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Godzilla: Ranking All 35 Live Action Movies – Including ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’

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GODZILLA X KONG review

It’s been nearly 70 years since Godzilla first step foot on the silver screen with Ishiro Honda’s 1954 opus, Gojira. What started as an allegory about the horrors of the atomic bomb and war has since been reimagined myriad times to cover everything from the awesome forces of nature to geopolitical alliances, the absurdities of consumerism to mankind’s inability to curb pollution. Whether Godzilla is a tragic monster, a defender of earth, or children’s role model, there’s no denying the appeal the Big G has to audiences.

After all, it’s damn entertaining to watch a giant monster stomping around the streets of a metropolis and leaving a path of destruction. Sure, American movies like King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms primed American audiences for features of this magnitude. But really, it was Godzilla and the evolution of the IP’s unique genre of films — kaiju eiga (Japanese for monster movie) — that perfected the formula, took it internationally, and captured fans across multiple generations. That fanbase, mind you, even includes revolutionary filmmakers like John Carpenter, Tim Burton, and Martin Scorsese.

And like the impermeable lizard, there’s no slowing down this franchise. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is currently expanding Legendary’s MonsterVerse on Apple+ with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire touching down this weekend. That’s not all, either. Toho returned big time last year with their critically acclaimed — and Oscar-winningGodzilla Minus One, the highly anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Shin Godzilla. To celebrate the great lizard, Bloody Disgusting went ahead and ranked every live-action Godzilla title from the beginning until now. It’s quite a feat given the monster-sized back catalogue, but here they are: 35 features in all their stomping, roaring glory.


35. All Monsters Attack (1969)

A latchkey kid named Ichiro spends most of his days alone, avoiding his bully, and left to daydream. His favorite place to escape to is Monster Island, where he imagines he is friends with Godzilla’s son Minilla who also faces his own problems with bullies in the form of a monster named Gabara. The sole Godzilla movie created with children as the primary audience in mind falls prey to the worst of TV show trope: the clip show. A mashup of recycled monster footage from several previous Godzilla films, All Monsters Attack is mercifully short and has a strong message about standing up for yourself … but it’s a slog to sit through.


34. Godzilla (1998)

Americans had waited for years to take a crack at a Godzilla movie for themselves. Numerous scripts (including one penned by the folks who wrote 1992’s Aladdin) and directors were attached (including Speed and Twister heavy Jan de Bont). Sadly, what we finally ended up with was this flaming pile of garbage that’s more of a sendup to Independence Day and Jurassic Park than a proper Godzilla movie. This has even led to the monster shown being dubbed as Zilla in fan circles. It’s totally devoid of any kind of social commentary or metaphors that make many of the other movies work and misappropriates the monster as overgrown pest that just wants to eat fish all day. Despite all of that, Godzilla was a huge hit at the box office and directly responsible for an increase in his popularity stateside to a whole new generation of moviegoers.


33. Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

The idea that Godzilla movies are mindless — just men in rubber suits wrestling — owes a great deal of that stereotype to Godzilla vs. Megalon. The film received a wide theatrical release in the US and was the first Godzilla title to receive a prime time broadcast by NBC that was hosted by John Belushi. What’s it about? Recent nuclear tests have disturbed the lost city of an Atlantis-like underground civilization dubbed Seatopia. As punishment, they send their fearsome monster Megalon, a giant cockroach with drills for arms, to punish mankind’s destructiveness. The film was made with one of Toho’s smallest budgets, and it shows with its barren country side battles and the rehashing of old special effects.


32. Son of Godzilla (1967)

What if Godzilla had a son? The title tells you everything you need to know about this one, and marks the first appearance of the turd-looking progeny of Godzilla, aka Minilla. A government research outpost is stationed on an island where they hope to test a new weather control system that will hopefully combat the effects of global warming. Godzilla plays the strict parent here who seems annoyed at his wimpy son’s inability to do anything — including being picked on by some of the other monsters who live there like a giant spider and some mantises. It cannot be stressed enough how truly terrible the creature design for Minilla is in this movie.


31. Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000)

In a world where Godzilla intermittently threatens Japan over the decades as they advance their energy capabilities, a section of the Japanese Defense Force called the G-Graspers is created to combat him. Their idea to rid the world of his presence is a new piece of technology called the Dimension Tide, which can fire localized black holes from a satellite. As you would expect, this device inadvertently opens a portal to a previous era and the giant armored dragonfly, Megaguirus, is unleashed on Japan. This movie raises some interesting questions about the responsible use of nuclear energy and has some pleasing popcorn moment fights, but fails to stand up to any kind of logic with its large leaps in science.


30. Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999)

Godzilla 2000 marks the beginning of the ‘Millennium Era’ of Godzilla movies, where each cite only the 1954 as canon and the rest are disregarded. The Godzilla Prediction Network seeks to track Godzilla’s landfall patterns to learn more about his habits and study his behavior. Meanwhile, an inert UFO that is millions of years old is found deep in the Japanese trench and comes to life to unleash an alien plot and take over the world. It’s hard not to see some of the fears of Y2K present here, but the film suffers from some drawn-out action scenes and poorly-aged CGI effects.


29. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)

The first of five Showa Era movies directed by Jun Fukuda, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep marks the period in which Godzilla starts to enter more silly and campy adventures. There is little nuance to the titular monster, a giant lobster engaged in battle with Godzilla where they are hitting rocks back and forth like two tennis players volleying for a point. Ebirah’s action all takes place on an island where the terrorist group Red Bamboo has enslaved local inhabitants to manufacture a chemical made from local fruit that can ward off the crustacean’s attacks. Godzilla feels out of place in this movie, though, which makes sense considering the original script had King Kong in his place instead.


28. Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. is a rarity among these movies as it serves as a direct sequel/part two to Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, in addition to 1961’s Mothra. Mechagodzilla, called Kiryu in the Millennium Era and built using the bones of the 1954 Godzilla, is under repairs after its previous square off with Godzilla. The Mothra twins arrive, telling them that Godzilla will continue to attack Japan unless they return the bones to their original resting place, a common theme in several of the Millennium Era titles. Mothra’s usage is the highlight here and serves as a point to strengthen its underlying message of working together to overcome obstacles.


27. Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)

Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla is a wildly uneven movie and the low point in the otherwise strong Heisei Era of movies. Sure, there’s some good stuff in the form of the creature design like SpaceGodzilla, as well as Godzilla’s adopted and adorable son, Little Godzilla, but the movie suffers from a bloated plot and scenes that stretch on for far too long. The premise here is that some of Godzilla’s cells have found their way into space and mutated with an asteroid that is barreling towards Earth, which leads to his doppelganger crash landing in Japan and Godzilla’s son being kidnapped. There are some underlying themes about genetics and biology, but they’re … flimsy to say the least.


26. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

One of the major complaints about Gareth Edward’s 2014 Godzilla is that there weren’t enough monster scenes. King of the Monsters responded to this by letting them eat cake and fight ’til the proverbial curtain drops. To do that, the movie adds some of Godzilla’s most beloved foes with Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah all joining the party. There’s a flipside to that coin, though: One of the things that stands in the way of all giant monster melees is the overwrought human plot about ecoterrorists and kaiju mind control devices. And that’s what happens here as the humans merely exist to spout off exposition and lack any kind of real depth to their performances. Still, some mindless good fun is had here.


 

25. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

The Monsterverse goes subterranean in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Much like other entries in the American franchise, there’s ample monster fighting sequences and the flimsiest human characters imaginable. Director Adam Wingard embraces the campy roots of the Showa Era titles, but much like Godzilla vs. Megalon, having the action take place far from densely populated areas lowers the stakes on the ensuing carnage that transpires. GxK is akin to a bottle episode television and the CGI leaves much to be desired in some sequences. Exploring the history of Hollow Earth is fun but peppering in copious sequences of exposition dumping as a means to move from one fighting set piece to the next does not make for the most engaging movie.


24. Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

Aliens coming to Earth and pretending to be friendly but secretly having ulterior motives of world domination is an all-too-common plot device in this franchise. Godzilla vs. Gigan tries to add a new wrinkle by having it take place around a theme park, which serves as a secret base to destroy Godzilla. Themes of false prophets and consumerism are explored with plenty of ham on its fist. Even so, there’s a silver lining in Godzilla’s newest foe, Gigan, a space alien with scythed claws for hands, a buzzsaw in his tummy, and a red laser for an eye.


23. Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

Much like the inhabitants of Japan following the end of World War II, so too are the people who exist in the world of Godzilla. Together, they’re trying to restore order and balance to their lives following the events of his attack on Tokyo in the 1954 original. The prevailing theme here is having faith on your fellow man, not in institutions like the government or military. Not a bad story, either: This entry follows two airmen that work as spotters for a fishing company to show them where to trawl their nets. While they’re out flying, they make a discovery: You guessed it! It turns out there’s another Godzilla … only this one has a friend in Anguirus, introducing the Godzilla versus another monster formula to the series.


22. Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Ghosts of the past returning to haunt the present pulls double duty in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla. Still dealing with the death of her commander and fellow soldiers from a past battle with Godzilla, pilot Akane must confront the beast once again using the giant robot Kiryu, which utilizes bones from the original Godzilla’s body. During a battle with present day Godzilla, however, Kiryu goes haywire and something primal takes over when Godzilla’s roar awakens memories of the past. Akane must face her own history to save the day, ultimately becoming one of the strongest female leads written in the series.


21. Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

Marking the end of the Millennium Era, Godzilla: Final Wars is sheer opulence. The premise is simple: What if we brought back as many of Godzilla’s old foes as possible and had them fight? And also toss in aliens for good measure? What comes to fruition is an out-and-out action movie featuring karate, an original song by Sum 41, and as many callbacks and cameos to the entire history of Toho’s kaiju catalogue. There’s really nothing below the surface to explore in Final Wars, but damn if it isn’t a wild good time.


20. Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)

Yoshimitsu Banno only directed one Godzilla movie, but he created what is perhaps the most unique of them all. The psychedelic Godzilla vs. Hedorah is part LSD trip and part commentary on the state of environmentalism. The monster Hedorah, a literal embodiment of smog and pollution, oozes around the screen like a nasty ichor leaving behind a trail of destruction and skeletons in its wake. Humanity has done a poor job keeping the Earth clean, so Godzilla decides it’s up to him to take out the trash. Note: This movie is also famous for being The One Where Godzilla Briefly Flies Using Atomic Breath.


19. King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

One of the biggest changes to the way people consumed media between the 1950’s and the 1960’s was the accessibility of TV at home. King Kong vs. Godzilla is a commentary on this burgeoning landscape of consumerism. A pharmacy company is disappointed with the shows they’re sponsoring, but after hearing a tip about an ape monster living on one of the nearby Faro Islands, they decide he should be captured to help boost ratings. As the title suggests, Godzilla appears and the two biggest titan brands you can think of do battle. This movie is played for laughs so it is beyond silly, but Akira Ifukube’s driving score is one of the strongest in the entire series.


18. Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)

Light versus dark is a tale as old as time. Godzilla vs. Mothra employs this metaphor by unleashing Mothra and her chromatically opposite-colored doppelgänger Battra on each other and Godzilla as he threatens to destroy everything. Nature fighting back against the hubris of man is the unifying theme explored and only through the power of working for the greater good can things be resolved. It’s a movie about transformations and the shifts both Mothra and Battra take from their larval forms that speak to man’s ability for personal growth in the face of adversity.


17. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)

Godzilla is back, so Japan develops a Mechagodzilla using parts of the destroyed Mecha-King Ghidorah to try to stop him. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II‘s ruminations on the dangers of artificial intelligence have aged quite well given the present times we all live in. This movie also features the introduction of Baby Godzilla, whose adoptive mother is a member of the G-Force who possesses telekinetic powers. All of this sets the stage for some payoffs in the following two Heisei Era movies.


16. The Return of Godzilla (1984)

The Return of Godzilla marks the beginning of the Heisei Era and the first onscreen appearance of Godzilla in nine years. Hoping to shed some of the reputation of the sillier titles displayed in the Showa period, we’re treated to a soft reboot of the series which trades the nuclear bomb and post-World War II sentimentalities of the original and adapts them to the looming threats of the Cold War. Despite offers of aid from the Soviets and the US to stop Godzilla — especially after he has attacked submarines of their own — Japan decides to handle the problem themselves as these offers of aid come with the strings that nuclear force will be used. There is a growth and maturity to this film that would come to be hallmarks during the ’80s and ’90s movies.


15. Godzilla (2014)

America takes another crack at making Godzilla and the results mostly succeed. Gareth Edward’s direction leaves the movie with an impressive sense of scale. The metaphors of the original are updated to modern American sensibilities and a timely reference to the Fukushima nuclear accident lends itself as in interesting plot point to some of the monsters’ origins. The dawn of the MonsterVerse, Godzilla is lacking for onscreen monster time but the action sequences that do pop up start the era off nicely.


14. Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

The final film of the Showa Era, Terror of Mechagodzilla serves as a mature coda to the initial series. It finds Godzilla squaring off against Mechagodzilla yet again, in addition to the giant dinosaur Titanosaurus. Terror is more of a global affair than most because it sees a marine biologist teaming up with Interpol to take down both a mad scientist and an alien race called the Simeons who have created a mind control device that threatens to destroy Earth and its protector, Godzilla. This would also mark the final films of director Ishiro Honda and composer Akira Ifukube, signaling the end of the classic Godzilla period.


13. Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

Japan has discovered the mysterious Planet X and sends astronauts to explore it. Upon arrival, they are shocked to discover it’s home to an alien race called the Xiliens who face constant terrorization by King Ghidorah and are forced to live below the surface to survive. They propose a trade and offer humans a miracle drug that will cure all disease if they send Godzilla to defeat King Ghidorah. As per usual with these movies, the aliens have ulterior motives in mind. Predictable as that story may be, there is some deep charm to the movie’s retro-futuristic look. Of course, it’s also the first omen that this series would become sillier and sillier, much thanks to the victory dance Godzilla does after fending King Ghidorah off. Just skip that part.


12. Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

The human characters of the MonsterVerse have all been relatively paper thin. Godzilla vs. Kong combats this with success by adding King Kong to the fold, who serves as its most well-developed character to date. His friend, a young deaf girl named Jia (Kaylee Hottle), and her adoptive mother Doctor Andrews (Rebecca Hall) are standouts as well. There’s a breezy, quick pace to this movie as it moves from one set piece to another while the action sequences are well designed and drenched in color. More of a King Kong vehicle than a Godzilla one, Godzilla vs. Kong sees old foes reunited in imaginative and fun new ways.


11. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah marks the first and only movie to feature a time travel plot, which it utilizes to great success. Humans from the far future travel back to Japan in the present day, pleading for help to defeat Godzilla who has wrought havoc on the world. Their mission is to go back further in the past and prevent Godzilla from being mutated. As always, there’s a catch, and upon returning, King Ghidorah is now the main threat to humanity. The science is shaky, but the monster battles in this are some of the best the Heisei Era has to offer.


10. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Despite being responsible for many of the weaker Showa Era titles, director Jun Fukuda finally hits paydirt with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. An imposter Godzilla is on the loose, creating havoc and destroying cities. Of course, this imposter is revealed to be none other than Mechagodzilla. With the help of King Ceasar, Godzilla must take down his most powerful enemy yet. Mechagodzilla works well thanks in part to its mystery elements, jazzy score, and well-written human plot. It’s dripping with interesting lore and has several memorable fight scenes, both human and monster.


9. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

After escaping from a plane that is moments away from detonating in an assassination attempt, a mysterious woman claiming to be from Venus appears with a warning that monsters will soon be appearing. This is the first Godzilla movie to feature the big guy teaming up some of his fellow kaiju and transforming from villain to Japan’s protector. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster is full of awesome city-destroying set pieces and the reveals for each monster — Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah — are exceptionally memorable. Bonus: The theme of working together to solve problems makes this title a real stand out.


8. Destroy All Monsters (1968)

Originally slated to be the end of the Showa Era, Destroy All Monsters is set in the near future in a world where all of Earth’s kaiju have been corralled to Monster Island, all so humans can take care and study them. Unfortunately, aliens arrive and take over the island, releasing them across the globe through the use of mind control. Soon, an all-out monster melee transpires in a battle of good versus evil. This movie is extremely hopeful in its gaze to the future, a world where mankind comes together for the greater good. This is peak Saturday morning matinee fare, and one of the best Showa Era releases.


7. Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

Godzilla movies usually follow a set of unwritten rules where Godzilla is painted as more of a tragic figure than straight up malevolent. In Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, we finally see a Godzilla that is truly evil and kills mercilessly. He serves as an excellent metaphor to the atrocities committed during World War II by Japan. The chickens have come home to roost and Godzilla is angry. We also have King Ghidorah playing against type as a protector of Earth. Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah is the best of the Millennium Era and pure monster chaos.


6. Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

Themes of genetics and human’s ability to bend nature to its will are explored in Godzilla vs. Biollante. After splicing cells from Godzilla’s body with a rose and some cells from his deceased daughter, a scientist inadvertently creates the giant flower monster Biollante, which angers Godzilla and sets them up for a showdown. There’s a fun subplot involving a nefarious organization hoping to procure some of the Godzilla cells for their own diabolical purposes and the ensuing cat and mouse game that transpires amongst the monster chaos unfolds nicely. Godzilla vs. Biollante muses on the responsibility we have to use science for good … and it’s great.


5. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

After a mysterious egg washes up on shore during a tsunami, a wealthy tycoon seeks to buy it and build a theme park around it. As always, Godzilla appears, and it’s up to Mothra to protect her soon-to-be-born progeny. Mothra vs. Godzilla is a simple story about corporate greed, environmentalism, and friendship told well by screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa, who would collaborate on many of the Showa Era movies. It features some of the best characterization the era has to offer and establishes Mothra as symbol of good.


4. Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Godzilla Minus One follows the story of failed kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima and his return home after narrowly escaping an attack by a giant dinosaur at the end of World War II. Japan is in ruins and at is most vulnerable following the events of the war. A few years later, nuclear testing mutates the creature into Godzilla and he sets his sights on Japan. Minus One features the strongest characters in the entire franchise and deals with heavy themes of survivor’s guilt. The sense of scale is breathtaking, and the scenes of destruction play out to alarmingly good levels. The Reiwa Era of Godzilla movies is off to an incredible start with this latest release.


3. Shin Godzilla (2016)

A giant misshapen creature comes ashore in Tokyo, soon laying waste to all things in its path. As it stumbles and slinks along the city, it slowly starts to rapidly evolve into the Godzilla we all know and love in response to the obstacles it faces. On top of some incredible monster action, Shin Godzilla‘s strongest points are its exploration into the government’s response to such a disaster and the red tape that must be traversed. We see the full chain of command on display — warts and all — and it’s a refreshing plot line with no other comparison in the franchise. Godzilla is a literal force of nature in this one and at his scariest.


2. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)

The final title in the Heisei Era, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is its most impressive and succeeds on both human and kaiju levels. Godzilla has transformed into Burning Godzilla after ingesting too much nuclear energy and is set to meltdown like a nuclear reactor with enough devastating force to destroy the world. If that weren’t enough, the big guy squares off against the demonic-looking Destoroyah, a monster mutated by the effects of the oxygen destroyer that defeated the original 1954 Godzilla. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is the ultimate culmination of good versus evil in the Godzilla series.


1. Godzilla (1954)

Director Ishiro Honda’s masterpiece serves as a transcendent metaphor for the horrors of nuclear war and the scars it left on Japan following World War II. Godzilla stands tall as a tragic figure and invokes powerful imagery of the destruction the nation felt during the fire bombings of Tokyo and the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There is no finer example of a Godzilla movie than the original, and it lays the foundation for all others that would follow. The iconography on display is truly moving.


Godzilla Minus One is currently playing in a theater near you. Don’t go away, though! Below, you can read our exclusive interview with director Takashi Yamazaki.

One of the most interesting things I’ve learned while reading about Godzilla this month is Toho’s mentorship program and the way they nurture and cultivate talent from within. I was curious how your previous experience working on Shin Godzilla played a role in this movie. 

Takashi Yamazaki (TY): [Laughs.] Actually, I wasn’t directly involved with Shin Godzilla, but the company I was at was involved with it. However, because we were working at the same company and I knew the same VFX folks from Shin Godzilla, I got to recruit some of them. They did a lot of great work on the destruction scene as well as the tanks. I was happy I got to recruit them in this instance. It was fantastic.

Godzilla Minus One review

Speaking of the visual effects, one of the most impressive aspects of the film is the sense of scale. You have a lot of angles from the ground looking up that allow the viewer to take in this giant force and the destruction being inflicted. The aerial shots invoke some of the ’80s and ’90s era films too. What were your influences to create this effect? 

TY: I wanted to capture the audience’s awareness of their surroundings and that does help especially from some of the airplane shots and the biggest emphasis was to be close to Godzilla’s face. Because there’s so much detail and there’s a lot of fear that comes out of that. For example, when [Shikishima’s] in the plane or the train is in [Godzilla’s] mouth, the trick was we had to switch the POV from the train to Godzilla’s face because we’re at the closest point.

For something like when [Godzilla’s] in the ocean, he just pops out so that’s not such a big deal. That’s why we have those news reporters on the building so we’re rather close to his face as much as possible. Also, I had a hand in creating Godzilla the Ride at Seibuen Park in Japan. I wanted to recreate the experience of seeing Godzilla in your face.

There’s a really strong theme of survivor’s guilt and that’s something we haven’t seen in any of the other 30-plus movies. Why did you decide to go that angle with this story? 

That had a very specific purpose. First of all, it’s part of the weight [Shikishima] is carrying emotional baggage, so to speak, and also we get to see everyone fighting against a calamity, in this case Godzilla. I was really tipping the hat back to Godzilla’s original metaphor which was to represent war and nuclear weapons and all these humans are trying to overcome him. I thought it was interesting that since Godzilla represents war, you have someone who essentially has PTSD and all this guilt from going to war. That’s what he’s battling against. To to make peace with his guilt.

There’s a ton of homage to 1954’s Godzilla. We touched on the rooftop reporter sequence, which is almost shot for shot for the original and same for the train scene. On top of that, you have a good amount of Akira Ifukube’s music in there. How do you feel your work here expands upon the original?

I feel like in 2023, now that we have so much more digital technology, the key was to create a Godzilla you feel like can exist, especially again, with how close you are to Godzilla and his details. So with 1954, it’s classic that Godzilla chomps on the train, but we never know what happened. What about the people in the train? What’s their experience?

In my version, we watched the reporters die, but in the 1954 version, you couldn’t do that. They just didn’t have that technology to do so. We’re in the 21st century, so now we have the digital tools to be able to look at these individual experiences that we weren’t able to see in that original version. And also, yes, Ifukube-san’s music It’s synonymous to Godzilla like the 007 theme song [is to James Bond]. We were very, very specific about when the famous Godzilla theme song should come come up when choosing that moment.

My last question is what’s your favorite Godzilla movie and why? 

I would have to say the original 1954 Godzilla. Right off the bat when it came out, Godzilla already had the Godzilla qualities. No one had to add to that war anymore. And plus, on top of that, the human story and the war-torn, wounded, and hurt people then having to overcome Godzilla. So all of those three elements: the human story, the war, and Godzilla, everything was together and worked so great in the first movie. So great.

Editorials

What’s Wrong with My Baby!? Larry Cohen’s ‘It’s Alive’ at 50

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Netflix It's Alive

Soon after the New Hollywood generation took over the entertainment industry, they started having children. And more than any filmmakers that came before—they were terrified. Rosemary’s Baby (1968), The Exorcist (1973), The Omen (1976), Eraserhead (1977), The Brood (1979), The Shining (1980), Possession (1981), and many others all deal, at least in part, with the fears of becoming or being a parent. What if my child turns out to be a monster? is corrupted by some evil force? or turns out to be the fucking Antichrist? What if I screw them up somehow, or can’t help them, or even go insane and try to kill them? Horror has always been at its best when exploring relatable fears through extreme circumstances. A prime example of this is Larry Cohen’s 1974 monster-baby movie It’s Alive, which explores the not only the rollercoaster of emotions that any parent experiences when confronted with the difficulties of raising a child, but long-standing questions of who or what is at fault when something goes horribly wrong.

Cohen begins making his underlying points early in the film as Frank Davis (John P. Ryan) discusses the state of the world with a group of expectant fathers in a hospital waiting room. They discuss the “overabundance of lead” in foods and the environment, smog, and pesticides that only serve to produce roaches that are “bigger, stronger, and harder to kill.” Frank comments that this is “quite a world to bring a kid into.” This has long been a discussion point among people when trying to decide whether to have kids or not. I’ve had many conversations with friends who have said they feel it’s irresponsible to bring children into such a violent, broken, and dangerous world, and I certainly don’t begrudge them this. My wife and I did decide to have children but that doesn’t mean that it’s been easy.

Immediately following this scene comes It’s Alive’s most famous sequence in which Frank’s wife Lenore (Sharon Farrell) is the only person left alive in her delivery room, the doctors clawed and bitten to death by her mutant baby, which has escaped. “What does my baby look like!? What’s wrong with my baby!?” she screams as nurses wheel her frantically into a recovery room. The evening that had begun with such joy and excitement at the birth of their second child turned into a nightmare. This is tough for me to write, but on some level, I can relate to this whiplash of emotion. When my second child was born, they came about five weeks early. I’ll use the pronouns “they/them” for privacy reasons when referring to my kids. Our oldest was still very young and went to stay with my parents and we sped off to the hospital where my wife was taken into an operating room for an emergency c-section. I was able to carry our newborn into the NICU (natal intensive care unit) where I was assured that this was routine for all premature births. The nurses assured me there was nothing to worry about and the baby looked big and healthy. I headed to where my wife was taken to recover to grab a few winks assuming that everything was fine. Well, when I awoke, I headed back over to the NICU to find that my child was not where I left them. The nurse found me and told me that the baby’s lungs were underdeveloped, and they had to put them in a special room connected to oxygen tubes and wires to monitor their vitals.

It’s difficult to express the fear that overwhelmed me in those moments. Everything turned out okay, but it took a while and I’m convinced to this day that their anxiety struggles spring from these first weeks of life. As our children grew, we learned that two of the three were on the spectrum and that anxiety, depression, ADHD, and OCD were also playing a part in their lives. Parents, at least speaking for myself, can’t help but blame themselves for the struggles their children face. The “if only” questions creep in and easily overcome the voices that assure us that it really has nothing to do with us. In the film, Lenore says, “maybe it’s all the pills I’ve been taking that brought this on.” Frank muses aloud about how he used to think that Frankenstein was the monster, but when he got older realized he was the one that made the monster. The aptly named Frank is wondering if his baby’s mutation is his fault, if he created the monster that is terrorizing Los Angeles. I have made plenty of “if only” statements about myself over the years. “If only I hadn’t had to work so much, if only I had been around more when they were little.” Mothers may ask themselves, “did I have a drink, too much coffee, or a cigarette before I knew I was pregnant? Was I too stressed out during the pregnancy?” In other words, most parents can’t help but wonder if it’s all their fault.

At one point in the film, Frank goes to the elementary school where his baby has been sighted and is escorted through the halls by police. He overhears someone comment about “screwed up genes,” which brings about age-old questions of nature vs. nurture. Despite the voices around him from doctors and detectives that say, “we know this isn’t your fault,” Frank can’t help but think it is, and that the people who try to tell him it isn’t really think it’s his fault too. There is no doubt that there is a hereditary element to the kinds of mental illness struggles that my children and I deal with. But, and it’s a bit but, good parenting goes a long way in helping children deal with these struggles. Kids need to know they’re not alone, a good parent can provide that, perhaps especially parents that can relate to the same kinds of struggles. The question of nature vs. nurture will likely never be entirely answered but I think there’s more than a good chance that “both/and” is the case. Around the midpoint of the film, Frank agrees to disown the child and sign it over for medical experimentation if caught or killed. Lenore and the older son Chris (Daniel Holzman) seek to nurture and teach the baby, feeling that it is not a monster, but a member of the family.

It’s Alive takes these ideas to an even greater degree in the fact that the Davis Baby really is a monster, a mutant with claws and fangs that murders and eats people. The late ’60s and early ’70s also saw the rise in mass murderers and serial killers which heightened the nature vs. nurture debate. Obviously, these people were not literal monsters but human beings that came from human parents, but something had gone horribly wrong. Often the upbringing of these killers clearly led in part to their antisocial behavior, but this isn’t always the case. It’s Alive asks “what if a ‘monster’ comes from a good home?” In this case is it society, environmental factors, or is it the lead, smog, and pesticides? It is almost impossible to know, but the ending of the film underscores an uncomfortable truth—even monsters have parents.

As the film enters its third act, Frank joins the hunt for his child through the Los Angeles sewers and into the L.A. River. He is armed with a rifle and ready to kill on sight, having divorced himself from any relationship to the child. Then Frank finds his baby crying in the sewers and his fatherly instincts take over. With tears in his eyes, he speaks words of comfort and wraps his son in his coat. He holds him close, pats and rocks him, and whispers that everything is going to be okay. People often wonder how the parents of those who perform heinous acts can sit in court, shed tears, and defend them. I think it’s a complex issue. I’m sure that these parents know that their child has done something evil, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are still their baby. Your child is a piece of yourself formed into a whole new human being. Disowning them would be like cutting off a limb, no matter what they may have done. It doesn’t erase an evil act, far from it, but I can understand the pain of a parent in that situation. I think It’s Alive does an exceptional job placing its audience in that situation.

Despite the serious issues and ideas being examined in the film, It’s Alive is far from a dour affair. At heart, it is still a monster movie and filled with a sense of fun and a great deal of pitch-black humor. In one of its more memorable moments, a milkman is sucked into the rear compartment of his truck as red blood mingles with the white milk from smashed bottles leaking out the back of the truck and streaming down the street. Just after Frank agrees to join the hunt for his baby, the film cuts to the back of an ice cream truck with the words “STOP CHILDREN” emblazoned on it. It’s a movie filled with great kills, a mutant baby—created by make-up effects master Rick Baker early in his career, and plenty of action—and all in a PG rated movie! I’m telling you, the ’70s were wild. It just also happens to have some thoughtful ideas behind it as well.

Which was Larry Cohen’s specialty. Cohen made all kinds of movies, but his most enduring have been his horror films and all of them tackle the social issues and fears of the time they were made. God Told Me To (1976), Q: The Winged Serpent (1982), and The Stuff (1985) are all great examples of his socially aware, low-budget, exploitation filmmaking with a brain and It’s Alive certainly fits right in with that group. Cohen would go on to write and direct two sequels, It Lives Again (aka It’s Alive 2) in 1978 and It’s Alive III: Island of the Alive in 1987 and is credited as a co-writer on the 2008 remake. All these films explore the ideas of parental responsibility in light of the various concerns of the times they were made including abortion rights and AIDS.

Fifty years after It’s Alive was initially released, it has only become more relevant in the ensuing years. Fears surrounding parenthood have been with us since the beginning of time but as the years pass the reasons for these fears only seem to become more and more profound. In today’s world the conversation of the fathers in the waiting room could be expanded to hormones and genetic modifications in food, terrorism, climate change, school and other mass shootings, and other threats that were unknown or at least less of a concern fifty years ago. Perhaps the fearmongering conspiracy theories about chemtrails and vaccines would be mentioned as well, though in a more satirical fashion, as fears some expectant parents encounter while endlessly doomscrolling Facebook or Twitter. Speaking for myself, despite the struggles, the fears, and the sadness that sometimes comes with having children, it’s been worth it. The joys ultimately outweigh all of that, but I understand the terror too. Becoming a parent is no easy choice, nor should it be. But as I look back, I can say that I’m glad we made the choice we did.

I wonder if Frank and Lenore can say the same thing.

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