Earlier this week, John Carpenter teased a special Godzilla-themed collaboration with Shout Factory. We didn’t have to wait too long for the grand reveal. Carpenter will be the host of Shout Factory TV’s Masters of Monsters weekend this November!
The big marathon will start on November 3rd and will consist of four movies that Carpenter considers his favorites! As the movies play, Carpenter will make special appearances to talk about what makes the movies so special and important. Nerdist shares a sneak peek of said appearances, where Carpenter explains the origin of Godzilla’s iconic roar.
The movies and airtimes are below…
Gojira (1954), November 3rd at 6 PM and 8 PM PT
The movie that started it all, the big man’s feature film debut! The 1954 monster movie follows paleontologist Kyohei Yamane to investigate Odo Island, which has been the victim of fishing boat attacks by a mysterious force. The creature soon makes itself seen, and it is revealed that it has been disturbed due to the testing of underwater hydrogen bombs. The film not only sets up Godzilla’s powers, such as his atomic breath and iconic roar, but also cements his overall destructive nature. With the monster’s disastrous powers and effects on the islanders, Godzilla is established as not just a goofy monster, but a strong allegory for the horrible effects of war and nuclear weapons. The film is still considered as Godzilla at his peak, with its grim tone and haunting disaster scenes.
Rodan (1956), November 4th at 6 PM and 8 PM PT
Toho’s first color film, and the birth of one of Godzilla’s longest-running rivals. Rodan is a story of nature coming to fight back. When a mining company digs too deep, creatures begin to emerge from the depths to wreak havoc on humanity. Two of those creatures are giant Pteranodon-like monsters; thus Rodan is brought into the world. Like Godzilla, it is concluded that the Rodan creatures were awakened from their underground slumber from nearby nuclear bomb testing.
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964), November 5th at 6 PM and 8 PM PT
The birth of Godzilla’s most infamous nemesis. After a meteor shower, a prophet from Venus warns humanity that a great threat is coming, and only Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra can stop it. As you can guess, that monster is King Ghidorah, the three-headed golden dragon that destroyed the prophet’s former home on Venus. The film is considered a classic monster brawl, with Ghidorah cementing himself perfectly into the Toho monster lineup!
The War of the Gargantuas (1966), November 6th at 6 PM and 8 PM PT
Did you know that Frankenstein was also in the Toho monster universe? The War of the Gargantuas is considered a quasi-sequel to 1965’s Frankenstein Conquers the World, which featured a giant Frankenstein monster battling Baragon. This film, however, features multiple Frankensteins who are fated to battle each other. While Frankenstein wasn’t considered a long-running monster in the Toho universe, The War of the Gargantuas is still considered a cult classic by Toho fans.
Giant Monsters All Out Attack!
Classic monster movies and a host with dedication and knowledge like Carpenter go together like monster movies and popcorn! The program will be aired live on Scream Factory TV, Shout Cult, Shout Factory TV, and TokuShoutsu. TokuShoutsu will also feature a watch party for War of the Gargantuan on their Twitch channel as well. More information can be found on mastersofmonsters.com.