70th Anniversary Godzilla Movie Marathon & Lectures Updated with photos & review
Academy of Motion Pictures Museum and Japan Foundation L.A. celebrate the King of the Monsters with a 70th Anniversary Godzilla-Thon and related lectures.
Since posting in October, this article has been updated with photographs and a review of the marathon, located below the original text.
As he is wont to do now and then, Godzilla is stomping back into Los Angeles – this time, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of his first onscreen appearance, in Gojira (1954, later released in altered form in the US as Godzilla, King of the Monsters). In honor of this august occasion, there will be three days of events running from November 2 to 4, including a five-film marathon at the Geffen Theatre and a pair of lectures at the Japan Foundation Los Angeles. The focus is on the radioactive behemoth’s legacy and ongoing relevance – with an emphasis on the Japanese films produced by Toho Studios rather than the recent MonsterVerse films made in America.
Things kick off on Saturday, November 2 with Godzilla in Context: The Monster, Japan, and America, which explores the themes in the films presented at the marathon. The lecture runs from 11am to 12:30pm.
The Godzilla-Thon takes place on Sunday, November 3. Screenings include Gojira at 11am, Destroy All Monsters (1968) at 1pm, Godzilla vs Hedorah (aka, Godzilla vs the Smog Monster, 1971) at 2:45pm, Shin Gojira (2016) at 5:15pm, and Godzilla Minus One (2023) at 7:30pm.
Finally, Godzilla and the Japanese Art of Special Effects takes place on Monday, November 4 from 7pm to 8:30pm. The lecture focuses on behind-the-scenes stories of making Toho’s films, particularly the older ones using miniature models, pyrotechnics, and man-in-a-suit effects.
Both lectures at the Japan Foundation are by authors Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski. Admission is free, but reservations are required. The venue’s address is 5700 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, in Los Angeles. Get more information here.
Tickets to the Godzilla-Thon at Geffen Theatre are $20 for members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, $25 for non-members. The theatre is located within the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures at 6067 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Get more information here.
Simultaneous with the movie marathon, the Academy Museum is also offering a Godzilla Workshop on Sunday, November 3 from 12:30pm to 4:30pm, in the Shirley Temple Education Studio. Guests are invited to create their own stop-motion animation using Godzilla figures and Legos and to take part in building a giant piñata. The event is included with a general admission ticket. Admission is free for ages 17 and under with advance reservation; adult tickets are $25, with discounts for seniors and students. Get more information here.
Review: 70th Anniversary Godzilla-Thon at Academy of Motion Pictures Museum
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Simply on the basis of the name, potential patrons know ahead of time whether they are interested in 70th Anniversary Godzilla-Thon, but there is a difference between raising expectations and fulfilling them. The Academy of Motion Pictures Museum succeeded at both on Sunday, November 3 – celebrating the debut of the very first Godzilla film, Gojira, back in 1954. Completed three years ago, the museum is an excellent place to hold a film festival. The Geffen Theatre on the second floor is large and luxurious, with picture and sound capabilities that instantly justify watching movies on the big screen instead of your high-def television at home.
It is literally impossible to convey the history of the Godzilla franchise in five films; nevertheless, the selection was impressive: Gojira (1954), Destroy All Monsters (1968), Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1972), Shin Godzilla (2016), and Godzilla Minus One (2023). The first is notable for its somber tone, conveying the devasting menace of nuclear was, embodied by Godzilla. The second two films take a lighter tone: Destroy All Monsters is the apotheosis of the 1960s monster battles, intended as colorful entertainments; Hedorah is absolutely insane in its wildly shifting tone (goofy battles and a tiny tot protagonist, mixed with numerous human casualties, either gooey or bloody). The latter two see a return to serious themes, combined with special effects that embrace modern computer-generated imagery instead of the old-school miniatures and suitmation of the older films. The audience reacted with wild enthusiasm to all the films, regardless of their widely varying tones, cheering as enthusiastically for the absurd (Godzilla flying in Hedorah) as for the terrifying (Godzilla unleashing a nuclear blast in Minus One).
The movies were introduced with comments providing interesting historical context and behind-the-scenes information. Godzilla himself even made an appearance on stage and also posed for photos with his fans in the Sydney Poitier Grand Lobby on the museum’s ground floor. As with any movie marathon, seeing all the films was an (enjoyable) endurance test. Unfortunately, food options were limited to a restaurant in the museum, which offered only a limited takeout menu for those without enough time to sit down at a table.
The films were all presented in their original Japanese form, with Japanese language and English subtitles (even though Godzilla vs. Hedorah was erroneously listed under the title of its dubbed U.S. release, Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster). For younger fans, this was probably their first chance to see the earlier films on the big screen. For older fans (who remember watching old, faded, beat-up prints in revival houses), the experience was like a dream come true. Whatever the source (35mm print, 4K, DCP), the films looked pristine, and the soundtracks were sharp. Music came through loud and clear, along with Godzilla’s signature roar. Sound effects were almost a literal blast, especially when enhanced in stereo. As the end credits faded on the marathon’s final film, Godzilla Minus One, the monster’s thunderous footfalls rocked the house. It was a sad, ecstatic moment – a glorious sendoff that left one wishing the event could go on forever.
The Godzilla-Thon was bracketed by a pair of lectures from Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, given at the Japan Foundation, a few blocks east of the Motion Picture Museum. We missed Godzilla in Context, but Godzilla and the Art of Japanese Special Effects was informative and entertaining. The authors of Ishiro Honda_ A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa offered a condensed historical overview of the techniques that brought Godzilla to life, dotted with amusing anecdotes (such as the time suit-actor Haruo Nakajima shrugged off the flames that engulfed the head of his costumes during a shot in 1964’s Mothra vs. Godzilla). The lecture was illustrated with numerous slides, plus excerpts from their documentary, Bringing Godzilla Down to Size, which includes interviews with many of the key behind-the-scenes figures. If you have read the work of either or both authors, you know at least some of this information; nevertheless, the lecture offered a nice, condensed presentation that hit key points and brought the story up to date, noting the switch to computer imagery in Toho’s recent Godzilla feature films while the company continues to use old-school miniatures and suits for the short subjects they present to honor the character’s legacy, the most recent being 2024’s Godzilla: Attack on Tokyo.
70th Anniversary Godzilla-Thon Photographs
