Kaiju fans in the United Kingdom and abroad have benefitted greatly from the tireless work of Steven Sloss and other passionate film programmers in the area, giving the community of monster fanatics screenings and opportunities to see films they will never forget. From The Whale God‘s long-awaited return to theaters at Forbidden Worlds Film Fest to the various screenings happening at The Charles, there’s a plethora of opportunities for creature feature enthusiasts to see their favorites on the big screen, the way movies were meant to be seen.
This fall, The Barbican is joining in on the fun, with their own series of kaiju screenings this year: All Kaiju Attack: Earth SOS! From September through December, four Godzilla films and one rarely screened Gamera film will be played, featuring introductions by various historians and scholars of the genre. Kaiju United has been provided with the full rundown of each screening, including dates, times, and who to expect introducing the screening. Tickets are now available as of today, so get yours before they sell out!
Lineup of Films
Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)
Saturday September 20 | 6:00 PM
Godzilla vs Biollante is a high point for the Godzilla film series, with a fantastical vision of a kaiju antagonist engineered from the cells of a rose, the dead daughter of a scientist and Godzilla’s own DNA. Continuing the upsurge in quality heralded by The Return of Godzilla (1984), the final Godzilla film of the 1980s boasts great special effects and some of the best suitmation and miniatures in the series.
The movie explores bioethics with sensitivity through all the chaos, as human hubris and genetic engineering unleash untold havoc. Biollante is a magnificent, unnerving creation, unlike anything else the franchise had seen, and the human dimension adds a welcome nuance amid the carnage. This is kaiju mayhem at its most poetic and imaginative.
The film will be introduced by Steven Sloss, who is a lifelong fan and scholar of kaiju cinema who has written and presented on the subject for the BFI, BBC, Arrow Films, Glasgow Film Festival, and more.
Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
Sunday September 21 | 2:00 PM
This cult favourite has everything – Godzilla. A buzzsaw-chested space monster. A beetle-like behemoth. A friendly robot. And a world in peril once again…
Nuclear testing provokes Seatopia, an underground civilisation, into fighting back against humankind with two horrifying kaiju – insectoid megabeast Megalon and chickenlike cyborg Gigan. Godzilla is the world’s only hope, although a robot with a secret power may also offer salvation.
There is a lot of fun to be had in this joyful kaiju rumble film, which introduced many young audiences to Godzilla in the west. With themes of nature striking back against humanity’s destructive impulses and Godzilla once again flexing his eco-saviour muscles, it culminates in an epic monster battle that has to be seen to be believed.
This screening will also be introduced by Steven Sloss.
Son of Godzilla (1967)
Saturday October 25 | 1:00 PM & 4:15 PM
Godzilla becomes a father at a time of great danger, as a group of scientists accidentally create mutated insect monsters and a giant spider is on the hunt…
Once again, humanity’s meddling with nature leads to disaster, as scientists seeking to control the weather unleash a dangerous horde of giant insects. Son of Godzilla introduces a number of new kaiju to the franchise: mutated mantis creatures (Kamacuras), a predatory monster spider (Humonga) and, less horrifyingly, Minilla, Godzilla’s child.
Despite a lighter tone than earlier Japanese creature features, Son of Godzilla shows the dangers of upsetting the natural balance. The touching scenes of Godzilla teaching his son how to breathe fire are countered by the permanent threat of the savage monsters. The dash of humour in the film struck a lighter tone for the later films in the Godzilla franchise.
Please note: The 1:00 PM screening of Son of Godzilla is part of Family Film Week. There are no unaccompanied adults allowed – or unaccompanied children.
The second screening of Son of Godzilla will be introduced by Toshiko Kurata, who is a member of British Origami Society and founder of Happy Origami Wonderland.
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)
Tuesday November 18 | 6:30 PM
A group of young men become shipwrecked and face the dangers of a terrifying sea creature and a terrorist group. Can Godzilla – and Mothra – save the day?
In one of the liveliest and most fun Godzilla movies, the king of kaiju battles Ebirah, a terrifying mega-crustacean that kills everything it encounters. Meanwhile, a group of shipwreck survivors encounter a menacing terrorist group called the Red Bamboo, intent on manufacturing nuclear weapons and enslaving the islanders.
With three kaiju embodying nature as a powerful, untameable force and a climactic battle with the future of the ecosystem at stake, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep subtly explores themes of man’s connection with nature. The fights between Ebirah and Godzilla are among the franchise’s most memorable – all this, and a delightful cameo from Mothra, too.
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep will be introduced by curator Alex Davidson.
Gamera the Brave (2006)
Wednesday December 10 | 6:20 PM
The gigantic turtle is reincarnated once again in this family-friendly reboot, as the young kaiju forms a bond with a boy and grows up to battle a fearsome threat to humanity.
Years after Gamera sacrificed himself for humanity, the benevolent kaiju lives again through a newly hatched turtle. As an adult, his calling as earth’s protector manifests once more as a new, aggressive kaiju, Zedus, begins a destructive rampage.
Gamera the Brave introduced the franchise to a new generation, following the acclaimed Heisei Trilogy. Emphasising respect for the natural world and subtly bringing in environmental themes, it’s an engrossing and often delightful addition to the series. To date, it remains the last Gamera film. This is a very rare chance to see it on the big screen.
This screening will be introduced by Yuriko Hamaguchi, an MA student in film curation at the National Film and Television School. Her areas of interest include Japanese and ESEA cinema as well as transnational film histories.
Which screening are you most excited to attend? Let us know! We’re so thrilled that fans of kaiju media in the United Kingdom have so many amazing screening opportunities!
