Notzilla | |
---|---|
Directed by | Mitch Teemley |
Written by | Mitch Teemley |
Produced by |
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Starring | Frederic Eng-Li Tifani Ahren Davis Tim Bensch Samantha Russell Michael Bath |
Cinematography | Jeff Barklage |
Edited by | James Paul Bailey |
Music by | Stephen Goers |
Distributed by | Indie Rights [1] |
Release date | |
Running time | 78 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Notzilla is a 2020 [3] american monster comedy film written and directed by Mitch Teemley. A parody of kaiju films, particularly those in the Godzilla franchise, the film stars Frederic Eng-Li, Tifani Ahren Davis, Tim Bensch, Samantha Russell, and Michael Bath. [2] [1]
In 1962, the JSDF kills a mother kaiju, Notzilla, despite the protestations of paleontologist Dr. Itchihiro "Hiro" Honda, who believes he can restore her to her normal, smaller size. He rescues her egg, and takes it to Ohio, but accidentally flushes it down the jet-powered airplane toilet. Ejected from the plane, it falls into the Ohio River. The scientists of Cincinnati's Secret Nuclear Underground Government Installation (SNUGI) convene, conducted by SNUGI's head, Dr. Richard Blowheart. After another nuclear reactor test ends in an explosion, Richard and his assistant Dr. Shirley Yujest spot the Notzilla egg in the river, and Richard takes it. It's explained that when the species "Notzillasaurus Partiontildon" consumes alcohol it grows to abnormal proportions. Later that day, the Notzilla hatches, and immediately begins dinking all of Richard's beer.
Notzilla continues to grow, and escapes. Hiro wants to save the monster, while Richard wants to exterminate him. The SNUGI scientists search for him in their research vessel the Pseudoscientifica. When the now-immense Notzilla surfaces, a stowaway, Bobby, believing Notzilla has killed his grandfather, leaps onto his back with a handgun. Upon learning his grandfather is still alive, Bobby throws the handgun onto the deck. The sound startles Notzilla, who rushes away.
Hiro admits he was responsible for Notzilla coming to America. Richard contacts The Pentagon for help in destroying Notzilla, but as most of the armed forces are preoccupied with the Cuban Missile Crisis, he can only reach Frigidair General Dirk Bogus, “head of military refrigeration for all of Southwestern Ohio.” Rockets, shells, and missiles have no effect on Notzilla, who knocks over vehicles and soldiers "as if they were nothing but toys!" A squadron of fighter jets arrives, but Notzilla grabs and cuts the wires they are hanging from. Planning to follow the monster to Cincinnati, Bogus asks Richard if SNUGI happens to have any super-secret weapons lying around, prompting Richard to unveil his Super-Secret Uber-Fission Mega Blaster.
Hiro confronts Richard, who mentions that, as a side effect, his weapon will irradiate Cincinnati for the next 50 years. Hiro, who has a black belt in haiku, immobilizes Richard by reciting profoundly beautiful poetry. Shirley shares with Hiro her theory of "warm fusion," which potentially holds the key to returning Notzilla to his normal size.
Notzilla menaces a train by peeling the "passengers" off its backlit windows, while Hiro joins forces with local brewmeister Fritz Übertrinker, using Shirley's warm fusion to develop an "anti-beer" formula. Despite the danger to Cincinnati, Richard rallies his colleagues to help him build his Mega-Blaster. Bogus faces Notzilla again, but fails. As the two teams of scientists continue their work, Bogus sets another ineffective trap for the monster with high-tension wires; with a blimp tucked under his arm, the monster runs a "touchdown" under the wires. Notzilla then makes his way through the streets of Cincinnati, emitting fiery burps. He picks up Shirley, but she manages to communicate with him, directing him to put out the fires he's set (unfortunately, he does so with a spray of urine). Then, setting her down, he leaves the city.
Shirley returns to SNUGI and reveals Richard's secret: he's not a real scientist, but former child movie star Donnie Draper. This delights Dr. Butay, but horrifies the other physicists. Shirley encourages them to sabotage the Mega-Blaster. Richard/Donnie unveils the weapon at Big Finale Ridge and Dr. Butay aims it toward the city, but it shorts-out (sabotaged by the other scientists). Notzilla arrives and presents Shirley with a bouquet of trees. Hiro shows up in a flatbed truck, with the anti-beer formula stored inside an enormous beer can. Drinking it, Notzilla is reduced to his natural size, to the delight of nearly all. Dr. Butay, however, unveils a super-secret alternative power switch. As Richard/Donnie reaches to push the button, the rest of the cast leaps in front of the monster, declaring (a la Spartacus) that they too are Notzilla. Hiro rams the beer can with the truck, knocking it into the death-ray's path, causing it to spray the formula onto Butay and Richard/Donnie. As a result, both shrink to the size of dolls. 4-Star General Specific arrives, tipped off by ace reporter Pearl Stringer. Gen. Specific appoints Shirley as the new head of SNUGI, and Hiro as director of the Pentagon's nascent Giant Monster Protection Program, tasked with protecting the world from "sequels!"
In the aftermath, Shirley and Hiro adopt Notzilla, who carries around Dr. Butay and Donnie in a toy car. Hiro asks Shirley about adopting more kids, just as three new Notzilla eggs float ashore.
Notzilla had its world premiere at G-Fest XXVI in Rosemont, Illinois, In July 2019, [4] followed by film festival appearances (see Accolades below). It was officially released on Amazon Prime in August 2020 [3] and has since expanded to Blu-ray and DVD release, as well as additional streaming services worldwide. [5]
Upon its release, Kevin Burwick of MovieWeb called Notzilla "a spoof with a hint of Gremlins" that "looks like it could be a cult classic." Bradley Gibson, writing for Film Threat said, "It might have worked better as a short, as there’s just not enough juice here to sustain a feature-length production" giving Notzilla a 6/10 rating. [6] Viewers on Amazon Prime give it a 4.3 out 5, comparing it to Airplane!, and reminiscing about the 50s and 60s "creature features" it spoofs. [3]
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref(s) |
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2020 | Florida Comedy Film Festival | Best Feature Film | Notzilla, Mitch Teemley | Won | [7] [8] |
Best Actress in a Feature Film | Tifani Ahren Davis | Won | [7] [8] | ||
2020 | Con Nooga Film Festival | Best in Show | Mitch Teemley | Won | [9] |
2020 | Will Rogers Motion Picture Festival | Best Comedy Feature | Mitch Teemley | Won | [9] |
2020 | Simply Indie Film Fest | Best Actress, Feature | Tifani Ahren Davis | Won | [9] |
2020 | Top Indie Film Awards | Best Humor | Mitch Teemley | Won | [9] |
Best Sound | Stephen Goers | Won | [9] | ||
Notzilla movie has a comic book adaptation. [10] Ninja High School and Warrior Nun [11] creator Ben Dunn [12] has teamed up with Mitch Teemley to create a 56-page, full-color graphic novel.
COVER VARIANTS:
Destroy All Monsters is a 1968 Japanese epic kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa and supervised by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film, which was produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, is the ninth film in the Godzilla franchise, and features eleven monster characters, including Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Anguirus, and Minilla. The film stars Akira Kubo, Jun Tazaki, Yukiko Kobayashi and Yoshio Tsuchiya.
Godzilla vs. Biollante is a 1989 Japanese kaiju film directed and written by Kazuki Ōmori, with special effects by Kōichi Kawakita. Distributed by Toho and produced under their subsidiary Toho Pictures, it is the 17th film in the Godzilla franchise, the second film in the franchise's Heisei period, and a sequel to 1984's The Return of Godzilla. The film stars Kunihiko Mitamura, Yoshiko Tanaka, Masanobu Takashima, Megumi Odaka, Toru Minegishi, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Toshiyuki Nagashima, Yoshiko Kuga, Ryunosuke Kaneda and Kōji Takahashi. This was Odaka's first appearance in the Godzilla franchise as Miki Saegusa, and would reprise the role in every film for the remainder of the Heisei series.
Kaiju is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. Its widespread contemporary use is credited to tokusatsu director Eiji Tsuburaya and filmmaker Ishirō Honda, who popularized the kaiju film genre by creating the Godzilla franchise and its spin-offs. The term can also refer to the monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other creatures.
Gamera is a fictional monster, or kaiju, originating from a series of Japanese films. Debuting in the 1965 film Gamera, the Giant Monster, the character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's Godzilla film series. Since then, Gamera has become a Japanese icon in his own right, appearing in a total of 12 films produced by Daiei Film and later by Tokuma Shoten and Kadokawa Daiei Studio respectively, and various other media such as novelizations, manga, video games, and so on.
Rodan is a fictional monster, or kaiju, which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's 1956 film Rodan, produced and distributed by Toho. Following its debut standalone appearance, Rodan went on to be featured in numerous entries in the Godzilla franchise, including Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964), Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965), Destroy All Monsters (1968), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), as well as in the Legendary Pictures-produced film Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019).
A parody film or spoof film is a subgenre of comedy film that lampoons other film genres or films as pastiches, works created by imitation of the style of many different films reassembled together. Although the subgenre is often overlooked by critics, parody films are commonly profitable at the box office. Parody is related to satire, except that "parody is more often a representation of appreciation, while a satire is more often...pointing ...out the major flaws of an object through ridicule." J.M. Maher notes that the "difference is not always clear" and points out that "some films employ both techniques". Parody is found in a range of art and culture, including literature, music, theater, television, animation, and gaming.
Anguirus is a fictional monster, or kaiju, which first appeared in Godzilla Raids Again (1955), the second film in the Godzilla franchise. Anguirus is the first monster to be shown engaging in combat with Godzilla in a film. Since then, the character has appeared conversely as an enemy and an ally of Godzilla in numerous films produced by Toho, including Destroy All Monsters (1968), Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972), Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). He has also appeared in other media, including comic books and video games.
Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay was co-written by Brooks and Gene Wilder. Wilder also starred in the lead role as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. Peter Boyle portrayed the monster. The film co-stars Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard Haydn, and Gene Hackman.
Gigan is a kaiju from Toho's Godzilla franchise who first appeared in the 1972 film, Godzilla vs. Gigan. Gigan is a giant extraterrestrial space monster, resembling a species of reptile, who was turned into a cyborg by the alien race known as the Nebulans. Gigan sports a huge buzzsaw in its frontal abdominal region, large metallic hooks for hands, and a birdlike beak. Gigan is considered one of Godzilla's most brutal and violent opponents, and the first kaiju in the Toho sci-fi series to make him noticeably bleed. Complex listed the character as No. 2 on its "The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time" list.
Big Hero 6 is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and created by Man of Action.
The Ultra Series, also known as Ultraman, is a Japanese science fiction media franchise owned and produced by Tsuburaya Productions, which began with the television series Ultra Q in 1966 and became an international pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into many television shows, films, comic books, and other media publications, becoming one of the most prominent productions in the Japanese tokusatsu and kaiju genres and pioneering the Kyodai Hero subgenre. The Ultraman series is centered on a fictional alien race of superheroes who often combat kaiju or other aliens.
Dr. Miguelito Quixote Loveless is a fictional character who appeared as the primary antagonist of ten episodes of the 1960s western action television series The Wild Wild West. Portrayed by Michael Dunn, he is a brilliant but insane mad scientist born with dwarfism. Throughout the television series, Dr. Loveless conceived numerous plots which were always foiled by Secret Service agents James West and Artemus Gordon.
As an enduring and iconic symbol of post-World War II cinematic history, the fictional giant monster Godzilla has been referenced and parodied numerous times in popular culture. Godzilla and other atomic monsters have appeared in a variety of mediums, including cartoons, film, literature, television, and video games.
Hiro Takachiho is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Sunfire & Big Hero 6 #1, and was created by Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau.
Pacific Rim is a 2013 American science fiction monster film directed by Guillermo del Toro, starring Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Robert Kazinsky, Max Martini, and Ron Perlman, and the first film in the Pacific Rim franchise. The screenplay was written by Travis Beacham and del Toro from a story by Beacham. The film is set in the future, when Earth is at war with the Kaiju, colossal sea monsters which have emerged from an interdimensional portal on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. To combat the monsters, humanity unites to create the Jaegers, gigantic humanoid mechas, each controlled by two co-pilots whose minds are joined by a mental link. Focusing on the war's later days, the story follows Raleigh Becket, a washed-up Jaeger pilot called out of retirement and teamed with rookie pilot Mako Mori as part of a last-ditch effort to defeat the Kaiju.
Pacific Rim Uprising is a 2018 American science fiction monster film directed by Steven S. DeKnight, and written by DeKnight, Emily Carmichael, Kira Snyder and T.S. Nowlin. It is the sequel to the 2013 film Pacific Rim, and second installment in the Pacific Rim franchise. Guillermo del Toro, director of the first movie, serves as a producer; while production studios Legendary Pictures and Double Dare You Productions developed the movie. The sequel stars John Boyega, as well as Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny in her film debut, Jing Tian, Adria Arjona and Zhang Jin, with Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, and Burn Gorman returning from the original film. Set ten years after the events of the first film, Pacific Rim Uprising sees former pilot and Stacker Pentecost's son Jake (Boyega) returning to the Pan Pacific Defense Corps to prevent a renewed Kaiju–giant sea monsters–threat sent by the extraterrestrial Precursors.
Marine Kong is a 26-episode 1960 Japanese television series produced by Nisan Productions. It aired on the Fuji Television network every Sunday from April 3 to September 25. The series was about a giant dinosaurian robot created by the Z-Gang to conquer Japan. The show is notable in that it was the first Japanese television series about a kaiju.
Mitch Teemley is an American writer, director, producer, actor and composer best known for his work on the feature films Healing River (2020) and Notzilla (2020).