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Mayor Thomson declares Godzilla Day for rare film screening

By Ethan Sandweiss

Posted April 21, 2025

The original cut of the Godzilla film that will be shown at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater sat in storage for over 50 years before the studio re-released it in 2006. (WFIU/WTIU News)

Godzilla is perhaps best known for destroying cities, but an Indiana city will celebrate him this summer.

Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson Kerry Thomson proclaimed June 27 as the first ever Godzilla Day.

In her proclamation last Tuesday, Thomson said the city wants to honor the original, uncut 1954 Toho Studios film screening at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater that evening.

But the inspiration for Godzilla Day and the decision to show the rare Japanese cut belongs to Beth Bredlau, an art history master’s student at IU.

“It happened really fast and kind of serendipitously,” Bredlau said. She approached several venues about screening the film before reaching Steve Versaw, executive director of the Buskirk.

“Not only did he love it, but he was full throttle,” she said.

From there, Bredlau submitted a proclamation request to the Office of the Mayor, asking Thomson to declare a local holiday. She issued the proclamation within a week, Bredlau said.

Master's student Beth Bredlau shows off some Godzilla collectables. (Devan Ridgway, WTIU)

The original cut of the Godzilla film that will be shown at the Buskirk sat in storage for over 50 years before the studio re-released it in 2006.

The version of Godzilla familiar to most Americans was recut by distributors for American audiences. They removed 20 minutes of footage and much of the soundtrack, in addition to inserting new sequences featuring an American reporter as the main character.

“It’s a little bit more gritty, and it really talks about the realities of what had happened during the war and the atomic bombing,” Bredlau said about the original. “So much of that was sanitized for the Americans. It really took away a lot of the responsibility and heaviness of what happened in the war.”

Bredlau is still looking for ways to expand the event, like getting permits for public art projects and partnering with local businesses. She asked Indiana Gov. Mike Braun to proclaim a holiday as well, although the state has yet to respond.

The Buskirk will air two other Godzilla movies that weekend, All Monsters Attack (1969) and Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971).

Below: Beth Bredlau's Godzilla collectable breathes fire, stomps fighter jet in WFIU-WTIU Newsroom.