A Quick Look: GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER (1972 - color)

   GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER was the last Godzilla film to get the full AIP treatment. Fans remain split as to whether the film is a classic or a turkey. When a mass of sludge rises from the sea to feed on pollutants and smog, it creates an atmosphere of poison that threatens to destroy all human life in Japan. For the first time officially cast as the hero, Godzilla gives battle to the monstrous Hedrah. As any Carol Burnett fan knows, pollution was a hot topic in the early 70's, and particularly so in Japan. Ecological horror movies became a pretty big subgenre for a few years, with films like FROGS, KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS, and today's subject. Pollution was one of a dozen things that assured mankind was not to survive the 20th Century, in addition to nuclear weapons, killer bees, and the new Ice Age. Movies, of course, capitalize on the fears of the moment, and this was a successful release for AIP. One wishes AIP had been a bit more willing to edit this one down, though, as it features a true low point* in Godzilla's career: the moment he aims his breath at the ground and flies off like a weird sort of rocket! Notwithstanding, the film is uniquely gloomy. Very dark, and slowly paced, and featuring a somber musical score that keeps things from ever getting very exciting. Another thing AIP should've cut, the film occasionally breaks for some incredibly strange psychedelic cartoon sequences. And then there's a scene in a nightclub where a patron begins hallucinating that the dancers around him are all wearing fish masks -for no reason whatsoever! On the other hand, the film has some incredible effects work, maybe some of the most realistic miniature effects ever put on film (such as an early scene in which Hedrah attacks a crippled oil tanker). As noted, a mix of good and bad keep the film's status in debate. The AIP version was released on VHS in the 80's. It later surfaced scope on the Sci-Fi Channel as the international print, "Godzilla vs Hedrah." That version, sadly, it the only cut currently officially available.

[*On the other hand, there was a moment earlier where Hedrah knocked Godzilla into a pit and then oozed a bunch of sludge over him. I'm not sure what exactly he's supposed to be doing, but he very easily could be doing what it sounds like he's doing... When finished, Hedrah audibly laughs over his foe! Wow.]