i just recently found your channel and out of everything you've put out, these kaiju reviews are probably my favorite. they give me cinemassacre monster madness vibes, but a bit higher brow so i can tell you really appreciate the films you're reviewing. have you ever seen the tv series Ultra Q? if you're into these classic kaiju flicks you'll probably enjoy it. its the predecessor to Ultraman (THE tokusatsu tv show) and was created by Eiji Tsubaraya, the man behind the classic toho monsters. in fact they reused a lot of the old suits, including godzilla himself. instead of being a superhero type series like Ultraman, it was a Twilight Zone style anthology series with campy storylines revolving around a different kaiju every week. its definitely worth a watch.
I appreciate that, "Godzilla Raids Again," gets a sympathetic review. I like the film very much, though, as correctly noted, the plot loses momentum after the climatic fight. I love the glacial black and white photography! Also, some of the visual effects, particularly the flooding subway, were amazing, and everything was approached seriously.
Thank you for the positive review of “Rodan”-Rodan has always been a favorite kaiju of mine,what with his magnificent wingspan and destructive capabilities.I always loved the cape like look that his wings have at times;he almost reminds me of Count Dracula.A truly awesome and captivating monster.
The 0:12 transition between your deliberate 1950s screen resolution and the 1080p of 1960s Godzilla is quite amazing. You are riding a meta that is very, very fun to watch.
I have always loved GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN because it was so hard to find as a kid on VHS. I used my allowance money to make my very first online purchase to buy it - it's a quick cash in sequel but still fun. The reason the monsters move so "fast" is because they accidentally had the camera speed set wrong and there was no way to go back and re-shoot it. It gives the action a very surrealist dream like quality that was never really used again in a G film.
Thank you for the reviews. Interesting in an English dubbing it identified the fish they spotted as tuna. In the English subtitle the fish are identified as Bonito. I like the non-monster part, gives a peak into Japanese culture of the time. Showing people having a good time is in a few Kaiju movies, including the original Godzilla. Rodan was something else when I first saw it, circa 1960. Large insects were bad enough, then these two flying reptiles hatch and eat these insects. Wow! You may want to consider "The Giant Claw" for a review. I know a NY Daily News gave as a short review "It's for the birds", but reviews of cheezy movies are fun.
Jerome You have got me into the wonderful world of the Godzilla films . Great review . The human story, though a little on the prosaic side, is simple enough and sweet enough that it feels like a complement to the monster action, rather than a distraction. Albeit as you stated a bit goofy and a tad out of place. Godzilla looked fantastic, the only real difference being his slimness. The puppet's teeth were the only bad point. Anguius was Godzilla's first ever foe and you got to love the echoing roar. The fights are entertaining,the speed up of the (frame rate of the camera was a little odd) . The fight ends brutally with Godzilla sinking his teeth in his throat nicely. The effects were nicely done all in all for their time. In terms of sheer entertainment value, this entry builds up on where the first film left off, and delivers what you'd expect from a well layered and structured monster picture. Overcoming its flaws, this is a fun, entertaining and memorable film that will certainly delight fans of the genre everywhere. Godzilla steals the show yet again, and in terms of sheer entertainment. Godzilla Raids Again is a good sequel and it gives something different to viewers looking for mindless thrills that monster films provide.
Just watched Rodan, and I really loved it, but man are you right about scenes going on too long... The end was truly heartbreaking and beautiful, but there must have been 100 explosions before we got there!
Awesome video jerome I love rodan too can't wait for your review for other standalone movies also remember the meganula for a later godzilla movie it'll be important
Your doing a fantastic job with the Japanese monster movie reviews. Your actually the first lady I’ve seen do this and also to compliment you sweet lady your personality is really cute as you do these movie reviews. Please keep it up 😃😃😃😃
Just a note re: the wires in Rodan: Some work was done to erase the wires in the American release of the film, when producers found them too objectionable to be screened as shot. A company called Studio Film Service took on the task of laboriously painting out/blurring etc. the wires in a handful of shots in which they were found just too visible to use. (I know this from one of the guys who worked on it, a person who is now long deceased, but was actually quite well known in the efx business of yesteryear.) A shame those giant bugs at the beginning of the film weren't better designed, as that part of the film had some genuine creepy sequences----tho the squeaky sounds they made (at least in the US version I'm familiar with---sounded like a dog's squeak toy, you know, one of the rubber mice, or whatever, that squeaked if you squeezed them...Tooo cute!) Anyway, thanks for the review. You have a very nice way of smart commentary, and noting both the positive and the negative, without going overboard on the latter, which is all too often the case with on-line commentaries...in my opinion at least. .
Wow, very interesting behind-the-scenes info! Thanks for sharing that. And thank you for the nice comment. I try my best to be fair and represent the good, the bad, and the in-between. Glad you enjoyed the video!
Omgosh you have great taste and enthusiasm ! What’s your all time favorite author? Recently I’ve been thinking Clive Cussler and Ayn Rand but there must be other greats out there 😊. Cussler has some good history in a lot of his books .. like his turn of the 20th century detective novel I forgot the title... ;)
That japanese Rodan title means "Giant Monster of the Sky: Radon." "Meganulon" comes from Meganeura, which was in fact a real animal. Meganeura were giant dragonflies that lived before the dinosaurs. They had wingspans of almost 2 1/2 feet, and were so big they would have flapped their wings more like birds than insects. I haven't watched your Godzilla X Megaguirus review yet, so maybe you already knew about that. Digging these reviews.
Hiroshi Koizumi makes a good successor to Akira Takarada as a hero but this movie is nooo GOJIRA, tho entertaining & fun .. RODAN is Toho's 2nd best Kaiju film IMO
According to Wikipedia, Rodan is a pteranodon, which is a genus of pterosaur, as is the pterodactylus. But we tend to informally refer to all extinct flying reptiles as "pterodactyls," so in a manner of speaking I guess he's a pterodactyl too?
Ok the Volcano monster movie title that came from small Hollywood film company, and the director here in the states wanted to make a giant dinosaur movie by using monsters suit from Toho aka Godzilla and Anguirus along with some clips from the movie. Toho agreed and shipped them the suits along with the film for editing, but unfortunately the film company was shutting down and they lost the monster suits. There's only one picture of these Godzilla suits here in the state side.
Yes. I wrote quite a bit about this earlier attempt to alter the movie for american audiences, by filming new scenes. The script work done for this version was quite extensive/was done by a friend of mine, now deceased, named Ib Melchior, later writer and occasional director of films like THE TIME TRAVELERS, THE ANGRY RED PLANET, PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES and ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS---the latter one a very good film with a Disney-ish title...movie is much better than the title. When GIGANTIS came out I didn't bother to see it. I would have if it had retained the "Godzilla" name in the title. The Gigantis title just sounded very generic and boring.
Kenji Sahara makes a good sci-fi hero though Toho would, after 3 starring parts, relegate him to countless smaller character parts, often unrecognizable as in MATANGO
The original Godzilla ("Gojira") is probably the best place to start. After that I'm not sure, since I haven't seen a lot of the most popular Japanese movies, but I would recommend "Rodan" and "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster."
I like the library music in the US version better. The dubbing is a bit unfortunate. Godzilla's Counterattack, the translated title, is IMO, a better title.
I loved the Japanese edit, but the American edit is terrible, mainly due to the awful dubbing and editing (especially the dubbing). But I didn't mind the change of music or added monster roars. Overall, I thought it was a good film, but I prefer the Japanese edit.
i just recently found your channel and out of everything you've put out, these kaiju reviews are probably my favorite. they give me cinemassacre monster madness vibes, but a bit higher brow so i can tell you really appreciate the films you're reviewing. have you ever seen the tv series Ultra Q? if you're into these classic kaiju flicks you'll probably enjoy it. its the predecessor to Ultraman (THE tokusatsu tv show) and was created by Eiji Tsubaraya, the man behind the classic toho monsters. in fact they reused a lot of the old suits, including godzilla himself. instead of being a superhero type series like Ultraman, it was a Twilight Zone style anthology series with campy storylines revolving around a different kaiju every week. its definitely worth a watch.
Thank you! I really appreciate that. :) No, I haven't seen Ultra Q. Your pitch sounds interesting, though.
Ultra Q sounds utterly fascinating.
"And if you've seen....The Giant Claw..." 😂
I appreciate that, "Godzilla Raids Again," gets a sympathetic review. I like the film very much, though, as correctly noted, the plot loses momentum after the climatic fight.
I love the glacial black and white photography! Also, some of the visual effects, particularly the flooding subway, were amazing, and everything was approached seriously.
Thank you for the positive review of “Rodan”-Rodan has always been a favorite kaiju of mine,what with his magnificent wingspan and destructive capabilities.I always loved the cape like look that his wings have at times;he almost reminds me of Count Dracula.A truly awesome and captivating monster.
The 0:12 transition between your deliberate 1950s screen resolution and the 1080p of 1960s Godzilla is quite amazing. You are riding a meta that is very, very fun to watch.
I have always loved GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN because it was so hard to find as a kid on VHS. I used my allowance money to make my very first online purchase to buy it - it's a quick cash in sequel but still fun. The reason the monsters move so "fast" is because they accidentally had the camera speed set wrong and there was no way to go back and re-shoot it. It gives the action a very surrealist dream like quality that was never really used again in a G film.
Wow! 2 Godzilla film reviews in one video...nicely done, Jerome! I liked the introduction of Rodan in his own movie.
You're so cute! Wonderful review! Loved how you pointed out how it kinda dragged at the end of raids again
Thank you for the reviews. Interesting in an English dubbing it identified the fish they spotted as tuna. In the English subtitle the fish are identified as Bonito. I like the non-monster part, gives a peak into Japanese culture of the time. Showing people having a good time is in a few Kaiju movies, including the original Godzilla. Rodan was something else when I first saw it, circa 1960. Large insects were bad enough, then these two flying reptiles hatch and eat these insects. Wow! You may want to consider "The Giant Claw" for a review. I know a NY Daily News gave as a short review "It's for the birds", but reviews of cheezy movies are fun.
Haha, I've seen The Giant Claw a couple times. :D
Jerome You have got me into the wonderful world of the Godzilla films . Great review .
The human story, though a little on the prosaic side, is simple enough and sweet enough that it feels like a complement to the monster action, rather than a distraction. Albeit as you stated a bit goofy and a tad out of place. Godzilla looked fantastic, the only real difference being his slimness. The puppet's teeth were the only bad point. Anguius was Godzilla's first ever foe and you got to love the echoing roar. The fights are entertaining,the speed up of the (frame rate of the camera was a little odd) . The fight ends brutally with Godzilla sinking his teeth in his throat nicely. The effects were nicely done all in all for their time. In terms of sheer entertainment value, this entry builds up on where the first film left off, and delivers what you'd expect from a well layered and structured monster picture. Overcoming its flaws, this is a fun, entertaining and memorable film that will certainly delight fans of the genre everywhere. Godzilla steals the show yet again, and in terms of sheer entertainment. Godzilla Raids Again is a good sequel and it gives something different to viewers looking for mindless thrills that monster films provide.
Just watched Rodan, and I really loved it, but man are you right about scenes going on too long... The end was truly heartbreaking and beautiful, but there must have been 100 explosions before we got there!
Awesome video jerome I love rodan too can't wait for your review for other standalone movies also remember the meganula for a later godzilla movie it'll be important
Your doing a fantastic job with the Japanese monster movie reviews.
Your actually the first lady I’ve seen do this and also to compliment you sweet lady your personality is really cute as you do these movie reviews.
Please keep it up 😃😃😃😃
Just a note re: the wires in Rodan: Some work was done to erase the wires in the American release of the film, when producers found them too objectionable to be screened as shot. A company called Studio Film Service took on the task of laboriously painting out/blurring etc. the wires in a handful of shots in which they were found just too visible to use. (I know this from one of the guys who worked on it, a person who is now long deceased, but was actually quite well known in the efx business of yesteryear.) A shame those giant bugs at the beginning of the film weren't better designed, as that part of the film had some genuine creepy sequences----tho the squeaky sounds they made (at least in the US version I'm familiar with---sounded like a dog's squeak toy, you know, one of the rubber mice, or whatever, that squeaked if you squeezed them...Tooo cute!) Anyway, thanks for the review. You have a very nice way of smart commentary, and noting both the positive and the negative, without going overboard on the latter, which is all too often the case with on-line commentaries...in my opinion at least. .
Wow, very interesting behind-the-scenes info! Thanks for sharing that. And thank you for the nice comment. I try my best to be fair and represent the good, the bad, and the in-between. Glad you enjoyed the video!
Omgosh you have great taste and enthusiasm ! What’s your all time favorite author? Recently I’ve been thinking Clive Cussler and Ayn Rand but there must be other greats out there 😊. Cussler has some good history in a lot of his books .. like his turn of the 20th century detective novel I forgot the title... ;)
Thanks! Oof, I don't know. I don't really have a current favorite! :o
That japanese Rodan title means "Giant Monster of the Sky: Radon."
"Meganulon" comes from Meganeura, which was in fact a real animal. Meganeura were giant dragonflies that lived before the dinosaurs. They had wingspans of almost 2 1/2 feet, and were so big they would have flapped their wings more like birds than insects. I haven't watched your Godzilla X Megaguirus review yet, so maybe you already knew about that.
Digging these reviews.
I never knew Godzilla only attacked because of the city lights, so it he basically has PTSD?! @_@
At least that was the explanation they gave in this movie (maybe not others). I hadn't thought of it that way, but yeah, that's basically the case.
Wow!
Good stuff, keep it up
Thanks!
I first saw it as Gigantis the Fire Monster in 1966 and that works for me . . . . .
Great videos, keep up the good work.
That Rodan twist though
Hiroshi Koizumi makes a good successor to Akira Takarada as a hero but this movie is nooo GOJIRA, tho entertaining & fun .. RODAN is Toho's 2nd best Kaiju film IMO
Very true.
Great review :3
You’re smart, sweet, and you like older fiction and kaiju films. I’m crushing on you a little bit.
I wonder from what species is Rodan.Looks like a pterodactyl and a vulture put together.
According to Wikipedia, Rodan is a pteranodon, which is a genus of pterosaur, as is the pterodactylus. But we tend to informally refer to all extinct flying reptiles as "pterodactyls," so in a manner of speaking I guess he's a pterodactyl too?
My sister and her husband went downtown to see Rodan and left me to sit the kids. I ended up watching Casablanca on TV
Ok the Volcano monster movie title that came from small Hollywood film company, and the director here in the states wanted to make a giant dinosaur movie by using monsters suit from Toho aka Godzilla and Anguirus along with some clips from the movie. Toho agreed and shipped them the suits along with the film for editing, but unfortunately the film company was shutting down and they lost the monster suits. There's only one picture of these Godzilla suits here in the state side.
Yes. I wrote quite a bit about this earlier attempt to alter the movie for american audiences, by filming new scenes. The script work done for this version was quite extensive/was done by a friend of mine, now deceased, named Ib Melchior, later writer and occasional director of films like THE TIME TRAVELERS, THE ANGRY RED PLANET, PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES and ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS---the latter one a very good film with a Disney-ish title...movie is much better than the title. When GIGANTIS came out I didn't bother to see it. I would have if it had retained the "Godzilla" name in the title. The Gigantis title just sounded very generic and boring.
Kenji Sahara makes a good sci-fi hero though Toho would, after 3 starring parts, relegate him to countless smaller character parts, often unrecognizable as in MATANGO
It was awesome when Godzilla bites out Anguirus neck and then incinerates him with his atomic breath.
Hope you check out MATANGO / Attack of the Mushroom People
I’ve only seen the American ”Godzilla” movies and ”Pacific Rim”, as far as ”kaiju” flicks. Suggestions for a ”kaiju” virgin?
The original Godzilla ("Gojira") is probably the best place to start. After that I'm not sure, since I haven't seen a lot of the most popular Japanese movies, but I would recommend "Rodan" and "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster."
Jerome Weiselberry Thanks! And keep up the the interesting work!
I thought the ending of Rodan was really sad!
YOU ARE CUTE AND EFFICIENT
Actually a pterosaur, rather than a dinosaur. another clade of archosaurs . . . .)
I like the library music in the US version better. The dubbing is a bit unfortunate. Godzilla's Counterattack, the translated title, is IMO, a better title.
watch bambi meets godzilla next.
**snort**
Godzilla 1985 plays it at the beginning.
I loved the Japanese edit, but the American edit is terrible, mainly due to the awful dubbing and editing (especially the dubbing). But I didn't mind the change of music or added monster roars. Overall, I thought it was a good film, but I prefer the Japanese edit.
Forgot to mention I was referring to Godzilla Raids Again.
انا احبك كثيرا انتي في القلب ،❤️
Actually, pteranodon is indeed spelled with a 'p.' As is pterodactyl. Go figure.