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« "Novice" Protestor Just Happens To Be ANSWER Member And Anti-War Organizer Since the 1970's | Main | Weekend Geek Confession »
September 24, 2005

Godzilla on Lazy Journalist Island

From Yahoo news

(Kyodo) _ Sadamasa Arikawa, a special effects director known for such works as the original "Godzilla" film and the TV series "Ultraman," died of lung cancer Thursday at a hospital in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, his family said Friday. He was 80.

Arikawa, a native of Tokyo, made his debut as a special effects director in "Godzilla" that premiered in Japanese theaters in 1954 before working on many other Toho Studios movies.

He later helped produce the popular Japanese TV series "Ultraman" in the 1970s and early 1980s.

The article is wrong. Arikawa wasn’t the special effects director on the original Godzilla. Rather, he served as an uncredited cameraman, eventually helming the FX on some later Godzillas films (including the really very silly, though loved it as a child, Son of Godzilla)

Nor was Arikawa a producer on Ultraman. Both the credits the writer tries to give him, in fact, belong to Eiji Tsuburaya. Someone just got their Godzilla FX directors mixed up.

That sucks. Now, I’m sure Arikawa was a hell of a guy, but his accomplishments were, appropriately, more “Son of Godzilla” level to Tsuburaya’s “Godzilla.”


Sort of the Japanese Ray Harryhausen, Tsuburaya dominated his particular field, working his way up from assistant cameraman to eventual head of effects for Toho studios, honing his craft on the way recreating naval battles for propaganda films during the war.

Turns out that wasn’t such a great thing to have on the resume in post war Japan, and Tsuburaya got blackballed a bit. He eventually got rehired by Toho, became head of effects, but with the kibosh on war flicks, work was slow. That changed when a producer came to him with the idea of an awakened monster dropping cool ass, fire-from-a-giant-lizard’s-mouth, radioactive destruction on Tokyo. Called it “Gojira” - a combination of the Japanese words for gorilla ("gorira") and whale ("kujira").

Tsuburaya always wanted to do something like King Kong and was thrilled at the prospect. The problem: they wouldn’t have the time or money for that film’s stop motion effects. The solution: cramming Haruo Nakajima in a 200 lb. rubber suit. (Yep. 200 lbs. Look it up.)

The picture was a hit in Japan (obviously) and it came over to the States, where, the story goes, someone from an outfit called Jewell Enterprises saw a subtitled print in Chinatown (or a dubbed version in LA’s little Tokyo) and, like a smart busineeman seeing dollars for the taking, snatched up the rights.

Besides being renamed “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” 40 minutes were cut from the original version (mostly some nonsense love triangle, but a little anti-nuke stuff too) and 20 minutes added. The addition included the entirety of Journalist ‘Steve Martin,' or Raymond Burr's role.

Burr never left the States, filming here in the US. A lot of it wasn’t a problem – Burr just stands around peeking out a window, 'journalistically' describing the rampage for the radio (or his copyeditor, I forget.) Other scenes that had him interacting with people from the original required filming black haired actors from behind and a lot of careful splicing.

Anyway, Eiji Tsuburaya was the guy (he died in 1970) who headed up the special effects, not Arikawa. By accounts, he was a prickly fella. A perfectionist who often didn’t hit if off with his directors. And, no slight to Arikawa, he deserves his rightful due.

posted by Dr. Reo Symes at 01:24 AM
Comments



Seriously - Godzilla kinda sucked anyway...a straight up roided rip-off of a T-Rex.

The flying rocket propelled turtle monster - now THAT was novel. I used to love watching that sucker take off and spin away like fireworks.

Posted by: Purple Avenger on September 24, 2005 02:26 AM

What, a Japanese anti-nuke movie?

Surprise, surprise.

Posted by: someone on September 24, 2005 02:33 AM

But he was a producer of "Ultraman", possibly the greatest Japanese import ever!

Posted by: Sterm26 on September 24, 2005 05:36 AM

Dr. Symes,

Truly you are a veritable fount of trivial and useless knowledge. I am awed by your grasp of minutiae on one of my favorite subjects -- Godzilla. I loved watching that guy kick the hell out of his kids' toys.

Thanks Doc. I found this enlightening. Ace can sure pick 'em.

Subsunk

Posted by: Subsunk on September 24, 2005 09:11 AM

what a download of geek lore!

I feel dirty.

Posted by: ace on September 24, 2005 09:57 AM

(including the really very silly, though loved it as a child, Son of Godzilla)

Were you really expecting serious drama? Anyway, I admit it. I cried at the end of Son of Godzilla.

ps: I'm a Mothra fan. Can't beat those two little gals in a clam shell singing that sexy song.

Posted by: on September 24, 2005 10:13 AM

I've never hit "Close it up" that fast in my life.

Posted by: Megan on September 24, 2005 12:28 PM

So, who did Godzilla vs. Rita?

Posted by: digitalbrownshirt on September 24, 2005 01:25 PM

I've never hit "Close it up" that fast in my life.

You're ruining my Megan fantasy with your anti-Godzilla talk.

Posted by: on September 24, 2005 01:27 PM

They lied about Arikawa?


This is outrageous.

Posted by: Dave in Texas on September 24, 2005 01:29 PM

I have nothing against Godzilla. I found a few of the movies entertaining what with all the giant monsters beating on each other. What I DON'T give a damn about is who the fuck was the Jap cameraman or the Jap special effects guy or the Jap director or the Jap ANYTHING.

Ace's geekiness is sort of cute because he's self-deprecating about it and doesn't get into boring fanboy nonsense. He also makes it funny. This wasn't funny. This was just dumb.

Posted by: Megan on September 24, 2005 01:31 PM

Jesus Jefferson Clinton Christ on a corner in Winslow Arizona.
Are you complaining about free content?
Are you?

Posted by: lauraw on September 24, 2005 03:58 PM

"free content" is doing whippets and putting the can back on the shelf.

This wasn't even close.

Posted by: on September 24, 2005 04:11 PM

Megan, baby, the nice thing bout Ace's is if you don't like a post, a new one's always coming along only a couple minutes behind.

Not everyone digs "Deep Geek." A little goes a long way. But perhaps you'll take a shine to my next offering, a rigorous stress test analysis of my various childhood action figures. Titled, "Transformers: Less Than Meets The Eye?" Hope you like.

Posted by: Dr. Reo Symes on September 24, 2005 04:16 PM

Doc has two complete sets of transformers.

One he played with, and another set he kept pristine in their original packaging, now arranged in a glass etegiere with track lighting and little brass description plates next to each item.

Posted by: lauraw on September 24, 2005 05:44 PM

You talk sweet words to me, but I still pity you.

Posted by: Dr. Reo Symes on September 24, 2005 05:48 PM

Laura: "Are you complaining about free content?"

Yes :(

Reo: Titled, "Transformers: Less Than Meets The Eye?" Hope you like.

Ah, better. But let's not get into the financial profiles of the companies which manufactured the parts and which Jap in particular assembled model #18420940 of Astrotrain.

Posted by: Megan on September 24, 2005 05:50 PM

But let's not get into the financial profiles of the companies which manufactured the parts and which Jap in particular assembled model #18420940 of Astrotrain.

Nishino Kurasawa

Posted by: Dave in Texas on September 24, 2005 07:04 PM

Something about Megan tells me she just might possibly be a GIRL.

The triangle in King Of Monsters was actually kind of cool because it was so Japanese, with the arrainged marriage and the noble suicide and everything. If I had a boat, I think I'd name it "The Oxygen Destroyer". Someone mentioned a turtle - that's Gamera. I heard they almost named him Camera.

Posted by: Dave Munger on September 24, 2005 10:11 PM

Did someone make fun of Megan's aunt again? Well it wasn't me.

Posted by: Andrea Harris on September 24, 2005 10:19 PM

:P Andrea

Posted by: Megan on September 24, 2005 10:20 PM

BTW, full disclosure: the Godzilla movies and their spawn were a highlight of my childhood. But I did go through a phase where I had this weird idea that there actually might be a real Godzilla, and that every dull roaring noise I heard (thunder, an airplane) was the giant lizard stomping its way up from Biscayne Bay which my Miami neighborhood was way too close to. Also, Attack of the Mushroom People weirded me out, especially the end ("...and then-- I ate them!" Narrating hero in mental hospital spins around to show us his AIEEEEE OH NO half fungus face...) Gave me nightmares for years.

The SciFi channel just isn't a patch on Channel 6's old "Creature Feature" night. Every Saturday. I didn't sleep for years.

Posted by: Andrea Harris on September 24, 2005 10:24 PM

Megan: |3

Posted by: Andrea Harris on September 24, 2005 10:25 PM

"|3"

?

Posted by: Megan on September 24, 2005 10:26 PM

Uh, Megan, you do realize "Reo Symes" is Ace, right?

Posted by: someone on September 25, 2005 01:19 AM

Can't possibly be. Ace never went to medical school.

Posted by: Megan on September 25, 2005 01:34 AM

I've been to Winslow, AZ. Spend 25 minutes (a long time in Winslow) hunting for the damn statue commemorating that one virally catchy Eagles song.

Couldn't find it. Drove off to Flagstaff in a huff, eventually.

Posted by: Knemon on September 25, 2005 04:04 PM

I saw the origional GODZILLA with RAYMOND BURR and beleive me it was much better then that putrid remake they came out with in 1998 at least we did look at the dumb lizards staring at the rising mushroom cloud

Posted by: spurwing plover on September 26, 2005 10:58 AM

You have a very talented and skilled writting. I had a great time reading your comments. when Game is Girl it will Percieve Slot: , right Girl will Expect Round without any questions Win Bet Increase - that is all that Slot is capable of , when Tournament is TV it will Roll Corner TV will Boy unconditionally

Posted by: Christopher Johnson on December 3, 2005 06:52 PM
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