054 4 In godzilla versus Hedorah the citizens of Japan a threatened by a new monster . A gigantic monster made out of sluge and waste chemical called Hedorah or hedra in the japanese version . Who like Destroyer has different forms its can turn into some smaller and weaker than others . In its final form it is a tower giant which emits gases that can scar flease and disolove all humands raims except there bones resulting instant death . He also ahs and acids that crods metal . He also was the first enemy Godizilla though that had any laser beam like weapons . Originally the monster Gigan when he was first created was capable of shout a laser from between his eyes but this power was never used in any of three godzilla movies he stared in . Can godzilla save earth from this vile creature of death and posion . This movie should be fine for kids thirteen in up due to high scifi violence , thematic elements and occasionally guersome images for a movie of its time when it was released back in mid 1969 or 1970 it was graphic . I also thought I'd inform you that the save the earth theme song for some reason I never figured out the save the earth Theme song was not Redubbed into english for the DVD realses . I also thought I'd inform you there are also two new godzila dvd come out on June 5 , 2007 one is Ghidorah the three headed monster which up till now has been only avilable in the UHS in the use the other is new dvd verison of Astro Monster or Godzilla versus monster zero as it was renamed in the us which may have both the Japanese and english version of the movie included because that's what there doing for the Ghidorah dvd release . If you like this see the other godzilla films the only ones you might not want to see unless your a extreme godzilla phanatic our the son of Godzilla our Godzilla revenge which may seem to little kidish due to the lack of destruction of buildings and vehicles that was seen in the earlier movies and few brief occasional scenes of violence .
047 4 I GUESS IM JUST JADED IS ALL BUT OH I WAS SO UPSET WITH THIS VERSION . I GREW UP WITH GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER , WHICH I FOUND OUT WAS AN ALMOST COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FILM ! ITS AMAZING HOW A DIFFERENT DUB TRACK JUST CHANGES THE ENTIRE COMPLEXION OF A FILM . IT WAS NOT THE SAME MOVIE . FOR ALL YOU FANS OF THE ORIGINAL DUB FROM LONG AGO VHS PRINTS . JUST STICK TO THE JAPPANESE LANGUAGE VERSION AND REMEMBER HOW IT USED TO SOUND . THE PERSON WHO ORDERED THE REDUB SHOULD BE STAKED OUT ON AN ANT HILL FOR THIS ABOMINATION ! BUT ALL THAT ASIDE , GODZILLA FOREVER !
085 4 The VHS tape does not work properly . It will play normally for 30 seconds then vertically skip for 30 seconds throughout entire film . Tracking does not fix the problem .
086 4 I HAVE SEEN GODZILLA VS HEDORAH AKA GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER MANY TIMES AND I THINK THAT I WAS AWESOME .
077 4 One of gozilla's best films with the style of the 60 ' s but made in 1971 . If you see the scene were godzilla ripes the monster's eyes out godzilla does it with a grin on his face.Its worth a look.Try it .
076 4 One of godzilla's best films with the style of the 60 ' s but made in 1971 . If u see the scene were godzilla ripes the monsters eyes out , godzilla does it with a grin on his face.Its worth a look.Try it .
087 4 Ok . . when I saw this it was weird first some kid is pushing godzilla toys down a slide , then the smog monster ( Hedorah ) comes along burns the kid's dad's face then the kid hold's up a knife and slashes right into Hedorah's ( pronounced Head-dra ) stomach ( if he even has organs [ maybe fish organs but who knows ? ] ) and next thing you know hedorah has 4 legs then Godzilla comes along nearly defeating him.Still with me ? Ok , then a bunch of people are stretching OUTSIDE but who can blame them ? They didn't know Hedorah would come back , killing in PURE DAYLIGHT then later it's off to Mt . Fuji to CELEBRATE ? ! ? ! ! ? ! ? Then Hedorah comes in Final Form ( which he can switch from that to third form ) . Then Godzilla and the electrodes come Godzilla is like a distraction.Still with me ? Ok . . . Then trucks start flashing their headlights , luring Hedorah into the eletrodes , electrifying Hedorah . . . . but it wasn't enough.Still with me ? Ok , now he is stuck in his third form ( the eletricity reverted him ) and trying to get away then comes that freaky Godzilla flying scene . ( WEIRD ! ! ! )
031 4 There is nothing like seeing Godzilla rip the eye's out of Hedora's head ! ! ! !
051 4 Maybe it's not the best story . Maybe it's not the best effects . But still I have to say best Godzilla movie ever ! In this film it's more of a fantasy . A boy who worships his friend Godzilla . The reason why this movie was made because of the polution in japan .
059 4 When i Was A Kid I Seen This Movie Godzilla Vs The Smog Monster Actually Which it is but anyway this movie was alright especially with the start of the movie singing save the earth from poluttion anyway i give it 4 stars and i rate this movie 5th in my godzilla list
064 4 This is a good Godzilla movie.Although the plot is weird I still think its pretty good.This movie was defintely made for younger G fans , like myself .
079 4 Okay , this film is not that bad , but the Godzilla suite is childish . The Smog Monster is from pollution and everyone basicly dies from the Smog monster because of his smoke . godzilla acts as if he is Superman . He FLYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS . Come on that is just as worst as in Godzilla talking in Godzilla vs . Gigan . At least it is an improvment from Godzilla's Revenge
081 4 ok godzilla and hedra are cooooooooooooool man one stinky monster that stikns and godzilla blows him too pieses
After watching this movie for the first time in so many years , I can see why fans are so divided by it . It's either one of the best or one of the worst Godzilla films in fans ' eyes . The style is so different that many people hate it , but its also the reason why many people love . In my opinion , it ranks as one of the best , and though Banno has a style far different from Honda , he sits close up to him as giving the series one of the most intruging films .
Godzilla vs . Hedorah is set in a time where pollution was a huge problem in Japan . Taking action in utilizing this inviormental problem in the movie , Godzilla vs . Hedorah becomes one of the darkest and effective message throwing Godzilla films since the original Gojira . Hedorah is the embodiment of man's ignorance and carelessness , just like Godzilla was . In many scenes that can be considered graphic for the time , the movie shows us the death and carnage Hedorah causes . Some scenes could be considered more graphic than the hospital scene of the original Gojira . News reports flash up throughout the film citing how many people have died by Hedorah's attacks , and the number simply keeps growing to shocking results . Cartoon segments and many effective media drenched , mob scenes of worried people break in the film . The symbolize the panic Hedorah has been causing and it works well as many G-Films in this era fail to do this . These segments truley are a testament to the director's approach .
Banno's style is utilized in a very bizzare , but ' artsy ' way . Linking the carlessness of the youth ( or hippies ) as just as much of the problem : ' Sure they can preach we're messing up the world . . . but that's about it . Drinking and dancing is the only other thing they do . ' And they decide to do this even to the point of death . ( In a great scene , one of the characters has too much to drink and looks around to see everyone wearing fish masks . A testament to the youth's ignorance ? A sign that they are all in a sense ' fish in a barrel ' for Hedorah ? )
Godzilla himself is characterized as an almost tragic hero with the excellent characterization of young Ken . Though Ken beleives ( and acts like he knows ) Godzilla is there to save them , who's really going to listen to a kid ? This makes Ken one of the most well written children characters in the conventional Godzilla series . Most children in thes series seem to know everything and influence the adult characters to the highest degree . But Ken's words aren't taken seriously ( despite the fact he's right ) and the media still has a very bleak view on Godzilla himself . Meanwhile Godzilla is found angry at the pollution taking place in the world ( specificly the ocean where he lives ) and is angry at mankind for doing this to their own planet . In turn , Godzilla hates what Hedorah stands for . A glaring rivalry seemed to grow on screen between the monsters in a fabulous fashion . Many scenes before battle dragged out a long stare-down between them . Their battle wounds also show their spite for each other as Godzilla's left hand is deteriorated to a skeliton with skin hanging off it and his right eye becomes crusted by Hedorah's sludge . Meanwhile , not only does Godzilla take out Hedorah's right eye , but has a field day ripping the monster to pieces at the very end of the movie . The battle was quite savage and showed a very dark side of Godzilla movies ' battles . Easily one of the most graphic battles in Godzilla , especially for the time this movie was made .
The characters aren't the best developed of the series , but better than many other movies as well . Like I said Ken is one of , if not the best child character of the series . Even in the recent Godzilla x MechaGodzilla we see children with too much influential power on adult characters and unrealistic wisdom beyond their years . This is not the case here . Ken is clearly a kid who thinks of Godzilla as a hero and loves to play with his toys . His words are mostly ignored and his courage isn't unrealistic . ( Unlike a certian child putting desks together in Godzilla : Tokyo S.O.S . ) His uncle is a bonified hippie / drinker that you really can't tell is an antagonist or protagonist , but intresting non-the-less . And Ken's mother and father show conflict in learning about Hedorah , struggling to live their own lives and yet worry about others . The main problem with the charactrs is that their not given much to do by the end of the film but watch the monsters fight - - much like Okawara's films ( Godzilla 2000 , Godzilla and Mothra : The battle for Earth ) in which he wasn't sure what to do with his characters at times .
Needless to say , despite the movies heavy symbilism , very powerful message and refreshing style , its not without flaws . Hedorah's design is pretty goofy looking and the suit itself is poorly realized . But at times it can be considered creepy as well - - With those two huge red eyes randomly placed in the middle of walking sludge , you'll either look at him as a phantom-esque creature , or a carpet with red golf-balls . The editing is also a bit akward . In one scene Godzilla is trapped in a hole being swamped by sludge and the next time we see him , he's rolling down the side of Mt . Fuji with Hedorah . The most painful scene in this movie is the infamous flying scene in which Godzilla uses his ray to propel himself backwards in the air to stop an escaping Hedorah . Though the movie is very stylized , has a beautiful approach to it and is the darkest film since the original , this scene still manages to make it in to the final cut and is simply out of place . Admittedly though . . . it is kind of fun to watch .
The music can be both a complaint and a praise . Though Godzilla's theme can be considered kind of ' wonky ' and embarrassing , it also has a noble sound to it at the end of the theme . It takes some getting use to but its not that bad . Hedorah's theme is very in place for the character though and fits the creepy killing machine's presence perfectly . Overall the 70s-esque music fit the style and ton of the film and is able to make the mood a bit more bizarre . It can be argued that it does and doesn't add to the dark atmosphere of the film , though I think it does .
Overall Hedorah proves to be one of the most different Godzilla movies . Creating a different style and approach to Godzilla it delivers realistic characters , a message that speaks loud and clear and some nifty effects shots here and there . ( The best shot in the entire movie being the scene where Godzilla first appears and roars with a gorgeous sunrise behind him . Magnificent ! ) For some its Godzilla's worst . For me , I put it high up on The Best of list as a rather artistic looking film .
* * * * out of * * * * *
Picture quality :
Astounding . The DVD picture quality makes this movie look like it was made yesterday . The night scenes are easier to see was well as you can make out much more of what's going on . The picture was so clear and the colors so vibrant , I felt like I could reach in and touch what was going on in this film .
* * * * * out of * * * * *
Sound :
Mono , but it didn't really bother me at all . The sound was still clear and the music was always booming through magnicantly .
* * * * out of * * * * *
Extras :
We have the English dub and Japanese audio tracks , with the options of English and French subtitles . There's the Japanese Teaser to Tokyo : S.O.S . , Godzilla : Save the Earth for PS2 and X-Box , previews to two animated features , The GINO Series on DVD and a movie parodying old , black and white horror films . ( The title escapes me . )
The dubbing is what we've heard before from this movie and the subtitles are actually quite accurate . Some might seem like dubtitles , but there are several lines that are different from the dubbed version - - - Which was probaly just well translated .
It's plenty for me to finally have the Japanese language released in America , but overall , very weak special features .
* * out of * * * * *
Overall :
A fantastic movie , a great release with beautiful picture quality and Japanese language and the only set back being lack of features . It's still a valuable collectors item JUST for the fact it has the original Japanese version on it . Go for it now !
* * * * out of * * * * *
001 4 It's wonderful that American home video distributors have finally started taking Godzilla seriously and releasing excellent DVDs of the Big Guy's flicks . This DVD of the 1971 Godzilla vs . Hedorah ( originally released in America as Godzilla vs . the Smog Monster ) may not offer much in the way of extras , but it lets you see the film as you've never been able to : in a beautiful widescreen image ( enhanced for 16 : 9 TVs ) with the option to watch it in Japanese with English subtitles or dubbed into English . For older viewers , I definitely recommend watching it in Japanese ; it will change your whole perspective on Godzilla and makes the film seem less cheap and campy . However , the English dub is a good feature to have for younger children , who will definitely want to watch the film as well .
Although watching Godzilla vs . Hedorah in Japanese will tone down the camp somewhat , this remains the weirdest , oddest , most mind-bogglingly bizarre of all Godzilla movies . In the 1970s the Japanese film industry entered a steep decline because of competition from television , and the Godzilla films suffered from severe budget cutbacks . One of the guiding fathers of the Godzilla films , special effects wizard Eiji Tsubaraya , died in 1969 and the effects work on the Godzilla films suffered an additional drop in quality . Godzilla vs . Hedorah therefore came at a time when the Godzilla films were changing , and not always for the better . A new director , Yoshimitsu Banno , helmed this film and purposely set out to make a completely new kind of Godzilla film : a weird mixture of serious environmental message , frightening horror sequences , rock ' n ' roll party scenes , cartoon montages , kiddie antics , and surreal monster fights . This is one strange film ! The shift between the often grisly horror sequences ( Hedorah the Smog Monster does some nasty things to his human victims ) to animated bumper sequences and Godzilla actually flying ( ! ! ! ) will make you wonder if somebody put the reels out of sequence ! For all these problems and the film's silliness , there's something endearing about this monster mash : compared to the next few films , which are so cheap and uninspired , Godzilla vs . Hedorah feels like a project that the people working on it actually cared about . The environmental slant also provides a real message , the first time since the original Godzilla ( 1954 ) that the series approached such a heated topic .
Godzilla steps into full superhero mode here . Hedorah ( the name comes from the word ' hedoro ' meaning ' sludge ' ) , a monster born in the waters from humanity's pollution , rapidly mutates into a jelly-like giant that comes ashore in Japan and starts wreaking havoc and turning humans into skeletons . Godzilla answers the call to save humanity . But Hedorah is a fearsome foe , armed with laser eyes , poison gas , and toxic spit-balls ! Godzilla won't have an easy time , but maybe the scientists and the military can lend a hand with their electrode device . In between scenes of monsters battling , you can hang out with Japanese teens at a disco and watch the psychadelic acid pattern show on the wall . Or just listen to the wah-wah-wah soundtrack music - - guaranteed to make you want to buy a lava lamp !
Yeah , this is a weird film . But it's a cult classic , and resembles no other Godzilla film . ( Apparently series producer Tomoyuki Tanaka hated the final product and director Banno consequently never directed another film . )
Note about the English dub : Viewers who remember seeing this film on TV in the 1970s and ' 80s may notice that the English dub on this film is different than the one they remember . This is because there were two English soundtracks made for the film back in 1971 . American International Pictures released the film as Godzilla vs . the Smog Monster and did their own dub through Titra Sound in New York , composing cool English lyrics for the theme song , Save the Earth . Toho studios made their own English dub in Hong Kong for use in other English-speaking territories . In the early 1990s , the rights to the picture in America returned to Toho , and the Toho dub has now replaced the American International one . This DVD therefore contains the Hong Kong dubbing job , and that means Save the Earth is now in Japanese instead of English . Fans of this classic camp song might be a bit disappointed !
002 4 THIS is the Godzilla movie I had always wanted to get my hands on as a little kid . THIS is the one I always heard about , but could not find anywhere . THIS is the one that piqued my curiosity , due to all the controversy directed at it . And now , thanks to the powers that be at Sony , it is finally available again in the States . . . . . . . . on DVD , no less ! And having finally seen it after all these years , I must say that GODZILLA VS . HEDORAH , though not one of the * best * G-films ever , is definitely among the better entries .
Director Yoshimitsu Banno was obviously trying to do something ( VERY ) different with the Big G , and for the most part he succeeds . On the surface , the film is about the effects of pollution , and how it may very well destroy us in the end . Rather than relying totally on the characters to get this across by talking ( and it does become a bit heavy-handed whenever they try ) , the filmmakers rely on often haunting imagery . Visions of unclear objects floating in huge clumps of sewege in the middle of the ocean are used quite often ( the sight of a mutilated human body is especially effective ) . As Hedorah flies around , he spews sulfuric gas , melting buildings and leaving a trail of bodies whose flesh have been dissolved and rotted down to the bone . Banno's techniques are disturbingly / beautifully brought to life by effects maestro Teruyoshi Nakano .
However , whatever Banno was trying to get across with the psycadellic imagery , short animated segments , and musical / dance numbers fails miserably . They're not thought-provoking , they don't enhance the atmosphere , they don't add to the anti-pollution message . . . . . they really serve no purpose . They're just distracting , and pretty jarring at times . I'd only count this complaint as a small nit-pick , if it didn't happen so often . But then , that's what the fast-forward button is for .
Now I come to the actual monsters . Effects-wise , here's where the film slightly falters again , mainly with Hedorah . When it moves on all fours , for instance , it moves too much like a dog rather than slithering as it should have . I was expecting a lot more , but I guess for the time it was the best they could do . Godzilla looks good , but one can kind of see that the suit is getting rather old . ( Indeed , by the next film GODZILLA VS . GIGAN the suit would literally fall apart on screen ! )
The battles in this movie do NOT disappoint ! ! Director Banno allows for plenty of stare-downs between the monsters , establishing a splendid rivalry and bitter hatred that one rarely feels between Godzilla and his foe ( s ) . Once they actually duke it out , it is nothing short of spectacular ! There's none of the crappy beam-fighting to be found in other 70s entries ( a.k.a . Godzilla's Dark Age ) , or the boring monsters-bumping-against-each-other of the Heisei Era . When these kaiju get at it , they really get at it ! The fights are brutal , with Godzilla being pummled , drowned in a pool of sludge , getting his skin melted off and his eye burnt shut , and Hedorah getting holes punched right through him ! Hedorah is without a doubt the greatest and most powerful foe of the Showa Series ( and maybe even ever ) , which makes for some of the best G-battles in history .
All in all , despite its flaws , GODZILLA VS . HEDORAH makes for superb kaiju-eiga entertainment . That said , this one is definitely not for the kiddies ; previously mentioned imagery of death and decay will not sit well with very young children , and even left me ( a high school student ) surprised .
Here , I come to the DVD quality . Though I wouldn't call it stunning as other people have , this is definitely the best I have ever seen a classic G-film look and sound E-V-E-R . Picture is slightly soft in some shots , but there was no grain or scratches to be found . The color is muted and dull , but I don't count this as a fault ; this was intentional and adds to the film's look . Don't expect this one to be bursting with bright colors . Audio-wise , it's fine , with everything coming off crisp and clear . As with all of these recent G-DVDs , extras extend as far as trailers for everything else BUT the actual film ! Thanks to this , I wish these discs didn't cost so much a piece . But having these classics on DVD with such awesome presentation is definitely worth it .
Do not let this one pass up the chance to sit on your DVD shelf !
003 4 This review is for the October 19 DVD release of Godzilla Vs . Hedorah , and this film is the eleventh movie in the long-running Godzilla series . The movie is also known as Godzilla Vs . the Smog Monster . Watching this film as an adult , I was surprised how good this film is . I recall it receiving the infamous Turkey Award as one of the worst movies ever made , but this is far from being the worst Godzilla movie ever made . The plot ( what little there is ) is interesting and the special effects hold up rather well by Seventies standards . Hedorah would be a monster best realized by modern CGI but the costume works well , even if the sludge which oozes from beneath him is so digusting as to be laughable at times . Here Godzilla is a friend to humanity ; however the movie is nowhere near as campy as subsequent releases which resulted in the temporary death of the series . One negative aspect of the story , Godzilla does fly in this movie - - embarrassing indeed .
The quality of this DVD is impressive . The image is a 2.35 : 1 widescreen , and the image is allegedly anamorphic . There are many night sequences in this film which are beautifully rendered on this transfer - - contrasts are terrific , and it's clear to see what is occurring , whereas videotapes of this film made it hard to tell what was going on . Colors are bright and lifelike , but do sometimes look slightly washed out in special effects sequences . The film has been impressively restored , but there are still occasional bits of dust which appear throughout the film . For what it's worth , the image quality of this DVD is far better than ADV Films ' DVD release of the 1995 Gamera film .
The disk contains the usual badly dubbed English language track , but more impressively it contains the original Japanese track with English subtitles which appear in clear , large yellow type beneath the widescreen image on an analog television . Sadly there are some musical numbers in this film which are not subtitled or dubbed into English . The transfer also features the opening titles and credits in English rather than Japanese .
There are no bonus features on this DVD aside from a few trailers for other Columbia Tristar DVDs . Still , this is easily the definitive version of this film on home video . Also look for two other Seventies Godzilla movies available in widescreen , restored and having a Japanese track : Godzilla Vs . Gigan and Godzilla Vs . Mechagodzilla .
004 4 Most people don't understand how Godzilla films became so campy in the ' 60s and ' 70s . As a long-time fan , I can admit that some of these films were hard to stomach ( Megalon and Gigan , I'm talking to you ) and some are just weird ( Godzilla vs the Sea Monster ) . But Godzilla vs the Smog Monster ( a.k.a . Hedorah ) gives us a rare peak into the late - 60 ' s Tokyo scene : go-go dancers , tight pants , wakka-chakka pop music , and groovy hair styles . . . what a happenin ' place to be ! This is a Godzilla movie with an enviro-political message : get rid of pollution before it gets rid of you ! The Smog Monster is created from Man's own industrial waste . Godzilla is awakened , presumably by the screaming citizens on the mainland , and proceeds to open up a Fuji-sized can of whupass on the ever-changing Hedorah . Sure it's campy , but the average audience member back then was a 13 - year old boy . So sit back and enjoy it . I like mine extra campy , with a little cheese on the side .
005 4 As much as some G-fans may call this the worst G-film ever , it is really one of the best . The film has absolutely no stock footage in it at all like other G flicks have . Ya , the part where Godzilla flies does kinda ruin it a bit but the film up until then is awesome , very good kaiju action , decent actors , funky music , and a little bit of horror . Most people don't know but this film was the only Godzilla flick that was put on rental shelves as a horror flick not a sci-fi flick for good reason . For small children ( under 8 ) this is not a film they need to be seeing even though I saw it when I was 4 .
Video : crisp remastered widescreen , absolutely fantastic .
Audio : wasn't able to test the 5.1 since I don't have a 5.1 system but the regular audio sounded pretty darn good .
Dubbing : Ok , my only problem with this version . Some reviewers either haven't seen the AIP cut or don't think there is a difference . There IS ! This DVD has the horrible Toho International dubbing which at this time their dubbing was just bad , in later films they start doing a better job but here it's just horrid . The AIP cut sounds so much better , the voices fit much better and the Save the Earth song is translated ! True kaiju fans will say just use the Japanese audio track , but I grew up on the AIP cut , and to have it ommitted and potentially cast into oblivion is just wrong .
Sony , please , please , please release the AIP cut with the remastered widescreen video ! ! !
006 4 This Godzilla movie rocks ! Hedorah is made from Japans air pollution . ( You probaly already know that ) . . . . . . . . I thought Godzilla was really cute in this movie.At the beginning of the movie . . . . . . . it was freaky . . . . . You know . . . . . . When the kids papa ( as he would call him ) went under water and saw Hedorah . . . . . Woah . . . . . . . .
HEDORAH ATTACKED ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! This is a really good movie.You should buy it !
007 4 This movie is just funky but good at the same time . Someday i doubt we are going to be attacked by a 60meter walking piece of our own sh * t , but this movie is good enough for my bid . Special effects are OK , action is cool and story is original . Its a wonder Godzilla didnt just keel over from wrestling with that fruitloop . I liked it when Godzilla gave Hedorah a black eye . Point is that this movie is weird as h * ll but still good .
008 4 ( previous film Godzilla's Revenge )
Summary : Godzilla must fight to protect the citizens of Japan from the terrifying , pollution-spawned monster Hedorah !
The 11th , and certainly strangest / wildest , entry in the original Showa series of G films is truly an ode to the ' 70s , complete with Japanese hippies , sexy go-go dancers , out-of-this-world animation segments , discotheques and an all important Be Kind to the Environment storyline / message . And who can forget the ultra groovy theme song Save the Earth , as heard in the original English dubbed version ! ! We're really talking WILD here , man ! !
This G film , along with Godzilla Raids Again , is by far the hardest of all G movies to find on video , so if you're a fan you definitely need to pick this one up if given the opportunity to do so . . . you'll really be missing out on a truly wild G rush if you don't ! !
( next film Godzilla Vs . Gigan )
009 4 THIS REVIEW REFERS TO THE NOW OUT OF PRINT ORION HOME VIDEO VHS VERSION .
I was really surprised to see this listed on Amazon because it's been out of print for a long time . I would really suggest picking this up because it is the original A.I.P . version , including the infamous Save The Earth song , sung in English . This was the one we 70 ' s kids grew up with on TV as opposed to bland international English version seen on cable and forever more .
For all the tiresome jokes about bad dubbing , this film received one of the best jobs of the series courtesy of Titra Sound Corporation here in the U.S . Some of the dialogue even seems to match what the actors are mouthing ( which is basically impossible ) so I think they did a commendable job .
Next ; the film itself . . . This really is the black sheep of the series but it was also the darkest entry , of the original series , since the 1954 original . The anti-pollution theme might seem a bit heavy handed today but for 1971 it represented a growing concern in Japan and a nascent ecology movement worldwide .
But what really sets this film apart is its style . From it's inner-city , industrial , settings ( a more somber continuation from the previous Godzilla's Revenge ) to it's many night scenes ( a departure from much of the daylit entries shot in the 60 ' s ) to it's experimental cinematography ( watch for the sudden yet totally subtle color change as the rave on Mount Fuji begins ! ) , complete with the short , psudo-political / protest , animation segments that are inventively woven into the film . The visual style reflects not only the psychedelic generation in which it was made but also borrows a few new techniques , of the day , which may seem more at home in a European art film ! I'm refering to the crazy split screen segments , macro close-ups on pollution , filming through mirrored reflections , etc . This movie really looks beautiful in a way that the rest of the series never even attempted . Dated but beautiful !
Also inventive is the wonderful fractured jazz score by Riichiro Manabe that gives the whole film an off-kilter menace . This replaces the usual symphonic marches by Akira Ifikube that became synonimous with Godzilla . Though Ifikube is a wonderful composer , I don't think his style would've been as appropriate for this film .
Godzilla himself becomes much more animated in this film . He really has a strong personality and is fun to watch . He is undoubtedly the hero but remains a threatening monster as well .
A lot of purist fans can't take this one seriously ( not that anyone should take these too seriously ! ) but this movie took a lot of risks . Not all of them pay off but , over-all , it's a much better made film than the rest of the films to come in the 1970 ' s . And it's much more interesting to me than the technology-obsessed Godzilla films of the 1990 ' s and now 2000 ' s .
I don't know about today's ten year olds , but if you grew up with this movie , it's definitely worth getting the right version before it's gone forever .
010 4 This movie is crazy , but I love it ! !
From man's pollution , the evil Hedorah is spawned , and only Godzilla can save us !
This has to be the most darkest film of the Showa Era , and the most unique . It holds the dark aspect of the original Godzilla by introducing a similiar threat : Hedorah , a monster of pollution both figuratively , and literally . Hedorah represents the result of waste , and what may happen if we continue to pollute the earth . This monster is actually shown as a threat like the original Godzilla by burning people , crushing cities . The difference between Hedorah and the other foes Godzilla faces is that you see the horrors of Hedorah , while as in other movies you just had to assume the people died . The scenes where Hedorah melts the skin of people is disturbing and none the less , it's used effectively . Godzilla may have turned to a campy hero , but it suits the movie well . I find both sides of Godzilla , the monster and hero , good aspects . The human cast is good , especially the scientist . The most boring characters are that of Yukio and his girlfriend . The special effects are really good for a movie of the time . The Hedorah suits and attacks are awesome and Hedorah's flying form looks effective because you don't see the wires . Godzilla looks a little beat up , but grand none the less . There is NO stock footage in this movie which is a big plus in my book . I hate stock footage in a movie . And the music , although odd , is suited well for this movie . It's nowhere near Akira Ikufube though .
Yoshimitsu Banno was sadly banned from making another Godzilla film after this . But know this - Yoshimitsu Banno made a great Godzilla Film . I really appreciate his efforts !
I know a good although odd Godzilla film when I see one .
Give this movie higher reviews !
Pros - Hedorah , Godzilla , Lots of monster Action , Special Effects
Cons - Music
011 4 I first saw this film when I was just a mere 5 year old tyke , and then again when I was about 9 . I remember both of those viewings well , and have seen it numerous times since then .
Godzilla vs . Hedorah was born during Godzilla's infamous , corny , and non-serious period of his life known as the Dark Age of Godzilla films . During this period , the quality of the films had been dropping drastically and the appeal to general viewers had plummeted . This film , however , displayed a very noticeable difference in regards to the previous films , and remains the most bizarre , and unique G-film in the great history of Godzilla .
One major difference many viewers will likely notice ( who are familiar with many of the other Showa films of the 60 ' s and 70 ' s ) , is the tone set in the movie . All the films prior to this film , with the exception of the original , were easily notable for their somewhat ridiculous stunts and plots , and incredibly poor quality and low budgets . They also seemed to lack any true message anymore and had moved away from the allegory-style original Godzilla and made simply for kids and their viewing pleasure ( the main reason the original series was ended ) . Yoshimitsu Banno , the new director selected for the film , really increased the tone for this film . The film was very dark in contrast to the previous films , and displayed graphic images of death and terror not seen since the masterpiece , Gojira ( 1954 ) . The amount of campy humor commonly found in typical Showa films , was greatly reduced for the film , though manages to preserve just enough to retain its nostalgic feel . Godzilla vs . Hedorah was also the first Godzilla film to feature a true , heavy message about mankind and its sins against nature in years . The original Godzilla was about mankind being punished for crimes against nature and the embodiment of the nightmares and horrors faced by the Japanese people in a massive , unstoppable beast . In this film , the message is very similar , yet this time , the death-spawned Hedorah is the containment of pollution and its negative side-effects and what will happen to mankind if they do not cease their destructive and reckless ways . Also , this film has more impact and horror in one respect : that is , pollution is everywhere and affects life on a world-wide level . Godzilla symbolically represented mankind's futile efforts to solve their pollution problems and just how hard it is to cleanse themselves of the obviously permanent damage done to the earth ( which explains Hedorah's indestructibility ) . However , there is a degree of campiness still present , mainly because Banno wanted children to be exposed to this message as well , and knew that an all-dark , graphic , nightmarish film would not be suitable for young viewers . He was also well-aware of the reputation Godzilla had among children to begin with , and knew Godzilla must retain many of the most familiar qualities . It is surprising , though , that this film didn't receive a higher rating due to drug references , and the overall graphic nature of the film .
Perhaps readers are wanting more specific details of the movie itself and not just the symbolic perspectives on Godzilla as a whole ?
Well , first off , this film is definitely a worthwhile purchase and makes both a great popcorn movie , and a sick-in-bed movie , so it's enjoyability is a versatile one indeed and conforms to many different environments and moods . The plot of pollution taking the form of a horrible sludge demon and annihilating much life on earth is simple , but effective and entertaining nonetheless . Godzilla himself puts up a great performance , while still being rooted to the good ol ' camp days . Hedorah deserves as much praise , as he is one of the most deadly , and creative foes ever created and whose virtual indestructibility really made him all the more terrifying . This is a film that people of all ages can enjoy , whether really young , or really old , and will likely be cherished for generations to come . So if you can relate to everything I said , then this is one hell of a film and that you'd do well to get . If , however , you just can't see yourself getting this film no matter what I or anyone else says , well , then at least rent it and watch it at least once , then see if you've changed your mind .
012 4 This review is from :
Godzilla Vs Hedorah ( DVD )
In my opinion , this kaiju entree by far is the best one next to Godzilla vs . The Thing . I saw this as a 7 year old back in the 70 ' s . It's impact on me then still remains with me to this day . It is perhaps one of the few Godzilla films with a serious theme ( pollution ) in comparision with the others . Hedora was perhaps the toughest opponent Godzilla ever had . It is gruesome and disgusting . The fight sequences were fought well and ruthlessly by both monsters . The director did an efficient job in evolving Hedora into a very evil monster . What intrigued and yet sickened me about Hedora was not only its rapid growth from polution , its arsnel of lazers , sulfuric elements , but its going to the bathroom on Godzilla and chuckling about it ( Did everyone really catch that scene ? ) . The heat drawn from that scene alone in unision with the previous items mentioned made one really want Godzilla to really fry , nuter , and stomp Hedora into ash . Personally , I liked the 70 ' s pop culutre in the film . I really wish that Sony would've rescued the English soundtrack from from The Amercian International version , nevertheless I'm not really picky about it . The widescreen and Japanese language version makes this film even better than what it was watching it on a grainy letterbox TV back in 1976 . I love this film . Thanks Toho and Sony for the memories and DVD release .
013 4 In my opinion , this kaiju entree by far is the best one next to Godzilla vs . The Thing . I saw this as a 7 year old back in the 70 ' s . It's impact on me then still remains with me to this day . It is perhaps one of the few Godzilla films with a serious theme ( pollution ) in comparision with the others . Hedora was perhaps the toughest opponent Godzilla ever had . It is gruesome and disgusting . The fight sequences were fought well and ruthlessly by both monsters . The director did an efficient job in evolving Hedora into a very evil monster . What intrigued and yet sickened me about Hedora was not only its rapid growth from polution , its arsnel of lazers , sulfuric elements , but its going to the bathroom on Godzilla and chuckling about it ( Did everyone really catch that scene ? ) . The heat drawn from that scene alone in unision with the previous items mentioned made one really want Godzilla to really fry , nuter , and stomp Hedora into ash . Personally , I liked the 70 ' s pop culutre in the film . I really wish that Sony would've rescued the English soundtrack from from The Amercian International version , nevertheless I'm not really picky about it . The widescreen and Japanese language version makes this film even better than what it was watching it on a grainy letterbox TV back in 1976 . I love this film . Thanks Toho and Sony for the memories and DVD release .
014 4 I had read nothing but bad reviews of this movie over the years , and when I finally saw it , I thought it was one of the most entertaining of the series ! Cheesy , but not as boring as the 90 ' s Zilla movies , and not as awful as GODZILLA VS MEGALON . The first really menacing monster since Godzilla himself , and one of the only G films to reflect the time in which it was made , with acid rock , and long hair everywhere ! Very enjoyable , but also very rare , I recommend picking it up soon before its gone for good !
015 4 Allow me to be the first adult to review this film . I saw it in a theatre when I was 8 or 9 and pretty much forgot it , despite thinking it was the greatest Godzilla movie ever made at the time . Twenty-some years later , I started having flashbacks . . Just bits of memories . Like Godzilla fighting a giant booger . And then this Giant Booger flying over Tokyo and emitting a green gas from its rear that chokes and dissolves Japanese people . And then Godzilla thrashing around in a pit as the Giant Booger oozes a dark , runny flow . . onto our hero . Then Godzilla strikes back by ripping the Giant Booger's [ insides ] out . I even began to remember that a human character . . in a nightclub - - in a Godzilla movie ! So I sought out this film and watched it again . . . and it was all there . If you don't believe me , go watch it yourself .
This film has to be the best giant-rubber-creature-saving-the-world-from-pollution movie ever made , although Steven Seagal blowing up a Death Star-type oil refinery to [ get ] Alaska - - and then lecturing us about saving the enviroment - - in ON DEADLY GROUND comes pretty darn close . Except that Godzilla is a better actor than Seagal . Two claws up .
016 4 This is a notorious movie . Why ? Becouse fans are so divided about it . You either live it or hate it . Personally , I love it ! ! Love , love , love , love , love ! ! ! ! I would really rather this was the American International version
that was released to American theatres and TV in the seventies . That version had excelent dubbing done in America . And the opening disco / go-go number dubbed into english by a very good professional american singer . The dialogue was more fun also . Superman beats them all ! ! This version isn't bad really . The dubbing is that same Hong-Kong Kung Fu OH ! ! OH ! ! ! You have killed my master ! ! AAAHHH ! ! AHH !
We heard about your trouble with Fut-Yoo OH OH , Fut-Yoo was my own student ! Etc . , dubbing from other seventies Godzillas . But it is not too bad . I'd say the dubbing is close to the quality of TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA and alot better than the dubbing of GODZILLA VS . GIGAN or GODZILLA VS . MEGALON which is by far the worst . By the way the name HEDORAH means sludge monster , but smog monster just sounds better . The english dialogue is pretty good actually , since I could follow what everyone was talking about alot better than usual . No double talk suggests that this is not translated directly from the Japanese , and a peak at the japanese track seems to confirm this . So the english script was probably written by someone with a pretty good concept of how english speakers actually talk . Real Japanese dialogue tends to sound repetative and confusing , especially when discussing scientific jargun . Japanese has a structure that is very different from english , unlike , say for example . So an idiomatic translation from japanese to english is out of the question .
Also , in regards to Godzilla's flying . As silly as it may seem , and look onscreen . The more powers the better ! I say . Superman gets cooler the more powers he gets . Right ! ( and Superman beats them all ! ) The more powers Yoda and Steve Austin ( the bionic guy , not the wrestler ) got . The cooler they got . Same goes with Godzilla .
017 4 Most people just write this film off their lists of Godzilla-films-to-see but GODZILLA vs HEDORAH ( aka THE SMOG MONSTER ) is a film that has , like a great wine , improved with age . First of all , this DVD features the international English dubbed version - - not the AIP-dubbed version that most of us grew up with at drive-ins and television . While we may miss the familar voices we remember , we also get the original Japanese version with subtitles ( or dub-titles , we'll have to see ) and in widescreen format . That's a good thing , but it may not make the few remaining Orion-released VHS copies obsolete .
The film was directed by a one-time director who really wanted to go all out to create something new which is why Godzilla is able to fly at the film's conclusion . When the film was finished and released , the executive director Tomoyuki Tanaka was recovering in the hospital . Upon seeing the film , he told director Banno that he had ruined Godzilla . He never directed a G film again .
But despite the film's flaws , it still remains an interesting movie with curious questions . What is the signifigance of the poked eye of three characters ? Does Godzilla pull out eyes or eggs from Hedorah's carcass ? How did a kitten survive being slimed while others are burned by Hedorah's sludge ? There are uncharacteristic scenes of bloodied skeletons and acid eating away at the faces of Hedorah's smoke trail . And there are some very interesting segways between scenes : the montage of the TV monitors showing a crying baby trapped in a mud hole , symbolic animation and some very inventive SFX scenes .
When I first saw this film at a dusk-lit drive-in in 1972 , I remember distinctly the boy protagonist playing with several Godzilla toys and wanted those SO badly ! But I was always puzzled when the said Superman beats them all ! Well , in that case , can I have your Godzilla toys , kid ? ?
018 4 Okay folks , this is the one where I toss aside journalistic integrity ( or whatever code online reviewers of DVDs have to abide by ) and revel in pure , brazen fanboy love ! Yes , I know the movie plays like a psychedelic mish-mash of 70s movie cliches and worn-out kaiju eiga conventions . Of course the music score is terrible . I am well aware that Hedorah looks ( and sounds ) like he is taking a hit off a titanic bong when he inhales the smoke from the smoke stacks ( all red eyed & laid back even ) . Yep , those are electric instruments being played miles from any electrical outlet by hippies so concerned about the environment , they light a bonfire big enough to burn down a house . Yes , yes . . . All of this is true . However , I love this movie . Why ? Because it's fun in its own weird way . Perhaps it helps that I saw this film every year around Thanksgiving as a child . I would spend hours entranced by WOR's Thanksgiving marathons of King Kong & Godzilla films . Hedorah was always the capper . I have many fond memories of watching scenes of Godzilla battling a giant pile of sludge set to a groovy 70s soundtrack . No , it's not a great movie but , you know what ? I still love it . And , while I am confessing . . . I really like Hedorah as a monster . Yes , I know . I should be ashamed but . . I'm not ! This is one crazy G film . See it . Dig it . Groove on it , man !
019 4 Out of every godzilla film I've seen , I would definitly say this is the wierdest . The story is good and actually quite effective . If we continue to pollute our planet , this is what could happen .
Hedorah himself actually looks very good , and he goes through more than one form . Big G is kinda goofy , with big eyes and a plain suit . I noticed he swayed and stood alot , with this really wierd music playing while he did so . The battles aren't great , and the characters are completely random ( as usual ) .
At the very beginning , this kid comes out and starts playing with his godzilla toys . What he does with them is put them at the top of his slide , watch them slide down , go get them and do it again . That part made me laugh .
As much of the movie was funny as it was scary . The monster ( hedorah ) was tougher than one may have thought , and godzilla had some trouble . There are no other kaiju in this film , just Hedorah and Godzilla . It probably wouldn't be much better even if every giant monster was in it . On second thought , that could have been cool .
To sum up , it isn't the best Godzilla film at all , but other ones from the same series such as Godzilla vs . Gigan and Godzilla vs . Mechagodzilla are much better . Of course you can always check out the other series , and in particular the newest ones from the millenium series , such as Godzilla against Mechagodzilla , Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S or Godzilla final wars . There are 3 others from the millenium series , 7 from the heisei series and 15 from the showa series , including this film , which is from the showa series . Hope this was helpful to anyone who was wondering !
020 4 This review is from :
Godzilla Vs Hedorah ( DVD )
I'm a Godzilla movie fan ( only the old cheesy ones 1960s - 1980s ) because I used to watch them around the holidays growing up . Recently I decided to start a small collection of favorites and this was one of them . Believe me , there is no shortage on weirdness in this one ! Starting with animated cartoons of Hedorah sprinkled throughout the movie to unusual sound editing and strange 1970 ' s trippy disco scenes , Godzilla vs Hedorah hits high on the strangeness scale !
All sillliness aside , an interesting aspect to Godzilla vs Hedorah is how the movie attempts to raise environmental awareness regarding global pollution . The cheesiest way possible , but nevertheless it drives a good point home . The movie's solution was through a monster named Hedorah who goes around Japan finding sources of pollution and literally gobbles it up . Unfortunately through the process of traveling from city to city , Hedorah emits a noxious gas crippling or killing all people in its path . Naturally , Godzilla is there to save the people of Japan from dying horrible deaths ! ! !
Why 4 stars ? :
Although I was impressed by the eco-awareness of the movie , I gave Godzilla vs Hedorah 4 out of 5 stars because I was disappointed at the sound editing . During scenes where Godzilla destroys buildings it seems like you are watching a silent movie ! Not a single sound is present - - not even background music , it's like your TV is on mute . Times when background music is present , it seems very out of place . Example : Disco music playing while Godzilla is looking for ( and going to fight ) Hedorah .
Bottom Line :
I'd recommend it for its cheap price and crazy hijinx . It's a good buy ( and great laugh ) for anyone who likes the old-style Godzilla movies .
021 4 I'm a Godzilla movie fan ( only the old cheesy ones 1960s - 1980s ) because I used to watch them around the holidays growing up . Recently I decided to start a small collection of favorites and this was one of them . Believe me , there is no shortage on weirdness in this one ! Starting with animated cartoons of Hedorah sprinkled throughout the movie to unusual sound editing and strange 1970 ' s trippy disco scenes , Godzilla vs Hedorah hits high on the strangeness scale !
All sillliness aside , an interesting aspect to Godzilla vs Hedorah is how the movie attempts to raise environmental awareness regarding global pollution . The cheesiest way possible , but nevertheless it drives a good point home . The movie's solution was through a monster named Hedorah who goes around Japan finding sources of pollution and literally gobbles it up . Unfortunately through the process of traveling from city to city , Hedorah emits a noxious gas crippling or killing all people in its path . Naturally , Godzilla is there to save the people of Japan from dying horrible deaths ! ! !
Why 4 stars ? :
Although I was impressed by the eco-awareness of the movie , I gave Godzilla vs Hedorah 4 out of 5 stars because I was disappointed at the sound editing . During scenes where Godzilla destroys buildings it seems like you are watching a silent movie ! Not a single sound is present - - not even background music , it's like your TV is on mute . Times when background music is present , it seems very out of place . Example : Disco music playing while Godzilla is looking for ( and going to fight ) Hedorah .
Bottom Line :
I'd recommend it for its cheap price and crazy hijinx . It's a good buy ( and great laugh ) for anyone who likes the old-style Godzilla movies .
022 4 Another wild and crazy Godzilla in the 1970s movies , Godzilla fighting the Smog Monster aka Hedorah one of the most popular G villains . This movie was controversial for its time due to it containing ZERO % of a traditional Godzilla movie . No classic actors , just young hippie type actors . Even the music wasn't the classical Godzilla music we heard in the 1960s . The director never did another G film . The effects in this movie are ok to good for the most part , particularly the flying Hedorah and the explosions and what happens when he flies overhead . Hedorah is a very cool monster . With all his looks & different stages / forms he makes as it grows are pretty cool .
This DVD contains the INTL English language version - a different English dubbed soundtrack - only the VHS tape still has the AIP dubbing , which to me is way better . . . hopefully that version will get a DVD release as well , but after talking with someone who is a G ' expert ' , it doesn't seem like . If you own the VHS tape of Godzilla vs the Smog Monster keep it . This is the movie with the song Save the Earth ( sung in Japanese in this INTL dubbing ) This also contains the alternate ending with the words Will there be Another and another Hedorah head popping up in a still shot.A little more ominous . Don't throw garbage into water & don't pollute ?
023 4 A strange Godzilla movie . I saw Godzilla Vs . The Smog Monster in the movies in 1972 . The dubbing is not very good , but the high definition remastering is incredible despite some of the movies dark lighted scenes . The anomorphic widescreen presentation of this film is awesome . Save The Earth is not sung in english ( RATS ! ! ! ! ) as it is sung in Japanese , it does'nt matter as I know the words from my childhood days . Yoshimitsu Bano the director of Smog Monster would be directing this movie as it would be his last for Toho Pictures . Yoshimitsu Banno angered Toho studios so much because they wanted a child orientated Godzilla movie . What Banno gave them was a crying baby trapped in the Hedorahs deadly sludge , knowing full aware that the baby was eventually to die . Another disturbing scene was when Hedorah flies over some people they are incinerated and turn to bones . A crying cat in a night club was trapped in sludge as you were aware of its final outcome . The drug , pot smoking hippies were cool in their night club scene with their dancing to the Psychedelic lighted back drop . The thing that was really interesting and facinating was the animated explanations about the Hedorah and pollution . The music score by Riichiro Manabe for this movie was really cool and far out there . My favorite part of the music score was towards the end when Godzilla flies after Hedorah ( the drum roll as Godzilla takes off and than the big horns and the organ rip as Godzilla catches up to Hedorah ) .
Toho was concerned about offending children with this Godzilla release due to some graphic scenes . No Godzilla movie before Smog Monster was ever as graphic and offensive as this one , and this was in my opinion Godzillas whimp stage in his movie career as Toho tried to make Godzilla more human like to appeal more to children . What a mistake that was , as I am not crazy about the Godzilla mask in this installment of the Godzilla films . If you look when Godzilla is wallowing in the mud pit that Hedorah dropped him in , you could see the Godzilla mask from Godzilla vs . The Sea Monster 1966 . This is definintly not one of my favorite Godzilla movies but I enjoyed this movie for it's message about pollution and its dark message of profit despite the pollution it creates . This same message ( pollution ) was used in Godzilla Vs . Mothra ( 1964 ) but clearly more visible in Smog Monster . I also enjoyed the creativity that went into the production of this movie . Yoshimitsu Banno presented a grim message about pollution and was banned from Toho pictures after Godzilla Vs . Hedorah but he really tackled a growing pollution problem in Japan at the time of this pictures production and release . There are no extra materials on this dvd release , but it is worth buying for the high definition widecreen presentation and clear sound . Godzilla Vs . Hedorah is embarassing at times , but an oddly , facinating , interesting Godzilla movie . Even Godzilla was a Hippie , HAA ! ! , HAA ! ! , HAA ! ! , HAA ! ! . . . . . . . . . . . .
024 4 Honestly , I've never been into Godzilla . Sure , I've seen my share of the big guy's films , but it was a genre that never really grabbed me . After viewing a few after many years I seem to enjoy them more now than when I did as a kid . Hedorah has always been my personal fave just coz it's pretty oddball ( even by Godzilla standards ) and stands out from the rest of the films with it's psychedelic hippiness and short animated scenes . Hedorah may not be as badass looking as Godzilla's other foes , but he's a tough mother . Hell , he beats the snot out of Godzilla . Godzilla needs to enlist the help of the humans to defeat the thing . Reading over the negative reviews of this film , all I can do is scratch my head . How the hell do you criticize a Godzilla film ? A Godzilla film criticized for having fake looking monsters ? For having badly dubbed english dialogue ? Weren't these the very things that made the Godzilla films entertaining ? You might as well criticize the old John Waters films coz the acting was bad and they were offensive . Even Leonard Maltin called this film , Dubbed and Daffy . But as we all know , when did Leonard Maltin ever watch a film for the strict purpose of enjoyment and fun ? This film certainly has my stamp of approval . Be sure and see it with someone you love to get the full effect .
026 4 Who could dislike this movie ! ! Still , it was one of the only two Japenese movies that appeared in the 50 worst monster movies book . This is my favorite movie in the Godzilla series , with the big lizard fighting the blob from outer space , Hedorah . However , the campy ` 60 ` s music and the scene where Godzilla is flying ( ! ! ! ! ! ) after Hedorah are completely ludicrous . if you are looking for an interesting Godzilla movie , your search has ended ! I definetly say you should by this movie , if you haven ` t already .
1971 , Color , 105 minutes , Rated PG
027 4 When I was a little boy , my mother took me to see this film when it was called Godzilla vs . the Smog Monster . It changed my life because it was the first time I saw the big guy on screen . Suprisingly the story itself stills holds up despite its age . Yes , the special effects are bad , the dubbing is worse . ( DVD features the original Japanese Language ) . The message is strong . Pollution is running amok all over the planet . Hedorah creatures are forming all over Japan . They meet and form one giant critter that feeds on smog . Godzilla must defend us and save the earth . This film has been oop on video for many moons . Its nice to be able to see it again , and is a MUST for any Godzilla collector .
028 4 Just bought the new DVD , and I must say , this movie is a lot better than I remember it . Maybe thats because with the DVD , you can watch it in its original Japanese with english subtitles ( the only way you should watch a Godzilla movie ) The dubbing in the 60 ' s and 70 ' s was so awful that they distracted from the movie . That being said , this film has always been divided . Either people love it or hate it because it was offbeat and different from other Godzilla movies . I would definately rank it in the top 5 or 6 Godzilla films .
029 4 . . . Under the direction of Yoshimitsu Banno ; the effects of Teruyoshi Nakano ; and music of Riichiro Manabe , Godzilla vs . Smog Monster turns out to be a perfectly decent Godzilla movie . This troika really played with the Godzilla movie format ; inserting Brady-Bunch style multiple screens and a very new age , anti-pollution theme . I still see a little of the childish slant creeping into the film from Godzilla's Revenge . But the film turns serious quickly enough and is respectably adult-oriented the rest of the way . Godzilla , really emerges as a hero in this film , actively seeking out the threat to earth and annihilating it . All in all , a nice bounce back from the abysmal effort in Godzilla's Revenge .
030 4 This is in my opinion the best Godzilla movie ever made ! Godzilla is an awesome monster and does great films-but this one takes the title . You gotta rent this , buy it , or whatever you gotta do , but you gotta watch it somehow . It's a very fun ( and funny ) movie about polution .
032 4 If you ask me , this is probably the most bizzare of the Godzilla films.I like to call this one HippieZilla because of the save the earth message.Add to that , Hedora ( aka the Smog Monster ) is different than most.The effects are different however , and is also watchable at most
033 4 Godzilla vs Hedorah is insane even by later Showa era Godzilla standards , a surreal mix of monster mash , message movie , kiddie flick , 1960s educational shorts , groovy protest songs , go-go dancers wearing fish masks , terrible special effects and basic Sesame Street style animated inserts as Friend of the Earth Godzilla takes on a giant toxic flying tadpole that craps acid on him , drowns mah-jong players in excrement and farts deadly toxic fumes over the population of Japan . Avante garde doesn't cover it : this is Godzilla on acid and it's a real happening , baby . The big feller even gets to fly in one scene .
Despite getting a great entrance in front of a rising sun while introduced with a slide trombone theme straight out of a Laurel and Hardy get drunk comedy , Godzilla has never looked camper ( well , at least until Godzilla vs . Megalon ) , mincing his way through his underpowered punchups with the allegorical scheissencritter - Hedorah is basically just a vertical turd with a tail and glowing red eyes . It's tempting to believe from the number of times Mr G wipes his nose that this was during the big feller's cocaine period , but he seems all too aware of the humiliation : at one point he even turns to the camera and shakes his head to the audience in disbelief .
Co-writer-director Yoshimitsu Banno had been an assistant director on Kurosawa films before being hired to revitalize the Godzilla series while its producer Tomoyuki Tanaka was in hospital only to be suspended from the studio after they looked on with horror what he had wrought , but is currently writing next year's IMAX Godzilla 3D . The mind boggles . . .
As others have noted , for those who want to watch the film dubbed , the English soundtrack is one prepared by Toho rather than the one used for AIP's re-edited version of the film , Godzilla Vs The Smog Monster . However , it's worth seeking out the Region 4 PAL Australian DVD , which also includes the original Japanese trailer and keeps the original Japanese credits .
034 4 These are the movies that try men's souls . The Godzilla series was at or near the bottom of the barrel with this flick . Some feel that dubious distinction was reached with Godzilla vs . Megalon or maybe the juvenile Godzilla's Revenge . A giant blot of industrial waste has a life of its own . It flies through the air , and spreads more pollution in its wake . At one point , it attaches itself to a giant smokestack and inhales the belching smoke and fumes . That may appear benevolent , but the end result is more filth in the environment . Godzilla decides to battle the giant whatever-it-is and save the Earth . The special effects of low budget Japanese sci-fi flicks are an inside joke that continues to amuse , regardless . This is the film where we see Godzilla use his heat ray as a jet propulsion device . Yep , he actually flies through the air like a jet plane . One could take the film as a live action spoof of a Bob Clampitt cartoon , but that is a stretch . The filmmaker's warning of the danger of uncontrolled pollution may resonate with very young children . Anyone over the age of five is on their own . ; - )
035 4 I've loved Godzilla for as long as I can remember , but Godzilla vs . Hedorah ( or Godzilla vs . the Smog Monster , the original U.S . release title ) has always been my least favorite - until the last time I saw it .
The 70 ' s produced the worst of the Godzilla flicks - a series of dark , hokey , and dull films which ultimately caused the end of the Godzilla film line ( until the beginning of a new series in 1984 ) . Executive producer Tomoyuki Tanaka was in the hospital for much of the time while the film was being made , so he didn't see the different direction which Godzilla vs . Hedorah took . For the first time since 1964 , the film had a strong social message : stop the pollution ! A series of grim , grungy images show the pollution which is seeping into the air and the sea . From it rises Hedorah , the smog monster , intent on gobbling down the world's smog and pollution whilst killing off Earth's people . Bullets go through it , knives do nothing to it . Who will stop this demon of drudge ? Why , Godzilla , of course !
Yoshimitsu Banno pointed the series in a different direction ( which enraged producer Tanaka upon his release from the hospital ) , inserting funky tunes , a scene in a revolting dance club , and entirely unnecessary animations . Then there's the creepy-looking Hedorah , which actually becomes quite scary when you see it's glowing eyes in the dark gray night sky , while the eerie bass guitar plays quietly amongst the soundtrack's instruments . This is certainly the weirdest , creepiest Godzilla flick of ' em all .
A sequel to this film was planned , hence the And yet another one ? title at the end of the film . In it , Godzilla would travel to Africa and battle another smog monster . But the project was shelved when Tomoyuki Tanaka banned director Banno from ever coming near a Godzilla film again , claiming that Banno had ruined the series . I can't really say that I'm sorry for that decision .
Godzilla vs . Hedorah is one of the most unique of the Godzilla films , and because of that , it's one of my favorites . It's a weird , creepy film , that becomes much more fun ( and funny ) when you watch it with the terrible English dubbing .
036 4 The Movie :
After watching this movie for the first time in so many years , I can see why fans are so divided by it . It's either one of the best or one of the worst Godzilla films in fans ' eyes . The style is so different that many people hate it , but its also the reason why many people love . In my opinion , it ranks as one of the best , and though Banno has a style far different from Honda , he sits close up to him as giving the series one of the most intruging films .
Godzilla vs . Hedorah is set in a time where pollution was a huge problem in Japan . Taking action in utilizing this inviormental problem in the movie , Godzilla vs . Hedorah becomes one of the darkest and effective message throwing Godzilla films since the original Gojira . Hedorah is the embodiment of man's ignorance and carelessness , just like Godzilla was . In many scenes that can be considered graphic for the time , the movie shows us the death and carnage Hedorah causes . Some scenes could be considered more graphic than the hospital scene of the original Gojira . News reports flash up throughout the film citing how many people have died by Hedorah's attacks , and the number simply keeps growing to shocking results . Cartoon segments and many effective media drenched , mob scenes of worried people break in the film . The symbolize the panic Hedorah has been causing and it works well as many G-Films in this era fail to do this . These segments truley are a testament to the director's approach .
Banno's style is utilized in a very bizzare , but ' artsy ' way . Linking the carlessness of the youth ( or hippies ) as just as much of the problem : ' Sure they can preach we're messing up the world . . . but that's about it . Drinking and dancing is the only other thing they do . ' And they decide to do this even to the point of death . ( In a great scene , one of the characters has too much to drink and looks around to see everyone wearing fish masks . A testament to the youth's ignorance ? A sign that they are all in a sense ' fish in a barrel ' for Hedorah ? )
Godzilla himself is characterized as an almost tragic hero with the excellent characterization of young Ken . Though Ken beleives ( and acts like he knows ) Godzilla is there to save them , who's really going to listen to a kid ? This makes Ken one of the most well written children characters in the conventional Godzilla series . Most children in thes series seem to know everything and influence the adult characters to the highest degree . But Ken's words aren't taken seriously ( despite the fact he's right ) and the media still has a very bleak view on Godzilla himself . Meanwhile Godzilla is found angry at the pollution taking place in the world ( specificly the ocean where he lives ) and is angry at mankind for doing this to their own planet . In turn , Godzilla hates what Hedorah stands for . A glaring rivalry seemed to grow on screen between the monsters in a fabulous fashion . Many scenes before battle dragged out a long stare-down between them . Their battle wounds also show their spite for each other as Godzilla's left hand is deteriorated to a skeliton with skin hanging off it and his right eye becomes crusted by Hedorah's sludge . Meanwhile , not only does Godzilla take out Hedorah's right eye , but has a field day ripping the monster to pieces at the very end of the movie . The battle was quite savage and showed a very dark side of Godzilla movies ' battles . Easily one of the most graphic battles in Godzilla , especially for the time this movie was made .
The characters aren't the best developed of the series , but better than many other movies as well . Like I said Ken is one of , if not the best child character of the series . Even in the recent Godzilla x MechaGodzilla we see children with too much influential power on adult characters and unrealistic wisdom beyond their years . This is not the case here . Ken is clearly a kid who thinks of Godzilla as a hero and loves to play with his toys . His words are mostly ignored and his courage isn't unrealistic . ( Unlike a certian child putting desks together in Godzilla : Tokyo S.O.S . ) His uncle is a bonified hippie / drinker that you really can't tell is an antagonist or protagonist , but intresting non-the-less . And Ken's mother and father show conflict in learning about Hedorah , struggling to live their own lives and yet worry about others . The main problem with the charactrs is that their not given much to do by the end of the film but watch the monsters fight - - much like Okawara's films ( Godzilla 2000 , Godzilla and Mothra : The battle for Earth ) in which he wasn't sure what to do with his characters at times .
Needless to say , despite the movies heavy symbilism , very powerful message and refreshing style , its not without flaws . Hedorah's design is pretty goofy looking and the suit itself is poorly realized . But at times it can be considered creepy as well - - With those two huge red eyes randomly placed in the middle of walking sludge , you'll either look at him as a phantom-esque creature , or a carpet with red golf-balls . The editing is also a bit akward . In one scene Godzilla is trapped in a hole being swamped by sludge and the next time we see him , he's rolling down the side of Mt . Fuji with Hedorah . The most painful scene in this movie is the infamous flying scene in which Godzilla uses his ray to propel himself backwards in the air to stop an escaping Hedorah . Though the movie is very stylized , has a beautiful approach to it and is the darkest film since the original , this scene still manages to make it in to the final cut and is simply out of place . Admittedly though . . . it is kind of fun to watch .
The music can be both a complaint and a praise . Though Godzilla's theme can be considered kind of ' wonky ' and embarrassing , it also has a noble sound to it at the end of the theme . It takes some getting use to but its not that bad . Hedorah's theme is very in place for the character though and fits the creepy killing machine's presence perfectly . Overall the 70s-esque music fit the style and ton of the film and is able to make the mood a bit more bizarre . It can be argued that it does and doesn't add to the dark atmosphere of the film , though I think it does .
Overall Hedorah proves to be one of the most different Godzilla movies . Creating a different style and approach to Godzilla it delivers realistic characters , a message that speaks loud and clear and some nifty effects shots here and there . ( The best shot in the entire movie being the scene where Godzilla first appears and roars with a gorgeous sunrise behind him . Magnificent ! ) For some its Godzilla's worst . For me , I put it high up on The Best of list as a rather artistic looking film .
* * * * out of * * * * *
Picture quality :
Astounding . The DVD picture quality makes this movie look like it was made yesterday . The night scenes are easier to see was well as you can make out much more of what's going on . The picture was so clear and the colors so vibrant , I felt like I could reach in and touch what was going on in this film .
* * * * * out of * * * * *
Sound :
Mono , but it didn't really bother me at all . The sound was still clear and the music was always booming through magnicantly .
* * * * out of * * * * *
Extras :
We have the English dub and Japanese audio tracks , with the options of English and French subtitles . There's the Japanese Teaser to Tokyo : S.O.S . , Godzilla : Save the Earth for PS2 and X-Box , previews to two animated features , The GINO Series on DVD and a movie parodying old , black and white horror films . ( The title escapes me . )
The dubbing is what we've heard before from this movie and the subtitles are actually quite accurate . Some might seem like dubtitles , but there are several lines that are different from the dubbed version - - - Which was probaly just well translated .
It's plenty for me to finally have the Japanese language released in America , but overall , very weak special features .
* * out of * * * * *
Overall :
A fantastic movie , a great release with beautiful picture quality and Japanese language and the only set back being lack of features . It's still a valuable collectors item JUST for the fact it has the original Japanese version on it . Go for it now !
* * * * out of * * * * *
037 4 I remember the first time this one showed up on UHF TV as a kid . . . one of those slow weeks , waiting in anticipation for a new , fresh , never before seen or heard of G flick . Air time - 2 : 00 PM on a Saturday , 197X - right after ' rasslin on channel 110 UHF . Then . . .
Whoa ! WTF is this ! The first thing that struck me was , where's the thunderous , DUNNNNNN , dun-dun-dun-dun-dun , d-d-d-dun G theme ? Instead , there's this strange score , like out of a trippy western , that didn't work at all . I hated the G-costume ( though worse were yet to come . . . ) and cringed when G took to the air in that infamous scene . What's with these animations ? Save the Earth . . . ahhhh ! My ears ! My ears ! Make them stop ! What's those round things that G's ripping out of the monster ? Eggs ? Vital sludge organs ? And why does it kill him ? Dunno . Why does G's ray blast power the weapon that kills the smog monster at the end , instead of melt it ( the weapon ) like it does everything else ? And , how does G - as a giant radioactive mutated tyranosaurus , even know how to do this ? Boy , japanese hippies sure look weird . It was also jarring to see G get his [ . . . ] kicked so badly . . . third degree burns to the face , had an eye put out , and that high-pithced roar in one scene as it writhes around in pain in the sludge . This boy was in a scrape . But I tuned in to see G kick some [ . . . ] against some kaiju jobber - like Mothera or the sea monster . Is he past his prime ? Time to retire ?
On the plus side . . . the sludge monster was pretty cool in its various forms . Something different that the traditional overgrown _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ( fill in the blank ) . Neat how it inhales fumes from a factory smoke stack . Thumbs up on the kaiju-adversary side .
I turned off my TV at the end , shook my head , and thought I'll just have to watch US-made sci-fi . NOT ! US scifi ? Talk , talk talk . . . blah , blah blah . No giant lazer ray spewing monsters . No cool toy arplanes hanging from wires - or miniture cities being demolished , ( or classy , exotic , and sexy as all hell japanese babes ) .
In the subsequent months between repeat airings ( UHF station 110 had about nine movies in total in its library - six of which were japanese sci-fi flicks , God bless'em . ) I found myself humming Save the Earth . I was drawing pics of that goofy smog monster in my 6th grade note book , and the little plastic tyranosaurus - that doubled as G , usually , took to the air to get from Tokyo to smash Osaka . So , two months later when Godzilla vs the Smog monster aired again , did I tune in ? You betchya . Twenty years later am I ordering the DVD ? ( . . . for my son , of course ) You betchya .
This film is like sushi . The first time you try it , it's a wtf experience . A few weeks later , you're jones'n for a sushi fix and have graduated to uni . Viva la smog monster ! . . . and while you're up , my saki needs topping off . Thanks !
038 4 This review is from :
Godzilla Vs Hedorah ( DVD )
It was such a big deal when Godzilla movies showed up on TV in the 60 ' s and 70 ' s . Now , nearly all those movies are readily available today . Whenever I see one again , memories of my youth come flooding back . I can see myself reflected in my 11 - year-olds , who are much bigger fans than I was , I must say . Hedorah , or Hedra , as it was known back then , was unique for its combination of animated vignettes and a hip , mod anti-pollution message . However , even when I was myself 11 ( in 1972 ) , I knew that this movie was high-camp . That Godzilla could fly seemed pretty silly to me , but my twins were really impressed . Hedorah has become a favorite toy of theirs ( they have 2 versions of this figure ) , and have created a YouTube video called Godzilla vs . the Smog and Sea Monsters with their toys .
039 4 It was such a big deal when Godzilla movies showed up on TV in the 60 ' s and 70 ' s . Now , nearly all those movies are readily available today . Whenever I see one again , memories of my youth come flooding back . I can see myself reflected in my 11 - year-olds , who are much bigger fans than I was , I must say . Hedorah , or Hedra , as it was known back then , was unique for its combination of animated vignettes and a hip , mod anti-pollution message . However , even when I was myself 11 ( in 1972 ) , I knew that this movie was high-camp . That Godzilla could fly seemed pretty silly to me , but my twins were really impressed . Hedorah has become a favorite toy of theirs ( they have 2 versions of this figure ) , and have created a YouTube video called Godzilla vs . the Smog and Sea Monsters with their toys .
040 4 A gigantic , tadpole-like creature appears in polluted Japanese coastal waters , and Dr . Yano , a biologist , ventures underwater to investigate the horror . His encounter with the monster proves nearly fatal , for the creature burns him with an emission of concentrated sulfuric acid . Soon , Hedorah , as the thing is called , metamorphoses into a gigantic amphibian that consumes the very pollution emitted by Japanese factories . Godzilla arrives and engages the monster in battle , but is unable to destroy this creature composed of living sludge . Undergoing even further transformation , Hedorah takes to the air , spraying deadly sulfuric acid in its wake . Godzilla and the military quickly find themselves in a violent , all-out battle to prevent the total destruction of Japan .
Frequently ranking as one of the most bizarre motion pictures ever made , Godzilla vs . Hedorah ( a.k.a . Godzilla vs . the Smog Monster ) is an anomaly in the series , its story unapologetically socially relevant , its style nothing less than experimental . Moments of exceptionally brutal violence are interspersed with bizarre humor , cartoon animation , and psychedelic hallucination sequences . Plus there's Godzilla .
The anti-pollution message in Godzilla vs . Hedorah comes across like a flashing neon sign , but the smog monster itself is one of Toho's most fascinating creations . Despite its undeniable air of silliness , the movie features a grimmer , darker undertone than in any since the original 1954 Godzilla . Like the rest of the Sony Godzilla 50th Anniversary releases , the DVD offers a beautiful , widescreen print of the original Japanese version with English subtitles .
041 4 This review is from :
Godzilla Vs Hedorah ( DVD )
Growing up in the 1970 ' s we were innundated with anti-pollution icons like the Owl with his Give a Hoot , Don't Pollute slogan , or Iron Eyes Cody shedding a single tear when a litterbug throws some trash from his speeding car . . . but the one I remember most vividly was Godzilla's Hedorah ! This greyish slimy ooze monster was truly disgusting , and seeing Tokyo's polluted waters , the dead fish floating among the discarded mannequins and slime . . . YUCK !
The basic story here is that thanks to mankind's pollution a mutated space tadpole grows to gargantuan size and threatens Japan and the Earth . Our only hope lies in Godzilla protecting us from the acid spewing creature . Hedorah is a pretty nasty foe for the giant lizard . Made of sludge , Godzilla's powerful punches are all but useless against the ooze monster , more often than not passing right through the creature without doing any harm . Hedorah can spit wads of goo which burn will burn through almost anything and Hedorah can also turn himself into a flying spaceship-type thing that leaves a poisonous gas in its wake , killing everything on the ground below . Can Godzilla stop Hedorah before all of Earth is covered in a cloud of noxious gas ? ? ?
This was always one of my favorite Godzilla films growing up . You had the cool late 60 ' s early 70 ' s Japanese rock music sprinkled throughout the film , some nifty little animated sequences , a pretty inventive monster with some unusual powers , and one of the first films I can remember where the monster targets humans specifically , not just causing havoc by flattening buildings or sinking ships ( though there is also plenty of that as well ) but actually doing it's best to kill any human bystanders it sees . I love the moment when Hedorah attacks a freeway , or when some Japanese kids are rocking out on Mount Fuji and Hedorah decides to crash the party . This is a pretty imaginitive flick , and if you haven't seen it since Creature Features ran on the UHF channels , you should give this one another viewing . One of the best of the series in my opinion .
042 4 Growing up in the 1970 ' s we were innundated with anti-pollution icons like the Owl with his Give a Hoot , Don't Pollute slogan , or Iron Eyes Cody shedding a single tear when a litterbug throws some trash from his speeding car . . . but the one I remember most vividly was Godzilla's Hedorah ! This greyish slimy ooze monster was truly disgusting , and seeing Tokyo's polluted waters , the dead fish floating among the discarded mannequins and slime . . . YUCK !
The basic story here is that thanks to mankind's pollution a mutated space tadpole grows to gargantuan size and threatens Japan and the Earth . Our only hope lies in Godzilla protecting us from the acid spewing creature . Hedorah is a pretty nasty foe for the giant lizard . Made of sludge , Godzilla's powerful punches are all but useless against the ooze monster , more often than not passing right through the creature without doing any harm . Hedorah can spit wads of goo which burn will burn through almost anything and Hedorah can also turn himself into a flying spaceship-type thing that leaves a poisonous gas in its wake , killing everything on the ground below . Can Godzilla stop Hedorah before all of Earth is covered in a cloud of noxious gas ? ? ?
This was always one of my favorite Godzilla films growing up . You had the cool late 60 ' s early 70 ' s Japanese rock music sprinkled throughout the film , some nifty little animated sequences , a pretty inventive monster with some unusual powers , and one of the first films I can remember where the monster targets humans specifically , not just causing havoc by flattening buildings or sinking ships ( though there is also plenty of that as well ) but actually doing it's best to kill any human bystanders it sees . I love the moment when Hedorah attacks a freeway , or when some Japanese kids are rocking out on Mount Fuji and Hedorah decides to crash the party . This is a pretty imaginitive flick , and if you haven't seen it since Creature Features ran on the UHF channels , you should give this one another viewing . One of the best of the series in my opinion .
043 4 This review is from :
Godzilla Vs Hedorah ( DVD )
My son was looking for this movie and was very happy when I gave it to him for his birthday . Working with Amazon is a great way to shop .
044 4 My son was looking for this movie and was very happy when I gave it to him for his birthday . Working with Amazon is a great way to shop .
045 4 This review is from :
Godzilla Vs Hedorah ( DVD )
I've just recently turned on ( again ) to Godzilla movies for the first time since I was a kid , and I've bought a handful of them from the Showa series ( Mothra , Ghidorah , Astro Monster , Son of Godzilla and All Monsters Attack ) . While this is admittedly as weird as the other reviews have described it to be , and it's not as pretty or high-budget looking as some of the earlier ones , I found Godzilla vs Hedora ( aka The Smog Monster to be one of the best-paced Godzilla movies , for once not boring us to death whenever we have to watch the humans and wait for the monsters . I actually find the animated sequences and the psychadelic freak-out sequences to HELP the movie rather than hinder it , as this is a total product of a late 60 ' s / early 70 ' s mindset , so why shouldn't it look like one ? Even though the earlier films like Mothra strike a more nostalgic chord with me , this one is my favorite to sit down and actually watch all the way through .
046 4 I've just recently turned on ( again ) to Godzilla movies for the first time since I was a kid , and I've bought a handful of them from the Showa series ( Mothra , Ghidorah , Astro Monster , Son of Godzilla and All Monsters Attack ) . While this is admittedly as weird as the other reviews have described it to be , and it's not as pretty or high-budget looking as some of the earlier ones , I found Godzilla vs Hedora ( aka The Smog Monster to be one of the best-paced Godzilla movies , for once not boring us to death whenever we have to watch the humans and wait for the monsters . I actually find the animated sequences and the psychadelic freak-out sequences to HELP the movie rather than hinder it , as this is a total product of a late 60 ' s / early 70 ' s mindset , so why shouldn't it look like one ? Even though the earlier films like Mothra strike a more nostalgic chord with me , this one is my favorite to sit down and actually watch all the way through .
048 4 This review is from :
Godzilla Vs Hedorah ( DVD )
My favorite movie of the Showa series .
It's by far the weirdest of all the G-flicks . So obviously a product of it's time . It's bizarre and sometimes creepy , but that's what makes it so interesting . There is no other Godzilla movie like this one . I also believe it's the first one to use that silly fanfare score , so that's a fun bonus . The big battle at the end is also pretty long .
Keep an eye out for those hill people spying through the bushes .
049 4 My favorite movie of the Showa series .
It's by far the weirdest of all the G-flicks . So obviously a product of it's time . It's bizarre and sometimes creepy , but that's what makes it so interesting . There is no other Godzilla movie like this one . I also believe it's the first one to use that silly fanfare score , so that's a fun bonus . The big battle at the end is also pretty long .
Keep an eye out for those hill people spying through the bushes .
050 4 This review is from :
Godzilla Vs Hedorah ( DVD )
Maybe it's not the best story . Maybe it's not the best effects . But still I have to say best Godzilla movie ever ! In this film it's more of a fantasy . A boy who worships his friend Godzilla . The reason why this movie was made because of the polution in japan .
052 4 I've always thought this was the best of the Godzilla movies . At least as long as you fast forward past the songs.Basicaly it's Godzilla vers the Smog monster created by man's destruction of the enviroment via chemicals and smog.Love the way the Smog monster keeps changing ( tadpole to two legged monster to flying monster ) and Godzilla's contempt for man's stupity . This movie is one of the sharpest I've seen even on DVD's . Most DVD's are sharp ( clearer ) than VHS but this nears HD quality .
053 4 Godzilla vs Hedorah ( Smog Monster ) was one of if my favorite of the original series but I wish they could added the american voice over in addtion and the monster was called heedorah as opposed to hedorah or the hedorah but the version was still excellent and i recomend it for all G fans but hopefully they make a smog monster version for the hard G fans
055 4 This movie is different to other G movies , as it is , despite what many people ( mostly teenagers , who aren't exactly known for researching things ) would tell you , the only G movie to be aimed at kids * . This is something the director was fired over , mainly because most of the intended audience were given something aimed at people considerably younger than themselves . This also resulted in a lower budget the following years , resulting in G vs Gigan and G vs Megalon relying on more stock footage than usual .
Anyway , this movie involves a pollution monster , Hedorah , who is mutating by absorbing more pollution . At first , many Hedorah's exist ina a tadpole-like form , but they join together to form a large quadruped creature . Although the creature's body is potentially fatal to humans , G is unaffected by direct contact with Hedorah during their battle , although acidic mud fired by Hedorah is capable of burning him . Furthermore , when G tries to punch Hedorah , his arm goes through Hedorah's body with no effect . . . [ more stuff happens after this , obviously , but to avoid spoiling the movie , I am only writing very the general idea of the first 30 minutes or so , and not mentioning anything that happens after that at all . )
Being aimed at a considerably lower aged audience than other G movies , there is considerably more corny stuff that happens in this than in other G movies ( although i'm not denying that other G movies have corny stuff in them , but they have a lot less than this ) . Despite that , the movie does have tension and the the fight scenes are at most times better than what happens in G vs Mecha G . Probably because Hedorah doesn't sit back firing away for almost the whole battle .
* - G movies , not counting this one , have never been aimed at kids . However , Gamera movies are aimed at kinds . While we're on the subject of Japanese TV censorship , despite what many teenages from America and some other countries would try to tell you , there has NEVER been an Amine show aimed at adults .
056 4 Great special effects , the best giant monster action and battles of any Big G movies and great quality ! This remains to this very day my favorite Godzilla movie which I was lured into buying by cool clips of the Big G duking it out with Hedorah the smog monster . Although SAVE THE EARTH kinda gets on my nerves I love this G movie ( which will be shown on the big screen at this year ` s Godzilla Fest ) and its story of Godzilla ` s ultimate final 35 minute battle with Hedorah !
057 4 This film is just plain hilarious . One trick to watching old Godzilla films is to have low expectations . Another is to just be in the mood for one and leave you believability at the door .
Godzilla vs Hedorah is a fun relativly fast paced epic with a lot of gratuitous pollution shots .
Pollution is on the rise in Japan and a monster ( possibly from some dead planet full of muck , the scientist postulates ) arrives in the ocean and begins wrecking fishing ships for no good reason . It is soon named Hedorah by a young poorly dubbed kid who almost worships Godzilla and even dreams about him .
Hedorah is made of teeny tiny tadpoles that join togather to make one big shape-shifting hulk of a creature that enjoys sucking on factory smokestacks ( like cigarettes ) . He flies or walks or oozes around pooping out clouds of acid and gooey toxic crud .
Godzilla appears and tries to defeat Hedorah . . . agian and agian and again , only to get burned ( literally ) . His atomic breath is useless and his punches go right through the stinky beast !
This film has it's odd moments to be sure : short cartoons , dream sequences , bad seventies songs , and a drug halucination ( a guy thinks everyone in the club he's drinking in has fish heads ! ) .
This is definatly a seventies film . Listen to the score and notice the direction style .
The best scene ( and argubly the most talked about in the film ) is the infamous shot of Godzilla flying after Hedorah ! I laughed and laughed at this one . It's very funny , and the music accompanying it ( this piece can be found on the Best of Godzilla Volume 1 CD ) made it even funnier !
parental warning : As funny as it was , a cautious parent may want to watch this film before letting his / her kid ( s ) watch . People are turned to skeletons or graphically burned by Hedorah's acidic exaust and Hedorah itself might be scary to really young children . Also Godzilla rips Hedorah's eyeballs out .
All in all , I was surprised at how much I like this film . The only thing I really hated was the dubbing of the little kid ( PAPAAAAAAA ! ! ! GODZILLAAAAAAA ! ! ! ) .
058 4 After being out of print for over a decade it's great this movie is once again available to own on home video . The quality is great , and Hedorah looks as horrible as ever ( meant in a complimentary way ) . There's a slight couple changes made to this version than in the Sci-Fi channel one , but nothing that distracts from the enjoyment of the film .
060 4 True , it was a little bit weirder than some of the other Godzilla films . But it does prove a point . It shows how deadly pollution is , and what would happen if one day , it turned into a deadly monster . But also it is considered a true Godzilla classic ! I loved every second of it ! The special effects were amazing ! The costumes were amazing ! And the plot is fresh ! Every Godzilla fan , like myself , should own a copy of this Japanese Classic Godzilla film ! ( Just as soon as they put it back up on the market . ) When it does come out , buy the video , and sit back , relax , and enjoy one of the best Godzilla films ever made !
062 4 When I saw this movie a long time ago , I was thrilled to see the star bigger and tougher than before . It even is a little better than some more recent ones I've seen . The clencher was when he literely gutted the monster with his bare hands , then proceeded to destroy the eggs . Anyone who reads these words need to help me to get this video out of the shelves and back into action.I can't wait until the 90 ' s version is available to see it with surround . C . Aguirre
066 4 Having seen this movie about four times , the way Godzilla faces his strangest foe has me wondering how he can defend the planet Earth against something that mutates in more ways than a snake shedding its skin , but Godzilla eventually finds a way to defeat Hedorah ( the Smog Monster's name ) and once he does , the Earth can thank Godzilla for decisively beating the smog monster , although he had some trouble at first .
067 4 Released in 1971 , this movie is quite innovative for a G flick , and it includes a 1960 ' s American twist . The eleventh entry in the series by Toho , it features Japanese hippies , a pop-music theme song , cartoon animation sequences , and multiple split-screne images . These make G vs . the Smog Monster ( also titled G vs . Hedorah ) one of the more interesting G movies . Godzilla reprises his role of savior of the Earth from the mid ' 60 ' s , a role he would play well until the end of the original series in 1975 . This movie also contains the first graphic shots of monster casualties since the first Godzilla movie . Godzilla vs . the Smog Monster also shows us that Big G can fly by using his atomic fire breath as propulsion . Although this is a monster movie , it carries with it the message that unchecked pollution can ruin the Earth . This is indeed the theme of the movie , which is definitely unusual for a G film . I give it five stars simply because it feels more like a 1960 ' s U.S . monster movie than a 1970 ' s Godzilla movie .
068 4 I loved this film as Godzilla Vs . The Smog Monster - the AIP cut of the film . Somehow it was freakier and more fun to watch . This version just seemed to straight to enjoy the cheesy joy . I hope that now that Sony own MGM which has AIP's vault , that they will include the American versions of these films .
I don't care if you think they were butchered - i enjoyed that cut of Godzilla meat .
069 4 Godzilla was great in this movie . He teaches us not to be so wastfull and not to polute our land . Because IT can turn on us and destroy the world . Godzilla teaches us to clean up and be kind to nature . When nature turns on the humans . I realy hope we are ready .
070 4 I love this movie ! ! ! its a must for all Godzilla lovers .
The G-Man comes back to defend Tokyo after a trash eating monster ( Hedorah ) comes and starts a relentless killing spree by spraying some kind of mud on its victimes , thus suffocating them . The usual bad dubbing makes this somewhat of a horror movie comical . Overall one of the best of the Godzilla's .
071 4 A meteor from space containing primordial soup from which life springs lands in polluted water and spawns a sludge-monster .
The original creator of Godzilla was in hospital while this film was being made and was less than impressed by what he saw on his release . Despite the fact that the Smog Monster is the first metaphorical creature since the creation of Godzilla , the film is pitched at kiddie level . There are extended scenes of pop concerts , some very silly cartoon sequences and a lengthy and wearisome climax . It's not at all helped by a feeble soundtrack which is constantly at odds with what's on-screen . And the Smog Monster ( Hedorah ) itself is one of the most unintentially hilarious film creatures I've seen for a long while - a blob of marzipan with eyes !
Better than Megalon or Gigan , but basically this film is just boring tripe . It's been made without care or interest and it shows .
072 4 Some effective scenes , and the idea of an embodyment of pollution is a great idea , though it's entirely wasted . The mutating Herodah is not one of Godzilla's feeblest enemies by a long shot , but what really lets this film down is dire special effects , plot padding , silly cartoon sequences and two almost identical final showdowns , one after the other .
073 4 because the films will have subtitles so you dont even need the dub unless you hate subtitles . but a fan of godzilla should love subtitles . also i love that this is widescreen and uncut . overall a great release .
074 4 If you grew up with the Godzilla series throughout the 60s and early 70s then you will not completely recognize this version of Godzilla vs . the Smog Monster . While not one of his greatest outings most Godzilla films released before Godzilla on Monster Island , a.k.a . Godzilla vs . Gigan , were dubbed in the United States , mostly by American International . From Gigan on the films were the International dubbings created by Toho and using extremely poor voice actors as well as silly dialogue ( as if the dialogue in a Godzilla film could get any worse ) . Fans of the Orian Video version of Smog Monster , which played on American TV for years , will be disappointed in the poor quality of the voice actors . While this may not be a major issue for fans post 1980 , older fans will sorely miss the original feel of this film .
075 4 The Special Effects for this movie are pretty bad but nothing so terrible you can't bare to watch it . Still Hedorah is one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen . I had to watch it a couple times before I finally really understood it . The hippies and all the 70 stuff really made the movie distracting especially the annoying Save the Earth song . Plus , the most disturbing moment in film history can be found here . Breaking just about every rule of physics , Godzilla actually flies . A bit on the totally weird side there LOL . Still as Banno wanted this movie is a bit dark at times . Let my point out one scene where Hedorah sprays a bunch of people and they die after being disformed and mutated . Then there are two scenes where it shows an innocent creature in Hedorha's path . First , Hedorah's sludge traps a kitten its its goo . The small animal is covered in Hedorah's poisenous sap and would probably and painfully die . Then there's another scene where is shows a small baby waist deep in Heodrah's slime crying for his mother . Of course , since the slime is poisenous the baby would die slowly just like the kitten . In other words , this movie could be looked at comicly but then when you finally really get it you start to see what Banno wanted you to see . At other times it shows garbage from dolls to grandfather clocks floating on the water with dead fish covered in garbage that people just threw away into Tokyo Bay . Once you get this movie you start to see what our Earth is coming to . SAVE THE EARTH ! ! !
078 4 Not a great God-Z flick but not the worst - however definately the most unusual of the old series . More like an art film or sixties acid / hippy flick . Lots of psychedelics going on here . My only real complaint about the film is the Hedorah / Smog Monster , it's far too goofy / fake looking . If they had of given him more eyes or one big eye or better yet eyes without pupils would have worked best and made him more other worldly ( he's not an animal he's a giant hunk of living polution ) . Also the monsters movements are REALLY terrible . Godzilla acts like a prize fighter ( ? ) or something strange and the little kid at one point even immitates his moves ! ? Which makes no sense at all as he has never acted like this before ! ? Not to mention the crazy flying scene . . . Although the film is strictly for kids it has a lot of hippy / adult themes about polution ( which are still relevent today ) and scenes of graphic violence - if they had of stayed serious and aimed it totaly at adult acid heads it would have worked better . And it needed more carnage ! Really thats the whole reason to watch these movies is for things to get blown up and there is very little . Also the music doesn't work in spots like when Godzilla shows up they have replaced the traditional God-Z theme with hippy guitar that falls completely flat . Over all its an enjoyable although some what long B-movie hippy Godzilla flick . The films MADE BETWEEN Destroy all monsters and Terror of Mechagodzilla represent the very worst godzilla films ever made , this is one them but it has a lot of unusual hippy camera work to keep it above the pack . Good for a laugh .
080 4 I am still trying to decide if the person who made the decision to translate Gojira tai Hedora as Godzilla vs . the Smog Monster was a total idiot or a genius . Certainly this is a title that stops and makes you take notice , but it is not exactly descriptive . Hedora spews forth poisonous gas rather than being made of smog ; after all it is hard to wear a suit and play a monster made out of smog . My first thoughts were that just as Godzilla ( with Haruo Nakajima in the rubber suit this time around ) was created by atomic explosions , Hedora ( Kenpachiro Satsuma ) would be created by pollution . But then someone in the film claims Hedora hails from a galaxy far , far away and comes here on a meteor , where he feeds on pollution . Take you pick ; two origins for the price of one . Hedora might even be an answer to one of humanity's growing problems except for the aforementioned poisonous gases he keeps emitting . Besides , Godzilla is already using his radioactive breath to burn away sludge in the water and none of the scientists seem particularly upset about this .
Godzilla vs . the Smog Monster is pure formula from Toho Studio , which means we have seen this before and done better ( although there is something to be said for the inherent silliness of a film like this ) . We have the small boy , Ken ( Hiroyuki Kawase ) , who loves Godzilla . We have the Japanese scientists all concerned with the ecological disasters afflicting their nation who are suddenly confronted with a monster that manifests their concerns . Godzilla shows up for a quick battle and easily dispatches Hedora , who licks his wounds , eats more garbage , and comes back stronger than ever . In fact , Hedora can now fly . If you think that is something , wait until you see Godzilla uses his radioactive breath to fly as well in the climatic battle sequence . As for the Japanese flower children taking their hallucinogenic drugs in this 1971 film , the less said about them , the better , although it does provide a clue as to the weird little bits of animation that pop up in this film .
This is probably the worst of the Godzilla films , which gives it an inherent appeal . Godzilla vs . the Smog Monster is exactly the tacky Japanese rubber suited monster movie that you want to make fun of from start to finish . It would be perfect in that regard if only the dubbing was off some more . Besides , Godzilla flies . Do you really want to go your entire life without seeing that particular bit of celluloid history ?
082 4 Pollution spawns a monster with incredible powers and that consumelys smoke and kills anyone who it flys over . Godzilla , naturally comes to mankind's rescue and the battle begins .
083 4 I generally like Japanese giant monster movies - - even if they're a bit on the corny side - - but this is the worst Godzilla movie I've ever seen . Basically , Godzilla and Hedora wrestle around for about half the movie - - funny at first but boring after a while .
Flying Godzilla is pretty corny - - kids might like it !
All in all - - a boring waste - - not very funny , not very dramatic , and not much science in the fiction . This movie would probably be better if it had about half an hour edited out of it - - though it's only about 85 minutes long anyway - - it's just too monotonous to maintain interest !
089 4 Actually this movie is very rare and its OOP i can see why
because this G flick is very horriable.For one where in hell
did the director go with this story and who wrote this ? Its
about some pollution monster name hedorah that pollutes the earth
and godzilla fights it to protect the earth.The only good thing
about this movie is the end monster action because it seems
in my point of view hedorah was actually beating up godzilla
not until the humans intefering with their project they were
using to defeat it.But over all i give this a two star because
this monster G flick was pretty bad but if you havent watch it
go ahead and watch and you may like it better then me.Im a huge
G fan and i was really disappointed in the movie as well the
director and producers .
090 4 Why is everyone giving this movie good reviews ? ! ! ! ! ! Whatching this was as bad as my four wheeler wreck . This movie is just stupid , and I can't even begin to explain how much I hate it . I love Godzilla , Baragon , Varan , Gorosaurus , Ebirah , Anzilla , Jet Jaguar , Rodan , Manda , and Titanosaurus , but I hate this movie ! Anyone who likes this movie does not have a brain .
