Monster Island News: King Kong vs Godzilla

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King Kong vs Godzilla (1962) - Classic Monster Showdown | Toho | Retro Cinema Rewind

Written By Ken Hulsey

The 1933 American classic "King Kong" had a profound influence on Asian filmmakers. As soon as the iconic monster movie hit the scene, Japanese studios began producing their own "Kong" adaptations, like "Wasei Kingu Kongu" and "Edo Ni Arawarita Kingu Kongu," both featuring actors in gorilla costumes. The film also left a lasting impact on two legends of Japanese cinema - director Ishiro Honda and special effects pioneer Eiji Tsuburaya. Years later, this duo combined their talents to create the cinematic monster icon "Gojira" (Godzilla). For Tsuburaya in particular, "King Kong" held a special place, as the young cameraman studied the film frame-by-frame to learn how its groundbreaking visual effects were achieved. This hands-on analysis would inspire Tsuburaya's own storied career in movie magic.

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King Kong And Godzilla Set To Rumble Down Under

From Business News Australia

The Sydney Roosters vs Melbourne Storm. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor. Both formidable matchups. But Godzilla vs King Kong? Now that's something to put bets down on.

Related: The Monster Times #23 Godzilla King of the Monsters June 1973 Monster Times Publishing Grade NM

Australians are in for a treat now that the producers behind two major film and TV productions are going to be filmed on the Gold Coast, and one is of completely epic proportions.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed this morning that Godzilla vs. Kong and TV series Reef Break have been attracted to the bourgeoning Queensland film sector.

Big both in size and in economic potential, the state's Premier says Godzilla vs. Kong will be the biggest movie to be filmed in Queensland in a while.

"Godzilla vs. Kong is the biggest blockbuster that we have seen for a long time which will be filmed on the Gold Coast," says the Premier.

Starring Stranger Things breakout actress Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla vs. Kong is expected to be released in 2020.

Filming of the massive monster movie will commence immediately once the currently in production Dora the Explorer movie is completed.

The Premier also said that Disney's ABC Studios International will be filming television series Reef Break, starring Australian actress Poppy Montgomery, in the state's South East.

Both productions are expected to create more than 1,000 jobs for cast, crew, and extras.

The recently introduced location tax offset for international productions is said to be what is attracting these blockbusters to our shores.

"When I met with Legendary Pictures executives about Godzilla vs. Kong in Los Angeles in June, I mentioned our world-class facilities, talent and expertise we have in Queensland and they made specific mention of how the Dora offset deal dealhas provided certainty for production houses," says The Premier.

"Increasing the offset from 16.5 to 30 per cent nationally finally makes Australia world-competitive when it comes to luring international movie-makers to film their blockbusters and there's no better place than in Queensland."

"We want to see a permanent film industry created here with permanent jobs for the thousands of talented local crew and production staff and to keep providing a boost to our economy."

Queensland has been a hotbed of activity over the last few years in terms of spitting out some blockbuster films. In addition to Dora the Exporer, producers have selected Queensland as the place to make hits like Aquaman, Kong: Skull Island, Thor: Ragnarok, and Pacific Rim: Uprising.

Godzilla vs Kong Turns To Zack Fox For VFX Supervisor

From Screen Rant

While Godzilla vs. Kong is still a few years away, the pre-production continues to move forward as the film has recruited the VFX supervisor from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Godzilla vs. Kong will pit the two giant beasts against each other in 2020 to see who is the true king of the monsters.

After the success of Gareth Edward's Godzilla in 2014, it was announced that Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment would be coming together in order to build a shared universe called MonsterVerse. Among the most exciting of these future films was the film simply titled Godzilla vs. Kong, since it would see two legendary and unstoppable monsters battling it out to see who was top monster. The film was announced back in 2015, before fans had the tease of the future monster universe at the end of Kong: Skull Island. With as many monsters that are expected to be in the upcoming film, the visual effects department for Godzilla vs. Kong is going to have a daunting task ahead of them.

GWW reports that Zack Fox has been added on to Godzilla vs. Kong as the visual effects supervisor, though it's possible he's been hired as a VFX coordinator instead, based on an IMDb listing. Fox has previously worked on films like Christopher Robin and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which both required a huge amount of visual effects to be added in post-production. Fox has been working in the visual effects field since 2004, when he worked as a visual effects production assistant on Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.

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King Kong vs Godzilla - It's a peculiar kind of humor, but it does play.

The Hollywood Reporter has republished their review for "King Kong vs Godzilla" by James Powers, originally published on June 6, 1963:

A funny monster picture? That's what Universal has in King Kong vs. Godzilla, a Japanese-made Toho production.

There are all the usual special effects characteristic of these films. The difference is that this one spoofs the whole cycle. Audiences which patronize this kind of picture will eat it up. It should be a big success via the multiple-booking, exploitation route.

Since the film was re-edited and some additional scenes made for the English-language edition, credits are mixed. John Beck produced the American version, and Thomas Montgomery directed it, after the Japanese original by Inoshiro Honda. Paul Mason and Bruce Howard did the English-language screenplay. Dubbing is good.

The plot simply is a device for getting the two celebrated monsters, King Kong and Godzilla, into conflict. They meet in Japan. Human efforts to divert or disable them having failed, a plan is devised for getting them together, on the theory they will knock each other off.

In a scene reminiscent of two gigantic TV wrestlers grappling for holds, the prehistoric beasts grunt, puff and ham it up for all the world like Gorgeous George and Man Mountain Dean. It's a peculiar kind of humor, but it does play.

Eiji Tsuburaya did the special effects, which are meticulous, as they always are in Japanese films of this sort. The cast is largely Japanese, with some American actors interpolated in scenes shot in this country.

Color is good, and other technical credits are also satisfactory.

King Kong vs Godzilla: The Epic Battle Begins This Fall

From We Got This Covered

It’s the question that has fueled debate for generations. Which cinematic monstrosity would win in a fight: King Kong? Or Godzilla, King of the Monsters?

Thanks to the release of Gareth Edwards’ 2014 reboot, it’s fair to say that many movie fans would place their bets on Gojira, given the Godzilla inhabiting Legendary’s MonsterVerse stands at a mighty 350 feet tall. Kong, by comparison, is only 100 feet in height by the time he’s introduced via Skull Island, though writer-director Adam Wingard has been quick to downplay any concern over the apparent size difference. And for good reason, too, considering he’s been placed in control of the forthcoming crossover, Godzilla Vs. Kong.

Dubbed a “massive monster movie brawl” of epic proportions by Wingard himself, we’re now learning from Omega Underground that things are gearing up to head into production, with the pic expected to shoot this fall in Atlanta, Georgia, with a wrap date set for February 2019. That would put it on the right track to crash into theaters in May of 2020, with more than enough time for the director and his team to finish up what’s sure to be a huge amount of visual effects work.

As for what to expect from the spinoff, well, other than a colossal clash of the titans, we’re not too sure just yet, though Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts did tease a while back that Godzilla vs. Kong will retain the same sensibilities as his film, saying:

Talking to Adam made me so happy because he, in particular, really understands the kind of anime, manga, mech sensibility that I was trying to bring to Kong. He gets that and that was something that I fought so hard for and was so difficult to sort of realize to life through concept to execution with ILM [Industrial Light and Magic.]

That’s one of the things I’m most proud of with him. I think he truly gets that and he truly wants to lean into this version of Kong that kind of was borne from my crazy and stupid video game brain.

If Skull Island introduced us to the place where myth and science meet, and King of the Monsters is poised to welcome Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah into the fray, then Godzilla Vs. Kong will deliver a monster mash-up for the ages. It’s currently booked in for release in May of 2020, and there have also been rumblings that Lionsgate and Warner Bros. will work to extend their MonsterVerse far into the future.

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The Future of Monster Movies Looks A Lot Like Its Past

From Movie Cheat Sheet

The film industry has been churning out creature features for as long as its been around. There’s something about a monster tearing through downtown Manhattan that packs people into theaters, transcending decades and generations. The filmgoers of 1933’s King Kong got the same pleasure from that movie as the people who caught Pacific Rim on opening weekend, with the only difference being the massive leaps in CGI and special effects. There’s a visceral appeal to seeing humanity’s pride get toppled by that rare creature above us on the food chain, and in a nutshell, that is what we get out of the genre.

See Also: Monster Zero - Godzilla, Rodan, King Ghidorah - Retro Style Lobby Card Print

What’s perhaps most interesting about all this is the fact that amidst all the growth and change of Hollywood, monster movies have largely remained the same spanning a 50 plus year tradition. The story behind the original King Kong: Humanity’s own hubris leads to their downfall at the hands of a monster they can neither control nor understand. Every installment in both the Japanese and American Godzilla films paints a similar picture, as well as just about every modern monster flick we’ve seen over the last decade.

Nowhere is this most evident than with the plans Warner currently has for the King Kong and Godzilla franchises. We’ve talked briefly in the past about the plans for the former, but since then, an even more ambitious undertaking has been proposed. Yes, King Kong: Skull Island is still happening, acting as the prequel for our favorite giant ape. Meanwhile Godzilla is getting a sequel, following a successful reboot effort that made over half a billion dollars. All this will culminate in the massive King Kong vs. Godzilla, acting as a sort of Avengers equivalent for movie monsters.

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King Kong On Move To Warner Bros, Presaging Godzilla Monster Matchup

From Yahoo! Movies

Written By: Mike Fleming Jr

In a movie move that portends a clash of giant monsters, Legendary Pictures’ Thomas Tull is moving his untitled Skull Island King Kong film to Warner Bros. This is being done to unite the property with Legendary’s other giant franchise, Godzilla. In what would be a pretty epic pairing, the Godzilla sequel that is in the works will be followed by a movie that pits the giant ape versus the giant fire breathing reptile. I’m told this is happening very quickly with moves going all the way to Japan, where Godzilla rights holder Toho is based. Legendary, which moved from Warner Bros to Universal, had developed the Skull Island film at the latter studio. It is unclear at the moment what Universal’s position will be, but I heard the studio move is being done because it is just easier to have all the pieces under one roof, something that Marvel Studios has done with superheroes like The Hulk. King Kong is in the public domain, while Legendary got the Godzilla rights from Toho.

See Also: Monster Zero - Godzilla, Rodan, King Ghidorah - Retro Style Lobby Card Print

The Kong: Skull Island film is casting quickly. Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston and Corey Hawkins are set and last I wrote about it, Samuel L. Jackson was in line to star, with Tom Wilkinson also offered a big role and John C. Reilly atop the list for another main role. Jordan Vogt-Roberts is directing a script by John Gatins and Max Borenstein, and they are eyeing a production start of late year or early 2016. Universal had been set to release the film March 10, 2017, with a Imax 3D a big part of the release plan. Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni produce with Mary Parent, with Alex Garcia and Eric McLeod exec producing. I’ll let you know how this one sorts itself, but I hear it’s happening.

Godzilla From King Kong vs. Godzilla Toho 12-Inch Vinyl Figure

Godzilla King Kong vs. Godzilla Toho 12-Inch Vinyl Figure

Price: $149.99 - Order Here

Who wins - Godzilla or King Kong?
Emulating his appearance in the movie King Kong vs. Godzilla.
12-inch vinyl figure features Godzilla's face, bulkiness, and coarse texture from the film.

Can Godzilla win? Emulating his appearance in the movie King Kong vs. Godzilla, this Godzilla King Kong vs. Godzilla Toho 12-Inch Vinyl Figure stands 12-inches tall and is slightly wider than other Godzillas, faithfully reproducing his unique reptile face, bulkiness, and coarse texture from the film.

In the King Kong vs. Godzilla movie, Godzilla fights world-famous monster King Kong in Japan.

Size: 12-inches tall

"King Kong vs. Godzilla" On Toho Video Blu-ray

CD Japan is releasing the 60th anniversary edition of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) Blu-ray on July 16. The item's description:

Sixtieth anniversary release of tokusatsu series "Godzilla." 16 titles are released as Blu-ray format. Comes with an anniversary logo sticker. This edition features a film "King Kong Tai Godzilla."

Special Feature / Bonus Track: teaser, trailer, 10-sheet poster, stills, audio commentary

The price is ¥4700 (U.S. $46.14). Along with King Kong vs. Godzilla, CD Japan will be releasing other Godzilla movies on Blu-ray on July 16. Each are 60th anniversary Toho Video editions. They are: Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla x Mecha Godzilla, Godzilla 2000 Millennium, Son of Godzilla, Godzilla x Mothra x Mecha Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Godzilla vs. Mothra, Terror of Mechagodzilla, Mothra vs. Godzilla and Destroy All Monsters.

Each are ¥4700 ($46.14).

For details on King Kong vs. Godzilla, go here.

Godzilla: King Kong vs. Godzilla Toho 12-Inch Vinyl Figure

King Kong vs. Godzilla Toho 12-Inch Vinyl Figure

$149.99 - Entertainment Earth

Who wins - Godzilla or King Kong?
Emulating his appearance in the movie King Kong vs. Godzilla.
12-inch vinyl figure features Godzilla's face, bulkiness, and coarse texture from the film.

Emulating his appearance in the movie King Kong vs. Godzilla, this Godzilla King Kong vs. Godzilla Toho 12-Inch Vinyl Figure stands 12-inches tall and is slightly wider than other Godzillas, faithfully reproducing his unique reptile face, bulkiness, and coarse texture from the film.

In the King Kong vs. Godzilla movie, Godzilla fights world-famous monster King Kong in Japan.

"King Kong vs. Godzilla" and "King Kong Escapes" On Blu-ray April 1

by Armand Vaquer

Above, King Kong vs. Godzilla. Photo by Toho Co., Ltd.

Blu-ray.com is reporting that King Kong vs. Godzilla and King Kong Escapes will be released on Blu-ray disc on April 1 by Universal Pictures.

It appears that both will be "bare-bones" discs and will only contain the U.S. releases. No price information has been provided.

The U.S. version of King Kong vs. Godzilla was the first Godzilla movie I saw in a theater when it was first released back in June 1963.

As I have both movies on DVD, I will probably pass on these, but if either are not already in your video library, you many want to pick them up.

Godzilla: the legendary monster's greatest movies

From Yahoo!

COMMENT | As the latest take on 'Godzilla' comes stomping portentously in our direction, we cast an eye back over some of the highlights of the long-running monster movie series.

Despite how universally known and loved Toho's King of the Monsters is, it can be a challenge for UK-based viewers nowadays to get to know him. Not only is he in so very many movies - Gareth Edwards' 2014 film will be the 30th - but they can also prove tricky to come by, as the vast majority of them are not widely available on Region 2 DVD.

But, if you're either a Godzilla novice or a one-time fan looking to get re- acquainted, and you've got the time and money to spare (plus a region-free DVD player) - here, to this writer's mind, are the true essentials that'll really give you a sense of what the Big G is all about.

Oh, and in case this doesn't go without saying, the 1998 Hollywood production from Roland Emmerich most definitely does not belong on this list. (I don't think it's quite as bad as some claim, but it's a half-baked 'Jurassic Park' wannabe, not a 'Godzilla' movie.)

Gojira (1954)

There is, of course, no better place to start than the very beginning - and it's sure to be the best warm-up for the new movie, which has promised from the get-go to return to the genuine menace and horror of the original. A far more sinister outing than those that followed, Ishiro Honda's 'Gojira' is more than a monster movie - it's one of the true classics of Japanese cinema, and a stark comment on the plight of Japan in the aftermath of World War II.

Be sure to track down the original 'Gojira,' as opposed to 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters,' the re-edited version designed for US audiences with additional scenes starring Raymond Burr.

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

This is arguably where what we now think of as the classic monster movie format came into being. While Godzilla had battled another monster, Anguirus, in first sequel 'Godzilla Raids Again' (1955), it was 'King Kong vs. Godzilla' that first saw two equally huge, equally iconic monsters duke it out - in full colour, no less.

Henceforth, the series moved from something genuinely grim and menacing to a more cartoonish, kid-friendly spectacle.

Invasion of Astro-Monster AKA Monster Zero (1965)

And here was where the series sky-rocketed into childish fantasy nirvana. The once terrifying big G is now established as Earth's protector, and along with the winged wonder Rodan he is transported via flying saucer to Planet X, to do battle for the second time with arguably the most iconic of his adversaries - the three-headed dragon King Ghidorah.

It's undeniably fun, even if it is among the silliest of the series; look out for Godzilla's now-infamous 'happy moment' dance.

Destroy All Monsters (1968)

45 years before 'The Avengers' showed up, Toho showed the world how a super-powered cross-franchise showdown was done, bringing together all their monsters for a mighty showdown which was initially intended to end the series. As well as being a major fan favourite, this entry is sadly one of the trickiest to get these days, with copies changing hands for upwards of £60.

It may be of even greater interest soon, however - as Gareth Edwards has hinted that, should he get to make a sequel to this year's 'Godzilla,' 'Destroy All Monsters' may be a key influence.

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

Really, take any movie which sets Godzilla against Ghidorah and you can't go too far wrong. The 80s and 90s productions saw the monsters given a more fearsome redesign, and boasted more spectacular man-in-suit brawls. The time-hopping sci-fi narrative is as bonkers as usual, but it's worth it just to see a seemingly defeated Ghidorah come back for round two with a cyborg head.

This can be found in a two-film Region 1 DVD set with 1992's 'Godzilla and Mothra: the Battle for Earth,' which is also well worth watching.

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

The title alone is among the best the series ever came up with, and as it might imply this is one of the very best for sheer monster-on-monster action. It might also prove a good one to watch before the new Hollywood movie, as - for once - it makes Godzilla the bad guy again.

In so doing, it takes the unusual step of turning the generally villainous Ghildorah into a goodie, sent to save the world from the Big G along with Mothra (as well as smaller monster Baragon, who wasn't given credit in the title, poor thing).

Ken's Opinion - Wow! What a great list. I agree 100% ... wait ... "Godzilla vs King Ghidorah"? Okay, that one gives me a headache. Try "Godzilla vs The Thing" or "Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla".

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Tsuburaya Productions Celebrates 50th Anniversary

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Eiji Tsuburaya during the filming of "King Kong vs. Godzilla." Photo: Toho Co., Ltd.

The production company that Japanese special effects pioneer Eiji Tsuburaya founded is celebrating a milestone.

An exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Tsuburaya Productions is opening Thursday in Yokohama.

According to the Asahi Shimbun:

An exhibition devoted to Ultra superheroes and live-action “tokusatsu” special effects will be held in Yokohama to mark the 50th anniversary of Tsuburaya Productions Co.

The event, from Dec. 12 to Feb. 16 at the Broadcast Library, will look at the history of the nation’s leading special effects studio, best known for the live-action “Ultraman” gigantic superhero shows and movies.

Visitors will be greeted at the entrance by a statue of Ultraman Mebius and photographs of about 30 Ultra heroes and 50 “kaiju” monsters from the franchise.

To read the full article, go here.

The Ten Best Giant Ape Movies

Though he may have been but an animated model given life through primitive special effects, King Kong, with his doomed loved for the beautiful blonde, has become one of the most beloved of all movie characters, revived in remakes, sequels and knock-offs. But Kong wasn’t the only massive simian to grace the silver screen. Here’s a look at the ten best giant ape movies.

HONORABLE MENTION: A*P*E

The ad campaign for the 1976 Korean film A*P*E warned “Not to be confused with KING KONG”. A captive giant ape, after escapes from a freighter and sets his destructive sights on Seoul, Korea where he falls for an American actress (Joanna Kerns ) filming a movie there. A*P*E was originally filmed in 3-D so there are countless shots of a man in a moth-eaten ape suit throwing Styrofoam boulders at the camera. He also engages in a pitiful skirmish with an obviously dead shark, flips to the bird to his attackers, and in one scene, sports high-top tennis shoes. The same stock destruction footage is repeated in A*P*E, one of the most dismal, if unintentionally funny monster movies of all.

10. KING KONG LIVES

Dino De Laurentiis waited ten years to produce a sequel to his poorly received but modestly successful King Kong remake and brought back director John Guillermin to helm King Kong Lives in 1986. The Jarvik Heart, a medical device making headlines at the time, became the springboard for the story which took place just after Kong’s fall from the World trade Center. He needs a blood transfusion to prevent his body from rejecting his mechanical ticker so a busty Lady Kong is transported from Skull Island to donate. The big guy falls hard for her and the hairy pair bound off into the mountains to make a Kong baby a team of hunters on their tail. The unbelievably goofy premise is played absolutely straight in King Kong Lives. Highlights include an absurd heart-transplant scene (by a team of doctors lead by Linda Hamilton) featuring surgical tools the size of trucks, and a battle with a pair of floppy rubber alligators. This sequel nobody asked for to the remake nobody liked was less offensive, faster-paced, and more fun than its predecessor.

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LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE!

The Two Mightiest Monsters Of All Time!

The most colossal conflict the screen has ever known!

The Battle of the Century!!

Now an all-mighty all-new motion picture brings them together for the first time in the colossal class of all time!

Mighty King Kong! Mighty Godzilla!

What is all the hoopla? Well both King Kong and Godzilla have reached the filnals of the San Jose News' "Monster Mash" which pitted monster against monster in a bracket competion similar to the NCAA basketball championship. Fans got their chance to vote for their favorites and now only Kong and Big G are left standing!

Now way back in 1962 Toho pitted these two titans against each other in the film "King Kong vs Godzilla". That time Kong came out on top. Back in 2010 we here at MIN came up with our own "Top 100" list based on fan input and Godzilla came out on top. Frankenstein (aka The Monster) took the silver and Kong the bronze.

The victor this time is in your hands! Godzilla the king of the monsters or Kong the eighth wonder of the world? You decide!

VOTE NOW!

Fears of A Mount Fuji Eruption Rises In Japan

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Mount Fuji peeks above the cloud cover. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was the site where King Kong and Godzilla began their epic battle. It was also the location where all of Earth's monsters battled the space monster King Ghidorah. (These are covered on page 37 of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.)

The biggest symbol of Japan is Mount Fuji and hundreds of people scale its slopes to view spectacular sunrises annually.

All that may change if Japan's worse fears about Mount Fuji come to pass: an eruption. Mount Fuji last erupted in December 1707.

The Japan Times posted an article on fears that the 3/11/11 earthquake may re-awaken the sleeping peak:

The Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima nuclear crisis were unparalled disasters, but people in and around Shizuoka Prefecture fear the ultimate catastrophe — the eruption of Mount Fuji — may be looming.

"If Mount Fuji were to erupt, the consequences will be felt in the Kanto region and beyond," Hideo Ogawa, head of Shizuoka Prefecture's disaster management department, said during a meeting held by the Cabinet Office in June on the possibility of such calamity. "This is an issue that requires surrounding prefectures to collaborate and take prompt measures."

The meeting, attended by approximately 60 organizations, including government bodies as well as officials from Shizuoka, Kanagawa and Yamanashi prefectures, concluded that studies on possible evacuation routes in the surrounding area should start in January.

Measures to evacuate residents as well as tourists out of the region should also be prepared, they said, with an eye at holding a large-scale evacuation drill in 2014.

To read the full article, go here.

Loathing "King Kong vs. Godzilla"?

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Godzilla and King Kong go after each other while demolishing Atami Castle in the process.

Over at the Classic Horror Film Board (CHFB), there is currently a topic in the Japanese Giants section titled, "Was KING KONG VS GODZILLA especially loathed in monster fandom?"

One thing about G-fans (or fanatics of any genre), there's always disagreements (some heatedly) amongst them. The subject of King Kong vs. Godzilla is one of those that brings up the passion level.

King Kong vs. Godzilla was released in the U.S. by Universal Pictures in June 1963. It as a heavily-edited version that inserted American actors to "help" with the narrative. Unfortunately, those edited-in scenes actually marred the movie. The original Japanese version plays out better as the satire it was intended to be.

I first saw King Kong vs. Godzilla at the Balboa Theater in Los Angeles in the Manchester-Vermont shopping area with my parents and friends. We sat in the balcony (photo left). I was nine-years-old at the time. It was paired with John Wayne's Donovan's Reef. (This was the subject of my first G-FAN article, by the way.)

While my parents and us kids laughed at the mangy King Kong suit, we were still greatly entertained by the movie. It was my first Godzilla movie to be seen on the big screen.

The premise of the thread, "Was KING KONG VS GODZILLA especially loathed in monster fandom?" really doesn't have any legs as there was no "fandom" back in 1963. Maybe a few monster elites didn't much care for it (Forrest J. Ackerman was one, so maybe that's why he came up with the phony "two-endings" tale), but to younger teens and pre-teens (and some adults), King Kong vs. Godzilla was good, mindless entertainment. If anyone "loathes" the movie, it is mainly by revisionist fans of today. King Kong vs. Godzilla still remains the boxoffice champ (by number of tickets sold) of all the Toho-produced Godzilla movies.

As an adult, I still find it fun and entertaining, but I now prefer the Japanese version.

A few side notes:

Back in 1972, I was perusing the now-defunct Los Angeles Herald-Examiner's sports section and on page two, there was a doctored photo of King Kong and Godzilla in a boxing ring wearing boxing gloves. It was to hype KABC-TV Channel 7's airing of the movie. That got me wanting to see it again.

Some of the locations in King Kong vs. Godzilla are covered in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. They include Atami Castle, Diet Building, Mt. Fuji and Ginza (interestingly, the overhead tracking shots of Ginza are only in the American version).

The Balboa Theater still stands, but it had been converted into a mosque and is now up for sale. The theater opened in April 1926. It was once part of the Fox-West Coast Theater chain.

Wako Dept. Store Spotlight

Above, the Wako Dept. Store in November 2001. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

by Armand Vaquer

The Wako Department Store building in the Ginza district of Tokyo is one of the most iconic locations used in Godzilla movies.

It first appeared in Godzilla (1954) when Godzilla (above), during his nighttime rampage through Tokyo, is angered by the gonging clock on top of the building. Godzilla then proceeds to demolish the clock along with the rest of the building.

Later, the Wako Dept. Store building appears in the U.S. version of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) via inserted stock footage.

Once again, the building appears in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) during the exploding Godzilla scenario sequence.

Above, the Wako Dept. Store in December 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

According to Wikipedia:

From 1894 to 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower stood on the site that Wako occupies today. In 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower was demolished to rebuild a new one. The reconstruction was delayed due to the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923. The new tower was completed in 1932 as the K. Hattori Building. In homage to its predecessor, the new store was also fitted with a clock.

Its 1932 Neo-Renaissance style building, designed by Jin Watanabe, with its curved granite façade, is the central landmark for the district and one of the few buildings in the area left standing after World War II. The building functioned as the Tokyo PX store during the Allied Occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1952. The clock tower plays the famous Westminster Chimes.

Above, the Wako Dept. Store clock in December 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There are photographs of the Wako Dept. Store standing almost untouched while the rest of Ginza is in rubble due to Allied bombing raids. It is not too difficult to locate them on the Internet.

During my recent trip to Japan, the building was adorned in Christmas lighting (above).

The Wako Dept. Store is one of the must-see locations for G-fans visiting Japan. The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan covers the Wako Dept. Store building.