The War of the Gargantuas
The War of the Gargantuas | |||||
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Japanese name | |||||
Kanji | フランケンシュタインの怪獣 サンダ対ガイラ | ||||
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Directed by | Ishirō Honda | ||||
Screenplay by |
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Produced by |
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Starring | |||||
Cinematography | Hajime Koizumi UPA | ||||
Distributed by | Toho (Japan) Maron Films (United States) | ||||
Release dates |
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Running time | 88 minutes[2] | ||||
Countries | Japan United States | ||||
Language | Japanese[a] | ||||
Box office | $3 million (United States)[5] |
The War of the Gargantuas (Japanese: フランケンシュタインの怪獣 サンダ対ガイラ, Hepburn: Furankenshutain no Kaijū: Sanda tai Gaira, lit. 'Frankenstein's Monsters: Sanda vs. Gaira') is a 1966 kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Referred by film historian Stuart Galbraith IV as a "quasi–sequel" to Frankenstein vs. Baragon,[1] the film was a Japanese-American co-production; it was the third and final collaboration between Toho Co., Ltd and Henry G. Saperstein.[6][7] The film stars Russ Tamblyn, Kumi Mizuno and Kenji Sahara, with Yû Sekida as Sanda and Haruo Nakajima as Gaira. In the film, scientists investigate the sudden appearance of two giant hairy humanoid monsters that culminates in a battle in Tokyo.
The script's final draft was submitted in April 1966. Tab Hunter was originally hired by Saperstein, choosing to replace Nick Adams. However, Hunter was replaced by Tamblyn during pre-production. Honda's contract was not renewed and he had to seek employment by speaking to Tanaka on a film-by-film basis. Honda, Saperstein, and chief assistant Seiji Tani noted that Tamblyn was difficult to work with. Tamblyn did the opposite of Honda's instructions, and improvised his lines without Honda's approval. Principal photography began in May 1966 and wrapped in June 1966, with effects photography concluding in July 1966.
The War of the Gargantuas was theatrically released in Japan on July 31, 1966, followed by a theatrical release in the United States on July 29, 1970 on a double feature with Monster Zero. Since its release, the film has been regarded as a cult classic, drawing admiration from artists such as Brad Pitt, Hajime Isayama, Guillermo del Toro, Quentin Tarantino and Tim Burton.
Plot
During a rainy night, a fishing boat is attacked by a
Another boat is attacked and villagers see the green Frankenstein off the coast at the same time that a mountain guide reports seeing Frankenstein in the Japanese Alps. Stewart and Akemi investigate the mountains and find giant footprints in the snow. Their colleague, Dr. Majida, collects tissue samples from the second boat. The green Frankenstein attacks Haneda Airport, eats a woman and returns to the sea after the clouds clear. Stewart and Akemi leave for Tokyo for a meeting with the military to discuss plans to kill the monster. Majida deduces that the green Frankenstein is sensitive to light. The green Frankenstein briefly appears in Tokyo, but is driven away by bright lights. It retreats to the mountains, where the military counterattacks it. Then a second Frankenstein, brown-haired in appearance, appears and comes to the green Frankenstein's aid, helping it escape.
Stewart and Akemi conclude that the brown Frankenstein is their former subject. To distinguish the monsters, the military designate the brown and green Frankensteins as Sanda and Gaira, respectively. After collecting and examining tissue samples from both monsters, Stewart concludes that Gaira is Sanda's clone. He theorizes that a piece of Sanda's tissue made its way out to sea, where it survived off plankton and evolved into Gaira. During a hiking trip, Stewart, Akemi and several hikers run away from Gaira. Akemi falls off a ledge, but Sanda saves her in time, injuring his leg in the process. Stewart and Akemi try to convince the military that only Gaira should be killed while Sanda should be spared, but the army ignores their pleas, unwilling to risk letting either monster live. After discovering that Gaira devoured people, Sanda attacks him. Gaira escapes with Sanda pursuing and heads towards Tokyo, no longer deterred by the city lights as they now alert him to the presence of food.
During the evacuation, Akemi vows to save Sanda, but runs into Gaira instead. Sanda stops Gaira from devouring Akemi and Stewart carries her to safety. Sanda tries to plead with Gaira, but the green monster engages Sanda in battle. Stewart tries to convince the military to give Sanda time to defeat Gaira, but fails. However, the military aids Sanda as his battle with Gaira moves from Tokyo to Tokyo Bay and further out to sea. As the military drops bombs around the battling Frankensteins, an underwater volcano suddenly erupts, swallowing up both monsters. Majida informs Stewart and Akemi that the monsters' deaths could not be confirmed due to the intense heat, but stresses that nothing could have survived the eruption.
Cast
- Russ Tamblyn as Dr. Paul Stewart (Japanese voice actor: Gorō Mutsumi)
- Kumi Mizuno as Dr. Akemi Togawa
- Kenji Sahara as Dr. Yuzo Majida
- Nobuo Nakamura as Dr. Kita
- Jun Tazaki as the Army commander
- Hisaya Ito as Police Chief Izumida
- Kipp Hamilton as a club singer
- Yū Sekida as Sanda
- Haruo Nakajima as Gaira
Cast taken from The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography.[1]
Production
The War of the Gargantuas was the third and final co-production collaboration between Toho and
The film was originally announced as The Frankenstein Brothers, then The Two Frankensteins, Frankenstein vs. Frankenstein, Frankenstein's Decisive Battle, and Frankenstein's Fight during script writing processes.[3] The film was originally intended as a sequel to Frankenstein vs. Baragon, with Honda biographers Ryfle and Godziszewski noting that the continuity between the two films was "somewhat fuzzy".[3] The film was created quickly, with writer Kimura's final draft on the screenplay being dated 23 April 1966.[9] Honda shot the film's dramatic footage between May 9 and June 4, with Tsuburaya's special effects crew finishing in mid-July.[9] The American version had Honda shoot additional scenes and UPA had Toho release the negatives, outtakes and other footage such as sound and music elements.[10] Tab Hunter was originally cast as Dr. Stewart, but was replaced by Tamblyn during pre-production.[11]
English versions
Toho commissioned an English dub, referred to as the "international dub", for overseas markets. The international dub is a direct translation of the Japanese version, keeping references to the monsters as Frankensteins and having Tamblyn's English dialogue dubbed over by another actor. In 1998, film historians Stuart Galbraith IV and Steve Ryfle named Frontier Enterprises, a Tokyo-based company, as the studio that dubbed the international version.[12][13] The international dub remained unreleased[1] until late 2017, when the film Rodan and several Godzilla films appeared on Starz's streaming service after Janus Films and The Criterion Collection obtained the rights to the films.[14]
Co-producer Henry G. Saperstein commissioned a separate English dub from Glen Glenn Sound, a Los Angeles-based company, for the film's American release.[15] This version omits all references to Frankenstein vs. Baragon, with the creatures being referred to as "Gargantuas" instead of "Frankensteins" or by their names. This version also includes additional footage not featured in the Japanese version, making the American version run at 92 minutes.[2] Tamblyn's original dialogue soundtrack was lost during production and he was called back to re-dub his lines. Tamblyn worked without a script and had to rely on improvising his lines based on the footage's lip movement due to his inability to remember his original lines.[4]
Release
Theatrical
The film was released theatrically in Japan on July 31, 1966 by Toho.[9] The Glen Glenn Sound English dub received a theatrical release in the United States by Maron Films as The War of the Gargantuas on July 29, 1970,[16] where it was released as a double feature with Monster Zero, which was also dubbed by Glen Glenn Sound.[15] In the United Kingdom, the film was titled Duel of the Gargantuas.[1] The War of the Gargantuas and Monster Zero were intended to be released earlier; however, distributors did not think that either film had potential until 1970, when Saperstein made a deal with Maron Films.[5]
Home media
In 2008,
Legacy
In 1997, filmmaker
In 2012, American actor Brad Pitt cited the film as his inspiration to pursue acting at the 84th Academy Awards.[24] In an episode of Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated titled "Battle of the Humungonauts", the episode parodies the film by featuring two hairy creatures similar in appearance to Sanda and Gaira, riffing the film's title and even featuring a cover of Kipp Hamilton's song "The Words Get Stuck In My Throat".[25] American film director Tim Burton noted the film was a favorite of his and his daughter's.[26] Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro cited The War of the Gargantuas and its predecessor Frankenstein vs. Baragon as two of his top five favorite kaiju films[27][28] and cited The War of the Gargantuas as an influence on the opening for his 2013 film Pacific Rim.[29] The American band Devo performed a live version of "The Words Get Stuck In My Throat" in 1978.[30] In August 2019, Michael Dougherty, director and co-writer of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, expressed interest in rebooting and adapting the Gargantuas for the MonsterVerse.[31]
See also
- List of films featuring Frankenstein's monster
- List of Japanese films of 1966
- List of killer octopus films
Notes
- ^ During filming, Russ Tamblyn delivered all of his lines in English and even changed much of his lines without the knowledge or the approval of director Honda.[3] Tamblyn's dialogue was dubbed over by Gorō Mutsumi for the film's Japanese release;[1] however, his original dialogue soundtrack was lost and Tamblyn had to re-dub all of his lines for the film's American release. Without a script and unable to remember his original lines, Tamblyn had to improvise his new lines based on the footage he was watching.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Galbraith IV 2008, p. 231.
- ^ a b c Felix, Justin (September 28, 2008). "Rodan/War of the Gargantuas". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Ryfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 232.
- ^ a b Cirronella, Jim (March 30, 2014). "Interview: Russ Tamblyn and Haruo Nakajima". Toho Kingdom. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
- ^ a b Ryfle 1998, p. 125.
- ^ a b Ryfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 222.
- ^ a b c d Ryfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 231.
- ^ Ryfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 230.
- ^ a b c Ryfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 234.
- ^ Ryfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 235.
- ^ Galbraith IV 1998, p. 182.
- ^ Galbraith IV 1998, p. 40.
- ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 152.
- ^ a b Squires, John (November 8, 2017). "Criterion Collection Has Obtained Most of the Shōwa Era 'Godzilla' Films!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
- ^ a b Ryfle 1998, p. 151.
- ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 121.
- ^ Portillo, Loren (April 7, 2010). "Sanda Tai Gaira Gets Blu-ray Treatment". SciFi Japan. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
- ^ Alexander, Julia (May 18, 2020). "Here are the hundreds of classic movies people can stream on HBO Max". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ^ England 2021, pp. 7–8.
- ^ Whitney, Erin (April 16, 2014). "Here Are 31 Film References In 'Kill Bill: Volume 2'". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (August 28, 2015). "Quentin Tarantino: The Complete Syllabus of His Influences and References". Vulture. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- ^ "「僕はまだ、思春期を こじらせている」『進撃の巨人』諫山創". Modern Business (in Japanese). January 28, 2011. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
- ^ "中島哲也監督「進撃の巨人」を邦画最大規模の製作費で実写映画化". Eiga.com (in Japanese). December 8, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ Faraci, Devin (February 27, 2012). "War of the Gargantuas: The Movie That Made Brad Pitt An Actor". Birth.Movies.Death. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ Ryan, Michael (August 29, 2015). "Obsessive, Compulsive, Procedural #5: Scooby-Doo". Popoptiq. Archived from the original on April 26, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- ^ Bell, Carrie (September 25, 2012). "'Frankenweenie' premiere: Tim Burton doesn't think 'the movie is scary at all'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ Blanco, Alvin (July 13, 2013). "Pacific Rim Director Guillermo Del Toro's Top 5 Kaiju Films". Hip Hop Wired. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ Haas, Lupe (July 8, 2013). "Pacific Rim's Guillermo del Toro on Remaking Classic Japanese Monster Movies". Cine Movie. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ mrbeaks (July 8, 2013). "Mr. Beaks Talks Pacific Rim, World Building And Gargantuas With Guillermo del Toro And Travis Beacham! Part One Of Two!". Ain't It Cool News. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^ Guest, Gutter (March 16, 2013). "The Words Got Stuck In My Throat". The Cultural Gutter. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
- ^ Valentine, Evan (August 15, 2019). "Godzilla Director Mike Dougherty Reveals The Kaijus He Wants To Introduce Next". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
Bibliography
- England, Norman (November 22, 2021). Behind the Kaiju Curtain: A Journey Onto Japan's Biggest Film Sets. Awai Books. ISBN 978-1-937220-10-5.
- Galbraith IV, Stuart (1998). Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo! The Incredible World of Japanese Fantasy Films. Feral House. ISBN 0922915474.
- Galbraith IV, Stuart (2008). The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-1461673743.
- Kalat, David (2010). A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series (2nd ed.). McFarland. ISBN 9780786447497.
- Ryfle, Steve (1998). Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of the Big G. ECW Press. ISBN 1550223488.
- Ryfle, Steve; Godziszewski, Ed (2017). Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa. Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 9780819570871.