Ancient Psychedelia: Alien Gods & Mushroom Goddesses
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| 1954: Godzilla. The year 1954 appears to be the starting date, for this reptilian mythology. The first movie to ever bring the idea of a reptilian monster god who came to earth was Godzilla. Godzilla was a good guy, to the Americans, at least, who had just defeated the Japanese with a hydrogen bomb, but Godzilla was charged with nuclear energy and used it to wreck Tokyo. He soon became an American hero. The plot revolves around a problem which has led to a drop in fishing in the area. The government sends its scientist Tamane to the island area to investigate and he finds giant radioactive footprints and then: “Yamane presents his findings in Tokyo, estimating that Godzilla is 50 metres (164 ft) tall and is evolved from an ancient sea creature becoming a terrestrial creature. He concludes that Godzilla has been disturbed by underwater hydrogen bomb testing.” (6)  1955: The Beast with a Million Eyes was also about alien life, utilizing plants and local living earth species as its eyes, to see and control and take over the world. Once it takes control of the lesser animals, it works its way up to humans. It Came from Beneath the Sea was about “a giant octopus from the Mindanao Deep, forced from its natural habitat by hydrogen bomb testing in the area, which has made the giant octopus radioactive, driving off its natural food supply.” 1956: Forbidden Planet was a big hit, and the audience is introduced to the lovable Robby the Robot and the “monsters from the Id,” the powers of the subconscious. |
Invasion of the Body Snatchers was the first to focus on “alien plant spores” growing in large seed pods, which have the capacity to duplicate their host victims, replacing them with “pod people.” Earth vs the Flying Saucers had us fighting aliens again. It Conquered the World featured “Dr. Tom Anderson (Van Cleef), an embittered scientist, who made contact with a Venusian creature, while using his radio transmitter. The alien's secret motivation is to take complete control of the Earth by enslaving humanity using mind control devices.” (7) 1957: 20 Million Miles to Earth carried the next big reptilian message home, post Godzilla. The first US spaceship to Venus crashes in the Mediterranean ocean and a crew is sent to recover the people who survived, but instead find a strange gelatinous substance and bring back to the lab. A small creature is born from the mass and is locked in a cage. Soon, it grows massive in size, breaking out of the cage and sets out hunting for food, eating sulphur and terrorizing nearby farm animals.  (6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla_(1954_film (7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Conquered_the_World |
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