Godzilla vs King Ghidora vs Queen Kong
Retrofit Drive In DOUBLE FEATURE
It’s a special time of year. You know who is coming back. That’s right, it’s time for the two most gigundous monster franchises from the lands before all time to go head to head. Social distancing be damned as Godzilla meets Kong in the same zip code.
It is modern times and we’ve figured out how to give dinosaurs atomic breath and skyscraper sized primates tender feelings for wise and sensitive children. For us, it is a dark time. We, the human race, have been brought to our knees by an invisible virus. We have clicked off and crashed in our tracks much like the invaders in H. G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds (1898).
King Kong (1933) came first in the delicious depression-era original where he ruled the jungles of Skull Island, but fell flat on Broadway. Godzilla (1954) was made in Japan, a nuclear error disguised as a metaphorical Jurassic classic. His popularity in a series of films against a menagerie of mutant giants solidified him as the king of Pacific Rim monsters.
Up until now the two had only crossed paths once, in King Kong vs Godzilla (1963), a thrilla near Manila. Two different endings were shot, with Godzilla winning in the East and Kong in the West. Fast forward to now.
In Godzilla vs Kong (2021) we are pledged to honor the code of spoiler alerts for a film that will be remembered for virtually real special effects on steroids. This city block buster well illuminates an era of gargantuan political correctness that resists all stereotypes, shields all sensitivities, and includes a richly diverse world gathered around their telephones to watch film’s A-list monsters smash each other into digital pulp.
It’s a lot of high concept breathtaking fun.
In honor of this mega match, this week’s Retrofit Drive In is a dynamic double feature. First, Queen Kong (1976) gives a new meaning to how horrible a horror movie can get. Then Godzilla vs King Ghidora (1991), the 18th film in the franchise, pits Godzilla against a time travel mutation gone wrong that birthed a three-headed dragon pain in the badass.
Chapter 3 of our current serial, The Phantom Empire (1935)takes us further beneath the surface to “The Lightning Chamber.” And, with all this down to earth drama, the cartoon beams in from supernatural super hero space, with the rare first episode of Space Ghost (1966)!
Enjoy your movies, Happy Passover! Next year in person! Happy Easter! Remember the combo holiday taste treat, egg salad on matzo. Zilla and Kong like lots of horseradish!
Feature #1: QUEEN KONG (1976)
Feature #2: GODZILLA VS KING GHIDORAH (1991)
Serial: THE PHANTOM EMPIRE Chapter 3 “THE LIGHTNING CHAMBER
Cartoon: SPACE GHOST (First Episode) (1966)
“The past is a blast.”