Saved events

Mothra Vs. Godzilla (12A) + introduction by Jasper Sharp

All Kaiju Attack!

,Cinema 1
Godzilla dominates a landscape.

Our kaiju celebration kicks off with one of the greatest films of the genre, a battle royale between the two most beloved giant beasts – a rampaging Godzilla against monster-God Mothra.

When construction on a housing development rouses a dormant Godzilla, leading to the destruction of the cities of Yokkaichi and Nagoya, humankind must call on the aid of benevolent monster-deity Mothra, the first female kaiju. Mothra is ageing and may not be up to the task, but she is humanity’s only hope against the mighty foe.

Mothra Vs. Godzilla was the last of the early kaiju films to depict Godzilla as a villain rather than a hero, and features some of the best special effects work by the incomparable Eiji Tsuburaya and a rousing score from Akira Ifukube. Fun, fearsome and surprisingly moving, this is quite simply a delight from beginning to end.

Tagged with: Cinema All Kaiju Attack!

Japan 1964 dir Ishirō Honda 89 min, in Japanese with English subtitles

Jasper Sharp

Jasper Sharp is a writer, critic and filmmaker and the co-founder of the website Midnight Eye, specialising in Japanese cinema. He is the joint author of The Midnight Eye Guide to Japanese Film (2004) and The Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema (2011) and co-director of The Creeping Garden (2004), a documentary about plasmodial slime moulds, and The J-Horror Virus (2023).

Cinema 1

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.