Welcome to the world of Godzilla! In honor of the sure-to-be-epic Godzilla Minus One, let's dive into five fascinating facts about our beloved giant reptile. Here are 5 things you may not know about Godzilla.
Check out the original video: 5 Things You May Not Know About Godzilla
1. The Origin of the Name Godzilla
It's widely known that Godzilla is the American mispronunciation of the character's original name, Gojira. But did you know where Gojira came from? In the planning stages, Gojira was meant to be a cross between a gorilla and a whale. They combined the Japanese pronunciation of gorilla, "gorira," with the Japanese word for whale, "kujira," giving us Gojira. Fortunately, they decided to go with the iconic reptilian design instead.
2. Godzilla is Real?!
Well, sort of... The character Gojirasaurus made his debut in the 1991 Godzilla vs King Ghidorah. In 1997, paleontologist Kenneth Carpetner named a newly discovered dinosaur Gojirasaurus after the world's favorite kaiju. Interestingly, Gojirasaurus was discovered 6 years after his film debut in Quay County New Mexico. But Gojirasaurus isn't the only American Godzilla...
3. American Zilla
We all remember the 1998 American version of Godzilla, which left... A lot to be desired. However, due to a contract technicality Toho Studios, the original creators of Godzilla, maintained the rights to the monster and decided to include it in one of their films. In Godzilla: Final Wars, the monster was renamed Zilla (Zira in Japanese) and received a swift beatdown. Toho even filed a trademark for Zilla, but we're still waiting for its return on the big screen.
Check out the Arete Podcast about Godzilla featuring Justin Spurr: Godzilla Podcast!
4. Godzilla vs King Kong 1?
The epic showdown between Godzilla and King Kong was not a new concept. They first clashed in the 1962 film "King Kong vs Godzilla". Before the internet was prominent, many Godzilla fans believed the victor was determined by which version of the movie you saw. Several sources, including published books said that if you saw the American version King Kong was the victor, but the original Japanese version showed Godzilla rising out of the water in the end. Unfortunately for those of us who were betting on Godzilla, he does not win in either version. However, apart from the ending the English version is a drastically different film than the original Japanese movie.
5. Godzilla: The Longest-Running Franchise
Since his debut in 1954, Godzilla has become a cultural icon and the star of a long-standing franchise. With numerous movies released over the years, Godzilla surpasses legendary franchises like James Bond, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, and Batman in both longevity and the number of films. He even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! Godzilla's reign as the king of the monsters and movies is truly unmatched.
Where to Watch Godzilla
If you're itching to watch some Godzilla films, you have several options. Ain't the internet great? Below is the list of all the movies and where you can watch them for free (or if you already have the subscription).
Godzilla (1954): Max, Tubi, Pluto & Crackle
Godzilla Raids Again: Tubi, Crackle, Pluto, Amazon Prime, Roku
King Kong vs Godzilla: YouTube (legal!)
Mothra vs Godzilla: Tubi, Roku, Amazon Prime, Pluto, Crackle, Max
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster: Tubi, Crackle, Pluto, Max
Invasion of Astro-Monster: Tubi, Amazon Prime, Pluto, Crackle
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep: Tubi, Max, Pluto, Crackle
Son of Godzilla: Tubi, Crackle, Max, Pluto, Roku, Amazon Prime
Destory All Monsters: Tubi, Amazon Prime, Pluto, Crackle, Max
All Monsters Attack: Tubi, Pluto, Crackle
Godzilla vs Hedorah: Tubi, Crackle, Pluto, Roku, Max
Godzilla vs Gigan: Tubi, Crackle, Pluto, Roku, Max
Godzilla vs Megalon: Tubi, Crackle, Max, Pluto, Roku, Amazon Prime
Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla: Tubi, Amazon Prime, Max, Pluto, Roku
Terror of Mechagodzilla: Tubi, Peacock, Roku, Amazon Prime, Roku, Crackle
The Return of Godzilla & Godzilla vs Biollante: Currently unavailable for streaming :(
Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, Godzilla vs Mothra, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla 2, Godzilla vs Spacegodzilla, Godzilla vs Destroyah: Pluto
Godzilla (1998): Pluto, Hulu
Godzilla 2000: Hulu
Godzilla vs Megaguirus: Pluto
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack: YouTube (legal), Pluto
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., : Pluto
Godzilla: Final Wars: Hulu, Pluto
Godzilla (2014): Not available for (FREE) streaming :(
Shin Godzilla: Crunchroll, Funimation
Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Godzilla: City of the Edge of Battle, Godzilla: The Planet Eater: Netflix
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019): Netflix
Godzilla vs Kong: Netflix, Max
Godzilla Minus One: In theaters December 1st!
