We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of this brash (and uncharacteristically bloody) kaiju cage match, which pits Godzilla against a mecha doppelgänger and a race of black-hole aliens hell-bent on world domination. ​

Godzilla’s evil twin Mechagodzilla first reared its head in this Fukuda Jun-directed film. A robot designed by aliens to conquer Earth, the enduringly popular villain has since been resurrected by Toho Studios several times. With the help of earnest direction, spectacular pyrotechnics, and guest appearances by veteran genre actors, this film recaptures the feel of the sixties Godzilla movies.