Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
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| Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster | |
|---|---|
 Japanese poster |
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| Directed by | Jun Fukuda |
| Produced by | Tomoyuki Tanaka |
| Written by | Shinichi Sekizawa Peter Fernandez (English version) |
| Starring | Akira Takarada Kumi Mizuno Chotaro Togin Hideo Sunazuka Toru Watanabe Toru Ibuki Akihiko Hirata Jun Tazaki Ikio Sawamura Pair Bambi Eisei Amamoto |
| Music by | Masaru Sato |
| Distributed by | Toho (Japan) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | December 17, 1966 (Japan) 1969 (USA) |
| Running time | 87 min. (83 min. dubbed) |
| Language | Japanese |
| Preceded by | Invasion of Astro-Monster |
| Followed by | Son of Godzilla |
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, released in Japan as Godzilla, Ebirah, Mothra: Big Duel in the South Seas (ゴジラ・エビラ・モスラ 南海の大決闘 Gojira, Ebira, Mosura Nankai no Daikettō) and known internationally as Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, is a 1966 kaiju/tokusatsu film directed by Jun Fukuda and written by Shinichi Sekizawa. The special effects were directed by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is the seventh film in the original Godzilla series.
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[edit] Plot
After Yata is lost at sea, his brother Ryota steals a yacht with his two friends and a bank robber. The crew runs afoul of the giant lobster Ebirah, and washes up on the shore of an island, where a terrorist organization manufactures heavy water for their purposes, as well as a chemical that keeps Ebirah at bay. The organization, known as the Red Bamboo, has enslaved natives from Infant Island to help them, but the natives hope to awaken Mothra to rescue them.
In their efforts to avoid capture, Ryota and his friends, aided by a beautiful native girl, stumble across Godzilla sleeping within a cliffside cavern. The group devises a plan to defeat the Red Bamboo and escape from the island. In the process, they wake Godzilla using a lightning rod. Godzilla fights Ebirah, but the giant lobster escapes. Godzilla is then attacked by a giant condor and a squadron of Red Bamboo fighter jets, but destroys them.
The humans retrieve the missing Yata, free the enslaved natives and Godzilla begins to destroy the base. Godzilla smashes a tower that has a self destruct button that makes the island unstable. Godzilla fights Ebirah and defeats it, ripping off both Ebirah's claws and causing it to retreat into the sea. The natives summon Mothra to save everyone, however, Godzilla challenges Mothra when she gets to the island. Mothra manages to push Godzilla away and carry the people off. Godzilla escapes the island just before it explodes.
[edit] Cast
- Akira Takarada as Yoshimura
- Tooru Watanabe as Ryota Kane
- Tooru Ibuki as Yata Kane
- Choutarou Tougin as Ichino
- Hideo Sunazuka as Nita
- Kumi Mizuno as Dayo
- Pair Bambi as Shobijin
- Jun Tazaki as Red Bamboo Commander
- Akihiko Hirata as Captain Ryuui (Yamoto in English version)
- Eisei Amamoto as Carrier Captain
- Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla
- Yū Sekida as Ebirah
[edit] Production
The film was originally written for King Kong, but Toho switched Kong with another popular character at the time, Godzilla. This would explain Godzilla's crush on Kumi Mizuno's character, among other things. Toho would later use Kong for King Kong Escapes.
The US television version and early video versions have a different opening to the film. The opening scenes of Ryota at the Maritime Safety Agency searching for news of his brother have been replaced with a scene supposedly showing Ebirah destroying Yata's boat. This sequence was created by editing a later scene in the movie. The current DVD version of the film restores the Japanese cut.
In 1991, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster was distributed under the Film Ventures International name. The company replaced the opening with a generic credit sequence, using footage from Son of Godzilla.
[edit] English version
In 1967, the film was released directly to television in North America by the Walter Reade Organization. It was the first Godzilla film to not receive North American theatrical distribution.
There were several small alterations made:
- Dialogue was dubbed to English.
- Captain Ryuui's name was changed to Yamoto.
- Deleted: The opening credits sequence. This version features only the title card, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster.
- Deleted: A scene where Ryoto goes to the Maritime Safety office and sees a poster on the wall for a dance contest.
- Deleted: Rock music that played in the Japanese version during Godzilla and Ebirah's battle.
The English version runs 83 minutes, four minutes shorter than the Japanese version, and was featured in an episode of the movie-mocking television series Mystery Science Theater 3000.
[edit] Box office
In Japan, the film was released on December 17 and sold approximately 3,450,000 tickets. It was re-released on July 22, 1972 and sold approximately 760,000 tickets.
[edit] DVD release
Sony Pictures
- Released: February 8, 2005
- Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)
- Sound: Japanese (2.0), English (2.0)
- Supplements: Trailers for Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, MirrorMask, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, and Steamboy
- Region 1
- Note: Contain's Toho's International Version
- MPAA Rating: PG for sci-fi monster violence
[edit] External links
- Godzilla on the web(Japan)
- Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster at the Internet Movie Database
- Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster at Rotten Tomatoes
- Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster film review
- FX director Sadamasa Arikiawa interview
- Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster at Toho Kingdom, including some reviews
