"The Thing" is...We've Got "Godzilla VS Mothra" Tonight!

While tonight’s feature on MeTV was originally billed upon its release as “Godzilla VS the Thing”-  it becomes fairly obvious early on that “The Thing” is a very familiar kaiju creature- and there’s a “no holds barred” battle to save Japan , in the  battle of the behemoths- "Godzilla VS Mothra"!

The story begins as we witness a powerful typhoon causing incredible devastation. Once the storm has cleared, a shocking sight is visible from the beach- a gigantic egg floating just off shore! A newspaper reporter and his pretty female photographer, there to chronicle the  destruction, stumble upon a strange radioactive object.  They then head to where the egg has been brought to on the beach, where a scientific researcher is at a loss to determine the origin of the egg. Suddenly, a sleazy entrepreneur, Kumayama , arrives , with the disheartening news that his company, the suspiciously-named “Happy Enterprises”-has purchased all legal rights to the egg from the local villagers! The plan is to turn the big egg into a tourist attraction- and make big bucks!

When the investigating scientist Prof. Miura and the newspaper duo arrive at a hotel, they spot Kumayama there, on his way to a clandestine meeting. That meeting is with despicable businessman Torhata- the real brains behind of Happy Enterprises.  As often happens in business, a rival group appears, also claiming ownership of the egg- “the Shobijin”, the legendary tiny twin fairies from Mothra's island! They bring the dire warning that, should the egg hatch, it will bring far more destruction to Japan than even a typhoon could do- and plead for the egg to be  released to them, so they can return it to its home island. After getting nowhere with the “Happy” boys, they enlist the newspaper team and the scientist to help them plead their case. No progress is made, and the dejected fairies depart for their home- using a surprising familiar mode of transportation!

Meanwhile, that radioactive item the reporters found remains an alluring mystery- and, in an effort to find out its source, return to the mud-caked area of devastation  at the beach- where the source of the item is revealed to be a large “something else” that was also displaced by the typhoon- the terrible giant reptile known as  Godzilla! The powerful creature begins another reign of horror, once again threatening to decimate Japan. Our friends decide that the one chance to defeat the monster would be an equally powerful (but more benevolent) monster- and they head to Mothra's remote island to plead with the islanders to send Mothra to battle Godzilla. They are met with curt indifference, since they were of no help in getting the return of the islanders’ giant egg – coupled with the revelation that  Mothra has gotten on in years ( and not applied for an AARP card), and may no longer have the strength or stamina to best Godzilla. It takes a moving act of sincerity by the Japanese visitors to convince the disciples of the giant moth that Mothra is perhaps the only chance to save their country- as well as the rest of the world. Agreement is reached- and the fight is on, with a surprise entrant joining the fray!

This full color 1964 Godzilla series entry is known by other titles "Mothra VS Godzilla" and, as mentioned, "Godzilla VS the Thing". It occurs at a point in the film series where Godzilla still acts as a threat to mankind, before he was turned into a friendlier beast for the children’s audience. Carrying over from the 1961 original “Mothra” film are the beloved Shobijin fairies,  portrayed again by a popular Japanese singing duo known as The Peanuts. We'll talk about them, the rest of the cast, the film's history (including the somewhat deceptive poster used to promote the movie), and, in the midst of our Sven entertainment, bring back an "interview" we did with the twin fairies- who have evolved into truly modern women!

"Godzilla Vs Mothra" (which should NOT to be confused with a similarly named movie from 1992) gets ready to rumble tonight on MeTV at 8 pm eastern/pacific,7 central, or check for information about time and station in your local listings, or at www.metv.com – by the way, we know there have been some station changes in some areas, like Seattle, St. Louis, and Los Angeles- don’t panic and think we’re not on! Just go to the MeTV site, click on “where to watch” and enter your zip code- you’ll find the right station for our show!

Thank you for your patience with this new blog and comment system- we know it was upsetting and confusing for some- it has taken some adjustment for us, too. It looks like people are getting the hang of it! We appreciate you hanging in there with us.

Join us tonight for the big battle of massive monsters- and feel free to sing along with the fairies’  “Mothra” song!