Movatterモバイル変換

First Published: 09/05/05
Updated: 01/29/26

A collection of references (either through memorabilia, characters or the movies themselves) in other studios' films to Toho's many produced and distributed releases.

Movie: Hercules (1958)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Towards the end of this Italian sword-and-sandal myth-mash of classic fantastic literature, heroic Jason approaches a tree in which the Golden Fleece is ensconced, little guessing that the mound upon which he treads is actually a fierce dragon! The beast rises and roars, and we discover it has the distinct voice of Godzilla from the monster king's first cinematic adventure. The pair square off briefly, and Jason downs the lumbering creature with a spear through the cabeza, sparking a flurry of Godzilla-roars before the beast perishes.

Movie: Valley of the Dragons (1961)

Reference: Rodan (1956)

This loose adaptation of Jules Verne's novel Off on a Comet tells the tale of Michael Denning and Hector Servadac prepping for a duel in 1881 Algiers... when a comet comes by and shunts them into a prehistoric world (ostensibly on the comet itself). About eight minutes into the story, the pair decide to temporarily put aside their differences for survival, and just then they hear a monstrous cry! Suddenly, out of nowhere, Rodan flies up from the ground (it looks like it came out of a volcano), roaring like an elephant. "What is that?!" says Denning, followed by a shot of Rodan circling through the air. Servadac: "I've never seen a creature like that!" And then the two start breaking sticks, apparently largely unmoved by their encounter with a giant kaiju. Note thatValley of the Dragons is black and white, so this is probably the only movie to feature Rodan minus color.

Movie: Journey to the Seventh Planet (1962)

Reference: Rodan (1956)

From the creators ofReptilicus (1961), this film follows a team of astronauts exploring Uranus. Among other perils, they encounter a one-eyed rat monster that possesses Rodan's distinctive cry. The monster was brought to life by stop-motion, reportedly via the auspices of special-effects legend Jim Danforth and Wah Chang. Danforth created the beast for the American release of the film, replacing footage of a harassed kinkajou used in the Danish original. Danforth's creature is a refitted harpy fromJack the Giant Killer from that same year. He names the beast the "furry unioptic"--though the final version of the creature in the movie loses its hair. (Source:Keep Watching the Skies)

Movie: The Magic Serpent (1966)

Reference: Kaiju Movies

In the AIP version ofThe Magic Serpent,numerous roars are taken directly from Toho movies. Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan's cries are all present, and the final fight scene even harkens back to the battle choreography inMothra vs. Godzilla (1964).

Movie: Bambi Meets Godzilla (1969) [Animated Short]

Reference: Godzilla Series

This infamous 1969 animated short pits an entirely defenseless Bambi against Godzilla. Produced for areported $300, the two minute feature was a near one man show, being written, produced and animated by then student Marv Newland. This cinematic oddity is neither recommended for the faint of heart nor for the lover of fawns.

Movie: Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Reference: Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965)

In this Best Picture winner from 1969, wannabe gigolo Joe Buck has moved from Texas to New York looking to woo women and rake in the moola, but he isn't having any luck. After being conned out of cash by local smooth-talker Ratso, Buck takes to wandering the streets and happens to walk past a cinema with a poster forFrankenstein Conquers the World on display. Also, earlier in the film, when Buck manages to bed a dame, Ultraman plays on the TV while they pursue carnal pleasures, and we even get a few glimpses of kaiju (including Jamila) and a snippet of the theme song. (Special thanks to August Ragone for telling me about this one years ago at G-Fest.)

Movie: The Milpitas Monster (1975)

Reference: Kaiju Movies

Throughout this independent monster movie directed by Robert Burrill, the Milipitas Monster uses Rodan's cry. The titular monster is also a giant creature spawned from pollution, which could be a nod to Hedorah.

Movie: Bolek and Lolek's Great Travel (1977)

Reference: Kaiju Movies

While traveling around the world, the characters stop off in Japan where they visit a movie set on which a monster film is shot about a creature called Mobilla (played by a real monster) and Doran (played by a flying robot), the two being a play on the Godzilla and Rodan characters.

Movie: Halloween (1978)

Reference: Marvel Godzilla Comic Series

About 45 minutes into the film, young lass Laurie Stroud (Jamie Lee Curtis) is babysitting kiddo Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews) the best way on Halloween night--by watching TheThing from Another World (1951) together. During the sequence, a pile of issues from Tommy's secret stash of comics (Laurie reads the titles as Laser Man, Neutron Man, and Tarantula Man earlier in the film) can be seen between them--with a copy of Marvel'sGodzilla King of the Monsters issue 12 on top (wherein Godzilla travels to the Moon). Later, we see one of the titles is alsoHoward the Duck. Finally, further cementing Laurie as a superior babysitter, she also allows the kids to watchForbidden Planet (1956).

Movie: Super Monster Gamera (1980)

Reference: Godzilla Series

While Gamera traipses through a city (without causing a great deal of chaos, mind you), he manages to knock down a poster that boasts a late-60's style Godzilla clone. The creature's name, as rendered in katakana, appears to be "Dojira".

Movie: Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

Reference: Godzilla (1954)Reference: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

A scene inFriday the 13th Part III features a woman on a hammock who opens a Fangoria magazine to flip through a few pages before finding one that has the words: "25 years with Godzilla". She looks at it for a moment before blood from a murdered friend drips down and she is killed by Jason Voorhees.

Movie: Creepshow (1982)

Reference: Rodan (1956)Reference: Kaiju Movies

For the opening scene inCreepshow, a boy is being punished by his abusive father for reading the creepshow comic book. After the boy is smacked in the face, it shows the different toys that he keeps in his room. Two of the toys are figures of Rodan and Godzilla.

Movie: The Last Unicorn (1982)

Reference: Godzilla Series

The faint roars of Godzilla can be heard during Prince Lír's encounter with a dangerous-looking wyrm. The difficult battle was yet another daring feat in his seemingly hopeless quest to win over the heart of the fair Lady Amalthea.

Movie: Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)

Reference: Godzilla Series

As world media outlets depict the ordeal of the Mayflower II, a Godzilla lookalike is shown during Japan's take on the news.

Movie: Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn (1983)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Young Charles happens to be an avid monster fan and has decorated his room accordingly. One collectible of particular interest happens to be the infamous Shogun Warriors Godzilla figure on the window stand.

Movie: Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Tim Burton'sPee-wee's Big Adventure features a sequence in which the title character travels through Warner Bros studios with his bike. He stumbles upon many movies in production, including a Godzilla film in progress. In the sequence the nuclear menace fights King Ghidorah, with each featuring their trademark roar. After the sequence, Godzilla falls into a sleigh and follows the cast as they travel through the studios.

Movie: Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

Reference: Godzilla (1954)Reference: Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

After the main credits of the film, the protagonist, Tommy Jarvis, arrives at the Pinehurst Youth Development Center. Tommy meets up in the office of the house owner and program director, doctor Matt Letter and Pam Roberts. In the background of said scene, we can see a promo picture fromGodzilla (1954) and a lobby card forGodzilla vs. The Thing, the US release ofMothra vs. Godzilla (1964).

Movie: Sixteen Candles (1985)

Reference: Godzilla Series

The Japanese subtitled version ofSixteen Candles, titledSuteki na Kataomoi (or "Lovely Unrequited Love"), features an unexpected dialogue substitution in an early scene. In the opening sequence, the Baker family is in a state of mild chaos preparing for their day while the oldest daughter, Ginny, is getting ready for her wedding the next day. It also happens to be lead character Samantha Baker's sixteenth birthday, which has been forgotten in the hubbub. This dialogue ensues: Father, to Samantha: "When it comes your time to get married, do me a favor: elope." Mike (a kid, sarcastically): "Who'd marry her?" Sara (also a kid, with equal venom): "Mr. T." In the Japanese subtitles, "Godzilla" is substituted for "Mr. T," presumably because "Mr. T" didn't have the same cultural impact in Japan as he did in the USA... though its inclusion may also reflect the recent-at-the-time release ofThe Return of Godzilla (1984) the previous December 15. Yasuhiko Ohashi's play, a direct sequel to The Return of Godzilla, was about a young woman marrying Godzilla, and was released in 1988... Coincidence?

Note:Sixteen Candles was released in the USA in 1984. Suteki na Kataomoi was released in Japan on March 21, 1985. Given that films generally played in theaters longer back then, it's altogether possible thatThe Return of Godzilla was still in theaters when Suteki na Kataomoi was released.

Movie: Prefectural Earth Defense Force (1986)

Reference: Varan (1958)Reference: Kaiju Movies

In this OAV release, a number of kaiju references can be seen. The first episode includes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of Godzilla's shadowy nighttime profile against the city, as well as a shot of a Godzilla toy amidst a great deal of wreckage. In the third episode, Mechagodzilla is mentioned in passing. But the most spectacular sighting takes place in the second episode, in which the villainous Lady Baradagi poses as a sexy high school student to seduce a teacher in order to get information on the titular PEDF. When the teacher asks about Baradagi's parents, she states: "A long time ago in Haneda, they apparently ate a flare and passed on." At this point, an animated b&w recreation of the climax fromVaran is shown, complete with a scene of the monster consuming the lethal flare.

Movie: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Reference: The Return of Godzilla (1984)

InFerris Bueller's Day Off, "Godzilla 1985" can be seen alongside "Teen Wolf" playing at the theater on the street where the parade takes place halfway through the film.

Movie: One Crazy Summer (1986)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait's character (Egg Stork) appears at a party donned in a Godzilla costume (the purpose of which seems to be selling real estate). A wheel-chair bound man tosses a cigar into the open mouth, much to Stork's chagrin. He proceeds to scream and frantically run around, finally making his way to a miniature town layout, which he destroys. This scene has it all: smoke billowing from the suit's mouth, hysterical party goers running about, and the destruction of a miniature city.

Movie: Howard the Duck (1986)

Reference: Godzilla Series

When Howard is explaining his life to Beverly in her apartment, an Imperial Godzilla figure can be seen standing on her table.

Movie: Ghost Chase (1987)

Reference: Godzilla Series

In this early effort from eventualGODZILLA (1998) director Roland Emmerich, a special antique clock houses the soul of a ghost that looks something like E.T.'s cousin. When the ghost first materializes, we see that a good old Imperial Godzilla toy is standing next to the supernatural antique. Later in the film, which was also co-written by Emmerich, Toho regular Akira Kubo is mentioned in a throwaway line.

Movie: Living on Tokyo Time (1987)

Reference: Godzilla Series

In this film, Japanese national Kyoko (Minako Ohashi) decides to take up permanent residence in the USA and so marries Japanese American loser Ken (Ken Nakagawa) out of convenience to continue living on American soil. In one scene, in which Kyoko describes Ken in narration, we see a Shogun Warriors Godzilla action figure in Ken's abode as he rocks out on his guitar.

Movie: Project A-Ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody (1988)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Towards the end of the film, supergirl A-KO goes shopping to buy an outfit for a date, and tries on a series of increasingly ridiculous, pop-culture referencing outfits, climaxing in three Toho-related costumes: Xilien, Godzilla with Minilla baby, and one freaked-out King Ghidorah.

Movie: The Night of the Living Duck (1988) [Short]

Reference: Godzilla Series

During a frantic search for the next issue of Hideous Tales, a falling clock knocks Daffy Duck cold. A particularly vivid dream features him as the evening's entertainment for a diverse group of monsters. After he finishes his song, he begins a bout of good-natured ribbing. It doesn't go over very well with Smogzilla, whose increasing annoyance climaxes in an attempt to consume the wisecracking waterbird. Daffy regains consciousness, only to find himself stuck in a wastebasket.

Movie: The Blob (1988)

Reference: The Return of Godzilla (1984)

Right before the titular monster attacks a small-town movie theater in the 1988 remake ofThe Blob, part of a head shot of Godzilla fromThe Return of Godzilla (1984) can be seen in the background in the projector room. The head shot, which is partially obscured, has been zoomed in forthe larger image for those having trouble finding it.

Movie: Child's Play (1988)

Reference: Godzilla Series

At the beginning of the movie, tough-guy detective Mike Norris chases serial killer (and cult practitioner) Charles Lee Ray into a castle-themed toy store (perhaps patterned after the Children's Palace toy chain), where the pair hound one another with bullets and banter. In the background of one shot, a huge Godzilla figure (perhaps the six-foot Imperial inflatable Godzilla) can be seen on top of a shelf. Years later, possessed doll Chucky would appear along with a version of Mechagodzilla inReady Player One (2018), though not in the same scene.

Movie: Collision Course (1989)

Reference: Godzilla Series

In this buddy-cop action-comedy, Detective Tony Costas (Jay Leno) arrests Fujitsuka (Pat Morita) for snooping around a hotel room connected to a murder victim, then finds out he is a detective from Tokyo working a case. At the police station in Detroit, when Fujitsuka talks to the Tokyo police chief on an international call, Costas pretends to translate what the Tokyo gumshoe is saying with the following line: "Godzilla's attacking the city, for the love of God, stay in your homes!"

Movie: A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Late in the movie, Mark Gary (played by Joe Seely) is supposed to be watching over his friend Alice Johnson in her sleep as she works to defeat Freddy in the dream world. To keep himself awake, Mark reads a bunch of Marvel comics... but eventually he discovers a strange, supernatural comic in his pile that pulls him into a dream realm. In the sequence in which he is pulled into another world, an Imperial Godzilla inflatable is visible in the background with its legs tied together (?!).

Movie: Stephen King's It (1990)

Reference: Godzilla (1954)

A large floater shaped like Godzilla is visible in Richie Tozier's pool after he answers a phone call from Derry. This moment is notable because earlier in the scene, Richie had already referenced the power lines sequence from the 1954Godzilla film.

Movie: Child's Play 2 (1990)

Reference: Godzilla Series

In this follow-up, protagonist Andy (the child terrorized by possessed evil doll Chucky in the first movie) comes to live as a foster child in the Simpson household (no, not the cartoon family). The Simpsons provide Andy with his own bedroom stocked with toys, and on the little table next to his bed we can see a huge knock-off Godzilla toy (most likely a Dor-Mei, the Hong Kong toy company that specialized in this kind of derivative fair). The Godzilla can be seen in many scenes while Andy lives with the Simpsons, but unfortunately never comes to life.

Movie: Home Alone (1990)

Reference: Godzilla Series

After Kevin is left HOME ALONE when his entire family leave him behind and fly to Paris, the young fellow celebrates by running amok in the huge empty house. As part of his festivities, he watches the movie Angels with Filthy Souls on VHS (it's a fake movie within the movie). On the video player, viewers can see the familiar four-toed feet of what appears to be an Imperial Godzilla--though in the next shot, Godzilla has been moved and is no longer on top of the machine.

Movie: Suburban Commando (1991)

Reference: Kaiju Movies

Near the end of the film, super-rich Adrian Beltz (Larry Miller) attempts to entertain his business guests from Japan with a quiz about Japanese movies, and utters the following immortal (and not altogether accurate) lines: "Give up? It was Raymond Burr in Godzilla; Nick Adams was in Rodan. Now Mothra--that's another classic, by the way--" before being interrupted by the entrance of a rather bedraggled Charlie Wilcox (Christopher Lloyd).

Movie: Stay Tuned (1992)

Reference: Godzilla Series

In this film helmed by John Ritter, demons are in control of certain supernatural cable channels, and real humans are teleported into television programs that are designed to kill them. In one brief sequence, several demons watch a program in which a Godzilla clone appears to smite one of the human victims. On the buildings, several Easter eggs are written in katakana, including the name of those in charge of the special effects--Rhythm & Hues Studio.

Movie: Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992)

Reference: Godzilla Series

In this sequel, wacky inventor Wayne Szalinksi (Rick Moranis) accidentally zaps his toddler Adam (played by twins Daniel and Joshua Shalikar) with a growth ray, eventually transforming him into a giant over 100 feet tall. Late in the film (around an hour and five minutes), Adam "attacks" Las Vegas, which is crowded with tourists. Briefly, we see a group of Japanese tourists running away, and a lady pauses, points, and yells, "Ah, Godzilla!" The man nearby corrects her, saying, "No... Big baby!" (Note that his line is hard to understand in Japanese.) This brief exchange is left alone in the Japanese dub, and no Japanese subtitles are included.

Movie: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)

Reference: Godzilla Series

After being unexpectedly thrown back in time, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles discuss how they can find their way back to their own era. In the midst of the conversation, Michelangelo humorously wonders if they'll end up making a "cosmic U-turn" and find themselves back in Japan, which he jokingly dubs "Godzilla Land."

Movie: Ed Wood (1994)

Reference: Half Human (1955)

A quick sighting in director Tim Burton's biopic on the infamous life of filmmaker Ed Wood, as a poster (US version) of the 1955Ishiro Honda film can be seen during the scene that Bela Lugosi (played by Martin Landau) begins to recite his lines fromBride of the Monster as a crowd gathers.

Movie: Street Fighter (1994)

Reference: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

During the raid of Bison's lair in the 1994 live-actionStreet Fighter, a Japanese-speaking unit manages to tap into the base's security through a remote console. A security camera shows E. Honda (A Hawaiian Sumo wrestler) fighting Zangief (a hulking Russian brute) amidst a cardboard city while the sounds of Godzilla and King Kong are heard. It should be noted that in the original Street Fighter video game series E. Honda was of Japanese decent.

Movie: The Gumby Movie (1995)

Reference: Godzilla Series

While escaping from his robotic clone, Gumby and his friend Tara drive through an area littered with toys and books. In the upper right hand corner, you can see a very familiar Godzilla toy. Despite the fact that the top of the screen obscures its head, it is easily identifiable by Godzilla fans.

Movie: Independence Day (1996)

Reference: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

Throughout the movie Independance Day, the son of Vivica A. Fox's character can be seen playing with a Trendmasters 10" Mecha-King Ghidorah. In a later scene, he is also found with a Trendmasters 10" Godzilla.

Movie: Mars Attacks! (1996)

Reference: Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

Tim Burton'sMars Attacks! includes a nod to Godzilla. During the Martians' global invasion, a scene fromGodzilla vs. Biollante (1989) of Godzilla attacking Osaka is shown. At first, it appears to be part of the invasion, but it's quickly revealed the Martians are simply watching the movie on TV before flipping the channel toThe Dukes of Hazzard.

Movie: The Secret Agent Club (1996)

Reference: Godzilla Series

When young Jeremy Chase (Matthew McCurley) is tasked with rescuing his super-agent father Ray Chase (Hulk Hogan) from terrorists, he and his friends take to a toy store to gather "weapons" for their assault. During the sequence, Trendmasters Godzilla toys can be seen in the background, including one mint-in-the-box Mothra action figure.

Movie: Mousehunt (1997)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Characters Ernie and Lars go to the pound to get a cat to kill the mouse. They state they are searching for a cat with a mental illness and the pound owner shows them Catzilla. He is rarely seen outside the box, but does end up violently chasing down the mouse.

Movie: Kraa! The Sea Monster (1998)

Reference: GODZILLA (1998)

Rampaging across the West Coast, Kraa comes across a hapless city. Roaring aloud, he makes his grand entrance by smashing through a building plastered with a poster ofGODZILLA (1998).

Movie: Armageddon (1998)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Likely a nod to the Godzilla remake released that same year, the scene features a dog attacking a display of Godzilla toys—mostly Trendmasters figures—prompting an angry outburst from the vendor. As the dog's owner tries to defuse the situation, meteorites begin falling from the sky, kicking off the film's main events.

Movie: Quest for Camelot (1998)

Reference: Godzilla Series

In this scene, a two-headed dragon performs the song "If I Didn't Have You," humorously lamenting how neither head wants to live with the other. At one point, one head imagines being a fire-breathing lizard, briefly showing a Godzilla-like creature that breathes fire.

Movie: Toy Story 2 (1999)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Early in the film, after Woody is stolen, Rex accidentally smashes a recreation of the crime scene, at which point Hamm says, "Oh, why don't you watch where you're goin', Godspilla?" In the Japanese subtitles, this joke was left untranslated, but in the Japanese dub, Hamm calls Rex "fake Godzilla". Later in the film, when thief Al McWhiggen is preparing to go to Japan, Mr. Potato Head tries to get a look at where the villain went, and says to Rex, "Stand still, Godzilla." He then climbs on Rex to peek out the car window. The Godzilla reference is also retained in the Japanese subtitles and the dub.

Movie: Reptilian (1999)

Reference: Godzilla Series

At one hour and eleven minutes into this remake/reimagining of the classicYongary (1967), a special team of jetpack-clad soldiers dives out of an airplane and fly around the titular beast. They then regroup, and the man in the lead mutters the following immortal line: "Compared to this guy, Godzilla is a pussy."

Movie: Rush Hour 2 (2001)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Around 39 minutes into the film, Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan, born in the same year as Godzilla) and Detective Carter (Chris Tucker) are on a plane to LA discussing how people of different races deal with intense situations. Carter insists black people keep their cool even under fire, and Lee makes a similar claim about the Asian races—to which Carter replies, "Yeah, right. When Godzilla's comin', ya'll be trippin'. I seen the movie, ya'll be 'gaica, gaica!'"

Movie: Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

Reference: Godzilla Series

A monster statue is moved and people think it's the real Godzilla. Two businessmen flee, and one shouts, "Run! It's Godzilla!", while another rebukes him, "It looks like Godzilla, but due to international copyright laws, it is not."

Movie: Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003)

Reference: Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

A very subtle reference found in the first volume of Quentin Tarantino'sKill Bill. The sequence occures during the Tokyo arrival scene, as the airplane flies over the Tokyo cityscape. This set is in fact the Yokohama one fromGodzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack and came compliments of the movie's production coordinator in Japan:Shinji Higuchi.

Movie: Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003)

Reference: Lady Snowblood (1973)

While the whole movie takes inspiration from the 1973Lady Snowblood, including shot homages, the finale to the first volume makes it explicit. After O-Ren Ishii is defeated, the songThe Flower of Carnage plays in the background. Besides originating from the 1973 movie, it was also sung by that movie's lead actress:Meiko Kaji.

Movie: The Haunted Mansion (2003)

Reference: Mothra (1961)

When Eddie Murphy's character Jim Evers responds to his son Michael's bloodcurdling scream, he comes to learn that the trouble was caused by a dangerous combination: his son's arachnophobia and the presence of a spider in his room. When Jim investigates only to find a rather anticlimactically-sized arachnid, he quips, "Man, you're acting like it's Mothra".

Movie: Kill Bill Volume 2 (2004)

Reference: Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)

Following the Bride character's reunion with her daughter, they sit down to watch a movie before bed. Although Bill doesn't think it's appropriate, the Bride wins out on the movie choice:Shogun Assassin. Released in 1980,Shogun Assassin was distributed by New World Pictures. Although their rights were for the second Lone Wolf and Cub film, Toho gave them footage from the first to construct a "previoulsy" style segment. It's the "previously" sequence that can be heard in the secondKill Bill film, complete with dialogue from Gibran Evans who dubbed Daigoro.

Movie: Cutey Honey (2004)

Reference: Godzilla Series

In this movie based on Go Nagai's notorious manga series, the titular Cutey Honey (Eriko Sato) owns a cell phone which, on multiple occasions throughout the film, utilizes a ring tone that sounds just like King Ghidorah's classic roar.

Movie: The Calamari Wrestler (2004)

Reference: Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)

In the climax toThe Calamari Wrestler (akaIka Resuraa), Japanese professional wrestler Kan-Ichi Iwata is pitted against a mysterious new foe--a bad-boy gigantic boxing squilla, which is a kind of mantis shrimp. After taking a terrible beating, Iwata manages to turn the fight around and tears off both of the squilla boxer's arms to sound effects cribbed fromEbirah, Horror of the Deep (1966), and the squilla boxer suddenly adopts Ebirah's vocal chords, expressing his pain with the same voice that Ebirah used when that classic giant shrimp was likewise dis-armed almost forty years before.

Movie: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

Reference: Godzilla (1954)

After the robots attack, several newspapers flash by to indicate that other areas of the world have also been assaulted. A Japanese newspaper reveals Godzilla on the defensive, a shot which is realized through a composite that borrows from the original 1954 movie. Interestingly, the era in which this film takes place is actually decades prior to the time period ofGodzilla (1954).

Movie: Into the Sun (2005)

Reference: Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995)

This mid-2000s low-budget Yakuza actioner from Steven Seagal, about an hour into the film some Yakuza discover an apartment where some of their men have been killed via sword. On the TV in the background,Gamera: Guardian of the Universe plays, and we get a really clear shot of Gamera in a closeup on the TV. Steven Seagal's daughter, Ayako Fujitani, played as Asagi Kusanagi in the 1990s Gamera trilogy. Kusanagi was a young girl with a connection to Gamera--and we get a close-up of her face on the TV as well. Amusingly enough, earlier in the film, in the same apartment and on the same TV, right before another assassination, we see a short sequence wherein some men are playingWar of the Monsters on PS2.

Movie: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Reference: Seven Samurai (1954)

As Obi-Wan and Mace Windu discuss Anakin's reluctance toward his new assignment, a pensive Yoda rubs his head in a style that mimics that ofTakashi Shimura's character inSeven Samurai (1954). George Lucas has confirmed that this was intentional in the DVD commentary.

Movie: Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Towards the conclusion of the second Steve MartinCheaper by the Dozen film, at an old lake house the haplessly destructive Baker children manage to bust a hole in the wall, revealing Chiseler the pack rat's stash of random stuff--including some of their old toys. When little Mark Baker (Forrest Landis) steps forward, he takes out an old Imperial Godzilla toy from Chiseler's collection.

Movie: Persepolis (2007)

Reference: Godzilla Series

During the course of the biographical drama filmPersepolis, one scene depicts a fictional Godzilla movie that is playing at the theater.

Movie: High School Musical 2 (2007)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Troy Bolton and Chad Danforth are working at a resort as waiters, and when they are suddenly approached by their manager to take on a well-paying job as caddies, Troy asks why they are being reassigned. Chad, however, is excited, and states, "For forty bucks, I'd caddy for Godzilla!"

Movie: Enchanted (2007)

Reference: GODZILLA (1998)

The roar that the dragon lets loose as he approaches the city is taken directly fromGODZILLA (1998), as well as some aspects of his behavior.

Movie: The Simpsons Movie (2007)

Reference: Godzilla Series

At around 43 minutes, when the Simpsons family are on the run and strapped for cash, Homer is hopeful, encouraging a despondent-and-drunk Bart with the words, "America, where any man can make quick money with no questions asked!" As evidence, he gestures to the assembled billboards outside their hotel room--one of the most linguistically complex gags in Simpsons history. Most of the billboards are in different languages, each with different jokes (such as a Korean sign advertising Texan-accent English classes). One of two Japanese billboards advertises Godzilla Motors along with an image of a big green car, presumably referencing how Japanese carmakers made lots of money through selling automobiles internationally (a reality which historically caused some perturbation in relations between Japan and the USA, as well as several film comedies).

Movie: Lupin III: Green Vs. Red (2008)

Reference: Lupin the 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

The beautifully melodious song "The Treasure of the Flame" (also known as "Fire Treasure") of Cagliostro fame can be heard in the soundtrack of this 2008 OVA.

Movie: The Hangover (2009)

Reference: Godzilla Series

At a little under an hour into the film, the hapless main trio (after a long series of absurd adventures) are in a Mercedes when they hear a strange sound coming from the trunk. Upon opening it, a naked Chinese man bounds out and begins beating on them with a crowbar. The profoundly weird Alan (Zach Galifianakis), in a fit of blind self-defense, screams: "We're on your side, I hate Godzilla, I hate him too! I hate him! He destroys cities! Please!" In the Japanese version, the translation is near identical (though when Phil yells "He was so mean," the Japanese translation is "That guy had his penis full out"). The wording of the Japanese dub is slightly different, but retains the meaning—including the strange replacement for "He was so mean."

Movie: Time Traveller (2010)

Reference: Godzilla (1954)

The poster from the originalGodzilla (1954) can be seen during this 2010 film adaptation of Yasutaka Tsutsui's novelThe Girl Who Leapt Through Time(時をかける少女 - Toki o Kakeru Shoujo).

Movie: The Losers (2010)

Reference: Godzilla Series

In the opening of the movie, Captain Jake Jensen (Chris Evans) is performing a shadow play with Godzilla and a dachshund as stars over a United States flag. During the scene he has them do some very inappropriate things that shall not here be mentioned.

Movie: Toy Story 3 (2010)

Reference: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Woody and the other toys end up at a daycare, where they're at the mercy of the younger children. Eventually, Woody is adopted by a girl named Bonnie from the daycare and taken home with her. Once there, Woody meets several of her toys, including a Totoro plush. Although silent, the Totoro doll frequently follows the other toys around.

Movie: Wicker Tree (2011)

Reference: Godzilla Series

In director's Robin Hardy's "spiritual sequel" to his 1973 horror classicThe Wicker Man, born again Christian folk singer Steve (Henry Garrett) relates a story to pub patrons in the remote Scottish village Tressock. He describes how his stetson came to have a bullet hole in it: "My daddy done that. He was shit-faced with moonshine. Thought I'd turned into some Godzilla or some darn thing".

Movie: Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015)

Reference: Godzilla Series

In a mid-credits Easter egg, monster-hunting duo Burt Gummer and Travis B. Welker star in a preview for a fake program called The Survivalist. The preview features a series of quick scenes showcasing Gummer and Welker strutting their stuff and hunting Graboids... plus a shot of a classic Shogun Warriors Godzilla figure.

Movie: Ted 2 (2015)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Towards the end of the film, magical foul-mouthed stuffed-bear Ted and friends attend ComiCon and a fight breaks out between numerous cosplaying fans, including someone dressed in an impressive Godzilla costume. The costume appears to be patterned after the Daisenso Godzilla suit. This Godzilla attacks someone in a Transformers BumbleBee suit and knocks over a tower of PlayDo while emitting the Godzilla roar. Also, Chucky shows up again, making another crossover with the Big G. Note that advertisements forGodzilla (2014) can also be seen in the background several times during the ComiCon sequence.

Movie: Tomorrowland (2015)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Young idealist rebel Casey Newton (played by Britt Robertson) goes on a quest to figure out the mystery behind a high-tech badge that seems to partially teleport her to a futuristic society. On that journey, she visits a toy store called Blast from the Past which is filled with posters and toys and statues from old sci-fi films such asThe Day the Earth Stood Still (1951),This Island Earth (1955),Forbidden Planet (1956),Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957), and many more. Also, right after she steps inside, a large Godzilla figurine (or possibly a DorMei knock-off) can be seen on the shelf behind her.

Movie: Pacific Rim Uprising (2018)

Reference: Kaiju Movies

ThePacific Rim films are heavily inspired by Japanese science-fiction animation and tokusatsu (Guillermo Del Toro, who directed the first film in the duology, is a huge fan), and the films regularly refer to the invading antagonist monsters as "kaiju" (with the first film being one of the earliest mainstream films to adopt the term). The sequel took these inspirations to another level with a cheeky sequence referencing numerous kaiju--Japanese and abroad. After Secretary-General Mako Mori's helicopter is shot down by a rogue Jaeger robot (I refuse to believe she died), and scientist Hermann Gottlieb manages to decode a final message from her--an image of a kaiju in profile. When this image is referenced against known kaiju, viewers are treated to a set of simplified images of a gaggle of kaiju quickly populating the screen as Gottlieb searches for a match--and many of these kaiju are well-known: Gigan, Varan, Baragon, Battra, and a MUTO--plus Gamera and his foes Jiger, Gyaos, and Guiron (the latter of which inspired some of PacRim's beasties). South Korea's Yongary and the USA's own Cloverfield monster also make appearances.

Movie: Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Reference: Godzilla Series

(Spoilers) At the film's climax, an army of Ralph clones gathers together into a giant Ralph. This conglomerate Ralph is called "Ralphzilla," though never directly--if you watch the movie with closed captions, his roars are labeled as "Ralphzilla" on Disney Plus (at least in Japan). He acts more like King Kong, chasing a girl, climbing a building--and Ralph himself seems patterned after Donkey Kong. Also, earlier in the movie, in an even more strained Godzilla reference, one can see the cover of the (fake) comic Reptillior in the staff office of the arcade. Reptillior is the comic that inspired Fred's costume inBig Hero 6 (apparently they exist in the same universe)--and Fred was originally "Fredzilla" from the Marvel comics series, wherein he could summon a clearly Godzilla-inspired kaiju aura as his superpower.

Movie: Uncut Gems (2019)

Reference: Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)Reference: Kaiju Movies

Around a half hour into the film, professional scumbag Howard Ratner busies himself watching a basketball match while pretending to care about his youngest son Beni. He then visits his oldest son Eddie's room, and the kid appears to have a fantastic toy collection. We see what looks like three different Godzilla figures and a Final Wars Gigan on Eddie's shelves, plus a snazzy red Daimajin! Eddie's got taste, even if Howard doesn't.

Movie: Kate (2021)

Reference: Godzilla Series Reference: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Eponymous super-assassin Kate kills lots of yakuza with astonishing skill and panache in her search for violent revenge against the mysterious Kijima. Her trail of destruction leads her to a young girl, who she rousts from a club and then chases through the streets of Shinjuku, and at about 32 minutes in we get a glimpse of the Hotel Gracery and the famous Godzilla head. Eventually, after her clothes are bloodied, she receives a new shirt that is clearly patterned after Totoro's familiar smile on a gray background. Also, later in the movie, as Kate continues to track down Kijima, we get a scene in which a yakuza is watchingMessage from Space: Galactic Wars on TV with English subtitles for some reason.

Movie: Sadako DX (2022)

Reference: Gamera 2: Advent of Legion (1996)

Teenage Futaba Ichijo, little sister of protagonist genius-girl Ayaka Ichijo, decides to watch what is supposedly a cursed video tape. To do so she has to dig out her parents' old VCR. When she opens the box which contains the VCR, on top of the machine is a VHS copy ofGamera 2: Attack of the Legion (1996). Worth noting that the 2022 movie itself is an entry in the franchise spun off fromRing (1998).

Movie: Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood (2022)

Reference: Matango (1963)

In this rotoscope-animated film filled with nostalgic, pseudo-autobiographical recollections of life from the 1960s, protagonist and narrator Stan covers a lot of ground about growing up amidst the Space Race with a father working for NASA. About thirty-two minutes into the film, Stan recalls watching late-night monster movies on a program called "Weird," and he lists a series of films he watched as a child, with accompanying short clips. These films includeAttack of the 50-Foot Woman (1958),The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957),The Thing from Another World (1951),The Beginning of the End (1957),The Blob (1958) (which has an amusing title in Japanese), and, finally,Attack of the Mushroom People (akaMatango). This last film gets the longest screen time, with three shots from the scene in which a mushroom man appears on the derelict ship shown reformatted in rotoscope.

Movie: Troll (2022)

Reference: Godzilla Series

About halfway into the film, after the eponymous troll has made a dramatic appearance and saved a child Gamera-style, we are treated to a montage of scenes from news broadcasts around the world reacting to the reality of an ancient monster appearing in our world. One of those news broadcasts comes from Japan, and the female broadcaster asks, "Could it be a Norwegian Godzilla?" At the bottom of the screen, we can see the news program is from HKN (a parody of the real NHK, or Japan Broadcasting Corporation) and there is text (cut off) which reads, roughly translated, "Norway's Godzilla causes a huge pandemonium."

Movie: Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (2023)

Reference: Godzilla Series

From the assistant director ofShin Godzilla (2016) comes this zombie comedy based on the hit manga series. A little before the midway point of the film, the action takes place in and around Shinjuku, and so there are multiple shots of Hotel Gracery and the Godzilla Head built there. This includes a shot from the roof of a nearby building as the main characters come out the door, an aerial shot from above, and a shot showing Godzilla Road (with signage) and the hotel/movie theater prominently featured in the background.

Movie: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

Reference: Godzilla Series

(Warning: Spoilers) At the end of the film, the villainous Super Fly (voiced by Ice Cube, father of Godzilla actor O'Shea Jackson Jr.) is mutated into an enormous aggregate kaiju with prominent whale features—which seems to be a deliberate reference to the kaiju king. When the whale kaiju approaches land, the way that the water rises around him may also be a reference toGODZILLA (1998). There follow three lines of dialogue that mention Godzilla. After Super Fly transforms, he comments at length about the mutation, exclaiming, "I'm on some Godzilla—" before getting interrupted. Soon after, the heroic mutants are discussing what to do about the giant monster threat, and some hope of the military taking care of things is suggested. Donatello then states, "According to every Godzilla movie, they'll eventually get here." Finally, when the enormous Super Fly attacks New York, he gloats, "Ya'll thought it was gonna be Godzilla? Nah!" The movie also features many other references to pop culture, includingAttack on Titan andAkira (1988).

Movie: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Reference: Godzilla Series

Within this story, the characters are in a quantum realm (super small), and in that realm, they encounter the villainous Kang the Conqueror, who has nefarious plans for the greater world/universe. Towards the end of the story, Scott Lang/Ant-Man turns into a giant (relatively speaking) and attacks Kang's quantum-sized city, and his daughter Cassandra Lang does the same while battling the ridiculous MODOK. After some successful battle maneuvers, the daddy-daughter duo meet while still in conveniently-compatible jumbo size and embrace, at which point Scott says, "I feel like I'm hugging Godzilla."

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