEY, MAZINGER Z), has made the leap to the big screen as a live-action theatrical feature from Toei. Budgeted at $9.4 million (US), the film combines live-action footage shot by Toei Tokyo Film Studio and CGI footage from sister division and anime pioneer Toei Animation to create "living anime" - realistic depictions of extraordinary characters and events. This special effects process has been dubbed T-Visual (Toei Visual). Filming was originally intended to wrap in May for a June 5th release in Japan, but post-production (including the completion of more than 100 shots by T-Visual) held up the movie until October 9th. DEVILMAN was first produced as an animated series for Toei Animation (then known as Toei Doga) by Nagai, his Dynamic Productions, Toei Animation, and NET (Nippon Educational Television, now TV Asahi). Part of a one-hour Hero/Monster series lead-in to KIKAIDA, DEVILMAN aired for 39 episodes from July 8th, 1972 to April 7th, 1973. While many fans believe the animated television series was adapted from the manga, in truth the comic book version was created to promote the show while it was on the air (this was also done for other shows, including MASKED RIDER and MAZINGER Z). There was a monthly manga aimed at young adult readers while other manga versions appeared in additional children's magazines from the same publishers.
And now, a new version of the legend has been created to attract fans both old and new with a tale of friendship, love, courage, betrayal, and anger.
In the midst of this chaos, Ryo asks Akira to unite with the demon Amon; if successful Akira will possess the demon's power and be able to use it for good. Once merged with Amon, Akira's heart and strong will prevail and he is now able to transform into the "demonic human" named Devilman. Akira now must fight alongside and against Ryo (who is revealed to be the reincarnation of Satan) and carry the heavy burden of protecting not only his beloved Miki Makimura, but the rest of the world as well. In the abyss of despair that may spell mankind's demise, Devilman alone must fight this sad battle to assure a future for humanity. . .
The cast features an eclectic mix of actors, musicians, models, and professional athletes, led by twin brothers Hisato and Yusuke Izaki as, respectively, Akira Fudo and Ryo Asuka. Hisato won a Judges' Special Award after placing 13th in the 2000 Junon Superboy Contest, and has been active in TV, commercials, radio, and other media ever since. Hisato described his character as a man of peace torn by what he has become; "Akira has very firm principles. No matter how much he's hit, he'll never hit back. But when he becomes Devilman, he does things he wouldn't do normally. That conflict is interesting." Yusuke has starred in TV shows such as ShinD's ROPPONGI WILD BEAST PARTY and movies including SEVENTEEN (2002). The two 20 year-olds (born May 17th, 1984 in Osaka) are members of the Japanese boy band Flame who released their debut album, "Beat Of My Heart", on October 3, 2001. Ayana Sakai plays Akira's love interest Miki Makimura. Born May 16th, 1985 in Chiba, Sakai was the star of TV's AIM FOR THE ACE!, and appeared in such movies as Takashi Miike's N-GIRLS VS VAMPIRE (Tennen Shojo Man Next: Yokohama Hyaku-ya Hen, 1999), BOOGIEPOP PHANTOM: BOOGIEPOP AND OTHERS (Boogiepop wa Warawanai, 2000), and BATTLE ROYALE II: REQUIEM (2003, directed by the late Kinji Fukasaku and his son Kenta). She has also been featured in fashion magazines like "Ray."
Another newcomer to cinema is the popular fashion model Ai Tominaga who plays the villainous "devil bird" Silene, Amon's lover and Devilman's mortal enemy. Born in 1982 in Kanagawa, she has appeared in commercials for Otsuka Pharmaceutical's Oronamin C, Cadbury Japan's Chlorets, Kanabou's ProStyle, and the "Fish McDipper" for McDonald's Japan. Tominaga has also taken part in a FTBC campaign against breast cancer, and is currently developing her own brand-name products, Sardynx and Deep Sweet Easy (with a name like that, it has to be good!). Veteran pop musician Ryudo Uzaki has the role of Keisuke Makimura. He was born in Kyoto on February 23rd, 1946. In collaboration with his wife Yoko Aki, Uzaki has had a successful performing career in music, live concerts, films, theater, and drama. He composed the music score for and appeared in the 1978 film FLAMENCO DOUBLE SUICIDE OF SONEZAKI (Sonezaki Shinju directed by Yasuzo Masumura) and also produced the music for the 2003 stage adaptation of that story. Other recent credits performances include the movies G@ME (2003, directed by Satoshi Isaka), CHOICE OF HERCULES (Totsunyuseyo! Asama Sanso Jiken, 2002, directed by Masato Harada), and BIG MAMA (Kah- Chan, 2001, directed by Kon Ichikawa). Uzaki is well known to Japanese fantasy fans for his theme songs for shows like MASKED RIDER BLACK and HEAVY SHELL B-FIGHTER as well as his performance as the heroic Admiral Taizo Tachibana in GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK(Gojira, Mosura, Kingu Ghidora: Daikaiju Soshingeki, 2001, directed by Shusuke Kaneko).
Rounding out the cast is American Bob "The Beast" Sapp , a 350 lb kickboxer who is a popular K-1 fighter in Japan. Born September 22nd, 1974 in Colorado, Sapp played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings until an injury forced him to retire. He then enrolled in the World Championship Wrestling program. After the WCW went bankrupt, Sapp found his true calling in the K-1 Mixed Martial Arts program in Japan. His K-1 success has lead to countless performances for TV shows and commercials. Sapp appears as World Newscaster Morrison in DEVILMAN. Pop star Hiro (Hiroko Shimabukuro) provides the film's theme song "In the Light". She was one of the lead vocalists in the girl group Speed, and went solo with the album "As Time Goes By". A CD single of "In the Light" was released on September 23rd, and the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack went on sale on October 6th.
Akira Fudo/Devilman: Hisato Izaki Ryo Asuka: Yusuke Izaki Miki Makimura: Ayana Sakai Miiko: Asuka Shibuya Keisuke Makimura: Ryudo Uzaki Emi Makimura: Yoko Aki Silene: Ai Tominaga World Newscaster: Bob Sapp STAFF Chief Producer: Shigeru Tomaru Planning: Shigeyuki Endo, Kouzo Morishita Producers: Michiko Tominaga, Toshiyuki Matsui, Hiromi Kitazaki Based on characters created by Go Nagai Director: Hiroyuki Nasu Screenplay: Machiko Nasu Devilman Concept Design: Katsuya Terada Character Design: Yu Kinutani VFX Producer/Special Effects Director: Hiroshi Butsuda CG Producer: Takeshi Himi CG Supervisor: Koichi Noguchi Producer: Atsu Ikeda Casting Producer: Yasuhiro Fukuoka Photography: Tetsuro Sano Special Effects & VFX Coordinator: Masachiyo Takahashi Production Designer: Hiroshi Wada Lighting: Takeshi Okubo Sound Recording: Toshio Yuwaki Editor: Shin'ya Tadano Action Coordinator: Akihiro Noguchi VFX Production: Toei Animation Produced in cooperation with Toei Tokyo Film Studio In association with Borderphone, Peugeot-Japon Technical Cooperation: Panasonic Digital Soft Laboratory DEVILMAN Production Committee: Toei/Toei Animation/Toei Video/TV Asahi/Bandai Distributed by Toei Company Ltd. Visit the official DEVILMAN site for more information and the theatrical trailer. Additional Photos we just had to share! The Following images are © 2004 Go Nagai/Dynamic Planning/Toei Co. Ltd. |
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| 11/10/04: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WHO WON TICKETS TO THE WORLD PREMIERE OF GODZILLA FINAL WARS? The Winners and Correct Answers to Henshin! Online’s GODZILLA FINAL WARS Premiere Ticket Contest are Announced! Special Thanks to Toho Co., Ltd
The response to Toho and Henshin! Online’s GODZILLA FINAL WARS Premiere Ticket Contest was phenomenal! We received hundreds of entries and want to thank everyone who took the time to enter. The winners were randomly selected from the contestants who correctly answered all five trivia questions posted on Henshin! Online. Showtime is at 7 pm on 2004, and passes will be available "Will Call" at the theater starting at 5 pm that day. In order for H!O contest winners to claim their prize they must: A. RSVP by email to gfw_tickets@henshinonline.com by 12am on November 15th. Once the RSVP is sent your name will be added to the "Will Call" list. B. Be at the theater between 5 and 6 pm on November 29th to pick up their passes. If any winner does not RSVP or is deemed otherwise unavailable for prize fulfillment, they forfeit all claim to the tickets and an alternate winner will be selected at random from the runner-up list. All other rules and conditions previously posted at Henshin! Online are applicable. THE WINNERS: Congratulations! Each winner receives one pair of passes to the GODZILLA FINAL WARS world premiere. Make sure to RSVP as soon as possible to confirm your prize! THE ANSWERS:
THE RUNNER-UP LIST: The following contestants answered all 5 questions correctly and qualified for the final drawing. If any of the prize winners becomes ineligible for the GODZILLA FINAL WARS, a new winner will be randomly drawn from this list:
DON’T FORGET: Attendees of Godzillafest in San Francisco will have a chance to win GODZILLA FINAL WARS premiere tickets from November 17-23. Check the official website for details on the festival and the GODZILLA FINAL WARS ticket giveaway. |
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| 11/07/04: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GODZILLA FINAL WARS INTERVIEW: SHINICHI WAKASA The Man Who Makes the Monsters Discusses His Work on Godzilla's 50th Anniversary Film Author: Keith Aiken Special thanks to Oki Miyano and Toho Co., Ltd. 
A lifelong Godzilla fan, Shinichi Wakasa saw his first monster suit when the King of the Monsters appeared at a children's publicity event for MOTHRA AGAINST GODZILLA in 1964. By the age of 18 he was a professional effects artist working on the cult classic MESSAGE FROM SPACE (Uchukara-no Messeji, 1978), and in his early 20's he established the fx house Monsters, Inc. with good friends Tomoo Haraguchi (the Heisei Gamera tilogy and director of SAKUYA: SLAYER OF DEMONS, 2000 and BAKKO YOKAIDEN KIBAKICHI, 2003) and Chieko Tsuneoka (who moved on to a position with the Japanese bureau of the NY Times). One of their earliest assignments was to create monsters for the "Ultra Legend" pictorials for Shogakukan Publishing's TV-Kun magazine, which led to Tsuburaya Productions' short-lived Ultraman spin-off series ANDRO MELOS (Andoromerosu, 1983). Since then, Monsters, Inc. has created monster suits, props, and animatronics for a variety of film and television projects, including Tsuburaya Productions' ULTRAMAN TIGA (Urutoraman Tiga, 1996) and ULTRAMAN COSMOS (Urutoraman Kosumosu, 2001) television series, and the theatrical feature ULTRAMAN COSMOS 2: THE BLUE PLANET (Urutoraman Kosumosu 2: Buru Puranetto, 2002). Wakasa is also responsible for the Soldier Legion from GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF LEGION (Gamera 2 Legion Shurai, 1996), the burn makeup effects for PYROKINESIS (Kurosufaia, 2000) and also supervised effects on the splatter hit EVIL DEAD TRAP (Shiro-no Wana, 1988). With Monsters, Inc., Wakasa has built or supervised the creation of more than half of Toho's recent monsters. His credits include a veritable "who's who" of Toho beasts; Fire Rodan in GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA 2 (Gojira tai Mekagojira, 1993), the Sea God Muba in OROCHI: THE EIGHT-HEADED DRAGON (Yamato Takeru, 1994), Space Godzilla and Little Godzilla in GODZILLA VS SPACE GODZILLA (Gojira tai Supeesu Gojira, 1994), the aggregate and final stage Destoroyahs in GODZILLA VS DESTOROYAH (Gojira tai Desutoria, 1995), Death Ghidorah in REBIRTH OF MOTHRA (Mosura, 1996), Dagarah from REBIRTH OF MOTHRA 2 (Mosura 2: Kaitei-no Daikessen, 1997), both Grand King Ghidorah and Rainbow Mothra from REBIRTH OF MOTHRA 3 (Mosura 3: Kingughidora Raishu, 1998), and finally Godzilla himself in GODZILLA 2000 (Gojira Ni-sen Mireniamu, 1999). Wakasa went on to build the Godzilla suits and props for 4 of the next 5 Godzilla films, as well as his opponents Orga (G2000), Megaguirus from GODZILLA VS MEGAGUIRUS (Gojira X Megaguirus: G Shometsu Sakusen, 2000), Kiryu in GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA (Gojira X Mekagojira, 2002), and Kiryu, Kamoebas, and the imago and larval Mothras in GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS (Gojira X Mothra X Mekagojira: Tokyo SOS, 2003). The monster army in GODZILLA FINAL WARS proved to be Wakasa's biggest assignment to date. After wrapping up his work on the film, he took a brief vacation in America where he visited friends in Dallas and Los Angeles. The following interview was conducted on September 20th, 2004 in Hollywood, CA.
H!O: Whose idea was it to include the American Godzilla is this film? WAKASA: I think that was Mr. Kitamura's. H!O: Obviously, some of the monsters will have more prominent roles in FINAL WARS while others will only be seen briefly. Would you explain how important each monster is to the story? WAKASA:Sure... the A-list monsters were Godzilla, Minya, Angilas, Rodan, King Caesar, Gigan, and Monster X. Those seven characters are the most important. H!O: Okay. So who are the B-list monsters? WAKASA:The B-list is Kamakiras, Kumonga, and Manda. H!O: Are there any C-list monsters? WAKASA:I'm sorry... Hedorah is a 'C'. H!O: So Hedorah is dead last. [laughs]
H!O: It's okay. I like Hedorah, but obviously time and resources have to go toward the monsters with the most screen time. WAKASA:Right. H!O: Were there any monsters that didn't make the cut that you wish were in the movie? WAKASA:No, I think we had enough monsters for this one. [laughs] H!O: When you are building one of the monster suits, Godzilla for example, how much freedom do you have to rework the design? WAKASA:I don't change the designs because there are already approved concepts created by three artists for this film. First was Mr. [Katsuya] Terada; he worked on Monster X. Next is Mr. Yasushi Nirasawa; he designed Gigan and the Xilians. The other monsters were designed by Shinji Nishikawa. But this year was very interesting because Mr. Terada and Mr. Nirasawa were both very busy. For Monster X, only three pieces were drawn. The first design was a very rough sketch, then another draft of the front of the monster was done. That one was done in both color and black-and-white, but it was the same thing. H!O: So the design of Monster X was finalized very quickly. WAKASA:Yes, because Mr. Terada is very busy... a very busy designer. H!O: For the past few films Mr. Nishikawa was in charge of the monster designs. Were other designers like Mr. Terada and Mr. Niraswa brought onboard to bring more variety to the look of the movie? WAKASA:They were hired at Mr. Kitamura's request. Note: To find out more about these designers, check out Henshin! Online's 05/28/04 Article: LET THE BATTLE BEGIN! H!O: Was the new FINAL WARS Godzilla concept design created by Mr. Nishikawa? WAKASA:No. There was no new design. H!O: Really? So how did the changes like the thinner body come about?
H!O: Working with ideas from Mr. Kitamura, I assume. WAKASA:And Mr. [Eiichi] Asada, yeah. H!O: How about Godzilla's face? Was it your decision to have the new Godzilla be a composite of several of the older designs? WAKASA:Yeah, I thought the look of the face was very important. This movie is the 50th Anniversary of the series so I gave Godzilla's appearance a lot of thought. Godzilla has a lot of hardcore fans, and if you ask a hundred of them what they'd want Godzilla to look like you'll get a hundred different answers: "I love the Mosugoji", "I love the Giragoji", "I love the Heisei Goji", or "Battogoji" or every other suit. My first Godzilla suit was for GODZILLA 2000. Some people said "I hate it because it looks like a frog" or "Whatever it is, I don't like it". I understand their feelings, but Godzilla 2000 was not my design. [Special effects director Kenji] Suzuki and other crewmembers said to make the head bigger and to have the mouth go back farther. H!O: So the hinge of the jaw was set far back behind the eyes. WAKASA:Yeah, exactly. It was a very difficult job on GODZILLA 2000. I had a lot of ideas, but there was no time on the movie; there was only about 40 days, you know. H!O: To build the suit? WAKASA:Yes. I had to make a cast of Mr. [Tsutomu] Kitagawa's body, then sculpt the new Godzilla, do the molding, everything; the whole job in 40 days. It was very difficult. I was much more relaxed on GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA. In that case, Mr. [Masaaki] Tezuka was the only person making decisions about the suit and I trust Mr. Tezuka very much. He requested the smaller face and that Godzilla's mouth not be so big. But this year is the 50th Anniversary so I thought of the Heisei Godzilla, and Mosugoji, and the '54 Godzilla. I think the new suit is a very good mix of them all. H!O: What specific features from the older suits did you use? WAKASA:I can't remember anymore. [laughs] I'm sorry.
Each different Godzilla suit is usually given its own name. Have you chosen one yet for the new Godzilla suit? WAKASA:Some people call it "Figoji". H!O: Is that what the staff called it? WAKASA:No... no. That is the name thought up by Godzilla freaks... the extreme fans. H!O: Oh, the otaku? [laughs] WAKASA:Yes. [laughs] I haven't decided on the final name, but I'm thinking it will be "50Godzilla". H!O: 50Godzilla? WAKASA:Yes. H!O: Okay. For the past few films you've been in charge of making Godzilla and his opponents. That usually means suits and props for 2-5 different monsters, but this year there was a lot more work to do. WAKASA:Yeah, in FINAL WARS there are very many kaiju. I originally planned just to supervise the suit construction this time and not do any of the sculpting myself. I've been making monsters for the Toho films since I was a young man, 30 to 35 years old, and I was very satisfied with my work from GODZILLA 2000 to TOKYO SOS. I felt I'd done enough, so I had no plans to personally make the Godzilla for this year. But then my oldest son said "Hey dad, this movie is the 50th Anniversary. Why aren't you making the Godzilla suit?" I laughed and told him it was okay, I'm satisfied with last year's TOKYO SOS. But my son said "No, You do it!" So, because this is the 50th Anniversary of Godzilla, my son told me I'd better do it. Okay, okay... I did it. [laughs] So I'm very happy with Godzilla. But FINAL WARS has many monsters so a few companies were involved in making them. It normally takes a team of 5 or 6 people to make one of the suits so my staff is big enough to make the 2 or 3 characters needed for most of the Godzilla films. This year was different; there were three times as many monsters as usual so my company had to expand. But there are not very many people who know how to make monsters. That meant each suit was made by only 3 people and it took more time to make the monsters than in the past. My company, Monsters, Inc., is only about 7 or 8 people. When I worked on GODZILLA VS DESTOROYAH I had a staff of about 20 people, and that was too many people to manage effectively. Because of that experience I prefer to have a smaller group, just enough people to do the job properly. If I had a studio as big as KNB [the US fx house behind KILL BILL, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, and LAND OF THE DEAD] I may have been able to have accommodated a large crew, but I only have a small workshop. There were too many people in too small a space - it was a nightmare. H!O: How big is Monsters, Inc.? WAKASA:It is a little bit smaller than Spectral Motion [the US fx studio that created the suits and props for HELLBOY, BLADE 2, and FANTASTIC FOUR. Mr Wakasa and I visited there in early 2003]. H!O: Spectral Motion has expanded quite a bit since we visited there. If your shop is smaller than Spectral Motion was then, I can imagine how hard it is for you to find space for a big project like FINAL WARS. WAKASA:Yeah. My company worked on Godzilla, Angilas, Rodan, Minya, and Monster X because those are the most important characters. My entire staff this year was about 15 people, and many of the new people are about the same age as my son [18 years]. I also had 2 or 3 former apprentices come back to work on this project. They have lots of talent for monster making, so we were able to maintain the quality of the suits. One of my old students is named Shigeaki Ito. He first worked on GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA 2 sculpting one of the small Fire Rodan puppets, and the next year he did some of the sculpting on Space Godzilla. He basically worked on all the films from MECHAGODZILLA 2 to REBIRTH OF MOTHRA 2... he did the sculpting on many monsters. Because the Toho special effects movies always have a short production schedule, I was generally the supervisor so almost all of the monsters were sculpted by Shigeaki Ito. He's a very talented monster maker. This year he made Angilas.
Those two people were the main staff. Another member of the team was Kakusei Fujjiwara. Fujiwara sculpted King Caesar and Rodan... he created those characters himself. But this year many people were sculpting, or molding, and doing the many processes. H!O: So when did you start working on FINAL WARS? WAKASA:I started rough sketching the suits in January. H!O: And when was the last suit finished? WAKASA:June. H!O: You mentioned other companies were involved in making some of the monsters? WAKASA:Yes. H!O: Did you work closely with them? WAKASA:Yes, I supervised all the companies working on the monsters. H!O: Would you talk a little about those companies and what they did on FINAL WARS? WAKASA:The same situation happened on REBIRTH OF MOTHRA 3 because there's never enough time in the production schedule. There was my company Monsters, Inc. and the other companies involved were Star Train and Cinq Art. Cinq Art usually works on Japanese commercial films. The first time they worked on a Toho special effects film was for GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA 2; Baby Godzilla was a Cinq Art creation. That was also my first project at Toho, so I got to work with many of the people from Cinq Art at that time. I've chosen them to work on all the films from REBIRTH OF MOTHRA 3 to FINAL WARS. Cinq Art made Ebirah, Kumonga, Kamakiras, and the Xilian for FINAL WARS, and Star Train handled the creation of Gigan, Monster X, and Hedorah. The other monsters were done by my company.
H!O: Who built Manda? WAKASA:Mr. Tomoki Kobayashi. H!O: Is he a Toho employee or does he work for one of the fx companies? WAKASA:He works for Toho-Eizobijyutsu [Toho's Art Dept.]. H!O: Do you have a personal favorite of the monsters in FINAL WARS? WAKASA:My personal favorite is Minya, because the monster is... some people ask "Why is this a Godzilla character?" Do you know what I mean? H!O: [laughs] Yeah, I'd say the majority of American fans don't like Minya. WAKASA:As you know, the Minya concept design for FINAL WARS is a very old design, but now recreated in the 21st Century.
WAKASA:Yeah, yeah. I think FINAL WARS has the look of American comics, so I chose to give Minya more muscles. It's not a humanlike anatomy; the monster has monster muscle. Minya's skin is like an elephant's and the coloring is basically the same as before. H!O: A light grey. WAKASA:I also based the colors on what is shown in the most popular American comics. Mr. Kitamura is now, I believe, only 35 years old and he likes American comics like BLADE or X- MEN. So I took my favorite monster and made him look like something out of American comics. H!O: The new Minya may end up surprising even American fans when they see him onscreen. WAKASA:I know some fans have seen the press conference photos of the monsters and are worried that they look too human. A press conference is not the proper way to see a monster. I think fans will be much happier when they see the movie; the proper lighting, camera angles, and film will create a completely different impression. For each of the monsters we made I always thought about the original version. We are doing this now in the 21st Century, but there is still a tradition established at Toho Studios by my "Grandfather Masters": Mr. [Teizo] Toshimitsu, the Yagi brothers, Mr. [Eizo] Kaimai, and Mr. [Keizo] Murase. When I think of them I still feel like this is my first time working as a monster maker at Toho. Mr. Murase is still very well and we talk often. Every time I start a new film I'll call him and ask something like, "Please tell me your method for making Mothra." H!O: So you could do things the same way. WAKASA:Yes... it continues the old methods and keeps the same spirit as the originals. This is a very important part of the monster maker's craft; to keep the imagination and the same soul... H!O: ..And to honor the tradition. WAKASA:Right. Tradition is very important. I always talk with Mr. Murasa, that is very important. H!O: It's wonderful that you respect what has gone before while still taking things to the next level. WAKASA:Thank you. H!O: Can you talk about the other monsters and what they do in the film, or is that giving away too much? Do the monsters like Gigan have new powers and weapons?
H!O: Do Gigan's weapons morph or change shape like Kiryu's drill arm did in TOKYO SOS? WAKASA:The weapons don't transform in FINAL WARS. Gigan's weapons are replacements. He starts with the sickle arms in Phase 1 then Phase 2 adds the dual-sided chainsaws. He can also fire a beam from his eye. H!O: Since this movie is set in a new timeline, separate from the previous films, do the monsters in this story all have brand-new origins or will FINAL WARS include references to previous Toho films? WAKASA:They're not brand-new. The only new monster is Monster X. The others all have the same elements, the same character as before. H!O: So when Rodan appears onscreen for the first time in FINAL WARS, the characters will recognize him because he's attacked before. WAKASA:Yeah. H!O: That makes sense. I would be nearly impossible to provided new backstories for all the monsters in this movie. WAKASA:I agree. H!O: What scale are the monsters going to be in this movie? Early reports suggested Godzilla would be 50 meters tall, but others have said 100. WAKASA:I believe the monsters are 100 meters this time. H!O: Was that done to make the monsters look more massive and impressive next to the modern buildings? WAKASA:Yeah. At the beginning, Mr. Kitamura wanted this movie to take place in the year 2030, but for many reasons at Toho Studios that is not clearly established in the film. The way it is now, the story could easily take place in 2004 or 2005 or 2006. H!O: So it's the future, just not too far from now. That allows for new technology, but not manmade spacecraft and things like that. WAKASA:Right. Mr. Kitamura wanted new technology, and he wanted to show a new landscape with a different architecture. There would have been many buildings done with a "futuristic" style. H!O: I imagine that would have added considerably to the budget. WAKASA:Yeah. That was also the same problem with the post-production CGI. The art department and the CGI department would have needed too much money to do that. So the landscape was changed; there will be less alterations made to the background matte photography than originally planned. H!O: I'm sure Toho wanted to keep costs down, especially with so much more overseas location shooting this time. WAKASA:Yes. They're also using a combination of miniatures, full scale sets, and CGI. H!O: So filming took place in Shanghai, Sydney, and there were a few location shots done in New York, correct? WAKASA:Yeah, but the majority of the New York scenes were actually shot in Australia. There was also some filming in Paris. H!O: Which monster attacks Paris? WAKASA:Paris is... Angilas? No, Angilas is in Shanghai. Paris is attacked by Kamakiras. Kumonga is in Arizona.
WAKASA:Yes. H!O: And Sydney will be... WAKASA:Zilla. H!O: [laughs] The American Godzilla. WAKASA:Is Zilla a secret? H!O: No, but it was revealed in the US not too long ago. The website Monster Zero ran video footage from a Japanese morning tv program that showed Godzilla fighting Zilla about a month ago. So the word is out in America... at least with the hardcore fans. WAKASA:Oh, okay. H!O: We saw Patrick Tatopoulos today [designer of the American Godzilla], and he didn't know his Godzilla was in FINAL WARS until you told him. He was very excited by the news. WAKASA:I'm very happy...very happy. H!O: Were you worried that he might be offended that his Godzilla will be defeated by the original? WAKASA:Yes, a little. I thought he might be bothered that Toho used his design without telling him and I'm glad that wasn't a problem. H!O: Since Toho owns the character and likeness of the American Godzilla they wouldn't have to ask for Patrick Tatopoulos' permission, but I can understand where that might have seemed impolite. In any case, Patrick's a big Toho fan and he seemed thrilled that his character is now part of the Toho Godzilla history. I hope he can come to the world premiere at the Chinese Theatre and see the movie on the big screen because I'd love to see his reaction to the two Godzillas fighting each other. [laughs] WAKASA:Mmmm-hmmm. H!O: Do any of the other monsters help Godzilla, or does he have to fight them all? WAKASA:He gets no help. H!O: Not even from old allies like Mothra or Rodan? WAKASA:Nobody helps him.
WAKASA:[laughs] H!O: I'm guessing that's a secret. WAKASA:There's a very important and fun sequence, but I can't say anything about it. H!O: [laughs] Okay, I understand. WAKASA: That's a very fun part of that movie. H!O: The "mystery fight"? WAKASA:Yeah. H!O: Changing subjects; how about Monster X? What powers and weapons does he have? WAKASA:He doesn't have any weapons, but Monster X has psychic powers. That's because his background is within a secret character, and that secret character has many psychic powers. So it's not an external weapon, but it is a great power. H!O: Is he also physically strong? Does he use his claws and strength in battle?
WAKASA:Definitely. H!O: So Monster X can attack with both mind and body. He sounds like a very powerful opponent for Godzilla. Toho has released some plot details for FINAL WARS and there's clearly a lot is happening in this movie; monsters attacking, the Xilians invading, mutant soldiers, the Goten [Atragon], the approach of Gorath, and so on. How do Mothra and the Shobijin fit into all of this? WAKASA:The story was too busy and some things had to be edited out. Mothra was first going to be seen in the movie as a larva, but that was changed. H!O: So were the Shobijin also cut from the movie? WAKASA:No, they're still in FINAL WARS. H!O: Are they the same type of characters as in TOKYO SOS? WAKASA:A similar type, but they are different characters from last year even though the same actresses [Chihiro Otsuka and Masami Nagasawa] are playing the parts. H!O: Do they still come from Infant Island? WAKASA:Yeah, but their hair and costumes were changed so that people know they are not the same characters from TOKYO SOS. H!O: Is Mothra a heroic character as usual? WAKASA:Yes, she is. H!O: Does Mothra fire any beams in FINAL WARS like she did in the Heisei films? WAKASA:No beams. Her powers are the same as they were in TOKYO SOS. The Mothra imago prop from TOKYO SOS was very popular so we reused it this year. I made some small changes to the hair and the colors of her wings. H!O: Does the new Rodan have a beam weapon like Fire Rodan did, or is he closer to the classic version. WAKASA:He's like the classic Rodan; flying at high speed and creating strong winds by flapping his wings. H!O: Is King Caesar still connected to the Okinawaan legend of the shisa? WAKASA:Yes, it's the same character with the same background. H!O: Does he still have the ability to reflect energy beams with his eyes? WAKASA:King Caesar is... no. He is a physical fighter.
H!O: The preview footage shows him making a jumping kick. WAKASA:Yeah, that's it. King Caesar is very fast and acrobatic. H!O: Was there a suit built for close-ups of Kamakiras, or is it completely a marionette? WAKASA:Kamakiras? There's no suit, just a puppet. [laughs] H!O: Okay, then. [laughs] I was wondering if this was similar to GODZILLA VS MEGAGUIRUS. Wasn't a Megaguirus suit created for close-ups and fight scenes? WAKASA: Yeah, there was one used sometimes. I see what you meant now. H!O: How about Manda; is he a marionette controlled by wirework like in the old films? Will there be any CGI used? WAKASA:Yes, he's maybe 40% CGI and 60% puppet. H!O: Will there be much CGI used for the other monsters? WAKASA:Zilla is the only monster who's all CGI. There's no CGI for Godzilla or Minya. Rodan, Mothra, and Kamakiras have a few CGI shots. Kumonga has no CGI. Neither does Ebirah. There's a Monster X sequence that has a few shots that use CGI, but they're very brief cuts. Angilas is a little bit GCI. H!O: Really? Is that when he does his rolling attack? WAKASA:Yeah. H!O: Were multiple suits or additional props or models built for any of the monsters? WAKASA:Basically there was only one suit made for each monster; there were so many to build we couldn't do several for each monster. There was a flying model made for Rodan. The suit is only in maybe five or six scenes; the rest of the time the Rodan prop was used. H!O: Was there a model made of Gigan for flying scenes? WAKASA:Yes, there was a Gigan prop. H!O: How about a swimming Godzilla? WAKASA:No. H!O: Are there animatronic features built into the monster suits? WAKASA:They were mainly used on Minya, but not much on Godzilla. H!O: Do Godzilla's eyes blink in this film? WAKASA:No. H!O: Okay. So it was up to the suit actor to convey the monster's performance onscreen. WAKASA:The most important thing was the monsters' movement, because the focus this year was on quick action and fighting. H!O: When the monsters are battling each other, will the combat be mostly physical or will there also be the usual rays, beams, and lasers? WAKASA:The amount of energy attacks used is very small this time. Most of the fighting in FINAL WARS is physical; hitting, biting, kicking, throwing. H!O: Will the fights be bloodier than we usually see in a Toho kaiju movie? WAKASA:No, they're not bloody at all. The fights are like a martial arts movie... martial arts and sports. H!O: Very much in Kitamura's usual style. I'm guessing he does the same thing with the human characters as well. WAKASA:Yes, there's a lot of fighting between them as well... everybody's fighting.
H!O: So, in addition to playing Godzilla, Mr. Kitagawa also choreographed all the monster battles? WAKASA:Yes. H!O: How would you describe Godzilla's personality in FINAL WARS? Is he a hero or a villain this time? WAKASA:Hmmmmm... I think he's both. He's very violent and destructive. H!O: Godzilla fights pretty much all the other monsters, right? Angilas, Rodan, etc. WAKASA:Yes. H!O: Where does the big finale take place? Is it in Japan? WAKASA:Godzilla's final battle is in Tokyo.
WAKASA:I believe it's blue. H!O: And his fins will light up? WAKASA:Same as usual. H!O: In GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA you had the internal lights built into the fins so they would flash. Is that the case again this year or will it be an optical effect? WAKASA:There's no internal lighting in the fins; that will be done digitally. That helped keep the fins smaller and the suit from being too heavy. The mouth is the only place on the suit that has a light built in, and the ray will also be a digital effect. H!O: Early in this movie Godzilla is hibernating in Antarctica. Does the story explain how he got there? WAKASA:That's the opening sequence of FINAL WARS. It shows how Godzilla became frozen at the South Pole.
Have you heard much about the world premiere of FINAL WARS at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on November 29th? WAKASA:I have, just a little bit. H!O: Will Mr. Kitamura attend the premiere? WAKASA:Probably. [Note: Since this interview was conducted it has been announced the Ryuhei Kitamura, Tsutomu Kitagawa, and Shogo Tomiyama will attend the premiere.] H!O: Will you try to make it here? WAKASA:Maybe...I hope so. [Note: Shinchi Wakasa will attend the premiere.] H!O: This will be a big event for Godzilla; his first US premiere. WAKASA:[laughs] Yeah, I'd say so. H!O: Well, I think that's it. Thank you. WAKASA:You're welcome. |
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| 11/03/04: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HENSHIN! ONLINE'S GODZILLA FINAL WARS PREMIERE TICKET CONTEST!! Today is Godzilla's Birthday, but YOU could be Getting the Gift! Special Thanks to Toho Co., Ltd
This will be a special one time only screening at 7pm Monday, November 29th, 2004 at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. Henshin! Online has five (5) pair of passes to give away to five lucky fans (and a friend each)... and here is your chance to grab a pair for yourself!
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| 10/29/04: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WIN GODZILLA FINAL WARS PREMIERE TICKETS FROM HENSHIN! ONLINE!! You Want Them, And Soon You May Get Them! Author: Keith Aiken and Richard Pusateri Special Thanks to Toho Co., Ltd
Toho has asked Henshin! Online to help award tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime event as a "thank you" to American Godzilla fans for their years of support. Never before has a Godzilla movie premiered outside Japan. The prestige and stature of the GODZILLA FINAL WARS premiere will make this event a unique and fitting tribute for Godzilla's 50th anniversary. Tickets are VERY limited, so Henshin! Online will announce early next week how fans can enter the contest and qualify for the final drawing. Contestants must agree to the following conditions: Toho is providing complimentary admission with the condition that no other benefits are implied. These passes are for admission to the GODZILLA FINAL WARS screening only. Tickets are not transferable. Winners must cover all other expenses including transportation, food and lodging. To qualify, contestants must provide verification to our panel of judges that they will definitely attend the Hollywood event without fail. All entrants must agree that decisions of the Henshin! Online judges will be final. Check back to Henshin! Online in the next few days for further details and more exclusive news from GODZILLA FINAL WARS! |
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| GODZILLA CELEBRATES HIS BIRTHDAY IN OREGON "50 Years of Godzilla" Film Festival Starts This Week in Portland! Source: Kyle Yount, 50 Years of Godzilla Press Release for the Hollywood Theatre
The theatre will screen three recent Godzilla films, GODZILLA VS. DESTOROYAH (1995; Toho international English dub), GODZILLA VS MEGAGUIRUS (2000; Japanese language with English subtitles) and GODZILLA, MOTHRA, and KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK (2001; Japanese language with English subtitles) - and three classics as well: INVASION OF THE ASTRO-MONSTERS (aka MONSTER ZERO - 1965; English dub), DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (1968; Toho international English dub) and GODZILLA VS HEDORAH (aka GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER - 1971; Toho international English dub). Toho has also provided theatrical trailers that will be shown throughout the festival. The film schedule features:
» 7:00 PM INVASION OF THE ASTRO MONSTERS » 9:00 PM GODZILLA VS. DESTOROYAH SATURDAY OCT. 30th » 1:00 PM DESTROY ALL MONSTERS » 3:00 PM PIPEWORKS SOFTWARE DISCUSSION PANEL » 5:00 PM GODZILLA VS. DESTOROYAH » 7:00 PM DESTROY ALL MONSTERS » 9:00 PM INVASION OF THE ASTRO MONSTERS SUNDAY OCT. 31st » 1:00 PM GODZILLA VS. MEGAGUIRUS » 3:00 PM INVASION OF THE ASTRO MONSTERS » 5:00 PM DESTROY ALL MONSTERS » 7:00 PM GODZILLA VS. DESTROYAH » 9:00 PM GODZILLA VS. MEGAGUIRUS MONDAY NOV. 1st » 7:00 PM GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH » 9:00 PM GODZILLA VS. MEGAGUIRUS TUESDAY NOV. 2nd » 7:00 PM GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH » 9:00 PM GODZILLA, MOTHRA and KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK WEDNESDAY NOV. 3rd » 7:00 PM GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH » 9:00 PM GODZILLA, MOTHRA and KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK THURSDAY NOV. 4th » 7:00 PM GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH » 9:00 PM GODZILLA, MOTHRA and KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK
Perhaps one of the most exclusive and exciting events will be the Portland premiere of the new Atari game GODZILLA: SAVE THE EARTH, the follow up to the Oregon-based Pipeworks Software hit fighter game, GODZILLA: DESTROY ALL MONSTERS MELEE. To add to the excitement, not only will G:STE have its premiere at the festival in the form of a PlayStation 2 tournament, but all the action will be projected on one of the theatre's three screens! A GODZILLA: SAVE THE EARTH panel discussion will be presented at 3:00 pm on Saturday October 30th by two game developers from Pipeworks software, Dan Duncalf and Armando Wilderman, on Saturday afternoon. Attendees will be able to view the original poster for every film playing during the festival. The official "50 Years of Godzilla" poster, painted by Hugo Award-winning artist Bob Eggleton, will only be available at the festival.
Based on Toho Studios' release of the original GODZILLA in 1954, the King of the Monsters celebrates his birthday on November 3rd... so the festival is throwing a monster-sized birthday party that Wednesday! Attendees will be able to sign a birthday card which will be sent to Godzilla after the festival (care of Toho), sink their teeth into some of Godzilla's gigantic birthday cake, and take part in the festivities! Contest winners will also be announced during the party. Festival wristbands (allows you one movie ticket, and all access to gaming, events, and merchants for the entire weekend) are available from the Hollywood Theatre box office and cost $7.00 (12 and over) and $5.00 (4 to 12). General ticket prices for each movie will be $5.00 for attendees 12 and over, and $3.00 for children 4 to 12 years old. If you're anywhere near the Pacific Northwest this weekend, you won't want to miss the festival. For more information, visit the festival's website or call the hotline at (503) 281-4215. |
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| GODZILLA FINAL WARS WORLD PREMIERE IN HOLLYWOOD! Festivities to Include Hollywood Christmas Parade and Star on the Walk of Fame Author: Keith Aiken Source: Toho Pictures, Yahoo News Japan
Following a blockbuster theatrical run in Japan in 1954, the original GODZILLA was purchased and released in the United States in 1956 as GODZILLA, KING THE MONSTERS. The Americanized version, featuring newly shot scenes with actor Raymond Burr, was distributed around the world (including such countries as Mexico, Italy, Britain, France, Argentina, Cuba, Belgium, and Sweden) and helped establish Godzilla as an international icon. Since then, Godzilla and America have been inextricably linked; the King of the Monsters has battled King Kong, starred in US co-productions with American actors, been the subject of a big-budget US remake, and celebrated 2004 with a handful of officially sanctioned Godzilla film festivals.
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