Godzilla vs. Charles Barkley

Last updated
Godzilla vs. Charles Barkley
Godzilla vs. Charles Barkley.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed byMichael Owens
Produced byClint Goldman
Starring Charles Barkley
CinematographyKim Marks
Edited by Bob Sarles
Production
company
Release date
  • September 9, 1992 (1992-09-09)
Running time
30 seconds
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Godzilla vs. Charles Barkley is a 1992 Nike television commercial directed by Michael Owens. Produced by Industrial Light & Magic, the commercial featured a giant-sized version of NBA star Charles Barkley challenging Godzilla to a game of basketball in the streets of downtown Tokyo.

Contents

Wieden+Kennedy employees Warren Eakins and Steve Sandoz converted the idea of Barkley contending Godzilla after Nike revealed that Barkley's face would be featured on a pair of new Nike basketball sneakers. Industrial Light & Magic began production on the commercial after Nike, Wieden + Kennedy, Barkley, and Toho approved the proposal. The crew reconstructed the miniature set used for Ghostbusters II (1989) to resemble Tokyo for Barkley and Godzilla's confrontation. Principal photography ran eight days in June 1992, with editing taking four weeks.

Godzilla vs. Charles Barkley debuted in the United States on September 9, 1992, during the MTV Video Music Awards broadcast on MTV. The commercial was later adapted into a comic book.

Synopsis

At the beginning of the commercial, Godzilla is rampaging through Tokyo when he hears Barkley dribbling a basketball. In response, the monster dons a pair of pink goggles and prepares for a basketball game, in which the two will use the O from a Tokyo sign on a building as their hoop. Godzilla knocks the ball from Barkley's hands with his tail, but Barkley retrieves it and pushes Godzilla into a building, clearing the path for an easy slam dunk. Afterwards, Barkley and Godzilla are seen walking through the streets together, with Barkley's arm on Godzilla's shoulder. Barkley tells Godzilla that "the Lakers are looking for a big man", and the spot concludes with the Nike swoosh logo. Another ending used in the commercial has Barkley asking Godzilla "Have you ever thought about wearing shoes?"

Cast

Production

Wieden+Kennedy employees Warren Eakins and Steve Sandoz converted the idea of Charles Barkley contending Godzilla after Nike revealed that Barkley's face would be featured on a pair of new Nike basketball sneakers. Industrial Light & Magic began production on the commercial after Nike, Wieden + Kennedy, Barkley, and Toho approved the proposal. [1]

It was originally intended for Japanese audiences, but Nike was impressed enough to use it in the United States, [2] where it debuted on September 9, 1992, during the MTV Video Music Awards broadcast on MTV. [3] Before the commercial's debut a trailer aired during the 1992 NBA All-Star Game. [4]

The commercial required eight days of filming during the first two weeks in June 1992 and four weeks of editing thereafter. [5] It employs suitmation techniques, which were still being used in the Godzilla films being made by Toho. Clint Goldman of ILM explained, "The idea was that we would show a modern look, but not with total 'ILM realism'. It just wouldn't be true to the subject matter." The Godzilla costume comprised many foam rubber pieces, and puppeteers produced the monster's facial expressions with radio control devices. [6] The crew reconstructed the miniature set used for Ghostbusters II (1989) to resemble Tokyo for Barkley and Godzilla's confrontation. [1] The special effects team used mattes to create the illusion of a larger city. [6]

This commercial was the first television commercial to ever utilize 3D Audio. The Barnaby microphone invented by Jeff Gold of 3D.Audio was used by Jeff Roth of Focused Audio to create a basketball dribbling sound that would jump out of the speakers. [7]

Crew

Comic book adaptation

In December 1993, Dark Horse Comics released Godzilla vs. Barkley, a one-shot comic inspired by the commercial (although most of the action takes place in California rather than in Japan). The comic was written by Mike Baron with art by Jeff Butler and Keith Aiken. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Godzilla</span> Fictional monster

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or kaiju, that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and cowritten by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films produced by Toho Co., Ltd., five American films, and numerous video games, novels, comic books, and television shows. Godzilla has been dubbed the "King of the Monsters", an epithet first used in Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), the American localization of the 1954 film.

<i>Godzilla vs. Megalon</i> 1973 film

Godzilla vs. Megalon is a 1973 Japanese kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda, written by Fukuda and Shinichi Sekizawa, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and produced under their effects subsidiary Toho–Eizo, it is the 13th film in the Godzilla franchise, and features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, Megalon, and Gigan, along with the mecha character Jet Jaguar. The film stars Katsuhiko Sasaki, Hiroyuki Kawase, Yutaka Hayashi, and Robert Dunham, alongside Shinji Takagi as Godzilla, Hideto Date as Megalon, Kenpachiro Satsuma as Gigan, and Tsugutoshi Komada as Jet Jaguar.

<i>The Return of Godzilla</i> 1984 film by Kōji Hashimoto

The Return of Godzilla is a 1984 Japanese kaiju film directed by Koji Hashimoto, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. The film features the fictional monster character Godzilla. Distributed by Toho and produced under their subsidiary Toho Pictures, it is the 16th film in the Godzilla franchise, the last film produced in the Shōwa era, and the first film in the Heisei series. In Japan, the film was followed by Godzilla vs. Biollante in 1989.

<i>Kaiju</i> Japanese media genre

Kaiju is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. A subgenre of science fiction, it was created by Eiji Tsuburaya and Ishirō Honda. The term can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monsters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodan</span> Godzilla kaiju

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, Invasion of Astro-Monster, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and Godzilla: Final Wars, as well as in the Legendary Pictures-produced film Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is an American motion picture visual effects company that was founded on May 26, 1975 by George Lucas. It is a division of the film production company Lucasfilm, which Lucas founded, and was created when he began production on the original Star Wars, now the fourth episode of the Skywalker Saga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mothra</span> Godzilla kaiju

Mothra is a fictional monster, or kaiju, that first appeared in the 1961 film Mothra, produced and distributed by Toho Studios. Mothra has appeared in several Toho tokusatsu films, most often as a recurring monster in the Godzilla franchise. She is typically portrayed as a colossal sentient larva (caterpillar) or imago, accompanied by two miniature fairies speaking on her behalf. Unlike other Toho monsters, Mothra is a largely heroic character, having been variously portrayed as a protector of her own island culture, the Earth and Japan. Mothra's design is influenced by silk worms, their imagos, and those of giant silk moths in the family Saturniidae. The character is often depicted hatching offspring when approaching death, a nod to the Saṃsāra doctrine of numerous Indian religions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anguirus</span> Godzilla kaiju

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, Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and Godzilla: Final Wars. He has also appeared in other media, including comic books and video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Ghidorah</span> Godzilla kaiju

King Ghidorah is a fictional monster, or kaiju, which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. The monster was initially created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsuburaya and Shinichi Sekizawa as an homage to the eight-headed mythological Japanese dragon Yamata no Orochi. Although the name of the character is officially trademarked by Toho as "King Ghidorah", the character was originally referred to as Ghidorah or Ghidrah in some English markets.

<i>Mothra vs. Godzilla</i> 1964 Japanese kaiju film by Ishirō Honda

Mothra vs. Godzilla is a 1964 Japanese kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the fourth film in the Godzilla franchise. The film stars Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kenji Sahara, and Emi and Yumi Itō, with Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka as Godzilla. In the film, humans beseech the aid of the insect god Mothra to stop Godzilla from destroying Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zilla (Godzilla)</span> Fictional character/Kaiju

Zilla is a fictional monster, or kaiju, in Toho Co., Ltd.'s Godzilla media franchise. The character first appeared in Godzilla (1998), released by TriStar Pictures. It was initially created as a reimagining of Godzilla but was later re-branded as a separate character. Patrick Tatopoulos designed it after iguanas with a slim theropod appearance rather than the thick, bipedal designs of Toho's Godzilla. TriStar's Godzilla, both the film and character, were negatively received by fans and critics. In 2004, it was featured in Toho's Godzilla: Final Wars as "Zilla". Afterwards, Toho trademarked new incarnations as Zilla, with only the iterations from the 1998 film and animated series retaining the Godzilla copyright and trademark.

Godzilla has appeared in a range of comic books that have been published in Japan and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varan</span> Godzilla kaiju

Varan is a fictional monster, or kaiju, that first appeared in the 1958 film Giant Monster Varan, directed by Ishirō Honda and produced and distributed by Toho. Varan is depicted as a giant prehistoric reptile capable of gliding flight, and has gone on to appear in the 1968 film Destroy All Monsters, the ninth film in the Godzilla franchise.

<i>Godzilla, King of the Monsters!</i> 1956 Japanese-American monster film

Godzilla, King of the Monsters! is a 1956 kaiju film directed by Terry O. Morse and Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is a heavily re-edited American localization, or "Americanization", of the 1954 Japanese film Godzilla. The film was a Japanese-American co-production, with the original footage produced by Toho Co., Ltd., and the new footage produced by Jewell Enterprises. The film stars Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura, Momoko Kōchi, Akira Takarada, and Akihiko Hirata, with Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka as Godzilla. In the film, an American reporter covers a giant reptilian monster's attack on Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceGodzilla</span> Fictional Godzilla monster or kaiju

SpaceGodzilla is a Godzilla clone kaiju that first appeared in Toho's 1994 film Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, as the main antagonist.

<i>Godzilla</i> (franchise) Japanese media franchise

Godzilla is a Japanese monster, or kaiju, media franchise consisting of films, television series, novels, comic books, video games, and other merchandise. The franchise is centered on the fictional kaiju Godzilla, a prehistoric reptilian monster awakened and powered by nuclear radiation. The franchise is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the "longest continuously running film franchise", having been in ongoing production since 1954, with several hiatuses of varying lengths. The film franchise consists of 37 films; 33 Japanese films produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. and four American films with a fifth one set for release next year: one produced by TriStar Pictures and four produced by Legendary Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wieden+Kennedy</span> Independent American advertising agency

Wieden+Kennedy is an American independent global advertising agency best known for its work for Nike. Founded by Dan Wieden and David Kennedy, and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, it is one of the largest independently owned advertising agencies in the world.

David Franklin Kennedy was an American advertising executive who co-founded Wieden+Kennedy (W+K). Some of his most popular campaigns included the "Just Do It", "Bo Knows", and the "Mars and Mike" campaigns for Nike, Inc. He and his creative partner Dan Wieden were listed as number 22 on the Advertising Age 100 ad people of the 20th century.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Destoroyah</span> Fictional Godzilla monster or kaiju

Destoroyah is a crustacean kaiju who first appeared in Toho's 1995 film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, as its titular main antagonist.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vanhooker, Brian (September 10, 2022). "30 years ago, one epic commercial revitalized the Godzilla franchise in America". Inverse . Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  2. ↑ Moore, Martha T. (September 9, 1992). "Godzilla Meets Barkley on MTV". USA Today. p. 1.B.
  3. ↑ Steve Ryfle. Japan's Favorite Mon-Star. ECW Press, 1998. 275.
  4. ↑ "When Charles Barkley dunked on Godzilla in 1992 Nike commercial". NBC Sports Philadelphia. March 19, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  5. ↑ ""Lights, Camera, Magic!", on season 3, episode 1". Scientific American Frontiers . Chedd-Angier Production Company. 1992–1993. PBS. Archived from the original on 2006-01-01. Aired October 14, 1992 (video Archived 2011-08-07 at the Wayback Machine , transcript).
  6. 1 2 David Kalat. A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series. McFarland, 2007. 207.
  7. ↑ Tom Kenny. Godzilla vs. Barkley in 3-D Sound. Mix Magazine, November 1992.
  8. ↑ Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury. Holy Sh*t! The World's Weirdest Comic Books. St. Martin's Press, 2008. 104.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.