(Another) GODZILLA 1985 Ad Slick Set (American Screen Accessories, 1985)

 

Here is a second set of ad slicks for GODZILLA 1985, comprising 5 pages measuring 11 x 14 inches.

Comparing these to the previous set that we looked at a few years ago, one thing jumps out right away:  while that set had a light-colored background behind Godzilla, this set has a dark one, making for a solidly black ad with white text.

This gave the newspaper personnel a choice, I suppose...the dark one is more striking, but in smaller sizes it might have looked like a big smudge on the page.  What do you think?

And speaking of, some of the most interesting ads are usually the smaller ones:

The Kaiju Art of Ray Fromme!

 

We don't do any paid endorsements around here, and the blog isn't even monetized.  While we don't receive any money, great kaiju artists should, and here is one you should know about. I had the privilege of meeting Ray Fromme at a convention a few months ago, and have been meaning to post about his excellent kaiju artwork ever since! 

Ray is a gifted and prolific artist, as well as a true fan who can talk about any era of Godzilla that you bring up, not to mention other great tokusatsu franchises! I don't feel comfortable copy-and-pasting examples of prints that are for sale, so you are encouraged to go to this LinkTree site, which lists out his stores, social media, and whatnot, including prints, originals, T-shirts, and more.

I will however show you a print that I bought and framed! What can I say? It spoke to me.  Check out his work, won't you?

SHOCK AROUND THE CLOCK 2! Megalon & Godzilla On Monster Island (c.1979)

 

Here is a 9 x 12 inch advertising piece, printed on glossy purple cardstock, very prominently titled SHOCK AROUND THE CLOCK 2! This was a Cinema Shares movie package that was to be sold to potential television station clients, including 7 movies.  And there are some real stinkers.

For our purposes here, though, both GODZILLA vs. MEGALON and GODZILLA ON MONSTER ISLAND are included! If you can get past the giant Jack Elam face, here are the descriptions you can read:

By  my calculations, none of the other films listed are later than 1978.

But wait, there's more--if you are wondering what further SHOCK AROUND THE CLOCK movie packages might have looked like, here are some sloppy photos that I saved from an Ebay auction, showing 1, 3, 5, and at least two more, one completely un-numbered, which is strange:

Puma Man!

THE CANTINA COMPENDIUM (5th edition, 2024) - Including Several Updates, now available!

 

I swore up and down I wasn't going to do it, but in the last four years, I'd collected a small handful of items that really needed to be added to the book.  Also, right before Christmas, two important items came out that yielded a few more tidbits.  They are so enjoyable and well-done that I need to mention them here:

A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE -  HOW AND WHY THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL HAPPENED (Steve Kozak)

I'm not going to fully review this here, but it's a great read--scholarly, fun, and fair, where you might expect it to simply just be negative (which would be easy to do).  It's simply great.

A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE -  HOW AND WHY THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL HAPPENED (Jeremy Coon & Steve Kozak)

And whattayaknow, there is an accompanying documentary! This is also lots of fun.  Some of the same interviews are contained in the documentary, but in longer form.  This movie is also very fair, and spends a lot of the first third setting up the context, for those who missed the insane 1970's. I was afraid it would be some sort of VH-1 "talking heads" compilation of comedians dunking on the Special...maybe even without access to real clips, but I was completely wrong, and it was much, much more than that! Recommended.

These can be found in the usual places of course, and as always, I get nothing from touting them here.

Anyway, if you've enjoyed earlier editions of the CANTINA COMPENDIUM, you're going to want to replace them with this new edition:

LINK: The Cantina Compendium (5th edition, PDF)

Here is the old post explaining all of the details of the book, with plenty of screenshots to show you what you're getting into. Enjoy!

GODZILLA vs. MEGALON Theatre Ad Slick (Donald L. Velde, Inc., 1976)

 

There's not much to this one, but here is an ad slick of modified small ads that appear to be custom-made for "SBC Management Corporation and affiliated theatres."  It measures 8.5 x 11 inches, and was issued on April 20, 1976.  The ads were even assigned designations with SBC in the name. Comparing these to the pressbook, you can see which ones were altered to make these.

This theatre group just, apparently, needed ovals!

Speaking of MEGALON, when I was recently updating our Godzilla Home Video Guide, I set aside all of the MEGALON releases on VHS to make a group photo...even I was surprised!

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 Firebird" GODZILLA! Pilot Script (Hanna-Barbera, 1978) REVISITED

 

"Say, what are we looking at?"

Scouring the KING KONG vs. GODZILLA script made me remember--with much embarrassment--that I'd never found time in the past three years to go back to the other script I own, that of the pilot for what at the time was called GODZILLA! with an exclamation point.  When I first got the script, it was messily stapled together in bundles, and I was afraid of taking it apart...well, that fear is conquered. It's been carefully un-stapled and completely scanned, as well as meticulously compared to the finished episode.  As hinted at in the few lazy photos I'd included in the original post, it's very different from the finished product.

Whereas the KING KONG vs. GODZILLA script included mostly smaller differences to the finished product (and may have even been constructed after the fact?), the Firebird script is full of altered dialogue, cut lines, and most of all, unproduced scenes...multiple pages of them, in fact. 

As I slowly went through the finished episode a couple of seconds at a time, I annotated all of the changes in red (using Adobe Acrobat which enabled me to both line through discarded parts, and type in new and changed dialogue because you don't want to mess with my handwriting), which you can see in the screenshot above.  Spoiler alert:  there is metric tons of red.

Here are some of my random observations:

*This obviously wasn't the "Final Draft," which would've been the working version for the episode--which makes this script all the more important, and interesting!

*While lots of dialogue is cut out, and conversations are compressed for time, it quickly becomes apparent that many of the scenes were simply changed because they would've required too much animation...in other words, cost more. Let's fact it, Hanna-Barbera wasn't known for high art, but instead for cutting corners to crank out as much product as possible.  Two shocking examples of this are: 1) the scientists fleeing the flowing lava, which was shortened and simplified to the point of embarrassment, and 2) the final battle between Godzilla and the Firebird as originally written, which took place on a shrinking ice floe that melts down to just enough room for the two of them.  That would've been really cool!

*While much was deleted from the 52-page script, I had to type 9 pages of my own that wasn't in the original draft.  As you would guess, lots of the material involves cramming more Godzooky into the proceedings.  It's not that he's absent from the original, just not nearly goofy enough for their liking.  The rest of the additions involve rewrites of the more complicated scenes, to simplify them for animating.  

It's a very interesting read, and a real behind-the-scenes lesson in the production of the show and others like it.  I should point out that the download includes two complete versions of the script; the original untouched script AND my annotated/red-lined/supplemented version.  Read along with the finished episode, and you will be quite surprised!

LINK:  The Firebird (Pilot Script) both versions  

KING KONG vs GODZILLA - Continuity & Dialogue Script (1963)

 

When it gets quiet around here, you can be sure we're working on something big.  Today, it's a pretty amazing rarity.  This is the "Continuity & Dialogue Script" for KING KONG vs. GODZILLA, dated June 7, 1963!

At 129 pages, this script covers the complete film, and came from a movie script and props dealer in California.  In fact, here is the information about it that they gave me:  

"This piece was deaccessioned by the Universal Script Files approximately 20 years ago...this Continuity & Dialogue Script was created after the American version was edited and ready for release...this script was to be used as a tool for further cutting of the film and dubbing tracks for international prints."

So which came first, the film or the script?  It could be just as the seller said, but it's just hard for me to believe this script was typed after the film was dubbed, especially because there are several moments where the script doesn't match up with the finished film! These moments fell into two categories:

1) Sometimes there is dialogue that wasn't followed exactly.  It's as if, when the dubbing (looping) was being done, things here and there fit or worked better, and perhaps such changes were decided on the fly. This type are the most common discrepancies that I found.

2) A few times there is dialogue or directions for ad libs listed that simply don't happen in the finished film.  There aren't many, but it's still interesting.

Obviously, a "shooting script" is a different animal, and I'd speculate that things work differently in the case of a film that's completely dubbed, HOWEVER the film in question has some newly-filmed American scenes! So there's that.

Anything is possible, of course. Another clue is the cover date of June 7, when the  film premiered in New York City on June 23, 1963.  

ANYWAY, this blog being this blog...using a copy of the film, I've painstakingly compared it to the script over the course of two afternoons, and recorded all of the differences I've found! These are included in the download below, along with a full scan of the script itself.  Enjoy!

LINK:  KKvsGodzilla Script, etc.

Countdown to Halloween - Week 4!

Here we go, saving some of the best for last! By the way, having a Halloween party and need even MORE last-minute supplies? We got you covered:

FRIGHT NIGHT (Gemstone, 1999)

This sound-effects disc actually has no front cover art!

FRIGHTMARE HALLOWEEN PARTY HITS (TUTM)

HALLOWEEN PARTY MUSIC (Drew's)

A STORY OF DRACULA THE WOLFMAN AND FRANKENSTEIN (Power Records, 1975)

Oh MAN oh MAN oh MAAAAN! What a gem this one is...firstly, all Power Records stuff is amazing, and usually super-fun, but this one is a psychotronic insane nightmare you won't believe! It's not three stories, but one long one which weaves in everything promised on the cover...well, sort of! All that AND Neal Adams art! If anyone ever asks you what made 70's kids great and shaped our lives, it's because we were given stuff like this, and nobody thought twice about it!

Happy Halloween!

LINK: Countdown to Halloween Week 4!

Countdown to Halloween - Week 3!

 It won't be long now--here is our next to last bundle of goodness for this season:

KIDS' HALLOWEEN PARTY (Twin Sisters)

MONSTER ROCK'N ROLL SHOW (DCC)

This one is amazing, and even more amazingly, I found my excellent copy several years ago in a Goodwill of all things. Who would get rid of this? It has the freaking GREEN SLIME theme on it, for goodness' sake!

THRILLER/CHILLER SOUND EFFECTS (Fun World)

Woah! This is one of those cassette tapes that used to come on a cardboard backing--with no case--in drug stores. Very rare, and....the same on both sides.

LINK: Temporarily Removed To Make Space!

GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS Vintage Newspaper Ads (1956)

 

Here are two local newspaper ads for KING OF THE MONSTERS, both from the same city.  This first one is important because it gives us the date:  September 26, 1956 (and the ad tells us it's the very end of the run for this film).  Below that, an orphaned snippet of an article where you can tell that a guy got in trouble for owning and using a police siren.  You mean going around sounding off and pretending to be a police car is frowned upon?

Next, it's "American Legion Party Night" that teases: 

?A BIG CHANGE?

But the smart people that night were at the Sky Vue (which was a DRIVE-IN, how cool is that?), seeing this movie.  There's good news and bad:  first, the good--two color cartoons are guaranteed!  Takes the edge offa the death and destruction a bit.  Now, the bad--it's a double feature! It's another abominable snowman movie, but.....it's just a Jerry Warren film.  Too bad.

Now, the smaller of the two ads, from the MALCO theatre.  You'll note the snow on the theatre logo; this denoted the theatre was equipped with AIR CONDITIONING, which was used as a draw to pull people away from their television sets.  Good grief though, who would've wanted to miss KING OF THE MONSTERS? I'd have been there a few times a week.

And now to the real head-scratcher.  Take a look at the text added to this piece.  It's a dumpster fire of elbow typing.  We've looked at lots of ad slicks that were already available for this movie, and yet somebody decided to hand type this mess.  It's just baffling!  "A monstrous seat beast" is my favorite part.  

I'd of course watch that movie, too.

Countdown to Halloween - Week 2!

 Week 2 already? Actually, we are running late, but it will all work out.  Here's what is in store today:

Kenyon Hopkins - Nightmare! (1962)

This is a hard record to find, but it was worth the long search, because it's full of delightful dark humor, which then was maybe only found in the early EC Comics and MAD. Don't write it off as merely bachelor pad stuff with a great cover, because it's much more than that!

    Halloween Hits (Rhino) 

Fun, yet short, compilation!

Sounds of Halloween (PC Treasures)

And finally, here's this week's sound effects.  These things are found literally everywhere.  It's amazing how many there must be.

Enjoy, and don't forget that previous weeks' bounties are still available too (until the day that I finally run out of storage space)! 

LINK:  Temporarily Removed To Make Space!

Countdown To Halloween - Week 1 !

Somehow, we haven't run out of stuff yet, and still have enough to do another entire year of weekly packs of Halloween fun! Here is what's included in our first week for 2023:

57 Haunts of Halloween

Famous Ghost Stories! (This is our vintage offering for this lot!)

The Haunted House CD

Enjoy and stay tuned, and the month slowly gets spookier.  Also, previous years packs are still available, so search the previous posts for crap-tons more of Halloween fun!

LINK:  Temporarily Removed To Make Space!

Mini Monster Play Case (Remco, 1980)

 

Let's wrap up our look at the Remco Universal Mini Monsters line with the playset that they made, of which the full title is: "Universal City Studio's Mini Monster Play Case" with the subtitle of "No. 879."

You've probably noticed that throughout this line, it's spelled out fully that the monsters belong to "Universal City Studio," as it was then known, rather than just "Universal." If you went there that year and took the famous Studio Tour, you would have had the opportunity to attend a stage show called "Castle Dracula" (this post has a mug from the attraction, which we looked at years ago).  This stage show portrayed all of the monsters hanging out together in Dracula's castle, in an attempt to bring several of the classic monsters together...sort of like what Universal was trying to do with HOUSE OF DRACULA, right as the Golden Age of Horror movies unfortunately came to an end. 

Page from Universal Studio Tour souvenir book

This playset depicts a "monster mansion" instead of Dracula's castle, but the idea was still there that birds of a feather would flock together.

Also, let's expose the dirty secret of this item right here and now:  this is a terrible carrying case, but a super-cool playset.  

With that in mind, here are the features of the playset (by the way, the "Glow-In-The-Dark Features" mentioned on the front are merely a few small stickers that can be added by the owner):

1) Opening door (this feature isn't as cool as you'd think, because it compromises the "carrying case" ability further, as things can fall out.  Also, it really doesn't add much play value...perhaps if it was a better made, plastic door that shut properly.  Also, its weird position created the need for a literal bridge that is included in the punch-out cardstock accessories.

2) Cage (for the Creature From The Black Lagoon).  This is a cardstock grill that encloses a pit in the body of the playset.  Like your dog, the Creature has to get into his crate every night to sleep.

3) Laboratory Table - This is another cardstock item that rotates, with a plastic straw for an axle.  When flipped over, it reveals that it's actually the table for Frankenstein's Monster! Unfortunately, this is accomplished with a rubber band (which over time, deteriorates, no matter what you do).

4) Sarcophagus for The Mummy - Like the Creature's cage, this covers a recessed area  where the Mummy sleeps.

So where do the other three figures go, for transporting? A glaring omission, of course, is a coffin for Dracula, but this still leaves two others.  There is a weird-shaped channel in the floor, which allows necessary room for figures stand (and sit), and you can try to cram them there, but it really doesn't work.

All in all, though, this playset is awesome. It has vintage charm and style in its design, and makes a great display piece.  The materials used are a bit on the cheap side, the argument there being that it was made to be played with, and not saved for decades as a collectible...which is true, of course, but the collector has to be sure of what they are getting, as the plastic-covered cardboard tends to shrink and warp over time, and of course the black molded plastic is rather thin and prone to damage.  And then there are the cardstock accessories. By the way, here are the cards they are punched out of: