S'porean in Melbourne builds impressive Godzilla-themed home cinema as tribute to late grandfather

Long live the king.

Ashley Tan | February 08, 2021, 03:14 PM

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Helmi Abdat loves Godzilla.

So much so that he renovated and designed the rooms of his dream house to center around the fictional kaiju, or monster.

For the uninitiated, Godzilla first appeared in several Japanese films by Toho.

The character, a dinosaur-esque sea monster which has a nuclear breath, has been around since 1954, but has gradually evolved into a pop culture icon.

Godzilla was adapted by several Western blockbuster movies in recent years, and is set to appear in an upcoming 2021 movie alongside fictional monster King Kong.

Stayed up to watch Godzilla with late grandfather

For Helmi, who is in his 30s, his interest in Godzilla is tied to his relationship with his late grandfather.

In a Facebook post on Subtle Asian Traits, he shared that he was very close with the elder man while growing up as his grandparents were the ones who raised him.

The pair would often stay up late to watch reruns of Godzilla on television whenever he slept over at their house, he told Mothership.

His grandfather would also bring him out on trips on his motorcycle, as well as go fishing together.

The first game console Helmi possessed, a Micro Genius, was also gifted to him by his grandfather.

Helmi said:

"I really miss him. We bonded quite a bit over Godzilla so I thought it would be nice to relive those moments with a Godzilla themed room!"

Additionally, the Godzilla theme goes in line with his "Asian roots", Helmi said.

Mimics real cinema

And Helmi certainly took this mission to heart.

Helmi, who moved to Melbourne, Australia around a decade ago, has built a Godzilla-themed home cinema in his home.

Photos show a "Cinema" sign above the entrance and a red velvet rope barrier at the doorway, which mimics an old-school theatre.

The room has enough sofas to seat six people, and the front sofas can swivel around to face the back.

This, Helmi says, is so people can turn around to talk to their friends once the movie is over.

Photo from Helmi Abdat

The hallway outside the cinema is also lined with movie posters, exactly like that of a real cinema.

Photo from Helmi Abdat

Photo from Helmi Abdat

To make set up as realistic as possible, Helmi concealed the speakers behind the screen, and installed the projector behind a wall to hide it.

The lights in the room are controlled by his Google Home Hub, which also cycles through his favourite Godzilla art on screen.

Blue LED lighting (perhaps a reference to Godzilla's blue nuclear breath?) adds to the overall vibes of the room.

Although he was restricted by his budget, Helmi managed to make do with some DIY work.

He reused his old speakers and bought secondhand equipment.

In total, the home cinema took about a year to complete.

Godzilla merchandise

The cozy home cinema is also decked out with all sorts of Godzilla-themed merchandise, including pillows, mugs, blankets, plushies and tissue dispensers.

The walls are also adorned with nicely-framed Godzilla posters.

Photo from Helmi Abdat

Godzilla figurines of various sizes, as well as those other monsters like Ghidorah, are displayed in the room as well.

Photo from Helmi Abdat

Photo from Helmi Abdat

More items are displayed on shelves, which Helmi's friend, Mark, built.

Photo from Helmi Abdat

Helmi said that the various merchandise were collected over the years.

Many of the collectibles were sourced during his trips to Japan, while others were bought from online auctioning sites such as eBay.

Other rooms in home are decorated too

Helmi's obsession with pop culture extends to other parts of his house too.

His study has an impressive array of comic book and movie icons.

Photo from Helmi Abdat

Photo from Helmi Abdat

Here's his gaming room, where several collectible gaming consoles, including the Micro Genius his grandfather gave him, are displayed.

Photo from Helmi Abdat

Even the toilet in his home is similarly decorated.

Photo from Helmi Abdat

Photo from Helmi Abdat

This isn't the end of it though.

Helmi says that in the coming months, he intends to a Godzilla-themed museum or bedroom as well.

Top photos from Helmi Abdat