All in film

Godzilla vs. Biollante and the Moment Genetic Power Overtook Nuclear Power as the Scariest Thing On Earth

Godzilla vs. Biollante! This week I am joining Derek and Charlotte on the Castle Bravo podcast (all about Godzilla films!) to discuss this fabulous film. Watching it for the first time in over 20 years, I had a lot of thoughts about how the film comments on the theme of genetic engineering and especially the historical context—how genetic engineering was a major fear in society in the 1980s, and how the United States was wielding that genetic power to get a leg up on more technologically advanced adversaries like Japan. I also wanted to discuss the concept of a “chimera” a bit and clear up something I think the film gets wrong here.