Godzilla Fest
Godzilla Fest is a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the 1954 release of the film Godzilla by Toho Studios in Tokyo. The giant monster, who attacked Japan after being awakened by hydrogen bomb testing, went on to become a global icon. Godzilla has starred in 38 films and has appeared in comic books, games, novelizations, advertisements, toys, and more. To celebrate, we'll have a double feature of classic monster at the 1954 start and, after a popcorn refill, rejoin the franchise at, perhaps, its campiest.
Godzilla (1954)
Directed by Ishiro Honda
With Akira Takarada, Momoko Kochi, Akihiko Hirata
Not Rated, 96 minutes, DCP
In Japanese with English subtitles
Godzilla (a.k.a. Gojira) is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It's also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama, made in Japan at a time when the country was reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing in the Pacific. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population's fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning almost thirty sequels.
Godzilla v. Hedorah (1971)
Directed by Yoshimitsu Banno
With Akira Yamauchi, Toshio Shiba, Hiroyuki Kawase
Not Rated, 85 minutes, DCP
In Japanese with English subtitles
Intended to address the crisis levels of pollution in postwar Japan, Godzilla vs. Hedorah finds the King of the Monsters fighting an alien life form that arrives on Earth and steadily grows by feeding on industrial waste. Director Yoshimitsu Banno infuses the film with equal parts ecological horror, humorous monster antics, and sixties psychedelia straight out of San Francisco, making for a truly unique--and divisive--entry in the series.
Godzilla Fest is a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the 1954 release of the film Godzilla by Toho Studios in Tokyo. The giant monster, who attacked Japan after being awakened by hydrogen bomb testing, went on to become a global icon. Godzilla has starred in 38 films and has appeared in comic books, games, novelizations, advertisements, toys, and more. To celebrate, we'll have a double feature of classic monster at the 1954 start and, after a popcorn refill, rejoin the franchise at, perhaps, its campiest.
Godzilla (1954)
Directed by Ishiro Honda
With Akira Takarada, Momoko Kochi, Akihiko Hirata
Not Rated, 96 minutes, DCP
In Japanese with English subtitles
Godzilla (a.k.a. Gojira) is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It's also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama, made in Japan at a time when the country was reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing in the Pacific. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population's fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning almost thirty sequels.
Godzilla v. Hedorah (1971)
Directed by Yoshimitsu Banno
With Akira Yamauchi, Toshio Shiba, Hiroyuki Kawase
Not Rated, 85 minutes, DCP
In Japanese with English subtitles
Intended to address the crisis levels of pollution in postwar Japan, Godzilla vs. Hedorah finds the King of the Monsters fighting an alien life form that arrives on Earth and steadily grows by feeding on industrial waste. Director Yoshimitsu Banno infuses the film with equal parts ecological horror, humorous monster antics, and sixties psychedelia straight out of San Francisco, making for a truly unique--and divisive--entry in the series.
Co-sponsored by the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, the St. Joseph County Public Library.
Event Dates
Friday, September 13, 2024 - 7:00 PM
