World Famous Comics: Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters
Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters
By: William M. Tsutsui Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Palgrave Macmillan Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 256 Publication Date: October 15, 2004 Release Date: September 23, 2004
This year, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of his first appearance on the screen, the original, uncut version of Godzilla was released in American theaters to the delight of Sci-Fi and B-Movie fans everywhere. Ever since Godzilla (or, Gojira, as he is known in Japan) crawled out of his radioactive birthplace to cut a swath of destruction through Tokyo, he has claimed a place alongside King Kong and others in the movie monster pantheon. He is the third most recognizable Japanese celebrity in the United States, and his fan base continues to grow as children today prove his enduring appeal. Now, Bill Tsutsui, a life-long fan and historian, takes a light-hearted look at the big, green, radioactive lizard, revealing how he was born and how he became a megastar. With humorous anecdotes, Godzilla on My Mind explores his lasting cultural impact on the world. This book is sure to be welcomed by pop culture enthusiasts, fans, and historians alike.
Three and a half stars! Great try, tough turn Its a tough act to write a good book on Godzilla because the movies are disparate - they were hardly conceived as a coherent suite, they just grew from a successful start. In reality, the formula for all monster movies is very limited and one either re-creates the formula, or finds minor variations on them. This is what Toho has done, but arguably, it has failed to explore the full range of ideas it could have.
For example in this age of environmental responsibility where is the campaign to study and protect Godzilla from the desire to destroy him? Can't they track him underwater and film him feeding and going about his business? Arn't there more creative ways to trap or kill him than have been tried? The recent Cloverfield movie shows how you can adapt more of a person's eye view - that's a good variation on the narrative. Toho hasn't really explored the range of creative options alas. None of this in Tsutsui's book, though. Nor any reflection on the reproductive origins or maternal/ paternal instincts of the Monster given the presence of the offspring they devised in a few movies. Not even, shriek, a filmography at the end or useful references to good websites.
The Japanese are known for their technology so why have the Godzilla movies been so low-tech? Tsutsui doesn't really ask many critical questions and I think this is because he is highly conscious of the nerdiness of writing a Godzilla book and he's keen to be 'one of us' not the academic who wrote a book the fans could not understand and that his contemporaries ridiculed. He manages to find a good balance in terms of explaining why he and others like the Godzilla movies but he doesn't really locate the movies very elabourately in Japanese culture or (perhaps sensibly) within international movie-making. You get the impression he's not an avid student of world cinema.
For all that its hard to write a book about Godzilla without getting the balance wrong - applying highbrow approaches to lowbrow subjects always raises this dilemma - and Tsutsui does as well as I can imagine. His thesis is repeated a lot but its readable and engaging, he's careful to understand the movies are fun and should not be over-seriously analysed, and he offers some useful background on the production and making of the movies and their creators. There are some nice anecdotes and some good pointers for fans wishing to explore outside the franchise. I'm tempted to watch one of the Gamera's now I've read Tsutsui's comments.
He could have done a touch better with some added critical faculties I feel, but a lot of what we take from Godzilla movies is, I suspect, in the mind's eye. It's a good read for the fans, and one that covers 90% of the ground you'd expect and hope it should. A helpful and needed contribution.
King of Godzilla Books Our son has been fixated on Godzilla for a few years now. This book was part of his 12th birthday present. Never has he been so interested in a book in his life. He actually brought it to school the next day. He has been reading some of it every day. Great book.
A real downer... This book ridicules G-fans, stating that the movies were intended as "campfests". Not true. Most of the movies had serious social and political commentary. Ishiro Honda intended all the G-films to have a message. He overuses the word "cheese" Not ALL G-films are cheesy, OK? Shut up, you lame excuse for a G-fan! Don't even borrow this book. I'ts a downer for G-fans.
Godzilla In Our Hearts Godzilla On My Mind is a wonderful celebration of the movies, the myths and the magic of Godzilla. Professor Tsutsui writes with both candor and passion about the "monster" so many of us love, exploring the connection so many fans have made with Godzilla over the years. It is clear that he loves Godzilla, yet he is able to look with a keen mind and critical eyes at the movies themselves, as well as the cultural phenomenon that has swept over the world. His style is clean and engaging, even when he swims in the "deep waters" of "what it all means". At it's core, "Godzilla" is far more than a man in a rubber suit thrashing about on a set of miniature buildings in a series of "kid's movies". Tsutsui teaches without "preaching" as he explores the cultural differences between what Godzilla "means" in Japan, as well as in America and other nations. Even if you are a casual fan, you will find much here to enjoy. If you want to learn more about the "king of the monsters" this is the book for you.
Meh, it is alright. If you are looking for a book that gives a lot of facts, this is not the book for you. Get Steve Ryfle's "Japans Favorite Mon-star", hell, even get "The Godzilla Compendium". Those two books have way more information. But, "Godzilla On My Mind" does have some facts not mentioned in other books. The book itself looks more in depth on Godzilla and Japan at the time. Altogether it is a more personal piece than a haven for facts. As I said, not a book if you are looking for information and reference, but good if you want to learn more about Godzilla's affect on pop culture.
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