GODZILLA vs. BIONIC MONSTER promotional stills! (Cinema Shares, 1977)

Here are scans of some newly-acquired, awesome movie stills for GODZILLA vs. (THE) BIONIC MONSTER, very soon after to be changed to COSMIC MONSTER.  Ironically, we looked at the "Cosmic Monster" version of five of these stills on this very blog, ten years ago!

   

GODZILLA vs. THE SMOG MONSTER Vintage Stills!

I really should leave the last post at the top of the blog for a while, but I have so many things to cover in the coming weeks, we will just have to keep moving! Here is a lovely set of vintage stills for GODZILLA vs. THE SMOG MONSTER that I recently received.  I know, I know--it was last year that was the "Year of Hedorah," and we are now more than halfway through the "Year of Gigan," but that shouldn't hinder our enjoyment of these great vintage items, which I have scanned in high quality for your enjoyment!

Flying form Hedorah!

This is what an actual uphill battle looks like.

This is another of those infamous Toho airbrush monstrosity conglomerates.  Perhaps the effects weren't completed yet? Who knows.

It's amazing how most of these vintage glossy 8x10" stills have been gobbled up by...folks like me.  When they do appear these days, it's very rare to find decent prices anymore!

Star Wars Color Still (20th Century Fox, 1977)

I was mildly surprised to purchase a lobby card from the original STAR WARS--which would have been 11 x 14 inches--and have it arrive as a color still, which is 8 x 10 inches! But, as it's in fantastic shape, with no pinholes or tape even, it's still a smashing success!

And it's a great shot of stuntman Peter Diamond (as the Tusken Raider) and the beloved-to-The-Sphinx hero Mardji the elephant (as the Bantha) in the desert of California! Enjoy!

GODZILLA vs MEGALON Color Stills (Cinema Shares, 1976)

Fantastic promotional shot of all four of the film's monsters together!

As we have discussed in several spots, there was a metric ton of marketing done for GODZILLA vs MEGALON, but no lobby cards were produced.  Instead, the normal set of stills was issued in full color, which I think is a pretty unique move.  We are going to look at five phenomenal ones here, and then an interesting little bonus at the end:

Megalon and Gigan decide what to do with the fallen Jet Jaguar.

Godzilla decides what to do with the fallen Megalon.

Godzilla, trying to get Gigan to fall.

Godzilla (holding a tree), has somehow outsmarted both foes, who appear to be lost.  This is another promotional shot, and the blob in the upper left must be part of the photo, as it's in all of the ones I have seen.

I thought this last one was pretty cool too--it's the original envelope the Megalon materials came in!  Wouldn't quite fit on the scanner.

GODZILLA vs. THE COSMIC MONSTER stills!

Today, some nifty stills for GODZILLA vs. THE COSMIC MONSTER.  These black and white stills were issued with both COSMIC and BIONIC (the original title) logos, and no lobby cards were made for the film.  Let's start with the best one:

One of those famous Toho paste-ups that they were so good at.  This one manages to get the entire story of the film into one picture--ALTHOUGH, it sort of makes it look like Angilas is on Mechagodzilla's team.

Planet of the (Dead) Apes.

This paste-up is an action shot that we never quite see.

Head-butting Mechagodzilla.

Not sure what King Caesar is doing in this picture, exactly, but something tells me he's going to get the worse end of it.

King of the Monsters stills (1956)

Here are two original stills from the American version of the first Godzilla film.  What I like about these is that they are both more unusual poses, rather than the "usual suspects" that you usually see from this film.  Also, be careful on Ebay when buying stills.  There are lots of reprints out there, and some sellers are fast and loose with their descriptions!

Another GODZILLA 2000 Still !

Here's another great still from GODZILLA 2000.  It's authentic, and I actually won it for 99 cents, believe it or not.  You just never know about Ebay.

GODZILLA 2000 Press Kit (Columbia Pictures, 2000)

It's almost time for a new Godzilla film to play in American theaters, even though this time, it's an American movie.  While the excitement builds, it would be a good time to remember the LAST time a (real) Godzilla film was released to American theaters....14 years ago!

Over the next couple of posts, we are going to look at items from the Press Kit for GODZILLA 2000.  This is a slick, two-pocket Columbia Pictures folder, containing two packets of data, and a sleeve (really more of a white paper grocery sack) of stills.  

Up first, here are some quality scans of the stills that were included with mine.  Enjoy!

 

 

Unique MOTHRA Still!

Here's an interesting still I just picked up from the first MOTHRA.  Not only is it not one of the common stills that you see, but it's also very unusual for a behind-the-scenes photo to be used in this way.

GHIDRAH, THE THREE HEADED MONSTER still !

A marvelous still from a marvelous film!

GAMMERA THE INVINCIBLE still (1966)

Just arrived in the mail....poor Gamera gets no love! This is from the US theatrical dub (and re-cut), which they called GAMMERA THE INVINCIBLE, starring an extra "M".  I had a spot left on my wall in "the studio," and I wanted to give it to Gamera!

Original Stills: Destroy All Monsters and Atragon!

What's even sweeter about this is, this is an angle of the "group shot" that isn't one you commonly see...and I like how Gorosaurus' mouth is WIIIDE open!

A sweet packet of awesomeness that just came in the mail this weekend.  This first DAM still was worth the $20 alone that I paid for all seven! The other two DAM stills showcase the SY-3 and the Moonbase, but while the one ATRAGON still showing the titular vehicle is cool, the other three leave something to be desired...I mean, not one still with Manda in it?? Oh well! You win some, you lose some, I guess!

"No one will be seated during The Canoe-Paddling Sequence....please do not divulge any of the secrets of The Canoe-Paddling Sequence to any of your friends."

Okay, this one is actually pretty cool!

But really, unless this was a film called THE FISTFIGHT, I don't see how the studio thinks a still like this is good marketing for a science fiction/fantasy film full of cool effects!