Are Giant Monsters Going to Make a Resurgence?

Are Giant Monsters Going to Make a Resurgence?

With the summer blockbuster trailers making the rounds, I can't help but be excited by a few. I've said it before, I'm a HUGE Giant Monster (Kaiju) fan...I think I was raised at the right time in TV.

 Kaiju is a Japanese term that has been Universally coined to mean "Giant Monster", think Godzilla. Typically, these Giant Monsters reign devastation on city's...usually Japan...those poor people. I still watch my Ultraman DVD's, my Millennium Godzilla series with some zesty Space Giants every once in a while.

Pacific Rim has my interest peaked at an all time high...maybe even Kaiju levels...see what I did there? Guillermo del Toro is leading the giant monster resurgence with his Pacific Rim film that pits giant Mecha Robots vs Giant Monsters, that are actually referred to as Kaiju..yeah US, way to catch up. The trailer looks insane...the time has finally arrived for Kaiju madness to take the World by storm. 

This leads me to a filmmaking question....is it possible to make a legit Kaiju film on the Independent level? Sure, Tom Berdinski, also a Kaiju fan made his Giant Rubber Movie...which was a throw back to the era of past days with a lot of fun involved...but I have to wonder...what kind of a budget would one need to make something of a real magnitude? Something that looks amazing...something that looks real and something that might equate to fear?

Godzilla is also currently under production, filming in Canada and plenty of photos are leaking..but so far..no sight of the Big G. Gareth Edwards has a huge void to fill with this...del Toro is beating him to the starting line plus, as a Kaiju lover..I wasn't really sold on his first entry "Monsters". It was after Kaiju had taken over the Earth, so to speak and it was a battle to get back home from Mexico.


My expectations are high for this. We Kaiju fans already had to deal with the last Godzilla remake in the US. I can't blame Matthew Broderick, but if I ever see him...after I size him up...I might punch him or at least give him a strong talking too. I can't deal with another let down like that film. I've written before and have talked openly about my hatred for it...if it wasn't called Godzilla, it might not have hurt as bad....regardless, I still suffer from night sweats and tend to eat my feelings because of the trauma.

Ok, so back to my question....can it be done? A Giant Monster movie on an independent level...with an independent budget? Editing software is incredible but come on...to make a serious giant monster movie we need more than that. We need miniatures to destroy, plus we really need 2 giant monsters to fight and wreck shit!! Yeah, that's what we need!! Oh man, the thought of this has two sides..one is the fan boy in me that says "Oh, I will wear the suit and devastate everything!! Then the other part of me, the realistic, budget conscious producer thinks of the headache of getting the right shots, having one set, having suits of Kaiju's that look like something that someone should have wiped after dropping it off...plus, let's not forget that TOHO, the people behind Godzilla will SUE your ass if it even remotely looks like anything Godzilla related.


So, as I now have shown my nerdiness for Giant Monster films and shared that I lay around on Sunday mornings in my underwear watching repeats of Ultraman....errr..wait, I guess, I'm saying that now...this is the questions that take up space within this tiny cranium....will I ever make the attempt of a Kaiju film??? Maybe..

This is an 8 minute Kaiju film by Studio Ghibli, the people behind so many people anime's like Princess Mononoke, Totoro and Nausicaa Valley of the Wind, titled Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo....it's their first step away from anime and their first attempt at a Kaiju...it's not bad. Even sense a little Evangelion in the design, maybe some Go Nagi's Devilman...check it out.

Godzilla - Built to Suit!

Godzilla - Built to Suit!

So after a near 2 week buffet of Godzilla watching, I started to try to decide what Suit I prefer. I have been concentrating on the Heisei (1980’s-98) and Millennium (1999-current) series, mostly since that is what I happened to grab.

Let’s face it, Godzilla is an Icon but his appearance has changed numerous times over the years, in recent years he has changed from white eyes to more pronounced back fins/spikes. I have become a big fan of the look of Godzilla 2000, he simply looks fierce.

Now, while the film itself lacks, the suit just seems like something that would be “possible”..yeah, yeah, I know..Godzilla is just Sci-Fi but this is the Fanboy in me. The less up-right stance, his slow paced walk, his exposed teeth…come on..this is probably what it WOULD look like if Godzilla stepped on the beach.

This isn’t much of a write up, just a thought. Want to tell me what Suit you like? Follow me on Twitter @RobDimension or just post below. I have been tweeting while watching these Kaiju sessions…join in the fun!

Dimension's City Stomping Double Issue Godzilla Review!!

Originally, I set out to write about Issue #1, but having the first 2 issues within my grasp, I decided to go for the “Dimension’s City Stomping Double Issue Godzilla Review”…ok, maybe I should rethink the title…not exactly a winner.

I am a HUGE Godzilla nerd, in fact, I’m a HUGE Daikaiju (Giant Monster) film nut, I always have been. In order to not show how obsessed I really am, let’s just talk Godzilla comics. Now, for years Godzilla has found a home in comics through Marvel and Dark Horse comics…and quite honestly, in my opinion, they were never really that good. Being a fan of Godzilla, yes even sitting through the American version (insert moan and groan) and the Hanna Barbera "Godzooky" show, I always felt that just seeing Godzilla destroy cities and fight second rate foes was, underwhelming. The main reason, for me, at least was the lack of real, serious threatening Godzilla foes...like King Ghidorah, Mothra...even Rodan.

 Dealing with TOHO has got to be tough, but somehow, IDW Publishing pulled it off. IDW Publishing, who I always think did the Angel series some justice but really did some amazing stuff with the Transformers series. Plus, they released 30 Days of Nights, GI Joe and a few others...visit http://www.idwpublishing.com/ for more info on all the titles! The newest Godzilla comic book series promises to be FULL our favorite Godzilla foe.

So let’s dive in to the review:

Godzilla – Kingdom of Monsters #1

Written by Eric Powell and Tracy Marsh

Artwork – Phil Hester

For the premier issue, IDW decided to reboot the Godzilla storyline that we are all so familiar with. I actually like this choice; it allows the writers to put certain twists on the Legend of Godzilla. So far we, for the 1st issue, see children being eaten (always brings a smile to my face…haha…my Therapist isn’t a fan), Japan dropping Nuclear weapons on the “Big G” causing Godzilla to now have Atomic breath and plenty of the line “You have got to be F&*King kidding me”.

Big fan so far…slow paced, the Godzilla (for other nerds wondering) is based on the Millennium Godzilla and his is drawn: Fierce. Like I said, so far so good…obviously the further we get into a story, the more we will see how the opening holds up.

Grade B+ - I really enjoyed the fast pace, the look of Godzilla and the surrounding story. The panic and the reboot I am really hopeful for.

 

Smart Moves!! - The Marketing by IDW for Issue #1 was amazing. They released an offer to retailers that, if the retailer purchased 500 copies of Issue #1, they would give that retailer an EXCLUSIVE variant cover with Godzilla squashing their retail location. Now, my opinion, the timing for this was great....they planned this around Free Comic Book Day allowing retailers, if they desired to hand these out as an advertisement. IDW in the process released over a Whopping 100 Variant covers!! Go collectors get those...haha..plus, IDW added to the print run of an additional 37,000 issues to be out there. Extremely smart marketing on IDW's part. I know, for a FACT, if I still had my retail store...I would have been all over this one!

 

 

Issue #2

Ok, now we are getting somewhere...This issue we see Godzilla getting governments all over the world, very nervous...but that's not it...we also see the arrival of Rodan and Anguirus. Rodan is hatched out of an egg from a Russian museum and Anguirus rolls (literally) through Mexico! The story is more action based so far...we see a comical Father of the children from issue #1 becoming a human bomb, who launches himself at Godzilla...only to come off more like a small firecracker...Who else will show up?? How can they stop the Attack of the Monsters??? Gotta keep grabbing them to find out!

Grade B+ - if you are waiting for an A, keep waiting until we see some Monster on Monster destruction. So far so good...I would recommend it...but I think the story is gonna need to pick up shortly.



Gamera vs. Barugon reviewed - SHOUT! Factory gives us a reason to SHOUT!

GAMERA vs. BARUGON

Director: Shigeo Tanaka 

Writer: Nisan Takahashi 

Cast: Kojiro Hongo, Kyoko Enami, Koji Fujiyama 

Released by: SHOUT! Factory 

Review by: Mark Mackner 

Hello, my fellow monster movie maniacs! Tis I, Mark Mackner, with a review of an old classic given a long-overdue remastered, uncut release! GAMERA fans, rejoice! We’ve been waiting for this moment, and it’s finally arrived!

A couple years back, we kaiju fans were blessed with the release of Classic Media’s TOHO MASTER COLLECTION, in which several classic GODZILLA titles were remastered, and we were given both the US and Japanese versions on one disc. PLUS, they gave us both versions of RODAN and WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS! Oh, what a time for kaiju fans! I’d never seen any of those Japanese versions, and they are magnificent, indeed. Then, whenever you feel like watching them as you remember from your childhood, you can watch ‘em with the English dubbing, too. 

Well, it’s taken a little time, but now (Thanks to the good folks at SHOUT! Factory), our favorite giant prehistoric radioactive flying turtle Gamera is getting the same treatment. Hooray! Until now, all VHS and DVD releases of the Gamera Showa series have been abysmal. Blurry, unfocused picture, lackluster sound. I grew up watching these movies, and I can tell you with 100% confidence that these films have NEVER looked or sounded better than these SHOUT! releases. 

Which brings us to the subject of today’s review, the second film in the Gamera Showa series, GAMERA vs. BARUGON aka WAR OF THE MONSTERS. To many, this is considered the last “serious” Gamera film of the Showa era. But that’s just silly. The first film was pretty wacky, and this one is even more so. But I mean that in the most loving way possible. 

The plot, of course, is simple. A man who fought in the South Pacific during WWII hid a giant opal he found on a remote island before the Japanese surrendered. Now, 20 years later, he rounds up some men for an expedition there, to retrieve the opal that will surely make all of them rich. 

So these guys then venture into the dreaded VALLEY OF THE RAINBOW to find this thing. That’s right, the place whose very name strikes terror into the hearts of the natives is called THE VALLEY OF THE RAINBOW. Sounds NIGHTMARISH, doesn’t it? Anyway, the opal turns out to be an egg, from which hatches forth the legendary BARUGON, who shows up every thousand years to fuck shit up. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what the tribal elder said. 

Barugon is a fascinating creation to behold. Kaiju fans will note that his name is almost identical to the Toho monster BARAGON (One of my personal favorites), who first appeared in the film FRANKENSTEIN vs. BARAGON, which was released before GAMERA vs. BARUGON. So, is Barugon a total ripoff of Baragon? Well, no. Not really. I mean, they’re both primarily 4-legged dinosaur-like monsters with large nose horns. That much, they share. 

But, whereas Baragon is a burrowing, subterranean beast, Barugon makes no effort to keep hidden. He travels above ground wherever he pleases. But it’s his methods of attack that REALLY set him apart from Baragon, and every other kaiju for that matter. 

First, Barugon has a long, sticky tongue that emits an ice-cold mist that freezes everything it touches. And then there’s his coup de grace, the rainbow ray that shoots out of his back and destroys everything in its path. Yeah. He’s a dragon that shoots deadly, destructive rainbows. Wildly original! 

Oddly enough, Gamera isn’t really in this movie very much. The first ten minutes explain what happened in the first film, and how Gamera returned to Earth. After that he doesn’t return until about halfway through, only to get his shell handed to him by Barugon. From there, he doesn’t come back into the picture until the VERY end to save the day. 

But there’s still loadws of monster action to admire here. Barugon gets gobs of screen time, and in this remastered version, his rainbow attack looks terrific. This is a great kaiju film, and this new edition is a must for kaiju fans. The packaging is awesome, with the anatomy of Gamera on the inside layout. And the booklet inside has the anatomy of Barugon, as well as character bios and more. 

The only negative to this new release is that there’s no English dub option. I mean, I don’t really care, I have no problem with subtitles, but my kids aren’t really ready for ‘em yet. But otherwise, this is definitely one you could enjoy with your kids. 

SHOUT! will be releasing the rest of the Gamera Showa series as double features. GYAOS and VIRAS will be on one set, GUIRON and JAIGER on another. They’ll both have two English dubs on all the films, including the infamous Sandy Frank versions. Plus, they’ll feature the Japanese language option, with English subs. Those’ll be out next Tuesday. The final two Gamera Showa films, ZIGRA and SUPER MONSTER, don’t have a release date yet, but they’re coming.

GAMERA vs. BARUGON: A+

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When not hanging out at The Horror Hotel, Mark Mackner can be found creating such local indie horror gems as DAISY DERKINS: DOGSITTER OF THE DAMNED!, EVIL BREW, THE HALF-LIFE HORROR FROM HELL or: IRRADIATED SATAN ROCKS THE WORLD!, and EMBALMO!  He’s also the resident Spider-Man scholar over at geek site POPTARDS where he writes SPIDEY’S WEEKLY WEB-UP.  In 2011, he’ll be directing his latest original script PROM NIGHT ABORTION!

Kaiju Review - War of the Gargantuas

War of the Gargantuas

By : Rob Dimension

Released in Japan by Toho in 1966 under the title - Frankenstein's Monsters: Sanda versus Gaira, War of the Gargantuas was almost a sequel to Frankenstein vs. Baragon (Frankenstein Conquers the World).

The Gargantuas have been created from the cells of the Frankenstein monster and are described as Brothers (even referred to as Clones). Gaira, the Green Gargantua lives in the ocean, having a taste for human flesh and some serious anger issues is the first to arrive on the scene. Destroying ships, eating the crew and crashing parties (almost eating the singer...TOHO - why the musical number?). While Sanda, the Brown Gargantua is the opposite, living in the Japan Alps and being more kind and docile (I mean..as nice as a Gargantua can be).

For the earlier parts of the film you watch as the military starts to piece together the Gargantuas story. From flashbacks to when a young Frankenstein was being rasised to the scientists figuring out that if the military continues to harm the Gargantuas, cells from their skin will create more Gargantuas and will soon take over the Earth.

I won't spoil the finish for the film, but I will touch on a few things : The interaction between Gaira and Sanda is fun. If you are fan of Epic battles between to huge, city crushing monsters...then this film is for you. Early on you see the brotherly instinct take over as Sanda wants to help the injured Gaira, but that soon leads to Sanda realizing that Gaira has turned to the dark side. The battle sequences are fun, well done and would make any Kaiju fan giggle with excitement.

My final word on this film is simple. It has it's place within the Godzilla universe, if you haven't seen it...do yourself a favor and check it out. I think the most current release has it paired with Rodan in a Dvd 2 pack, you certainly can't go wrong with that. The musical number just made me cringe and smile at the same time and all I could hope was that Gaira would go through and eat the singer and "get stuck in his throat".