The Bloody Pit #22 - GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER (1972)

Troy and I return for our second Godzilla show and it is a big one! We dig in deep to discuss GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER from every angle we can think of and a few that occur to us as we wrestle with the film's odd nature. This movie has always been considered one of the most bizarre of the entire sixty year history of the character and it still retains its ability to puzzle, confuse and (somehow) delight viewers. Truly, this is a controversial kiaju film and fits perfectly within our series of podcasts on the stranger entries in the genre.

As you can tell from the epic run time of this episode, we have a lot to say about this film. We discuss many things including the two different English dubs; the director's inspirations and aspirations; the film's insanely high body count; the unexplained leaps in the narrative; the psychedelic fashions on display; the memorable score; the possible psychic connection between the Big G and the young boy character; the criticisms the film levels against nearly every strata of Japanese society; the very real (and grotesque) monster murder committed by Godzilla; the coded drug use of a central character and much more. It is easy to see why this is such a divisive film in the series but it is fascinating in a way that many other Godzilla tales just can't manage. It one of the strangest monster movies of all time and it is mesmerizing for just that reason!

We also take the time to respond to a email taking us to task for our kind words about the 2014 American made Godzilla film. Both Troy and I go point by point through this missive to delineate our disagreements with and occasional understanding of the problems raised. If you have any comments on the Smog Monster or any other Godzilla related topic please write us at thebloodypit@gmail.com and we'll be glad to address your thoughts in our next Controversial Kaiju episode.