In 2008, Kiyotaka Taguchi made his first of so far two kaiju film. That film was "G". Now, young adult fan Logan is attempting to make his own sequel to the film entitled "Return of G" which a new Garemon mutation comes up and a new kaiju comes to defeat him. Here is an interview with "Godzilla 2000":
The beginings of a suit for the new Garemon mutation.
Photo Courtesy of Logan
1. How did you become a kaiju fan?
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My love of kaiju began at a very early age. My father, who passed on when I was 4, was a massive influence on my life in general. He bought me Godzilla films, mainly Showa, and a few Heisei. I was mesmerized by the concept of Godzilla ravaging cities, and fighting opposing kaiju. Like many youth, I took to the late Showa films the most, since they were targeted at a young age group. For a while, the only tokusatsu films I watched were Godzilla, but that changed with age, as I am now interested in all kaiju.
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2. How has your love for kaiju changed over the years?
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As I said, I loved Godzilla, and Godzilla alone (as far as kaiju films go) for a very long time. As I grew, so did my knowledge and love for tokusatsu, particularly kaiju. I have taken especially to independent films recently, although I am still an avid Goji viewer. I pop in 70's Goji and Showa Gamera for nostalgia, but I prefer early Showa (GvH being the exception) by far today. Independent films really have been great recently, works like G and Reigo are some of my favorite millennium films, beating out a couple of the Godzilla films in my opinion.
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3. Do you have a collection? If so, what is your most cherished possesion?
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Yes, I do have a collection. I have a few theatrical posters, tons of TM figures, and all of my VHSs and DVDs are on display, chronologically by year. My Godzilla films have their own rack, and the other films are on a shelf. I have somewhere around 50 kaiju films, getting more whenever I can. I couldn't honestly say I have one prized possession, but there are a few. One being my Cozzilla poster, for it's sheer rarity. The other being my 10" TM Godzilla, mainly for it's past.
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4. What did you think of Kiyotaka Taguchi’s film, "G"?
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I loved G so much, it just clicked with me. I like how it wasn't afraid to be violent, and the Cloverfield-esque filming gave me an intense vibe as I watched it. Garaemon is a great kaiju, unique, and not overly durable, like Heisei Gamera. Robo is such a classic design, and many of his scenes are absolutely epic. For instance, when Robo spins as he lands, it just gives you that "whoa" feeling. That very feeling returns when he launches his rocket fist, and once again later on in the film. I think Goro did a great job conveying emotion, and the other actors were a mixed bunch, some sub-par, others fantastic. The film is diverse, yet sticks to it's plot. Unlike most, I prefer G to Gehara. People who haven't seen this masterpiece (and are of appropriate age) must. -
5. How did pre-production on your film, "The Return of G" start?
5. How did pre-production on your film, "The Return of G" start?
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Well, I've had the internalized desire to create a kaiju film for a very long time, and tried many times with stop motion, needless to say I failed miserably each time. G was the film that pushed me over the edge and made me say "I need to make a sequel." I wrote up a script, which I am constantly editing (as of 2/6/10). We have 2 cameras, for different shots, and of course, we are working on the suits. I'm not going to lie, we're rookies, so don't be expecting G3.
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6. I understand that you contacted Kiyotaka Taguchi himself. What did he think of you making a sequel to his first kaiju film?
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Honestly, the conversation was short. I simply announced my love for his film, and explained my reasoning for the sequel, and apparently, the translating program did a good job. I was replied to in a very straight forward and short thanks, and I was overjoyed, so production is in overdrive as of now.
A gun which shall soon try to slay Garemon!
Photo Courtesy of Logan
7. Who is part of the production team and who is doing what?
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A good friend of mine, Jake, is helping me a lot. He is providing our major camera, and is helping me with plot points, aiding me in many ways. Some local TK members are being a huge help, Fairy Mothra is doing concept art, Godzilla 2000 is doing greenscreen effects, and you, Evan, are helping me get the word out. I am going to be doing some suit acting as well as directing. Actors are no one famous, just local friends, just like in G, where the actors were college students.
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8. I understand that you are making your own suit for this film. What is it being made of and how good will it look?
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Well, we are basing the top off of underarmor, plating it with cardboard, Styrofoam, and latex, depending on the segment we are working on. Remember, we are first timers, so this isn't going to be gold. It should look good, but it isn't going to hold up to Toho and Daiei suits. Our opposing kaiju is still being decided. I have King Joe as a major hopeful, but it will be hard to make him, so not much information on major kaiju except Garaemon returns, in a further mutated form.
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9. What has been some highlights of production so far?
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Well, finishing the script was a hell of a milestone. I'm not going to give away too much, except the Garaenizer Injection is perfected and main-streamed. The beginning of suit creation was another high point of production. It was also great when I first became aware of all of the TK members that are aiding in the project, that was a huge morale boost.
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1o. When was the script written?
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Mid to late January. The project is in early development, but the script hasn't changed too much. The plot remains the same. Really, the major changes are to accommodate for the budget. There are some scenes where it's like "Well, we can't do that, no matter how great it would be."
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11. What previous films will be major influences on you and this film? I understand there is going to be a little nod to G3 in the film…
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Obviously, we are going to be following the nature of the first film. Although, throwbacks to some of our personal favorite Godzilla films will be spliced throughout. As you mentioned, there is definitely going to be a homage to G3 in the film, which will be subtle, yet in your face the entire time you watch.
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13. Anything else you want people to know about this production?
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Yes, you can go to http://gojirakingdom.wordpress.com for more information on the film. The announcement will be on the site soon. Until then, there is some content about G, to get people to understand what this film will be about, all updates will be on that site, and will also be announced to you, Evan. I also want to thank Gokan, and Mr. Taguchi for being such an inspiration, they made one hell of a film. Thanks to everybody who is involved in this film as well.
-Remember to visit the official site for more details! http://gojirakingdom.wordpress.com/. And be expecting this film to get a DVD release!
