Godzilla And Friends Stomp Their Way To Topeka

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: KTKA ABC Channel 49 Topeka / Avery Guerra

"Giant Monsters Invade Topeka", sounds like a great name for a low-budget monster movie, but that's not what we are talking about here.

No, indeed we are talking about the "Godzilla and Friends Film Festival V" which will be held in Topeka starting this weekend.

Here is the skinny:

Godzilla and Friends Film Festival V
When Friday, May 7, 7 p.m.
Where Henderson Learning Resources Center , Topeka

Giant monsters will once again be attacking Topeka during the Godzilla and Friends Festival V scheduled May 7 and 8 at Washburn University. No admission is charged and the public is invited.

Events are planned 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 7, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 8, with film and trailer screenings, various commentaries, contests and giveaways in room 112 of Henderson Learning Resources Center.

A contest to see who can put forth the best imitation of the monster Japanese film star will be at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Returning as special guests are Godzilla experts Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, who will offer special introductions to the movies being shown. They are currently co-writing a biography of Ishiro Honda, who directed the majority of Japan’s early science fiction and Godzilla films, and have participated in the commentary tracks for recent Godzilla Special Edition DVDs. Ryfle is the author of “Japan’s Favorite Mon-Star” and Godziszewski edits the fanzine, “Japanese Giants.
The schedule is:

May 7 (Friday)
7 p.m.: “Godzilla vs. Mecha-Godzilla II” (1993). A nemesis of Godzilla, Mecha-G was created as a counter attack weapon, but becomes berserk when he malfunctions.

May 8 (Saturday)
10 a.m.: Overview of the Weird World of Japanese Super Heroes, by Steve Ryfle.

10:15 a.m. (approx.): “Godzilla vs. The Thing” (1964). Considered by many fans as the best Godzilla film made, featuring The Thing, which turns out to be another famous Japanese monster.

1 p.m.: “The H-Man” (1959). A creature of the Hydrogen Age conceals himself in an oozing slime and hides in the Tokyo sewers to catch and liquidate humans. The most bizarre Japanese monster of the 1950s.

3 p.m. (approx.) – Godzilla roar contest and drawing/coloring competition.

3:15 p.m. (approx.) – “Grade-A Visual Effects on a Grade-A Budget,” by Glenn Erickson, DVD savant. Erickson was a special-effects technician for the production of the Spielberg film “1941.”

4 p.m. (approx.) – “King Kong Escapes” (1968). Unites the production efforts of Toho Studios and the Rankin/Bass puppet animation organization. Introduced in this feature was the prototype for Mecha-Godzilla. One of the goofiest Japanese giant monster films ever.

7:30 p.m. - Special presentation on Japanese giant monster films, with behind-the-scenes photos, film footage and a surprise feature presentation by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski.

The Godzilla and Friends Film Festival V is hosted by KTWU TV and is made possible with support from the Washburn University office of international programs, office of multicultural affairs and Center for Diversity Studies, the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Kansas and donations from audience members.

See Also: San Francisco Braces For A 'Kaiju Shakedown: Godzillathon!'