A toxic sludge monster emerges from the sea and begins charging through Japan, seeking sources of pollution to feed on and grow more powerful. The planet looks on in despair as no military force can stop the amorphous, ever-evolving Hedorah. Could there be some way to challenge this terrifying new threat, or is humanity doomed by its own unwillingness to care for the Earth? It seems only Godzilla can turn the tables in this bout.

Arriving in 1971, Godzilla vs. Hedorah is a late Showa era Godzilla film that embraces much of the goofiness that the series had developed by this point. This is far from the solemn tone of Godzilla (1954), but it has an equally prescient social message, warning of pollution and climate change rather than atomic bombs, and wrapped in a more family friendly package, with plenty of creative monster on monster action.

Initially known in the west as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, director Yoshimitsu Banno’s film is fondly remembered as one of the most singular and bizarre Godzilla flicks of all time. Offering a titular monster like no other, brief animated sequences and an infamous scene in which Godzilla uses his atomic breath to fly off like an awkward rocket, this is a wild oddity is not to be missed by kaiju fans.

35mm Film: A rare chance to witness this epic on 35mm film, managed by our talented in house projection team.

Kaijuly: Planet - Meltdown

For Kaijuly’s third year at the Showroom, we’re going bigger and better, with a weekend-long concentrated dose of seven kaiju classics.

Explore Kaijuly: Planet - Meltdown

Director Yoshimitsu Banno
Year 1971
Duration 1h 31m
Language English - Dubbed
Cast Akira Yamanouchi, Toshie Kimura, Hiroyuki Kawase