You’re still going to include the added Imperial March, right? That was one of my favorite ideas from the original version of your edit, since I myself always thought it would be a great thing to edit in.
This fan-edit combines the original Japanese version of the original 1954 Godzilla film and the American re-edit called “Godzilla: King of the Monsters!” It adds all of the Raymond Burr footage to the original Japanese cut, keeping both most of Steve Martin’s scenes and almost all of the scenes with the original cast, extending the run-time to a total 1 hour and 40 minutes. This way, you get the best of both worlds, with the brilliance of the original Japanese cut and the great acting and iconic lines of Raymond Burr that I have lots of nostalgia for.
This edit is available, just PM me if you would like to see it.
Source: Criterion Blu-Ray (which includes the original Japanese cut and the US re-edit, though KOTM had to be upsized a little)
JP = Original Japanese Version
US = Godzilla: King of the Monsters!
Cut list:
-(US) Opening titles from “Godzilla: King of the Monsters!”
-(US) Steve Martin narrating as he awakes in the ruins of Tokyo and is brought to the emergency hospital where he meets Emiko Yamane. Steve Martin’s flashback begins on the plane to Japan.
-(JP) Godzilla sinks the Eiko-Maru (with roar added, idea from US cut).
-(JP) Ogata cancels his date with Emiko.
-(US) Steve Martin is stopped by security at the airport.
-(US) Steve Martin meets Iwanaga.
-(JP & US) Iwanaga takes Steve to SDF Naval Office, where we intercut with the Japanese version of Ogata with the coast guard talking about the disappearance of the Eiko-Maru.
-(JP) Godzilla sinks the Bingo-Maru.
-(JP) Journalists report sinking, military official talks with families.
-(US) Steve leaves a message for his editor at newspaper office.
-(JP) Survivors of Bingo-Maru found by third ship.
-(JP) Military reports that survivors were found.
-(JP) Military learns that third ship was also sunk.
-(JP) Newspapers report that shipping is shut down.
-(JP) Survivor of third ship washes up on Odo Island.
-(JP & US) Steve, military officials, and reporter Hagiwara land on Odo Island to interview locals.
-(US) Steve and Iwanaga watch islander ceremony and learn the legend of Godzilla.
-(JP & US) Steve and Iwanaga witness Godzilla attack and destroy the village admist a storm.
-(JP & US) Odo Islanders testify before the Diet (US); Professor Yamane proposes a scientific expedition (JP with a shot of Steve added during Yamane’s speech).
-(US) Steve leaves press box, asks Yamane for permission to join expedition.
-(JP & US) Expedition leaves for Odo Island (shots of Doctor Serizawa from the original Japanese cut added to the US cut of the scene so both Steve and Serizawa are present in the scene).
-(JP & US) Emiko and Ogata’s conversation, intercut with Steve silently watching nearby with his narration describing the love triangle between Ogata, Emiko, and Serizawa.
-(JP & US) Japanese cut of the expedition surveying Odo Island, with quick shots of Steve and Iwanaga in the crowd watching intercut.
-(JP & US) Godzilla rises from behind the mountain, intercut with the shots of Steve from the US cut.
-(JP & US) Yamane’s report to the Diet, with a quick shot of Steve watching added.
-(JP) Ogata tells Emiko that Serizawa is what’s preventing him from marrying her, but Emiko assures him that she’s always thought of him as a brother rather then a lover. The scene where the newspaper reporter talks to them right after is cut though (you’ll see why later).
-(US) Steve has phone conversations with his editor and Dr. Serizawa.
-(JP & US) Steve narration added to Japanese cut of Emiko at Serizawa’s house (starting with after the reporter has left), intending to break her engagement with him, but Serizawa shows her the oxygen destroyer before she can. I was intending on keeping the whole reporter subplot in at first but it wouldn’t make sense as in his phone conversation with Steve, Serizawa says that Emiko was going to meet him that night for something important, and because the phone call between Serizawa and Steve is important, I’ve decided to have Emiko go to Serizawa’s house herself to tell him she will not marry him like the US cut.
-(JP) Emiko returns home but doesn’t tell Ogata what happened.
-(JP) Navy tries to kill Godzilla with depth charges.
-(JP) Yamane, upset at reports that the Navy has killed Godzilla, sits alone in his office.
-(US) A party boat spots Godzilla in Tokyo Bay. I used the US version because it had more sound effects.
-(JP) Godzilla attacks. At first I was intending on adding the shots of Steve here but after thinking about it I realized that he really has no reason to be in this scene.
-(US) Montage of military mobilization and residents being evacuated with Steve’s narration.
-(US) Iwanaga tells Steve the military’s plan.
-(JP) Military officials call Yamane to a meeting, but he has no idea how to kill Godzilla.
-(JP) Ogata, intending to ask Yamane for permission to marry Emiko, gets himself thrown out of the house.
-(JP & US) Godzilla’s second attack on Tokyo, intercut with Steve reporting into his tape recorder; US cut of Godzilla approaching the electric towers and Godzilla destroying the building Steve is in.
-For both Godzilla’s first and second attacks I’ve added roars to places where they were needed but weren’t placed in either cut (when he has his mouth open but there’s no roar).
-Completely cut the scene where Godzilla is driven off by jets for a few reasons. First, it helps set in stone that the military cannot stop Godzilla. It’s kind of strange that they say that they need the oxygen destroyer when they seemed to be able to drive Godzilla off with jets just fine. Are jets his kryptonite or something? Why do jets make him retreat when he had no problem with tanks? It completely undermines the need for the oxygen destroyer if they can just make him retreat with planes. Second, it keeps the ominous, chilling tone of the scene going. Why did the filmmakers think it would be a good idea to have it be dark and dour, then have a happy moment of levity, and then back to dark and dour? Third, the effects in this scene are very wonky even compared to the rest of movie. After destroying the bridge, he dives back into the ocean, leaving the people of Japan without any hope.
-(JP) Aftermath of Godzilla’s attack.
-(JP & US) Emiko tells Ogata and Steve about the oxygen destroyer; the flashback of Emiko seeing the oxygen destroyer disentegrate fish and her conversation with Serizawa about it afterwords is from the Japanese cut.
-(JP) Ogata and Emiko convince Serizawa to use the oxygen destroyer against Godzilla.
-(JP) Serizawa insists that he help Ogata use the oxygen destroyer.
-(JP & US) The death of Godzilla, with cuts to Steve from the US version multiple times to show he is on the ship.
-(JP & US) Ending; the Japanese cut of Ogata and Emiko mourning Serizawa, but with Steve’s narration and the English end credits.
- Empire Strikes Back (great)
- Return of the Jedi (great)
- Revenge of the Sith (great)
- A New Hope (great)
- Rogue One (great)
- The Force Awakens (pretty good)
- Solo (mediocre)
- Attack of the Clones (has it’s highlights)
- Phanthom Menace (has it’s highlights)
- The Last Jedi (why…)
I know this is over a year old but I just thought I would briefly comment my new sentiments. The list is still pretty accurate, but believe it or not I’d probably now put TPM and AOTC above TFA and possibly Solo, because at least they actually contribute and are essential to the saga and lore. They have great parts. Meanwhile IMO the sequel trilogy to the Star Wars saga is like a lamprey that’s latched itself onto a shark: it’s something forced onto something else that was already functioning perfectly without it, doesn’t flow right with the rest of the body, and literally just sucks from it like a parasite. Sound unpleasant? Exactly. Like the sequel trilogy.
Rise of Skywalker is second to worst, only beat still by The Last Jedi.
I know this is probably a sacrilegious thing to say, but I think Hayden as Anakin’s force ghost actually makes more sense. It might sound dumb right now but let me explain.
Vader/Anakin was 46 when he died. Hayden is currently 39 and doesn’t look much different then he did in ROTS. I’m pretty sure he’s not going to suddenly look 78 in 7 years.
So even if we take into account the fact that he was good again when he died so ROTS wasn’t the last time he was on the light side of the force, it STILL makes more sense for Hayden to be the ghost.
I’m not sure if this has been suggested yet or not, but what about Vader saying to Luke “Your mother once thought as you do” instead of “Obi-Wan once thought as you do”. I think that would be pretty impactful.
octoroxx’s fan-edits for Episodes 1 and 2 (you can find them on fanedit.org), then episode 3, Rogue One, the original trilogy (original, not special edition), and Force Awakens completely intact, and Ivan Ortega’s Last Jedi fan-edit (it hasn’t come out yet but from what I’ve heard it’s going to be amazing)
I’ve either made or thought up of ideas for edits for some of the Heisei films. Even though it’s my favorite Godzilla series (I especially love Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, King Ghidorah, Destoroyah, and Biollante, my top four all time favorite Godzilla films), they’re the one’s I watch the most so I knew going in what to fix.
First, Godzilla vs. Mothra. I actually like this movie quite a bit, it’s in my top 15, but it’s not without it’s flaws. Most of the cuts were cutting the lines where that one dude (the one often seen with Akira Takarada’s character in the gray suit and grey hair) where he kept on making goofy faces with horrible line delivery, the unnecessary environmentalism stuff, some of the wonky effects shots, and adding a roar sound effect for all of the shots where Godzilla’s mouth is open but there’s no roar (which is such a pet peeve of mine; literally every Godzilla film has at least one occasion, I’ve checked, where this happens but this is the one that suffers the most and it’s the most noticeable here; there’s so many shots here that just grind my gears because he’s clearly meant to be roaring but there’s no roar sound effect. There could be a shot where it’s just him in the center of the frame and there’s no roar sound. Sound designers? Hello?! Though I guess it’s still better then literally giving Godzilla SpaceGodzilla’s roar in some shots two films later).
I’ve been wanting to make a Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II extended cut, as Takao Okawara initially wanted too, adding in all (or just most) of the scenes cut from the film, especially Miki’s interaction with Baby (which I literally have no idea why they cut because it’s great). I have two problems though that keep me from doing it, which are that I can’t understand Japanese and no subtitles seem to exist anywhere so it would be impossible for anyone who doesn’t speak Japanese to understand the added in human scenes because there’s no subtitles, and second, I can’t find the scenes in a good quality. If someone would be willing to help me fix any of these two problems, I will be eternally grateful. Other then that I wouldn’t make any changes to the film because I absolutely love this film so much (my favorite of all time) and the editing is excellent.
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla is easily the one I’ve edited the most because it’s the most flawed. I cut everything about G-Force and the UNGCC in the first act besides the opening scene so I could remove the awful space battle with no eyebrows raised, the subplot about Miki having a connection with the fairies, all of the times Kiyo acts like a wimp and complains about having to do the simplest of jobs (like climbing) on Birth Island despite working for an organization that fights kaiju, the butt shot, the scene where Koji and Kiyo suddenly go from Project T to killing Godzilla and being so dim witted they think they can kill Godzilla with guns, Miki deciding to stay on the island, the whole Mafia subplot, the whole Miki and Koji love subplot (including the time where she helps Koji get Yuki get his foot un-stuck using telekinesis), and some parts of the final battle that made it drag out. I ended up cutting it do only an hour and 15 minutes and it’s perfectly coherent. I would add back in the deleted scene of Godzilla trying to free his son but the scene hasn’t been released at all, which is a shame.
I haven’t touched Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah because literally my only problem (the fact that, while Wikizilla’s video perfectly clears up the time travel stuff, the movie itself doesn’t clearly explain it enough) can’t be fixed, I haven’t touched Godzilla vs. Biollante either, and for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah I think I went in and trimmed like one or two wonky effects shots and that’s it.
I may make my own thread if you guys want me to elaborate more on the one’s I changed (just one thread for all of the films though, don’t want to unnecessarily clutter the forum). I could end up making some for the Showa and Millennium films as well if I feel like it (some ideas that come to mind are trimming Monster Zero a little so the pacing is better because the pacing is horrendous, cutting the Minilla subplot from Final Wars, and adding the Steve Martin scenes to the original Gojira).