Friday, June 13, 2014

Square Dog Friday. . . Square Dogs look on as The Armchair Squid takes over !

I have joined Armchair Squid on a blogfest called Then and Now.
Write about a movie you loved when you were younger and have come to see differently over time. . . for better or worse.
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Can any of you who know me guess what movie I picked ?
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GOJIRA !

As a child of the 50's I grew up with the atomic and hydrogen bombs, bomb and their destruction. Growing up in Tucson, I can remember seeing safety movies in school and we had to learn to cover our heads and get under our school desks.  Not that I really understood any of this it was all very vague. But I knew the bomb was bad.
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The first Gojira movie I saw was,  
Godzilla, King of the Monsters.
It is the US version  of the original Japanese movie Gojira.
Cut and pasted re-edited a different narrative and structure. With American actors and voice overs. Most of the anti-nuclear theme is gone or glossed over.
It is a monsters movie pure and simple. 
The reason Godzilla awakes is nuclear testing in the ocean outside of Tokyo.
I remember asking my mother about this and we had a very interesting talk about the war, bomb, destruction and maybe this is the way they/we can understand what happens with a nuclear weapon.   I was young and I think she handled this great for my age.
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Then I saw the original Japanese version.
What a difference, Gojira is an anti-nuclear story the whole embodiment of what happens because of the atomic/hydrogen bombs.
A tale of caution.
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In the endings we have the heart of the movies.
Godzilla, The King of the Monsters,  is a monster who dies and his death ends up a memorial to Dr. Seizawa (had to look this name up) and his sacrifice to save Japan.
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The emotional dramatic sacrifice at the end of Gojira is complete cut from the US version.
In the Japanese version Dr. Yamane's (had to look up the name) comments on the fact if we don't stop nuclear weapons  more wars, destruction, deaths
another Gojira could arise.
The intent could not be so different.
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Godzilla, King Of the Monsters is a really good monster movie.
Were as Gojira is a cautionary tale with a very human, dark and intelligent Gojira.
I have remembered this all my life and I think my feelings about war, hate, destruction
and what is left after wars has been formed by this movie and my Mum.

I think this message is relevant  today as it was 50 years ago.
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For me, this movie holds up today. Not only because of the anti-nuclear weapon tale but because of all the small thing that happens in the movie.  Unlike all the very bad/fun movies that followed with bad Godzilla suits, wires and cityscape of later movies. This Gojira suit is well done. The camera use and angles and very good special effects (1954) show all the menace of Gojira. The musical score is very good and was later used in the many of the later Godzilla movies.
Several things that impacted me when I was older is the Gojira does not shoot out a fiery death ray but a radioactive mist that set people and places on fire much like what it might have happened after the bomb was dropped.
 He is walking living Atomic Bomb.
Several people react to Gojira by saying, 
I lived through the war and now here this is all over again.
Words and vision to live by.
As this is The Square Dog Friday
The Boys wanted me to tell you that the movie I should have talked about was 
"The Lady and the Tramp"
We have talked often about this movie and how I though Lady was just OK, Tramp was interesting, Trusty was fun but JOCK was FABULOUS. 
Because that is when I fell in love with Scotties.
The Square Ones LOVE this story !
And request it often.
They are very much like  Jock and even better.
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Watson. . . this movie is Scotty love.
Just bring the chicken strips, and enjoy. 
thehamish ... movie gud thehamish gud chkikin' gud.
yert !
..........................
And with that said
The Square Ones must never be left out especially on their day
I give you not the Famous Two Headed Scotty of Tucson but,
 SCOTTYZILLA !
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gojira. . . parsnip
music. . . Gojira,  Akira Ifukube 

update....
 Yes, we did meet in arbitration over this.
We have the judge on speed dial !
They now have next Monday post and several (homemade) chicken strips 
added for the next few days to make up for them giving up their day.
wahahahahahahahaha.
I am in so much trouble. I never win in arbitration. 
Never ! 






44 comments:

  1. I've seen the US version, with Raymond Burr trying to keep a straight face. Not the original Japanese version.

    Scottyzilla is too adorable.

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    1. William... You must be giggling over my review (?) after all the in depth reviews you do.
      But I must say this fest was about our feeling as much as does the movie hold up.

      Delete
  2. Hey AP.... Nice to meet you. Dropping over from the HOP.... First of all really like your two square dogs... so cute and your header is great! I, too, am an illustrator.

    I really enjoyed your take on this film. I am NOT a big Godzilla fan, BUT GORGIRA would peek my interest. Leave it to the American movie house to cut out the really IMPORTANT stuff...

    Thanks for sharing your views... And 'boys'... I love Lady and the Tramp and Jock... I always that it was Jacque. Leave it to me to put a French spin on it... lol...

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    1. It will take me all day to pop over and read everyone's blog ! I am so interested in what choices we all made.
      I am work on a big project and need to spend more time today at my work table.
      Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  3. The original version is still a classic. It was extremely well done for its time and is still both watchable and relevant.
    Very cool we both picked a Godzilla film! Although yours doesn't need the help of MST3K.

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    1. I so agree and for so many years it was not seen outside of Japan. Many people really don't know it.
      Very cool to have another Godzilla fan. Although Japanese family will say Gojira !
      I walk the line.

      Delete
  4. Tramp was more interesting than Lady and is the classic love story with interesting secondary characters.

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    1. I so agree with you. I had eyes only for Jock.
      Lady was rather insipid and the voice drove me batty as a child.
      Peggy Lee was fabulous in the movie

      Delete
  5. Gayle, you are such a doll. I loved reading this post. It's all you, you and you and your lovely you coming out everywhere.

    Okay, so the thing that stood out to me the most about your words is the the heart of a movie is in the ending and that this edited version had the heart cut out of it. Actually, I'm sitting here kind of shaking my head at the words and wondering exactly what I'm feeling in response. You've got me thinking, sweet p.

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    1. Well the first movie was a cautionary tale.
      The lady in the movie (I think I need to see the movie again) said something like I survived the war for this ? while trying to escape.
      But in the end the Dr. who comes up with the way to kill Gojira dies too because he can't escape and second he doesn't want anyone to get his knowledge of the weapon he made that kills Gojira. Yes he saved Japan but at what cost.
      It really is a good movie. Remember it is 1954 just a few year after the war ended.
      But I love the crazy ones to that are just monster movies.
      I should post some of my Godzilla collection.

      Delete
  6. Scottyzilla! I love it!

    A child of the sixties, I watched Christopher Lee/Peter Cushing "horror" movies....I thought they were cheesy fun...still do!

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  7. It's been a lot of year since I saw "Godzilla"... probably when it originally hit theaters in the '50s. I liked it, but it freaked me out a teensy bit, too. It's kind of ironic that the Americanized version diluted the movie's original intents. I wonder if the folks here considered in a sort of anti-American propaganda?

    I LOVE your Scottyzilla. Cutest monster ever.

    Happy weekend!

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    1. Well I don't think it was anti-American as much as OMG ! what happened here. American or not.
      Plus I thought... way to "handle" what had happened. Lets not do this again.
      The American movie is straight up a Monster movie.

      I have now renamed that photo to Scottyzilla !

      cheers, parsnip

      Delete
  8. I'm not a big Godzilla Fan either, but I did see bits of the Godzilla movies as someone else was always watching them!

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    1. They are fun if you like them. But the first one is a movie apart from all the re-makes.

      Delete
  9. What an interesting post. I knew nothing about these movies except that Godzilla was supposed to be cheesy. I really like the two-headed Scottie.

    Love,
    Janie

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  10. I love Scotties but I think Scottyzilla is scaring me more than Godzilla this Friday afternoon. ;-)

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  11. Oh my...that final photo of Scottyzilla made me belly-laugh out loud!!! A much, much needed relief after such a long Friday. I've never much believed in the negative assigned to the number 13, but I'm afraid it kind of lived up to it's reputation today. Oye! Thank you for the laugh!

    I'm certainly old enough to remember the "hiding under the desk" drills at school, but am ashamed to say I have never seen the original Godzilla movie. Perhaps it's time to order it up on Netflix this weekend. And yesh...Jock is the very best character in Lady and the Tramp...paws down! X

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    1. Oh My Goodness I hope tomorrow will be better. So happy you like the Zilla ! They are my monsters and they do reek havoc
      where ever they go !
      I am not sure if Netflix has the Gojira I haven't looked.
      I saw it a long time ago.

      Delete
  12. I never understood the attraction of most of the 'Zillas, but this was a great post!

    Love it!
    Cherdo
    www.cherdoontheflipside.com

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    1. Glad you liked the post I tried to read all the blogs. I hope I got to them all.
      They all were so different and interesting.
      Several I had some problems with and one asked for me to sign up or something...

      Delete
  13. I bow my head in shame and admit the first Gojira movie I saw was the remake in..was it the 90s? I always knew about him though... he was always very much a part of the scifi culture.

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    1. Oh gosh don't worry about not seeing the very first one... so much of the world only saw the U.S. one first.
      Godzilla King of the Monsters was released in 1956

      Delete
  14. You and I are of the same era. I recall those things you mention. Godzilla was the first monster movie I remember ever seeing. My parents took me to see it in the theater. I guess I might have been about 4 or 5 at the time. The film fascinated me and began a long lasting affair with the monster and sci-fi genre. Fortunately I guess my parents must have liked those films too since I remember seeing a lot of them in the theater.

    What I especially liked about the U.S. release of Godzilla was Raymond Burr's voice over narrations which gave the film an almost news report or documentary style. It made it all the more real for me.

    More recent viewings of this film have confirmed for me that this was a darn good film. Good choice of films.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  15. The two headed dog is scarier than Godzilla!
    Happy weekend!

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  16. This is such an interesting post! I actually have never fully watched Gojira or Godzilla movies before. Maybe some scenes when it was on TV. Didn't know the original and the Hollywood versions are so different. I do know some characters like Mothra. I think Scottyzilla is the cutest!!

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    1. MOTHRA !
      Oh My Goodness Just bring on the popcorn.

      Delete
  17. oh rats i'm late again, soooo sorry. life is just getting in my way these days. i LURVE the two headed square dog, made me laugh out loud and that woke up roche' who had to come see what i was laughing at and now he wants another head! yert!

    smiles, bee
    xoxoxoxoxo

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    Replies
    1. You are never late...
      The Square Ones love their Aunty Bee

      Delete
  18. Very cool movie choice and great post. And I really like Scottyzilla! Thanks for sharing this in our Bloghop!

    Nancy at Hungry Enough To Eat Six

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    1. It was fun !
      Thank You for coming up with such a great question

      Delete
  19. Of course you never win in situations like this Gayle, with little bright eyes watching your every move.

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    1. You are so right I never win !
      hahahahahahahaha cute furry cuddle one are always number 1

      Delete
  20. A blog hop? Oh, no...not you, too!

    As much as I love Godzilla (I never saw the Japanese version), I'm glad you didn't forget it's Square Dog Friday!

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    1. I don't do blog hops, remember this is me... why write one sentence when six is better ! Thing like this take me a long time.
      I know you or William could have whipped this out in a minute.
      As a non writer I tried to do my best in getting my feeling across. Many did shorter funnier posts, I am not that clever.
      But this idea of picking a movie you liked as a child and does it still hold up ? was just so interesting.
      Don't worry The Boys have taken over Mondays post.

      Delete
  21. I have never watched Godzilla (I felt too sorry for the poor guy), but I love the inventive special effects of the early films. I really just wanted to comment on your dogs--they are adorable! :)

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  22. After the 1990's ruined Godzilla, I never wanted to watch it again. For some reason I bought the original a few months back on DVD to prepare me for the new one. I never watched it, and I never watched the new one either! I might give it a go now though...

    Ed- Empire's 5-star 500

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  23. Can't remember which godzilla movie I saw first but I love your descriptions. Hope you had a nice day filled with chikin' strip negotiations.

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  24. We watched the American version recently with our daughter. After your review, I'd be interested to see the original Japanese. As you know, I've been reading a lot about the bombing of Hiroshima recently. Godzilla is an important cultural expression of that horror and the need to prevent it from happening again.

    Thanks for joining us, parsnip. Good luck in arbitration.

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  25. Gojira! I like that better. Sounds scarier. With all of the Godzilla movies out there, it's amazing how well all the originals hold up.

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  26. Love the two-headed shot. I have one of my girls similar, nearly ready to post as well.

    Fun stuff, these dogs.

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  27. I always remember 'On The Beach' the film from the fifties as a chilling but memorable anti- nuclear film. I'd like to see it again.
    Great cast too - Ava, Greg and Antony Perkins

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