Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

“I'll teach those humans for failing to recognise me. They mocked me. Well, now they're going to eat their words!"

This is the film that killed the Godzilla franchise for nine years. It was never intended to do this but, despite decent reviews, it was a box office bombs. So this is the last film of an era- an era of rubber customes, toy tanks and B movie awesomeness.

And this is actually one of the superior entries. Yes, its monster stuff is more or less recycled and yes, we don't get to see much monster action (or indeed Godzilla) until really rather late on. But the science fiction intrigue and the twists and turns before them keep us entertained. We have a bitter old mad scientist! We have the shocking revelation that his downtrodden daughter is a cyborg! We have the most 70s clothing possible!

Oh, the plot doesn't really make sense, and Mechagodzilla doesn't actually do an awful lot, plus this new monster is a bit generic, but who cares? The pace, and the plot beats, are perfect for suspense. This is how to do a B movie.

So, what next? I'm genuinely watching these movies blind, having never seen any of them before. But I very much suspect that, after this film, nothing will ever be the same again. Let's hope the franchise remains enjoyable as the period charm gradually lessens as we approach more recent decades.