I think this is becoming way too convoluted, because people are not reading all of the posts throughly. For the last time:

1. For all: Just because you don't agree with what the director says, because what you see/saw is contrary, doesn't negate the director's conclusion. I made a simple statement of fact, and several of you have decided to make a crusade against what I posted and take me, personally, to task. Such lashing out and poo-pooing. For what reason and to what end? (Rhetorical.)

2. Pringly: What I believed, as a nine year old, is different from what I saw—I added more to the film, as a child, than would an adult. So, just because you asked the question, and I answered, doesn't give you the latitude to use my own words to suit your argument. What I believed when I was nine is different from what I believe as an adult.

3. Joe: Honda didn't "explain himself" afterwards; we pointedly asked a question, and that was his answer. He also laughed, as did Sekizawa. If they were alive and could read through this thread, they would probably be rolling their eyes and wondering what is wrong with all of you. Still, it seems, a lot of you don't like that answer. Even when Toho officially calls the fight a draw in print.

4. Joe, perhaps that scene you recalled from WESTWORLD -- which was likely partly embellished in your memory (as we all tend to do so) -- could have possibly been filmed by the Second Unit, which wouldn't require the director's presence; this is not unheard of, as I've worked on the sets of films in which the director was not on-site when scenes were shot, pick ups, incidental sequences, background, etc. In shooting RODAN, Honda has his assistant director shoot the sequence of people fleeing a bridge in busses and Rodan descended upon them. The tour guide in the scene looks nonplussed by the panic, as she calmly gets the bus underway, much to the consternation of Honda. To prevent this from happening again, Eiji Tsuburaya shot most of the panic scenes in their subsequent films together, while Honda concentrated on the scenes with the main actors.

5. For all: Hammering "perception" and "subjectivity" over and over again is a dead end. Who are you still trying to convince? I already agreed to that long ago. But, you probably missed the four or five posts where I acknowledged that.

6. Finally, from Harlan Ellison on the issue of opinions (in this case, "perception" and "subjectivity"): "Everybody has opinions: I have them, you have them. And we are all told from the moment we open our eyes, that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. Well, that’s horsepuckey, of course. We are not entitled to our opinions; we are entitled to our informed opinions. Without research, without background, without understanding, it’s nothing. It’s just bibble-babble. It’s like a fart in a wind tunnel, folks."

Good night and good luck!

Last Edited By: Hachigatsu May 19 10 7:47 AM. Edited 3 times.