Synopsis
An epic celebration of Godzilla’s 70th anniversary, exploring every aspect of the creation, design, and evolution of King of the Monsters in Toho Studios' films and TV series from 1954 to the present
Godzilla: The First 70 Years is a narrative and visual history of Japan’s King of the Monsters, chronicling the triumphs, challenges, and meaning of seven decades of city-trashing, kaiju-smashing mayhem.
It's also a tribute to Godzilla’s creators and costars—the filmmakers, special-effects wizards, cast members, even the stuntmen inside the monster suit—and an appreciation of the behind-the-scenes artistry involved in bringing Godzilla to cinematic life, then and now.
Extensive visuals detail the evolution of kaiju design, as well as profile the creative contribution and SFX developments across seven decades of exceptional filmmaking and innovation.
Exclusive behind-the-scenes photography, production materials, posters, and lobby cards showcase:
- The Showa Era films (1954–1975)
- The Heisei Era films (1984–1995)
- The Millennium Series (1999–2004)
- Animated works
- Shin Godzilla (Japan’s Picture of the Year, 2016)
- Academy Award–winning 2023 box-office phenomenon Godzilla Minus One
About the Author
Steve Ryfle is coauthor, with Ed Godziszewski, of Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa. His writing has been published in Cineaste, Criterion Current, TheLos Angeles Times, the Virginia Quarterly Review, Zyzzyva, and other publications, and he has contributed audio commentaries, essays, and other material to numerous home-video releases. He is cowriter, with Joal Ryan, of the documentary feature film Miracle on 42nd Street, which won the 2020 New York Emmy Award for Best Documentary. He is also coproducer and cowriter, with Ed Godziszewski, of the documentary feature film Bringing Godzilla Down to Size.
Ed Godziszewski is coauthor, with Steve Ryfle, of Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa. He is the longtime editor-in-chief and publisher of the independent genre magazine Japanese Giants and was an original contributor to Fangoria magazine. He has contributed audio commentaries and other materials to numerous home video releases, and is coproducer and cowriter, with Steve Ryfle, of the documentary feature film Bringing Godzilla Down to Size.
John Carpenter has brought to the screen some of the most popular and influential films in history, beginning with his 1978 breakthrough, Halloween. He directed such horror classics as The Thing, The Fog, Christine and In the Mouth of Madness, as well as Assault on Precinct 13, Escape from New York and Escape from L.A., the Oscar-nominated Starman, Big Trouble in Little China, Village of the Damned, Vampires, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Ghosts of Mars, and The Ward. Carpenter is the recipient of dozens of awards and honors, including the Le Carrosse D’Or (Golden Coach), from the French Directors Guild during the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, and lifetime achievement honors from the Bram Stoker Awards, the Online Film Critics Society, and the Saturn Awards (George Pal Memorial Award).
Megumi Odaka portrayed psychic Miki Saegusa in six consecutive films, from 1989’s Godzilla vs. Biollante through 1995’s Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. As Miki, Ms. Odaka has made the most appearances and had the greatest longevity of any character in the Godzilla film series. A former idol, singer, and actress, Ms. Odaka won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Newcomer of the Year for her debut in Princess from the Moon (1987) opposite Toshiro Mifune. She retired from acting in 2000.
Shogo Tomiyama originally joined Toho in the film promotion department, eventually assuming the role of film producer. Tomiyama assisted Tomoyuki Tanaka on the Godzilla series starting with Godzilla vs. Biollante in 1989 and eventually succeeded Tanaka as executive producer for all of Toho’s science-fiction and monster films through 2004’sGodzilla Final Wars. He also served as president of Toho Pictures from 2004–10.
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