Poster for “Gojira” (1954)

To celebrate the anniversary of the first Gojira film, which was released in theaters in Japan 70 years ago, the Academy Museum presents its first-ever all-day marathon, a Godzilla-thon, featuring five classic and contemporary Godzilla films on Sunday, Nov. 3.

The Japan Foundation Los Angeles, 5700 Wilhire Blvd., Suite 100, Los Angeles, is supporting this program as a community partner by hosting two lectures by Godzilla specialists Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski.

On Saturday, Nov. 2, at 11 a.m., the first session, “Godzilla in Context: The Monster, Japan and America,” will address themes of war, environmentalism, and the past, present, and future of U.S.-Japan relations as they are reflected in the Academy Museum’s Godzilla-thon.

On Monday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m., the second session, “Godzilla and the Japanese Art of Special Effects,” will focus on the creative foundation of the long-running Godzilla franchise, with behind-the-scenes stories and images from the making of the original “Gojira” (1954) and other classic Godzilla films at Toho Studios during the Golden Age of Japanese cinema.

For more information on special lectures at JFLA, visit jflalc.org.