King Kong vs. Godzilla

Taking a wee break from our regular animated agenda, Cinema Sunday serves up some large (very large!) live-action adventure this Halloween season as two of the world’s greatest giant monsters face off in ultimate battle. Yes, we’re talking about Japan’s favourite radioactively mutated lizard and America’s most famous enormous ape, who meet — and don’t really like each other — in 1962’s light-hearted cult classic King Kong vs. Godzilla. A Japanese pharmaceutical company brings Kong to Japan to star in its commercials, only to have him escape and combat a massive octopus! Meanwhile, Americans have accidentally revived the slumbering Godzilla and released him from the iceberg that has entrapped him for almost a decade. Havoc, hilarity, and destruction ensue as the two colossal beasts move closer and closer towards each other and Tokyo, eventually meeting at the top of Mount Fuji in the most epic, outrageous, and amusing showdown of the century. This is the first time either monster was filmed in colour, and the first time Toho Studios began to make their monster movies for family entertainment. Ridiculously fun, funny, and wildly preposterous, this is a monster hit for fans of all ages. Colour, 35mm, English-language version. 91 mins.