GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE

Part of Midnight Movies

Diving into delirious realms of imagination, this second film of the Godzilla franchise’s 1980s Heisei period resurgence showcased the towering beast for a new generation of fans. This time, Godzilla’s foe is one of the series’ most wondrously strange kaiju cr›eations: Biollante — a mutant plant genetically engineered from the cells of a rose, a renegade scientist’s dead daughter, and Godzilla itself. With a wild plot encompassing spies, psychic children and bonkers biotechnology — and some of the coolest special effects in the history of Japanese cinema — GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE stands as a high point in the ever-evolving mythology of the King of the Monsters. (Synopsis courtesy of the Criterion Collection)

“Even more so than its predecessor, GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE reasserts the primal terror of its monster protagonist for the Heisei era, pouring cold water (and green blood) on Japan’s economic bubble just before it burst.” —Jake Cole, Slant Magazine