Movies - Mothra vs. Godzilla

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	Movies - Mothra vs. Godzilla

Mothra vs Godzilla (モスラ対ゴジラ - Mosura tai Gojira) is a tokusatsu kaiju film, and the 4th Godzilla film, produced by Toho Company Ltd. in 1964. The film revolved around a giant egg that washes up on the shore after a storm. It is revealed to be the egg of Mothra. It returns to many of the thematic elements of King Kong vs. Godzilla.

This film was known in its original United States release as Godzilla Vs. the Thing (American International Pictures, which released the film in the US, kept Mothra's appearance a secret in all promotional material, referring to it as "The Thing") and later released simply as Godzilla vs Mothra (in the 1980s for video release). However, Mothra is still repeatedly called "The Thing" in the film, confusing many film-goers who thought "The Thing" and "Mothra" were two separate monsters when they were really one and the same. Remade in 1992 as Godzilla Vs. Mothra.

Fans have considered this to be among the best of the Godzilla films, and the most beautifully made.

Highlights

The Godzilla suit used in this film, the "Mosu-Goji" (モスゴジ), has become an all-time fan-favorite, due to its evil scowl and lifelike appearance, as his muzzle wobbled, giving him an uncanny lifelike appearance. This was originally an accident; in the filming of a scene where Godzilla smashes into the Nagoya Castle, the actor in the suit (Haruo Nakajima) fell, and the suit's head slammed into the castle, loosening the teeth. Special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya liked this so much that he wanted to keep the suit like that for a while.

Another highlight of the film is the "Frontier Missile" sequence, where Godzilla was being attacked on a beach by American battle cruisers. This scene was featured in American International Pictures' United States version, Godzilla Vs. the Thing. But this was actually a deleted scene in Japan (and not made exclusively for AIP, contrary to legend), and included only in prints outside Japan for international marketing. It was seen briefly in the original Japanese trailer. The reason for its deletion was that Japanese viewers, who were still sensitive after WWII, were supposedly offended by seeing American missiles hit Japanese ground.

Credits

Staff

Producer: Tomoyuki Tanaka
Director: Ishiro Honda
Special Effects: Eiji Tsuburaya
Music: Akira Ifukube

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Mothra vs. Godzilla ]

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