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Gojira tai Mekagojira (1974)
Country of Origin:
Japan
Year of Production: 1974
Running Times: 84 mins
Format: Fujicolor 35mm
Tohoscope
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: mono CREDITS
PRODUCTION
Production Company: Toho
Producer: Tomoyuki Tanaka
SCRIPT
Script: Jun Fukuda, Hiroyasu Yamamura
Story: Masami Fukushima, Shinichi Sekizawa
DIRECTION
Director: Jun Fukuda
Assistant Director: Jazaburo Nishikawa
PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Yuzuru Aizawa
EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Michiko Ikeda
MUSIC
Music: Masaru Satô
Songs Performed By: Beru-Bera Rin (Miyaribi; Mekagojira Yattekitan)
Songs: Masaru Sato, Jun Fukuda (Miyaribi; Mekagojira Yattekitan)
Songs Published By: Toho Music Publishing (Mekagojira Yattekitan)
SOUND
Sound Recordist: Fumio Yanoguchi
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Director of Special Effects: Teruyoshi Nakano
Special Effects Cameramen: Sokei Tomioka, Takeshi Yamamoto
Special Effects Wire Work: Shôji Okawa CAST
Masaaki Daimon (Gosuke Shimizu)
Kazuya Aoyama (Masahiko Shimizu)
Akihiko Hirata (Professor Hideto Miyajima)
Hiroshi Koizumi (Professor Wagura)
Reiko Tajima (Saeko Kaneshiro)
Hiromi Matsushita (Eiko Miyajima)
Masao Imafuku (High Priest of the Azumi)
Beru-Bera Lin (Azumi Princess Nami)
Shin Kishida (Nanbara)
Takayasu Torii (Tamura)
Daigo Kusano (Simian alien agent 1)
Kenji Sahara (Ship's captain)
Yasuzo Ogawa (construction foreman)
Isao Zushi (Gojira)
Ise Mori (Mekagojira)
Momoru Kusumi (Angirasu / Kingushîsâ)
Goro Mutsumi (Simian Alien Leader Kuronuma) PLOT SUMMARY
Alien beings intend to invade the Earth.
Fearing that their plans will be thwarted by Godzilla, they create
their own bio-mechanical copy of the monster, Mechagodzilla, which
they send to Earth in advamnce of their arrival to tackle Godzilla.
Meanwhile, an ancient prophecy is about to come true as the legendary
guardian of Okinawa, King Caesar is about to awake and join in the
battle. CAPSULE REVIEW
A large step in the right direction after the excerable Gojira
tai Megaro (1973), this one at least features a worthy adversary
for Godzilla, even if it is just a rather strange look robot version
of himself. The main flaw though is that the film takes forever to
get going - by this stage all audiences wanted to see was Godzilla
fighting other monsters, and in this entry it takes an eternity to
get up to speed again after an impressive opening. Still, the aliens
are satisfyingly silly, Godzilla is looking a lot better than he had
done in his previous outings and Mechagodzilla makes a great opponent.
Not vintage Godzilla by a long way, but still the best of the 70s
offerings. AVAILABILITY
USA
Theatrical Distributors: Cinema Shares International; Downtown Distribution
Company Inc (1978 re-release)
Video Distributor: Filmax Home Video; New World Home Video; Sinister
Cinema; United American Video
CENSORSHIP HISTORY
Finland
Rating: K-16
Norway
Rating: 11
UK
Rating: 15
USA
Rating: G
West Germany
Rating: 12 (nf)
TIMELINE
1974
March
21: Japan – theatrical release
1975
August
1: Finland – theatrical release
1977
March
Day Unknown: USA – theatrical release ALTERNATIVE TITLES
Godzilla A Mechagodzilla ellen –
Hungarian title
Godzilla contra Cibergodzilla, máquina de destrucción
– Spanish title
Godzilla contro i robot – Italian title
Godzilla vs the Bionic Monster – US title
Godzilla vs the Cosmic Monster - US reissue title
Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla – US title
Invasion från Applaneten - Swedish video title
Jättihirviöiden kaksintaistelu –
Finnish title
King Kong gegen Godzilla – German title LINKS
SEE ALSO
Attack of the 50 Foot Monster Mania (1999)
Gojira tai Mekagojira (2002)
The Runestone (1990)
South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut (1999)
Super Godzilla (1993)
Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
SEQUEL TO
Gojira (1954)
SEQUEL
Mekagojira no gyakushu (1975) KEYWORDS
giant monsters; godzilla; lightning; magnets; monsters; sequels
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