Gojira tai Hedorâ (1971)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Yoshimitsu Banno

Writers:

Yoshimitsu Banno (writer)
Takeshi Kimura (writer)

Release Date:

February 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Music | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Our environment is doomed!

Plot:

From Earth's pollution a new monster is spawned. Hedorah, the smog monster, destroys Japan and fights Godzilla while spewing his poisonous gas to further the damage.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Pollution | Japanese | Godzilla | Gojira

Cast

Akira Yamauchi	...	Dr. Yano
Toshie Kimura	...	Toshie Yano
Hiroyuki Kawase	...	Ken Yano
Keiko Mari	...	Miki Fujiyama
Toshio Shiba	...	Yukio Keuchi
Yukihiko Gondo	...	Mean general
Eisaburo Komatsu	...	Fisherman
Tadashi Okabe	...	Scientist
Wataru Omae	...	Helpless police officer
Susumu Okabe	...	Interviewer
Haruo Nakajima	...	Gojira
Kenpachiro Satsuma	...	Hedora (as Kengo Nakayama)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Teruzo Okawa
Kôji Uruki

Directed by
Yoshimitsu Banno

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Yoshimitsu Banno		writer
Takeshi Kimura		writer (as Kaoru Mabuchi)

Produced by
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	executive producer
Tomoyuki Tanaka	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Riichiro Manabe

Cinematography by
Yoichi Manoda

Film Editing by
Yoshitami Kuroiwa

Production Design by
Yasuyuki Inoue

Special Effects by
Teruyoshi Nakano	....	director of special effects

Visual Effects by
Yoichi Manoda	....	special effects cinematographer

Stunts
Haruo Nakajima	....	stunt choreographer

Editorial Department
Eli Haviv	....	editor: US version

Other crew
Salvatore Billitteri	....	supervisor: English dubbing
Lee Kresel	....	director: English dubbing

Production Companies

• Toho Company

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Astral Films (1972) (Canada) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Astro Distribution (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• Kuk Dong
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD) (As "Godzilla vs. Hedorah")
• Orion Home Video (video)
• Simitar Video (video)
• Siren Visual Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Titanus Distribuzione

Other Companies

• Toho Studios  sound stages

Also Known As:

Godzilla vs. Hedora (International: English title) (informal literal title)
Godzilla vs. Hedorah (UK) (video title)
Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (USA)

MPAA:

Rated PG for sci-fi monster violence and brief mild language.

Runtime:

Germany:96 min | USA:87 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1972) | West Germany:12 (nf)

Company:

Toho Company

Trivia:

This was the last Godzilla film to be released by American International Pictures (AIP) and dubbed by Titra Productions. The remaining Godzilla films from this decade were released by Downtown Distribution and/or Cinema Shares, and simply used edited versions of Toho's international English prints.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Hedorah throws some sludge at Godzilla's eye in the Mt. Fuji scene, it hit's Godzilla right eye, but after Hedorah gets done laughing, Godzilla's left eye is the one that is damaged.

Quotes:

Yukio Keuchi: Oh, you like Godzilla?
Ken Yano: Superman beats them all!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Frogs (1972)

Soundtrack:

Hedora wo yattsukero!

Campy Godzilla Fun

As the 1970s began, Godzilla started to turn into a much more campier, hipper if you will, Japanese institution. There is no evidence of that more striking than Godzilla Vs. the Smog Monster(Hedorah) with its cartoonish sedge-ways and psychedelic dance numbers, etc... I loved this film as a child. I remembered some scenes very well: a young boy on a rock calling, "Papa, Papa" and the scene with an oil/sludge covered cat amidst garbage and waste. The environmental issues were lost on my young brain, but having had a chance to see the film somewhat recently I have seen the obvious nature/message inherent in the film. And having seen the film again, I find that I like the film a lot less than I did as a child. Its magic didn't hold up for me, and I started to ask myself why? What could make the difference? Well, the story really is quite transparent as a young boy and his family(father a scientist)discover a new creature in the ocean that when dried turns to a cakey dust that when introduced to water again - creates new life. The scientist also learns that this new organism that feeds on waste has the ability to grow rapidly. Soon it grows to monster proportion as a giant black thing with glowing red eyes, destroying much of Tokyo and Japan, waiting to fight with Godzilla. While this film does indeed have some nicely shot, effective scenes, the story and the pacing just seem a bit strained. Hedorah is a pretty neat looking creature, and some of his fights with the big lizard are very rewarding. The film; however, doesn't have the sense of seriousness(if you can believe this?) that the earlier Godzilla films had. While ostensibly teaching about the evils of pollution and misusing the environment, Godzilla Vs, the Smog Monster is really nothing more than a very campy film of the big old green guy and a big pile of sludge.