GODZILLA vs. HEDORAH (International Poster/Press Brochure, 1971)

 

Here is a treasure--a sweeeeet poster for one of my top favorites, GODZILLA vs. HEDORAH.  Like the DESTROY ALL MONSTERS one we looked at the other day, this one also measures 20 & 3/8 inches by 14 & 3/8 inches.  Interestingly, though, this poster features--as its main design--the mock-up artwork with prototype Hedorah, what I refer to as "Steel Wool Hedorah."

I have always been baffled by this Toho mock-up, and they have never shied away from using it.  It's all over the place--here, I should point out, alongside actual finished pictures of what Hedorah's design turned out to be. It shows that this marketing piece wasn't simply made early in the process; it's just that they didn't care!

Then again, I am always reminded of that great Tsuburaya quote, when he was asked about the model horse he used in FRANKENSTEIN vs. BARAGON, and why it was left in, when it wasn't "realistic-looking" enough.  His answer was "because it was more interesting!" I think this says a lot, and this sense of wonder is a quality that is missing in a lot of the world today.

The back gives us several photos of the finished Hedorah, and then Steel Wool Hedorah one more time!

Anyway, there is the usual synopsis on the back.  This is an interesting read, and I think it's actually very well done.  I actually read something the other day that said that Hedorah was the result of material from outer space landing in pollution, and that is certainly not what this synopsis says.  Or the film, for that matter.  Admittedly, this would be a much better blog post if I could remember exactly where I read that....

Incidentally, there is no mention of Godzilla's very last act, probably for reasons of space.  If you are here reading this blog, then you probably know exactly what the white orbs were that Godzilla pulled out of Hedorah's remains: eyes.  However, lots of fans do not know this, and it was certainly several years before I knew it.  I grew up thinking these were eggs somehow, subconsiously, but I stumbled onto an interview with the director, who stated categorically that they were Hedorah's eyes.  If you recall, eyes are a specific theme of the film, in that there are several characters who receive eye injuries...not to mention the scene where Dr. Yano is experimenting with Hedorah tadpoles; he states something about the eyes being the effective parts of the creature.  I don't have it in front of me at the moment, but it's there.  So it actually makes sense that Godzilla destroys both eyes specifically.  This film is so awesome.

Have you seen the jugsaw puzzle of this image that's like 2000 pieces? I don't imagine it would be very fun at all.

According to a couple random YouTube videos that keep popping up for me lately, GODZILLA vs. HEDORAH is now finally being acknowledged as the classic that it is, and while I hope that's true, it always has been for me, so "whatever" to what some critic thinks.  This film has everything:  it's innovative in a lot of ways, much cleverer and more complicated than it appears on the surface, deliciously dark when it needs to be in just the right balance, and full of great action.  It never gets old.

Granted, giving it the title of SMOG MONSTER in the U.S. was seen as cheesy to the non-initiated, but I think even that is beautiful.  I mean, among other things, he is a Smog Monster. Unfortunately it comes across as "So-and-So Eats Cleveland" or something like that.  Oh well, most people have no taste and can't enjoy anything.  I've grown to completely accept that.