Wrestling

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

Posted on by Paul Wilhelm-Aronofsky

1964. The Vietnam war heats up. President Kennedy had been shot a year prior, and currently the Civil Rights Act was passing in the States. 36 people died in an earthquake that struck the city of Niigata. The Olympic Games are being held in Tokyo. Survivors of Hiroshima had recently lost a case against the government that requested reparations, saying Japan had unduly waived the right to negotiate reparations from the US Government. And none of this has any bearing on Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964). No, this film has some small climate change metaphors but is entirely focused on Having A Good Time, much to the chagrin of director Ishiro Honda.

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King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Posted on by Paul Wilhelm-Aronofsky

Well, we’re finally back on track folks, with the most anticipated action movie of the summer, King Kong vs Godzilla! No, not the 2021 super hit Godzilla vs. Kong, King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). Fret not dear readers, we’ll get there. But first, WRESTLEMANIA!

In the 1950s to early 1960s Japanese Pro-Wrestling was starting to take off. Inspired by American counterparts, the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance (JPWA) recruited from Sumo and Judo leagues. The founder, Rikidōzan, was born in Korea and moved to Japan to practice Sumo, then traveled stateside to compete in the National Wrestling Alliance. Originally introduced as a villain, Rikidōzan actually gained popularity and started defeating a ton of his American opponents. This especially endeared him to audiences back overseas as a hometown hero who stood up to the dirty, cheating Americans (his fellow athletes embraced the role as heels, giving audiences a cathartic boost in postwar Japan). Rikidōzan was unfortunately killed by a friggin yakuza gangster in a nightclub in 1963.

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