Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Encyclopedia
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, released in Japan as and known internationally as Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, is a 1966 science fiction
kaiju
film directed by Jun Fukuda
and written by Shinichi Sekizawa
. This is the first film in the series with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa. Eiji Tsuburaya
, now very busy with Tsuburaya Productions
, supervised the effects shoot. The film is the seventh in the original Godzilla
series.
In 1991, the film was shown on the television show Mystery Science Theater 3000
.
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.
, but Toho switched Kong with another popular character at the time, Godzilla
. This explains why Godzilla displays uncharacteristic behavior in the film, such as drawing strength from electricity, his curiosity to Kumi Mizuno's character, and the usage of boulders to destroy the Red Bamboo Base. 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
. This version aired on Mystery Science Theater 3000
.
, this movie was dubbed by Titra Studios
.
There were several alterations made for this release:
The English version runs 83 minutes, four minutes shorter than the Japanese version.
In 2005, Sony released the film on DVD. This was the first time the original Japanese version had been officially released on home video in the United States. The original American version, however, was replaced by Toho's international version, which is uncut. The dubbing in this version is often cited as inferior to the original Titra Studios dub.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
film directed by Jun Fukuda
Jun Fukuda
, was a Japanese director. He was born in Manchuria. He has directed dozens of films, perhaps best known for his contributions to the Godzilla film series in the 1970s...
and written by Shinichi Sekizawa
Shinichi Sekizawa
was a Japanese screenwriter. His very first screenplay was for the Shintoho Studios film Fearful Attack of the Flying Saucers, which is now considered to be lost. He went on to script several films by Ishirō Honda, including several classic Godzilla films...
. This is the first film in the series with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa. Eiji Tsuburaya
Eiji Tsuburaya
was the Japanese special effects director responsible for many Japanese science-fiction movies, including the Godzilla series...
, now very busy with Tsuburaya Productions
Tsuburaya Productions
is a Japanese special effects studio founded in 1963 by special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya and was run by his family, until October 2007, when the family sold the company to advertising agency TYO Inc. The studio is best known for producing the original Ultraman TV series, as well as the Ultra...
, supervised the effects shoot. The film is the seventh in the original Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
series.
In 1991, the film was shown on the television show Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
.
Plot
After Yata (Tooru Ibuki) is lost at sea, his brother Ryota (Tooru Watanabe) steals a yachtYacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
with his two friends and a bank robber. The crew runs afoul of the giant lobster Ebirah
Ebirah
, is a fictional kaiju that first appeared in the Showa Godzilla film Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster. He is one of the two main antagonists of the film.-Showa series:...
, and washes up on the shore of an island, where a terrorist organization manufactures heavy water
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
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
Mothra
is a kaiju, a type of fictional monster who first appeared in the serialized novel The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Takehiko Fukunaga, Shinichiro Nakamura, and Yoshie Hotta...
to rescue them.
In their efforts to avoid capture, Ryota and his friends, aided by a beautiful native girl, stumble across Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
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
Lightning rod
A lightning rod or lightning conductor is a metal rod or conductor mounted on top of a building and electrically connected to the ground through a wire, to protect the building in the event of lightning...
. Godzilla fights Ebirah, but the giant lobster escapes. Godzilla is then attacked by a giant condor
Condor
Condor is the name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.They are:* The Andean Condor which inhabits the Andean mountains....
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.
Cast
- Akira TakaradaAkira Takaradais a Japanese film actor who is most known in the west for his roles in the Godzilla film series.-Overview:Takarada was born in Japan-occupied Korea, and lived for a time in Harbin, China. His father worked as an engineer on the South Manchuria Railway...
as Yoshimura - Tooru Watanabe as Ryota Kane
- Tooru Ibuki as Yata Kane
- Choutarou Tougin as Ichino
- Hideo Sunazuka as Nita
- Kumi MizunoKumi Mizunois a Japanese actress most famous for appearing in several Toho Kaiju films of the 1960s and early 1970s....
as Dayo - Pair Bambi as Shobijin
- Jun Tazaki as Red Bamboo Commander, one of the two primary antagonists of the film.
- Akihiko HirataAkihiko Hiratawas a Japanese film actor. While Hirata starred in many movies , he is most well known for his work in the kaiju genre, including such films as King Kong vs. Godzilla, The Mysterians, and his most famous role of Dr...
as Captain Ryuui (Yamoto in English version) - Eisei Amamoto as Carrier Captain
- Haruo NakajimaHaruo Nakajimais a famous Japanese actor. He is best known for playing Godzilla and is considered by many to be the best suit actor in the long history of the franchise...
as GodzillaGodzillais a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,... - Yū Sekida as EbirahEbirah, is a fictional kaiju that first appeared in the Showa Godzilla film Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster. He is one of the two main antagonists of the film.-Showa series:...
, one of the two primary antagonists of the film.
Production
The film was originally written for King KongKing Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
, but Toho switched Kong with another popular character at the time, Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
. This explains why Godzilla displays uncharacteristic behavior in the film, such as drawing strength from electricity, his curiosity to Kumi Mizuno's character, and the usage of boulders to destroy the Red Bamboo Base. Toho would later use Kong for King Kong Escapes
King Kong Escapes
King Kong Escapes, released in Japan as , is a 1967 Kaiju film. A Japanese/American co-production from Toho and Rankin/Bass . Directed by Ishiro Honda and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred both American actors alongside Japanese actors...
.
The US television version and early video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
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
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
version of the film restores the Japanese cut.
In 1991, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster was distributed under the Film Ventures International
Film Ventures International
Film Ventures International is an independent movie production and distribution company originally situated in Atlanta, Georgia during the 1970s. FVI garnered a notorious reputation within the industry for producing films which were highly derivative of many blockbusters of the era...
name. The company replaced the opening with a generic credit sequence, using footage from Son of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1967 science fiction kaiju film. The eighth part of the Toho studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa It is the first film to feature Kamacuras, Kumonga, and Minilla.-Plot:A team of scientists are...
. This version aired on Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
.
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. As with Walter Reade Organizations' next Godzilla release, Son of GodzillaSon of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1967 science fiction kaiju film. The eighth part of the Toho studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa It is the first film to feature Kamacuras, Kumonga, and Minilla.-Plot:A team of scientists are...
, this movie was dubbed by Titra Studios
Titra Studios
Titra Studios is an American dubbing studio. The studio was responsible for dubbing numerous foreign films, including Mothra vs. Godzilla 1964 as well as the Speed Racer cartoon series and the original Ultraman tv series....
.
There were several alterations made for this release:
- 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 GodzillaGodzillais a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
and EbirahEbirah, is a fictional kaiju that first appeared in the Showa Godzilla film Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster. He is one of the two main antagonists of the film.-Showa series:...
's battle.
The English version runs 83 minutes, four minutes shorter than the Japanese version.
In 2005, Sony released the film on DVD. This was the first time the original Japanese version had been officially released on home video in the United States. The original American version, however, was replaced by Toho's international version, which is uncut. The dubbing in this version is often cited as inferior to the original Titra Studios dub.
Titles
- Godzilla, Ebirah, Mothra: Great Battle in the South Seas - Translated Japanese title.
- Ebirah, Horror of the Deep - Toho's official English title.
- Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster - U.S. version title.
- Frankenstein and the Monster from the Sea - German title (Frankenstein was added to the plot.)
Box office
In Japan, the film was released on December 17, 1966 and sold approximately 3,450,000 tickets. It was re-released on July 22, 1972 and sold approximately 760,000 tickets.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, MirrorMaskMirrorMaskMirrormask is a 2005 fantasy film from Jim Henson Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn Films, and Destination Films. It stars Stephanie Leonidas, Jason Barry, Rob Brydon, and Gina McKee. It is designed and directed by Dave McKean, written by Neil Gaiman from a story they developed together...
, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood OrchidAnacondas: The Hunt for the Blood OrchidAnacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid is a 2004 horror-thriller film and sequel to the 1997 film Anaconda. It was directed by Dwight H. Little and was released in the United States on August 27, 2004. The plot of the movie entails a group of explorers looking for a sacred flower that they...
, and SteamboySteamboyis a 2004 Japanese animated steampunk film, produced by Sunrise, and directed and co-written by Katsuhiro Otomo, his second major anime release, following Akira. The film was released in Japan on July 17, 2004. Steamboy is the most expensive full length Japanese animated movie made to date... - Region 1
- Note: Contain's TohoTohois a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
's International Version - MPAA Rating: PG for sci-fi monster violence