GO GO, GODZILLA!!!!!!!!!

various | June 25, 2004 | Long Cut

[Long Cut]

Gotcha! You're on it!

[Xenalyte]

Anyone ever notice Jet Jaguar looks like Ultra-Man?

[Long Cut]

Yep, the effects wizards in Japan have often said that water, fire, and smoke are the things that give them the most headaches, because they always betray size.

The size effect in water is mitigated by using a small amount of soap in it. It seems to cut down on the effect.

They also use some CGI to help, at least in the 2000's. Due to budgeting constraints, they have been unable to use it as freely as American producers.

Hey, if you find something that makes water look "smaller" if added, sell it to the Japanese!

[RandallFlagg]

I think I read somewhere that one was based on the other.

[Long Cut]

Ultraman was just getting popular in Japan in the 70's when "Godzilla versus Megalon" was planned, so they included a space-looking robot in it to tap that audience. The resemblance is deliberate.

[Long Cut]

THAT's something to wake up to!

I think even Godzilla himself would hold off on the atomic breath if he saw her!

[VadeRetro]

As for the suit, it is 200 pounds of latex, metal, and remote-control electronics. The actor can only wear it for about ten minutes at a time, due to its weight and lack of air, and he is nearly blind within it. He cannot remove it by himself, and is essentially helpless in emergencies. Several actors have been injured in the suit.

Sounds like computer graphics have been a relief to some people.

[VadeRetro]

The size effect in water is mitigated by using a small amount of soap in it. It seems to cut down on the effect.

Destroys surface tension, thus producing very fine droplets.

[Long Cut]

Actually, from interviews I've read, the suit-mation actors love their jobs. In Japan, acting as Godzilla is considered an honor.

They have steadily been increasing the amount of CGI in the films, a little at a time as they master it. They don't generally like to use a new technology whole-hog (ala Jurassic Park) until they are sure they fully understand how to use it effectively. It was also too expensive for them fore a lot of years. The average budget for a G-Film was only about $10 million.

[Long Cut]

Have a good morning, everyone! I'll check back this afternoon or evening sometime, have fun!

[humblegunner]

Please add me to the 'Zilla list, Gozira rules!

[Long Cut]

Gotcha!

Great picture, too!

Vade, see what I mean about the technology advancing?

[Long Cut]

I just love old-school pinup art like this...

[VadeRetro]

Vade, see what I mean about the technology advancing?

The more you mix in computer wizardry, the more you can do. (And the less time you will probably spend telling a story.)

I hardly ever go to see anything new. I have a growing library of old stuff, though.

[Jonx6]

Where did that scene come from?

[Long Cut]

" The more you mix in computer wizardry, the more you can do. (And the less time you will probably spend telling a story.)" I guess with monster movies, though, you have to make allowances. I do if it looks like they TRIED to make it look good, rather than tried to make you go "WOW! look at that effect!".

[humblegunner]

Where did that scene come from?

Michael found it.

[Long Cut]

I checked the URL...it's from Ain't It Cool News, and it apparently is a scene from "Godzilla: Final Wars".

[VadeRetro]

Japanese monster movies are mostly about the effects, anyway, so it's ridiculous to criticize for that. There's a place for such movies. My real beef is that Hollywood in general has fallen too far in love with visual spectacle, much in the way it was in love with body counts in the thousands for much of the 80s and 90s. It's interesting to watch a movie like Casablanca, which has maybe six or seven gunshots and no special effects unless you count process-screen shots making Bogart and Bergman look like they're in Paris when they're in Hollywood. You have to wonder how Hollywood would massacre it now.

It's also interesting to look at a true visual spectacle picture, The Four Feathers of 1939, and compare it to a recent Hollywood remake. The original is still stunning with its color photography of North Africa and its huge armies of extras. Some politically incorrect Kipling-esque dervishes and fuzzy-wuzzies, white-man's burden attitude is detectable, but this is more toned down than you might expect. A story is told faithful in its broadest outlines to history although the mainline plot is bunk.

Hollywood's recent remake substitutes a lot of computer wizardry for spectacle where none is needed, then unaccountably writes the very-much-needed climactic battle of Omdurman completely out of the picture.

They still make feel-good human-interest or comic movies on trivial stuff. Will Jack Nicholson find love with Diane Keaton or will she go for Keanu Reeves? But they've lost their way on everything else.

[Alkhin]

What about ULTRAMAN!!

I used to watch that avidly, even as a toddler (late 60s, early 70s).

Mom wouldn't let me watch the evening news with all the death reports, but had no problem letting me watch Japanese monster movies. Go figure.