Jonathan Bellés Discusses Godzilla & Hiroshima Documentary on Spanish Television

Producer/director Jonathan Bellés discusses his documentary on Godzilla and Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga on Spanish television.

  Entrevista a Jonathan Bellés en TV CS from Producciones 451 on Vimeo.

Jonathan Bellés Discusses Godzilla Documentary At 2nd Cultural Cycle Japan In Spain

by Armand Vaquer

On November 24, producer/director Jonathan Bellés gave a presentation on "Godzilla and Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga" in Valencia, Spain. Posted below, is the video of his presentation.

Here is the description of the video in Spanish:

Dentro de las actividades del 2º Ciclo Cultural de Japón en Valencia, en el Centro Cultural La Petxina, Jonathan Bellés ofrece una conferencia sobre su documental "Godzilla & Hiroshima: Los Albores del Kaiju Eiga", además de responder a las preguntas del público asistente.

And, a rough translation:

Among the activities of the 2nd Cultural Cycle Japan in Valencia, at La Petxina Cultural Center, Jonathan Bellés gives a lecture on his documentary "Godzilla & Hiroshima: The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga" plus answer questions from the audience. 

Note: Jonathan Bellés discusses a "certain travel guide" 42 minutes into the video.

Here's a still from the presentation:

Above, Jonathan Bellés discusses his upcoming documentary.  Photo courtesy of Jonathan Bellés.

Today the Month of Monsters takes a relaxing train ride with Rasputin and Sasquatch ...

This film has the Orient Express, The Yeti, Zombies, Alien Possessions, Rasputin, Count Dooku, Grand Moff Tarkin, Kojak, and a big train wreck, what more could you ask for? - MIN

Horror Express was a Spanish production directed by Eugenio Martin. It was filmed in Madrid in the years 1971-1972, a low budget film ($300,000) with the luxury of having three familiar genre actors in the lead: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Telly Savalas. The film was co-produced by American filmwriter/producer Bernard Gordon, who had collaborated with Martin on the 1972 film Pancho Villa (which also featured Savalas in the title role). The filmmakers used both the miniature train and interior train set from Pancho Villa for Horror Express. The challenge was that they only had one set to be used as an interior train car. All of the scenes for each train car had to be shot at once, then the set would be rebuilt as the next car.

Securing Lee and Cushing was a coup for producer Gordon, since it lent a certain atmosphere reminiscent of Hammer Films, many of which starred both of the actors. However, when Cushing arrived in Madrid to begin work on the picture, he was still distraught over the recent death of his beloved wife, and announced to Gordon that he could not do the movie. With Gordon desperate over the idea of losing one of his important stars, Lee stepped in and put Cushing at ease simply by talking to him about some of their previous work together. Cushing changed his mind and stayed on.

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A Word With "Godzilla & Hiroshima" Producer/Director Jonathan Bellés

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Jonathan Bellés.

My grandfather (on my dad's side) came from the island of Mallorca (Majorca), Spain. Spain is also where Godzilla & Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga producer and director Jonathan Bellés comes from.

Specifically, he was born in Castellón, which is on the Spanish mainland near the island of Mallorca.

Now Bellés is based in Valencia, Spain where his production company, Producciones 451 is headquartered.

I asked him if there are many kaiju fans in Spain and he says there are. "In Spain, there many kaiju fans. In fact, I am the co-founder of the website www.godzillaencastellano.com.  It was founded in February 2003," he says.

Many people remembered the 50th anniversary of Godzilla events in Hollywood back in 2004. Fans in Spain also commemorated the anniversary in 2004.

"In 2004, Angel Sala, the Catalonian director of The International Fantasy Film Festival (in Sitges, Barcelona), screened several Godzilla movies because of 50th anniversary of Godzilla," said Bellés.

On the Godzilla documentary, Bellés said that it will also include Gamera, Ultraman and other monsters in the genre.  Financing for the documentary is limited as it is a doctoral project for him.

He plans to travel to Japan, United States and elsewhere to interview actors, producers, critics and others for the documentary.

In Japan, besides interviewing, he plans to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Lucky Dragon No. 5 exhibit in Tokyo. "I want to travel to Hiroshima to visit the Peace Memorial Museum mainly. I will visit the Lucky Dragon No. 5 also," said Bellés.

He hopes to have Godzilla & Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga completed and released by summer 2014.

"Godzilla & Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga" In Production

by Armand Vaquer

Above, the a-bomb mushroom cloud over Hiroshima.

A new Godzilla documentary is currently in production in Spain.

The documentary, Godzilla & Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga is being produced and directed by Jonathan Bellés. The production years are 2013-2014 with a release in Summer 2014. The planned running time is 90 minutes.

Film historians, critics and others from Spain, France, Belgium, United States, Canada and Japan will be interviewed for the documentary, which will take a look at the influence and connection between the daikaiju eiga genre and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nakasaki.

The website for the documentary is here.

 Here's the teaser trailer for the documentary:

 

Mysterious 13-foot sea creature washes up on beach in Spain, baffles experts

‘We have no idea what it can be, but it smelled bad,’ said Spanish official. Some experts who have seen photos believe it to be the remains of a shark.

The ocean is filled with mysteries, and one of them has washed up on a beach in Spain.

An unidentified creature discovered on the coast near Villaricos has experts scratching their heads — and holding their noses.

“We have no idea what it can be, but it smelled bad, because it was so badly decomposed,” Civil Protection coordinator María Sánchez told the local media.

Experts with the Program in Defense of Marine Animals are “trying to find out what it could be,” she added.

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