Shin Gojira (a.k.a. Godzilla Resurgence)

[kuribo-04]

Apparently

SPOILER: Show

Mamoru Oshii and Miyazaki

are in this film in cameo roles.

[Tumbling Down]

So, to those who have seen the movie, to what extent would seeing any prior Godzilla movies benefit me as a viewer? Is there shared continuity, or maybe just some references? Someone in this thread said earlier that usually, a Toho Godzilla movie requires that you see the first one from way back when, but no others. Now that the movie's out, I'd like to know how that applies.

[Arcadia's legacy]

Outside various Easter eggs, homages and classic Ifukube tracks in the soundtrack, just like G14, there's no narrative connection to any previous films. This is a new continuity built from scratch

[BlueBasilisk]

Shin Godzilla's box office earnings have exceeded 53 billion yen, overtaking Evangelion Q!

[backseatjesus]

So there are going to be screenings in North Carolina... Looks like I'm either hitchhiking or finding someone I know who wouldn't mind seeing it.

[Gendo'sPapa]

Log onto Fandango, set the zipcode to the nearest city near you & then type GODZILLA in the search engine.
If you're lucky you can buy tickets to the Screenings of Shin Godzilla that start October 11th.

Cause I sure have my tickets reserved already

[Sachi]

^I just tried that, and there's nothing yet listed for anywhere in Los Angeles. If it doesn't make it to Hollywood, of all places, I'm going to be pretty upset.

[Ray]

Apparently

SPOILER: Show

Mamoru Oshii and Miyazaki

are in this film in cameo roles.

you're f****** kidding me. this is like Alfred Hitchcock cameo in an Avengers Movie. or that time Buzz Aldrin cameo in the third Transformers movie.

[Sachi]

you're f****** kidding me. this is like Alfred Hitchcock cameo in an Avengers Movie. or that time Buzz Aldrin cameo in the third Transformers movie.

What?? How? Are Oshii and Miyazaki too prestigious for Anno or something? Or is it because this is Godzilla?

[backseatjesus]

It's annoying how you can't search Fandango by state.

[KRandMJ]

It's annoying how you can't search Fandango by state.

I can't agree more.
I hope Funimation posts a list of theaters on their site... It will never happen.

[backseatjesus]

I can't agree more.
I hope Funimation posts a list of theaters on their site... It will never happen.

I have this list bookmarked. Have no idea how up to date it is.
http://astoundingbeyondbelief.tumblr.co ... screenings

[Ray]

What?? How? Are Oshii and Miyazaki too prestigious for Anno or something? Or is it because this is Godzilla?

it's hard to explain. basically Miyazaki and Oshii are classical filmmakers. they tend to focus on original content and not franchise work (with some exceptions, see Ghost in the Shell), they both have very specific styles of filmmaking, they are auteurs. they push the boundaries they are against stagnation, they aren't content to stay in the same place with the same ideas and same setting for years, like many modern-day anime directors and movie filmmakers are.

and they're cameoing in a Godzilla movie. the only Japanese franchise that can rival Pokemon with the amount of global appeal it has. one of the mega franchises that pretty much we can blame for the death of any originality in the media these days.

The fact they would cameo in something as against what they represent as a Godzilla movie seems kind of baffling to me.

Edit:

all of the showings on the west coast are too far away from me. (Sigh) looks like I'm going to have to wait for the Blu-ray release.

[Sachi]

it's hard to explain. basically Miyazaki and Oshii are classical filmmakers. they tend to focus on original content and not franchise work (with some exceptions, see Ghost in the Shell), they both have very specific styles of filmmaking, they are auteurs. they push the boundaries they are against stagnation, they aren't content to stay in the same place with the same ideas and same setting for years, like many modern-day anime directors and movie filmmakers are.

and they're cameoing in a Godzilla movie. the only Japanese franchise that can rival Pokemon with the amount of global appeal it has. one of the mega franchises that pretty much we can blame for the death of any originality in the media these days.

I still fail to see the big deal. They aren't dogmatically opposed to anything franchise, you point it out yourself with the GitS franchse. They just do different things in their personal work. Lot's of artists are like that. The two of them, Miyazaki in particular, are also quite good friends with Anno, so what's the harm in them supporting a friend? It's all in good fun, isn't it? It's not going to soil their reputation to make a cameo appearance. And also: you know little about this Godzilla movie. It may be a franchse film, but for all you know, maybe it is pushing the boundaries; Anno is directing this after all. Once again, don't judge a movie before you even see it.

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

it's hard to explain.

[...]

and they're cameoing in a Godzilla movie. the only Japanese franchise that can rival Pokemon with the amount of global appeal it has. one of the mega franchises that pretty much we can blame for the death of any originality in the media these days.

The fact they would cameo in something as against what they represent as a Godzilla movie seems kind of baffling to me.

Apparently the two filmmakers greatly disagree with you, and I can easily explain way.

Hideaki Anno has a better filmography than Mamoru Oshii. That's just objective fact. This isn't to take away from Oshii's peak works like Angel's Egg or Ghost in the Shell, but a lot of his live-action works leave much to be desired. Also, it becomes apparent that Oshii and Anno share a lot of common interests when you start digging into Oshii's experience with Urusei Yatsura in the 70's and Patlabor in the 80's, many of it is mirrored in Anno's handling of Cutie Honey and The Secret of Blue Water respectively. If you haven't seen Mamoru Oshii's Patlabor OVAs, then you're doing a disservice to yourself. There's an episode he directs that literally pulls inspiration from the very first Godzilla movie ever made, where a scientist with an eye-patch attempts to destroy a sea-dwelling kaiju with a small, hour-glass shaped submarine weapon strangely resembling the Oxygen Destroyer. It's available in the United States on Blu-ray, and I highly recommend that you check out all of the wonderful Oshii x Godzilla love in it.

Also, if you cannot understand the inherent classical nature of Godilla, then you've got literally days worth of films you need to catch up on. Classical Japanese filmmaker Ishiro Honda was good friends with another classical Japanese filmmaker named Akira Kurosawa. Honda directed a fair chunck of the earlier Godzilla movies, from the original Gojira film to titles such as Invasion of the Astro Monster and The Terror of Mechagodzilla. He also worked closely with Kurosawa on movies like The Seven Samurai, Ran, Throne of Blood, and so on. Often times the Godzilla director was one of the key elements in building that classical feel that in many of Kurosawa's movies, and Kurosawa often called Honda the "master of wood grain." The original Godzilla film itself has a complex and intricate meta narrative on how the more Traditional Japanese culture is slowly dying amidst the Westernized Japanese youth surrounding them, and how Japan's involvement in WWII was directly responsible for this cultural shift. To say that these aren't classically driven ideas in a classically produced work is to show evidence that one is too easily distracted by the filmmaker's use of special effects in order to focus correctly on the film's complicated narrative.

Hideaki Anno's film prowess was basically birthed from the loins of Hayao Miyazaki himself. The two have worked perfectly before in the past with multiple Studio Ghibli films, and it's great to see Miyazaki take part in an Anno film this time around. Miyazaki and Anno working together in each others projects is simply the history of Kurosawa and Honda working on each others projects repeating itself before our very eyes. And if you cannot understand the global appeal that Studio Ghibli movies have, then it's time to take off the fedora and shave the hipster neck-beard. These things are on the Disney tier of global appeal, and are worth every bit of the "Let It Go" levels of popularity it has in this world.

[Kuseirou]

Shin Godzilla's box office earnings have exceeded 53 billion yen, overtaking Evangelion Q!

I saw this in Minna no Evafan. It's amazing. Anno must be really happy now. And I'm happy for him.

[KRandMJ]

I have this list bookmarked. Have no idea how up to date it is.
http://astoundingbeyondbelief.tumblr.co ... screenings

The update is in the description.

Shin Godzilla U.S. Screenings
"This is not a complete list – Funimation has yet to officially announce the film’s release dates and many theaters will not have tickets for sale until they do. Because of the scope of this project, any information on local screenings you discover are welcomed and encouraged. Last update: 8/31."

The map is new.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1o92p7TLPg6T7VZjkhJ-byeea8ic
EDIT: This is a fan list of theaters found so far, check local cinemas; as they might be playing this movie and are not on this list yet.

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

Funimation updates their page. Ticket reservations will be available soon...

[Gendo'sPapa]

I got my tickets for multiple shows already.
Make sure the theater in your area hasn't already put tickets up for sale like mine has.

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

The cinema in Durham hasn't posted ticket sales for Shin Godzilla yet. Looks like I'm waiting until Sept 9th.