GODZILLA 1985: Production Notes on the Last Great Americanization

Director R. J. Kizer reads a copy of G-FAN magazine in 2007. Photo courtesy R. J. Kizer.

While looking through some of my old files, I discovered a few notes on the production of Godzilla 1985 that director R. J. Kizer sent me around the time I interviewed him for G-FAN magazine in 2007. As I recall,  none of this made it into G-FAN, and while I always intended to do something with it, other projects kept coming up and needed my attention. So I'm reproducing those notes below. Enjoy!

June 8, 1985 - Breakfast meeting with Tony Randel. Set to meet at Nick's Restaurant at corner of Westwood and National. Nick's was closed. Didn't open until 11:30. We go to Hamburger Hamlet at National and Sepulveda. Tony offers me the "chance for immortality."

June 28, 1985 - My last day as film editor on "A Dollar a Day," later released as "Planet Rage."

July 1, 1985 - I watch "Godzilla, King of the Monsters"

July 2, 1985 - I watch "The Philadelphia Experiment" (Tony has some extra footage from that film that he wants to use in "Godzilla, 1985")

[[July 2 -- ADR programming of Japanese sequences begun]]

July 8, 1985 - I officially start work on "Godzilla, 1985" Casting starts; casting director = Danny (Goldman)

July 24, 1985 - Pre-light Stage One, Raleigh Studios; 6:30 pm Dinner meeting with Raymond Burr at Le Mondrian Hotel, Sunset Blvd

July 25, 1985 - 1st day of shooting -- all shots involving Raymond Burr

July 26, 1985 - 2nd day of shooting -- rest of the shots

July 27, 1985 - 3rd day of shooting -- Dune Creek Ranch, 6238 Bonsall Drive, Malibu (camera truck gets lost, we don't start shooting until close to sunset)

July 29-30 -- ADR at Ryder Sound, Vine Street, Hollywood

Aug 8-9, 1985 -- Final Sound mix -- Ryder Sound, Vine Street, Hollywood

August 23, 1985 -- Theatrical release

Cast:

"Professor Hiyashida" Yosuke Natsuki (English voice = Paul Wilson)

"Goro Maki" Ken Tanaka (English voice = Tony Plana)

"Naoko Okumura" Yasuko Sawaguchi (English voice = Lara Cody)

"Hiroshi Okumura" Shin Takuma (English voice = Andy Goldberg)

English dialogue for Japanese sequences = Lisa Tomei and Tony Randel

American scene script = Straw (Weisman)