You may remember that in July it was announced that David S. Goyer was doing the script for the New Legendary Pictures Godzilla Film. Well it has been reported by Godzilla2012 that Max Borenstein has been brought in to write the script. Borenstein is relatively new to films and has only written two screenplays (The Seventh Son and Swordswallowers and Thin Men). There has also been reports that TOHO has been monitoring production so that the film does not turn into the 1998 (RUBBISH AMERICAN NOT TECHNICALLY A GODZILLA FILM) Godzilla Film. It has also been reported that TOHO want a man in a suit instead of a CGI Monster. In my opinion that is great News because if it is a man in a suit it is already guaranteed it will be Good. As far as I know Gareth Edwards is still on board to direct the film.

With this news it looks like filming has yet to be started. We have heard news about writers and directors for a while now. As a (GIANT) fan of Godzilla I would like to see some more stuff a bit more often. Possibly a design for Godzilla and if there are any more news on another monster in the film and if so what will it be and what will it look like. I do think though that if you were going to make a series out of this American Film King Ghidorah should not appear in the first film. The first film should show people the Idea of Godzilla and then bring in the Big Guns later on in the series, at least that is my opinion.

With all this news it is clear that Legendary Pictures and TOHO are working on it. I don’t want to rush them in Production because it might lower the overall awesomeness of the film but I am really excited about the film and can’t wait to watch it.

GENEPOOL

I have already created the Idea of Christmas Crackers being a possible Olympic Sport and now (after spending a while on the Daily post looking for an idea for this week’s post) I have created the Movie Marathon Event.

The Idea of it is very simple, each country chooses it’s entrant into the event. All entrants are then placed in a Cinema together and have to watch Movie Marathons (a whole series of film’s shown in sequential order). So they have to watch an entire film series in order and keep watching films until only one athlete is still awake. Yes it is a sport at who is the best person at staying awake watching films. So Gold for whoever is the last person awake, Silver for the last person to fall asleep and Bronze for the person who fell asleep before the last person. Also to make it fair and stop people from falling asleep for a bit then wake up again, when an athlete falls asleep they will be forced to leave.

There are many film series in the world so it may be a good idea to choose series with lots of film in it. So, Guess what it is – that’s right, all 29 Godzilla Films. Each one is about 1 Hour and a half to 2 Hours so that is a long time. Also I do fancy the idea of watching all 29 Godzilla Films in sequential order. That’s sounds like a Great Day (OK there are other film series but that is the one I would prefer).

I mean you could watch all 22 James Bond Films, all 8 Star Wars Films or all 3 Transformers Films. Of course if people are still awake after a film series is finished then another one will be played and this will continue until 1 person is awake.

So, what do you think of this new Olympic sport and do you think you could be an Olympic Gold Medallist? Who knows, maybe one day it will become an Olympic Event.

GENEPOOL

This week I thought I would challenge myself. I have come up with a game where I have 1 Minute (I used an online stopwatch) to write down as many things as possible in a certain subject. Then I do it again to see if I can break my previous record. Now this game may sound easy but when you are under pressure it can become quite difficult, it is also quite difficult when your hand starts to hurt from lots of writing. 4 out of 5 times I was able to beat my previous record. However on the 5^th subject I got one less the second time round.

Well here is how I did and I will link every word so you can see I did not make them up.

Subject 1 – Dinosaurs

Tyrannosaurus-Rex

Triceratops

Tarbosaurus

Parasaurolophus

Titanosaur

Pachycephalosaurus

Torosaurus

Iguanadon

Brachiosaurus

Argentinosaurus

Subject 2 – Car Manufacturers

Audi

Ford

Citroen

Peugeot

Pagani

Lamborghini

Seat

Skoda

Lancia

Fiat

Volkswagen

Mitsubishi

BMW

Rolls Royce

Bentley

Subject 3 – Monsters that have appeared in Godzilla Films

Godzilla

King Ghidorah

Varan

Baragon

Anguirus

Battra

Mothra

Kiryu

Biollante

Gigan

Megalon

Destroyah

Hedorah

Subject 4 – Skyscrapers

Tower 42

Gherkin

Willis Tower

One Canada Square

Burj Khalifa

Petronas Towers

Shanghai World Financial Centre

Empire State Building

Subject 5 – Characters in the X-Men

Wolverine

Gambit

Storm

Cyclops

Bishop

Forge

Nightcrawler

Magneto

Apocalypse

Sinister

Cable

Juggernaut

Beast

Pyro

Colossus

Well that was fun. If you think you can beat me or want to challenge me at a different subject leave a comment along with your answers or your chosen subject and let’s see who is better.

GENEPOOL

For many years after the Japanese surrender in World War 2 the United States of America Tested Nuclear Weapons in the pacific in an area known as the Marshall Islands. In total the Americans tested 67 Nuclear Weapons. On March 1 1954 the Americans set off the Largest Nuclear Explosion to date – code named Castle Bravo (the Hydrogen Bomb). The explosion would be the first in a chain reaction of events that would change the world.

When the explosion occurred there was a Fishing Vessel called the Daigo Fukuryū Maru or Lucky Dragon 5 which was outside the exclusion zone. The crew saw a bright light and then a few hours later a snow storm fell on them. A few hours later some of the crew became sick and then a few days later some of their faces turned strangely dark. The ship’s captain did not understand what was going on so returned the ship to port in Yaizu. When the ship arrived in Yaizu many of the crew members were suffering from symptoms related to Radiation Poisoning. On September 23 1954 (six months later) Aikichi Kuboyama died of Leukemia. According to newspaper reports his last words were “Please make sure that I am the last victim of the Nuclear Bomb”. Five other crew members later died from diseases that were believed to be bomb related. The incident gripped Japan when it was discovered that the cargo (tuna) the ship was carrying was also infected and was on the market.

At first the Americans tried to cover up the incident, they later admitted that the ash (snow) was from the Bomb but claimed that the boat was on a spying mission. The Americans then sent the widow a check for 2.5 million yen ($2500) as a “token of sympathy” in an attempt to put the matter to rest. Many years later the USA admitted that the operation was the most powerful Nuclear bomb ever detonated and caused the single worst fallout incident in the H-Bomb atmospheric testing program. The incident caused many citizens of Japan and Thousands of scientists around the world to call for a halt to Nuclear Weapons testing. The Nuclear powers of the world agreed to the limitations of Nuclear testing with the common goal of “an end to the contamination of man’s environment by radioactive substances”.

Even though the incident brought an end to Nuclear Testing the incident did something else as well. In Japan the incident caused great fear for the Japanese people, it was still a time when nobody knew much about Nuclear Power and was a topic of great concern. Film director Tomoyuki Tanaka used the incident as inspiration for a film. The film was about a giant monster that was woken up by Nuclear Testing and would go on to trample Tokyo. The film was called Godzilla and it became a huge hit in Japan.

The fishing vessel is now on display in Tokyo at the Tokyo Metropolitan Daigo Fukuryū Maru Exhibition Hall.

GENEPOOL

Sources:

The Lucky Dragon Incident by Lauren White

Godzilla: King of the Monsters – BBC Documentary

Wikipedia

Japan’s Favourite Mon-Star The Unauthorized Biography of “The Big G” by Steve Ryfle

The villain named Orga is also pretty cool. He’s an alien that absorbs Godzilla’s energy and in the end tries to swallow him whole before Godzilla uses atomic breath and blows his brains out. The fight was even pretty decent to watch and entertaining and that’s not a common thing in this series. Overall I thought it was a really good addition to the Godzilla franchise and i’m actually going to watch the entire millennial series because of it. It’s nothing amazing or special but it’s a fun watch if you’re a Godzilla fan and a welcomed serious addition to the franchise.

4/5

One co-worker cheerfully noted that if I was in Japan, I’d have normal feet!  I said, “Nay! I would have BIG feet!”  Then I proceeded to stomp about like I was crushing the Japanese Godzilla style.  I was crushed when my larger footed co-worker stomped on my foot.  I realized I was only a mini Godzilla, even to the Japanese.

Dreams shattered.  Too big to big a child, to small to be an adult.

Story. Of. My. Life.

It has been some time now since the latest news on Legendary Pictures Godzilla Film. Well yesterday I found out that some Bad News and Good News. The Bad News is that the film may not come out in 2012 and may come out in 2013 or 2014. However the film finally has a Writer. David S. Goyer who wrote the Blade Films, Blade The Series, Batman Begins and the upcoming Man of Steel is now moving from Super Heroes to a Super Lizard.

Now I like Batman Begins it is an Amazing Film but I for this film I still want the Proper Godzilla not just another Monster Movie. America has access to all this amazing CGI Graphics but when it comes to their own remakes they have to do it their way and make something completely different. The 1998 (RUBBISH) was not a Godzilla Film. OK Legendary Pictures has previously stated “Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop culturally relevant for as long as it has.” Thomas Tull, Chairman and CEO of Legendary Pictures (Wikipedia). So for this film we should get a Giant Lizard who is a Giant Force of Nature with an Atomic Death Ray. Now Gareth Edwards is still on board to direct and he is a fan of Godzilla. With these two components David S. Goyer will have to write something based on the Japanese Godzilla.  So we should get a proper Godzilla Film and with David S. Goyer writing the script it should be an Amazing Film.

Also 2014 (60th Anniversary of Godzilla) is the planned return of the Japanese Godzilla. So if Legendary Pictures does release their version of Godzilla in 2014 then we could get two Godzilla Films in one Year, FANTASTIC.

GENEPOOL

I don’t really have to say where this film is in My Top 10. It is how interesting how it all happened though. In 2008 I asked for a couple of Godzilla Films for Christmas. One was this one and the other was Tokyo S.O.S. When I got them and before I watched them I thought Tokyo S.O.S. was going to be the better film but after watching Giant Monsters All Out Attack I thought that one was the better one. The more and more I watched it the more and more it went up my Top 10. My favourite film before this was held by 3 films; Godzilla 2000, Godzilla: Final Wars and Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen but Right now I am unsure of several films in my Top 10 so I am trying to think where each film goes (Both Transformers films are currently at the Top in my Non-Godzilla Top 10). It was not until about last year that I realised that Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack is my Favourite Film.

Giant Monsters All Out Attack has several Monsters in it. As you can see from the title Mothra and King Ghidorah are in the film alongside Godzilla. Mothra and King Ghidorah are 2 of Toho’s Top Monsters but there is another monster in this film, Baragon. Baragon is one of the most uncommon Monsters in the series. Originally appearing in Frankenstein Conquers the World (Non-Godzilla Film) he has not had much of a major part in the Godzilla Film Series. This being his first major part in the series. Baragon has appeared in The Godzilla Film Series before but has really only appeared for small parts and shots. Even though this is his first Major Part in the series it is strange that his name is not in the title. Originally the film was to have Varan, Anguirus and Baragon but Toho decided that Varan and Anguirus were not bankable to guarantee box office success. So they put in King Ghidorah and Mothra. Costume Designer Fuyuki Shinada was disappointed that his Favourite Monster Varan was not in the film so he put some facial features on King Ghidorah. I am a bit disappointed that Anguirus was not in the film, Anguirus is one of my Favourite Monsters but the Monsters Baragon, Mothra and King Ghidorah do not disappoint.

The Director is an interesting choice. This is the first time that Shusuke Kaneko has made a Godzilla Film but not the first time he has made a Japanese Monster Movie. He is the director of the Heisei Gamera Series. Gamera is the main movie rival to Godzilla. Both Godzilla and Gamera are Movie Icon’s and Japanese Icon’s. It is an interesting idea for Toho to hire a director who made 3 films in a Rival Film series which are owned by a Rival Company (Kadokawa Pictures). However I am Happy Toho did hire him because it is my favourite film.

The film starts out with a Navy Commander talking to several military officials about the tragedy that occurred in 1954 when Godzilla attacked the country of Japan. Since then there have been several sightings including an attack on New York in 1998. Then he gets word of a Nuclear Submarine being destroyed and a submersible vessel is sent to investigate. The pilot then spots Godzilla’s back swimming away. A reporter for a TV Channel called Yuri is reporting at a village and sees a bizarre man in the forest. That night a motorcycle gang gets trapped in a tunnel and a witness sees a monster moving through the tunnel. Later on Yuri discovers that the cause of an earthquake which is said to have trapped the bikers in the tunnel has moved. Yuri’s adviser Teruaki Takeda shows her a book which talks about Three Guardian Monsters. It turns out that Yuri is the daughter of the Navy Commander Taizo Tachibana. That night some noisy teenagers lose their lives at Lake Ikeda when a bizarre creature comes out of the water.

Yuri travels to a police station and finds the bizarre man she saw a few days earlier. He is called Isayama and tells her the story of the Three Guardian Monsters. He says that Godzilla was the result of Nuclear Weapons he is also the combination of tormented souls from World War 2. He tells Yuri to go to the shrine of the Three Headed Dragon Ghidorah. When she gets there she thinks she notices something strange that shows up in a photograph but cannot be seen by her own eye. That night an island in the Bonin Islands is devastated by a heavy storm and another unknown force.  The government puts out a warning of Godzilla related activity and Taizo reveals to his daughter that he lost his parents when the monster attacked Tokyo in 1954.

The Police Station where Isayama is at is in chaos when Baragon as Baragon surfaces and attacks the police station. Then at Yaizu Harbor Godzilla rises out of the sea and starts goes on the rampage in the direction of Tokyo. He destroys several buildings and then releases his atomic breath on the town; some distance away a school teacher sees a large mushroom cloud. Both Baragon and Godzilla meet at a cable car station where Yuri and Takeda are. Baragon fights hard but Godzilla Annihilates him. Yuri is injured at the scene; Despite Takeda warning her Yuri follows Godzilla on bicycle and filming at the same time as the monster moves towards Tokyo.  The Army sends in an Air Strike to kill Godzilla but it fails. At Lake Ikeda Mothra comes out of her Giant Cocoon and flies towards Godzilla. Meanwhile King Ghidorah Awakens from his tomb as Isayama watches.

Taizo creates a defense line in Yokohama and he and the military watch as Godzilla and Mothra fight each other. King Ghidorah then arrives and attacks Godzilla. Godzilla tries to Kill Ghidorah but Mothra gets in the way. With both Ghidorah and Mothra knocked out the army attacks Godzilla. Mothra reawakens but Godzilla destroys her; however her essence reawakens King Ghidorah who then attacks Godzilla. Godzilla is blasted into the sea with an open wound on his shoulder.

Ghidorah Fights Godzilla and Taizo pilots a submersible underwater and plans to use a special Drill Warhead on Godzilla’s wound. Yuri and Takeda broadcast the fight from abridge but the bridge loses its foundations and both she and Takeda fall into the river. However a stone Yuri wears around her neck falls in the river reenergizes Ghidorah and saves Yuri and Takeda falling to their deaths. Godzilla destroys Ghidorah and swallows the submersible. A spirit of Yuri tells her father to not give up and he manages to fire the Warhead into Godzilla’s Shoulder. Godzilla then rises out of the sea and tries to use his Atomic Breath on Yuri and Takeda. It comes out of the hole in his shoulder instead. He tries again but fails. Taizo manages to get out of Godzilla and tries to run away. Godzilla tries to destroy the submersible but self-destructs instead. Taizo surfaces and meets up with Yuri and Takeda. Yuri Salutes her father but he explains it was not just him but everyone in the battle should be saluted as well. Meanwhile a something under water is beating, it is Godzilla’s heart and even though he has no body his heart is still beating. No matter what you do you cannot kill The King Of The Monsters.

The film’s story is told a little different than usual. All the films in the Millenium series except Tokyo S.O.S. are following the same plot line. They are told as the films before them did not happen and the last time Godzilla appeared was in 1954. The story works and sometimes other monsters may have attacked but Godzilla has not appeared for almost 50 years. This one does something else as well, the film is told like an old legend with Guardian Monsters and Prophecies. This makes Godzilla sound more dangerous and the Guardian Monsters more Legendary.

One interesting point is how King Ghidorah looks in this film. King Ghidorah throughout the Showa Series is depicted as a Space Monster and a Villain. In the Heisei Series he is still the villain but when they become Mecha-King Ghidorah he becomes a Hero, he is also made from Futuristic Creatures and Nuclear Weapons. What is slightly different about his character in this film is that he is a Hero and he is from the Earth. In Godzilla Final Wars he is a Space Monster Again (Keizer Ghidorah) but it is slightly odd that Godzilla’s Biggest Enemy is from the Earth and is helping to protect it. It is an interesting plot line which works.

Shusuke Kaneko originally intended to use Monsters weaker than Godzilla but when Toho asked him to change them he made both Mothra and King Ghidorah weaker than they usually were. Mothra is different in this film than most films; she is now smaller and looks more like a butterfly and some of her attacks were removed and she was given new ones. Also her tiny twin fairies are not in the film all together but there is a scene with a couple of Human twins who look at Mothra as she flies over head (apparently they were in Gamera 3). The reason the director wanted to use weaker monsters is that he wanted Godzilla to be the most powerful Monster in the film. Godzilla is a little different than usual but some small changes help his character. His eyes are now Menacingly White, no pupil. They make him look Really Evil. Also his Atomic Death Ray has been modified so that it is as powerful as a Nuclear Weapon. His Death Ray has always been Extremely Powerful but by having a mushroom cloud appear in the film it shows a sense of how dangerous he is.

The cast (Real People) is very good. Ryūdō Uzaki as Taizo Tachibana is particularly very good as the Navy Commander. It would be interesting to see him later in the series playing similar roles. The roles of Yuri (Chiharu Niiyama) and Takeda (Masahiro Kobayashi) are also well written. Yuri is a strong female character and if she was not the lead character (Human) then her role might be different and not as Good. The supporting cast is also very good and do help in the film, particular mention for cast that play the Army Characters because they are very enjoyable and their scenes are very good to watch. But the best characters are the Monsters. They may be a bit different in this film than previous ones but they are portrayed well and written well.

Akira Ifukube did not do the film score for this film but his previous work in previous Godzilla films was used and it is always great to see Ifukube’s work in Godzilla Films. The music was done by Kow Otani who has also done Music for the Heisei Gamera Series. The music is mystical and sounds like traditional and old-fashioned Asian Music. To date this is Otani’s only Godzilla film but it would be good to see him return and see what he can do for a different styled theme to Godzilla.

The Director has been well picked for this Film. He is a Great Director and is Fantastic in the area of Monster Movies. I would like him to do some more Godzilla Films (and some more Gamera Films as well). With this film he has done an amazing Job, It would be interesting to see him do some stuff with other Godzilla Monsters (Bring Back Battra) and I now look forward to see if he does do anymore and if he decides he would like to I can’t wait to see the results of his Directing Craftsmanship.

This film is Absolutely Fantastically Amazing. I have seen lots of Movies, Lots of Monster Movies and Lots of Godzilla Movies and this one stands on top above all the rest. It is well Written, Well Directed and the Cast are Fantastic. The Monsters have been chosen well and the music is Very Enjoyable. It may be a few years before anymore Godzilla Films get made but Godzilla and Toho have given me and everyone in the world something for us to Enjoy and keep us occupied until they bring back The King Of The Monsters – Godzilla.

GENEPOOL

New York City – Why does it always get attacked by Giant Monsters? In the past it has been attacked by 3 Giant Apes (all of them called King Kong), 2 Giant Lizards and several other Monsters. In these days of Personal Cameras people can always find a way of documenting their life, including Giant Monster attacks. It would have been difficult during the original Ape attack to film a Monster attacking the city; cameras today are a lot more advanced and smaller than what they were back then. However these days we can all film a monster attacking our own city with our own personal cameras, just like some people did when another Giant Monster attacked New York in 2008.

Cloverfield is a clever film, the film is told through a video camera, it is about how a few friends try to survive something happening in the city. Instead of being shown in the traditional way it is shown in a completely different and unique way.

The film was created by TV Mastermind J. J. Abrams who through his Production Company Bad Robot Productions has created many TV hits like Alias, Fringe and Lost. He has also made many films including the recent Star Trek film and the upcoming Super 8. J. J. Abrams came up with the Idea for Cloverfield while he was in Japan and saw all the Godzilla Toys and came up with the idea that America should have their own Giant Monster. “We saw all these Godzilla toys, and I thought, we need our own American monster, and not like King Kong. I love King Kong. King Kong is adorable. And Godzilla is a charming monster. We love Godzilla. But I wanted something that was just insane, and intense.” Another inspiration for the film was the poster for Escape From New York, You’ll see why later. The film also contains quick flash scenes from the Monster Movies
King Kong, Them! and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.

The film starts out with a piece of footage found by the US Government in the area formerly known as Central Park. There are two People who are in a flat, one of them is filming the other with a camera, his name is Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) and he is filming his Girl Friend Beth (Odette Yustman). They talk about going out for the day (you will notice that throughout the film the camera displays the date and time). The next scene shows something about a month later as a man called Jason Hawkins (Mike Vogel) is with his Girl Friend Lily (Jessica Lucas) and they are getting ready for a party. Rob is about to leave for Japan and is having a Going Away Party (the film goes back and forth from the original date to the day the film takes place, the 2 events were on the same tape). Jason gets his friend Hud (T. J. Miller) to tape people’s good luck wishes for Rob. Hud also has a crush on a girl that has come to the party called Marlena (Lizzy Caplan). There are several things happening at the party including some issues with Rob and Beth. Beth leaves and Jason and Hud go to talk to him, all of a sudden there is a quick earthquake and a blackout. They go back inside and see a news report of an oil tanker capsizing. They go to the roof to see if they can see anything, they notice a Large Explosion and evacuate the building, they then see the Head of the statue of liberty get thrown across the street and land near them. They then run to a shop as a building nearby collapses causing lots of dust. There are also talks of something moving. As the immediate danger passes they all argue about seeing something and decide to cross the Brooklyn Bridge to safety. As they cross over a Giant tail crashes on the bridge and destroys the bridge killing Jason and several others. Lily, Rob, Hud and Marlena run back to Manhattan.

Rob gets a message from Beth and loots around in a shop for a phone battery, there is also several news reports of the thing in New York including video footage of it and things falling off it. It is also not far from the shop. Rob decides to try and find Beth with Marlena, Lily and Hud going along with him. They eventually run into the creature just as it is about to be attacked by several soldiers and a Tank. They all manage to dodge to explosions around them and run into a subway station. They eventually decide to walk through the tunnels to the apartment, as they go through the tunnel they are attacked by strange creatures and manage to hide in a room between stations, however Marlena has a giant bite mark on her shoulder. They manage to open another door into a shopping mall and are found by some soldiers who take them to their base. Marlena gets really dizzy and is surrounded by doctors and taken to a room where her body appears to explode. Rob still decides to go look for Beth as lily and Hud go with him. They get to the apartment complex and see it has fallen onto another building. They manage to get to her room and get out her out of there. They manage to get to a helicopter evacuation zone and lily manages to get away while the others go in a second helicopter.

During the flight they see the army attacking the creature and manage to hit it, the creature then attacks the helicopter and it crashes in Central Park. They all wake up (except for the Helicopter Pilots) and try to escape; The Monster arrives and looks at the camera for a few seconds before eating Hud. Rob and Beth hide under a bridge and talk to the camera for a few seconds before sirens start. The army then initiates The Hammer Down Protocol.

Cloverfield is an amazing film and is as good as some of the best Monster Movies. It is better than the 1998 (RUBBISH AMERICAN) Godzilla film but is not as good as some of the films in the Japanese Series. However it is hard to decide which is better between Cloverfield and The Host. The Cloverfield Monster is Gigantic where as the Host is a lot smaller but The host is slightly easier to understand than Cloverfield due to the fact that the host is filmed in the traditional way. The film also does not have a scientist coming in explaining where the creature came from, making you think more and more and still not knowing the answers.

The cast is made up of some brilliant characters but they are not as good as The Monster. Marlena and Jason are both very good characters and it is a shame that don’t last throughout the whole film.

Even though the film came out in 2008 there is still hope for a potential sequel. The director of Cloverfield Matt Reeves recently stated “Getting the right idea together has been taking a long time. You are going to see it – we just don’t know when [laughs]. At the moment we are talking about the story quite a lot. Drew Goddard, who wrote the original, is going to pen the sequel and JJ Abrams is very much involved. However, the three of us have been so busy that getting the right idea together has been taking a long time”. I want there to be a sequel. Cloverfield has got people thinking about Giant Monster Movies again and in my opinion the film that is kick starting the new age of Monster Movies.

Cloverfield is a unique film with several great ideas and a Monster. With so many different themes in cinema these days it is still good to see that Monster Movies are still one of the Top Themes in cinema. I love Monster Movies, they are the Best films in the world and Cloverfield is one of the Best (Not The Best, That’s Next Week). Cloverfield is a very enjoyable film and even though you may not like Monster Movies as much as me you may still enjoy Cloverfield. It is not only a Monster Movie it is also a Monster of a Movie.

GENEPOOL

Before CGI there was Stop Motion Animation. It was the use of making big things move in tiny little steps. Stop motion animation brought us some of the best Creature Features in the history of Cinema. The pioneer of this form of Special Effects was Willis O’Brien who made films such as The Lost World (1925) and King Kong (1933). Another Pioneer of Stop Motion Animation was Ray Harryhausen who created many Special Effects Masterpieces including Clash of the Titans (1981) and The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953).

The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms is one of the great legends of Cinema. It is the film that really kicked off the Monster Movie genre. Even though films like The Lost World and King Kong came out before The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms was the first film to involve a Giant Monster Awakened or Created by a Nuclear Bomb to attack a Big City. The Lost World and King Kong have the idea of a creature being brought to the city and then escaping and causing destruction. The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms would go on to inspire many more Monster Movies including Godzilla.

Directed by Ray Bradbury this was the First Screen adaptation of Fantasy Fiction written by Ray Bradbury and it was also the first time that Ray Harryhausen had total control of the Special Effects. The film stars Paul Hubschmid and Paula Raymond in the lead roles.

The film begins with a Nuclear Bomb detonated north of the Arctic Circle. A couple of people checking the radar see something on the radar for a few seconds before it disappears. Two people go out to check some radiation readings and they get separated. One of them sees a strange Creature and goes to check it out. He then sees a very large Lizard and falls off some ice and damages his leg. The other person arrives and goes to look for help. Before he gets very far he also notices the Creature. The Creature causes an avalanche burying the other person. The only survivor gets found and taken to America for Medical Help. He is called Tom Nesbitt (Paul Hubschmid) and is a Professor. He tries to tell people about what he saw but no one believes him. He goes to see another scientist called Dr. Elson (Cecil Kellaway) who does not believe him either but their assistant Lee Hunter (Paula Raymond) thinks differently. With her help Tom is able to figure out what the Creature is – Rhedosaurus. Meanwhile the Creature attacks several boats and a lighthouse. One survivor of one of the attacks is able to identify the same Creature as Tom and goes to talk to Dr. Elson and convince him and some people from an Army  Colonel (Kenneth Tobey) that Tom knows to look for the Creature. Dr. Elson goes looking for the Rhedosaurus in a Diving Bell and finds it but does not survive as the Rhedosaurus attacks it. The Rhedosaurus then attacks Manhattan killing several people and injuring many more. The following night the army attacks the Rhedosaurus and find a way of wounding it. However the blood spilled by the Rhedosaurus releases a strange pre-historic illness causing several soldiers to faint. It is decided that it is to be killed with a Radioactive Isotope in hopes of killing it. The Rhedosaurus is spotted at an amusement park; the army gets their best sniper to shoot the isotope of the Rhedosaurus. Tom and the sniper ride the Rollercoaster to the top of the Rollercoaster and shoot the Rhedosaurus. The Rollercoaster train falls off the rollercoaster and causes a fire by landing on some drums. Tom and the sniper climb off the rollercoaster just as the Rhedosaurus collapses and dies.

I remember watching this film when I was very young (4 years old); it was on every morning on Channel 4 before they showed a Godzilla Film. When Channel 4 stopped doing this I had not watched the film for many years. It was not until November 2010 (17 Years Later) that I saw it again; and I still enjoyed it. Ray Harryhausen special effects are better than most CGI films out today. Stop Motion Animation films are still very enjoyable and even though they are not as big budget or as advanced as CGI films they are still Extremely Enjoyable. Without people like Willis O’Brien or Ray Harryhausen there would be no CGI because Stop Motion Animation was the King of Special Effects for many years and without that there would be no Special Effects to upgrade and advance for the future. The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms is a Great example of early Special Effects in Cinema and a great example of Stop Motion Animation.

The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms is as enjoyable now as it was when it was first made and should be seen by everyone. It has some of the key important factors of a Good Monster Movie which includes seeing the Monster early on. If you see the monster an hour after the beginning of the film it is not as Good as other monster Movies. The Monster is the Star of the film. Forget the Actors, the Monster is what the story is about and in this the Monster is the Star and appears several times before it’s Big Attack on New York which is an amazing sequence of special effects and is also very enjoyable.

The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms is a Titan of the Cinema and a Giant of the Special Effects Industry. If you are a Monster Movie Fan you must see this, if you are a Special Effects Fan you must see this and if you like watching films You Must See This.

GENEPOOL (BCGI stands for Before CGI)

Monster Movies come from all over the world. You may think that they only come from America and Japan. Well King Kong, Cloverfield and films by Willis O’Brien and Ray Harryhausen come from America and films like Godzilla and Gamera come from Japan but while that is true there are monster films all over the world. Reptilicus is from Denmark and The Host is from South Korea.

Directed by Bong Joon-ho who previously made Memories of Murder, the film was heavily anticipated and was released in a record number of cinemas.The film became the highest grossing South Korean film of all time. The film also had a very positive release outside Korea.

“It’s Jaws via Jurassic Park, Hugely Entertaining” – Total Film

The host is different to most other monster movies in many different ways. There is usually a lot of science explaining the background of the creature but that is not explained but seen in the first few scenes. There are usually a lot of military pieces in the film but this concentrates more on the people affected in the film. The monster is not the major part of the storyline but part of the major storyline and a key factor in that part. The creature is also not as gigantic as many other monsters but this does mean it is more up close and potentially more dangerous, the creature itself is no bigger than a bus whereas monsters like Godzilla are the size of Skyscrapers.

The music is also interesting. Many monster films use classic orchestras but are still able to pull off big action music where as the host keeps it classical. In particular the attack on the creature at the end of the film sounds more like something found in a theatre other than a film. There is also some Traditional Asian sounding music with Big Drums. During the creatures initial attack the sound of drums pounding makes the sense of danger and when you see the creature it is like a Dragon is approaching and the drums portray this well and the pounding gets heavier until the attack is over.

The film begins with an American Scientist telling his Korean Assistant to pour over 200 bottles of Formaldehyde down the drain and into the Han River (Seoul). Over the next few years there are sightings of a bizarre creature in the river. The film then turns to a food stand run by a man named Park Gang-du and his Father Hee-bong. Gang-du’s daughter Hyun-seo come home from school and goes with her father to watch Nam-joo in an Archery Tournament and Gang-du shows his daughter a tub full of pennies he is saving up to buy his daughter a new mobile phone. Hee-bong tells Gang-du to go and serve some customers. Gang-du notices that everyone in the nearby area are looking at something odd hanging under a nearby bridge.

Under the bridge is an odd black creature which drops into the water. After it is pelted at by the people gone to check it out the creature swims away. Gang-du then notices something in the near distance. The creature has come out of the water and is now attacking everyone nearby. It then begins to feed on several people while an American and Gung-du fight the creature.

After watching Nam-joo lose in the competition Hyun-seo goes outside and is grabbed by her father who then let’s go and grabs the hand of another school girl mistakenly thinking it was Hyun-seo, who is then grabbed by the creature. Gung-do chases after it but is unable to catch up with the creature.

Gang-du and Hee-bong are then forced to evacuate the area to an evacuation center and meet up with Nam-joo and other family member Nam-il. They are sad at the apparent loss of Hyun-seo (a very funny scene of the family rolling around and complaining including the impressive sitting down drop kick performed by Nam-il).  The family is then taken into quarantine after it is discovered that the creature is the host of an unknown virus. During the night Gang-du gets a phone call from Hyun-seo who is not dead but trapped in a sewer. Gang-du tries to tell the authorities but they don’t listen. The family then escapes the hospital they are in to look for Hyun-seo. The four of them then become wanted by the government. They search the river looking for Hyun-seo and eventually return to the food stand to get some sleep and something to eat.

In the sewer Hyun-seo is alive in the creature’s lair and is joined by a small boy called Se-joo who was captured by the creature. His brother did not survive. Se-joo and Hyun-seo decide to try and escape from the creature’s lair while also hide from the creature when it is in the lair.

Back at the food stand the family see and attack the creature; soldiers hear the shots and go in for a closer look. Hee-bong is killed and Gang-du is captured by the soldiers. Nam-joo and Nam-il escape. Nam-il manages to trace the phone call from Hyun-seo and is almost captured by people wanting money for his capture. He manages to escape and sends a message to Nam-joo and Gang-du saying where she can be found. Nam-joo then goes to find Hyun-seo and kill the creature but is knocked unconscious by the creature.

Gang-du overhears that there is no virus just before scientists do more tests on him. He escapes and goes in search for Hyun-seo and discovers that the creature is carrying her. Nam-joo wakes up and goes with Gang-du to chase the creature. Nam-il and a tramp fill up bottles with flammable liquid and go to fight the creature. On the riverbank a protest is going on to stop the use of Agent Yellow, a chemical designed to completely annihilate all chemical agents. The creature arrives and the chemical is released. It stuns the creature giving Gang-du enough time to reach inside the creature’s mouth and pulls out two children. The creature reawakens and tries to return to the river. Nam-il and the tramp pour flammable liquid all over the creature and Nam-joo sets the creature on fire using her archery skills. The creature runs towards the river but is then killed when Gang-du shoves a road sign in its mouth.

The remaining family members are sad about the loss of Hyun-seo but Gang-du takes Se-joo home with him who is still alive. In the final scene Gang-du and Se-joo live together in a newly built food stand. A report about the Virus incident is on the television but they decide to turn it off and concentrate on eating their food.

The film does not have much dialogue compared to lots of films but uses the same form of dialogue that can be found in films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The House of Flying Daggers in that the characters speak in Korean (apart from the small number of Americans) and what they are saying is translated into English and displayed in writing at the bottom of the screen.

The special effects work brilliantly and with the creature being quite small there is a feel of how dangerous it is due to it being more up close and personal. There is also music in The Host which helps with scenes particularly when the creature attacks. With the theme of the film being more about the people involved and not just the government’s reaction this film is a lot like Cloverfield and even challenges Cloverfield to which is better.

With a Good blend of Action, Comedy and Monsters The Host is a Fantastic Film and needs to be watched. Although it is not as Fantastic as Godzilla it is one of the best Monster Movies around – it’s better than the 1998 American (not technically a Godzilla film) Godzilla. It is a Great way of showing many other themes that can be used in Monster Movies and overall is a Fantastic Monster Movie.

GENEPOOL

Off-Topic: Do you like the New Theme for my Blog.

This Month is Monster Month. What does this mean, well throughout June there will be not 1 but 5 Film Reviews; all of the Monster Movies. In May after seeing Thor at the cinema I decided to have a season of Film Reviews. I have been wanting to do something like this for a while and so I decided to do it in June. Why, well June is a special month, it is the Month of my Birthday and there is one film I was thinking of doing but I wanted to do it during the month of my Birthday – My Favourite Film. But i also remembered I have 2 films to review and those are the ones You voted for so why not have a month with reviews of the Best Films in the world – Monster Movies.

The Films are;

• The Host (Voted)
• The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms
• Monsters
• Cloverfield (Voted)
• Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack (My Favourite Film)

We have Monster Movies from across the world and if you have not seen them and want to know more about them; you are in the right place. So look here throughout June for the Film Reviews of some of the Best Monster Films and the Best Film in the World.

GENEPOOL

Off-Topic: Thankyou to Everyone who viewed the Blog last month. It was the Most viewed month in this Blog’s History – 504 Views.

Godzilla is a Gigantic Nuclear Monster. He is a force of nature that is Indestructible; it is a symbol of nature taking out its revenge on the world. Godzilla is also a Cinema Icon staring in 29 films. I thought that I would give you a brief history of Godzilla and show how one film in 1954 went on to become the Greatest film series in the History of Cinema (I will try to keep this brief, I might go into more detail another time or release it as a book).

Godzilla was created by Japanese film producer Tomoyuki Tanaka in 1954. In World War 2 Japan was hit by 2 nuclear weapons. Japan surrendered and around the pacific the Americans used the area to test new weapons. In 1952 there was a re-release of King Kong and in 1953 Ray Harryhausen released The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. It was from the inspiration of these 2 films plus the event of weapon testing and 2 nuclear bombs which became the inspiration of a film. The other driving forces behind the film were director Ishiro Honda and special effects creator Eiji Tsuburaya. Tsuburaya would later become known as the Father of Japanese Special Effects.

“I was an actor in a film by Akira Kurosawa –The Seven Samurai. It was a very long job, it took a whole year to shoot but while were working on it, we kept hearing strange rumours. On set we would hear people talking about something called Godzilla. We kept hearing this name and none of us had any Idea what it was but nobody would tell us” – Yoshio Tsuchiya

Tanaka had an Idea for a large creature to come ashore and attack Japan. Eiji Tsuburaya told his Art Director Teizo Toshimitsu and Toshimitsu made many models out of clay and Tsuburaya chose the last one that Toshimitsu made.

The name of the Monster came from two words Gojira (Japanese for Gorilla) and Kujira (Japanese for whale). It comes from an interesting story that may or may not have happened where 2 guys at Toho had these names and there was a ring to it. Another Idea is that it was renamed Godzilla when the American Distributor picked it up and edited the film to make it more appealing to an American audience. Another idea is that the name comes from the way that the name is pronounced. Many different ideas but all together the monster is called GODZILLA.

Eiji Tsuburaya wanted to use Stop Motion effects like in King Kong but because of the time (3 Months) and budget constraints they decided to use a suit and use models to smash-up.

Composer Akira Ifukube was brought in to make the music for the film and something else. Honda gave total control for the film’s music to Ifukube and told him that the music was the final part of the special effects. The monster also had to Roar (Reptiles don’t Roar).

“We all went down to the zoo to look for ideas but that was no use, there was no precedent in the natural world. We tried different bird noises but none of those worked either so in the end we used a double bass. First we fiddled with the peg box on the top of the instrument then we opened up the tail-piece pulled it away to give ourselves more room to move and then put on gloves to protect our hands. Then we played the double bass in a very unorthodox manner by scrapping our hands down the strings” – Akira Ifukube

The film starts out with a ship catching fire followed by many other ships. Then during a storm on a Japanese island, the village island is destroyed by some unknown force. During the time that follows you get this idea of something Big, Bad and Dangerous heading towards Japan and then it Arrives.

The film became a huge hit in Japan and was nominated for two awards at the Japanese Academy Awards and won the award for Best Special Effects. It however did not win the award for best film which went to the Seven Samurai.

The film was picked up by an American Distributor and was edited with extra scenes included starring Raymond Burr (Perry Mason and Ironside).  Godzilla became a hit around the world. 5 Months later Toho release Godzilla Raids again, this film was the first film to involve monster fights. Godzilla fights an Ankylosaurus type creature called Anguirus. Anguirus would later become one of Godzilla’s most trusted allies (and one of my personal favourites from the series).

At the time of release there was not really an Idea for a film series just an idea to make big monster movies and so Toho later released Rodan in 1956 and Mothra in 1961. It was not until the release of King Kong vs Godzilla was released in 1962 that the film series started due to the popularity of the film. The 1960’s saw many iconic films in the series and introduced several new characters to the series like Mothra and Rodan as well as inventing new characters all together like King Ghidorah. Godzilla also changed in character by becoming the hero of Mankind and saving mankind from monster threats. Baby Godzilla also turned up as well. Suits were still being used and are still used to the present day.

Eiji Tsuburaya eventually left Toho to start his own production company making shows for television. This would lead to the highly successful Ultraman Series. Eiji Tsuburaya sadly passed away in 1970.

Godzilla eventually had competition in the form of Gamera made by film company Daiei. Gamera is a Giant Turtle who can breathe fire and fly with Rocket Boosters.

The 1970’s saw a much darker turn in story lines for Godzilla and also some scary films (well I found them scary). In 1971 Godzilla vs Hedorah was released and had a subliminal message in it with Godzilla attacking a monster made of Sludge. Director Yoshimitsu Banno wanted Godzilla to fight not just a monster but also pollution. Tomoyuki Tanaka was in hospital during the production of the film. When he recovered and watched the film he told Banno that he would never direct another film at Toho. Following Godzilla vs Hedorah was Godzilla vs Gigan. A film involving Godzilla, Anguirus, King Ghidorah and new monster Gigan. This film had almost a tag team feel about it with 2 Monsters fighting 2 other Monsters. Godzilla vs Megalon had the same idea but had new monster Megalon instead of King Ghidorah and new monster Jet Jaguar instead of Anguirus. Megalon did not do so well because of the constant use of Stock Footage. Toho followed this up with two Really Good films. Both of which introduced a new character which would go on to become one of the series’ most popular Monsters – Mecha-Godzilla. Mecha-Godzilla would also become one of Godzilla’s most powerful enemies (all 3 versions have come very close to killing the King of the Monsters). Godzilla vs Mecha-Godzilla was released in 1974 and Terror of Mecha-Godzilla was released in 1975. Terror of Mecha-Godzilla was the last Godzilla film directed by Ishiro Honda who sadly passed away in 1993. Terror of Mecha-Godzilla was the last in the Showa Series due to the crash in Japanese Cinema and an Oil Crisis as well.

In 1984 Godzilla returned in The Return of Godzilla (one of my top favourites in the series). This was the first film in the Heisei Series and a few things were changed. Godzilla’s suit was updated to make it much more realistic and more intimidating. Godzilla was no longer the Hero of mankind and returned to being an Indestructible threat. Another difference was that the previous films except the original were forgotten for the purpose of the story. So Godzilla did not fight Monsters in the last 30 years but only appeared in 1954 and has not appeared since – Until Now. The Return of Godzilla did not have any other giant Monsters except Godzilla. OK there was some big Insects but nothing Gigantic enough to fight Godzilla. The film also has some close up shots of Godzilla’s Foot showing some scale size for people wanting to know how big Godzilla is. There is also a brilliant scene where he pushes a Skyscraper so it will fall on top of a Flying Machine sent to attack him.

Following this film came many others in the series like Godzilla vs Biollante (one of only 3 films in the series I have not seen). They also brought back some Popular Monsters from the series like Mothra, Rodan, Mecha-Godzilla and King Ghidorah while also creating some new Monsters for the series like Mecha-King Ghidorah, Space Godzilla, Moguera, Destroyah and (one of my top favourite Monsters from the series) Battra. Baby Godzilla also made a return but had a more dinosaur look about him and the films also showed the life-cycle of Baby Godzilla as well with him starting out hatching from an egg, to becoming a bigger Baby Godzilla to finally becoming a mature Godzilla in Godzilla vs Destroyah. (2 Godzilla’s in one film even though one is a lot bigger).

Gamera films returned to Japanese cinema as well during the Heisei series with a more updated and realistic look. I have only seen Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys which is very enjoyable (it makes me want to watch the previous 2 Gamera Films in the series).

Godzilla vs Destroyah would become the last one in the Heisei Series and only the second film where Godzilla dies. He dies when his Nuclear Heart goes into Meltdown. However instead of destroying the earth as he goes into meltdown all his power goes into Godzilla Junior (who was killed by Destroyah earlier in the film) and brings Junior back to life but now as a fully grown Godzilla. Godzilla vs Destroyah has an interesting Story connection with the 1954 Original Godzilla. Godzilla gets killed in the original and in Destroyah bizarre creatures are found where Godzilla died in 1954. Momoko Kōchi plays the character of Emiko Yamane who was also in the 1954 original. Tokyo is not the only city to be attacked in Godzilla vs Destroyah, Hong Kong gets attacked at the beginning of the film. This was also the last film that Akira Ifukube provided the soundtrack, even though some of his work was used in the Millenium series. Ifukube sadly passed away in 2006. The film ends with a montage of clips from the first film and films from the Heisei series. One year after the release of Godzilla vs Destroyah Tomoyuki Tanaka sadly passed away.

In 1992 Sony were given the rights to make an American Godzilla film. After the success of Independence Day Sony hired Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin to make the film, but they only agreed to do so if they were allowed to do what they wanted with the Movie.

In 1998 Godzilla was released and did very well at the box office earning $379,014,294 at the box office. However the fans were not so sure about it. Kenpachiro Satsuma who was in the suit between 1984 and 1997 walked out of a Tokyo Screening and told reporters “It’s not Godzilla; it does not have the spirit”. The film was not really a Godzilla film. Godzilla 1998 was just a monster movie with an Iconic name.

Calling it something else might not have drawn the crowds in but giving it a name that people know about will make the crowds come. They were probably trying to make a Godzilla film but the film itself is not a Good representation of the King of the Monsters. Ok some parts of the film is actually quite good but it is no-where near as good as the Japanese Films.

The creature in the film was later renamed by Shogo Tomiyama (President of Toho) to Zilla. He felt that the 1998 film took the God out of Godzilla. Godzilla is not some animal that can be harmed by Man Made Weapons. Godzilla is a Gigantic Indestructible Force of Nature. Modern Man Made weapons have no effect on Godzilla.

In December 1999 Godzilla returned but this time it was a Japanese Godzilla film. Godzilla 2000 (my joint second Favorite film) started the Millennium series. Each film in the series (except Tokyo S.O.S.) used the original as a launch point for the film. The idea works well and adds the idea of Godzilla being a legend that happened over 40 years previously. It also brought monster fights with it and once again created new Monsters for the series like Orga and Megaguiras while also bringing back some Monsters from the other series like King Ghidorah, Mothra and Mecha-Godzilla (also known as Kiryu in Godzilla Against Mecha-Godzilla). Also for some Monsters in the Millenium series it was the first time they appeared in Godzilla films in almost 30 years.

In 2001 Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack was released. The film involved 3 Guardian Monsters and Godzilla. Even though not mentioned in the Title Baragon makes an appearance in the film. This is Baragon’s first appearance since the Showa Series and is a Good addition to the film. This is my Favorite film in the series and My Favorite film in the world. It is an amazing film.

Tokyo S.O.S. is the only film in the Millennium series not to use the 1954 original as a starting off point. Tokyo S.O.S. was a direct sequel to the previous film Godzilla Against Mecha-Godzilla. Tokyo S.O.S. also contains one of the best and most mysterious post credits scenes in cinema history. A possible launching off point for a future film.

In 2004 it was an important year. Godzilla’s 50^th Anniversary. So to celebrate Toho released Godzilla: Final Wars. Shogo Tomiyama decided to put the series on a 10 year break following this, but this film was amazing (my joint second Favorite film). It contained many Monsters that have not appeared in the series for 30 years. Some of them with improvements, in particular Gigan who now looked even more dangerous. Zilla also makes an appearance but does not last very long. Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura the film is a lot like Destroy all Monsters with a Giant Monster Battle Royal where all the worlds Monsters fight Godzilla.

Since 2004 not much has happened with the series. Yoshimitsu Banno decided to try and release a 3D Godzilla film for IMAX Cinemas called Godzilla 3D to the Max. However this was later scrapped to make a new American Godzilla film. This is a reboot to the American series with Legendary Pictures producing it. The film is based on the Japanese Monster and is not related in any way to the 1998 film. Gareth Edwards has been signed on to direct and he is a fan of Godzilla so we all know it’s going to be what we want to see.  With a 2012 release to the film we will not have to wait long. Not only that it is now 2011 and in 2014 the 10 year break will be over.

“One hopes there is always this same reliable, Death Dealing, Fire Breathing, Mutant Dinosaur. You know so the creative’s just have fun with the humans in the foreground and leave Godzilla to his own devices” – Alex Cox

The future for Godzilla is uncertain at this point. We don’t know what the film makers plans are but Godzilla is not something they will forget about so I think it is more of a certainty that Godzilla will be back and continue to Smash, Crash, Pull Down and Destroy Cities worldwide while always being a Cinema Icon the world over. Godzilla will always be The King of The Monsters.

GENEPOOL (I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it)

This is the Americanized recut of the 1954 Japanese  Gojira. By recut, I mean that they took the original movie, sliced it up, rearranged it, and added in some new parts with an American actor. Now I’m not even going to lie, I’m not a big fan of the Japanese version. But I ended up really liking this one a lot. This one takes the Japanese version and hides it’s problems while Americanizing it so that a foreign audience will enjoy it more. So if you’re Japanese I’d expect you to like the Japan cut better and if you’re American I’d expect you to like the USA cut better (unless you’re a pretentious fan boy, of course) There’s nothing wrong with that, they’re both good movies based on the same story using the same footage, we’re just two different cultures who enjoy different things.

I’m not going to lie, I got board during the Japanese version. But the American version added a new American character named Steve Martin who made the story much easier to follow. Steve narrates the movie and we see the movie through his eyes as he’s a reporter traveling in  Japan when the Godzilla attacks start. This one is pretty much portrayed as being a documentary instead of a movie and I think that plays much better in it’s favor. In the original I just rolled my eyes at the terrible effects and bad acting. But in this one they mask all the problems with it and use quick edits of the burning Japan that will actually creep you the fuck out. Despite it being the exact same movie with the same footage this movie is cut so that there’s much more mystery involved. They don’t show Godzilla very much and when they do he looks good and relatively scary. In the original he looked really bad and you could tell it was just a dude in a suit lumbering around a scale city crushing things. But with this edit they really clean it up and only use shots that makes Godzilla look genuinely menacing.

The documentary aspect of it also vastly improves the movie. We learn about the monster as Steve Martin learns so we’re never left out in the dark or left confused by the plot. It felt like a really old National Geographic documentary instead of a Hollywood production so that really really works in it’s favor. I always said that the original had a great story they just didn’t execute on it well, this one executes on it and leaves you feeling satisfied when the movie is over. I know that they took out a lot of the elements of the Hiroshima bombings and people say that makes this one worse, but does it really? I mean hell, the elements are still there they just didn’t spell it out for us like they did in the Japan version. The story is still that a 150 foot tall dinosaur was awakened by the nuclear bombs dropping and he then goes into Tokyo and destroys everything. It still promotes the fact that the world needs to get rid of nuclear energy completely instead of continuously building it up. It still promotes Godzilla as a metephor for what’s going to happen to the world if we dont’ stop nuclear testing. So I don’t see what the problem is.

Overall I think THIS is the classic that I was wanting. It’s an amazing movie that somehow creates fear and sadness despite you knowing that it’s a movie. Godzilla King of the Monsters is now my favorite Godzilla movie, dethroning the 1998 Zilla. Don’t get me wrong though, there’s nothing wrong with the Japanese version, I just enjoyed this one more due to the documentary feel and the American dubbing that helped it’s case a ton for me. If you want to watch the movies I suggest you pick up both copies though so you can make your own opinion about which one is better.

5/5

At first glance I thought that it’s pretty much the same thing as the 1998 Godzilla, and it is. A giant monster lizard is spreading chaos and havoc in a large city as he attacks and destroys it. The Japanese version of Godzilla has a deeper meaning to it though, it has an extremely strong message of anti-nuclear energy. I actually like the story of the old movie better because it does give the characters a little more depth and it is more interesting. Godzilla being a metaphor for the atomic bomb creating uncalled for destruction is much better than the fish eating pregnant iguana that we got in the new movie. I also felt that in Gojira the story is more about the people dealing with the disaster than it is the monster itself. The story of a giant monster rising out of the sea for no reason to attack cities is pretty scary especially when in the Japanese version he’s basically unstoppable. It’s something very freaking about a giant radioactive lizard that can’t be killed. The only thing that I liked better in the american version is the design

That is not intimidating at all. I realize that it was 1954, but still. Japan has kept that same design forever and it never was very good at all. I personally like America’s sleeked up and fierce Godzilla over the old bulky and slow Godzilla. I know that I should just watch it for what it is but the  Godzila in this genuinely took away from my viewing pleasure. Add in the fact that there wasn’t an American dub and the fact that this was in black and white, I started becoming restless. You can call me lazy all you want to but after sitting in a college class all day I really don’t want to come home and read a freaking movie. So that drastically took away from my enjoyment of this. It was a good movie though I just don’t think it has the fun factor that the 1998 version has. I realize it was supposed to be serious but it’s hard to take it serious when one of the main characters is a doctor with a patch over his eye. In the end though it’s alright but I wouldn’t really recommend it to people. I’ll be watching the American version with Raymund Burr next, so that review will be up within a few days. For some reason I think i’ll enjoy it more.

3/5

What is your favourite Movie Scene? Not your favourite film but your favourite scene in a film. By scene I mean an event which happens in a film which you particularly enjoyed when you saw it and liked it so much that it’s better than all events in the History of Cinema. There are many well-remembered scenes in film history. Scenes like Darth Vader saying to Luke Skywalker “No, I am your father” or the scene in the original King Kong where the Kong is attacked by Bi-Plane’s. There are many scenes in cinema history which are well-remembered, but what is your favorite; I know what mine is.

It’s from the film Godzilla: Final Wars and it involves a fight between Godzilla and Godzilla. OK that sounds a bit confusing, maybe we should call them Godzilla and Zilla. If you don’t know who Zilla is, he is the monster from the 1998 American Godzilla film.

The creature was renamed Zilla for the film by producer Shogo Tomiyama because he felt the 1998 remake took the “God” out of Godzilla by portraying the monster like an animal that could be wounded by normal weaponry, whereas the true Godzilla can’t be killed by any of man’s weapons (except the Oxygen Destroyer). – Wikipedia

Well what happens is Godzilla (Japanese) is released from hibernation and travels the world to destroy the monsters set loose by the Xilians. Godzilla eventually arrives in Sydney Australia where the Xilians let loose Zilla to attack Godzilla. Zilla tries to attack but Godzilla smashes him with a tail sending Zilla flying into the Sydney Opera House. Godzilla then uses his Atomic Deathray on Zilla destroying the Sydney Opera House in the process.

I like this scene because it shows the Power of Godzilla and also shows how Godzilla compares with Zilla so people can see how much better the Original Godzilla is compared to the American Godzilla. Another thing it shows is how much better Godzilla is when it is a guy in a suit, CGI Godzilla doesn’t look as Good, probably because a suit is real so it looks realistic. This is my favorite Movie Scene because it shows a comparison between the 2 Monsters Godzilla and Zilla and also because the Japanese Godzilla completely Annihilates the American Zilla.

GENEPOOL

The Host: South Korean Monster Movie Film. It is a film about a Giant Monster in the river who kidnaps a member of the family in the film.

Reign of Fire: Post Apocalyptic film starring Christian Bale and Gerard Butler. The film centres around a group of survivors who are trying survive in a world where Dragons have re-awakened and taken over the world.

Cloverfield: Created by the man who made the recent Star Trek Film and Creator of Lost. The film follows a group of people in the middle of a disaster and document what happens using their Video Camera.

Dragon Wars: South Korean Monster Movie about Dragons in a modern-day setting (I don’t know much about it, the title might be a clue).

Gamera 3: The Awakening of Irys: Third film in the Heisei Gamera Series. Gamera the Giant Flying Turtle returns to save the world from lots of Flying Pterosaur like creatures and one Gigantic Monster called Irys.

Godzilla vs Space Godzilla: The 21st Godzilla Film features Godzilla fighting a Space Clone of Godzilla.

Godzilla Against Mecha-Godzilla: The 26th Godzilla Film features Godzilla fighting Mecha-Godzilla, This is Mecha-Godzilla’s 4th appearance in the series and is one of my top favourite films.

So there is a much more in-depth look at the choices. Dont forget you can choose 2 films (Select 2 films then press the vote button) and the vote closes 30th April 2011. So Don’t forget to vote and check back soon to see which films wins.

GENEPOOL

This week’s project is another design and typographic exercise… A retro poster for the most amazing fight in the world.

'Let's get ready to rumble!'

That’s it for this week, Cbag out!

You may remember last year I asked you to vote for which Film out of 4 choices I would Review. Well just now I watched High School Musical and I am about to write out my Review. Now due to how well the poll went I am asking you join in another vote. This time I thought I would do some films I like but then I came up with a better idea.

 I have decided to do a theme to this one, Monster Movies. Now you may know that I really like Monster Movies, Godzilla is the Best Film Series in the World. So this time You will get to choose which Monster Movie gets reviewed. Now to make things interesting I have decided to include a good range of Films. Seven films to be exact and I will let you choose 2 films on the list, so if there is a couple of films you want me to review but are not sure which one, why not put a vote in for both. You don’t have to vote for two, you may only want to vote for one, but the option is there.

Now you may be wondering Which Films are up for the Vote, Well here they are (click on the links for more information):

1. Godzilla Against Mecha-Godzilla

2. Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys

3. Cloverfield

4. Dragon Wars

5. The Host

6. Reign of Fire

7. Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla

There are your 7 Choices and don’t forget you can vote for 2 Films if you want to. I have decided that the closing date will be April 30th 2011 (it was originally May 31st but I thought that was a bit too long). So there you have it, It is now up to you which film gets reviewed (around about July) and don’t forget to come back and see this month’s review, High School Musical.

GENEPOOL

Last week I did a film review of Godzilla vs King Ghidorah. I thought that some of my readers may be a bit confused by the film and most likely some of its characters. So here is a Profile of one of the Film’s Characters and also Godzilla’s Greatest Enemy – King Ghidorah.

King Ghidorah was created by Japanese Special Effects Director Eji Tsuburaya and first appeared in Ghidorah The Three-Headed Monster. Originally the monster was only known as Ghidorah, it was not until Godzilla vs Gigan that King was added to make King Ghidorah. King Ghidorah’s appearance has been the same throughout the series with only little modifications added as special effects improved.

King Ghidorah originally came from space, In Ghidorah The Three-Headed Monster a meteor crash lands in Japan.Later the Meteor breaks open and Ghidorah is released. The combined efforts of Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra cause the 3 headed dragon to retreat into outer space. Ghidorah then appears another 2 times in the 1960′s series in Invasion of Astro-Monster and Destroy All Monsters where Ghidorah is defeated by the Earth’s Monsters. King Ghidorah returns in Godzilla vs Gigan. In Godzilla vs Gigan King Ghidorah teams up with new monster Gigan and faces Godzilla and Anguirus. Then King Ghidorah does not appear again for almost 20 Years and returns in Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, this time however King Ghidorah is no longer a space monster, King Ghidorah is now a Genetic Monster and later becomes Mecha-King Ghidorah. Ten years later King Ghidorah returns in my Favourite Film – Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack, this time King Ghidorah is one of three Legendary Guardian Monsters. King Ghidorah’s most recent form was in Godzilla: Final Wars as Keizer Ghidorah (even though Keizer Ghidorah is seen as more of another version of King Ghidorah and not the actual King Ghidorah, I like to think that Keizer Ghidorah is King Ghidorah). King Ghidorah also appears in the Rebirth of Mothra Films.

King Ghidorah’s main weapon is the Lightning it fires from all 3 mouths. This can be very devastating and can do a lot of damage when flying through the air.

King Ghidorah is also one of the Toho’s Big Five (see rating system below). They are called the Big Five because of their many appearances in all three areas of the Godzilla Franchise as well as spin offs, The Big Five are Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Mecha-Godzilla and Rodan. King Ghidorah is one of my top favourite monsters in the series (Godzilla is my Favourite) and one of my top favourite Film Characters (My Favourite is Godzilla).

King Ghidorah, Godzilla’s most Powerful Enemy.

GENEPOOL

Off-Topic: I might do another post this week.

It’s Time; you may remember a few months ago I said I was going to change how the world sees Godzilla. Well, this is where it starts, my first review of a Godzilla film and it is one of the Best, Godzilla vs King Ghidorah.

Godzilla vs King Ghidorah is one of the biggest monster fights ever. The film’s title says it all, the fight Godzilla fans have been waiting for. Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, One on One. These 2 have had a big History; King Ghidorah is Godzilla’s most powerful enemy. A Golden Dragon with 3 heads and breathes Lightning (in the same way that a Dragon breathes Fire except that it is not fire it’s Lightning). Godzilla is a nuclear giant monster with the Atomic Death Ray. In the course of all 29 Godzilla Films these 2 have met 7 times (7 Films) and only once in a one on one fight, mainly because one of the 2 monsters usually has assistance. This is the 18^th film in the series and the 5^th time the 2 monsters have met.

Godzilla vs King Ghidorah has one really good story and some really good effects. The film was made after Godzilla vs Biollante. When the film did not do very well, Godzilla Creator Tomoyuki Tanaka decided to make a film that would include Godzilla’s Greatest Nemesis – King Ghidorah. One Interesting point is that Godzilla gets talked about a lot but does not make an appearance for a long time. An interesting origins story is put in place which is different from the original origins story. In this new version of the origins story Godzilla appears but in a different form and it is this part of the story helps pave the way for the Big Villain – King Ghidorah.

The film begins with a submarine searching the depths of the sea and finds the body of a 2 headed Giant Dragon. One of the passengers is amazed and even more so when he finds out it had 3. It lost the other head when it fought Godzilla in the 20^th Century.

A UFO is then sighted above Tokyo; everyone sees it, except for a Writer named Terasawa who wakes up in the morning. The story is in the newspaper along with another story about a man who claims to have seen a real life dinosaur. The man claims that while stationed on the isle of Lagos the dinosaur defended the Japanese troops who were being attacked by the Americans during World War 2. Terasawa then does some research and then begins to think that the dinosaur turned into Godzilla.

When on a routine patrol 2 army helicopters find the UFO and then blow up in mysterious circumstances, when a group of soldiers investigate they find the UFO.

Terasawa then talks to a business man called Shindo who was on Lagos. Shindo does not want to talk to Terasawa but changes his mind when Terasawa tells him that it might have turned into Godzilla. Shindo gives photos to Terasawa who then shows it to Professor Mazaki who sees some resemblance between the Dinosaur and Godzilla.

The army then begins to surround the UFO with Tanks. 3 People (holograms, pretty good special effects for the 1990’s) come out of the UFO and ask to have a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister. The 3 people are time travellers and the UFO is a time machine. The 3 people have come from the future to warn japan of a terrible threat. Due to a set of chain reactions starting with Godzilla, there is no longer a Japan. Terasawa, Professor Mazaki and Miki Saegusa (a lady with telepathy) are asked to go to the Prime Minister’s Office. Terasawa is shown a book that was written by him in the future. The time travellers want to go back in time and remove the Dinosaur from the island before it gets blasted with the H Bomb that was tested on Lagos. This is what turned the Dinosaur into Godzilla. They also ask that Terasawa, Mazaki and Saegusa travel with them. They travel back in time with one of the 3 Time Travellers Emmy Kano and android M11 in a smaller craft back to the day of the dinosaur in a smaller time machine.

They arrive on the Island of Lagos. A small group of Japanese soldiers start to get slaughtered by the American platoon. Until a dinosaur suddenly appears and attacks the Americans. The dinosaur gets wounded by American ships but destroys the American force on the island. A few days later the Japanese thank the dinosaur for saving their lives before leaving. The time traveller’s then teleport the dinosaur away from Lagos. Before returning to the future Emmy leaves 3 little golden creatures on the island. When the group returns to the future they find out that a new monster has arrived, King Ghidorah. The time travellers then use King Ghidorah to destroy Japan. Emmy fells sympathetic for her homeland and tells the truth. In the future Japan becomes an Extremely Powerful Country.

Shindo and the Government come up with a plan to make a New Godzilla using a Nuclear Submarine. Terasawa discovers that a nuclear submarine sank where the dinosaur was placed. Terasawa and Emmy travel to talk to Shindo but M11 stops them reaching him and takes Emmy back to the ship. Emmy later re programmes M11. In the sea, the nuclear submarine sent by Shindo gets destroyed by Godzilla. Professor Mazaki and Miki travel to the area the submarine was destroyed and see Godzilla rising out of the sea.

Terasawa, M11 and Emmy decide to sabotage the UFO. Jet Fighters are sent out to attack King Ghidorah but are no match for it, then Godzilla Arrives. The time travellers end King Ghidorah to fight Godzilla. As Godzilla fights King Ghidorah, Emmy, Terasawa and M11 sabotage the computer controlling King Ghidorah. Godzilla is still fighting King Ghidorah and in the process King Ghidorah loses its middle head. Emmy, Terasawa and M11 use a smaller Time Machine (the same one they used when they went to World War 2) and use its Teleportation device to teleport the UFO to where Godzilla is, Godzilla then destroys the UFO. King Ghidorah begins to fly away, Godzilla then blasts King Ghidorah sending King Ghidorah into the sea. Godzilla then goes to destroy Sapporo. The army do their best to stop him, but are unable to do so. I will return to the story in a minute.

It is important to point out that Military Weapons have no effect on Godzilla. You may be thinking “yes they do – 1998 American Film”, Well that was not Godzilla, That was Zilla; Zilla is a lot smaller than Godzilla and has NO Atomic Breath. In the 28 Japanese Godzilla Films; Tanks, Planes, Missiles, Helicopters, Ships, Laser Weapons, Laser Tanks and many more things attack Godzilla and Godzilla does not feel a thing. Godzilla wins against the military every time. The only time something Man Made killed Godzilla was in the original 1954 Godzilla King of the Monsters. But I will explain that later. Now Back to the Story.

Thinking they can’t stop Godzilla with Military Weapons the group think that King Ghidorah might be able to help them. Emmy and M11 go forward in time to repair King Ghidorah. Godzilla attack’s Tokyo, during the attack Shindo stays inside his company Head Quarters when Godzilla walks past. For a moment Godzilla seems to recognise Shindo from their encounter during World War 2. Godzilla then destroys the Building with Shindo inside.

Then King Ghidorah returns with new Cybernetic Parts and a robotic Middle Head. Godzilla and Mecha-King Ghidorah fight each other in a tense battle ending with Mecha-King Ghidorah flying away with Godzilla before landing in the sea. Emmy (who was controlling Mecha-King Ghidorah from inside it) manages to escape says farewell and travels back to the future. At the bottom of the sea, Godzilla wakes up from the crash, a sign that no matter what you do – You cannot beat The King of the Monsters.

Godzilla vs King Ghidorah is one of the best in the series. The film has a very good sound track provided by Akira Ifukube who provided music for many Godzilla films between the Original in 1954 to Godzilla vs Destroyah in 1995.

The film has a good range of characters some of which continued to appear during the Heisei Series. One thing I recently discovered is that Katsuhiko Sasaki who plays Professor Mazaki has played roles in Godzilla films in the past, he appeared in both Godzilla vs Megalon and Terror of Mecha-Godzilla.  The character of Shindo is interesting, played by Yoshio Tsuchiya; Shindo acts like someone who thinks Godzilla is his friend, especially for a minute when Godzilla recognises him, then destroys the tower Shindo is in, Tsuchiya plays the role well. One interesting character is a girl who works with Terasawa. She is a very mysterious character; I don’t think her name is mentioned once in the whole film. She plays the role of Terasawa’s Girl Friend and for most of the middle bits she is not seen, although she does appear at the end with Terasawa. However the best character (human wise, the Monsters are always the main stars) is Fujio played by Tokuma Nishioka. A strong character even in times when cities are being destroyed.  It’s sad that this is the only time the character appears in the series.

Let’s not forget who the main stars are. We Have Godzilla and King Ghidorah. The 2 roles were played by Hurricane Ryu (King Ghidorah) and Kenpachiro Satsuma (Godzilla) with Wataru Fukuda (The Dinosaur). The 2 main roles were played in suits, this is better than CGI because it looks more realistic – it does.

This also makes the fight scenes look good because you have 2 people in suits fighting each other. Kenpachiro Satsuma said in a BBC Documentary that he brought some of his Martial Arts into the role and before filming he would get into the part by saying to himself “I am Godzilla”.

One interesting point about the film is the audience reaction in Japan. In a BBC Documentary from 1998 (this might have happened since, I don’t know) it was revealed that when the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building was demolished by Mecha-King Ghidorah it was the only time a Japanese audience has cheered when a building is being destroyed.

I could go on talking about this film for a while, but I want to save some parts of the film for a more General Godzilla Look.

Godzilla vs King Ghidorah is very enjoyable with a Good Story. It is not my favourite from the Series – That is Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. However Godzilla vs King Ghidorah is one of my absolute favourites and one of my top Favourites from the Heisei Series. Plus it has the fight we have always wanted. Godzilla vs King Ghidorah – 1 on 1. If you like Monster Movies, you are going to love this; Watch It.

GENEPOOL

Hello,

A few days ago I told you about how Legendary Pictures are making a Godzilla Film. I am so happy, so happy. But there is something that needs to be addressed.

When I talk about Godzilla I talk about the Japanese films. When most people think of Godzilla they don’t know about the Japanese Godzilla and will think about the American Godzilla. In order for people to understand the Legendary Pictures film better they must know it is based on the Original, Much Better, Bigger and More Dangerous Monster.

Now I know they may never see a Japanese Godzilla Film and so it is going to be hard for them to understand it. So that’s where I come in. I am making it a personal mission to tell the world about The Greatest Film Series in the World, so when they hear about, watch and think about the Legendary Pictures Godzilla they wont mistake it for The 1998 American Godzilla, they will think about the Japanese Godzilla. The True Godzilla.

So over the next couple of years I will talk about Godzilla, I will review his films, I will talk about Godzilla’s History and the People who Created him. I will give you updates on the Legendary Pictures Movie. I will talk about his enemies and his ally’s, I will even talk about his competition (other films competing with the Godzilla Series).

So stay tuned as we take a Good Hard, Long, Tall and Dangerous look at:

THE KING OF THE MONSTERS

GODZILLA

GENEPOOL

Yes in 2012 the King Returns in an all new film. Forget the Godzilla film from 1998 because that was not the true Godzilla (that was Zilla, He is nothing like the real Godzilla).

(I did not know that the Trailer had a toy advert in it when I posted it up)

Announced in March 2010 Legendary Pictures has been given approval by TOHO Pictures (the owners of Godzilla) to make an all new film Starring the King of the Monsters. Legendary Pictures have announced that it will be a Live Action film with a Computer Generated Godzilla, They have also said that it will be a True Representation of the King of the Monsters. Godzilla will also use his Atomic Death Ray that he uses in the films (unlike the 1998 one where he doesn’t use it at all). “Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop culturally relevant for as long as it has.” Thomas Tull, Chairman and CEO of Legendary Pictures (Wikipedia).

I cannot wait for this, Many films are coming out in 2012 including Batman 3. But If I had a choice of which film to see, Either Batman 3 or Godzilla, I would choose Godzilla.

GENEPOOL

Off-Topic: I played Blood Bowl Today. I havent played that game in years, and for the first time I scored a Touchdown.

Godzilla



THE BIGGEST CELEBRITY FROM JAPAN – GODZILLA – CRASHES VIZ CINEMA FOR SPECIAL FILM AND DISCUSSION EVENTS IN MAY

VIZ Cinema Hosts Kaiju Shakedown! Godzillathon! And TokyoScope Talk Vol. 3 Features War Of The Giant Monsters Discussion And Prize Raffle Of New Gamera DVD

San Francisco, CA, April 26, 2010 – NEW PEOPLE and VIZ Cinema welcome the 3^rd and latest installment of TokyoScope Talk – War of the Giant Monsters – on Friday, May 7^th at 7:00pm. Join Otaku USA Editor-in-Chief Patrick Macias, Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters author August Ragone, and Japanese film critic Tomohiro Machiyama at the Bay Area’s hottest film venue for a fun and lively discussion on the “kaiju” (monster) movies featuring rare images and clips of Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera and other iconic creatures from classic Japanese sci-fi cinema. General admission tickets are $10.00.

VIZ Cinema invites Bay Area monster fans to a 5-day Kaiju Shakedown: Godzillathon!, running Saturday, May 8^th thru Thursday, May 13^th. Featured will be rare screenings of the Big G’s 4 most-loved films including Godzilla vs. Hedora (1971), Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972), Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974). Details and screening times at: www.vizcinema.com.

Don’t miss a rare chance to see the beauty and enormity of Godzilla in stunning 35mm prints with English subtitles and a premium THX^®-certified sound system! These events may sell-out. Ticket prices: General Admission: $10.00; Senior & Child: $8.00. Advance tickets on sale at: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/films/films-5-2010/#godzillathon

TokyoScope Talk – War of the Giant Monsters will feature a special raffle giveaway of premium monster collectables including the brand new DVD release from Shout! Factory of Gamera: The Giant Monster (1965). The revered classic features the original Japanese version of the film presented with fresh English subtitles and anamorphic widescreen produced from an all-new HD master created from original vault elements.

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s first movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX^®-certified sound system.

About NEW PEOPLE

NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21^st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.