THE WAR IN SPACE (International Poster/Press Brochure) Toho, 1977

 

Here is the last of my recent haul of international poster brochure-things.  This one is for 1977's THE WAR IN SPACE, which is an...interesting...Toho STAR WARS-inspired film from 1977. Lots of people dunk on this film, but I think it is a lot of fun.  I mean, I like MESSAGE FROM SPACE and I think STARCRASH is fun, too, so if you like those, you're in for a fun ride.

The flying ship in this film is called the Gohten, which is not Gotengo (Atragon), or even the new Gotengo from FINAL WARS, but they are all in the same cinematic lineage. Toho simply loves flying ships with drills on the front!

As a fun bonus, here is a real rarity, the poster flyer-thingy for Toei's LEGEND OF DINOSAURS AND MONSTER BIRDS!

GODZILLA 2000 Theatrical Coming Attraction Slide (Columbia Pictures, July 2000)

 

Here is a fast one today. Remember when, before the trailers, movie theatres would show still images, projected with 35mm slides? I guess they still do....I mean, I assume they still do, who goes to the actual movie theatre anymore?  Maybe if there was something good to go see, then people would...but, I digress, sorry--I figure today it's done digitally anyhow, but back in the day, they used slides (and before that, glass slides, such as this one used in 1963 for KING KONG vs. GODZILLA:

This technique goes back to the old "magic lantern" shows, which long ago used a flame as the light source...somehow.  Anyway, what we have here today is a 35mm slide sent out by Columbia Pictures for theatres to show, touting the release of GODZILLA 2000 later that summer!

And not too much later, either, because the slide is dated July 2000, and if I remember right, the movie came out in August (I got to see it in the actual theater, too)! And here is the right-side-up image with a light source behind it:

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.  

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (International Poster/Press Brochure, 1968)

 

Here is an awesome one.  As Toho slowly began to expand their international presence over those early years, their marketing materials got fancier.  What was at first decent brochures (at some point) turned into glossy, smaller versions of the actual movie posters themselves, with press information and photos on the back.  This is super-fortunate for us in this case, because it just happens to be the incredible artwork for DESTROY ALL MONSTERS.

I have to say, the American poster can do no wrong, but I absolutely love the "film title card logo" version of the title used here.  Unfolded, these pieces measured the strange size of 20 & 3/8 inches by 14 & 3/8 inches (which admittedly probably works out to centimeters perfectly if I had checked...we are talking International here).  Still big enought to frame and have it look awesome, though.

Unfortunately, the beneficially-large size makes it too big to scan.  I mean, it could be stitched together, but trust me, you don't want me to attempt that. Besides, it would greatly slow down getting this post completed, and you probably want to see it this decade.  Here instead is the top half, so you can better read the text:

The synopsis is really very well done.  I like the frankness of the sentence "Their goal of course is domination of the planet Earth."  Also, the ending text poses the question of "Who will win?" and then immediately in the next line says "nevermind, Godzilla does."  I mean, it's not that there was ever any doubt, but let's just spoil it hard right off the bat!

The lower half repeats the same information in French and Spanish, which today is commonplace in a marketing piece, but back then, required a separate publication.  Also, we learn that 89 minutes equates to 2471 meters of film!

I have a couple more of these beauties coming up in the near future, so stay tuned.

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS "Coming Soon" Ad (April 3, 1969)

 

Here is what is probably a very unique ad for DESTROY ALL MONSTERS, which says "Coming Soon" (the film was released in late May of that year).  This full-page ad comes from the April 3, 1969 issue of the Motion Picture Daily, which was a publication about the film industry that ran from 1931 to 1972.  

It is 9.5 by 12 inches, and had to be scanned and stitched together.  I always love how the listed stars are the monsters, and even HOLY CRAP WHAT DID I JUST SEE?

Bwa ha HA! I can't stop laughing.  I hope somebody got in big trouble (I doubt it) for screwing that one up, and also for the mess I have to clean up, because Little Debbie Christmas Tree cakes were just spat everywhere.

Also, American International has a slogan here: "The Film Company With The Future Look."  It's rather confusing.  You could read it as 1) they look futuristic, or 2) they are looking to the future...in which case, why not just say that? I think its usage was short lived.

Speaking of looking to the future, we are now just days away from a New Year, which will of course include the 50th anniversary of Mechagodzilla.  This is as good a place as any, and as good a time as any, to share this artwork I recently assembled (these logos are very hard to find, especially in good quality).  Enjoy!

The Things That I See: Godzilla Miscellaneous Edition

Today, let's address a handful of random, Godzilla-related things that have piled up, but don't really have a place of their own.  Hopefully, this won't be too boring or disjointed:

First off, since the best coverage you can find regarding the famous Mattel Shogun Godzilla is off-site, it became obvious that the instructions aren't included anywhere here, so let's quickly rectify that:

NOTE: For full images of all variations of the instruction sheet, go to this post.

Secondly, after years of searching, I finally obtained what turned out to be a crisp, vibrant copy of the advance movie poster for GIGANTIS, THE FIRE MONSTER.  Since Toho has pretty much obliterated this American version (you'd have to go all the way back to the VHS release to find a print with the GIGANTIS title card), it doesn't get talked about a lot, but it should:

I mean, it's the first sequel, the first film to pit Godzilla against another monster (and therefore the first Angilas/Anguirus), and also the only vintage American Godzilla film to have an advance poster.  While advance posters were nothing new, even in monster movies, I've always thought that it showed Warner Bros. was putting some extra money/attention behind the film, although you could argue the opposite, since it ended up in a double-feature release with TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE.  I will say, I was unprepared for how vibrant the color is on this poster; it's almost day-glo like a highlighter.  Pretty snazzy for 1959.

Let's pause for a moment, and test your Godzilla knowledge, with this 1978 comic book ad.  Or not.

Lastly, here's a discovery that surprised me.  Remember how the first official version of the GODZILLA vs. MEGALON DVD had lots of extra (unapproved) material, and was then withdrawn? Well, don't fall for E-bay prices, you can actually still obtain the pulled version.  It seems Tokyo Shock is alive and well, and selling their leftover stock on Amazon (under the name Cinema Scape).  You can buy a bundle that includes sealed copies of the blu-ray as well as the withdrawn version, together.  And it's the real deal.  What's uber-strange though, is the label under the shrink-wrap:

My guess is that they had to label their stock when the hammer came down, to keep it straight when a bare-bones version was demanded, but even so, it was surprising to see this label.  Keep in mind that only the DVD ever included the forbidden extras, but who wouldn't want the blu-ray anyhow? Unfortunately, while the recalled version is an important Godzilla collectible, the (video) extras aren't so hot.  I never understood Toho pulling the DESTROY ALL MONSTERS disc, but in viewing the MEGALON ones again, you can see why it was done.  The extras are obviously from a VHS tape of various film sources (including Super 8), and there is a 7+ minute stretch of trailers that are so bad, they had to be window-boxed (shown in a small television graphic that limits it to maybe 25% of your screen) to be viewable.  Oh well.  We would still recommend buying it, while you still can! One of these days it'll be crazy expensive. A sealed 1983 VHS copy of KING OF THE MONSTERS ended for over a thousand bucks this weekend, so you never know!

Announcing the Godzilla Theatrical Promotional Items page!

 

As you know, we keep track of vintage American Godzilla items around here.  We have retail items covered, but the glaring omission to our lists (links are at the left side of this page) are all of the theatrical items that couldn't be bought in stores.  We have featured many of them over the years on this blog, and this new page will show what exists for all of the vintage Godzilla films, going up to GODZILLA 1985.  "Say, was there even a pressbook for THE TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA?" you might ask yourself...well, this new page will tell you. (The answer is "NO.")

There is an entry for each film, listing the following categories of promotional items:  Posters, Lobby Cards, Stills, Pressbooks,  Ad Slicks or Molds, Radio and TV Spots, and a miscellaneous category for some special promotional items that were unique.  Each category will be linked to its coverage on this blog, so you can see our coverage of these items.  

So, check out the Vintage American Godzilla Theatrical Promotional Items (which is a mouthful) page when you can!

GODZILLA 1985 Promotional Items (various)

There are a few years that stand out for their sheer amounts of American Godzilla material.  1978 is one, followed by 1985 and 1998, although that last one certainly wasn't all roses.  1985 was one of the biggest, though, and if you knew where to look, Godzilla was all over the place.  There was a fun Dr. Pepper campaign, and also an onslaught of toys and products from Imperial (all of these items can be seen at our Vintage American Godzilla Items page, by the way).

For some reason, though, we haven't ever discussed the many other promotional items that were made for GODZILLA 1985, so let's remedy that now.  These are basically associated with the theatrical and/or home video release of the film, so you wouldn't have found any of these in retail stores:

Theater Standee: we all know the famous poster, but did you know there was a large cardboard standee, measuring 45 by 71 inches? There was a time that such large displays were commonplace, but it seems like you don't see nearly as many today. Come to think of it, when's the last time I went to a movie theater?

Video Store Standee: This is actually the exact same item as above, with a sticker placed over the NEW WORLD PICTURES, making it NEW WORLD VIDEO...I kid you not!

The Love Theme from GODZILLA 1985:  I mentioned this somewhere on this blog in the past, but yes, there was a single released for the American version of the film.  It's pretty rough.  And, pretty rare.

"Godzilla Beach Patrol" Safety Vest: I know what you are thinking, because I am still thinking it to this day, and it consists of  lots of "how the...?!" and "why?!" exclamations.  We may never know why this existed.  My feeling is that it was tied to an event, and probably a local,  one-time event, somewhere.  

The back has the slogan of "Have You Seen The New Godzilla" that appeared in a couple of places during 1985, and you can just make out a tiny "New World Video" underneath.  All I can tell you is, the G.B.P. (even though they had a sweet logo) has never reappeared.

Video Store Poster:  1985 was the first (and only, I guess) Godzilla movie to have a separate video store poster, which...wasn't too different from the theatrical one.  It was the same 27 x 41" size, though, and sometimes sellers get them mixed up.

Video Store Standee & Sign:  Some video stores went the extra mile, and had a counter-top-sized small standee, as well as a hanging sign.  Ah, remember video stores?

New World Video Mug: I have actually done a post about this item before, and since it does specifically say "New World Video," we can feel confident that it was promoting the home video release rather than the theatrical one. 

There was also a magazine ad campaign (where you will see a lot more of the "There Goes The Neighborhood" tagline), with full-page color ads of the poster art in magazines like Rolling Stone.  There were also numerous versions of television ads, and I've seen two mentions in print that radio ads existed, although none have ever surfaced!

SMOG MONSTER Video Store Poster! (Orion Home Video, 1989)

 

It's always a little difficult to get a good photo of a rolled poster, but here is a pristine, unused example of the video store poster for the great 1989 promotion by Orion Home Video! It measures 27 x 41" and is the size of a standard one-sheet movie poster (which is nice because sometimes, video store posters are smaller).

This of course was the promotion that not only brought the AIP dub of GODZILLA vs. THE SMOG MONSTER to our homes (this videotape and/or its accompanying laserdisc continue to be the source of the audio for fan restorations, all these years later), but also MONSTER FROM A PREHISTORIC PLANET (which we now know as GAPPA), YONGARY (a Korean kaiju clone), and THE X FROM OUTER SPACE (who we now know as the fun-to-say Guilala).  Not too long ago, I also shared a dealer postcard from this promotion, which you can see here.

I can completely understand Toho trying to streamline kaiju names, and get down to only the "official" dubs that they support, but I wish they would still make our original American audio tracks available.  It doesn't mean they have to be erased from history, because after all, they happened, and are much-beloved.  Maybe this could possibly happen...Recently, Toho began sharing episodes of the Hanna-Barbera animated GODZILLA series from the 70's on their English YouTube channel, and I certainly never thought we'd see that day.

GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS Ad Slicks Set (Trans World Releasing Corp, 1956)

 

Sometimes, pressbooks come with a set of ad slicks (sometimes not, and sometimes they are built in).  For KING OF THE MONSTERS, a hefty set of ads was included in a separate stapled bundle.  They are oddly sized at an inch shorter than the actual pressbook that we looked at last time, at 11 x 16". But they are GREAT.

I really like the smaller, bumper-sticker shaped ads at the bottom of this page.  Here they are, cropped out:

Another value of pressbooks is that they serve as checklists for all of the materials that existed for a particular film.  Can you believe a 24-SHEET poster existed for this movie? We have looked at the album of radio ads in years past! If you are interested in hearing them, go to this post!

And, they also would provide copy for fluff articles and reviews, to be used in newspapers of the day.  Here is a better look at a couple:

None of the crazy ballyhoo ideas that would permeate the later pressbooks, though! And of course, this movie didn't need it!

GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS Items (2019) Continued!

Here is the remainder of my KING OF THE MONSTERS items that have come in lately! As I mentioned in the last post, the commemorative IMAX Regal Theaters ticket had a code on the back, which allowed you to send off for a mail-away promotional 13 x 19" IMAX poster (by just paying shipping, which I think was 8 bucks).  I am happy to say the poster that arrived in a week not only came in a sturdy tube, but is also completely unique!

Next, here is most of an 8-page theatrical booklet that was available in Japanese theaters!

Here is the chirashi flyer for the film, also from Japanese theaters!

And finally, here are better photos of the Japanese flyer from last time, that showcases all of the monster portraits! Good stuff!