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Original Godzilla In U.S. Theaters

Posted by michael on from the mystery-science-theater dept.

saudadelinux writes "The original Gojira is in theaters now through July. See the *uncut Japanese version* of the film as it was really meant to be seen, as a serious anti-nuke picture, not just Saturday afternoon UHF fodder."

22 of 261 comments (clear)

  1. Solly Cholly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Srashdot isn't lacist.

  2. Re:I think you mean... by zalas · · Score: 5, Informative

    No, the poster is correct. The Japanese behind the 'Godzilla' on the image is basically GO JI RA.

  3. It's more than an anti-nuke picture. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's more along the lines of a warning about the dangers of running away with a technology before we understand the consequences and the social commentary that, ultimately, is exactly what were going to do anyway.

    1. Re:It's more than an anti-nuke picture. by Aglassis · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Any technology can be used for good or evil, especially technology that makes energy. Alfred Nobel, the inventor of TNT, knew this only too well. He created the Nobel prize so people wouldn't remember him as the creator of a weapon.

      As far as understanding what technology's consequences are: technology is part of society. Its not that somehow society and technology can be seperated and analyzed so that only the 'good' technology can interface somehow with society. Society is what causes the technology to exist in the first place and continue its development. Society has as much as an effect on the dangers of the technology as the mechanics of the technology itself.

      Some may argue that technology can't be released until its full impact on society is known. Thats impossible, as a modern technological society can't exist as a free state with blantant censorship. These issues aren't suddenly new. Its the same problem that engineers throughout history have had to deal with when they realized that their peaceful invention could have dangerous implementations. Research DNA, make more powerful bioweapons. Reasearch nuclear power, make the most powerful WMDs. Research network technology, make the powerful network warfare that we saw in the beginning of Gulf War 2.

      Correct the society and the consequences of the technology will follow along.

      --
      Suddenly, the hairy finger of a familiar monkey tapped me on the shoulder. It was time.--G. T.
  4. Re:I think you mean... by Metallic+Matty · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bow to the power of Engrish.

    Or whatever you call Americanized Japanese.

  5. Flamebait by boomgopher · · Score: 4, Funny

    "See the *uncut Japanese version* of the film as it was really meant to be seen, as a serious anti-nuke picture, not just Saturday afternoon UHF fodder."

    It would be cool if Greenpeace projected this film on walls, boats, etc. during their protests. And maybe have someone running around dressed in a Godzilla outfit.
    That, mixed with the long hair, round eyeglasses, hemp clothing, and Joni Mitchell music, would be a sight worth paying to see...


    --
    Your hybrid is not saving the environment. Its purpose is to make you feel good about buying something.
  6. Anti-Nuke by weston · · Score: 5, Funny

    Geez. What's with Japan and being so anti-nuke, anyway?

    --
    Tweet, tweet.
    1. Re:Anti-Nuke by Aglassis · · Score: 5, Informative

      You said: "the fact is that plutonium can only be used for weapons, period."

      A quick lesson in nuclear physics:

      A nuclear reactor operates by fissioning a fissible fuel (no suprise here!). While I'm not going to describe the physics of criticality you can look it up elsewhere. A fissible fuel is a fuel that will fission when hit by an alpha or a neutron. Due to the physics of criticality, alphas are not used (they have too short of a range and are rarely released from fission fragments anyways). Neutrons are used in two forms: fast and slow. A nuclear weapon will use fast neutrons (neutrons that after whatever reaction that created them have not been moderated) and a nuclear reactor will use slow neutrons (neutrons that have slowed down to the ambient kinetic energy of the reactor--typically by water or graphite).

      It should be fairly obvious why only very heavy elements are used in fissible fuel. But due to a quirk in physics, only the odd atomic mass fuels work well. This is due to the fact that in order to cause fission you have to agitate the nucleus enough for it to split. Typically this is about 5 MeV of kinetic energy for an even numbered fuel. For an odd numbered fuel, the internal nuclear reaarangement gives this amount of energy so that a nucleus can fission with a slow neutron while an even numbered fuel needs a fast neutron with a very high kinetic energy.

      What does this mean? U-233 is a slightly worse fuel than U-235 which will be a slightly worse fuel than Pu-239. Since Pu-239 is heavier than U-235 (which is used in an enriched form in nuclear reactors) it will be more suitable for nuclear reactors.

      What about those fast neutrons, will they work? Yes, but common sense says that if they are slowed down they will have more interactions before escaping from a reactor, so they would work better. Nuclear bombs don't have the time for neutrons to slow down to ambient before interactions so they depend entirely on fast neutrons (the converse shows why a nuclear reactor can never explode like a nuclear bomb).

      --
      Suddenly, the hairy finger of a familiar monkey tapped me on the shoulder. It was time.--G. T.
    2. Re:Anti-Nuke by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Go ahead and laugh. As soon as North Korea finishes their nuke(s), you'll see Japan go nuclear faster than you can say, "irrishaimase". Japan has been living with a foreign-written constitution for a long, long time, and there's substantial support for throwing it out and becoming a real nation again.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    3. Re:Anti-Nuke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Correct. Additionally, fast breeder reactors, or breeder-burners achieve excellent efficiency. They start with Uranium-235, but in the process of using it, they "breed" Plutonium-239, which they can then turn around and use for additional fuel.

      The reason these reactors are not in widespread usage is political, not technical. Governments (i.e. the U.S., China, France, UK, and Russia) don't want a lot of plutonium being created in commercial reactors because of its potential use as a weapon.

      Yes, U-235 can be used in a weapon, but "weapons-grade" uranium must be enriched to ~90% U-235. Commercial reactors can run with a much lower enrichment percentage, which makes governments less nervous.

    4. Re:Anti-Nuke by Yokaze · · Score: 4, Informative

      > Japan has been living with a foreign-written constitution for a long, long time, and there's substantial support for throwing it out and becoming a real nation again.

      Actually, accoring to a yearly poll by Asahi, Shinbun, this year is the first time there is more than 50percent support for a revision of the constitution. But a plurarity is for the inclusion of more rights. Only about 15percent are for a revision because it "was forced on Japan by the United States", less than 10 percent are against the pacifistic Article 9.

      Here a perspective on the consitution.

      > As soon as North Korea finishes their nuke(s)

      North Korea has already nukes.

      > you'll see Japan go nuclear faster than you can say, "irrishaimase".

      Vice Defense Minister Shingo Nishimura had to resign in 1999 after suggesting that Japan should go nuclear.

      --
      "Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
  7. To anyone considering seeing this movie... by MisterLawyer · · Score: 5, Informative
    Here is a well written review worth reading before you go.

    "If you've never seen Godzilla before, you might actually be impressed by the quality of the acting and script. This isn't a scream-queen b-movie, despite its reputation. Most of the characters seem genuinely terrified of the thin air they're staring into before Godzilla is matted in..."

    And I would be remiss if I didn't remind you to check out the imdb

    1. Re:To anyone considering seeing this movie... by MojoReisen · · Score: 4, Funny

      Tell George Lucas. Maybe he'll learn something.

      --
      "Nothing is impossible for the man who refuses to listen to reason"
  8. Blue Oyster Cult - Godzilla by mse61 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound
    He pulls the spitting high tension wires down

    Helpless people on a subway train
    Scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them

    He picks up a bus and he throws it back down
    As he wades through the buildings toward the center of town

    Oh no, they say he's got to go go go Godzilla
    Oh no, there goes Tokyo go go Godzilla

    History shows again and again
    How nature points up the folly of men

    --
    ++mse61--
  9. CN Tower by pipingguy · · Score: 4, Funny


    Look, I hate to push a point, but why haven't movie monsters chomped down on Canada's tallest moument? Is it some kind of Americentric thing?

    1. Re:CN Tower by zakezuke · · Score: 4, Interesting

      America is another story, not to mention American buildings are more well known.

      I take exception to that... being familar with mainstreem sci-fi I find it more common then not to see scenes of Vancover or Torronto. Heck, many a Jackie Chan flick have been filmed in Canada including Rumble in the Bronx if I spy my mountains correctly.

      I will admit that I don't often see a huge Mozilla running around Victoria for example... but because of the amounts of movies filmed in Canada it wouldn't shock me in the slightest.

      --
      There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
    2. Re:CN Tower by evilviper · · Score: 4, Funny
      why haven't movie monsters chomped down on Canada's tallest moument?

      Come now. Everybody knows that gigantic monsters don't like cold weather. Did you ever see Godzilla or King Kong on a rampage while it was snowing? Of course not.

      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  10. Re:Nitpick by Aglassis · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You said: "Making energy would defeat Law of Conservation of Energy (and most likely Law of Conservation of Mass, since that's how most of the energy we're accustom to seeing is expressed). IANAP, but it really does get irritating to see this in writing... I guess you could reform it as: Any technology can be used for good or evil, especially technology that deals with releasing or storing energy."

    Actually, my job does create energy (I work as a reactor operator). I just decrease mass by doing it.

    --
    Suddenly, the hairy finger of a familiar monkey tapped me on the shoulder. It was time.--G. T.
  11. Matthew Broderick is going to be pissed ... by Qetu · · Score: 5, Funny


    Unfortunately, due to IP issues with the previously licensed Godzilla Hollywood movie (adn despite this one being the original), it will be called "FireLizard".

    Mozilla representatives are pondering legal action.

  12. trailer by fateswarm · · Score: 5, Informative

    Apple.com has a quicktime trailer for the re-release here.

  13. Re:I think you mean... by defago · · Score: 5, Informative
    The Japanese behind the 'Godzilla' on the image is basically GO JI RA.


    Yes, that's right.
    I was told that the name was actually created from a merge between "GO RI RA" (gorilla) and "KU JI RA" (whale), and intended as a pun for both King-Kong (the gorilla) and Moby Dick (the whale).
  14. anyone looking for the trailer by seibed · · Score: 4, Informative

    don't bother with the trailer, it has got to be the lamest trailer possible...

    here, let me sum it up for you:
    original.
    uncut.
    undubbed.
    uncensored.
    o riginal version.

    All of this is in big bold white letters on a black screen. exciting huh?

    you would think that since they've had to footage for fifty years they might be able to come up with something a little more creative!