GODZILLA Related News

PunkNinja

Bring The Good Times Home
Contributor
Premium Supporter
Jan 3, 2013
13,802
USA
Boy With Cancer Granted Wish to Be Godzilla

HT_make_a_wish_2_sk_140718_v16x9_16x9_992.jpg


The star of this movie, however, will be no Hollywood action hero, but a five-year-old boy undergoing treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. His greatest wish? To become the 800-foot-tall lizard he watched on the big screen with his father and grandfather, also huge Godzilla fans.

Maddex, whose family asked that his last name not be used, is now watching the dream he told several months ago to Make-A-Wish “wish granters” come true as his own personal Godzilla movie is filmed around his hometown of Chicago.

On Saturday, Maddex saw the first glimpse of himself as “Madzilla,” the movie’s lead character, in front of a green screen in a Chicago production studio.

HT_make_a_wish_3_sk_140718_4x3_992.jpg


Earlier in the day, he shot scenes alongside the likes of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Bulls’ mascot, Benny, just two of the many local stars making cameos in the film.

HT_make_a_wish_4_sk_140718_4x3_992.jpg


“His parents have been talking about the joy that they’re seeing in their kid again, like, ‘Oh, there’s my boy again. There’s the joy that I remember in my little guy Maddex,’” Stephanie Springs, the CEO of Make-A-Wish Illinois, told ABC News.

Springs was one of a handful of Make-A-Wish staffers who brainstormed what to do with a five-year-old’s request to become Godzilla. When they struck upon the idea to do just that, to make him “Madzilla,” they reached out to creative forces in the Chicago community and found Jonathan Becker, the owner of Becker Films, who is leading the charge and corralling the largely pro-bono effort.

“The effect of a wish can ripple through the community and have a very positive impact in a very broad way,” said Springs. “This has been a several months-long process that we’ve been dreaming and trying to figure this child’s wish out.”

HT_make_a_wish_6_sk_140718_4x3_992.jpg


The “Madzilla” film crew also shot at Maddex’s home on Saturday – his parents, two sisters and cousin all have roles in the film – and took over a historic street in Chicago’s famed “Loop.”

“Maddex and his family were out on LaSalle Street with around 100 volunteers and extras who showed up to pretend like they were running away from an 800-foot lizard that was stomping through downtown Chicago,” said Ryan Blackburn, the marketing director for Make-A-Wish Illinois.

When “Madzilla” makes its debut next month, it will include a three-minute extended trailer of the movie as well as a 15 minute-long documentary chronicling Maddex’s Make-A-Wish experience.

“This experience is shaping this five-year-old boy in so many ways and who knows what we’ll see 10, 15, 20 years down the road when we touch base with Maddex,” Springs said. “Right now we know it’s going to help him pull through the rest of his treatments.”

HT_make_a_wish_5_sk_140718_4x3_992.jpg


Maddex just received his diagnosis in April 2013 and while Spring described his health now as “stable,” she added he is “not by any means done” with his treatments.

“He is a very happy, upbeat, energetic young boy and he has been very much just happy to be part of the project” said Blackburn, who has been with Maddex through the film’s five days of shooting so far. “The directors and others have said he is a joy to work with.”

- abcnews.go.com


Celebrate Godzilla with $1.5M solid gold statue

godzilla.jpg


To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the classic monster film, one Japanese jeweller has crafted a tribute to Godzilla out of solid 24-karat gold.

When you go to see a film at the cinema, you may fork over a few extra bucks for a commemorative cup with your cola. When you celebrate the 60th anniversary of one of the world's most beloved giant monster movies... well, that raises the stakes surely.

Does it raise them ¥150 million (approx $1.48 million), though? Because that's the asking price for one particular high-end piece of movie memorabilia from Japan. Tokyo jeweller Ginza Tanaka has created a statue celebrating one of the world's most beloved kaiju out of solid, 24-karat gold.

The golden Godzilla comes in at 35 centimetres (13.8 inches) high and weighs 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of solid metal. He's modelled after the version of the monster from the 1989 film "Godzilla vs.Biollante" -- although, according to the official press release, the jeweller has made him a little more muscular.

The statue will be on display at a special Godzilla exhibition in Shibuya Hikarie from 20 July to 10 August, after which it will be on display at the Godzilla expo in Osaka and at various Ginza Tanaka stores across Japan.

- cnet.com
 
Godzilla Has Grand Theft Auto-Like Wanted Levels

Godzilla has to worry about fighting giant monsters and if you damage too much stuff, the Global Defense Force too. The game has a Disaster Level, which is similar to the Wanted levels in Grand Theft Auto. If Godzilla smashes too many buildings you might see a Super X vehicle on the map. The difficulty level can change within a mission.



While you’re fighting Mecha Godzilla and Mothra you might have to deal with the Tokyo S.O.S. force too if you’re not careful about what you’re hitting.

gzips306_thumb.jpg

Godzilla comes out on December 18 for PlayStation 3 in Japan.
-- Spencer (siliconera.com)




Edge of Tomorrow, Godzilla to Win 'Cool Japan' Awards

Tom Cruise
, Doug Liman, Legendary Pictures to be honored at Consul General of Japan's residence
The summer blockbuster Godzilla and Edge of Tomorrow, the film based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka's light novel All You Need Is Kill, are set to win awards at the second annual Japan Cool Content Contribution Awards Ceremony on September 13.

The Japan External Trade Organization, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Consulate General of Japan will award Tom Cruise with the J3C Acting Award and Doug Liman with the J3C Director Award for Edge of Tomorrow, and Legendary Pictures will win the J3C Producer Award for Godzilla.

Edge of Tomorrow made about US$99.7 million in the U.S., US$15 million in Japan, and US$264 million internationally. Godzilla has made US$200 million in the U.S., US$25 million in Japan, and almost US$508 million internationally.

"Cool Japan" is a program supported by the Japanese government and various companies that promotes modern Japanese culture abroad. This year, the J3C awards are being held in conjunction with Japan Film Society's LA EigaFest at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.
-- Deadline.com
-- animenewsnetwork.com





Steven Spielberg Hiring ‘Godzilla’ Writer for ‘Minority Report’ TV Series (Exclusive)

Minority-Report-618x400.jpeg


Max Borenstein will develop a show based on the hit 2002 sci-fi movie starring Tom Cruise

465460741Steven Spielberg is developing a TV series based on his 2002 hit sci-fi movie “Minority Report” that will be written by “Godzilla” scribe Max Borenstein and produced by Amblin Television, an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap.

A spokesperson for Amblin Television deferred inquiries to a representative for Spielberg, who like Borenstein's representatives, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Based on a futuristic story by Philip K. Dick, “Minority Report” starred Tom Cruise as the head of “PreCrime,” a special police unit that uses three psychics (i.e. “precogs”) to identify and arrest murderers before they commit their crimes. The protagonist is forced to go on the run when he's accused of a future murder himself.

Also read: Bryan Cranston, Steven Spielberg Bringing LBJ Play to HBO

A weekly series will likely focus on the elite PreCrime unit, with Spielberg expected to target a name actor for the lead, just as he did with Halle Berry on CBS’ sci-fi series “Extant.”

At least one current TV show seems to have drawn inspiration from “Minority Report,” as CBS’ “Person of Interest,” from J.J. Abrams and Jonah Nolan, follows an ex-CIA hitman and a scientist who team up to prevent crimes before they happen. The show has performed well, indicating there may be more interest in the subject matter.

While former “Daily Show” showrunner Larry Wilmore will soon host Comedy Central's late-night talk show “The Minority Report with Larry Wilmore,” Spielberg's series is expected to retain its movie title, which still resonates strongly with sci-fi fans.450684028

“Minority Report” grossed $358 million worldwide and received an Oscar nomination for best sound editing. 20th Century Fox distributed “Minority Report,” though it's unclear whether the Fox network would get a first shot at Spielberg's TV series.

Also read: Ratings: Halle Berry-Steven Spielberg's ‘Extant’ Pulls Big Summer Audience, So-So Demo Numbers

Spielberg is currently prepping an untitled Cold War thriller starring Tom Hanks and will segue to an adaptation of Roald Dahl's “The BFG” after that, though he is expected to be closely involved in the development of the “Minority Report” TV series. In addition to “Extant,” Spielberg is also an executive producer on Fox's upcoming Octavia Spencer series “Red Band Society.”

Borenstein's modern update of “Godzilla,” directed by Gareth Edwards and produced by Legendary, has grossed more than $500 million worldwide and led to development of a sequel that will stomp into theaters on June 8, 2018.

Borenstein, who is currently working on “Skull Island” for Legendary, previously wrote the studio's fantasy film “Seventh Son,” which stars Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore. He's represented by UTA, Anonymous Content and attorney Eric Feig.
-- Jeff Sneider (thewrap.com)




Godzilla…is…BATMAN!! (And Sailor Moon, and Luigi too, apparently)

screen-shot-2014-08-22-at-10-17-30-am-2.png


We have a hard time imagining that anyone but the dimmest Gotham City resident would be especially shocked to learn that mysterious millionaire and occasional shut-in Bruce Wayne was the man behind the Dark Knight’s mask all along, but we doubt anyone saw this coming.

This series of fantastic photos taken by a blogger known only as Gigabeetle features modded Godzilla figures in a variety of hilarious poses. As well as revealing the true identity of the Big G, the pictures show a side to the monster that we never knew existed, catching him dancing around wearing top hats, doing his best Sailor Moon impressions, and, um, indulging in a little bit of nose powder


Picked up by Kotaku Japan yesterday, these photos quickly became the talk of the town here in Japan. We think you’ll have no trouble understanding why.

▼ Sailorzilla invokes the power of the moon to make him purdy.

screen-shot-2014-08-22-at-10-18-00-am.png


▼ Sirzilla, meanwhile, enjoys a tipple while sporting a magnificent moustache.

screen-shot-2014-08-22-at-10-17-13-am.png


▼ Who knew Godzilla had such moves??

screen-shot-2014-08-22-at-11-16-35-am.png


▼ Luizilla is what we imagine would happen if Bowser and Luigi had a baby.

screen-shot-2014-08-22-at-10-16-07-am.png


▼ The less said about Blowzilla the better, really…

screen-shot-2014-08-22-at-10-33-52-am.png


▼ And of course then there’s the man himself, Batzilla.

screen-shot-2014-08-22-at-10-17-30-am.png


After seeing this, is anyone else waiting for a slot in Bruce Wayne’s forehead to open to reveal a team of hamsters working the controls??

There are many, many more hilarious Godzilla photos to be enjoyed over on Gigabeetle’s Tumblr, so be sure to head over and check them out. Fantastic work, Gigabeetle. Thank you, whoever you are!
-- Philip Kendall (rocketnews24.com)
-- Gigablog via Kotaku Japan
 
  • Like
Reactions: bloodsnake007
The Hidden ‘Breaking Bad’ Reference You Missed In ‘Godzilla’
And 'Malcolm in the Middle'!


Gareth Edwards’ “Godzilla” is really great for a lot of reasons, and fans of giant monsters fights are still finding cool stuff buried in the blockbuster.

Most recently, someone over on reddit pulled stills from the uncensored opening credits, before all of the in-jokes got blacked out and classified. The whole gallery is a lot of fun to look through, but one credit in particular stands out.

For Bryan Cranston’s acting credit, the team behind “Godzilla” snuck in a nods to his “Breaking Bad” and “Malcolm in the Middle” characters.

godzilla-bryan-cranston.png


Did you see it?

The words “Walter,” “white” and “Malcolm” appeared above Cranston’s name just before getting whited out.

It’s a small, fun nod to Cranston’s work, and it makes me love “Godzilla” a little bit more.

Walter White Meets Godzilla In This Epic Trailer Mashup
Watch Link -> http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/990302/walter-white-meets-godzilla-in-this-epic-trailer-mashup.jhtml

-- Kevin P. Sullivan (mtv.com)



 
Redacted Credits From ‘Godzilla’ Uncovered!

8hfU51C1-620x400.png

Yesterday we shared the final fight sequence from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla (review) reboot from director Gareth Edwards.

With the home video releases slated for September 16, one imgur user got his hands on an advance copy and shared all of the redacted opening credit footage. What was hiding under all of the black? Read on to see it all!
























"The" and "be" got a bit blurred out









Extra features include:

MONARCH: Declassified – Discover explosive new evidence not contained in the film that unravels the massive cover-up to keep Godzilla’s existence a secret.
Operation: Lucky Dragon
MONARCH: The M.U.T.O. File
The Godzilla Revelation
The Legendary Godzilla – Go behind the scenes with filmmakers and cast for an even deeper look at the larger than life monsters in the film.
Godzilla: Force of Nature
A Whole New Level Of Destruction
Into The Void: The H.A.L.O. Jump
Ancient Enemy: The M.U.T.O.s
-- MrDisgusting (bloody-disgusting.com)


Watch 'GODZILLA' redacted opening credits here ->
http://movies.cosmicbooknews.com/content/watch-godzilla-2014-opening-credits
-- movies.cosmicbooknews.com

 
Jeff Zornow talks Art, Godzilla and ’68:Rule of War

e50163b1ef19fe03763e0f7f239b75a7.jpg
1f6e166cdac5eeaea32f35add77d1580.jpg

11aed7ca4a97ccd1e33680ced22d4b01.jpg
f14245eedc700db376a4df5ddbe779f6.jpg

7f7bd7af9d306a6f212ff6cf68980a7b.jpg
a9c81e08617eb886d8dc1ab3edfb2160.jpg


Jeff Zornow (ZORNOW MUST BE DESTROYED!) is a Comic Book artist and Illustrator, who also works in underground metal/punk art, and creates lots of art for the Horror genre.

Working professionally since 2005, Zornow is best known for his Horror T-shirt designs at FRIGHT-RAGS.com as well as Cover and fill-in artist for GODZILLA:RULERS OF EARTH at IDW publishing, and the ’68:Jungle Jim and ’68:RULE OF WAR zombie/Vietnam war series from Image comics. I had the privilege of interviewing this great artist about his career.

Michael Garone: So tell me how you got started as an artist? Who inspired you?

Jeff Zornow: Boredom inspired me at first when I was 6 or 7 yrs. old in school. I wanted to watch Godzilla or the cartoons I loved at the time. So, I took to drawing the characters during class to entertain myself. My first grade teacher scolded me for not paying attention, but then admitted my Road Runner was pretty good and asked “Do you want to be an artist when you grow up?”

I then realized an artist was actually a thing… and I said “YES!” from that moment on. I’ve dedicated myself to being an artist. Specifically a comic artist, but over the years I have also evolved into a full-fledged Illustrator.

After High school, I took two years off to party, work at a car wash, play in a band and then incidentally started getting some work published in G-FAN (the Godzilla Fanzine) which lead me to write and draw my own Giant Superhero/Daikaiju comic DIMENSION FIGHTER for 4 issues of MONNGA: the manga of monsters and fantasy (from the same publishers of G-Fan). Then decided it was time to take my life and art serious and moved to NYC. Attended The School of Visual Arts Illustration/Cartooning program from 1995-99 where I learned from great comic artists such as Joe Orlando, Carmine Infantino, Gene Colan, Klaus Janson, Walt Simonson, Sal Amendola and Mort Todd. Also, got to intern at Marvel and DC comics while there which was eye opening and a great crash course on how the industry works.

MG: What was the first comic you read\purchased?

JZ: WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #17 drawn by Marc Silvestri. I bought it because Spidey reminded me of Ultraman who had not been on TV for several years at that point.

Took it home, read it and was INSTANTLY hooked on Spidey. And then instead of wanting to draw newspaper strips I wanted to draw comic books! I was about 11 or 12 at this point. And was also already becoming a hardcore 80’s splatterpunk kid. Renting every gory horror I could from the local Video store, and collecting Fangoria & Gorezone magazines.

MG: First gig as an artist? What did you draw? Was it a tough job or does all your art come easy to you?

JZ: First major paid gig in comics was VAMPIRELLA! A 10 pg. short story that I penciled and inked (was also great to debut inking myself!) It was a fun job but I definitely put a lot of hours into that first gig.

MG: Name one character you have drawn that you connected with the most?

JZ: Godzilla or any version of the Wolfman/Werewolf and Incredible Hulk because I have epilepsy which is a neurological brain disorder that causes seizures and something that can be triggered by stress, lights, physical exertion, etc. Developed Epilepsy when I was 11. So, I feel like I have a legit monster in my brain which sometimes takes over my body and there is nothing I can do about it.

MG: Who of all the characters you have ever drawn is your favorite? Why?

JZ: GODZILLA…because he’s my favorite. I can’t explain my obsessive love for Godzilla because how I got into it goes back further than my memory allows (and I remember stuff from when I was 2) so it happened before that… somehow. I just always have known I love Godzilla over all other characters.

MG: Who or what character that you have loved to draw on your spare time but were never published? Such as a Spider-Man or Superman.

JZ: Ultraman, Gatchaman, Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk.

MG: Favorite Godzilla film? Why?

JZ: Either GODZILLA vs GIGAN (1972) because it is about a comic/manga artist teaming up with some hippies and Godzilla to rid the planet of alien cockroaches that control King Ghidorah and Gigan one of my favorite Daikaiju. And TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA (1975) because that one is such a hauntingly cool Godzilla film.

MG: Favorite version of Godzilla in his 60 year history? Not the suit version but the attitude he portrayed in the film. Such as his ruthlessness in GMK 2001 or his heroics in the 1970’s films.

JZ: I sort of take Godzilla as the total package. There isn’t a version I don’t like (though the ‘98 GINO doesn’t count) But, overall I do love the 70's period the most.

MG: What is most challenging when you draw Kaiju for IDW’s Godzilla series?

JZ: Making sure I don’t miss small details. MAN! Taking on this project I’ve found more little details in the monsters that I've never noticed before watching all the movies, collecting toys and books etc. I'm Still discovering new things about these creatures which is cool.

MG: Any future projects that you can reveal and discuss now?

JZ: Well as of writing this I’m drawing most of GODZILLA: RULERS OF EARTH #17 and will follow that up with the variant cover for GODZILLA: RULERS OF EARTH #19. There is more ‘68ZOMBIE comics in my future. Definitely some more Metal/Punk art coming down the tube and working with the MISFITS right now for something this Halloween season!

MG: Thanks Jeff!
-- examiner.com


 
The Godzilla Of The NFL: Trent Williams

186057535.jpg

Tackle Trent Williams #71 of the Washington Redskins and outside linebacker Von Miller #58 of the Denver Broncos exchange jerseys after the game at Sports Authority Field Field at Mile High on October 27, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos beat the Redskins 45-21. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Trent Williams – LT – #71Height: 6’5″
Weight: 335 lbs.
Age: 26
Hometown: Longview, TX
College: Oklahoma
Experience: 5 years

In December of 2011, the NFL formally announced the suspensions of two Redskins players, tight-end Fred Davis and left-tackle Trent Williams. Both players received a four game suspension without pay for testing positive for marijuana three times throughout the course of the season.

The suspensions effectively ended the season for both players, and both men were instantly face-to-face with the most pivotal offseason of their careers, and perhaps even their lives. Fast forwarding to the 2014 season, Fred Davis has dealt with multiple arrests and is currently suspended indefinitely from the NFL while Trent Williams has done nothing but make two consecutive pro-bowls following his suspension; he has completely become a new man.

While Fred Davis chose recreational drugs over playing professional football, Trent Williams decided to distance himself from Davis both on-and-off of the field, and is making a name for himself as the best lineman in the entire National Football League.

With Williams’s personal life under control, he’s been able to handcuff his god-given athleticism to hard work and dedication. He spent the offseason working out in Houston, and the big man showed up to camp noticeably slimmer, although he denies it. “I didn’t lose a lot of weight, I just put the right type of weight on,” said Williams who joked about adding muscle to his physique.

Williams does like to joke with the media, but make no mistake about it, he is nothing to laugh about on the field. Ask the likes of Clay Matthews, DeMarcus Ware, Julius Peppers and Jared Allen, and they’ll tell you that Williams is no comedian. If you’re wondering, the above list of players represents a few of the big contract defensive ends that didn’t record a sack against Williams last season.

Williams uses some of the quickest feet in the league to always be one move ahead of his opponent. He combines his quickness with a brute force that is unmatched. Over the last two seasons, Williams has played in all 32 games and is naturally a tough guy. If we quickly step off of the field, Williams was wrongfully tasered by a drunk patron at a restaurant in Hawaii following the 2012 season. By all accounts Williams was only mildly impacted by the taser and did not collapse to the ground. Noting this occurrence is just to highlight Trent’s tolerance for great pain. Who wouldn’t want this guy to be the leader of their O-line? It’s no wonder why the Redskins usually have one of the tougher units when it comes to fighting in the trenches and running the ball.

When run plays are called, Trent Williams typically morphs into Godzilla as he paves the way for Alfred Morris. Mike Shanahan received 90 percent of the credit (with Alfred Morris receiving the other 10 percent) for the Redskins’ first place rush attack in 2012 and dominant attack in 2013 that produced a league high 23 rushing TDs . But the key to Washington’s ground game has always been Trent Williams. In 2013 the Redskins ran 27 percent of the time to the right side of the line. Meaning Williams and the left side of the line paved the way for 73 percent of the team’s total rushes. Offensive lineman will never get league MVP considerations, but it’s clear that Trent Williams is by far the most valuable Redskins player, and it’s not even close.

If Griffin goes down, captain Kirk is a fine back-up. But if Trent does any amount of time on the DL, it’s rookie LT Morgan Moses or swing-tackle Tom Compton getting run. Without Williams, all of sudden the DeSean Jackson acquisition looks silly, Jay Gruden’s passion becomes the butt of jokes, and Griffin would be on the fast track to another injury. It’s a shame that one player means so much to an organization, but it’s true. And Redskins nation is looking at a miserable season if anything happens to their Godzilla of a left-tackle.
-- Kevin Ross II (minnesota.cbslocal.com)




Pacific Rim 2 Release Date Rushed Due To Godzilla 2014 Success? Sequel Plot Takes Place In Japan And It Would Focus On New Characters! Voltron Tribute Going To Happen?


pacific-rim-2.jpg


The Godzilla 2014 box office results have been revealed and the movie has been a success so far. With the "Kaiju" movie theme being a success, would Legendary Pictures rush the Pacific Rim 2 production to take advantage of the situation?

The Godzilla 2014 movie garnered a better-than-expected $93 million in U.S. ticket sales in its opening weekend and another $103 million from 64 overseas markets, the best international debut so far this year.

According to Business Week, Godzilla crushed in the U.K. and Russia, while Mexico-normally a tiny movie market-ended up as the movie's third-biggest foreign box office, with $9 million in ticket sales.

The massive debut easily towered over the last time the Japanese lizard hit theaters, in 1998. Adjusted for inflation, that movie grabbed $81 million during its opening weekend.

The contemporary Godzilla deployed a savvy strategy for attacking consumers. The film made sure not to miss large-format theaters, where fanboys and fangirls were happy to pay premiums for a supersize experience. Some 15 percent of the weekend's ticket revenue came from IMAX theaters, as each of the 353 giant screens that showed the film took in $40,057 on average.

It also helped that the movie isn't terrible, with raves from some critics and a 73 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which aggregates professional reviews.

But how does all of this relate to Pacific Rim 2?

Legendary Pictures CEO Thomas Tull confirmed that he and Guillermo Del Toro are talking about Pacific Rim 2 and they are planning all the new stuff that will appear on the movie:

"I was literally just with Guillermo on the set of Crimson Peak," said Tull. "We talk about it and have some pretty great ideas. If they come to fruition and we get a great script, then we're open to it. Fans seem pretty passionate about it and working with Guillermo. So, we're open to it."

And Guillermo Del Toro is doing just that as it was reported that he is now writing a script/story draft to Pacific Rim 2

And not only that there are rumors circulating in various social networking sites that not only will Pacific Rim 2 have a new cast of characters and the film will take place in Japan, it will take some cues from iconic Japanese mecha animes in that Pacific Rim 2 will have Jaegers that will be formed via "combining" similar to Voltron!

This rumor comes from the fact that in Pacific Rim, the Kaiju's were being created to specifically counter the Jaegers. How can the humans counter the ever adapting Kaijus? By making Jaegers with "changing" parts by having it combine with different body parts each fight.

Of course this is just a rumor and they might not go on this route but since Pacific Rim is a tribute to Japanese Mecha/Kaiju culture, they will certainly make a nod to this sort of concept.
-- Gunther Barbosa (kdramastars.com)





 
1954 Godzilla stomps back in Ultra HD 4K

TOKYO --
At a humble Tokyo laboratory, Godzilla, including the 1954 black-and-white original, is stomping back with a digital makeover that delivers four times the image quality of high definition.

The effort with "4K" technology is carefully removing scratches and discoloration from the films and also unearthing hidden information on the reel-to-reel.

Experts say the chemical reactions used to make old movies stored far greater detail than was visible with the limited projection technology of the era, as well as with subsequent digital updates.

If all the hidden information of a reel-to-reel is ever brought out, quality would approximate 8K, they say.

Only one minute from the original film and from each of the sequels has been turned into 4K so far but the results are stunning enough.

Faded, blurry, yellowing footage of the radiation-breathing creature that emerged from the Pacific after atomic-bomb testing turns sharp, clear and vivid. It almost looks like state-of-the-art animation.

godzilla-restoration-on-screen-620.png

A computer monitor shows the digitalized film of a Godzilla movie at Tokyo Laboratory Ltd. in Tokyo, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014.
AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko
It's better than the original, said Toshifumi Shimizu of Tokyo Laboratory Co., the studio that undertook the painstaking effort.

"You can feel the impact of the bodies banging into each other under the suits," he said in an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press.

He said many scenes are more real and emotionally moving than what is achieved by today's computer-graphics manipulation, widespread in Hollywood blockbusters.

The details of the cityscape models, the bumpy skin of Godzilla and the metallic shine of the robots are revealed as they once were.

The craftsmen at the lab made a point to keep visible the wires from which the flying monsters hung. The goal was to stay true to the intention of the original.

In turning Godzilla films into 4K, each frame of the reel-to-reel is scanned by a special machine. Each frame is then examined for blotches and other damage that has crept in over the last 60 years. Any problems with a frame are fixed on a computer, one by one, by a film-processing specialist.

Shoko Ideriha, one of the specialists, said the team pieced together the best segments, working with the only three copies left of the 1954 Godzilla. She compared fixing film to being a doctor treating a patient.

ap351072380194.jpg

Shoko Ideriha, a film process technician in charge of archive, checks the negative of a movie prior to scanning for digitization at Tokyo Laboratory Ltd., Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014.
AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko
The big catch is that 4K, also known as ultra-high definition, or Ultra HD, can't be seen in most homes or theaters yet.

For one, you would need a 4K TV, which is not cheap. Sony's 85-inch model sells for $25,000, although prices are gradually coming down overall.

More crucial still, 4K broadcasting is virtually non-existent. In Japan, it's available only in limited test programming.

But believers swear that it will become the standard of the not-so-distant future. Other movie classics, such as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Gone With the Wind," have turned 4K.

What 4K promises for movie classics is astounding, said Takashi Sawa, of Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting Corp., which aired all 28 Toho Godzilla classics for the 60th anniversary of Godzilla's birth, which fell this year and marked the debut of Gareth Edwards' Hollywood Godzilla.

Nihon Eiga also aired a special program on the 4K Godzilla project on its cable network, which broadcasts to 7.5 million households in Japan.

Restoring movie classics into 4K might do wonders for the chicken-and-egg dilemma for new technology, which generally won't take off until there is content people want to watch.

"TV drama shows shot in digital cannot be restored as 4K," he said. "But Godzilla can become 4K."
-- The Associated Press (cbsnews.com)




New Godzilla 2014 Movie Stills and Digital Download Link!

As of last night, Godzilla fans are now able to get their digital HD download copy of Godzilla (2014). In addition to the download, Legendary and Warner Brothers have also released a few new movie stills from the film, detailing some of Godzilla's most epic moments. From the time where he kills the male MUTO to his arrival at San Francisco. Check out the new movie stills below and scroll down for a link to where you can download your own copy of this year's most epic summer blockbuster!

godzilla-revealed-airport-scene.jpg


godzilla-arrives-san-francisco.jpg


godzilla-victory-roar.jpg


godzilla-kills-male-muto.jpg


Download your copy of GODZILLA here!

-- Chris Picard (scified.com)


 
Pop Culture’s 6 Biggest Losers This Summer, From Godzilla to TV Execs

For every winner, there is a loser. Yesterday, we hailed the Big Winners of Summer. But, alas, for all the things that came out of the season smelling like awesomesauce, there were a few that, well, stink. Sometimes they fail of their own accord, sometimes they are failed by their audience. Either way, they didn’t deliver the goods. Here are the summer’s biggest disappointments.

What happened to Godzilla? Before its release, it was one of the movies everyone was buzzing about, thanks in no small part to a marketing campaign that understood keeping the kaiju under wraps as long as possible would keep people checking in, hoping for a glimpse. When the movie debuted, it garnered much praise for Gareth Edwards’ smart direction and updating the mythos while respecting what had come before it. And then … it kind of disappeared.

Admittedly, the churn of the summer movies is impressive—who even remembers that Dwayne Johnson did a Hercules movie just last month?. And yes, the movie did make $507 million worldwide. But while Godzilla was impressive enough to earn both a sequel and get Edwards a Star Wars spin-off of his very own, it feels as if it unfairly disappeared from most people’s memories to be replaced by apes dawning and galaxies being guarded.

Godzilla laid waste to San Francisco and Las Vegas only to be forgotten. Clearly next time, he should go bigger: Godzilla’s War on the Human Race In Space, perhaps?
-- Graeme McMillan (wired.com)




Godzilla 2014 Sequel To Set Up MechaGodzilla Appearance? Legendary Pictures Tweet Confirms That More Kaiju Aside From King Ghidorah, Rodan And Mothra Are Coming For Godzilla 2 And 3!

mechagodzilla.jpg


The Godzilla 2014 sequel would showcase three of Godzilla's biggest Kaiju rivals but MechaGodzilla could be the final Kaiju antagonist in the series as Legendary Pictures has tweeted that more Toho Monsters would appear on future Godzilla fims after Godzilla 2!

The Godzilla 2014 sequel release date has been delayed to 2018 after it was revealed that the Godzilla 2 director Gareth Edwards would work on the Star Wars Episode 7 spin off before working on Godzilla 2.

According to THR, Godzilla 2014 sequel will not begin filming until after the Star Wars standalone film is completed. In case this information is a little discouraging for Godzilla fans, apparently, as per Legendary Entertainment’s chairman and CEO Thomas Tull, this was always going to be the case:

"Gareth's filmmaking talent makes him one of his generation's most creative and visionary directors. The plan has always been for Gareth to direct a different film before we started on another Godzilla, but who knew it would be a 'Star Wars' installment? We have a great plan in store for 'Godzilla' fans and I am looking forward to seeing Gareth's imprint on the 'Star Wars' universe."

So that means that the Godzilla 2014 sequel release date that was supposed to launch on 2016 got delayed to 2017 AND THEN it got delayed again to the final Godzilla 2014 sequel release date on 2018.

But fans can expect something good from the delay as The Godzilla 2014 sequel could very well be a set up to the biggest Kaiju battle in history if the monsters Godzilla is fighting in Godzilla 2 aren't enough as Godzilla could fight King Kong once "Skull Island" is over.

A lot was revealed at the San Diego Comic Con 2014 and new details about the Godzilla 2014 sequel, creatively titled "Godzilla 2" have been revealed as well as the announcement of the King Kong prequel "Skull Island"

NME.com has reported all the new details from the Godzilla 2014 sequel aka Godzilla 2:

Godz were shown a teaser reel titled 'Classified Monarch Footage' which appeared as if put together in the '60s with a voiceover from then President John F Kennedy talking about the threats and dangers to humanity.

After informing us that there was one more secret, a message appears on screen: "There were others."

Across the shadow of pterodactyl appears the legend: "CODENAME: RODAN". Following this, an extreme close-up of a giant moth-like creature: "CODENAME MOTHRA". Finally a silhouette with flashed edit cuts around the figure of a dragon: "CODENAME: GHIDORAH".

The footage closes with the warning, "THREAT ASSESSMENT: CONFLICT INEVITABLE" before ending with, "LET THEM FIGHT".

But that doesn't stop there as Legendary pictures may have teased MechaGodzilla in their tweets.

Legendary @Legendary Follow
Gareth Edwards confirms he will be back to direct Godzilla 2! #LegendarySDCC #SDCC

5:32 AM - 27 Jul 2014
---------------------------------------

Legendary @Legendary Follow
It's the news you've been waiting for. Monarch confirm Godzilla is not alone. Rodan! Mothra! King Ghidorah! #LegendarySDCC #SDCC

5:33 AM - 27 Jul 2014
----------------------------------------

Legendary @Legendary Follow
Joining #Godzilla in future franchise installments will be several other classic monsters from Toho Co. #LegendarySDCC #SDCC

5:34 AM - 27 Jul 2014
----------------------------------------

-- Gunther Barbosa (kdramastars.com)
 
Breathtaking ‘Godzilla’ Concept Art!

OGcwykl-620x400.jpg


The other day we shared the final fight sequence from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla (review) reboot from director Gareth Edwards.

With the home video releases slated for September 16, another imgur user shares the best part of the movie – the concept art. I could easily frame and hang any of these pieces of art in my house.


Click spoiler for more pics

-- MrDisgusting (bloody-disgusting.com)




 
Last edited:
New 'King Kong vs Godzilla' Movie: Remake Needs To Happen In Next 5 Years

kingkongvsgodzilla.jpg


A ‘King Kong vs Godzilla’ movie, reboot, or what have you will happen in the next five years, you can put your giant monkey paw on it. Legendary Pictures is beginning to build their own Cinematic Monster Movie Universe when the latest ‘Godzilla’ film produced some serious dinero -- $93.1 million in its first weekend.

‘Godzilla 2’ was then announced only two months later at San Diego Comic-Con 2014, which will feature Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah to expand its Monster Movie Universe. Then to top off the Kaiju/Giant Monster madness, ‘Skull Island’ -- a film starring King Kong on the island where he was born -- was announced for a 2016 release at the same show.

Legendary, obviously, has some big plans in the future and a ‘King Kong vs Godzilla’ film will just be the icing on the proverbial monster cake. It will make a cinematic universe with the creatures that roamed the world in the 60s and 70s and brightened up many impressionable young children who were obsessed with dinosaurs, creatures and the like.

So how would this work? Godzilla will return in his sequel film to face off against a bunch of other Kaiju while King Kong will presumably have his origin told in ‘Skull Island.’ Legendary carefully stated that the movie will take place on the island and that this won’t be a reboot of the classic 1933 film. Because, you know, King Kong dies at the end of the movie.

Hell, King Kong even dies in the 2005 reboot by Peter Jackson. And while that film had a disappointing, by studio execs standards, $50.1 million opening weekend the critical reception was there. So audiences will take to a King Kong film, and Legendary is banking on it with ‘Skull Island’ while using their own brand of storytelling. And that film had King Kong face off against a couple of T-Rex, which was awesome so imagine Godzilla.

Legendary Pictures producer Thomas Tull has said that “at Legendary we make movies we want to see.” And with that mindset their King Kong movie will have the spectacle of Jackson’s 2005 film but with more giant gorilla action, or in the case of ‘Godzilla’ less but the potential is still there.

As for the plot of this new ‘King Kong vs Godzilla,’ it will be as much a versus film as the upcoming ‘Batman vs Superman’ movie. They will have maybe a scene where they face off before a larger threat -- Mecha Godzilla? -- comes to wreak havoc and the two have to team-up to save the day.

But if they leave this in the new ‘King Kong vs Godzilla’ I’ll be happy.

tumblr_mnb87rsKgB1s5or7ko1_500.gif


Because at the end of ‘Godzilla’ it was pretty apparent that the big lug was the ‘good guy’ in the film. And King Kong has been generally portrayed as a good guy, he was even the protagonist in the original ‘King Kong vs Godzilla.’

However, Legendary will have to make their King Kong larger in the same way they redesigned the Alpha Kaiju, Godzilla. At 100 meters tall, the new Godzilla will need something as large to tango with.

Look at how Marvel Studios has built its cinematic universe and how DC/Warner Bros. is rushing to build one as well. Using different characters every year in their own movies before having them share the screen in one epic film. ‘Godzilla’ in 2014 and ‘Godzilla 2’ with ‘Skull Island’ in 2016 will lead into a combined movie in the near future, it’s just become the business model for creating great stories and making money in the process.

Legendary has the rights to these classic monsters, and it will be a lost opportunity to not utilize them in a way that will have these beasts interact for the audience to see.

So if you are still not sure a new ‘King Kong vs Godzilla’ movie will be released in the next five years, you are in serious denial. The most successful in the Toho Godzilla series of movies was ‘King Kong vs Godzilla’ and that will translate today with more big bucks.
-- Phillip Martinez (idigitaltimes.com)




@bloodsnake007
 
'Godzilla' 2 Monsters Ready For They Major Launch In 2018! Rodan, Ghidora And Mothra All Set For A Kaiju Battle

godzilla-2-monsters.jpg


Godzilla 2 release date is still right on track despite director Gareth Edwards new directing commitment with Star Wars spinoff movie.
The sequel to the hit kaiju film is set to hit theaters on June 8, 2018 according to HeroComplex.com.

Fans of King of Daikaiju are worried that the sequel may be pushed from its original plan following the announcement of "Godzilla" director Gareth Edwards helming the spin off movie of Star Wars that is due out on Dec. 16, 2016.

"Ever since I saw Star Wars I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life - join the Rebel Alliance! I could not be more excited and honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm," Edwards said in a statement.

Edwards has been very open about his dreams of directing a Star Wars movie and now that he's actually going to work on one, rumors soon circulating that he'll have to push Godzilla 2 release date to accommodate the filming of Star Wars spin off.

However, Legendary Pictures' CEO Thomas Tull is confident that Edwards' new film will not in any way affect Godzilla sequels.

"Gareth's filmmaking talent makes him one of his generation's most creative and visionary directors. The plan has always been for Gareth to direct a different film before we started on another Godzilla, but who knew it would be a Star Wars installment? We have a great plan in store for Godzilla fans and I am looking forward to seeing Gareth's imprint on the Star Wars universe."

In addition, the second installment to the remake has been confirmed in the recently concluded Comic-Con where a short clip was presented featuring three additional monsters in the movie.

Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mothra are the three monsters appearing for the Godzilla 2 scheduled for a release date on 2016.

The clip from Comic-Con ended with a voice saying "Let them fight."

King Ghidorah is a three-headed, armless, two tailed kaiju dragon first appeared in the 1964 Godzilla film titled Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster.

Rodan on the other hand is a pteranodon kaiju that appeared in the 1956 film, Rodan.

While, Mothra is the giant kaiju resembling a moth which first appeared in the 1961 film Mothra.

While "Godzilla" received mixed reviews from critics and viewers alike, the box office success the film gained, and still gaining from international viewers can't be undermined.

However, fans are waiting for the studio to reveal the much awaited Mechagodzilla but to no avail. That announcement hasn't been made yet but there's still hope for it to happen anytime soon.

In fact, the King of Daikaiju is still dominating the box office in Asia, particularly in Mainland China.

What about you Kpopstarz readers? Would you want to see Mechagodzilla as one of the monsters in Godzilla 2 movie? Sound off in the comments section below.
-- Aurora Banks (kpopstarz.com)




Persian Pop-Up at Porsena; Morgenstern's Godzilla Flavor

2012_sara_jenkins_porsena_extra_bar12.jpg


EAST VILLAGE — Cookbook author Louisa Shafia will host a weekly Persian pop-up called Lakh Lakh at Porsena Extra Bar on Monday nights starting September 15. Small plates like tamarind rice with fish and chicken cooked with apricots, and salty plums are inspired by her recent trip to Iran. [Eaterwire]
BOWERY — Morgenstern's is partnering with designer Ale et Ange on some clothing designs and a special flavor called Godzilla: strawberry-vanilla ice cream with chocolate fudge ribbons running through it. The partnership kicks off with an event this Saturday from 2-4 p.m., but the flavor and clothes will be on sale for the rest of the week. [Eaterwire]

GARMENT DISTRICT — UrbanSpace, which helped launch Mad. Sq. Eats and Broadway Bites, is bringing a food market to a space just north of Grand Central at 230 Park Avenue. The vendor lineup includes Bluestone Lane, Roberta's, and the Red Hook Lobster Pound. The market will open on September 15 and close on October 17. [Eaterwire]

EXPANSION WIRE — José Andrés is getting closer to opening his fast-casual concept spot. The chef just secured a second round of financing and is planning to roll out, what will possibly be a vegetarian chain, in early 2015. [~EN~]
-- Devra Ferst (ny.eater.com)









 
Systemd rampages through the Linux community like Godzilla through Tokyo

Systemd has turned into the Godzilla of Linux controversies. Everywhere you look it's stomping through blogs, rampaging through online discussion threads, and causing white-hot flames that resemble Godzilla's own breath of death. TechNewsWorld has a roundup of the systemd hostilities in case you missed any of it and want to savor some of the drama.

I've been following the systemd saga and it's quite amazing how much passion it has generated among Linux users. Some are vehemently for systemd while others utterly loathe it. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground between the two sides as the debate has become so incredibly polarized. Now there's even a boycott systemd site that has been set up.

Unfortunately, I think the systemd drama train is going to hurtle on down the tracks for quite a long time. It seems to have become a perpetual controversy in the Linux community. With both sides digging in for a long battle, I don't see it going away anytime soon. Perhaps the best we can hope for is that some of the heat will die down over time and the debate will become a little more rational.

If you're tired of the systemd brouhaha altogether and you're looking for a fun diversion, do check out the Godzilla 2014 movie site. I loved the new flick and the site has a bunch of fun Godzilla stuff on it. You can even buy Godzilla coffee mugs and t-shirts if you're as big a fan as I am. I saw a couple of mugs I'm going to snag so I can have my coffee with Godzilla each morning as I do my work. Heh, heh.

Gentoo Linux 20140826 LiveDVD: Iron Penguin Edition
The Gentoo Linux developers have announced the release of a new LiveDVD.

According to TechNewsWorld:

They say art imitates life, but it's surprising how often the same can be said of the Linux blogs.

Case in point: Just as the world at large is filled today with fiery strife -- Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, Ferguson -- so, too, is the Linux blogosphere. Of course, it's not political, social or racial struggles tearing the FOSS community apart. Rather, the dividing issue here is none other than Systemd.

More at TechNewsWorld



According to Gentoo:

Gentoo Linux is proud to announce the availability of a new LiveDVD to celebrate the continued collaboration between Gentoo users and developers. The LiveDVD is available in two flavors: a hybrid x86/x86_64 version, and an x86_64 multi lib version.

Packages included in this release: Linux Kernel 3.15.6, Xorg 1.16.0, KDE 4.13.3, Gnome 3.12.2, XFCE 4.10, Fluxbox 1.3.5, LXQT Desktop 0.7.0, i3 Desktop 2.8, Firefox 31.0, LibreOffice 4.2.5.2, Gimp 2.8.10-r1, Blender 2.71-r1, Amarok 2.8.0-r2, Chromium 37.0.2062.35 and much more.

More at Gentoo



You can download the Gentoo 20140826 LiveDVD via these links:

x86 image

amd64 image

If you run into any problems, be sure to check out the Gentoo forums and the Gentoo 20140826 LiveDVD FAQ for help and other support information.
-- Jim Lynch (itworld.com)




 
Win! Godzilla Prize Packs
STOMP ALL THE THINGS.

A giant monster deserves a giant prize pack, comprised of a tshirt, hoodie, cap, notebook, keyring and a BD of Godzilla.
Open only to residents of Australia and New Zealand.

ENTER -> http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Competition/391887,win-godzilla-prize-packs.aspx

-- pcauthority.com.au


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Godzilla’s Second Tour of Duty

b04003_main.jpg


When the Godzilla film series was resurrected in 1984, Satsuma Kenpachirō was chosen to suit up as the creature. Nippon.com recently interviewed the actor to learn more about the second round of movies (from 1984 to 1995) and the challenges of playing Japan’s most iconic monster.



Moviegoers in Japan and elsewhere first encountered the monster Godzilla in the 1954 film of the same title, which also popularized the distinctive tokusatsu genrestyle of “analog” special effects. In the years that followed, millions of fans eagerly awaited each new release to see how Godzilla—played by the actor-stuntman Nakajima Haruo—and other terrifying monsters might imperil humanity.

But later, following a flood of sequels, the popularity of the series waned until the franchise shuddered to a halt in 1975, following the box office flop Mekagojira no gyakushū (Terror of Mechagodzilla). Almost a decade elapsed before the series was rebooted with a 1984 Godzilla featuring Satsuma Kenpachirō in the monster suit.

Second Incarnation of Godzilla
Satsuma, dressed in a martial arts gi and hakama, meets us for an interview after his daily training regimen. The 67-year-old actor conveys a youthful vitality.

He got his start playing smaller roles in the first Godzilla series, beginning with Hedorah, a creature born from the toxic mud created by human pollution. This helped him later capture the prize role as Godzilla when the epic monster returned to movie screens with the 1984 film The Return of Godzilla—released in Japan under the title Gojira, the same as the 1954 original.



The 1984 film has the same dark undertones as the original, but Godzilla is about twice as big as its previous incarnation. The larger size of the creature, and the corresponding modifications of the monster suit, required Satsuma to come up with a different pattern of movements for Godzilla, as he explains:

“Because the suit was taller and heavier, I could barely move. And with just a few holes in the monster’s neck to let in air, it was hard to get enough oxygen. Filming in water was particularly tough. I thought I was going to die about a dozen times. It was hard when I was underwater and couldn’t breathe, but somehow I managed to pull it off.”

One reason Satsuma was able to endure was thanks to his martial arts skills. Because he often had to wait around on the set, he developed a special form of training he named “Godzilla kenpō”—a variation on the traditional art of swordsmanship. Satsuma shows us a few moves in the training area he has set up in a quiet open space in his neighborhood. Wood chips fly as he strikes a tree trunk with a precise movement of his wooden staff before proceeding to hit the trunk repeatedly with his bare hands.

Suiting Up as Godzilla
Another challenging aspect of playing Godzilla, apart from the physical burden, is the difficulty of expressing the creature’s emotions. “It’s hard for an actor when no one can see your face,” Satsuma observes. “You have to express everything through your body.”

In his early Godzilla movies, Satsuma tried to inspire terror and focused on the monster’s fury. But he also did his best to lend the monster a personality in its interactions with friends and enemies.

In today’s age of computer graphics, actors no longer face that challenge of bringing a monster to life in subtle ways. Although Satsuma was impressed by the computer graphics used for the 2014 movie Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards, he still pines for the days when a real live actor had to suit up for a film. “I would have loved to see Watanabe Ken in the role of Godzilla,” he notes, “rather than a scientist. He’s smart and could have shown everyone the importance of having a skilled actor play the part.”

b04003_ph02-680x451.jpg



North Korea’s Take on Godzilla
Satsuma’s own exploits in the role of “analog” monsters landed him in North Korea, of all places, when he was chosen to play the creature Pulgasari in the 1985 film of the same title. This North Korean film was spawned by the enthusiasm of Godzilla fanatic Kim Jong-il and directed by South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok, who was kidnapped by the Pyongyang regime in 1978, along with his former wife, actress Choi Eun-hee. The Japanese studio Tōhō was hired to do the special effects for the film, and Satsuma Kenpachirō was handed the leading role as the monster.

Playing Pulgasari, an iron monster that walks upright, was easier for Satsuma than playing Godzilla. But there were other challenges he had to face, including the strict controls placed on him by the North Korean regime and the inexperience of the local film crew.

“The scenes of destruction were tough. North Korea had produced a lot of war films but they had no clue when it came to the monster genre. The sets they built were really solid, so you had to work hard to smash them.”

Eventually Pulgasari was completed and is now considered a cult classic in the tokusatsu genre, featuring special effects of surprising quality considering the rudimentary nature of North Korean filmmaking. The movie and the full story of its director’s abduction first came to the world’s attention when Shin and Choi escaped their North Korean handlers at a 1986 film festival in Vienna. The monster flick was eventually released in Japan on July 4, 1998—around the time of the Hollywood’s first Godzilla adaptation, directed by Roland Emmerich.

Godzilla’s Future Is Up to Moviegoers
Japan has not produced a new film in the series since Gojira: Fainaru uōzu (Godzilla: Final Wars) in 2004, marking the monster’s fiftieth anniversary. That film incorporated computer-generated imagery, but also respected Japan’s suit-acting tradition.

“CGI and traditional special effects are now being used together,” Satsuma explains. “Hollywood has mastered the computer effects, which are increasingly realistic. But in Japan suits are a must. We can’t compete with American filmmakers in CGI alone.”

b04003_ph01-680x453.jpg


As for his own favorite Godzilla film, Satsuma says that it’s the original 1954 movie, without question: “It’s a film that had a global impact. But after the original, some of my favorite Godzilla movies are from the later period, particularly Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.”

In 1999, Tōhō began what is known as the Millennium series (1999–2004) with Gojira 2000 mireniamu (Godzilla 2000: Millennium), but since 2004, there has been no hint that any new Godzilla movie will be made in Japan.

“Maybe the new Hollywood movie will get people in Japan interested in Godzilla again,” Satsuma says with a glimmer of hope. “But in the end, it will be the moviegoers who’ll decide if Godzilla lives or dies.”

Satsuma Kenpachirō’s Seven Godzilla Films
Title Release date
1 The Return of Godzilla Dec. 15, 1984
2 Godzilla vs. Biollante Dec. 16, 1989
3 Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah Dec. 14, 1991
4 Godzilla vs. Mothra Dec. 12, 1992
5 Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II Dec. 11, 1993
6 Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Dec. 10, 1994
7 Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Dec. 9, 1995

(Banner photo: Satsuma Kenpachirō demonstrating his Godzilla training routine during our interview.)
-- nippon.com


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Godzilla’s Analog Mayhem and the Japanese Special Effects Tradition

b04001_main.jpg


The 1954 film Godzilla, with its brilliant combination of miniature sets and costumed actors, gave birth to a whole new genre, called tokusatsu (literally “special filming”). This distinctive style, pioneered by Tsuburaya Eiji, went on to become hugely influential in Japan and overseas, leading to many other memorable creations, including the TV show Ultraman. Hikawa Ryūsuke looks at the birth and development of this genre.

Tokusatsu’s Global Fans
The tokusatsu genre of movies and TV series, which relies on tangible “analog” special effects, is one of the best-loved elements of Japanese pop culture. The genre involves creatively filming highly detailed real objects, such as miniature sets and actors dressed in monster suits, to convincingly portray scenes of gigantic monsters in actual cityscapes.

The term tokusatsu is short for tokushu satsuei, which literally means “special filming.” At present, the term basically designates two different things:

(1) A technique used to film images of things or objects that are normally difficult to film.
(2) The movie or TV-series genre that relies heavily on “special filming” techniques, as seen in such works as Godzilla or Ultraman.

Starting around the mid-1990s, creators made less use of the traditional techniques pertaining to tokusatsu in that first sense, such as the use of miniature objects, as computer graphics and other types of digital technologies became cheaper and more sophisticated. The use of miniatures has also become limited for the second type of tokusatsu, which now centers mostly on TV shows featuring life-size heroes like Kamen Rider or Super Sentai.

There have been 28 movies featuring the monster Godzilla produced in Japan, but no new film has been released since Godzilla: Final Wars was on the big screen 10 years ago. And although there are still new works being made that feature the famous monsters and familiar heroes of the Ultraman series, it has become rare to see scenes of city destruction filmed with the use of miniatures.

The quintessential tokusatsu scenes, depicting epic battles between enormous-looking monsters and heroes, are becoming a rarity in Japan. Meanwhile, though, the respect overseas for the tokusatsu genre is on the rise. In 2013, the US film Pacific Rim featured giant robots clashing with monsters. And in May 2014, Hollywood released a new Godzilla movie that has become a box-office hit worldwide. (The film will be released in Japan on July 25.) Both films spent lavishly on computer graphics to create scenes of monsters wreaking havoc on people’s lives, similar to the images that Japanese films used to be known for.

The 2014 Hollywood film Godzilla will be released in Japan on July 25. (Photograph courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. & Legendary Pictures Productions LLC.)

As a way of bridging the gap between these latest films and what came before, I’d like to take a look here at the cultural aspects of Japan’s tokusatsu tradition.

The Heyday of Tokusatsu and Anime
From around 1954 to 1970, which overlapped with Japan’s extended period of high economic growth, special-effects director Tsuburaya Eiji helped create a number of tokusatsu films that were shown outside of Japan to global acclaim. These films also inspired children in various countries who would go on to become visual creators themselves as adults.

That era, stretching from the release of the first Godzilla movie in 1954 up to Tsuburaya’s death in 1970, could be called the first “golden age” of tokusatsu. And up to the latter half of the 1970s, tokusatsu was on equal footing with anime in the realm of visual creations geared to kids, with both genres progressing through a process of cross-pollination.

But today tokusatsu, unlike anime, is not included as one of the categories for the Japan Media Arts Festival. This seems to reflect how the prestige of the tokusatsu genre has faded while that of anime has been on the rise. Overseas, however, there are those who have appropriately grasped the close relationship between the two genres and their respective characteristics, and so I think it is necessary here for me to look at this as well.

Made-in-Japan animation has become familiar to viewers around the world, who refer to it using the Japanese term “anime.” The growth of anime can be traced back to 1963, when Tezuka Osamu, known as the “god of manga,” released a TV series through his Mushi Production company that adapted his own famous manga character, Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy). Unlike the full animation of Western Europe, the animation for this series used many freeze-frames, incorporating the concept of omission and exaggeration. By coming up with ways to limit the number of images used per second, Tezuka developed his own style of “limited animation,” making it possible to produce a 30-minute animated TV program every week.

Similarly, the term tokusatsu, which basically means “visual effects,” has taken on its own new meaning. It is an example of how Japan, as an island country with limited resources, has given its own twist to techniques and cultural elements originating overseas and come up with innovative ways to make those things more compact and efficient—before then sending those readaptations back out into the world. That approach is at the basis of both anime and tokusatsu.

Necessity Is the “Monster” of Invention
So what innovations did Japan bring to the realm of visual effects to forge the tokusatsu style? The roots of its innovations can be traced back to the original 1954 Godzilla movie, the box-office smash produced by the Tōhō film company. The period from initial planning to the actual release of the film was only six months. Since Tsuburaya, who was in charge of special effects, had only this short period of time to film everything he could not rely on the time-consuming “stop-motion animation” technique that had been the standard technique overseas for producing the monster movies of the 1930s. Instead, he adopted the method of creating a miniature set of Tokyo and having an actor dressed up in a Godzilla costume play the role of the monster.

The 1954 movie Godzilla, whose special effects were created by Tsuburaya Eiji, is winning new fans thanks to a digitally remastered version of the film released in 2014 to mark its 60th anniversary. (Photograph courtesy of Tōhō Co. Ltd.)

There were concerns that the film might look cheap because of this approach, but in fact using the 100-kilogram-plus Godzilla suit gave a weighty presence to the monster and the rough plastic skin of the monster was also rich in texture. The film also made use of hand-held puppet versions of Godzilla for scenes where the monster needed to open its mouth or use facial expressions, as well as another version of Godzilla whose lower-half only was filmed for scenes where the monster crushes city buildings. This way of “putting the right monster in the right scene” brought the image to life and created an unprecedented sort of realism that made viewers almost think they were viewing a living creature on the screen.

Another scene from the digitally remastered Godzilla released in 2014. (Photograph courtesy of Tōhō Co. Ltd.)

A film-processing technique called “optical compositing” was used for the movie, integrating the images of Godzilla taken in the studio with those of people fleeing from the monster, thus transporting viewers into the fictional world. Scenes where Godzilla shoots a heat ray from its mouth were created using animation techniques to draw the monster’s glowing dorsal fin and the beam of light. This effectively accentuated the terrifying physical presence of the giant dinosaur-like creature.

Overseas, there has been a strong tendency toward the depiction of realistic creatures in movies, whether it is the return of the dinosaurs or wild animals that become mammoth in size. This contrasts significantly with the monsters in Japanese movies like Godzilla, which have paranormal powers such as the ability to shoot a laser beam or heat ray, resulting from scientific causes. The image of these monsters took shape through careful orchestration that involved tangibly bringing the fantasy world of the creatures to life through the use of monster suits and miniature sets, and piling up innovative techniques such as combining an array of tokusatsu methods and compositions. The gap that arises from using realistic elements to depict imaginary creatures serves as a catalyst that stimulates the audience’s imagination and creates an unparalleled sense of awe and surprise. This gets to the heart of the conception of Japanese tokusatsu and of its charms.

Tokusatsu Genre Spreads to Television
After Godzilla became a hit in 1954, the following year the movie Gojira no gyakushū (Godzilla Raids Again) was produced, with Tsuburaya given the title of the film’s “special effects director.” Tsuburaya, who became known as “the god of tokusatsu,” was a hero for kids at the time. A new way of enjoying movies emerged, where people went to movie theaters expressly to see the tokusatsu effects and to see that genre’s distinctive character, Godzilla.

The cast of monster characters expanded to include Rodan, a rapid-flying bird resembling a pteranodon; Mothra, a giant caterpillar from a deserted island in the South Sea that transformed itself into a moth in Tokyo after forming its cocoon in the ruins of the Tokyo Tower; and King Ghidorah, a three-headed flying gold dragon In addition to these sorts of monsters, tokusatsu works feature an array of other characters, such as human beings who can transform themselves into a gas or a liquid, and address a variety of themes, such as the threat of all-out nuclear war. Other production companies began to get involved in tokusatsu films, to the point where it developed into a major genre.

The tokusatsu genre moved on from film to the realm of television, which became the main media form. In 1966, three years after Astro Boy made its television debut, Tsuburuya Productions, a company created by that “divine” tokusatsu master Tsuburaya Eiji, released the supernatural tokusatsu TV series Ultra Q. The show immediately became a huge hit. This success overturned the fixed idea people in the industry had previously had that full-on tokusatsu effects were too expensive and time-consuming to be feasible for a TV series. This sparked a “monster boom” on TV, as each channel began producing its own tokusatsu programs.

That huge breakthrough made by the tokusatsu pioneer Tsuburaya led to major progress in the subsequent years. This trajectory was similar in many respects to how Astro Boy opened the way for anime series on television. Moreover, both the character Astro Boy and Godzilla are intrinsically linked to atomic power and an age of scientific technology. As a result of developing in such close connection to Japan’s era of extended economic growth, the country’s anime and tokusatsu genres could blossom as a visual culture that has exerted a significant influence worldwide.

Ultraman Pioneers a New Format
Following up on the success of Ultra Q, Tsuburaya Productions released the new TV series Ultraman six months later. Every week on the show a new monster appeared to threaten the planet. The hero of the show, who battle these villains, is a member of a special police force with the ability to transform himself into a giant humanoid from outer space.

The superhuman, justice-seeking Ultraman hero, designed in a way that combines elements of rockets and robots, became a symbol of the scientific know-how that sustained Japan’s economic growth of the time. It’s worth noting that, visually, the hero is a hybrid, with a silver body to suggest that scientific aspect, interspersed with bands of red to denote his human quality.

Ultraman’s new “monster of the week” format became a model for subsequent TV shows geared to kids. For instance, 1972 saw the debut of Mazinger Z, a robot anime centered on an enormous super robot of the same name that is ridden in and operated by the show’s hero, who does battle with evil mechanical monsters. The 1970s saw a string of anime shows featuring giant robots, culminating in the huge hit Mobile Suit Gundam, first broadcast in 1979.

Another similar sort of show that debuted more recently, in 1995, is the highly successful Neon Genesis Evangelion, featuring enormous heroes like those in Ultraman, dressed in armor similar to that used in Mazinger Z. The show, with its combination of tokusatsu-style heroes and giant robots, marked the culmination of the genre’s distinctive culture.

As the tokusatsu culture created by the first Godzilla movie thus came to exert a huge influence on anime culture as well, there was a ripple effect that created many new characters, leading to great progress. Meanwhile, though, the technique of using miniatures and other objects to bring a fantasy world to life began to decline as computer graphics came to the fore.

But by reconsidering the relationship between anime and tokusatsu, and the course of their historical development, new breakthroughs that only Japan can bring to the world will no doubt come into view in the future—much like the astounding and unparalleled images the country’s tokusatsu genre has brought to the world up to now. There is still room for the genre to develop once younger creators learn from its imaginative power and draw on the many innovative techniques that once had a worldwide impact.

Now that the world is again paying respect to the original Godzilla film, that tokusatsu masterpiece, it seems an ideal time to forge new progress in this distinctive realm of Japanese visual culture and to take a fresh look at the true value of the tokusatsu genre.

(Originally written in Japanese on June 16, 2014.)
-- Hikawa Ryūsuke (nippon.com)




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Being Godzilla: An Interview with Nakajima Haruo, the Man Inside the Suit

b04002_main.jpg


What makes Godzilla tick? If anyone can answer that question it might be Nakajima Haruo. The former actor suited up to play the role of Godzilla in 12 films. We recently interviewed Nakajima to discover how he managed to bring the monster to life on the big screen.

Well-Suited to the Role
Hardcore fans of Godzilla movies know the monster from the inside out—quite literally. That is to say that serious fans are familiar with, and have the greatest respect for, Nakajima Haruo, the actor who wore the Godzilla suit.

Sixty years ago, for the original Godzilla film, Nakajima was chosen to don the heavy rubber suit of the monster dreamed up by special-effects director Tsuburaya Eiji (1901–70). And his splendid performance in that role was precisely what helped to bring the monster alive on the screen, giving birth to rabid Godzilla fans around the globe.

Nakajima is often invited to overseas events for fans of the tokusatsu (lit. “special filming”) special effects genre pioneered by the 1954 film Godzilla, and he has traveled to the United States over 10 times. This photograph, taken at a June 2014 event in Florida, features Nakajima (right) along with the actor Takarada Akira from the original Godzilla film and an American fan. (Photograph courtesy of Nakajima Haruo.)

Nakajima was born in 1929 and made his screen debut as a fighter pilot in the 1953 film Taiheiyō no washi (Eagles of the Pacific), produced by the studio that contracted him as an actor, Tōhō Co., Ltd. In the film, he performs a stunt in which his plane catches on fire.

After his success in that daring role, the young actor and stuntman was shown a script for an upcoming film tentatively known as “Project G” (G sakuhin). The film was treated like a top-secret plan; Nakajima couldn’t find out any more details about the project from the head of the acting department who handed him the script or from the director chosen for the film, Honda Ishirō. The director told Nakajima to direct his questions to Tsuburaya.

Top-Secret “Project G”
The hush-hush “Project G” became the legendary 1954 film Godzilla, which earned its special-effects director Tsuburaya his moniker as the “god of tokusatsu.” Nakajima recalls that when he met Tsuburaya to find out more about the secret project, the director spread out a couple of pictures, out of a dozen, from the storyboard for the film to give him a basic idea and then said:

“We’ve come up with the character, but I’m not really sure about how it’ll work out. I’ll only know once you get in the costume and walk around. We can iron out the rest of the game plan later.”


Nakajima reminisces about the creative duo behind Godzilla: Honda Ishirō, who directed the film Taiheiyō no washi (Eagles of the Pacific) that marked Nakajima’s screen debut, and the special-effects wizard Tsuburaya Eiji.

Tsuburaya showed Nakajima King Kong to give him a better idea of what the upcoming film’s monster would be like, although the 50-meter-tall Godzilla towered over that cinematic ape, which was only a fifth of its height.

“You’re the actor, so just concentrate on giving your best performance,” Tsuburaya instructed Nakajima. “Leave the overall acting direction to me, as director. Just be ready for whatever directions I give. The costume weighs a ton, by the way. Will you be OK?”

Nakajima answered with an enthusiastic “Yes,” his pride as a professional not allowing him to answer otherwise. The director followed this up by urging the actor to “stick it out no matter how hard it gets”—eliciting another keen affirmation from Nakajima.


What makes Godzilla tick? If anyone can answer that question it might be Nakajima Haruo. The former actor suited up to play the role of Godzilla in 12 films. We recently interviewed Nakajima to discover how he managed to bring the monster to life on the big screen.

Shuffling Along in a 100-Kilo Suit
The special effects for the 1933 Hollywood movie King Kong were created using stop-motion animation. But Godzilla, with its short production schedule of just six months, did not have the luxury of using that time-consuming technique. Instead, Tsuburaya chose to build a miniature set and have an actor in a monster suit wreak havoc on it.


Even though the 1954 Godzilla was inspired by the nuclear fallout from H-bomb testing that contaminated the crew of the Lucky Dragon No. 5 Japanese fishing vessel earlier that year, Nakajima recalls that special-effects director Tsuburaya never talked politics on the set.

Running around in that first Godzilla suit proved to be a far tougher assignment than Nakajima could ever have imagined, however. The costume was made out of hard rubber, like that of a car tire, and weighed about 100 kilograms. On top of this, he had to wear thick wooden sandals, or geta, inside the costume. All of this contributed to making every movement a chore.

“It was a very solitary feeling inside that suit,” Nakajima recalls. “My thoughts were just focused on the next movement to make. It was pointless to think about anything else, since the whole job came down to playing the part without toppling over from the weight.”

But Nakajima still came up with clever ways to give the movements of Godzilla a distinctive quality. As many Godzilla fans know, he made a point of stopping by the Ueno Zoo almost every day to study the movements of the elephants and bears there. And since Tsuburaya was filming the action at 2.5 or 3 times the normal speed, Nakajima had to alter the pace of his own movements accordingly.

The key to getting the Godzilla walk right, according to Nakajima, is to shuffle your feet, as he explains: “No one should ever see the monster’s heels. Godzilla won’t look strong without that shuffle. The same is true of a sumō wrestler, you know.”

An Unforgettable, Riveted Reaction
b04002_ph04.jpg

Nakajima’s only blooper in performing the role of Godzilla was when he knocked over Ginza’s famous clock tower in a manner too laconic for Tsuburaya’s liking.

Nakajima assumed that his tour of duty as Godzilla would be a one-off job, but he ended up shuffling around in the iconic monster suit for a total of 12 films. He takes pride that he only had one mishap during all those performances. That blunder occurred in the scene in the original film where the monster crushes the famous clock tower on the Hattori Building in Ginza (now called the Wakō Building).

“I ended up smashing the building in a way that was a bit too casual for Tsuburaya’s liking, and he told me so. We had to reshoot the scene, which meant rebuilding parts of the miniature. And we had to wait about a month for the plaster to dry properly. In the scene we reshot, the clock on the building chimes and Godzilla looks at it, out of curiosity, and then smashes the clock to pieces. It was a relief that I got that scene right the second time around.”

The original Godzilla film, released in November 1954, was a huge hit in Japan, drawing in around 9.6 million moviegoers. Two years later a re-edited English version with added scenes debuted in the United States under the title Godzilla, King of the Monsters, marking the monster’s first (shuffling) step toward becoming a global sensation.

Today, 60 years after Godzilla’s Japanese debut, Nakajima still vividly recalls the reaction of audiences at the time.

“After the film was released, I bought a ticket to see it for myself. I sat in the front row so I could look back to see the reaction on the faces of people in the audience. What I saw was fascinating. The children in the audience were jabbering during an early scene when the scientist played by Shimura Takashi is talking. But then, suddenly, there is the thunderous sound that marks Godzilla’s arrival, and I saw the children’s eyes light up, every one of them. It was so marvelous for me to see that reaction that I broke out in tears.”

And just recalling that feeling is enough for Nakajima to get teary-eyed again, six decades later.

Over the course of his career at Tōhō, Nakajima played a whole range of monsters, most notably Rodan. He also appeared as other creatures on TV shows, such as Ultra Q. When asked what monster made the most fearsome foe for Godzilla, he told us: “I would have to say that human beings are the scariest creatures for Godzilla. After all, we manage to come up with all sorts of crazy ideas.”

b04002_ph06.jpg

Special-effects master Tsuburaya Eiji (center) took on directing duties for scenes involving monsters.


Nakajima Haruo’s 12 Godzilla Films
Title Release date
1 Godzilla Nov. 3, 1954
2 Godzilla Raids Again Apr. 24, 1955
3 King Kong vs. Godzilla Aug. 11, 1962
4 Mothra vs. Godzilla Apr. 29, 1964
5 Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster Dec. 20, 1964
6 Invasion of Astro-Monster Dec. 19, 1965
7 Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster Dec. 17, 1966
8 Son of Godzilla Dec. 16, 1967
9 Destroy All Monsters Aug. 1, 1968
10 All Monsters Attack Dec. 20, 1969
11 Godzilla vs. Hedorah Jul. 24, 1971
12 Godzilla vs. Gigan Mar. 12, 1972
(Original Japanese article based on a June 12, 2014, interview. Banner photograph is an image of Nakajima Haruo taken during the filming of the 1966 film Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster.)
-- nippon.com



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Roar Power: Watanabe Ken Talks Godzilla

e00066_main.jpg


Japanese actor Watanabe Ken has become a Hollywood fixture in the past decade. His latest blockbuster role is in Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards. Nippon.com recently interviewed the global star, and he shared with us his views on the underlying message of the iconic character Godzilla today—60 years after its screen debut.

Watanabe KenBorn in Uonuma, Niigata Prefecture in 1959. He entered the Engeki-Shūdan En theatrical group in 1979. As well as establishing his presence on the stage, he began to distinguish himself on the big screen, appearing in the 1985 film Tampopo (directed by Itami Jūzō) and other films. His popularity in Japan was boosted further in 1987 when he starred in the 50-episode NHK drama Dokuganryū masamune (One-eyed Dragon, Masamune). Watanabe later embarked on a career in Hollywood, starting with a role alongside Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai, released in December 2003, earning a nomination the following year for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Since then, he has appeared in a number of other notable Hollywood movies, including Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), and Inception (2010). Also has continued to star in various Japanese films, including his role as a man stricken by the early onset of Alzheimer’s in the 2006 film Ashita no kioku (Memories of Tomorrow) and his depiction of a labor union leader at a crisis-plagued airline in the 2009 film Shizumanu taiyō (The Unbroken). More recently, in 2013, he starred in a Japanese remake of Clint Eastwood’s film Unforgiven, directed by Lee Sang-il. Along with his film career, Watanabe has been actively involved in the recovery effort in northeast Japan following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, creating the K-port café in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture to serve as a community gathering place.

Since its US box-office release in May 2014, the Hollywood film Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards, has gone on to be a major hit worldwide. Japan is to become the sixty-third—and final—country to screen the film when it opens there on July 25, and it is likely to be a hit among Japanese moviegoers as well.

Renowned Japanese actor Watanabe Ken plays the role of the scientist Dr. Serizawa Ishirō in the film—a homage to both Honda Ishirō, the director of the original 1954 Gojira (Godzilla), and the scientist character in that film, Dr. Serizawa Daisuke, played by Hirata Akihiko.

Godzilla, the Divine
Watanabe is a member of what might be called the “Godzilla generation,” born as he was in 1959, not long after the debut of the original Godzilla film. The chance to star in the latest film featuring the iconic monster led the actor to ponder what Godzilla is all about.

“In approaching my role as a scientist in the film, I spent some time thinking about the way to view Godzilla, but it’s a bit hard to know what the creature is thinking since it never says a word.”

Watanabe views the monster as a sort of force of nature, as he explains: “Wherever Godzilla goes, a mountain of rubble is left in his wake. We’re not dealing with a creature governed by logic. The first time Godzilla fully appears on the screen the audience hears a roar, setting off an indescribable vibration. It’s not like the sound of a growling dog; more like a wailing sound, something deeply heartrending. And you get the sense of encountering a force beyond human control—something even akin to a natural disaster or some sort of a divine revelation. It’s as if we are being chastised by something.”



“As you know, human society is complex—and it gets more complex all the time, whether it concerns relations between countries or between people. And answers are not easily found. In that context, the vibrations triggered by Godzilla lead people to question their own ways of living—and vibrations, of course, can easily transcend national boundaries.”

When asked to share more of his insights on the appeal of Godzilla, Watanabe touches on the essence of the creature:

“I think it comes down to fear and awe—a bit like the feeling evoked by the wrathful Buddhist deity Fudō Myōō. Godzilla is a creature that seems to embody the view—perhaps distinctive to Asian religions—that an atmosphere of quiet calm and tranquility follows the outbreak of something destructive or fearful.

The Fears that Spawned a Monster
The 1954 Godzilla was very much a product of its time, reflecting the particular fears of that Cold War era. But the themes of the original film still resonate today, as we face surprisingly similar challenges.

Godzilla was created in the mid-1950s, a time when the scars of the nuclear attacks on Japan were still raw and hydrogen bomb development was progressing rapidly in the context of the Cold War. Its creators envisaged the film as a sort of warning bell. And now today, sixty years later, the menace of radiation is once again an acute reality, following the 2011 nuclear disaster, and we face the same fears. The questions raised by the original film—and evoked by the vibrations Godzilla sets off—are still as stark as ever. It comes down to whether we really can continue down the same path we have been traveling up to now.”

When Watanabe met Gareth Edwards for the first time he was impressed by the respect that the English director, born in 1975, paid to the underlying metaphors of Honda Ishirō’s original 1954 film, and by how well-versed he was in the subsequent 60-year history of Godzilla.



“During my first meeting with Gareth, I was struck by his deep understanding of the history of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the situation in Japan since the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck on March 11, 2011. He also is well aware of the factors that led to the creation of the character Godzilla. Perhaps because he was born in England, which shares a more nuanced view of nuclear weapons, his understanding of the implications of the Godzilla tale is even more acute than that of my character, Dr. Serizawa. For instance, he had the insight to know that a creature like Godzilla could not be destroyed by nuclear weapons. Moreover, in the film, Godzilla and the fearsome creatures known as MUTOs [Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms] are not portrayed as being evil in any way, biologically speaking. Rather, the threat they pose to humanity is much like the danger of a natural disaster. I think that this outlook of the director contributed to the great sense of balance that the movie has.”

The Dilemma for Scientists
The Dr. Serizawa character in the original 1954 film refuses to allow his Oxygen Destroyer technology to be turned into a military weapon, but in the end he intentionally sets off the device in the depths of Tokyo Bay to kill Godzilla, losing his own life, too, as a result. In the latest Godzilla, Watanabe’s character of the same name is faced with a dilemma particular to scientists, as he explains:

“The background of the character I play is complex. His father was an A-bomb victim, so he became committed to efforts to find ways to use nuclear power and radiation to benefit human life. Then he discovers the MUTO creatures and carries out research on them in the hope of using them to eradicate radioactivity. But the MUTOs end up growing into fearsome monsters that threaten to wipe out humanity.”

In a sense, as Watanabe points out, scientists are always confronting similar risks to those faced by Dr. Serizawa when they carry out their research.

“You can see this predicament in the effort to develop drugs to eradicate cancer cells or combat AIDS, for example. There is always a possibility that the drugs or viruses developed in the hope of saving lives could be used for destructive purposes. Scientists are balanced on the knife edge of this dilemma. And the same case can be seen for radiation. None of them worked on nuclear power in order to harm the planet. Yet, if things go wrong, this technology can unleash terrible destruction.”



This is precisely the sort of quandary that Watanabe imagined his character to be grappling with in his own mind. “He comes to the realization that there is a force of nature that exceeds our own power as human beings, and that ultimately we have no choice but to bow down to it. This implies that, ultimately, nuclear technology would have to be abandoned. I have the sense that we now are facing a great turning point—and that is reflected in the nature of my character and in the film as a whole.”

Hope Amid the Rubble
The way Watanabe portrayed Dr. Serizawa in the film was influenced by his experience in the recovery effort following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. He has visited the disaster area several times and continues to be involved in activities to assist the recovery effort.

“A month after the earthquake and tsunami I visited disaster areas and saw towns that had been wiped out, leaving behind almost no trace. In filming the last scene of Godzilla, featuring mountains of rubble, my mind flashed back to what I had seen in Japan three years earlier. But the final scene in the movie doesn’t evoke a feeling of despair. You get the sense, rather, that human beings have the vitality to recover from the disaster and begin to rebuild. In performing that scene I had this feeling of the hope that remained.


“Some Japanese viewers will probably find it hard to watch scenes of cities being destroyed in the film. But I think the ending, with its hope for recovery, conveys the notion that we all need to take a fresh look at the problems we confront. And I’m happy that the film ends on this note.”

The actor recognizes, at the same time, that the Godzilla films are first and foremost entertainment, not a vehicle for delivering a didactic message to the audience. Gareth Edwards apparently reminded Watanabe that the moviegoers will probably be watching Godzilla with popcorn and a soda. At the same time, the director wanted the audience to be gradually drawn unconsciously into the film’s more serious themes, until at some point they stop reaching for more popcorn.

When Watanabe watched Godzilla movies as a boy he had a similar experience of enjoying the film as entertainment but also picking up, eventually, on the underlying theme.

“At the time I was watching the movies, I didn’t grasp the intentions of the screenwriters. I would simply walk out of the movie theater with a feeling that the applause was still resounding in my heart. But looking back on them a decade or so later, the message of the films began to dawn on me.”

Watanabe notes that audiences for the latest Godzilla film are likely to applaud the roaring monster’s first appearance on screen, despite the fearsome, indescribable vibrations that mark this debut.

“It’s quite similar to the way kabuki aficionados will shout out an appreciative cheer to greet the appearance of a favorite actor or scene on stage,” Watanabe explains. “In that case, too, the vibrations of the performance stir up the audience’s emotions. Our new film does a good job of putting on a great show by incorporating such entertaining elements, including the impressive battle scenes.”

Japanese Films Lack Ambition
Japanese culture may have given birth to the global icon Godzilla, but Japan’s film industry—with the exception of the anime genre—lags behind its overseas counterparts when it comes to the ability to communicate. We asked Watanabe for his thoughts on the current state of the industry.

“As someone involved in the industry, the situation is a bit embarrassing. My impression is that Japanese films have not been willing to confront challenges head-on in the way that Hollywood movies like The Last Samurai or Letters from Iwo Jima have done. Instead, films made in Japan tend to stick to depictions of an innocuous, everyday sort of world. “



“I’d like to act in Japanese films dealing with more universal themes and entanglements between people, as I did in Ashita no kioku [Memories of Tomorrow; 2006] and Shizumanu taiyō [The Unbroken; 2009]. Another good example is last year’s Japanese remake of Clint Eastwood’s 1992 film Unforgiven, titled Yurusarezaru mono in Japanese, which addresses the profound question of where to draw the line between good and evil. Unfortunately, Japanese films do not seem to be inclined in that direction. I’m disappointed that even in the case of the Godzilla tale, whose theme is more relevant than ever to Japan, the Japanese film industry let a golden opportunity pass into the hands of Hollywood.”

The Importance of Being Embarrassed
As an established Hollywood star, Watanabe has become well accustomed to performing roles in English—making him one of the few Japanese stars to do that on the global stage. When we asked him how he went about undertaking that challenge, it inspired him to deliver a short pep-talk to young people in Japan today.

“Acting in English is embarrassing for me. To this day I still feel nervous, not knowing how well I’ll be able to read my lines. It often feels quite awkward. Acting by its very nature is a job that involves such awkward moments. You are often placed in a situation where you have to act out scenes of love or life and death in front of other people. But even though that is the nature of the job, there seems to be a trend where actors want to avoid getting into such embarrassing situations.



“And the problem is not unique to actors. It’s similar to how many young Japanese are reluctant to visit overseas countries or study abroad. I think it is good for young people to encounter all sorts of embarrassing situations. Whether your English is good or bad, getting out of Japan is a way to gain valuable experience through your encounters. Whenever you step out of your comfort zone you’ll always be confronted with hassles and awkward situations.

“There is reluctance these days among Japanese to grapple with the unknown and take on the wider world. And this has resulted in a whole host of problems, including those facing the Japanese film industry today.”

(Original Japanese article based on a June 26, 2014, interview by Harano Jōji, representative director of the Nippon Communications Foundation. Photographs by Yamada Shinji.)
-- nippon.com



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Godzilla 8-Bit Video

Watch -> http://www.ign.com/videos/2014/09/08/godzilla-8-bit-video

-- ign.com
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: DADDYCOOL187
Crocodile Meets Godzilla — A Swimming Dino Bigger Than T. Rex

spinosaurus_mm8284_ngm_102014_002_wide-122c8d273a729ccc97814b42c3e4f30ada6de49b-s40-c85.jpg

Workers at the National Geographic Museum in Washington grind the rough edges off a life-size replica of a spinosaurus skeleton.

There once was a place on Earth so overrun with giant, meat-eating predators that even a Tyrannosaurus rex would have been nervous. One predator there was even bigger than T. rex, and scientists now say it's apparently the only aquatic dinosaur ever found.

The swimming monster is called Spinosaurus aegyptiacus. It was 50 feet long — longer than a school bus, and 9 feet longer than the biggest T. rex.

“ It just goes to show ... that evolution is pretty tricky, and does all sorts of weird and wonderful things. And that's what makes the living world — and even the dead parts of the living world — so amazing.

- Thomas Holtz, paleontologist, University of Maryland

A replica of its skeleton is being assembled in a cavernous room at the National Geographic Society in Washington D.C. As workmen worked to finish erecting the exhibit, I walked around the beast with paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim from the University of Chicago. He collected the bones and, along with Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno, determined that it was indeed a swimmer.

Ibrahim describes the place in North Africa where this spinosaurus lived 97 million years ago as a "river of giants."

"Big predatory dinosaurs, giant fish, crocodile-like predators. In fact, the place was really pretty predator-heavy, so I call it the most dangerous place in the history of our planet," Sereno says.

It was swampy, with many rivers. Now it's a desert, where Ibrahim looks for dinosaur bones. But he didn't find spinosaurus's bones, exactly. They found him.

But first, more about the dinosaur: It takes up most of the room. Its jaw is long, with interlocking front teeth like a crocodile's — good for catching fish, very big fish. Then there are the pits in the bones of its jaw. "These openings house pressure receptors to detect movement of prey underwater," says Ibrahim.

spinosaurus_mm8284_ngm_102014_001_wide-02669c32fabfba3a4e7d5b749504491147e5d3bc-s40-c85.jpg

Who's your daddy? A model of the Cretaceous predator spinosaurus gets rock star treatment during a photo shoot for the October issue of National Geographic.

Mike Hettwer/National Geographic
Spinosaurus's nostrils are back near its eyes — better for breathing while half-submerged. It has a long, serpentine neck. Its long front legs are tipped with footlong claws. "Probably used to tear apart prey into bite-size chunks," Ibrahim says gleefully. Along its back, the dinosaur has 7-foot-tall bony spines that stick up like a picket fence. In life, they supported an enormous sail-like crest.

The hips and back legs are narrow and small, considering all the weight they carried. On land, spinosaurus probably shuffled on all fours — a lousy walker, but a great swimmer. Plus its bones are solid, not hollow like most dinosaurs'. That suggests that, as in whales and penguins, the bones of spinosaurus acted as ballast. And its feet are wide, like a wading bird's.

Ibrahim's voice in describing this creature has a new-father's pride. Actually, not so new — as he writes in this week's issue of the journal Science, he and his team spent years examining each of the skeletal characteristics that led them to conclude that this dinosaur was made for swimming.

Now, it was well-known that big swimming reptiles existed in prehistoric times. But dinosaurs are a very different order of animal than reptiles, and nobody had an inkling that dinosaurs could swim until this one turned up.

In fact, spinosaurus bones were first discovered 100 years ago, by a German scientist in Egypt. The find puzzled researchers. "A lot of the skeleton was missing," explains Thomas Holtz, a paleontologist at the University of Maryland. "It was sort of a mystery dinosaur, and the mystery was furthered when all the specimens were destroyed during World War II."


Science
The 500-Pound 'Chicken From Hell' Likely Ate Whatever It Wanted

They had been in a museum in Munich that was bombed by Allied planes. Scientists were left with just drawings and, over time, a few more bones that surfaced in Africa. Until recently, paleontologists figured the creature must have lived on land and snagged fish out of rivers — like a giant heron with teeth.


Science
Maybe Dinosaurs Were A Coldblooded, Warmblooded Mix

"But we were wrong," Holtz says. "It just goes to show, you know, that evolution is pretty tricky and it does all sorts of weird and wonderful things. And that's what makes the living world — and even the dead parts of the living world — so amazing."


Science
Fossil Fans Get Their Dino-Fix Before Smithsonian Renovates

But no more amazing than the way Ibrahim found this new specimen. It started in 2008 in Morocco. A local fossil hunter showed him an odd chunk of bone, a dinosaur bone, but one that puzzled him. Ibrahim didn't make much of it at the time. Then, several years later, he was visiting colleagues at a museum in Italy.

"My Italian colleagues said, 'We have something you have to see. It just arrived here. It's a partial skeleton; it was spirited out of North Africa. We don't really know where it came from.' "

Ibrahim looked at the bones. "And my jaw just dropped," he remembers. "There were just long spines, skull bones, leg bones, and I thought, 'This is amazing.' "

He saw something familiar in the bones. "It looked exactly like that chunk of bone I had seen in Morocco several years earlier," he says. "And I thought, 'You know what? This could actually be the same skeleton.' And so I thought, 'All I need to do now is travel back to Morocco and find this one man in the middle of the Sahara.' "

Ibrahim laughs when he remembers this; his Italian colleagues thought he was crazy.

But if he could find that fossil hunter, maybe he could find the rest of the bones. So, during several trips to Morocco, Ibrahim searched for the guy with the fossils. No luck. He didn't know the man's name, only that he had a mustache. Then last year, Ibrahim was drinking a cup of mint tea in a Moroccan cafe. He says he was ready to quit searching. He looked up and there was a man dressed in white walking by — with the mustache. It was the fossil hunter.

Ibrahim stopped him, and begged the man to show him where that first chunk of bone had come from. He said the Italians wanted to repatriate the bones in their possession to the right place — he had to be sure this was, indeed, the source of those bones.

The man agreed to drive Ibrahim into the desert. They stopped and climbed partway up a mountain, to a hole that had been dug in the rock. And there was the rest of the dinosaur's skeleton.

Scientists now know what the real Spinosaurus aegyptiacus looked like — and that it swam. The Moroccan and Italian bones have been reunited, and will go back to Morocco. And now we know that Earth, apparently, once was home to a 50-foot, swimming, carnivorous dinosaur.
-- Christopher Joyce (npr.org)




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Grant Morrison Wants To Do A ‘Godzilla’ Movie

Writer Grant Morrison has destroyed – and built – new universes in the pages of comic books for years. But never before has he created two of them at the same time, in the same comic – and luckily, this one has an appropriate title: “Annihilator.”

The first issue of the eagerly anticipated book hits stores this week, so MTV News hopped on the phone with the writer to talk about his influences for the book, his flirtation with Hollywood, and how he’s dying to do a “Godzilla” movie:

MTV News: I remember chatting with you about this about two San Diego Comic-Cons ago, so this has been in the works for a while.

Grant Morrison: I came up with it a few years ago, and then we got Frazier [Irving] on board, and he’s been working on it since. We waited until we had enough material to feel comfortable to start releasing it. That’s why it’s taken two years, probably. But it’s the most recent thing I’ve made, so I’m pretty excited.

MTV: Given that it’s a Hollywood satire, and things change in entertainment so rapidly, were you at all worried that the business would be totally different by the time this book was released?

Morrison: There are certain things that will always been in play. There will always be big franchises, and in the next few years they’ll be darker and darker, and more Batman than Batman. So we’re obviously talking about that, but at the same time that opened up a much deeper and more interesting archetype of the glowering cheek-bone boy with his hair swept back, like Hamlet, or Mephistopheles, or Milton’s Satan.

I decided to take that, and a sort of Tom Cruise character, and the people who create these characters, and work with the interactions between the characters and their creators.

ANN_01.jpg
Legendary Comics
MTV: So did you have a specific franchise in mind when you wrote this? Is it just Batman, superhero movies in general, or what exactly are you looking to skewer?

Morrison: It’s a little bit of all of that. It’s just taking that character, that Dracula, the dark man, and foregrounding him and saying, “He is my ultimate destiny.” Imagine the story of the greatest artist, the greatest love of all time, and put it in a haunted asylum orbiting a dark hole at the center of our galaxy. And it’s kind of this ridiculous high frequency of horror, and chills.

I wanted to tell that story, but at the same time contrast it with the broken, fallen monster who has to create the story.

MTV: What about your experiences in Hollywood? Was there anything in particular you pulled on for this book?

Morrison: Absolutely, the entire experience, and even the way the light works. It’s in Frazier’s work, because he’s captured that orange, chemical look of Los Angeles. It’s everything about that, because I’ve had a home there for quite a few years now, and spent four months in North Los Angeles. I kind of like the place, but this is my attempt to put into the work how I felt about it.

Ray Spass is a lot more like other people I’ve met than about me. [Laughs] Usually it’s me working through something and talking in character in well. It’s been more expansive, with the notion of devil deals, and the dark undercurrent of LA, the satanic anthem of the Sunset Strip’s serpent power… It’s a very glitchy and weird place, and I was trying to get it in one story.

ANN_02.jpg
Legendary Comics
MTV: Having had experience in both, what’s your take on the differences between the comic industry and the movie industry?

Morrison: Comics is much more a free-for-all, even though it’s starting to get more controlled. The budget is quite small to make a comic book, so people get the opportunity to expand their imaginations, and try things that don’t work.

Once you move into television, or movies, or games… The money that’s expended on making one movie, it could be for a Middle Eastern dynasty. [Laughs] That’s the difference, comics allow for more freedom. I like the movies as well because of the structure. I like to learn structures. I like to learn the grammar of different media, how they built movies on specific machinery.

MTV: In the book, the main character pitches this very simple idea for a movie: what if we did a haunted house movie in space. That’s a pitchline right there. But almost immediately, as soon as he starts writing it, it turns into being about a man trying to conquer death. In certain way, it feels like that’s how your work boils down – that you come up with a simple pitch, and then it becomes quickly about something more epic, more about human truth.

Morrison: For me, things expand in fractals, honestly. I have real trouble condensing to a pitch, which is I’ve almost parodied that in this series. Because it’s about all kinds of things. It can never be about one thing, one dimension.

ANN_03.jpg
Legendary Comics
MTV: So what about working with Legendary… What’s that been like, and given the subject matter, is there any interest in feeding this back into the movie side of the company?

Morrison: Obviously because Legendary has more experience as a movie studio than as a comic book company, there’s always potential. But I really wanted to do a good comic book, not even thinking about the film yet. To get Tom Cruise, that wasn’t the intention. I wanted to tell this story, and the chance to tell it with a company so deeply entrenched in Hollywood – I couldn’t say no.

It was really targeted to Legendary, and I got along so well with Thomas Tull, and Bob Shreck, who was my Editor there. I felt comfortable there, and it’s been an interesting experience.

MTV: What about the other way… Is doing a “Godzilla” movie, or something with “Skull Island” of interest to you?

Morrison: I have a great idea for “Godzilla!” I have the best “Godzilla” idea, but no one has ever asked me it.

MTV: Hey, I’ll ask you right now.

Morrison: No, I’m not telling you my “Godzilla” idea! I want to use it. I’d love to tell you, honestly, but… No. [Laughs] One day, maybe, you’ll see my “Godzilla” idea.

Annilhator-Cover.jpg

“Annihilator” is in stores now from Legendary Comics.
-- Alex Zalben (mtv.com)




-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





Animation Masters features ‘Fantasia,’ EigaFest screens ‘Godzilla’ and more special movie screenings in the L.A. area

Historic animation gets the spotlight on Sept. 13 with Animation Masters at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as John Canemaker, an animation historian and an Academy Award winning animation director, presents two programs on animation history.

The first illustrated program focuses on the work of pioneer animator, comic strip and commercial artist, Winsor McCay. Four animated shorts will be shown including McCay’s 1914 “Gertie the Dinosaur.”

Canemaker’s second program is about the special effects work of photographer Herman Schultheis during his 1938-41 tenure at Walt Disney Productions. The mechanical and optical processes that Schultheis used in Disney movies like “Bambi,” “Dumbo,” “Fantasia” and “Pinocchio” are revealed in Canemaker’s book “The Lost Notebook: Herman Schultheis and the Secrets of Walt Disney’s Movie Magic.”



The innovative “Fantasia,” which uses French composer Paul Dukas’ 1897 well-known composition, premiered on Jan. 20, 1940 at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles.

Films at Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Winsor McCay’s “Gertie the Dinosaur” (1914) and other animated shorts, 6; “Herman Schultheis and the Secrets of Walt Disney’s Movie Magic,” 7:30 and “Fantasia” (1940), 8:45 p.m. Sept. 13 ($5 for all three). 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 323-857-6010. www.lacma.org



Tangled at El Capitan Theatre: Each screening of the 2010 movie includes two stage shows, 10 a.m.; 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Sept. 12-Oct. 8. Tickets $12 and up; $24 VIP. 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. 800-347-6396. www.elcapitantickets.com

168 Film Festival: Screenings of 10-minute shorts, based on a Bible verse and this year’s festival theme “The Gift,” created in 168 hours. Screenings: 3, 5:30, 8 p.m. Sept. 12; 10 and 11:30 a.m.; 1 and 4 p.m. Sept. 13. Check website for red carpets and awards show information. Tickets $16.30 Sept. 12; $31.60 on Sept. 13; $40.78 all-access pass; $61.18 VIP pass. Aratani/Japan America Theatre at Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, 244 S. Pedro St., Los Angeles. www.168film.com



Los Angeles EigaFest: Japan Film Society presents contemporary documentaries, features and shorts, Sept. 12-14. Red carpet, 5:45; opening ceremony, 7; “Lupin the Third” (2014), 7:45 p.m. Sept. 12 ($35). Screenings begin 11 a.m. Sept. 12-13. Japanese street fair, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sept. 13 in Egyptian Theatre’s courtyard. Double features: “Godzilla” (1954), 9 and “Godzilla” (2014), 11 p.m. Sept. 13 ($15 for both). Closing film: “Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno” (2014), 8 p.m. Sept. 14 ($25). Check website for schedule and parties. Most tickets $12. Movies shown at Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. and TCL Chinese Theatre, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. www.laeigafest.com



Awareness Film Festival: International feature and short movies on issues including current events, eco-friendly living, health, homelessness, hunger, mental illness and world resources, Sept. 11-21. “Yoga Maya” (2014, documentary) and “Changing Minds at Concord High School” (2013, short), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12 (Heal One World, 3503 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles). “Red Passage” (2014), “Killed to Order,” and “Plundering Tibet” (2014), 7 p.m. Sept. 13 (James Bridges Theater at UCLA, 235 Charles E. Young Drive, Los Angeles). Tickets $12 online; $15; $89 pass; $195 VIP pass. Check website for schedule and venues. theawarenessfestival.wix.com



Calabasas Film Festival: Red carpet premiere of “The Equalizer,” 7 p.m. Sept. 12 (Edwards Grand Palace, 4767 Commons Way) followed by a VIP after party (courtyard at Calabasas City Hall, 100 Civic Center Way; $150). Four independent movies screen on Sept. 13 at Viewpoint School, auditorium, 23620 Mulholland Highway: “Alive Inside,” 11 a.m. ($15); “It’s Not a Date,” 1:30 p.m. (minimum age 17; $15); “Love Me,” 4 p.m. (minimum age 17; $15) and “Tracks,” 7 p.m. followed by an after party ($45). Student Film Day, 1-4 p.m. Sept. 14 (Calabasas Library Founders Hall, 200 Civic Center Way; $15). www.thecalabasasfilmfestival.com



Movies on the Farm at Pierce College Farm Center: “Frankenweenie” (2012), around 7 p.m. Sept. 12. Certified farmers market, 5 p.m. Free movie; bring your own low-back chair or blanket. No outside food. No dogs. Upcoming: “Beetlejuice” (1988), Sept. 19. 20800 Victory Blvd., Woodland Hills. 818-999-6300, Ext. 22. www.piercefarmcenter.com

American Cinematheque at the Aero: Double Lives, Triple Colors: Krzysztof Kieslowski in the 1990s: “Red” (1994) and “The Double Life of Veronique” (1991), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12. Steve Martin double feature: “The Jerk” (1979) and “The Man With Two Brains” (1983), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13. Carl Reiner Remembers: “The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming” (1966), 8 p.m. Sept. 14; “Sibling Rivalry” (1990) and “Summer School” (1987), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19; “The Comic” (1969) and “Enter Laughing” (1967), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20 (Reiner signs “I Just Remembered,” 6:30 p.m. Sept. 20 in the lobby). The Best of Recent Belgian Cinema: “Flying Home” (2014), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17. Sci Fi and Other Worlds Shorts: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18. Most tickets $11; $9 seniors and students. 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. 323-466-3456. www.americancinematheque.com



Films at Los Angeles County Museum of Art: “House on Haunted Hill” (1959), 7:30 and “13 Ghosts” (1960), 9 p.m. Sept. 12 ($5 for both). “The Black Swan” (1942), 1 p.m. Sept. 16 ($4). Double feature from director William Castle: “Mr. Sardonicus” (1961), 7:30 and “The Night Walker” (1964), 9:10 p.m. Sept. 19. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 323-857-6010. www.lacma.org

UCLA Film & Television Archive at the Billy Wilder Theater: Edith Head and Hollywood Costume Design: “Sunset Blvd.” (1950), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12; “Carrie” (1952) and “The Country Girl” (1955), 7 p.m. Sept. 14. Exile Noir: “Whirlpool” (1950) and “The Blue Gardenia” (1953), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13; “Caught” (1949) and “The Locket” (1946), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15; “The Dark Mirror” (1946) and “Jealousy” (1945), Sept. 19. Tickets $10. Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 310-206-8013. www.cinema.ucla.edu



City of Agoura Hills’ Movies in the Park: “Despicable Me 2” (2013), around 7 p.m. Sept. 13. Free. Reyes Adobe Park, 30400 Rainbow Crest Drive. 818-597-7361. www.agourahillsrec.org

City of Beverly Hills screens Troop Beverly Hills: Ava Ostern Fries, the 1989 film’s writer and producer, presents the outdoor event, 7 p.m. Sept. 13. Free. Bring your own blanket or low back beach chair. Beverly Canon Gardens, 241 N. Canon Drive. 310-285-6830. www.beverlyhills.org

Movie Night at the McCrea Ranch: Outdoor screening of “Beach Blanket Bingo” (1965), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13. Tickets $10. Reservations required. Location is in Thousand Oaks. 805-495-2163. www.crpd.org/mccrea



Cinespia at Hollywood Forever Cemetery: “The Matrix” (1984), 8 p.m. Sept. 13. Gates open, 6:15 p.m. Tickets $14. Lawn seating. Upcoming: “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968), Sept. 20. 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. www.cinespia.org

Eat, See, Hear: Outdoor movie with live musical entertainment and food trucks. “The Goonies” (1985), 8:30 p.m. Sept. 13. Doors open, 5:30 and music from The Janks, 7 p.m. Admission $11.54; $22.09 reserved; ages 5-12 $9.43. Centennial Square in front of Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave. (enter on Marengo Avenue). www.eatseehear.com



What Is a Western?: “Cars” (2006), 1:30 p.m. Sept. 14. Free with admission to the museum $10; $6 seniors and students; $4 ages 3-12. Autry National Center, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles. 323-667-2000. www.theautry.org

Film Fanatics at Calabasas Library: Call for movie title, 6 p.m. Sept. 17. 200 Civic Center Way. [email protected] or 818-225-7616. www.cityofcalabasas.com

Movies at the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles: Best of Recent German Cinema. “Beerland” (2012), 7 p.m. Sept. 17; “Measuring the World” (2012), Sept. 24. Free. 5750 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 323-525-3388. www.goethe.de/ins/us/los/enindex.htm



American Cinematheque at the Egyptian: “Woodstock (The Director’s Cut)” (1970), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19. “The Last Waltz” (1978), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20. Most tickets $11; $9 seniors and students. 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. 323-466-3456. www.americancinematheque.com

[email protected]

Azusa Regency Foothill Cinema 10: Flashback Tuesday, “Braveheart,” Disney animated movie from 1995, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16. $6. 854 E. Alosta Ave., Azusa, 626-334-6007 regencymovies.com

Crowell Public Library: “The Girls in the Band,” the story of women as professional musicians from the 1920s to the present day. 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18. Free. 1890 Huntington Drive, San Marino, 626-300-0777. www.CrowellPublicLibrary.org



South Pasadena Public Library: This free public event is the L.A. premiere of the 2013 documentary of “The Byrd Who Flew Alone: The Triumphs and Tragedy of Gene Clark.” Screening will at 7 p.m. Sept. 18, doors open at 6:30 p.m. Community Room, 1115 El Centro St., 626-403-7340.

[email protected]

“Duran, Duran Unstaged”: directed by David Lynch, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10, $12.50, Harkins Theatre Chino Hills 18, 3070 Chino Ave., Chino, 909-627-8010; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10, $12.50 Apple Valley Plaza 14, 22311 Bear Valley Road, Apple Valley, 760-240-9661.



Scripps College Humanities Institute: “Deaf Jam” (2014), 6 p.m. Sept. 11, free, screening by Tahani Salah, Scripps College Humanities Auditorium, 1030 Columbia Ave., Claremont, 909-621-8237. www.scrippscollege.edu

“We Are the Best”: A 2013 movie about three girls in 1980s Stockholm decide to form a punk band, despite not having any instruments and being told by everyone that punk is dead. Directed by Lukas Moodysson. 7 p.m. Sept. 12, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sept. 13, $5-$9.99, UCR ARTSblock, 3824 Main St., Riverside, 951-827-4787. www.artsblock.ucr.edu



Cinema Sundays: “Devo: The Men Who Make the Music” (1981), the first home video released by new wave band Devo. 9:30 p.m. Sept. 14, free, The Press Restaurant, 129 Harvard Ave., Claremont, 909-625-4808. www.thepressrestaurant,com

Redlands Art Association Fall Series: “My Old Lady” (2014) directed by Israel Horovitz in his directorial debut about a middle-aged New Yorker Mathias Gold, who arrives in Paris to claim his inheritance of an apartment left to him by his deceased father. Starring Kevin Kline, Maggie Smith and Kristin Scott Thomas. 7 p.m. Sept. 16, $8, $12, Krikorian Redlands Cinema, 340 N. Eureka St., Redlands, 909-792-7909. redlands-art.org



Claremont McKenna College: “Wasela: Man of Hope” is a film that depicts the life of Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Poland’s Solidarity movement, Lech Walesa. 6:45 p.m. Sept. 17, free, Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, 385 E. Eighth St., Claremont, 909-621-8244. www.claremontmckenna.edu

[email protected]

More Than Honey: Part of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy film series titled “The Beauty Nature,” the film examines the disappearance of honeybee populations. 3 and 5:30 p.m. Sept. 11. Peninsula Center Library, 701 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, 310-541-7613. www.pvplc.org



Modern Times: 1936 film starring Charlie Chaplin, 8:15 Sept. 12, 2:30 and 8:15 p.m. Sept. 13, 2:30 p.m. Sept. 14. $10/$8, cash or check only. Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo, 310-322-2592. www.oldtownmusichall.org.

Street Food Cinema: “The Princess Bride” Doors open 5:30 p.m. Sept. 13. There will also be food trucks and interactive games. $6-$20. Manhattan Beach Marriott Golf Course, 1400 Park View Ave. www.streetfoodcinema.com

[email protected]

QFilm Fest: The festival showcases LGBT films 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sept. 12-14. $10-$100. Movies will be shown at the Art Theatre of Long Beach, 2025 E. Fourth St., and the Long Beach LGBTQ Center, 2017 E. Fourth St. www.qfilmslongbeach.com



Movies on the Beach: “Frankenweenie,” a 2012 animated Tim Burton film. The free screening is at dusk Sept. 13. Granada Beach, 1 Granada Ave., Long Beach. www.alfredosbeachclub.com

[email protected]

-- Holly Andres (dailynews.com)




----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Godzilla 2: Easter Eggs Confirm Monster Island?

godzilla-2014-review-spoileriffic-b0d6f9d3-c003-4191-82c4-65e101be7ca5-godzilla-2-easter-eggs-confirm-monster-island.jpeg

New Kaiju fight The King of Monsters in Godzilla 2?
This summer, Gareth Edwards Godzilla showed audiences a new way forward in terms of monster/Kaiju movies. Not only were the monsters huge, powerful terrifying beasts, they was also a detailed, compelling plot (something that was arguable missing from Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim).

And Gareth Edwards obviously knows how to keep audiences interested. The opening credits alone were packed full of Easter Eggs and hints at the involvement of other Kaiju - and there was one Easter Egg in particular that has been picked up on by fans, confirming the involvement of the flying Kaiju Mothra.

So could we see more monsters in Godzilla 2? Gareth Edwards spoke about this in a recent interview:

I just love the idea of a monster island. Having a world with these creatures in it. I find that fascinating and would like to treat that realistically. I wouldn’t want to limit it to one other foe, I think it’s more fun to – this question will come back to haunt me if we ever do a sequel – but I think multiple creatures make better movies
So which Kaiju would you most want to see in a future movie? Let's run through some of the best:

King Ghidorah
king_ghidorah_by_kaijuverse-d72bazk-godzilla-2-easter-eggs-confirm-monster-island.jpeg

King Ghidorah, Godzilla's greatest foe?
This three headed dragon-like Kaiju is perhaps Godzilla's most formidable foe - and just as the military weren't able to take on the MUTO alone, Godzilla too might need some help to bring Ghidorah down. Could we see se Godzilla team up again with Rodan and Mothra to take Ghidorah, or is that too predictable?

Manda
kaiju_revisited_6_by_felipe_elias-godzilla-2-easter-eggs-confirm-monster-island.jpeg

Manda - Serpent Dragon Kaiju
In the movie that British director Gareth Edwards has previous claimed to be one of this favorites in the Godzilla series, 1969's Destroy All Monsters, Manda is the the Kaiju which lays waste to London.

A Japanese Dragon like creature, Manda has no powers beyond it's huge size and ability to wrap around and crush anything that stands in its way in the manner or a constrictor snake. Manda would be a left-field choice, but an interesting one

MechaGodzilla
real-25m74-back-original-godzilla-2-easter-eggs-confirm-monster-island.jpeg

That's MechaGodzilla on the right, by the way
Godzilla's robotic counterpart, Godzilla first appears with an artificial fleshy skin pretending to be Godzilla himself, and lays waste to some cities, turning opinion against the King of Monsters.

Soon, though MechaGodzilla is exposed as a robotic impostor. MechaGodzilla is an incredible powerful, and popular Kaiju, and gets the better of Godzilla on several occasions - however, he may not fit the the world the Gareth Edwards has created.

There are many other Kaiju who could appear in Godzilla 2 - it seems near certain, for example, that Mothra will appear - but who would you most like to see? Write in with your own list below the line!

-- Peter Matthews (moviepilot.com)




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





How many minutes of Godzilla do you think actually showed Godzilla?

-e0afb08f-04a4-40bf-86b8-1d1d99546070.jpg



Gareth Edward's 2014 take on Godzilla ran for a total of 123 minutes. Can you guess how many minutes of it actually showed Godzilla? (No cheating!)

I knew after seeing it that I wished there had been more Godzilla, but I didn't realize that there had been this little.

To be fair, I see can what Edwards intended. He wanted to build suspense and a sense of dread, while also not just relying on the insanely cool CGI monster fights. I mean, it's not like we deserve, or even particularly love, the movies that stand on non-stop action. But at the same time, audiences are paying to see Godzilla, and he really didn't play a huge role in the actual story, like, at all. It was more a film about Aaron Taylor-Johnson struggling with all forms of transportation, while monsters are also battling it out and wrecking the city in the foreground.

The answer is about 10. TEN out of 123. Just let that sink in for a second. This video below has complied his few, but incredible, minutes of glory.

While the mere ~10 minutes of Godzilla are a little disappointing time-wise, this was far from the first movie to pull the old bait-and-switch on it's audiences. Here are some other movies where the marketing promises didn't quite match up to the actual film.

Note: This video shows only 8 minutes, but it's been suggested that it has been sped up to avoid some copyright issues.



-- (moviepilot.com)





 
  • Like
Reactions: bloodsnake007
Cutting the Cord: Waiting for ... 'Godzilla'?

If you are like me, you can't always catch a movie at the multiplex.

And the summer box office figures reflect that either there's a lot of you like me out there — or maybe this season's release slate didn't quite appeal to you.

This summer's $4 billion box office take is about 22% less than last year's and the largest summer-to-summer decline on record.

Still, there was some summer eye candy I wanted to see. I did make it to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in July — two thumbs up — but I missed several other comic book and sci-fi flicks during their theatrical runs, including The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Godzilla, Edge of Tomorrow and X-Men: Days of Future Past.

So what's a movie lover to do when they want to catch up? Well, you have a growing list of viewing options — at varying price points.

Hollywood is increasingly making movies available for online purchase and rental, ahead of the Blu-ray Disc and DVD releases and pay-TV video-on-demand. So, if you just can't wait, you can pay a bit more and see it before the packaged discs hit the stores. Conversely, if you want to rent from a kiosk, you may find yourself waiting a bit longer than in the past.

Let's say, like me, you missed Godzilla in the theater and you want to exorcise that 1998 version with Matthew Broderick from your memory and catch up on the big guy's latest adventure starring Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad).

The Blu-ray, which starts at about $23, and DVD come out Sept. 16. But if you want to watch the movie before that, you can download a high definition version for $19.99 from iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play and M-Go. (Amazon, Google Play and M-Go also offer a standard-def version for $14.99.)

1410478642000-godzilla.jpg

The movie 'Godzilla' shown in iTunes store.(Photo: Apple)

If you can wait and don't want to own the movie, once the discs are out, you can use a service such as Amazon or iTunes and rent the film for $6 or less. If you have a pay-TV service, the film is usually available to rent on demand at this point, too. However, you will have to wait nearly a month if you want to rent an actual disc from a Redbox kiosk, which costs less than $2 — and even longer to see the film on HBO, Showtime or Netflix.

Getting similar treatment is Edge of Tomorrow (now retitled as Live Die Repeat/Edge of Tomorrow), out on Blu-ray Oct. 7, but available now on iTunes and Google Play, and Transformers: Age of Extinction, on home video Sept. 30, but hitting iTunes Sept. 16.

Consumer adoption of online sales and subscription streaming services — and the turning away from buying packaged discs — is driving this mutation of so-called movie availability "windows."

The Digital Entertainment Group recently reported that sales of Blu-rays and DVDs fell 8% during the first half of 2014, but still accounted for $3.3 billion — far from a dinosaur format. Over the same time, electronic sales rose 37% to $671 million and subscriptions rose 26% to $1.9 billion.

As consumer behavior changes — in this case, purchases of tickets and discs declining — Hollywood needs new ways of recouping its investments in movies. "There are a lot more outlets for content now than there ever really have been for video," says Glenn Hower, a research analyst at Parks Associates. "So the studios have to seriously examine their windowing process and develop a couple of different release periods."

We shall see what windows viewers choose to open most often in the days to come.
-- Mike Snider (usatoday.com)




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





'Godzilla' in 8-bit: A beast of a retro good time

This homage to our favorite giant kaiju and actor Bryan Cranston may be better than the 2014 "Godzilla" movie itself.

godzilla8bit2.jpg

Godzilla looks intimidating even in 8-bit.

While fans may still be split over the new "Godzilla" movie by director Gareth Edwards, starring Bryan Cranston and Ken Watanabe, this tribute done as an 8-bit video game is downright delightful.

This "Godzilla" in 8-bit video from Cinefix, posted by IGN on Monday, shows various exciting scenes from the 2014 movie, in a much less special effects-driven format. Even Godzilla destroying San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge is heavily pixilated.

The video tribute also has the kind of glorious music you'd hear if this was the '80s and you were battling Godzilla on with your original NES.

Now that there's a "Godzilla" sequel in the works with Edwards directing, perhaps we'll see more 8-bit homages like these in the future.



-- Bonnie Burton (cnet.com)




 
COMICS: Biollante Rises In This New GODZILLA: CATACLYSM #2 Preview


Biollante and Mothra are on the loose causing all sorts of chaos and destruction. Many villages will be destroyed and many people will die. It will be up to the King of Monsters to bring the peace once more! Hit the jump to check it out!

An angry Godzilla returns to do battle once again! With Biollante and Mothra awakening both fears and hopes in humanity, only Hiroshi has a glimpse at the terrible truth! Will his village survive the monsters terrible onslaught?


Godzilla-Cat-02-pr-1-eab1d.jpg
Godzilla-Cat-02-pr-2-48e00.jpg
Godzilla-Cat-02-pr-3-31041.jpg
Godzilla-Cat-02-pr-4-8b4b9.jpg
Godzilla-Cat-02-pr-5-a80df.jpg
Godzilla-Cat-02-pr-6-38dbb.jpg
Godzilla-Cat-02-pr-7-66483.jpg


STORY BY
Cullen Bunn
ART BY
Dave Wachter
LETTERS BY
Chris Mowry
COVER BY
Dave Wachter
PUBLISHER
IDW
COVER PRICE:
$3.99
RELEASE DATE
Wed, September 17th, 2014

Source: CBR
-- NightWatcher (comicbookmovie.com)




----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




'Godzilla' Is Paint-By-Numbers Monster Movie Making

godzilla_2014_dvdreview_splash650.jpg


Paint-By-Numbers Monster Movie Making
The decision to make a new Godzilla movie means a lot of story choices are cut off from day one (although I’m still waiting for a rom-com set amidst a giant monster movie). Unfortunately, this reboot of the venerable franchise is so paint-by-the-numbers that the only point of watching it is to see how cool a giant monster battle can be with today’s advances in CGI.


If you’ve seen any previous giant monster movies, Godzilla‘s storyline will seem very familiar to you: Something awful happens, but it’s covered up by the powers that be. Several years later, a lone conspiracy theorist follows the threads left behind, convinced that he’s on to something. A scientist knows a lot about what’s happening because he’s been studying it for a long time as part of a shadowy government project, but he doesn’t know as much as he thinks he does. The crap hits the fan because, of course, the powers that be can’t control what they’ve captured. The military gets involved. Cities are destroyed. A final showdown occurs. Threat nullified. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief. For now.


It may also help to relate the plot according to the many well-worn tropes used in this film:


• The conspiracy theorist: Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston). The story opens on a happy family: Joe and his wife work at a Japanese nuclear power station, and their son Ford is trying to figure out how to hang up a birthday banner for his father without being caught. While mom and dad are at work, though, violent tremors cause a reactor leak, and the power station eventually crumbles; Brody’s wife is among the victims.


Fast-forward 15 years to 2014: Brody remains in Japan while his son is now an adult with a wife and child in San Francisco. He’s convinced that he will figure out the mystery behind what happened in 1999, thanks to the clippings hung all over his walls. (Don’t modern day conspiracy theorists keep all their clippings in Google Docs? Or maybe that’s what the government wants them to do.)


• The military guy who has a skill that will of course pay off later (in this case, dealing with bombs): Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). After we fast-forward to 2014, Ford must leave his wife and son behind to go to Japan and deal with his father, who has again been arrested for trespassing in the quarantined area where the power plant was. He’s a pragmatic realist who thinks his father has gone off the deep end. Conveniently, his wife is a nurse, so between the two of them, we’ll get plenty of scenes dealing with the military response to the monsters and evacuees from the carnage.


• The scientist who has been studying monsters and delivers plenty of key exposition slathered in gravitas: Dr. Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe). Serizawa shows up early and often, and when the elder Brody figures out what’s really been happening at the power plant, he admits what he knows, thus vindicating the father in front of the son.


Serizawa has fallen prey to the “humans think they know everything and are about to get their comeuppance” trope, and the situation at the former power plant goes awry, although not for the reason you might expect: It turns out they’ve been holding a monster other than Godzilla there, and it breaks free. Then we learn that its cocooned mate was held in a nuclear disposal facility, and—oops—it wasn’t as dormant as everyone thought it was, so now the monster’s mate is on the loose too.


The two monsters head for a romantic rendezvous, so lady monster can get her eggs fertilized by guy monster, and Godzilla shows up to take out the two of them. While Devlin and Emmerich‘s awful late ‘90s Godzilla cast the iconic monster in the role of bad guy, this time he’s a force for good, albeit one that will destroy a lot of stuff during his battle with the other monsters.


The rest of the film plays out pretty much the way you would expect it to, although Cranston’s character unfortunately makes an early exit. His son is given a couple pointless scenes where he helps a child who has been separated from his parents—we already know he’s a good father, husband, and son—and then Ford hooks up with the military. Naturally, it turns out he’s the only guy around whose expertise with bombs will help them with their plan, and that leads to that really cool paratrooper shot that was shown in many of the trailers.


So, what’s good about this film? Well, director Gareth Edwards’ choice to use a cinema cinéma vérité-like style for the first two acts is fun; we only get glimpses of the monsters here and there, such as when Ford’s wife is running into a BART station and the doors close just as Godzilla is about to lay a smackdown on a monster, or when Ford parachutes into the carnage and we see bits and pieces of Godzilla from his point-of-view. In fact, Godzilla is only seen here and there until the third act, when Edwards shows us the final battle royale in all its glory.


Unfortunately, that doesn’t make up for the rest of the film’s “seen this before” feeling, but perhaps another director can build on that in the inevitable sequel.


The film is found on a Blu-ray disc and a standard-def DVD, with a code included for a digital download. All of the bonus features are found on the Blu-ray disc, and they’re split into two sections: MONARCH: Declassified and The Legendary Godzilla. The former includes three short pieces that repurpose some of the film’s footage to explore the cover-up of Godzilla’s existence. It’s mildly interesting, although the narrator of the Godzilla Revealed piece is particularly bland; you’d think he would be a bit more breathless and excited, since he’s supposed to be a conspiracy theorist piecing together the available evidence.


The other section delves into behind-the-scenes stuff, with plenty of self-congratulatory comments from the cast and crew as they talk about the special effects, the decision to not show much of Godzilla early in the film, and so forth. The original 1954 movie is touched on a bit.


And that’s it for the bonus features. No retrospective of The King of Monsters’ career or commentary track, which is a bummer. The former probably would have been more interesting than the movie.
-- Brad Cook (popmatters.com)


 
Godzilla takes over Teen Movie night at South County Library on Sept. 16

Join the Teen Center, to watch Godzilla and snack on popcorn at Teen Movie night at the South County Library on Sept. 16. The event will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

For more information about fall programming at the library, call (540) 777-8788.
Submitted by Roanoke County
-- roanoke.com




-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Reel experiences with Robert Humanick: Hear him roar: ‘Godzilla' ‘14 raises the bar on Hollywood monsters

The heck with beating around the bush: “Godzilla” was the best mainstream American release of the summer, with little serious competition. Those who complained that it didn’t have enough monster action weren’t by and large simply exhibiting impatience with the rare “popcorn” movie that actually cares about more than just giant things crashing into each other – they were clearly also not familiar with the dozens of Godzilla movies made in the last 60 years, many of which focus more on the humans than the monsters and some which barely include the big fella at all.

All of which is beside the point. This new “Godzilla,” directed by indie filmmaker Gareth Edwards, walks a fine line, and that it never loses balance is something of a miracle. The 1954 original Japanese film was a direct response to the nuclear bomb. In 2014, the United States has no equivalent, but it’s been 16 years since this particular monster has toppled buildings stateside, and it isn’t lost on this reboot that those images have newfound meaning. This is a Godzilla film that tangibly considers the effects of its action – and the resultant loss of life – absurd as that may seem, except that the best of science fiction has always been allegorical.

Serious character drama and a humbling vision of nature’s ultimate dominance (and man’s relative insignificance) notwithstanding, this is also great spectacle, with an economy of visual language that alone merits repeat viewings. The human storyline – kick-started by the great Juliette Binoche – registers with quotidian resonance, and the fisticuffs between Godzilla and his foes suggests a kind of apocalyptic dance. Edwards clearly loves the material, and that reactions have been so divided, seems indication that he’s done it justice. More “Apocalypse Now” than “King Kong,” this “Godzilla” earns its place among the great movie remakes.

“Godzilla” is available now on HD Digital Download, and will be released on DVD/Blu-ray Tuesday, Sept. 16.

Robert Humanick is a contributing writer for slantmagazine.com

Follow Rob on Twitter @rhumanick
-- Robert Humanick (berksmontnews.com)




 
  • Like
Reactions: DADDYCOOL187
Godzilla 2: Where does the King of the Monsters go next?

godzilla_king.jpg


Is the latest Godzilla reboot going to launch the next shared film universe after Godzilla 2 and Skull Island?
When the long-awaited reboot of Godzilla arrived in theaters this past May, fans breathed a cautious sigh of relief. Director Gareth Edwards had made a film that, while flawed, was respectful of and faithful to many of the elements that made the 1954 original -- as well as a number of later sequels -- such a longstanding and iconic monster movie: the seriousness of intent even with a premise so outlandish, the sense of awe and mythic power surrounding Godzilla himself, and the epic clashes between gigantic, nightmarish beasts that have always been at the heart of the kaiju genre.

We can debate just how much Edwards should or shouldn’t have included of the latter as we watch Godzilla again with its recent Blu-ray release. A recent video that surfaced online boiled the king of the monsters’ total screentime in the two-hour film down to about eight minutes. I think there’s a general feeling now that Edwards, while nobly wanting to keep the monsters offscreen for as long as possible and create a terrific build-up to Godzilla’s first appearance, might have went a bit too far in that direction. It didn’t help that his most interesting human character (who I won’t name here) leaves the film less than halfway through and that the remaining ones are not that dynamic.

godzilla_edwards_olsen.jpg

It’s still a spectacular film in many regards, and looks and sounds amazing on Blu-ray. The special features include a four-part behind-the-scenes documentary on various aspects of the production (totaling about 40 minutes), as well as three “declassified” MONARCH video files that are allegedly part of the “cover-up” about Godzilla’s existence. Some of this stuff – particularly the grainy 1940s newsreel footage – shows up in the movie, but this is a more complete version of it. I was hoping that this bonus content might include some hints about Godzilla’s eventual return, but no such luck: there’s only a vague warning that he might come back.

However, Legendary Pictures president Thomas Tull created a sensation at this past July’s Comic-Con when he announced during Legendary’s panel presentation that not only was Godzilla 2 confirmed for release on June 8, 2018, but that Toho was pleased enough with the first film to agree to license its other major monsters -- namely Rodan, Mothra, and Godzilla’s three-headed arch-nemesis, King Ghidorah -- to the American studio for use in future movies. So with a suddenly bigger kaiju playground to romp and smash around in, where does Legendary take the series from here?

godzilla_kids.jpg

Rodan was the second major kaiju to gain traction with the public and it would be great fun to see the giant winged reptile take flight in a huge modern production. There were aspects of Rodan in the first film’s MUTOs – the one that flew made me think of Rodan several times – so a second film could legitimately advance the case that Rodan is a new kind of MUTO. The mythology established in the new Godzilla hinted at the idea of vast creatures existing well before humankind ever set foot on the planet, which leaves plenty of room to re-introduce some of the bigger Toho stars with revised origins.

But if Rodan and Godzilla could clash in a second film, what about Mothra? The original Mothra movies, with their singing fairy twins, and more poetic monster, were aimed a little more squarely at the children’s market – a direction that all the Japanese kaiju films followed in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Would Legendary be willing to spin Mothra off into its own film, something a little less dark and frightening that could appeal to younger viewers? Perhaps a new Mothra could be conceived as an adventure film set on a faraway island (Infant Island!) where giant caterpillars and moths roam freely.

king_ghidorah.jpg

The fourth member of the kaiju A-list, of course, is King Ghidorah, the fearsome three-headed dragon who has usually been sent by aliens to raze the Earth and wipe out its monster guardians. Here’s where things get interesting. If, say, the new Godzilla Cinematic Universe (GCU) follows the trajectory of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first two or three movies could be the “grounded” ones – as grounded as movies about giant monsters can be anyway – in that they take place solely on Earth with reasonable evolutionary origins for the creatures. The introduction of King Ghidorah could bring space and extraterrestrial races into the mix – the same way that The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy have done.

From there, the sky is really the limit, depending on two factors: 1) how many monsters Toho is willing to license and 2) how well any of these films do at the box office. Legendary is bullish on building franchises in the face of middling box office – Pacific Rim was not a success here (although it was worldwide) and Godzilla just made it to $200 million, but both are getting sequels. If Legendary truly want to create a new version of the GCU or the Toho stable of kaiju, the possibilities are endless. Personal favorites that I would like to see onscreen again include Hedorah (hey kids, an environmental monster!), Biollante, Destoroyah, and even Megaguirus (I think a new version of Mechagodzilla would be cool too – a man-made deterrent to the big guy – but that might veer too close to the kaiju/Jaeger dynamic of Pacific Rim).

One last thing to consider: Legendary has also nabbed the rights to King Kong and is putting a prequel film called Skull Island into production for release in 2016. If that is a success, and if Godzilla 2 does well…would it be a stretch to imagine the big ape and the giant nuclear lizard clashing more than five decades after they first met in King Kong vs. Godzilla?

Let’s hope there’s more MONARCH “declassified” files – and more monsters – to come.

king_kong_vs_godzilla.jpg

Godzilla is out now on Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, 2-Disc DVD Special Edition, and Digital HD.
-- Don Kaye (denofgeek.us)




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





Sideshow Collectibles finally reveal their Godzilla (2014) Maquette!

To coincide with yesterday's home video release of Godzilla (2014), Sideshow Collectibles have finally revealed the specs and photos for their Godzilla maquette! The mauqette stands at an impressive 24" tall and weighs 35 pounds. Detailed extremely well, this model is currently available for pre-order via the Sideshow website for $799.00 USD with payment plans available. Scroll down for a selection of promotional images Sideshow released as well:


300382-product-feature-740x448.jpg



300382-godzilla-001.jpg



300382-godzilla-002.jpg



300382-godzilla-003.jpg



300382-godzilla-004.jpg



300382-godzilla-005.jpg



300382-godzilla-006.jpg



300382-godzilla-007.jpg



300382-godzilla-008.jpg



300382-godzilla-009.jpg



Thanks to
Ananasatom for also sharing some of these pics in the Godzilla forums!
-- Chris Picard (scified.com)








 
  • Like
Reactions: bloodsnake007
‘Godzilla’ Beats ‘Fault in Our Stars’ in DVD Sales

godzilla-2014.jpg


The flood of high-profile new releases continues, with new Blu-ray Discs and DVDs accounting for seven of the top 10 sellers on Nielsen VideoScan’s weekly overall disc sales chart for the week ending Sept. 21.

At the top: Warner’s “Godzilla” remake-of-a-remake-of-a-remake, which easily debuted at No. 1 on both the First Alert chart, which tracks combined Blu-ray Disc and DVD sales, and Nielsen’s dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart.

The summer theatrical blockbuster grossed more than $200 million in U.S. theaters, nearly 50% more than Sony Pictures’ 1998 retelling of the classic horror story of a giant dinosaur wreaking havoc on modern civilization.

Coming in at No. 2, also on both charts, was 20th Century Fox’s “The Fault in Our Stars,” a romantic drama that earned $124.8 million in theaters. The film, which boasts a cast of young stars familiar to teens through movies like “Divergent,” sold 82.8% as many units as “Godzilla” its first week in stores, according to Nielsen data. Looking at Blu-ray Disc sales only,
“Fault” sold just 56% as many units, which isn’t surprising given that “Godzilla” generated 58% of its total sales from the high-definition version, to just 39% for “Fault.”

Walt Disney Studios’ “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” which debuted at No. 1 the previous week, slipped to No. 3 on both charts, followed by two more high-ranking newcomers: season seven of the hot TV series “The Big Bang Theory,” from Warner, which bowed at No. 4, and the Sony Pictures comedy “Think Like a Man Too,” a sequel with a domestic box office gross of $65.2 million, entering the chart at No.5.

On the overall disc chart, “Barbie and the Secret Door,” Universal Studios’ latest direct-to-video movie starring the iconic Mattel doll, debuted at No. 6, followed by Walt Disney’s “Frozen” at No. 7, the same position it held the prior week.

Rounding out the First Alert top 10 were the 20th Century Fox crime drama “Brick Mansions” at No. 8, down from its No. 2 debut the previous week, and two more new releases: “Castle: The Complete Sixth Season,” from Walt Disney Studios, at No. 9, and “Arrow: The Complete Second Season,” from Warner, at No. 10.

On Home Media Magazine’s rental chart for the week, “Think Like a Man Too” was the highest-ranking new release, debuting at No. 2. Sony Pictures is one of three major studios that distributes its new releases immediately to all retailers, including Netflix and Redbox, instead of waiting 28 days as the other three majors do.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” soared up to No. 1 after debuting at No. 7 the previous week.

Lionsgate’s “Draft Day” slipped to No. 3 from No. 2, while the previous week’s top rental, 20th Century Fox’s “The Other Woman,” slid to No. 4. Rounding out the top five was “Moms’ Night Out,” from Sony Pictures, down a notch from No. 4 the prior week.

Thomas K. Arnold is editorial director of Home Media Magazine.
Top 20 Nielsen VideoScan First Alert chart for week of 9/21/2014:
1. Godzilla (new)
2. The Fault in Our Stars (new)
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
4. The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Seventh Season (new)
5. Think Like a Man Too (new)
6. Barbie and the Secret Door (new)
7. Frozen
8. Brick Mansions
9. Castle: The Complete Sixth Season (new)
10. Arrow: The Complete Second Season (new)
11. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
12. Divergent
13. Blended
14. Draft Day
15. God’s Not Dead
16. Ghostbusters/Ghostbusters 2 (new)
17. Sleepy Hollow: The Complete First Season
18. Bones: The Complete Season Nine (new)
19. The LEGO Movie
20. The Perfect Wave (new, Walmart exclusive)
-- Thomas K. Arnold (variety.com)




---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Godzilla 2: Big Change For The Sequel?

1400487819_godzilla_2-oo.jpg


Before the release of Godzilla we got the "sneak peek" of the new and improved Godzilla. People were not impressed. Godzilla's face and body had changed. Godzilla had gained weight and had a new look almost entirely. What got people really bothered was the weight change. "He's fat!" Said someone. "He's HUGE!" Said another. Before we get to the weight topic, lets get the face topic out of the picture. Godzilla has been in countless of fights over the decades and even centuries. Is it possible he is more "aged?" He can have a few scars and look a little beat up. After all he has saved Earth many times. All I can say is... Can we give them some slack? If you paid attention to the film, they awoken Godzilla in 1954. Ever since then, they have tried killing him, but he dissapeared for decades. He fights the MUTOs in the film in 2014. How long ago was his last fight? They don't mention that. We saw the skeleton of caterpillar style of a creature in the Philippines in 1994. Did the MUTOs kill that creature or Godzilla? It could have been a while since Godzilla's last fight. That could explain the weight gain. After all, you gain a few pounds just lying around the house, it can easily happen to Godzilla. I'm sure Monster Island doesn't have a Planet Fitness or anything, so can you blame the weight change?

With the news of Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah coming in for the next film, could we see a change in Godzilla? Very possible. He could get a new look, a slimmer body and new atomic breath? Yes that's right...Rodan could sacrifice himself to protect Godzilla and give the power of a Fire Rodan to Godzilla. That's how it happened in the other films. Its how Godzilla gets the Spiral Red Atomic Breath. It would be a nice twist to the story and change up the characters. We could see that in the next film or not...don't quote me here. Now for the story, we can have Ken Wantanabe's character make a return and the Monarch crew go to Godzilla's nest/home and study him and the location. When they stumble upon a red rock that glew a cherry red. It breaks open and King Ghidorah begins growing. Mothra and Rodan are drawn to the power and sound of King Ghidorah and fight witb Godzilla to take out the nee foe. The setting could take place on Monster Island. Only a few human characters to lessen the "human" factor and give us more monsters and massive fight scenes. People were not fond of not having enough "Godzilla" in Godzilla. Now with the other monsters, Legendary and Toho could revamp the classic creature with a newer look. Granted we want a classic look to the newer versions, but with some different to them. Mothra dosen't have to be a larva with a massive head. Mothra could be a moth form already and help fight with Godzilla. Rodan could have the same look, but with more color and desgin. King Ghidorah could have a shiny gold color to his body and have the skin roughness of an aligator to really amp up the toughness. Now I didn't forget the powers, all creatures should have the same powers as they did in the older movies. It will look better with the resources we have now.

With the second of three Godzilla movies coming out in 2018, we could see a new and improved Godzilla and friends. We shall see if Legendary will change the King of Monsters or not. They gambled once and paid off. Do they risk it again? Who knows! All we know is that we are getting a remake of a classic showdown between four classic creatures. I am excited to see what they will do for the next movie and how they will introduce the monsters. Remember we got a slight glimpse of Godzilla early on in the trailers. It could be like that again with the news of the other monsters. With the DVD release on the 16th of this month we got some inside information on how they created the new Godzilla and the MUTOs. Gave us a better prespective on how much work and effort went through this project to give us the Godzilla we now know. I am happy with the new Godzilla. Are you?

Well readers what do you think? Will Legendary change Godzilla in the future films? Or will they stick to their guns and keep him the way he is? Anything you would like to add? Comment below! Remember we are all friends here so play nice!
-- Nathan Schroeder (moviepilot.com)




-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Hollywood's First Go At Godzilla: Abandoned 1983 Film Revealed

f9406a1a7476b2cf46bd5d7e07f3e79c850d1808.jpg



Script details and storyboard artwork have been revealed from the first attempt at an American ‘Godzilla’ movie, which failed to get off the ground in 1983.


The iconic giant monster from the long-running Toho Studios series has been adapted twice by Hollywood to date: in the widely reviled 1998 Tristar production from director Roland Emmerich, and earlier this year in the more warmly-received Warner Bros/Legendary production directed by Gareth Edwards.


However, many years earlier we might have had a different take on the King of the Monsters in a 3-D movie from director Steve Miner, who received permission from Toho to make an American ‘Godzilla,’ and hired Fred Dekker to write the screenplay.


- Godzilla’s Breaking Bad Easter Egg
- Jurassic World’s Attenborough Tribute
- Unmade Alien Movies Revealed



This past weekend, a panel at Austin, Texas convention Mondo Con featuring production designer William Stout discussed the would-be ‘Godzilla’ movie in detail, and Ain’t It Cool News covered the event.


Stout declared Fred Dekker’s screenplay to be “the best script I’ve ever read,” and revealed it would have seen Godzilla awakened by nuclear missiles inadvertently fired into the Pacific when an asteroid hits an armed space satellite (surely a nod to Ronald Reagan’s controversial ‘Star Wars’ project).


Whilst American and Russian forces (including a ‘Snake Plissken-esque eye-patch wearing hero' named Daxton) struggle to retrieve the one surviving nuke, the Big G himself emerges to wreak havoc in San Francisco, building up to a final showdown on Alcatraz Island.


4cd39d0408b2e11bfb7f6d87b0cd7317e4f44f35.jpg



The now-legendary monster maker Rick Baker was reportedly hired to build a “full scale animatronic Godzilla head,” but for the most part Godzilla was intended to be brought to life via old-fashioned stop motion animation, to be handled by FX artist Dave Allen.


- Indiana Jones 4 A Hallucination?!
- Alien Vs. Predator: Who’d Really Win?
- Will Smith UFO Link?



As for why the film never got into production, it seems every studio to consider the project got cold feet over the prospective budget (reportedly a then-gargantuan $30 million).


It would be another 15 years before the first American ‘Godzilla’ finally arrived - and, some might say, another 16 before America finally got it right (though, of course, opinions vary).

1dab6c53a2d97a4d78ce374f76b9b885fcf403af.jpg



Would Miner’s film necessarily have won over Godzilla devotees as Emmerich’s film would fail to do? Obviously we will never know - but I for one have my doubts.


For starters, Dekker’s script appears to have committed two of the cardinal sins that the 1998 film would later do: it gave Godzilla no other monster to do battle with, and ended with the monster killed by the military.


It would also seem the script emphasised the human conflict over the monster action - the most common complaint of Gareth Edwards’ film.


Above all else, though, I’m not sure Steve Miner could have pulled it off, particularly given the FX limitations: stop-motion was, sad to say, pretty old-hat by 1983.


It’s hard to see Miner taking on something so huge, given his most notable work at the time was the second and third chapters in the ‘Friday the 13th’ series: well-made, but very lo-fi affairs.(That said, we might have said the same of Gareth Edwards making his $160 million ‘Godzilla,’ having previously only directed ‘Monsters’ for under $500,000.)


a879ae3009f99e86de5c6a13c6d97cbebfe8e904.jpg



Steve Miner and Fred Dekker would ultimately collaborate on 1986 horror movie ‘House.’ Miner would go on to direct ‘Halloween H20,’ ‘Lake Placid’ and the ‘Day of the Dead’ remake, while Dekker would turn director with ‘Night of the Creeps,’ ‘The Monster Squad’ and ‘Robocop 3.’


Dekker told fans on Facebook that he regretted missing the Mondo Con panel, but that “writing a NEW military vs. monster movie intervened.” He is currently scripting a new ‘Predator’ movie, to be directed by his old friend (and ‘The Monster Squad’ co-writer) Shane Black.


A sequel to this year’s ‘Godzilla,’ to be again directed by Gareth Edwards and scripted by Max Borenstein, is provisionally set for a 2018 release.


- Tom Hiddleston Joins King Kong Prequel
- Matt Smith Joins Zombie Movie
- Power Rangers Movie Loses Producer



Picture credit: Warner Bros/Ain’t It Cool News
-- Ben Bussey (uk.yahoo.com)



 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: bloodsnake007
Interview: Owen Paterson, Godzilla production designer

The multi-award winning Australian production designer talked about the latest Godzilla film and even gave us a hint or two about his upcoming work on Captain America 3.
Owen Paterson is the Australian-born production designer who's worked on films as diverse as "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", "The Matrix", and "V for Vendetta".
More recently, he oversaw the design and feel for Gareth Edward's "Godzilla", which is about to get a home entertainment release. He dropped by the CNET studio to talk about working with (arguably) the world's most famous monster, how to make motion capture feel as human as a rubber suit and to even let us know a little bit about his next project: "Captain America 3".

Watch the interview -> HERE

-- Nic Healey (cnet.com)




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




GODZILLA 2000 – The Japanese Version vs. The American Version

godzilla-20000-594x400.jpg


In modern day 2014, GODZILLA 2000: Millennium is one of the most well-known Godzilla films. 14 years ago it got a nation-wide theater release and the suit design remains one of the most iconic. While I and many others have seen this film dozens of time, the original uncut Japanese version has rarely been seen at all in the States. When it comes to Godzilla films, sometimes it doesn’t matter like in masterpieces such as Mothra vs. Godzilla and MONSTER ZERO, but sometimes it does matter such in Gojira and King Kong vs. Godzilla, where the English version changes the film for worst. 2000 is one of those rare examples where most fans agree the American cut is better. Thanks to the awesome people at Sony Pictures for releasing the film on Blu-ray this month, the Japanese version has for the time become widely available. So, is it truly inferior, actually better, just different, or virtually the same?

The Japanese version of Godzilla 2000 is essentially the same as its American counterpart but also differs because of deleted scenes the latter removes, different music, and even different monster roars. Because of certain deleted scenes, the American version seemingly puts Godzilla front & center and the Millennium ship as the backdrop while in the Japanese version a little more emphasis is placed on the Millennium ship-turned-monster Orga. This is the biggest crime in the American version: it cuts out key scenes explaining Orga’s goal. In the Japanese version, there are fantastic scenes where when after hacking computers in all of Japan, the Millennium shows words on them such as “Dominate,” Revolution,” and “Empire.” There’s even a short flashback scene of the ship arriving on Earth. Because of these cuts, the American version leaves the whole Orga plot incredibly vague to the point where the viewer has to imagine what’s going on. Some aspects are still vague in the Japanese version, such as whether or not there were actual aliens in that ship or it was just Orga all along. Ultimately, the Japanese version is better with the Orga part of the story because it actually gives him some interesting motivation.



While that’s a big thumbs up for the Japanese version, what it fails miserably in is the final battle. 2000′s final battle to me has always been one of the best climaxes in Godzilla movie history. This is thanks to America for giving Godzilla a range of different roars and Orga having a more menacing sound. But what is does best is the music, it is 10x better than what the Japanese version has. The original’s final fight makes it go from awesome to painfully average. There’s virtually nothing thematic about it and if it wasn’t for the American version, it would rank pretty low in the final battles category.

Besides those two things, both versions remain relatively the same. There are some nice Godzilla shots that were sadly shortened in the American version. The US version also changes some of the soundtrack, such as adding comical themes to the “funny” scenes such as a supervisor hitting his worker with a pillar unknowingly multiple times and the main character commenting on his assistant not smelling pleasant.

So which version is better? While America cutting out key Millennium scenes is a huge shame, the Japanese’s version’s final battle is just stale in comparison. And for that, I must give the edge to the North American cut. One might ask, “Just cause the final battle?” The climax is arguably the most important part of a movie; it’s what the film leads up to, everything that has happened before leads up to this moment. The original version does not satisfy in this department, making the overall movie more of a dull one. The perfect version would be if the Millennium scenes and all of Godzilla’s scenes were added to the US cut, but nonetheless the North American version remains the most entertaining to watch.


-- Daniel Alvarez (unleashthefanboy.com)