Godzilla "Concept" Art: Nothing To See Here, Folks!

These images purported to be "rejected concept designs" for the Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros. Godzilla are making the rounds over the Internet.



Sites such as Shock Till You Drop, Dread Central and others have posted articles proclaiming that these are "the real deal" and, also, citing G-Fan as the source.

From Dread Central:

The images popped up in the latest issue of G-Fan. It should be noted these concepts were rejected, but at least they offer insight into which direction they're looking to go. Thankfully it's the right one!

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending upon one's point-of-view), the images are fan-art drawings. They are not rejected concept drawings.

THE TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SHOWS "GODZILLA, MOTHRA, KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK"

Ten years ago, on October 31, 2001 to be exact, I flew for the first time to Japan to attend the 2001 Tokyo International Film Festival for the premiere of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-out Attack. The movie was shown on November 3.

Upon my return to the United States, I submitted the following article to G-FAN magazine. It was published in the January/February 2002 issue (no. 54). Here's a look at what I wrote about the movie and experience in 2001.

Above, Godzilla lumbers onstage at the 2001 Tokyo International Film Festival. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

THE TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SHOWS "GODZILLA, MOTHRA, KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK"

by Armand Vaquer

Before the year 2000 ended, I had not a single thought about making a trek over to Japan to see the newest Godzilla epic. However, when fellow G-FAN contributor Richard Pusateri returned from a 19-day Japan vacation in December to see the premiere of "Godzilla X Megaguirus" and later told me of the great time he had, I then started thinking that maybe the time has come to make the trip myself.

I have always wanted to go visit Japan ever since high school when I took an Asian studies class in my senior year of 1972. When word got out that Gamera director Shusuke Kaneko was slated to direct the next installment of the Godzilla series, excitement and some anxiety flooded the fan Internet message boards and newsgroups. Will Kaneko give Godzilla a new lease on life or will his film be the death knell of this nearly half-century old character?

Fortunately, my thoughts of attending the 2001 Tokyo International Film Festival came closer to reality as I had the good fortune in obtaining a high-paying job in the insurance claims industry. As soon as the paychecks started coming in, I immediately set out to plan my trip to Japan to see the premiere of "Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack" at the festival on November 3.

The name of the film itself is a throwback or homage to the Godzilla movie titles of the 1960s. Producer Shogo Tomiyama had stated that the films beginning with "Godzilla 2000: Millennium" would be a trilogy of three separate films totally unrelated to each other or of the films of the past except, to some degree, the 1954 original. Each film would be a different "take" on Godzilla and other kaiju characters. This way, they can "play around" with the characters and see what interesting films they can come up with.

I know it has been stated in these pages and elsewhere that changing origins and motivations of established characters does a "dishonor" to the creators of the past. But I look upon this strategy as a means to an end that all fans can agree on: to keep churning out fun and enjoyable Godzilla films in the years ahead. After all, how many times had Godzilla changed in the years before "The Return of Godzilla" in 1984? The superhero Godzilla of 1975 was not the nuclear terror that started out in 1954.


To Tokyo And Beyond.

I got into the New Tokyo International Airport in Narita a couple of days before the showing. Contrary to what some have said around the Internet, I found that taking the Narita Express (N'Ex) train into Tokyo to be easy and relaxing. Who wants to sit in a cab bogged down in rush-hour traffic after an eleven-and-a-half hour flight from Los Angeles? Certainly not me! Having the Japan Rail Pass also was a great help (for about $230, the Rail Pass may be obtained through authorized travel agencies).

I elected to arrive in Japan early so that I can spend the next day touring around and get acclimated to the area. I had the unplanned fortune in making reservations at a Japanese inn in the Shibuya section of Tokyo that was within walking distance to the Bunkamura shopping complex that contained the Orchard Hall where "GMK" would be shown. Thanks to my friends in Japan at Toho Co., Ltd., I was able to obtain tickets to the film and was able to get a hold of the festival's public relations committee in time to obtain a press pass to the festival to cover the premiere for G-FAN.


Onward to the show.

After a hearty breakfast at the Shibuya Denny's Restaurant (yes, there are Denny's restaurants in Japan), I made my way to the Bunkamura for the show. The T.I.F.F. is a well-run operation and my press credentials were waiting for me at the press center. After sending off a quick dispatch to Aaron Smith at Monster Zero, I wandered around the festival's exhibits and eventually made my way to where the line was beginning to form (three hours before the show) for "GMK."

I found some familiar American fan faces in the crowd and spent most of the time waiting with them and having a good time discussing films, kaiju toys or whatever subject that happened to come up. I became reacquainted with some old friends and found some new ones. There were many fans with Godzilla figures, models, books and magazines waiting in line and were having a grand time looking at each other's items. It was so pleasant to get away from the constant bombardment of the U.S. media's coverage of anthrax and the war in Afghanistan. Rain began to fall before we are allowed into the theater. But the spirit of the fans there refused to be dampened.

The Orchard Hall theater is a big facility that reminded me of the grand movie palaces of a bygone era, only modern. The show started with a film called "A Message to Godzilla From Godzilla" that had Japanese baseball player Hideki Matsui, whose nickname is Godzilla and flanked by Godzilla himself (or a reasonable facimile) playing around and posing with baseball bats. Then followed the live show with Godzilla producer Shogo Tomiyama, director Shusuke Kaneko and "GMK" stars Chiharu Niiyama, Ryudo Uzaki and Nobuaki Kakuta. After each gave a brief address to the audience, Godzilla enters the stage spewing out dense vapor from his mouth to the audience's delight. As one can imagine, many camera shutters went off during this portion of the show (including mine.) The show was a great warm-up for what
was to come.


The Movie.

After the stage was cleared, the film began. Rather than go into the storyline in great detail, what I will do is describe my impressions on what I saw and heard. Keep in mind that as producer Shogo Tomiyama stated in his remarks, this film was not quite completed. It was said that the film was about 95% completed with some special effects scenes that were in need of fixing (or perfecting) and more scenes to be added in. So, between the showing on November 3 and opening day of December 15, the film will be undergoing more refinement.

Godzilla's first appearance was actually just of his dorsal spikes as he was underwater behind a sunken American nuclear submarine. Jettisoned were the spikes of the prior two films and a return to a more traditional style. It seems that there was a "first" Godzilla that was apparently killed off in 1954 by an unknown chemical compound (a hint at the Oxygen Destroyer) and for some reason the generations of Japanese that followed caused this new Godzilla to appear because they have forgotten the horrors of the Pacific War and its war dead. The spirits of the war dead did not take kindly to be forgotten by the present generation, so they merged into Godzilla, who is still a creation of the H-bomb, but now has this new aspect to his character. Godzilla's appearance triggers the awakening of the three guardian monster "gods" of Yamato: Baragon, Mothra and King Ghidorah (also known as the 1000-year dragon.)

The designs of the four monsters were probably the best examples of modern kaiju suit designs. They remained somewhat faithful to their previous incarnations, but updated. I was told by Mr. Tomiyama that Kaneko had control over the suit designs and other facets of the film, more so than previous directors with the possible exception of Ishiro Honda. His involvement in storyboarding and directing the special effects helped to integrate the live action and the special effects scenes into a more seamless product than what we have seen in past Godzilla films.

Former special effects director Koichi Kawakita makes a couple of cameo appearances as a military leader and one of the two investigative mini-subs was named "Satsuma" (a reference to former Godzilla suit actor Kenpachiro Satsuma. There is a notable "dig" at the American Godzilla early in the film that the audience immediately caught.

Although the Godzilla suit is larger than the more recent ones, it was amazing to see how maneuverable it was and expressive it could be. Mothra never looked better and never flew better. It did not suffer from the wing movements (or lack thereof) of previous films. If only Megaguirus (in "Godzilla X Megaguirus") had the wing articulation that Mothra did, it would have greatly improved that film. The Mothra larva was only briefly seen in a nighttime shot and there was an aerial shot of Mothra's cocoon floating on a lake. Unfortunately, it lacked detail, and looked like Snoopy floating in a bathtub.

The use of integrating CGI (computer-generated imaging) with the live action enhanced the effects.

The "younger" versions of Ghidorah were good, but the final form transformation of King Ghidorah was absolutely breathtaking.

What is especially striking about this movie is the daytime photography of the battle between Godzilla and Baragon. That, plus the miniatures and camera angles, made Baragon the show-stealer. The flaws usually apparent in having a human portraying a quadruped were not present in this film. One can only imagine how well Anguirus (a past Japanese monster) would have turned out if he had been included.

Baragon, while clearly out-matched by Godzilla, was tough-as-nails (like a pit bull) and fought valiantly.

The dark humor one usually associates with Kaneko's films were also apparent in this film. A man relieving himself and a girl in a hospital meet their maker courtesy of Godzilla were fun to watch. The funny part is, one instinctively knew ahead of time what was to happen, but it was fun anyway.

The battles were all well done and there was not a dull moment. The ending was a surprise, though.

Without giving it away, I'll just say that it was a very unusual one for a Godzilla film. This is obviously "not your Daddy's Godzilla film" and is more like a "thinking man's Godzilla film." It definitely cries out for repeated viewings in order to soak in all the various nuances. The score was okay, but not strong as the one for "Godzilla X Megaguirus." The sound system was lacking and the score will be remixed before the film's general release.


Post Movie Mortems.

The movie ends and the crowd files out of the theater. It is pouring rain outside, but everyone is so pleased with the movie that they linger around to discuss it and visit with friends. Original Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima was there and graciously signed autographs and posed for photos with fans. I complimented Mr. Tomiyama on a job well done. I had earlier seen people exit the theater from other movies and at no time did they stay and linger as the Godzilla crowd did. It was a communal experience with like-minded people, Japanese and non-Japanese alike.

Eventually, the crowd thinned out to different venues for dinner, drinks or whatever. I went with a group to dinner in Nakano that grew to around 20 that included Kenpachiro Satsuma. Mr. Satsuma, while quite a character anyway, really gets quite jolly after putting away a few. He's definitely a man one would enjoy partying with.

There were some who attended that I only knew from the internet and it was a pleasure meeting them in person. Sometimes, one can get the wrong impression on somebody and when you meet them and talk with them for a while, you can come away with a vastly different (for the better) view of them.

A new Godzilla film is now being planned to be made this year and if it gets premiered at the 2002 T.I.F.F., without hesitation I would suggest that you seriously consider going. Sure it costs a little money, but what's a little money in comparison to a lifetime's memory of an experience that many have only dreamed of? You only live once, so make the most of it. And if you do go, take some time to go see some of the country. You will want to return, I certainly do.

Above, Shogo Tomiyama, Godzilla and Shusuke Kaneko pose for photos with some of the movie's actors. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

###

It is interesting to look back at what I wrote at the time. Some of the things I wrote were a little off. For example, Godzilla's dorsal spikes weren't first seen behind the sunken submarine. They were seen glowing behind an underwater rock formation. I was going by memory at the time (along with some notes).

"GMK" is probably the most revered G-movie of the millennium series (1999 - 2004).

Kaiju Fandom and 9/11

While we're reflecting on September 11, 2001 today, many things have come to mind. Some of these are in the relationship between 9/11 and kaiju fandom in the days and weeks following the attacks.

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, some speculated that 9/11 would spell doom to kaiju fandom. Some thought that images of collapsing buildings at the claws of giant monsters would be "too disturbing" for people to handle by reminding them of 9/11. In fact, some previously-scheduled television screenings of Godzilla movies were canceled allegedly for this reason.

Others, including news reporter talking heads, remarked that images of fleeing crowds of people from the massive debris clouds from the collapsing twin towers reminded them of giant monster movies (as in "life imitating art").


Another thing that comes to mind were the reactions of some people to a little banner J. D. Lees included on the top of the cover of G-FAN #53 (see image at right). The words on the banner read, "We Stand With America" and were flanked by the Canadian (G-FAN is published in Canada) and U.S. flags.

In letters to the magazine in following issues, several writers took issue with the inclusion of the banner for varying reasons. (Remember, emotions were at a fever pitch following the initial shock of the attacks.) Some felt it "inappropriate" to "inject politics" into a monster fan magazine and others felt that they read the magazine to "escape" from real-life. Lees wanted to express a little jesture of Canadian-U.S. international solidarity with the banner. The negative reactions by a few were a surprise.

Fortunately, as time went on, cooler heads prevailed and fans were still able to continue to enjoy their giant monster movies, and still do. People aren't as dumb as some media harpies try to portray them to be. People know the difference between fantasy special effects films and reality. If this weren't the case, then Cloverfield could not have been made (successfully, I might add), especially since the action in the movie takes place in New York City.

Thankfully, fandom of giant monster movies is still alive and well.

PRESERVING GODZILLA

Ten years ago, I wrote the following article on Toho's efforts to preserve their film library of kaiju movies for G-FAN magazine (issue no. 48). I thought now would be a good time for a revisit.

by Armand Vaquer

Do you wonder if Godzilla will be around for future generations to enjoy? This thought occurred to me when I set out to check on the state of Toho’s classic Godzilla films and what efforts are being made to ensure that the “King of the Monsters” will be around for generations to come.

I recently checked on the subject of film preservation and restoration with the American Film Institute (AFI) and found that our film heritage is in pretty good shape, at least for now. The thought also occurred to me, “ What is being done in Japan by Toho Co., Ltd. in preventing film deterioration?” I will state my findings herein.

Background.

As many of you motion picture fans know, film deterioration has been a major concern during the past several years. Many studios and the American Film Institute have in place programs to restore, preserve and protect films of varying ages and film types.

Several years ago, concern was raised over the loss of films before 1951 that were on nitrate-based film stock. Nitrate film stock turned out to be unstable, flammable and deteriorates after several years. When it was realized that we were losing our old films, efforts began to transfer these films from nitrate stock to modern safety film. Thanks to these efforts, older nitrate films were saved and not lost to the ages as some had already been.

Another concern was that color films were deteriorating (even though they were on safety film) because of the single strip film emulsion also proved to be unstable. It has been learned from bitter experience that unlike the earlier three-strip Technicolor film process, today’s color film can fade irretrievably in as little as five years (note that Lucasfilm had to restore the earlier “Star Wars” films before they could be re-released just prior to the release of “The Phantom Menace”).

According to the AFI, “There is no practical solution for preserving the color in single-strip emulsion safety film.”

Then there’s also “The Vinegar Syndrome.” Modern safety film bases are composed of either acetyl cellulose (triacetate) or polyester (product names “Estar” or “Cronar”). When exposed to flame, modern safety film will only curl and extinguish itself. When modern safety film is properly stored, it should not decompose over time and is estimated to have a shelf life about as long as that of good quality paper, approximately 200 to 300 years. Shrinkage and brittleness will also be minimized in films that are properly stored.

However, during the past several years, archivists and technical experts have learned that triacetate film is not always as stable as was originally thought. Acetate degradation has been identified as a new and potentially serious problem for preservationists. Commonly referred to as “the vinegar syndrome” (because of a vinegar-like odor is given off by deteriorating acetate), acetate degradation proceeds in a way not dissimilar to nitrate deterioration, but without the flammability factor. This problem has proven to be especially serious in films improperly stored in high temperature and humidity environments. It is also believed to be contagious, that degrading acetate can infect other films stored in the same area.

Toho’s film library.

Fortunately for us kaijulogists, although there had been kaiju eiga films ("Godzilla", 1954 and "Godzilla Raids Again", 1955) made with nitrate-based film stock, Toho had transferred all original nitrate films to non-flammable safety film. Therefore, no Toho Co., Ltd. kaiju films have been lost due to nitrate deterioration. Like the United States film industry, the Japanese film industry ceased using nitrate-based film stock and started using safety film in the late 1950s.

What of the Godzilla color films? Toho reports that they have the original negatives/master materials of their kaiju eiga films in their best possible conditions. Toho has been aware of the “vinegar syndrome” and has been paying due attention to temperature/humidity control of their film vaults. This has been perfected by Toho’s introduction of their new storage facility for original negatives with a more advanced temperature and humidity control system, called PPM Centre, three years ago.

According to Stuart Galbraith’s book, “Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo!,” Toho primarily used Eastman Color for their color kaiju eiga films. So it appears that the three-strip Technicolor process was never used for their films. U.S. releases of some films ("King Kong vs. Godzilla" (1963) for example) were printed in Technicolor.

On the video and DVD road.

The advent of home video (originally in Beta and VHS formats) in the 1980s allowed Godzilla fans to collect their favorite kaiju films. Often these mass-produced videos had picture qualities that varied as much as the designs of Toho’s monsters. Everyone is pretty much in agreement that the video quality depended upon the original source material.

For example, some companies (Simitar, for one) released video tapes of the classic (or Showa) Godzilla films and often the film prints used left much to be desired. It was through either indifference or economy that this is the case. Many of the video tapes that I have purchased had faded images, choppy editing or horrible sound. Then there are other video distributors who had an excellent print to work with and therefore produced a fine video. Some companies issued videos in EP (extended play) speed that would accentuate an already bad print.

With the introduction of digital DVD in the 1990s, kaiju collectors are able to enjoy superior video and sound on their players. Most, if not all, Heisei series Godzilla films are starting to be released in DVD. This allows for a superior product to be produced before film deterioration to sets in. [Note: Godzilla movies are now starting to be released on Blu-ray. - A.]

At present, there are no programs at Toho to restore their older kaiju films a la Lucasfilm and others. This may be due to the costs involved (in the U.S., AFI reports that the cost to preserve color images can easily be $40,000 per feature-length film), the quality of negatives and storage facilities involved. I have a copy of “Godzilla vs. Ebirah” that has excellent color images, and that film is around 35 years old. I have also seen different prints of “King Kong vs. Godzilla” (1962) and each one had color images that looked as though the film was made this year or pretty close to it.

At present, according to AFI, the only cost-effective means of dealing with color fading is to slow it down by storing color films in vaults designed to maintain below-freezing temperatures and low humidity. This is a stopgap measure. While cold storage may prolong the life of color films, it cannot ensure their survival until the time when it may be possible to transfer the images to an archivally stable medium. It was hoped that digital archiving would accomplish this, but it appears that digital images may not be as perpetually stable as was originally thought or hoped for. The jury is still out on this aspect and it depends upon whom you talk to.

But for the short term at least, we can still enjoy vibrant images of Godzilla in his nearly five decade long adventures.

Sources: American Film Institute, Toho Co., Ltd. (L.A.) and “Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo!” by Stuart Galbraith IV.


©2000 Armand Vaquer