GODZILLA (a.k.a. Gojira) is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It’s also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama, made in Japan at a time when the country was reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing in the Pacific. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population’s fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning almost thirty sequels.

About David Kalat:

David Kalat is a film historian whose books include A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series. Kalat has also provided audio commentaries to numerous Japanese science fiction and horror films including the Criterion edition of GODZILLA (1954).