Godzilla

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Godzilla statue in Tokyo

Godzilla ( Japanese ゴ ジ ラ , Gojira ) (pronounced English [ ɡɒdˈzɪlə ], Japanese [ ɡoꜜdʑiɽa ]) is a Japanese movie monster . The 50–118.5 meter high monster has so far appeared in 32 Japanese and three American films and has inspired other monster film series such as Mothra and Gamera , which are also very popular with fans of the genre , who also refer to it as the king of the monsters.

History of the film series

In Japan

The basic idea for the film comes from producer Tomoyuki Tanaka . The incident of the Japanese fishing boat Happy Dragon V (Japanese 福 竜 丸, Dai-go Fukuryū-maru) serves as inspiration . On March 1, 1954, this boat came under the influence of Castle Bravo , an American nuclear weapons test in which the US Army had detonated its most powerful nuclear weapon on Bikini Atoll the day before . Due to the unexpected strength of the bomb and the unfavorable weather conditions, the boat and crew were badly contaminated . The radio operator Aikichi Kuboyama died on September 23, 1954. The other crew members initially survived. Six of them later developed liver cancer. While the incident was barely noticed in the United States, it caused enormous outrage among the Japanese people and almost destroyed the reconciliation efforts of the two states that had faced each other in World War II .

Gojira movie poster

The Japanese original version of the first Godzilla film from 1954 (Gojira) is not only impressive in terms of tricks, but also well thought-out in terms of plot and drama, which can be either an allegory of the Japanese trauma of the atomic bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki or as a direct one Reaction to the nuclear accident at Dai-go Fukuryū-maru. In addition to the Japanese original version by director Ishirō Honda, there is a recut international version, for which Terry O. Morse shot some additional scenes with Raymond Burr as a reporter. Honda was inspired for this first film by the successful American monster film Panic in New York ( The Beast From 20000 Fathoms, 1953), with trick shots by Ray Harryhausen .

The first Godzilla film can be interpreted as a processing of the Second World War lost by Japan , the atomic bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the numerous nuclear tests carried out by the Americans in the Pacific during the Cold War . If Godzilla is an evil monster as the symbol of the bomb in this film, that changed in the course of the series. Above all, attempts were made to incorporate elements from foreign productions or world events. In films like Orders from the Dark (1965), Godzilla becomes the protector of Japan (or the whole earth, as in Final Wars ) from extraterrestrial invaders. He is - according to Georg Seeßlen  - "from a great destroyer to a great friend". With the success of TV series such as Raumschiff Enterprise and the wider interest in the space race and the Apollo 11 moon landing , science fiction elements were increasingly used until 1975. The success of the Back to the Future trilogy inspired the makers of Godzilla - Duel of the Megasaurs , published in 1991, to incorporate the topic of "time travel". In the series of the 1980s / 90s and 2000s, Godzilla became an evil monster again, but could never distance himself from the role of the anti-hero. In the early 1970s, Godzilla was also used to draw attention to ongoing environmental pollution. For example, he fought against a monster that gets its energy from environmental pollution. This theme was revisited in later films in the series and became the focal point of individual stories. There are similar allusions to genetic engineering.

In Germany, the Godzilla films came into the cinemas in the 1970s, sometimes with dubbing that distorted the meaning and tried to integrate the screaming distribution titles into the plot. Frankenstein and King Kong were often integrated into the distribution titles, although the monsters in question usually did not appear in the films. While King Kong was simply the best-known synonym for giant monsters running amok at the time - at least better known as Godzilla - Frankenstein only indirectly refers to Mary Shelley's fictional character. Frankenstein - The horror with the monkey face , in which a 50-meter-high, atomically irradiated Frankenstein monster was allowed to fight another prehistoric monster, was so successful at the German box office in the summer of 1967 that almost all of the following films were about the giant Japanese monsters had been Germanized accordingly in order to build on this success; even using the same "Frankenstein" lettering. But even with Godzilla himself, films were given misleading titles. The Korean film Yongary is available in Germany under the title Godzilla's death paw . The second film in the Gamera series, which is called Dragon Wars in Germany , was advertised with Godzilla on the cover, although it does not even appear. Only the opposing monster is called Godzilla, while Gamera received the slightly modified name of his opponent (Barugon).

Technically trick was in the Godzilla movies with suitmation worked, which means that an actor plays the role of the monster in an often very heavy rubber costume. The scenes of destruction of cities characteristic of the films were filmed in detailed models. Since the suitmation achieves its own aesthetic, which is often understood as "cheap" by Western viewers who are used to American trick technology, this is still used in the more recent Japanese Godzilla productions of the 1990s, supplemented by numerous computer effects . Originally, as in some American productions, they wanted to use Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion technology, but the effort and costs were the reason for Toho's decision to suitmation. However, they continued to experiment with computer effects. From 1984 onwards, Godzilla's characteristic heat beam, which had previously only been painted into the film material, was created on the computer. 1999 and 2000, in the films Godzilla 2000: Millennium and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus , the monster was animated entirely in the computer in underwater scenes , which the fans did not accept.

The Godzilla from the first American film adaptation was parodied in the 2004 Japanese Godzilla film, Godzilla: Final Wars . In a fight between the real and the American Godzilla, called Zilla in this film , the real Godzilla hurls Zilla's tail into the Sydney Opera House and then wipes him out with his radioactive beam. Like the beginning of the trailer , the whole thing is accompanied by We're all to blame (Eng. “We are all to blame”) from the band Sum 41 .

Due to the financial success of the second American Godzilla film , Toho decided to shoot a new Godzilla film after twelve years. This came under the title Shin Godzilla ('new Godzilla', international title: Godzilla: Resurgence ) in the Japanese cinemas on July 29, 2016. Splendid Entertainment has already secured the distribution rights for the German-speaking market. This was directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi , both of whom were best known for the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion , with the script also coming from Anno, the special effects from Higuchi. After the success of Shin Godzilla, an adaptation as an anime film was commissioned for the first time, which was released as a trilogy starting with Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters in Japanese cinemas from November 2017. In Germany, the anime can be seen on Netflix .

The total of 32 Japanese Godzilla films are divided into five loosely connected series, each with largely independent chronology: the Showa series from 1954 to 1975 (15 films), the Heisei series from 1984 to 1995 (7 films) and the Millennium series Series from 1999 to 2004 (6 films). A fourth series that began with Shin Godzilla , released in 2016 , is currently unnamed. With the anime film Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters , an anime film series was released from 2017 to 2018 that is independent of the fourth film series.

In the United States

As early as 1978, an animated series about Godzilla appeared in the United States under the title Godzilla - The Savior of the Earth , the presentation of which was aimed strongly at a very young audience. Godzilla and his son were staged as protectors of the people. The 26 episode series ran from 1978 to 1979 and was then discontinued.

In 1998, an American Godzilla film by the German director Roland Emmerich with visual effects by Volker Engel came to the cinema, which presented a completely new and different version of the giant lizard. The plot has been moved from Tokyo to New York City . Although the film was a commercial success, it is not accepted as part of the series by fans of the Japanese Godzilla. The short form GINO is common among fans for the Emmerich monster : “ G odzilla I n N ame O nly” (Godzilla only in name) . After the release of this film, the responsible production company Tōhō announced that there would be no further Godzilla film for at least ten years. Nevertheless, another American cartoon series appeared in 1998 under the title Godzilla - The Series , which thematically continued the film by Emmerich. This series was also discontinued after two years and 40 episodes.

In May 2014, the second American Godzilla film was released in 2D and 3D. The film was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. , Legendary Pictures and Disruption Entertainment in addition to Toho Company . Director took over here Gareth Edwards . In contrast to Roland Emmerich's work, this film was received much more favorably.

For June 2018, Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures announced a sequel that would also be directed by Gareth Edwards. But this got out after the completion of its Star Wars spin-off Rogue One: A Star Wars Story . Legendary postponed the start by twelve months and presented the replacement with Michael Dougherty . Dougherty has been involved in the production as a screenwriter from the start. The sequel is titled Godzilla II: King of the Monsters . Furthermore, a film was announced for 2020 in which Godzilla is supposed to meet the giant monkey King Kong , a duel that was filmed in 1962. In this regard, a meeting was already hinted at in a post-credit scene in the film Kong: Skull Island . Adam Wingard is the director here.

Distinctive elements of the films

origin of the name

The Japanese name ( Japanese ゴ ジ ラ , Gojira ) is an artificial word, consisting of the Japanese words for gorilla ( Japanese ゴ リ ラ , Gorira ) and whale ( Japanese 鯨 (ク ジ ラ) , Kujira ). The name was chosen because Godzilla was described as a cross between a whale and a gorilla at a planning stage. This is also an allusion to its size, power and habitat, the sea. This thesis of the origin of the name has never been officially confirmed, but it is most likely. There is also the theory that the name comes from an overweight employee of Tōhō at the time who worked in the marketing department in 1954. Because of his stature, he was nicknamed Gojira .

Godzilla is also the namesake of the Mozilla project and various by-products such as Bugzilla , ChatZilla or Jira . These by-products were viewed with great suspicion by Tōhō , who holds all rights to the name and character Godzilla.

Origin of the Godzilla roar

The characteristic roar of Godzilla arose after unsatisfactory sound experiments with various animal voices. Akira Ifukube , the composer of the score for the first Godzilla film from 1954 , eventually suggested using a musical instrument for the voice. The roar was produced with a double bass, over the strings of which a leather glove coated with pine resin was passed lengthways.

Monsters from Godzilla movies

Here is a list of some of the other monsters that appeared in the Tōhō Studios' Godzilla films :

  • Anguirus in the 1955 movie poster
    Angilas or Anguirus is the last survivor of the prehistoric genus Ankylosaurus , but in a film he is also described as a descendant of a hedgehog in the German language version. He is a four-legged friend with strong hind legs, which gives him excellent jumping abilities. He can also curl up like a ball and hit enemies with his spiked armor. In Godzilla Raids Again (1955), he first appeared as a rival.
  • Baragon , a kind of primal reptile that digs its way through the ground and can spew a red beam of heat. He made his first appearance in the film Frankenstein - The Terror with the Monkey Face (1965) and was also seen in the film Frankenstein and the monsters from space. Most recently he was allowed to deliver a battle with Godzilla in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah (2001).
  • Battra , the evil twin of Mothra (who later fights Godzilla with Mothra as part of the team), is a giant moth that had its only appearance in Godzilla - Battle of the Mutant Dinosaurs . Just like his twin sister, Battra can shoot laser beams from their eyes. However, it can transform directly into a moth without having to go through the pupation cycle. Battra originally had the same task as Mothra, namely protecting the earth and its ecosystem. It was only through the influence of humans and the anger of nature that he became Mothra's rival.
  • Biollante , a hybrid being created by a scientist who crossed Godzilla's genes with those of a rose and his daughter's soul. She has her only appearance in Godzilla, the Urgiant and appears in a flashback in the film Godzilla versus SpaceGodzilla . Immortal through the involvement of a human soul, Biolante can send its ashes to heaven to regrow elsewhere. It has its own vine monsters that can attack independently of each other. In its original form, Biolante was a giant rose, but it can also take other forms that externally bear characteristics of Godzilla. In this form it can spit caustic acid.
  • Destoroyah , also spelled Destroyah or Destroyer . A primal monster that appears in four forms. His weapons are a powerful horn on his forehead, which he can use as an energy katana , and a beam of micro-oxygen. It originated from primitive Tadpole Shrimp that were revived and mutated by the first anti-Godzilla weapon, the Oxygen Destroyer. The monster made its only appearance in Godzilla against Destoroyah in 1995.
  • Doratos are small future animals , three of which had their only appearance in the movie Godzilla - Duel of the Megasaurs . In the film, they were brought to Tokyo in 1992 by the three ambassadors of the world government. The Doratos are the results of an experiment and have hypersensors that can be used to find time travelers who have been lost during the travel process. They were crucial to the envoy's secret plan to annihilate Japan, as instead of Godzilla they mutated into a giant controllable monster due to the upcoming nuclear test. The Doratos then became King Ghidorah.
  • Ebirah , a gigantic crab who fought Godzilla for the first time in Frankenstein and the monsters from the sea . Ebirah can also be seen in Godzilla: Final Wars .
  • Gabarah is a godzilla-like monster with a small head and longer neck who lives on Monster Island and constantly annoys Godzilla's son Minilla. He can deliver electric shocks.
  • Gigan , a one-eyed cyborg monster from space with a beak, hook-like arms and a circular saw on its torso. He made appearances in Frankenstein's Infernal Brood (1972), King Kong - Demons from Outer Space (1973) and Godzilla: Final Wars .
  • Godzilla : The eponymous monster of this series is a huge dinosaur, which is partly ascribed to the Brontosaurus genus, but also as a representative of an independent dinosaur species, the "Godzillasaurus". Godzilla's strongest attack is his heat ray, which he spits out of the mouth and which can cause serious damage or conflagration. Characteristic of Godzilla are his back spikes, which light up in the color of the heat rays (usually blue, but also fiery red or purple) before he fires them. In addition, Godzilla has an extremely resistant layer of skin, which even withstands fire from projectiles such as tank shells or cruise missiles almost unharmed, as well as regeneration cells that heal Godzilla's wounds quickly. Godzilla's source of energy is radioactivity; should he need new energy, he usually goes to a nuclear reactor (either in nuclear power plants or nuclear-powered submarines) to regenerate. His heart therefore works like a kind of reactor, which gets hot if the dose of radioactivity is too high and triggers a phenomenon that is akin to a core meltdown . There have been several Godzillas in the course of the film series, at least the following:
  • Godzilla Jr. (also called Babygodzilla or Little Godzilla) was Godzilla's second adoptive child, who appeared in the films from 1993 to 1995 (for Godzilla's first son, see Minilla). However, he has all the skills of his foster father. In the film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah , Godzilla dies from the effects of his radioactive mutation. However, after his death, Godzilla reappears. It is unclear whether this is the further developed Godzilla Jr.
  • Godzillasaurus , looks like a cross between Godzilla and a Tyrannosaurus . He lives on the Pacific island of Lagos. Godzillasaurus had its only appearance in the movie Godzilla - Duel of the Megasaurs .
  • Gorosaurus , a mutated variety of a tyrannosaurus. The dinosaur made its first appearance in the King Kong adventure King Kong - Frankenstein's Son and made an appearance the following year in Frankenstein and the monsters from space.
  • Hedorah is a monster made up of atomic garbage and mud that came about through environmental pollution. It first appeared in Frankenstein's Battle Against the Devil Monsters and also appeared in Godzilla: Final Wars . Hedorah goes through a frog-like development; each phase of this development has its own characteristics; so it can be B. fly in one phase and emit deadly gas. Hedorah can also spit corrosive phlegm and pools of oil, as well as fire an eye ray. However, it is susceptible to electricity, which draws the fluid from its body and thus dries it out.
  • Jet Jaguar , called King Kong in the German dubbed version, is a colorful, toy-like humanoid robot that can grow to monster size. He fights together with Godzilla against Megalon and Gigan in King Kong - Demons from Outer Space .
  • Kamakiras , also known as Kamacuras or Gimantis, are giant praying mantises, the three of whom hunted Godzilla's son on Godzilla's son Minilla in Frankenstein's monster hunt . Another Kamakira was seen in Godzilla: Final Wars .
    King Kong , the Colossus of Konga
  • Kameba , a giant sea ​​turtle . The monster was seen in both Horror Monsters Attack (1970) and Godzilla: Tokyo SOS .
  • King Ghidorah / Kaizer Ghidorah / Desghidorah is a three-headed dragon with huge wings that has the ability to spew electromagnetic shock waves (similar to electrical discharges). He is one of Godzilla's worst enemies and played in a total of seven Godzilla productions. He had his first appearance in 1964 in the film Frankenstein's monsters fighting Ghidorah and others in Orders from Darkness (1965), Frankenstein and the monsters from space (1968), Frankenstein's Brood from Hell (1972), Godzilla - Duel of the Megasaurs ( 1991) and Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah (2001). In the film Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) he fights in a special form together with Monster X against Godzilla, before the fight in its well-known form was over. In most of the films he comes from space where he travels around in a comet. In Godzilla - Duel of the Megasaurs he comes from the earth, where he merged three future beings into this very being through the effects of radioactive radiation (see Doratos). In the film Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah , Ghidorah was one of the three sacred protection animals of the Yamato , where he was revered as the "Millennial Dragon King". Ghidorah is portrayed as an obedient monster in some films, in which he can be controlled by evil forces. In addition to the Godzilla productions, he also appeared in the Mothra films The Seal of Elijah and King Ghidorah Returns . In Siegel der Elijah it has a different appearance than Desghidorah and for the first time has two arms in addition to the wings. In 2019 he also starred in the US film Godzilla II: King of the Monsters , in which he was destroyed by Godzilla.
  • King Kong made an appearance in the third Godzilla film, The Return of King Kong . Here it is much larger than in the original and is strengthened by electricity. He was later seen in the film King Kong - Frankenstein's Son . In 2020 there will be another meeting, but this time an American production company will take over the shoot.
  • King Caesar , a canine-like mythical creature on an old legend of Okinawa based ( Shisa ) . He appeared in the 1974 film King Kong vs. Godzilla and Godzilla: Final Wars from 2004.
  • Kumonga or Spiega , the giant spider, is also a very popular monster that has its origin in Greek mythology. It first appeared in Frankenstein's Monsters Chasing Godzilla's Son and was also featured in the films Frankenstein and the Monsters from Space and Godzilla: Final Wars .
  • Manda is a gigantic sea ​​serpent , resembling a Chinese dragon , who first appeared in another film ( U 2000 - Tauchfahrt des Horens , 1963), in which she was worshiped as a deity by the inhabitants of the sunken kingdom of Mu . Manda was also in the films Frankenstein and the monsters from space and Godzilla: Final Wars .
  • MechaGodzilla (Japanese Mekagojira) , also called King Kong in the German version, is a mechanical variant of Godzilla, who appeared in his first two films King Kong against Godzilla (1974) and The Devil's Brut, Konga, Godzilla, King Kong (1975) was used against humanity by ape-like beings from space, but then in 1993 in Godzilla against MechaGodzilla II and when Kiryū in Godzilla against MechaGodzilla (2002) and Godzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003) fought on the side of humans to destroy Godzilla. Kiryu was created from the skeleton of the first Godzilla from 1954. A mechagodzilla also playsin the US film Ready Player One .
  • MechaGhidorah is a cyborg version of King Ghidorah. MechaGhidorah features a mechanical head, steel wings, and an armored breastplate. He shoots rays and steel hooks from his breastplate from his mouth. See Godzilla - Duel of the Megasaurs (1991). His remains formed the basis for the second MechaGodzilla.
  • Megalon is a kind of gigantic humanoid cockroach that has rotating drills instead of hands. He can also spit some kind of napalm grenades and shoot lightning bolts from his horn. The monster appeared for the first and only time in King Kong - Demons from Outer Space .
  • Meganulon / Meganula / Megaguirus is a prehistoric giant dragonfly species . This species goes through a multi-stage development until it reaches its final shape. The larvae are called meganulons, from which human-sized meganula develop that only move in swarms. The meganula determine one of their ranks, who then turns into a megaguirus with the help of the energy collected, while the others die from the swarm. In The Flying Monsters of Osaka , the meganeurons served Rodan as bird food. Megaguirus made its first appearance in the movie Godzilla vs. Megaguirus from 2000 and was also seen in a flashback on Godzilla: Final Wars . The megaguirus is able to produce an ultrasonic sound that acts like an electromagnetic pulse.
  • Minilla / Minya is the first son of Godzilla. He is half the size of Godzilla, with smooth gray, also slightly brownish and greenish skin. He appeared in four films including Frankenstein's monsters hunt Godzilla's son and Godzilla - Attack All Monsters .
  • MOGERA ( M obile O peration G odzilla E xpert R obot A ero-Type) is a combat machine that can split up into a drill tank and a combat aircraft in an emergency. The idea is based on the robot mole of the same name from the sci-fi classic Space Beasts by Godzilla inventor Ishirō Honda . MOGERA was developed to fight Godzilla, but then primarily fought SpaceGodzilla in Godzilla against SpaceGodzilla . Spacegodzilla comes from space but has identical DNA with Godzilla.
  • Mothra , the giant moth from Infant Island, is one of the most popular monsters in the Godzilla series. She made her debut in her own film Mothra Threatened the World , then appeared in numerous Godzilla films and ultimately even got her own little fantasy trilogy. Mothra has the ability to fly and can shoot laser beams. Her strongest weapon is the gold dust, with which she can paralyze opponents. In some films, Mothra is worshiped as a deity and portrayed as the protector of the earth and its ecosystem. She has starred in nine Godzilla films so far, a tenth will be released in 2019, in which Mothra will be realized for the first time by a US film studio.
  • Muto , a species of giant insectoid monsters that made their only appearance in the American remake of 2014 . Male Mutos are much smaller than their female counterparts and have the ability to fly. The female mutos are land animals and lay eggs for reproduction. Mutos feed on radioactive radiation and can release an electromagnetic pulse to defend themselves , which can bring all electrical devices in their vicinity to a standstill. They use ultrasonic waves as a mating call. Muto stands for Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism , translated it means something like "Gigantic unidentified terrestrial life form".
  • Odako (Giant Octopus) , a giant octopus that King Kong fought in The Return of King Kong to His Home Island. This monster is the only monster in Toho history that was animated with the stop motion technique.
  • Orga is an alien monster created from Godzilla's cells by a UFO. This happened in Godzilla 2000: Millennium .
  • Owashi (Giant Condor) , a giant condor that Godzilla met in Frankenstein and the monsters from the sea .
  • Rodan in the 1956 movie poster for Sora no Daikaijū Radon
    Rodan , known in Japanese as radon , is a gigantic pteranodon . He first appeared in his own film, Rodan - The Flying Monsters of Osaka . He is one of the most famous creatures from the Toho universe and has played a role in six Godzilla films so far.
  • Shokkiras , a giant parasite (similar to a giant sea ​​louse ) that lives on Godzilla's scaly skin. He had his only appearance in Godzilla - The Return of the Monster from 1984.
  • SpaceGodzilla , a space monster that was created from Godzilla cells that were carried into space by Mothra and / or Biollante and were exposed to radiation from black holes . He competes against his genetic father in Godzilla against SpaceGodzilla .
  • Titanosaurus , a prehistoric sea ​​monster that looks like an oversized seahorse on two legs and gives an elephant-like scream. Under the synonym Konga, he fights Godzilla together with King Kong (MechaGodzilla) and humanity in The Devil's Brood, Konga, Godzilla, King Kong , where he was told by the vengeful scientist Dr. Mafune, his daughter, and residents of the Black Hole planet. The titanosaur has a fold-out fan on the tip of its tail, with which it can trigger gusts of wind.
  • Varan , a prehistoric giant lizard that has flight skins on the sides of its body. The monster had his first appearance in his own film: Varan - The monster from the primeval times of 1958. He had a brief appearance in Frankenstein and the monsters from space .
  • Zilla is the name of the Emmerich Godzilla in the film Godzilla (1998). During a brief guest appearance in the movie Godzilla: Final Wars , Zilla is destroyed by Godzilla. The monster also has the nickname GINO ( G odzilla i n N ame o nly), which was mockingly given to it by the fans because they were very dissatisfied with the monster from Roland Emmerich's film and did not accept it as part of the series. The monster is a mutated species of iguana and is very agile despite its size. Zilla can spit out hot breath that is easily flammable. Zilla's kind is asexual and is born pregnant.

Trivia

Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • On November 30, 2004, the character of Godzilla got her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her 50th birthday and as part of the world premiere of Godzilla: Final Wars in Los Angeles .
  • On July 18, 2014, for Godzilla's 60th birthday, a 24 cm high, 15 kilogram heavy and equivalent to 1.09 million euros gold Godzilla statue, which is similar to the original from 1954, was exhibited in Tokyo's Midtown Green & Park to be admired until the end of August.
  • On the roof terrace on the eighth floor of the Gracery Shinjuku Hotel in the Tokyo district of the same name , a true-to-scale figure with Godzilla's head protrudes, which can also be seen from the nearby train station . The hotel also offers so-called Godzilla Rooms . The background is the hotelier's love for Godzilla.
  • A subspecies of the Galápagos marine iguanas was named "Godzilla marine iguana" by its discoverers (Amblyrhynchus cristatus godzilla). The researchers believe that marine iguanas inspired the filmmakers in creating Godzilla.
  • Godzilla was also the namesake for Gojirasaurus and the Godzilliidae family from the Remipedia class .
  • Godzilla is the nickname of the Japanese baseball player Hideki Matsui , who also appeared in the 2002 Godzilla against MechaGodzilla , and the Brazilian MMA fighter Wendres da Silva.
  • Godzilla has appeared in several commercials, including a. for the US cola brand Dr Pepper , a Thai gas station chain and the Snickers chocolate bar .
  • On October 21, 2018, the US aerospace company NASA named a constellation after Godzilla.
  • From July 9th to July 12th, 2020, a Hilton Worldwide hotel in Houston, Texas will offer Godzilla hotel rooms for fans for the first time .

Filmography

Reception of all Godzilla films

The following tables show the worldwide box office income and the available budget for the productions in US dollars . Japanese Godzilla films, the numbers are partially rounded up. In addition, the tables show the respective reviews of the films by the critics, the percentage of the critics who like the film is shown.

Movie
Global gross income in US $ 		Budget US $ Percentage of criticism
Godzilla (1954) 562.711 - 93
Godzilla returns - - 60
The return of King Kong 41,000,000 - 50
Godzilla and the primeval caterpillars 25,300,000 - 92
Frankenstein's monster fighting Ghidorah 43,600,000 - 75
Order from the dark - - 60
Frankenstein and the monsters from the sea - - 57
Frankenstein's monsters hunt Godzilla's son 8,400,000 - 60
Frankenstein and the monsters from space - - 75
Godzilla - Attack All Monsters - - 25th
Frankenstein's fight against the devil monsters - - 58
Frankenstein's hell spawn - - 67
King Kong - demons from outer space 10,600,000 - 38
King Kong versus Godzilla 14,120,000 - 71
The Devil's Brood, Konga, Godzilla, King Kong - - 43
Godzilla - The Return of the Monster 4,110,000-11,000,000 - 20th
Godzilla, the original giant - - 71
Godzilla - duel of the megasaurs - - 56
Godzilla - Battle of the Mutant Dinosaurs - - 75
Godzilla versus MechaGodzilla II - - 83
Godzilla versus SpaceGodzilla - - 57
Godzilla versus Destoroyah 37,200,000 - 100
Godzilla 2000: Millennium 12,900,000 13,000,000 57
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus - - 60
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah 165,200,000 - 63
Godzilla against MechaGodzilla - - -
Godzilla: Tokyo SOS 10,720,000 - 80
Godzilla: Final Wars 9,170,000 - 50
Shin Godzilla 78.048.505 - 86
Godzilla: The Planet Eater 1,523,168 - -

This table includes the films produced outside of Japan.

Movie
Global gross income in US $ 		Budget US $ Percentage of criticism
Godzilla (1998) 379.014.294 130,000,000 16
Godzilla (2014) 529.076.069 160,000,000 75
Godzilla II: King of the Monsters 385.847.025 170,000,000 41
Godzilla vs Kong

music

The American rock band Blue Öyster Cult processed the Godzilla material in the song of the same name, released in 1977 on the album Specters . The later live version on Extraterrestrial Live (1982) was expanded to include an intro, in which the Godzilla story is retold like a radio play. The song is one of the band's classics.

The song Simon Says by Pharoahe Monch is a hip-hop remix of a Godzilla soundtrack.

The Brazilian metal band Sepultura , founded in 1984 , released a song called Biotech is Godzilla on their album Chaos AD in September 1993 .

The British band Lostprophets released the song We Are Godzilla, You Are Japan on their second album Start Something .

The French band Gojira , founded in 1996, was originally called Godzilla , but later renamed itself after the original Japanese name.

The American punk band, Groovie Ghoulies released a song called Hats Off To You (Godzilla) in 2002 as a tribute to Godzilla.

The American artist Doctor Steel also released the song Atomic Superstar about Godzilla in 2002 on his album People of Earth .

In 2003 the band The Creatures released a Japanese song which they dedicated to Godzilla in the album Hai , the name of the song was Godzilla!

The British heavy metal band Iron Maiden used scenes from the film Godzilla and the ancient world caterpillars for their music video for The Number of the Beast

There are at least 4 original film soundtracks for the Godzilla films:
The Best Of Godzilla Vol.1 (1954–1975), GNP Crescendo Records , GNPD 8055 (1998)
The Best Of Godzilla Vol.2 (1984–1995), GNP Crescendo Records, GNPD 8056 (1998)
The Best of Godzilla - Then (1954–1975), Silva Screen Records, FILMCD 201 (1998)
The Best of Godzilla - Now (1984–1995), Silva Screen Records, FILMCD 202 (1998)

literature

  • Caroline Block: nuclear power in the film. The Godzilla film series as an example of the reflection of Japanese society's attitude towards nuclear power. GRIN Verlag, Munich 2017, ISBN 978-3-668-49340-7 .
  • Jörg Buttgereit : Japan - The Monster Island. Godzilla, Gamera, Frankenstein & Co. Schmitz, Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-927795-44-5 .
  • Jörg Buttgereit: Monsters from Japan are attacking. Godzilla, Gamera & Co. Belleville, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-923646-73-9 .
  • Detlef Claus: Asian monsters and science fiction films . Belleville, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-943157-04-8 .
  • Rolf Giesen , Detlef Claus: Godzilla - Gamera - Gappa. The history of the Japanese monster films. Japan's primeval world giants in German cinemas, a documentary . Schwarzkopf and Schwarzkopf, Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-89602-165-6 .
  • Rolf Giesen: Godzilla, Gamera u. Co . In: Vampir , July 4, 1973.
  • Gernot Gricksch : Godzilla. From Japan to Hollywood: Everything about the most famous monster in film history (= Heyne books 01, Heyne general series 20007). Wilhelm Heyne Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-453-13836-8 .
  • Jens Hauser: Godzilla. The incredible success story of a cult monster. Droemer Knaur, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-426-61110-4 .
  • Mario Kumekawa: The Life of the Ghost: Godzilla and the Japanese Monster Movie . In: Kayo Adachi-Rabe, Andreas Becker (Hrsg.): Body staging in Japanese film. Büchner-Verlag, Darmstadt 2016, ISBN 978-3-941310-73-5 , pp. 97-108.
  • Georg Seeßlen : From the great destroyer to the great friend - the Japanese Godzilla films . In: epd Film , 8/98.
  • Thomas Sieck, Peter Leveringhaus: Godzilla & Co. The unofficial guide to the leader of the big movie monsters. Bertler + Lieber Verlag, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-9804272-4-2 .
  • Mark Cotta Vaz: Godzilla - The Art of Destruction. Cross Cult, Ludwigsburg 2014, ISBN 978-3-86425-364-5 .

Web links

Commons : Godzilla  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

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  2. ↑ Florian Coulmas: The birth of Godzilla from the spirit of a nuclear accident. The monster from the sea, in: Neue Zürcher Zeitung from February 21, 2014.
  3. ↑ Godzilla Anime Is Film Trilogy Starring Mamoru Miyano. In: Anime News Network. March 25, 2017, accessed October 29, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Fernsehserien.de: Godzilla - Der Retter der Erde , accessed on March 18, 2017
  5. ↑ Fernsehserien.de: Godzilla - Die Serie , accessed on March 18, 2017
  6. ↑ Moviejones.de: Godzilla against other monsters
  7. ↑ moviepilot.de: Godzilla 2 - Krampus director Michael Dougherty directs Sequel
  8. ↑ Steve Ryfle. Japan's Favorite Mon-Star . ECW Press, 1998, p. 22
  9. ^ "Godzilla": The secrets behind the roar. ew.com, May 22, 2014, accessed April 28, 2016 .
  10. ↑ What's In A Roar? Crafting Godzilla's Iconic Sound. NPR.org, accessed April 28, 2016 .
  11. ↑ Monsterpedia. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
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  13. ↑ Baragon. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  14. ^ Battra. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  15. ↑ Biollante. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  16. ↑ Destoroyah. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  17. ↑ Ebirah. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  18. ↑ Gabara. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  19. ↑ Gigan. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
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  21. ↑ Godzilla (1954-1975). In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  22. ↑ Godzilla (1984-1995). In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  23. ^ Godzilla (1999-2004). In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  24. ^ Godzilla (2016). In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
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  26. ↑ Godzilla Jr. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  27. ↑ Babygodzilla. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  28. ↑ Godzillasaurus. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  29. ↑ Gorosaurus. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  30. ↑ Hedorah. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  31. ↑ Jet Jaguar. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  32. ↑ Kamacurus. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  33. ↑ Kaizer Ghidorah. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 7, 2019 .
  34. ↑ Monster X. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  35. ↑ King Ghidorah. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  36. ↑ Kingcaesar. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  37. ↑ Kumonga. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  38. ↑ Manda. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  39. ↑ Mechagodzilla. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  40. ↑ Mecha-King Ghidorah. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  41. ↑ Megalon. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  42. ↑ Megaguirus. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  43. ↑ Minilla. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  44. ↑ MOGUERA In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  45. ↑ Mothra. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  46. ↑ Orga. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  47. ↑ Rodan. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  48. ^ Spacegodzilla. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  49. ↑ Titanosaurus. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  50. ↑ Varan. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  51. ↑ Zilla. In: godzilla.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  52. ↑ Homepage of the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku to the Godzilla Rooms (English). Focus, October 7, 2018, accessed October 7, 2018 .
  53. ↑ Researchers name new species of lizard after cinema beast. Focus, May 10, 2017, accessed May 10, 2017 .
  54. ↑ Nasa perpetuates Godzilla in the sky. Deutschlandfunk Nova, October 22, 2018, accessed on November 5, 2018 .
  55. ↑ Godzilla Returns to Anime Matsuri 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020 .
  56. ↑ Toho Plans Godzilla Cinematic Universe After 2020, No Shin Godzilla 2 - Godzilla 2 Movie News . In: Godzilla Movies . ( godzilla-movies.com [accessed July 23, 2018]).
  57. ↑ Godzilla. Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  58. ↑ Godzilla. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  59. ^ Godzilla (Gojira) (1954). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  60. ^ Godzilla Raids Again (1955). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  61. ↑ King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) | Ultimate Movie Rankings. Retrieved November 26, 2019 (American English).
  62. ↑ King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  63. ↑ Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) | Ultimate Movie Rankings. Retrieved November 26, 2019 (American English).
  64. ↑ Mothra vs. Godzilla (Mosura tai Gojira) (1964). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  65. ↑ Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster (1964) | Ultimate Movie Rankings. Retrieved November 26, 2019 (American English).
  66. ^ Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (San daikaijû: Chikyû saidai no kessen) (1964). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  67. ↑ Invasion of Astro-Monster (1970). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  68. ↑ Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (Ebirah, Horror of the Deep) (1966). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  69. ^ Son of Godzilla (1967) | Ultimate Movie Rankings. Retrieved November 26, 2019 (American English).
  70. ^ Son of Godzilla (1967). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  71. ^ Destroy All Monsters (1969). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  72. ^ Godzilla's Revenge (All Monsters Attack) (1971). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  73. ↑ Godzilla Vs Hedorah (Gojira tai Hedorâ) (Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster) (1971). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  74. ↑ Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  75. ↑ Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) | Ultimate Movie Rankings. Retrieved November 26, 2019 (American English).
  76. ↑ Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  77. ↑ Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  78. ↑ Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla (1974). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  79. ↑ Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  80. ↑ Godzilla 1985. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  81. ↑ Godzilla 1985 (1984) | Ultimate Movie Rankings. Retrieved November 26, 2019 (American English).
  82. ↑ Godzilla 1985 (1985). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  83. ↑ Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  84. ↑ Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (Gojira tai Kingu Gidorâ) (1991). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  85. ^ Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth (Gojira vs. Mosura) (1992). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  86. ↑ Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla II (Gojira VS Mekagojira) (1993). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  87. ↑ Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (Gojira vs. Supesugojira) (1994). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  88. ↑ Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) | Ultimate Movie Rankings. Retrieved November 26, 2019 (American English).
  89. ↑ Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah (2000). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  90. ↑ Godzilla 2000. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  91. ↑ Godzilla 2000 (2000). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  92. ↑ Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  93. ↑ Godzilla Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) | Ultimate Movie Rankings. Retrieved November 26, 2019 (American English).
  94. ↑ Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  95. ↑ Godzilla: Tokyo SOS.Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  96. ↑ Godzilla: Tokyo SOS (2004). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  97. ↑ Godzilla: Final Wars. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  98. ^ Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  99. ↑ Shin Godzilla. Retrieved November 25, 2019 .
  100. ↑ Godzilla Resurgence (Shin Godzilla) (2016). Accessed December 1, 2019 .
  101. ↑ Godzilla: The Planet Eater. Retrieved November 25, 2019 .
  102. ↑ Godzilla. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
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  106. ↑ Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  107. ↑ Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). Accessed December 1, 2019 .