Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Fangoria
Director Norman England, who's works include "The iDol" and the upcoming throw-back alien invasion flick "INVASIA", has produced a wonderful new documentary entitled, "Bringing Godzilla Down To Size." The 68-minute documentary, which was penned by popular Japanese monster movie columnists, Ed Godziszewski and Steve Ryfle, is featured on today's Classic Media release of "War of the Gargantuas" and "Rodan." England was able to land several key interviews with some of the top names in Japanese monster films including, director Shusuke Kaneko; producer Shogo Tomiyama; actors Akira Takarada (pictured above with England), Hiroshi Koizumi and Yoshio Tsuchiya; monster-suit performers Haruo Nakajima, Kenpachiro Satsuma and Tsutomu “Tom” Kitagawa; FX creators Teruyoshi Nakano, Akira Tsuburaya, Shinichi Wakasa; and many others.
Originally England wasn't to keen on doing a Godzilla related documentary. “When I was approached to direct the film, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it or not,” he told Fangoria. “The history of Godzilla has been told in books, magazines and in other films enough that I didn’t think another movie on the subject was justifiable. Luckily, the producers/writers weren’t interested in this either, and instead wanted to make a documentary focusing on the miniature sets and art direction of the Godzilla series, which has been maligned by Western media and the ignorant for decades. I thought this was a fresh angle, and signed up as quickly as I could.”
"Bringing Godzilla Down To Size" focuses on Nakajima, Satsuma and Kitagawathe the actors who played some of Toho's greatest movie monsters and art director Yasuyuki Inoue. For this special documentary, England was able to do something no one else had ever done, bring all three of the men who wore the Godzilla suite together at the same time. "It was a high point of the production, as it was the first time for these three Godzilla actors to be in the same room. Together, their contribution to Godzilla spans 50 years. Following the interview, we went outdoors and I had them put on a performance demonstrating their various styles side by side. All the sculptors from Wakasa’s shop came out, and were flabbergasted by the sight of these three legends going at each other. I’m proud to say that this makes me the only director to have worked with all three of these men—a fact which, by my being American, might not please some of the more conservative Japanese Godzilla fans!”
England was also honored to spend two days with Yasuyuki Inoue to get the kind of up close and personal feel that the director believes is missing from most documentaries. “One of the things I dislike about documentaries is a lack of active narrative,” England explains. “Although we didn’t have a large budget, I made sure that we did things as visually stimulating as possible. Although retired, Inoue was kind enough to help with this goal by recreating a classic analog effect of a volcano erupting at sea. This is where my work as a reporter for Fango paid off. I’ve put in many long days on Godzilla sets covering the films for the magazine, and learned how the art staff prepares them—and, more importantly, how to interact with them when they’re working. So I was very much at home with Inoue and his men as they prepared, tested and executed the effect, and knew how to shoot them with out impeding their work."
Norman England has spent the better part of his life either writing about or working on Japanese monster films, so his unique perspective on the genre gives the director all the tools he needs to produce what undoubtedly will be remembered as one of the best monster movie related documentaries to ever be produced. It is certain that kaiju fans worldwide will be talking about this one for years to come.
See Also: Famous People Talk About Star Wars / Rodan And War Of The Gargantuas Coming To DVD Sept 9th! / The iDol Is Finally Getting The Attention It Deserves / The iDol (2006)
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