David Cronenberg’s THE FLY is highly regarded by us horror fans as not only one of the greatest remakes of all time but, quite possibly, one of the most gorgeous representations of practical effects in horror films to this very day. In the 35-plus years since the movie’s release, horror fans and aspiring filmmakers look at THE FLY slightly different to the average moviegoer. While the typical viewer sees shock and horror, we see the most tragic love story ever told. Ok, it’s also one of the grossest love fests ever told but nonetheless, tragic as hell. And the following deleted scene just validates that point even further.
The infamous monkey-cat deleted scene most of us have seen already is grotesque in nature and mostly unnecessary. I say mostly because I’m not too crazy about watching animals being mutilated- but it also touches on the absolute desperation at this point in the film for Seth Brundle. You could see the defeat in his mangled face after the terribly gone wrong experiment on the roof, and ummm, ripping off an insect leg that had spawned from his stomach with his mouth. Stating the whole scene is slightly painful to watch would be the understatement of the century- and of course, this deleted scene in particular is no exception to the argument either.
At the height of the end of the film where Brundle ninja attacks Stathis from the ceiling of his now Fly Nest and vomits on the hand and foot of Veronica’s ex, there’s an extended scene where Seth takes the severed foot of Stathis and treats it like the testy morsel he believes it to be. The easy movie-goer in me just thinks this shit is just straight-up nasty, HOWEVER, since I also analyze everything to death, it also demonstrates just how far gone Seth was at the end. This attack had nothing to do with Veronica. It had everything to do with his infamous monologue of “insect politics”. The insect inside him has mostly taken over at this point, with the last moment of humanity in Brundlefly is shown when Veronica asks him to stop before he kills Stathis. Shortly after, he sheds his outer skin to expose the creature it has become.
Don’t watch this while eating lunch, folks. Since the YouTube video is age restricted, just click watch on YouTube in the video box or right here!
The foulest stench is in the air, the funk of forty years since the universally proclaimed “King of Pop” released the infamous music video “Thriller”, a badass tune on his 1982 album of the same name, nationally to audiences everywhere, smells as fresh as it did since we first saw zombies dance across TV screens in 1983.
I was only a year and a half old when the “greatest video of all time” debuted on December 2nd, 1983 so I have no recollection of any first-time viewer accounts. What I do remember, however, is before the age of five being absolutely fucking terrified of this little short film/music video. The hilarious part about all of it is, I was NO stranger to the horror genre as I, myself, grew up in a household of horror fanatics; being raised on Universal Monsters, JAWS, and John Carpenter’s Halloween on heavy rotation via my father who gave no fucks on teaching his darling daughter early on about the glorious horror genre before I was able to even use the toilet on my own.
That’s some goddamn commitment. Bless that man.
That being said, I was pretty desensitized to a lot early on, and it took a lot to get that kind of fear going via a horror film. However, there was ONE thing I was scared shitless of early on- Werewolves. Thanks to a little movie calledSILVER BULLET, my parents and grandparents had rented the film somewhere, I wanna say around 1986, and me being the curious little shit I am, sat in on most of it until I freaked out at the infamous church scene, crying my eyeballs out at the visions of everyone, including kids turning into werewolves. That memory stuck with me forever and induced nightmares for months where I would have night terrors of either me, or my parents transforming into hairy-murderous lycanthropes. A few years later, I turned that fear into comfort being the sociopath I am, and SILVER BULLET was in my personal steady rotation, so much so I went to sleep with it almost every night for months on end. I can’t explain it, but all of that is true. Perhaps it was some sort of way of fighting those fearful feelings. I’m 41 years old and to remember vividly nightmares I had when I was 4 fucking years old, shows you how extreme that shit was. Eh, anyways, this all had to be said for a little context so I can explain the next part: YES I WAS SCARED SHITLESS OF THRILLER AS WELL thanks to that werewolf scene.
But only that part alone, before the actual music video started to take off. I fucking loved the zombies, the dance, everything else going on. Just not the goddamn werewolf scene or the very end stare with those yellow eyes.
Big fat fucking nope for me.
My dad, again bless his heart, tried to soothe my fears by telling me a great big fat lie how he was one of the zombies in the music video. Yep. You read that right. The man claimed to be one of those dancing dead fucks. Nice thought, but the only dance moves I ever saw him do was the robot, so I wasn’t buying it.
While I may have been no stranger to the horror genre before ever seeing the 14-minute masterful music video directed by John Landis (An American Werewolf in London, Innocent Blood), for an entire generation of kids who didn’t know Michael Myers from Jason Voorhees, they got their first taste of the horror genre in a wildly popular song turned into a short film that anyone, who is anyone saw. It was groundbreaking to say the very least, and a gateway of curiosity for kids and young adults to explore the genre of horror films. “Thriller” led to a massive interest in renting films like, of course, AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF OF LONDON, and George Romero’s zombie flicks like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and DAWN OF THE DEAD by a younger generation and sparked a resurgence, especially of those films mentioned. As for me, “Thriller” was actually my introduction to Vincent Price. While the first part of the video scared the crap out of me, his voiceover was so damn soothing to my anxiety- and I’ve been obsessed with the guy ever since.
40 years later, the land marking video still has a strong impact and on its Ruby Anniversary, Showtime is releasing a documentary that airs on December 2nd, 2023 which takes fans back in time to experience the making of the record-breaking album and the release of the accompanying short film that forever redefined the music video format and introduced a new generation to the world of horror.
Now, let’s roll those shoulders, give a quick head jolt, and celebrate this fantastic piece of horror history!
In my humble lifetime, I’ve watched Godzilla rise from obscure campiness confined only to the most niche corners of geekdom to all-out and absolute imperial sovereignty. No longer is he restrained by critiques for bad dubbing nor is he looked down on for rubber suits or string-pulled modeled fighter jets. Nothing is wrong with any of those things; they still hold a marvelous charm and irresistible fun. However, and if we’re being honest, the G-fandom’s always-known Godzilla (and his compatriot Kaiju) always deserved to be much more respected.
It is undeniable that we are currently living in an era where the King of the Monsters, Godzilla, has transcended the skepticism and thoughtless critiques that once surrounded him, and has now become a source of awe, terror, and wonder for the masses. The recently released movie, Godzilla: Minus One, provides clear evidence of the undeniable presence and power Godzilla holds over us all.
Godzilla: Minus One
Not too long ago, being a fan of Godzilla came with a harsh stigma. I remember being made fun of at school for talking about the few Godzilla films I owned. At the time, Godzilla was exceedingly rare and people thought there was something wrong with you if you were a fan. That scarcity meant that many people weren’t aware of what they were missing out on, and it was easier to mock the thing rather than discover how amazing it could actually be. Even my art teacher in 2nd grade made fun of me for choosing to draw Godzilla as a project.
It was extremely difficult to find any Godzilla movie at a store during those dark days, so owning any of them was considered a big deal. K-Mart sometimes had one or two, but it was a matter of some fucking luck to find any. Once in a while, you could catch one on TV and record it. That’s how I got hold of Godzilla vs King Kong and Godzilla vs Megalon. But to own officially released movies? Get out of here. So imagine my surprise one fateful Christmas when Santa left me a shoebox under the tree filled with four (motherfucking FOUR) Godzilla movies! It made me feel rich beyond measure and gave me major bragging rights. We would borrow the movies around at school and with cousins and they were watched to ever-fucking death! My copy of Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla still holds up though.
How Things Have Changed
I went to FYE a few months ago and walked out with a Godzilla energy drink, a sexy as Hell Godzilla shirt (the very one I wore to see G:MO last night), and a Mothra chocolate bar. The store has dedicated an entire section to the King of the Monsters himself. They also had a Godzilla welcome mat I’m gonna have to get soon.
Not to mention how NECA Toys released just about any version of Godzilla you can think of. There’s even a crazy NES version of the character you can now display proudly on your shelf. I wonder how many people even played that game. It, the game, was another Christmas present one year and despite the Angry Nerd’s verdict I remember always liking it.
That’s not to discredit S.H. Monsterarts and Super 7 who both are releasing amazingly detailed Godzilla figures of their own.
The Criterion Collection released the entire Showa Era on Blu-ray and even though the collection is in a binder that’s too goddamn fucking tall for its own good at least they’re available right? All this is to say Godzilla is every! He can be found at your local Target, Barnes & Noble, and mall. I mean come on, can find the cutest mother fucking plushies of Godzilla, Mothra, and Ghidorah.
Our cup runneth over, friends. My ten-year-old self would be losing his mind over this kind of shit. I mean seriously, Godzilla reigns!
Godzilla: Minus One
Legendary’s big-budget film (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) brought us one epic showdown between Godzilla and Ghidorah, and I was absolutely blown away. As a kid, I always knew Godzilla movies had the potential to be big, bold, and larger than life, and this film delivered on all fronts. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
But that’s not all. A brand new Toho-produced (!!!) Godzilla movie opened this weekend. The studio that blessed us all with the Beast himself is back at doing what they’ve always done best. Word is it’s nominated for best picture too. A fact I’m not surprised by because I always knew these movies, if only done right, could reach this level of magnitude. After seeing the movie for myself I can’t stop thinking of the images given to me. It’s the best, the absolute best, Godzilla has ever been since the original film.
Godzilla’s gone above and beyond to solidify his titanic place in pop culture and is going nowhere. He’s here to stay.
Godzilla: Minus One
So despite Godzilla’s current popularity, it is hard to imagine that the franchise was once discontinued and thought to be dead. In 1975, Toho released what was meant to be the absolute final movie and then pulled the plug on the series with no indication of ever bringing the iconic monster back to the big screen. By popular opinion, Godzilla had run his course and was done.
At that time, Toho was competing with the Gamera films, which had gained massive popularity among younger audiences.
Gamera
In response, Toho transformed Godzilla from a terrifying monster to a more child-friendly character. This new version of Godzilla was focused on teaching brats important values such as how to deal with bullies and the significance of recycling. Yeah, that’ll stick it to that flying turtle! Godzilla cleans up litter.
The character’s popularity was not decreasing, even though the campy and clownish tone of the story was becoming stale. The studio made the wise decision to take a break to allow their creative juices to flow again, as it seemed as if they had run out of ideas. This turned out to be the best decision Toho ever made, because what came next set the world on fire!
It seems like someone out there still remembered the original idea behind Godzilla. He was meant to be a symbol of man’s reckless misuse of atomic power, a force that could not be destroyed. He represented the dawn of a new era, an age defined by the eerie blue glow of atomic energy and all the terrifying consequences it brought with it. Godzilla was the ultimate monster of this brave new world, a horrific beast born from the ashes of human folly.
The Return of Godzilla (1984)
By God, it was time to bring Godzilla back and place him at the heart of the modern world’s current crises, that being the Cold War. The world stood breathlessly on the teetering brink of absolute annihilation as tensions mounted between the East and the West. The only thing anyone could think of at the time was The Bomb. How one small and insignificant mishap could spell the unconditional doom of all mankind. We stood in the shadow of the eleventh hour and many people were counting down the days till the inevitable happened. Possibly it was thanks to this apocalyptic atmosphere that helped restore Godzilla back to his terrifying roots.
In 1985, Godzilla was resurrected and brought back to the big screen, smashing its way into cinemas and capturing people’s attention. For the first time in my lifetime, a Godzilla movie was released theatrically, and it was this event that truly put the franchise on the map.
In this installment, Godzilla was stripped of his campy and comedic nature. This marked the beginning of a new era of films, which is also my personal favorite, the Hessei Era. And Toho wasn’t fucking around with this one. Godzilla was no longer the friendly creature we last saw. As soon as he emerges from a remote island, he begins wreaking havoc and destruction, leaving a trail of chaos and death in his wake.
It goes without saying they chose a far darker tone that reflected the signs of the times. Viewers are first met with an emotionally charged and brooding score as the film opens setting up the whole feel for what’s awaiting us all. The atmosphere is heavy and threatening as the world of Godzilla 1985 appears to be locked in perpetual night. As far as Godzilla himself the iconic suit gets a massive upgrade in appearance. The big guy had never looked better, not since the original Gojira. As the first in a new saga 1985 got it right and right away too.
The movie, known as The Return of Godzilla in Japan, was released there a year before its Western release. It was considered a true sequel to the original movie, as Toho chose to disregard all the other movies that came after Gojira. A trend that’s no become common among movies released then on.
Godzilla immediately attacks a Soviet nuclear submarine, triggering a chain of events that further fuels the aggression of the Cold War. Ironically, it was the development of nuclear weapons that gave rise to Godzilla, yet these same weapons continue to be the primary means by which humanity seeks to destroy itself. Godzilla emerges from the earth like a mushroom cloud, laying waste to everything in its path. He is both the harbinger of the apocalypse and a symbol of Armageddon.
The movie explores the dilemma of whether to rely on nuclear weapons to destroy Godzilla or to keep them as far away as possible. The idea of using Godzilla’s own source of power against him is about as brilliant as punching yourself in the nuts to forget about your headache, but it puts the Japanese Prime Minister in a terrible predicament. Both the USA and the USSR urge him to use nuclear weapons to take down the monster, making his decision a difficult one. I”d hate to have his job the lousy fuck.
The film is far from perfect but it gets the job done. A common complaint is how it runs slow at times. I recently watched the original Japanese version of the film and, just like how the original Japanese release of Gojira is superior to the Western counterpart, this proved to be a much better experience. The Western version of 1985 has American scenes shoehorned in to (I guess) appeal to American moviegoers. These scenes add little to the plot and are jarring in terms of runtime. The original film, The Return of Godzilla, flows much better and doesn’t feel overly drawn out while it plays out the plot.
To Western fans, it might be nice to see Raymond Burr back reprising the role he had in Gojira. That’s a nice touch that adds some continuity to the story and makes it feel connected to the first movie. But I didn’t miss seeing his scenes when I watched the Japanese cut. It’s a matter of preference.
For the time this was my favorite Godzilla movie and remained so for a long, long time. I wasn’t aware Toho was making other Godzilla movies that followed the events of 1985. When Godzilla falls into the volcano at the end of the movie I cried. I was a little kid and Godzilla was my hero. He couldn’t die! And the end of the movie felt so final. Do I dare say it was operatic? I don’t know, but I know it played my emotions too well.
Another change I noticed in the Japanese cut – they know Godzilla cannot be destroyed. They lure him to that volcano at the end in hopes of burying him deep, deep into the earth’s core where he will be far removed from the surface world. The idea didn’t work because like I said there were plenty of movies to follow it.
Looking back, it’s clear that Godzilla’s resurgence can be traced back to 1985. The movie was a huge success and paved the way for the popularity that Godzilla now enjoys. It’s hard to say if we would have gotten the Legendary films if it weren’t for 1985. Would Toho have taken the risk to invest in more Kaiju films if 1985 hadn’t worked?
Although not perfect, Godzilla 1985 is a powerful film that demonstrates the enduring appeal of the King of the Monsters. It had a significant influence on many children in my generation, who grew up with the knowledge that Godzilla could not be defeated. They knew that the King of the Monsters would always return, time and time again.
Now I’m going to go see Godzilla: Minus One as many times as I can! You all take care, happy holidays and…
