Alternate Japanese monster movie titles in Japanese Giants Forum

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Alternate Japanese monster movie titles

Author	Comment
ThunderScore		#21	[-]
Feb 23 10 6:43 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hachigatsu wrote: I prefer RAIDS AGAIN because it rolls off of the tongue well and has the connotation of a war movie, rather than a swashbuckler, while COUNTERATTACK is a bit cumbersome. I also like the transliteration GODZILLA STRIKES BACK or STRIKES AGAIN. IMO, Godzilla doesn't raid - Pirates do. In a perfect world, GODZILLA'S REVENGE seems more fitting a title, while the film that was released with that title should be called GODZILLA ON MONSTER ISLAND, and the film with that release title should've just been released as GODZILLA VS GIGAN... (whew)
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Joe Karlosi		#22	[-]
Feb 23 10 7:12 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hachigatsu wrote: THE GREATEST BATTLE ON EARTH - GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER I'm just isolating this one example, though there are probably others. I always wonder how this can literally be the actual Japanese title, when I'm watchng a Japanese version with English Subtitles, and the translation reads GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER? I mean, we see the actual Japanese title written out, and the subs don't say THE GREATEST BATTLE ON EARTH. They say GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER. What's up with that?
Hachigatsu		#23	[-]
Feb 23 10 8:12 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ronnie, BATTLE OF THE ASTROS and INVASION OF PLANET X could have been Saperstein's working titles. He did commission individual poster art from Reynold Brown for INVASION OF THE ASTRO MONSTER and THE WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS, but after a falling out of some sort with AIP, the releases for 1967 were cancelled. After he finally struck a deal with Maron Films, and decided to put these out together, as MONSTER ZERO/THE WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS, he had someone cobble the artwork from both pieces into one for reasons of expense. Famous Monsters of Filmland ran a preview for INVASION OF THE ASTRO MONSTER in Issue 47 (1967), as they had previously with FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD in FM #39 (1966). In an earlier issue of FM, Saperstein announced the pending release of GODZILLA VS. THE GIANT MOTH, which AIP changed to GODZILLA VS. THE THING. Thunderscore, While Pirates may plunder, bombers and fighter planes made "raids" (that's what they were called) during WW2. I happen to be perfectly fine with GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN. That's my person preference, so I do think there's a need to keelhaul me over it, you Blackbeard, you! FYI, Warner Brothers did have GIGANTIS titled as GODZILLA'S REVENGE for a period (you can see the letters "GR-", followed by still numbers, scratched out on stills for GIGANTIS). The title printed in a late 1970s issue of FM, THE TERROR OF GODZILLA, was the proposed English title for the big budgeted remake of the 1954 original, co-produced by Toho and Benedict Productions (Saperstein's production moniker). He also hoped to produce GODZILLA VS. GARGANTUA (probably based on the earlier FRANKENSTEIN VS, GODZILLA screenplay), which never went anywhere. Joe Kalosi, Never believe everything you read... Simply put, it's because Toho is pushing their "International Titles" on the US market, and haven't registered translations of the Japanese titles (because it would cost money for every alternate title you could come up with). Now, with that being said, have you read my book? Both the publisher and people from Tsuburaya's company, and I pushed for it, to use the translated Japanese titles in the text, because there are so many titles floating out there, and this book would be distributed in countries where the US titles don't apply. Now, to break it down for you: The Japanese title is a little longer than THE GREATEST BATTLE ON EARTH; it has a pre-title, which is common convention of Japanese stories and film titles: THREE GIANT MONSTERS, referring to Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra. The full title is: 『三大怪獣地球最大の決戦』. 三 (san) is THREE. 大 (dai) is BIG, GREAT, GIANT. 怪獣 (kaiju) is MONSTER. 地球 (chikyu) is EARTH. 最大 (saidai) is GREATEST. の (no) is a possessive. 決戦 (kessen) is DECISIVE BATTLE/BATTLE. And there you have it. I can tell you now that the Japanese titles of the films are generally very different than the US titles, either created by Toho or the US distributors. Any other questions? August Ragone Author EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS Blog THE GOOD, THE BAD AND GODZILLA Last Edited By: Hachigatsu Feb 23 10 8:46 PM. Edited 7 times.
Rick		#24	[-]
Feb 23 10 8:26 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Personally, I'm profoundly affected by the title by which I first "meet" a film. For example, I knew of GIGANTIS, THE FIRE MONSTER for a decade or two, and had seen it a couple of times, before I heard of GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN. Now that latter title sticks in my throat. Just doesn't seem right. I also first heard of another Godzilla flick through a Variety review under its Japanese title and an English translation. So, for me, GODZILLA VS. THE SEA MONSTER/EBIRAH, HORROR OF THE DEEP is always NANKAI NO DAI KETTO (BIG DUEL IN NORTH SEA), though I neither speak nor read Japanese. Besides, in my hopelessly American voice, NANKAI NO DAI KETTO has a nice singsong ring to it.
Hachigatsu		#25	[-]
Feb 23 10 8:49 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Rick, Yeah, I first read BIG DUEL IN THE SOUTH SEAS in the pages of Marvel's Godzilla issue of Monsters of the Movies (#5, 1975), and I first saw the title THE GREATEST BATTLE ON EARTH in the pages of The Monster Times. August Ragone Author EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS Blog THE GOOD, THE BAD AND GODZILLA
gorgozilla		#26	[-]
Feb 23 10 10:14 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I think that a lot of the "rematch" movies from the 90's movies needed titles based on whatever new monster opponent is in the movie to avoid confusion with older movies. GODZILLA AND MOTHRA- THE BATTLE FOR EARTH should have just been GODZILLA VS BATTRA. GODZILLA VS KING GHIDORAH could have been GODZILLA VS MECHAGHIDRAH. GODZILLA,MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH could be GODZILLA VS BARAGON.
Joe Karlosi		#27	[-]
Feb 24 10 6:13 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	That's why I say it's just easier for me to identify Godzilla films by the Big G's opponent for each movie. "GODZILLA VERSUS (BLANK)" is just easiest! Joe Kalosi, Never believe everything you read... Simply put, it's because Toho is pushing their "International Titles" on the US market, and haven't registered translations of the Japanese titles (because it would cost money for every alternate title you could come up with). Now, with that being said, have you read my book? I'm afraid that when it comes to Godzilla I am sorely lacking in reference books. The only one I have is THE OFFICIAL GODZILLA COMPENDIUM, but at least that one does list all the films by their original Japanese titles, as you mention. Personally, even though I am generally a champion of following whatever the original intent was meant to be with most things, I can't stand that original too-long title for GHIDRAH. Same thing goes for that BIG DUEL IN THE SOUTH SEAS (blech). I'll always refer to them as GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (though even there I'd prefer GODZILLA VS. GHIDRAH! ) and GODZILLA VS. THE SEA MONSTER.
Joe Karlosi		#28	[-]
Feb 24 10 6:15 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Rick wrote: Personally, I'm profoundly affected by the title by which I first "meet" a film. For example, I knew of GIGANTIS, THE FIRE MONSTER for a decade or two, and had seen it a couple of times, before I heard of GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN. Now that latter title sticks in my throat. Just doesn't seem right. I know what you mean, Rick. The best example of this with me is HORROR HOTEL. I saw the film like that when I was a child on Creature Features, and it'll always be HORROR HOTEL to me. The actual title, CITY OF THE DEAD, never seems to suit that movie for me now!
Hachigatsu		#29	[-]
Feb 24 10 7:42 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	You can call them whatever you like, but the original titles are the original titles, and the facts cannot be disputed. Personal taste in an entirely different matter. BTW, I don't think that THE GREATEST BATTLE ON EARTH is any longer than GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER, in fact, it's shorter. If you'd like to see some of the interior of my book, you can check it out over at Google Books Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters. August Ragone Author EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS Blog THE GOOD, THE BAD AND GODZILLA
Chris Koenig		#30	[-]
Feb 24 10 12:22 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hachigatsu wrote: During its original television syndication run (1970s-1980s), MONSTER ZERO was under the same title as it was released theatrically, which was MONSTER ZERO. Sometime after it was released on home video via Paramount, it may have been broadcast under GODZILLA VS. MONSTER ZERO, but I don't recall seeing it under that title. August, I can tell you personally that I did encounter "Monster Zero" on TV under the home video title "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero". It was sometime around the early or middle 1990s and a small TV channel 46 was showed three Godzilla films, each one shown on Saturday. The line-ups were "Godzilla 1985", "Godzilla vs. the Thing", and "Monster Zero". It was these three that got me introduced to the Big-G, though in hindsight I have to say showing "Godzilla 1985" over the first one was a very bizarre choice. Anyways, "Godzilla vs. the Thing" and "Monster Zero" were shown on that TV channel under the home video titles: "Godzilla vs. Mothra" and "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero". And I do believe those were the same video prints that Paramount released sometime in the very late 1980s in SLP-mode and re-released in the early 1990s on EP-mode; both releases having different video covers.
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Ron Burton		#31	[-]
Feb 24 10 2:50 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well, I'm satisfied about those two Astros/Planet X titles being working titles.It's unfortunate that Saperstein had a falling out. Maybe those two great films could have had s sooner Stateside release had the falling out not occured. And the TERROR OF GODZILLA moniker for GODZILLA'S REVENGE was most assuredly a misprint in "Classic Movie Monsters". Some of the other miscellaneous alternate titles that turn up could have been merely working titles such as DUEL OF THE GARGANTUAS, REVENGE OF KING KONG, THE ESCAPE OF MECHAGODZILLA and a title that saw print in Famous Monsters, GODZILLA VS. THE GIANT DEVILFISH, though the latter sounds more like a misprint for FRANKENSTEIN VS. THE GIANT DEVILFISH.
Hachigatsu		#32	[-]
Feb 24 10 3:47 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Chris, I don't doubt you; it's just that Saperstein didn't start using that version of MONSTER ZERO on television until the mid-to-late 1980s and later. You're correct about the different Paramount Home Video releases. Thanks for sharing the information about your location television station, too! Ron, DUEL OF THE GARGANTUAS was a working title (one draft of the Japanese screenplay was DUEL OF THE FRANKENSTEINS), as well as THE FRANKENSTEIN BROTHERS. August Ragone Author EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS Blog THE GOOD, THE BAD AND GODZILLA
Ron Burton		#33	[-]
Feb 24 10 3:57 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	August, your post reminded me of something I had once read regarding THE FRANKENSTEIN BROTHERS which was to have starred Tab Hunter. Was this a sequel to GARGANTUAS or the original plan for the film, with Russ Tamblyn getting the role instead of Hunter?
Joe Karlosi		#34	[-]
Feb 24 10 5:16 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hachigatsu wrote: You can call them whatever you like, but the original titles are the original titles, and the facts cannot be disputed. Personal taste in an entirely different matter. BTW, I don't think that THE GREATEST BATTLE ON EARTH is any longer than GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER, in fact, it's shorter. Oh, I understand. But it's not just a "length thing" with me; I just have certain preferences, and I suppose most of that has to be because of the title(s) I grew up on. But I do want to mention something. According to that GODZILLA COMPENDIUM book I have, the actual title of GHIDRAH is THREE GIANT MONSTERS, GREATEST BATTLE ON EARTH ... which certainly IS longer! Also, the SEA MONSTER film is translated as GODZILLA, EBIRAH, MOTHRA: BIG DUEL IN THE SOUTH SEA (whew!!). Would you agree to those translations? Of course, perhaps the most annoying (IMO) title is the more recent: GODZILLA, MOTHRA, KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK (oh, brother). By the way, thanks for your link. I'll check it out.
Edkkakumon		#35	[-]
Feb 24 10 5:27 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Long titles are not just a Japanese thing. American movies have had lengthy titles, like Dr. Strange Love....or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
Hachigatsu		#36	[-]
Feb 24 10 7:43 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	BTW, those pre-titles, such as THREE GIANT MONSTERS and GODZILLA, EBIRAH, MOTHRA, also serve the function as "star billing", as were done in the US, such as JOHN WAYNE IN STAGECOACH, etc. August Ragone Author EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS Blog THE GOOD, THE BAD AND GODZILLA
Joe Karlosi		#37	[-]
Feb 25 10 6:37 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hachigatsu wrote: BTW, those pre-titles, such as THREE GIANT MONSTERS and GODZILLA, EBIRAH, MOTHRA, also serve the function as "star billing", as were done in the US, such as JOHN WAYNE IN STAGECOACH, etc. I don't doubt this happened in the U.S. too, but it's beside the point. The title of STAGECOACH is still STAGECOACH, though. What I'm asking is, are those THREE GIANT MONSTERS and GODZILLA, EBIRAH, MOTHRA an actual part of the film title?
Hachigatsu		#38	[-]
Feb 25 10 7:03 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Yes. But, why should it matter, because you already dislike them? I was giving you the intent of the titles, based on my years of knowledge of Japanese Cinema. Do with them what you will, because I don't have the time or the energy to argue over this. You don't like them, you don't like them. People asked for titles and I posted them -- I'm sharing information and facts, and I didn't come here for a debate. (BTW, there are American films with the name of the star above the title of the film, but we know that there are separate entities, but they sill appear on the same title card , which is what I was driving at). Furthermore, the American titles for the Godzillas have already been changed by Toho, so there's a whole new set of them... whether you like 'em or not: GIGANTIS is now (permanently) GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (Toho changed the on-screen title) GODZILLA VS. THE THING is now GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA (the onscreen title is still the AIP title)* GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER is now GHIDORAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (the onscreen title is still the CI title)* MONSTER ZERO is now INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER (the onscreen title is still the UPA title)* GODZILLA'S REVENGE is ALL MONSTERS ATTACK (the onscreen title is still the UPA title)* These are for the US releases of the Japanese versions, because Toho is trying to register both versions of these respective films under their own titles. From the get-go your initial post seemed to take took my list of translated titles ("That's not the title in the subtitles"), and despite that, I still answered it in detail (without thanks for the trouble). Those are the titles, I didn't make them up. I don't know what the hell all that was about, or what I did to deserve any of this, but all the fun has been sucked out of this thread, so I'm out. August Ragone* Author EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS Blog THE GOOD, THE BAD AND GODZILLA Last Edited By: Hachigatsu Feb 25 10 7:11 AM. Edited 3 times.
Joe Karlosi		#39	[-]
Feb 25 10 7:14 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Whoa, August. It was never my intent to argue about this at all, and I'm sorry you've taken the whole thing the wrong way. I know that when I have questions about Japanese cinema, you are the go-to guy who knows his stuff, and I appreciate that, and so I ask you knowing that I'll get a solid and correct answer. But I am disappointed that you've gotten so hot under the collar about it all, and I think you have a feeling that your "authority has been challenged", or something. Take it easy, there's nothing wrong here. Your very first word in your last post was sufficient to end my part of this whole thing, and I thank you for it: Yes. Okey-dokey. That's all I needed confirmed. Thanks. From the get-go your initial post seemed to take took my list of translated titles ("That's not the title in the subtitles"), and despite that, I still answered it in detail (without thanks for the trouble). Those are the titles, I didn't make them up. I don't know what the hell all that was about, or what I did to deserve any of this As a novice myself on the subject I was simply wondering why the English subtitles didn't have the Full, Proper, Original Japanese Title Translations, that's all. You answered it, and now I understand: "Never believe everything you read... Simply put, it's because Toho is pushing their "International Titles" on the US market, and haven't registered translations of the Japanese titles (because it would cost money for every alternate title you could come up with)." So thanks again. Last Edited By: Joe Karlosi Feb 25 10 7:24 AM. Edited 3 times.
Kongu is Kingu		#40	[-]
Feb 25 10 12:20 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ok, my first post! I tend to refer to the films by the title I first saw them under but there are exceptions. In particular, I prefer to call Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster by that name rather the title of the print I first saw, which was Ebirah, Horror Of The Deep (cool title, but Ebirah is about as much a 'horror' as Godzilla is a beauty queen from Knoxville!)
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Alternate Japanese monster movie titles