A still from an animation we did at the gallery today. The kids worked on the background painting with Theo yesterday and also made the models with Federico. Today we put them together into a potboiler in the style of Godzilla or King Kong.

So hier kommt wie versprochen der große Einkaufs Rückblick im November.

Dann fangen wir gleich mal mit den DVD Einkäufen an.

• Best of Power Ranger Box
• Geschöft: real,-
• Preis: ca. 10 Euro

Eine wirklich sehr nette Box. Mit wirklich sehr guten Folgen. Habe auch wieder richtig Lust auf Power Ranger bekommen. Wird Zeit das ich mir die zweite Staffel endlich mal Kaufe.

• Godzilla Final Wars Box
• Geschäft:  real,-
• Preis: ca. 15 Euro

Godzilla Final Wars hatte ich mir ja neulich noch angesehen. Und da mir der Film ja recht gut gefallen hat habe ich mir auch gleich die DVD dazu gekauft. Doch bei dieser Box liegt auch noch der aller erste Godzilla dabei in Versionen. Einmal das Japanische Original und dann noch die Amerikanische und Deutsche Version. Bin mal gespannt wo da so die Unterschiede liegen.

• Star Wars Trilogie Box 2
• Geschäft: real,-
• Preis: ca. 25 Euro

Nachdem ich mir ja erst kürzlich die ersten Star Trek Filme auf DVD gekauft habe. Dachte ich mir mache ich das bei Star Wars doch auch mal. Ich habe mir aber nur Episode 4-6 geholt. Da ich die viel besser finde als Episode 1-3. Was mich an Episode 1-3 stört? Nun zum einen gibt es in Episode 1-3 viel weniger Weltraumschlachten als in Episode 4-6. Ausserdem finde ich, das es viel zu viele Lichtschwert Kämpfe gibt.

• Gundam 00 Collector´s Edition
• Shop: amazon
• Preis: ca. 45 Euro

Nachdem die Spiele Messe in Essen ja nicht so prall war. Habe ich mir vom Rest Geld die erste Gundam 00 Box gekauft. Eine wirklich sehr tolle Box mit sehr tollen Extras. Habe mir die DVDs auch schon angesehen. Und beim zweiten mal gucken macht die Serie sogar noch viel mehr Spaß. Nur die Deutsche Synchro hat mir leider so gar nicht gefallen.

Ich hoffe das beez auch so schnell wie möglich die zweite Staffel nach Deutschland bringt. Denn die wird dann erst richtig interessant.

• Gundam Wing Vol. 1-4 & 7-9
• Shop: Nipponart
• Preis: pro DVD ca. 12 Euro

Und weiter geht es mit Gundam auf DVD. Irgendwie bin ich zur Zeit wieder richtig im Gundam Fieber. Eigentlich wollte ich mir ja die Komplette Serie auf DVD Kaufen, aber leider hatten sie nicht mehr alle Vol. vorrätig. Immerhin kann ich mir die Serie ja schon mal bis Vol. 4 ansehen. Ich war sogar richtig überrascht als ich gesehen habe das die DVDs sogar die Japanische Tonspur besitzen. Ich ging immer davon aus das da nur die Deutsch Tonspur drauf sei. Naja umso besser so kann ich mir die Serie auch mal auf Japanisch ansehen.

• Wedding Peach Vol. 7-9
• Shop: Nipponart
• Preis: ca. 8 Euro pro DVD

Auch bei Nipponart gekauft Wedding Peach Vol. 7-9. Und noch eine Serie zum Sammeln. Aber Wedding Peach wollte ich mir eh noch auf DVD holen. Nur habe ich hier mit ziemlich ungünstigen Vol. angefangen wie ich finde.

• Die Melancholie der Haruhi Suzumiya Vol. 2-4
• Shop: Anime-Versand
• Preis: ca. 20 Euro pro DVD

Da bei Anime-Versand die Haruhi DVDs im Angebot sind habe ich sofort zugeschlagen. Da ich die Serie endlich komplett haben wollte. Habe mir die DVDs auch schon angesehen. Und auch beim dritten mal gucken macht die Serie immer noch Spaß. Vor allen da ich die Serie zum ersten mal in der richtigen reihen folge geguckt habe.

Aber ich kann schon verstehen warum sich viele Fans über die DVDs aufregen. Ich wollte die Serie zuerst auf meinen DVD Player ansehen. Doch nach ein paar Minuten hatte ich immer merkwürdige verpixlugen im Bild besonders wenn der Übergang von einer Szene zur anderen stattfand. Dann als ich die DVD in meinen DVD Recorder eingelegt habe hatte ich diesen Fehler nicht. Das ist auch die erste DVD bei der mein DVD Player versagt. Ansonsten ist das Gerät echt Top.

Darüber hinaus stört mich das DVD Menü ungemein. Egal auf was man klickt man 4-5 Sekunden warten bis alle Bilder geladen sind. Das kann nach einer weile schon recht Nerv tötend sein. Aber ich will mich ja nicht zu viel darüber aufregen. Das haben andere ja schon zu genüge getan.

• Phantom The Animation
• Shop: Anime-Versand
• Preis: ca. 10 Euro

Auch bei Anime-Versand gekauft Phantom The Animation. Eigentlich hatte ich ja gedacht das mir der Anime gut gefallen wird. Eine kurzhaarige Profi Killerin? Was man will man mehr habe ich mir gedacht. Doch leider hat mir dieser Anime so gar nicht gefallen. Das fängt bei Charakteren an geht hin zur Story und hört bei den Zeichnungen auf. Es passt einfach nix zusammen. Die Charaktere sind einfach langweilig in Szene gesetzt genau wie die Story und beide haben genau so wenig Tiefgang. Selbst die Brutalität ließ zu wünschen übrig.

Aber was will man von einer 3 Teiligen OVA erwarten? Vielleicht ist die TV Serie ja besser? Die Zeichnungen scheinen es jedenfalls schon mal zu sein.

• GTO Vol. 7
• Shop: amazon
• Preis: ca. 12 Euro

Endlich GTO Komplett! Endlich kann ich mir die Serien zu Ende ansehen. Werde ich jetzt in den nächsten Tagen auch ganz bestimmt machen.

GTO übrigens bei amazon wieder im Angebot jede DVD für ca. 12 Euro. Link

• Card Captor Sakura Vol. 5
• Shop: amazon
• Preis: ca. 5 Euro

Auch bei amazon im Angebot gewesen. Vol. 5 von Card Captor Sakura habe mir die DVD auch schon angesehen. Und wie die DVDs davor auch schon hat mir diese auch sehr gut gefallen. Jetzt fehlt mir nur noch Vol. 6. Das ist dann leider auch schon die letzte DVD.

• Iczer One & Dark Side Blues DVD
• Animexx Forum
• Preis: 6 Euro

Endlich Iczer One auf DVD! Ich besitze Iczer One ja Bereits auf VHS. Aber die DVD davon wollte ich auch immer haben. Einfach auch aus dem Grund das ich gar keinen VHS Rekorder mehr habe. Die DVD habe ich mir auch schon angesehen. Und Iczer One ist einfach super gemacht. Ich liebe diese alten Anime einfach. Vor allen sind die älteren Anime meistens Detail getreuer als die ganzen neuen Heut zu Tage.

Dark Side Blue hat mir aber leider gar nicht gefallen. Wieder eine kurze OVA Serie wo man, nachdem man sie gesehen hat, mehr fragen als antworten hat.

• Key the Metal Idol Vol. 5
• Shop: ebay
• Preis: 1 Euro

Auch bei ebay habe ich mal wieder das ein oder andere Schnäppchen gemacht.

Wobei das Kaufen und Verkaufen bei ebay immer weniger Spaß macht. Neuerdings scheint man bei ebay sogar nicht mal mehr die Versandkosten angeben zu dürfen. Besonders im Bereich DVDs. Man macht sowieso schon keinen Gewinn mehr wenn man was ebay Verkauft. (Angebotsgebühren usw…) Und jetzt soll ich auch noch selber für den Versand aufkommen? Da kann ich die Sachen ja gleich Verschenken. Klar kann man jetzt sagen man gibt an “Nur Abholung” und die Versandkosten schreibt man dann in die Beschreibung dazu. Aber wer liest das schon? Ich sehe da jetzt schon eine welle an Negativer und Neutraler Bewertungen auf uns zu kommen.

Wie dem auch sei. Von Key the Metal Idol fehlt mir jetzt nur noch Vol. 3 damit ich mir die Serie endlich Komplett ansehen kann.

Auch ein paar Manga habe ich mir mal wieder Gekauft.

• Blame Band 1
• ebay
• Preis: 1 Euro

Ich habe mir mal den ersten band Blame gekauft zum rein schnuppern. Fragt sich nur wann ich dazu komme da mal rein zu schnuppern.

• Najica Band 1
• ebay
• Preis: 1 Euro

Auf der Spiele Messe in Essen hatte ich mir ja bereits Band 2-3 gekauft. Jetzt fehlte also nur noch der erste Band. Und denn habe ich auf ebay gefunden. Hier bin ich auch schon dazu gekommen mir den Band durch zu Lesen. Hat sehr gut gefallen. Liest sich so wie sich die TV Serie gucken lässt.

• Star Craft Band 3

Mal wieder ein Gratis Manga durch die AnimeY Punkte. Gratis Manga sind doch echt die besten Manga.

Ohne Bilder. Weil noch auf dem Weg zu mir.

• Dominion Tank Police Band 2+3
• ebay
• Preis: 2,55 Euro

• Venus Wars Band 4
• ebay
• Preis: 1 Euro

Venus Wars wäre damit endlich Komplett. Fehlt nur noch Band 4 von Dominion.

Das Artbook gab es wieder als Gratis Beilage bei der Nipponart Bestellung. Sehr nette Zeichnungen dabei. Werde ich wohl behalten.

Auch eine Maya Ibuki Figur habe ich mir bei ebay mal wieder gekauft. ca. 2 Euro habe ich mir das Schmuckstück kosten lassen. Und somit hätte ich auch diese Figur jetzt 2 mal.

Ein Werbe Geschenk von Yorokonde dafür das ich Ihren Internet Shop Verlinkt habe. Danke an den Inhaber von Yorokonde für das tolle Geschenk!

Auch ein paar Videospiele habe ich mir seit langer Zeit mal wieder gekauft. (wie vielleicht schon ein paar Leute bemerkt haben werden.)

• Mortal Kombat vs. DC
• Geschäft: real,-
• Preis: ca. 20 Euro

Batman und Superman gegen Sub Zero? Das musste ich sehen. Und da habe ich mir einfach mal kurzer Hand das Spiel gekauft.

Habe das Spiel schon ein paar Gespielt und es macht schon Spaß. Vor allem ist es nicht so schwer wie Street Fighter 4. Auch die Erfolge sind etwas großzügiger verteilt.

• Dynasty Warrior Gundam 2
• Geschäft: Game Stop
• Preis: 20 Euro

Nachdem mir der erste Teil ja schon sehr gut gefallen hat. Musste ich mir den 2 Teil natürlich auch Kaufen. Vor allen da man diesmal auch mit den Gundams aus Gundam Seed in die Schlacht ziehen kann.

Nur die Erfolge sind im 2 Teil wesentlich Zeit Intensiver als beim ersten Teil.

• Spider-Man Web of Shadows
• Shop: amazon
• Preis: ca. 20 Euro

Das Spiel wollte ich auch schon seit langem haben. Bin aber noch nicht dazu gekommen es zu Spielen.

So das war es dann auch mit den Einkäufen im November. Mal sehen ob ich mir im Dezember genau so viel Kaufen werden. Oder sogar noch mehr? Wir werden sehen.

Jetzt gehe ich aber erst mal ein paar folgen Gundam Wing gucken. Nächste Woche gibt es dann wieder einen normalen Wochenrückblick.

After working through the big Space Troopers group and finishing them earlier this week, I wanted to spend this weekend unwinding on some pet projects.  I have accumulated a good number of M1 kaiju blanks, and brought a few to school with me that I was furthest along the planning process with.  First up, which I knocked out last night, was this Godzilla.  The base figure is the 09 Lucky Bag (I think Wonderfest) red unpainted 1974 Godzilla sculpt based on Goji’s appearance in Godzilla cs. Mechagodzilla.  The red vinyl was really vibrant and lovely, and I spent alot of time trying to decide what to do with it.  I finally settled on a modified ‘Burning’ scheme, from Godzilla vs Destroyah, the final Hisei-era film, in which Godzilla basically has atomic indigestion/ a heart attack.  The Burning/Meltdown scheme is usually much more dark and start, with Godzilla’s body color in that film being very inky and close to black.  I am a sucker for classic green Godzilla, however, and decided to use the red vinyl blank as the basis for a much more olive lizard green Godzilla undergoing his atomic meltdown.  I also tried using some different metallic paints through my airbrush, Privater Press Paints colors, which I was not sure of the spray-ability of.  They went on very thin, but that worked to my advantage in keeping the vibrant red on the spines while sprucing them up.  The teeth and eyes were added in with a little brush work, and I am really happy with how this monster came out.

This is one of the coolest commercials ever made. Yours truly, and two others from Team Legend, Thiago Levy and Eden Obando, put this together, called Bubbaloo Salmon. Our inspiration was crazy japanese commercials and culture(obviously). Tasty enough for you?

クールなコマーシャルをこれまでに作ったのこの1。敬具、チームレジェンド、チアゴレビーとエデンオバンドーから2人、一緒にBubbalooサーモンと呼ばれる配置。私たちのインスピレーション日本語コマーシャルや文化に夢中だった（当然）。十分屋のおいしい？

These’s are the shots I worked on:

I modeled, textured, and animated this panda:

I animated the gum breaking out of the package:

I animated and textured the ninja and sword slashing the gum:

Todos sabemos que a grande maioria dos games não são nada originais. Jogos de tiro na segunda guerra? Simuladores de corrida? RPGs japoneses? Chacrinha já dizia: Nada se cria, tudo se copia. É só uma novidade dar certo em algum jogo que os outros irão copiar a idéia. Certo, talvez eu esteja sendo muito rígido, mas na prática é mais ou menos isso. Quantos puzzles vocês conhecem em que o objetivo é apagar o maior número de blocos possível?

Bom, e com relação à trilha sonora dos jogos? O especial de hoje vai tratar exatamente disso. Claro que o que estará listado aqui é apenas uma pequena parte do talvez grande número de músicas parecidas e/ou copiadas na cara dura. Se você souber de algum exemplo que não estiver listado aqui, sinta-se livre para citá-lo nos comentários. Bom, vamos ao que interessa.

Primeiramente ouçam com atenção a essa música de Super Mario Kart, de 1992. Quem é que não conhece?

Agora vamos ouvir o comecinho de GONG, a abertura de Dai 3 Ji Super Robot Taisen Alpha, de 2005.

Percebeu o trecho do piano no começo da música? Vamos ao próximo exemplo. Aqui temos a BGM de Goonies, de 1986, mais precisamente da segunda fase.

E agora a música Do-Dai, de THE IDOLM@STER Live For You!, de 2008.

O comecinho, apenas o comecinho. Por falar em comecinho, aqui tem mais uma. Dessa vez pegamos Spartan X, de 1985…

E agora Wakugai!!, o encerramento do anime Maid Guy, de 2008.

Hmmm… um pouco diferente, mas o que vocês acham? Agora peguemos a abertura de Ys VI para PC, de 2003 (a partir dos 1:03 do video).

E agora a abertura do eroge Muvluv Alternative, de 2006… espera, o JAM Project de novo???

Uma pequena pausa para falar um pouco de Satoru Kousaki. Esse cara é um dos compositores mais badalados do meio otaku no Japão. Antigamente funcionário da Namco, saiu da empresa e começou a compor  músicas de anime. Simplesmente compôs algumas das mais famosas músicas de Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu e Lucky Star, dois animes que fizeram um estrondoso sucesso esses anos. Devido a esse succeso, claro que todo mundo vai pedir pro cara compor para um monte de anime por aí. Com tanto trabalho, não é de estranhar que ele faça umas músicas bem parecidas. Vou citar dois exemplos aqui:

Primeiro, Hibike! Taiko no Tatsujin, música original de Taiko no Tatsujin: Tobikkiri! Anime Special. Na parte da Mitsuko Horie  é mais fácil perceber (começa aos 0:39).

Agora Koi no Mikuru Densetsu, música de Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu. Aos 0:34 do video.

A abertura do anime Kannagi, com a música Motto Hade ni ne! (aos 0:23).

E do jogo Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- vem a Dear Cocoa Girls (aos 1:02).

Pra finalizar, 3 músicas de Super Robot Taisen que vêm causando muita polêmica por serem considerados plágio na cara dura.

Primeiro, a música Kono Hoshi no Asu no Tame ni, presente em toda a série Alpha e também nos Original Generation do GBA. Primeira aparição em 2000.

Agora a Jieitai March do filme do Godzilla de 1984.

Muito parecido. MUITO. Que tal algo mais absurdo? Vamos pegar Super Robot Taisen K.  O cara que trabalhou com os SRT de DS fez simplesmente uma lambança. Já até fizeram vídeos comparando as músicas. O primeiro é um vídeo comparando uma BGM com a tela título de Lufia II.

Já o segundo compara a BGM da última fase do jogo com… a música da batalha contra Magus, de Chrono Trigger!

Os últimos casos foram o cúmulo do absurdo, tanto é que a Bandai Namco Games, a Banpresto e o diabaquatro pediram desculpas publicamente. Claro que o cara que trabalhou nos jogos não vai mais fazer nenhum Super Robot Taisen, e depois dessa, duvido que arrume outro trampo.

Por enquanto é só, assim que achar mais alguma coisa dou um update aqui.

wie süß…

Patrick Macias hat mehr japan kult…

At long last Gargantuas

This is a good time to be a fan of Japanese kaiju flicks. For years we suffered through badly edited and badly dubbed releases just to get a glimpse of our favorite monsters. But now there is Classic Media, putting out the best releases of some of the most obscure kaiju films, and doing them with a respect and quality I never imagined possible. It is a dream come true!

This two DVD set contains two of the most sought-after films, 1956’s “Rodan” (“Sora no daikaiju Radon” or “Giant Monster of the Sky Radon”) and 1966’s “War of the Gargantuas” (“Frankenstein no Kaiju: Sanda tai Gaira” or “Frankenstein’s Monster: Sanda vs. Gaira). Both have had previous US releases, but with considerable edits and we are seeing the full films here for the first time. As with other Classic Media titles in the Godzilla series, both versions of the films are included, the original Japanese release and the US dubbed and edited version. It is nice to have both, but it doesn’t take a genius to know which one you should be watching! Interesting bonus documentaries are also included, making this set an absolute must have.

“Rodan” was the first kaiju flick filmed in color, and the mutated pteranodons still look great. Although a single Rodan would soon crossover into the Godzilla series with Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster, here there are actually two of the beasties to torment Japan, a male and a female. Because they can fly, “Rodan” is quite quick paced and action-packed compared to many kaiju flicks, as the two monsters zoom around doing battle with jet airplanes and destroying bridges. No slow motion stomping here. Without giving away any spoilers, the ending of “Rodan” is a tear-jerker, a hard task for a film featuring men in giant rubber suits.

“War of the Gargantuas” is a real treasure, and I am so happy to finally have a nice copy on DVD. A sequel to the 1966 Frankenstein Conquers the World, (but not to the planned but never produced “Godzilla vs. Frankenstein”. Sigh…), the story has the mutated cells of the Frankenstein monster spawning two giant hairy beasts, Sanda (mountain monster) and Gaira (outside monster). Because the both monsters are human-like, the suitimation really shines here, and the two beasts are able to get really down and dirty in their battle. In fact, their fight was the basis for the battle between The Bride and Elle Driver in Kill Bill. It is knock-down drag out.

If you like giant monster flicks, you are going to want this DVD. It is that simple.

You’ve never seen destruction like this. Roland Emmerich apparently decided in reading about the Mayan calendar doomsday conspiracies that his previous armageddon films, Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow, were far too subtle. This is the type of film where the scope of the effects work and the imagination behind the mayhem glue you to your seat. The beauty behind 2012 is that it takes disaster movie elements and cranks them up to the nth degree. Seen tsunamis bury skyscrapers? Here they bury mountain ranges. Seen volcanoes rain lava and ash on our heroes? Here a super-volcano sends off an atom bomb of lava and makes ash rain thousands of miles away. Seen buildings destroyed? Here you have entire continents destroyed. Emmerich gives us perhaps the most impressive effects sequence of the year… and then tops it… and then tops it again. This is the daddy of all disaster films, and easily the pinnacle of Emmerich’s career to date.

In 2009, massive solar flares alert a select number of scientists, including Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), that the Earth’s core is rapidly heating up as a result. Dr. Helmsley reports this to Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt), who sets in motion a plan to save humanity– we see the Mona Lisa replaced by a forgery, so the original can be carefully stored, and we see plans for a secretive dam being built in China that we suspect is not a dam at all. Flash forward to 2012, where one-time author/current limo driver Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) is late picking up his kids (Morgan Lily and Liam James) for a camping trip to Yellowstone. His ex-wife Kate (Amanda Peet) and her new boyfriend Gordon (Tom McCarthy) eye him with scorn before they depart. While in Yellowstone, Curtis sees dried-up lakes and new government testing facilities. He also meets a conspiracy-filled radio host, Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson), who tell Curtis the end of the world is coming due to the Earth’s crust being displaced, which will set off massive earthquakes, tsunamis, and super-volcanoes. He also claims to have a map to the place where the government is building ships to save those rich enough to buy a ticket for survival.

Now don’t get me wrong– this is not a “good” movie. The characters are all very familiar, the speeches we’ve heard a hundred times, and the Russians are the fat bulbous detestable cliches that we’ve seen since the Cold War. I don’t mean for this review to convert those who know that they hate disaster movies. I’m not saying this is the disaster movies that will sway you on the ability of disaster movies to entertain. However, if you find enjoyment in the specific entertainment value that disaster movies provide (which I do), then get ready for two and a half hours of bliss. The special effects are among the best of the year– unlike Michael Bay, Emmerich gets off on the long shot, where instead of editing an action sequence to pieces, he lets the shot be packed with special effects without cutting, totally absorbing you into the suspense. The limo racing away from the splitting crust as the freeway crumbles, raining cars into the family’s path, is as intense and joyous a silly action sequence as I’ve seen since Live Free or Die Hard– in fact, it’s better than that. This is the moment where you either buy the movie in its entirety or check out early.

Emmerich also picked some terrific character actors to lead the way. Cusack brings his particular brand of barely likable schmo charm to Jackson– he’s believable as both a jaded writer and impatient limo driver. Chiwetel Ojiefor is one of the best young actors in Hollywood, and while he doesn’t have anything in terms of character (he’s the noble government worker who believes in humanity over the power of the almighty dollar), he delivers his speeches passionately and earnestly. Oliver Platt is a national treasure when it comes to playing smarmy villains; he fully embraces everything ugly about his chief of staff, yet manages to give him shades of dimension in between the dialogue. Danny Glover mostly sits and looks grim, but his mere presence provides some dignity to the proceedings. Amanda Peet is fairly worthless as Cusack’s ex-wife– far better is Tom McCarthy, as the nice guy boyfriend who Jackson’s kids like but who we know from past film experiences will be very very lucky if he survives. He manages to toe the line between the obnoxious new love interest stereotype and the harmless better-option new love interest stereotype… unlike in other films, where you can’t wait for that character to die, I rooted for his survival. Finally, there’s Woody Harrelson as the conspiratorial radio host, who joyously chews the scenery. Every disaster movie needs a shameless ham, and Harrelson not only embraces the ham, he bathes in it.

Why was this movie not released in IMAX? It’s easily the “biggest” movie in recent memory. Shockingly, it’s all based on a real theory– when Harrelson spouts off about Hapgood’s crust displacement theory, and that Einstein believed it was true, he’s not lying. Now, the movie loses steam in the last half-hour… the chaos has mostly ended, and the action moves inside the ships, and the sheer epic nature of the film hits a roadbump. However, when they look outside, and see an ocean covering the Himalayas, where only Mount Everest and K2 are large enough to peek out as islands, we get the full vision of how BIG a scale Emmerich wanted to operate on. This isn’t a film where you feel the effort to entertain– this is a labor of love for Emmerich, filling every corner of the film with every disaster movie cliche that he truly and earnestly loves. I love them too, and even with its flaws, I loved this movie. And yes, just as in every other Emmerich film, the cute little dog survives.

Crank: High Voltage (2009)
★★ / ★★★★

At this point, I can enjoy just about any movie that Jason Statham stars in because even though most of them are mindless, they’re fun to watch. Statham is as charismatic as ever for his return as Chev Chelios, a hitman who gets caught up with gangsters who (literally) stole his heart. In order to survive, he must constantly charge his artificial heart which only lasts for about an hour. Half of the fun about this picture was the lead character trying to look for ways to charge his life force. The film is lewd, crude and downright crazy because even rubbing up against people could create enough electricity for him to survive. However, even I have to admit that I enjoyed this sequel less than the original for a few reasons. Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the writers and directors, brought back certain characters from the original only to kill them off almost instantly. When a character did come back and survived, the character was not utilized in such a way that they could push the film forward. Therefore, there were many points in the film when it felt stuck even though the characters were kinetic in purpose and movement. I liked the campiness of the film but there were also times when it was too campy. In fact, there was a scene when it tried to summon Godzilla parodies. As adventurous as it was, it was dead on arrival for me because the violence that was being portrayed on screen was not funny, which was unlike the rest of the movie when everything else was cartoonish. In fact, that fighting sequence should have been quite epic, in my opinion, despite Johnny Vang (Art Hsu) being a simple-minded henchmen, because Statham’s character spent more than half of the film trying to chase him. Other actors that returned were Amy Smart as the girlfriend, Dwight Yoakam as Doc Miles, Efren Ramirez as Venus (who played Kaylo in the first), and Keone Young as Don Kim. I enjoyed this film’s enthusiasm to entertain but I ultimately have to give it a mediocre rating because it needed to have more focus instead of just aiming to be all over the place. Even though the first one was crazy, it tried to tell a story. On the other hand, “Crank: High Voltage” just felt like a series of random scenes pasted together which did not make sense as a whole.

Os dejo el video con la letra de “All The Tears” de Gojira. Esta banda de Bayona lleva trabajando muy duro desde 1996 aunque hasta 2001 era conocida como “Godzilla”. Su death metal hace vibrar, como pude comprobar en persona en el “Kobetasonic” de este pasado verano.

La banda está formada por los hermanos Duplantier (Joe y Mario), Christian Andreu y Jean-Michel Labadie. Aunque pueda parecer extraño, sus letras se basan en la ecología y el medio ambiente. Para que luego digan que a los heavys-metaleros no les preocupa nada en la vida.

http://www.myspace.com/gojira

It has been quite some time since we here at DKM have checked in with an avid contributor to the site, Richard Park of the New York Islanders, so with their recent stretch of success we thought it would be a perfect time to catch up with the veteran forward. As usual, Richard didn’t let us down and granted us a look into the season thus far.

DKM: Hey Richard thanks for stopping by with us again

Park: Not a plobrem at arr.

DKM: Well first things first, you guys have been playing some pretty impressive hockey lately, but I gotta ask you Richard, what is going on with all the overtimes and shootouts?

Park: Ahh yes we very much rike the shootouts. We arways seem to tie the other team in reguration but once shootout begins we pray our best. We have rots of good shooters who can shoot very hawwd arr the time.

DKM: How would you rate your own shootout performance this year?

Park: I have onry taken one shot in shootout. In game against Washington Capitars we go through many shooters until coach finarry had to pick me. I made good move but didn’t shoot hawwwwd enough and the big goarie stop it. If I get picked next time, I am going to do a three-sixty-spin-o-lama, just rike a super spin kick I see in kung fu movie rast night.

DKM: Oh yeah that sounds cool. Did you watch the movie with another guy on the team?

Park: Yes I did! I have young superstar John Tavares over to my house to watch it with me. He is such a nice young man, arways smiring and raughing. He enjoyed kung fu move too but he had to read subtitres because he cant understand the ranguage.

DKM: Interesting. What do you attribute most to the team’s early success?

Park: I think its because we arr work very very hawwwwwwwwd every night. Every prayer on team gives great great effort in the game and it helps us to secure the victory for the New York Isrander fans. We rove Isrander fans so very much.  They arr arways so roud so it makes us try even hawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwder.

DKM: How has veteran goalie Dwayne Roloson helped the team?

Park: Dwayne Roroson is such a rarge rarge goarie. He stops mostry arr the pucks shot at him. He reminds me of giant Godzirra brocking arr the firebarrs from the Korea porice. He is sometimes very scary to me because he is so big rike Godzirra but its ok because he is a nice, friendry man.

DKM: You mentioned John Tavares. How do you think the future looks for this kid?

Park: Oh it most definitery rooks very very bright. I think he is going to achieve rots and rots of goars and points and one day be carred the greatest prayer to ever pray for the New York Isranders team.

DKM: What do you hope this team can achieve the rest of the year?

Park: I am arways praying to the big red dragon to guide us to many victories this year. I ask him to guide us to the prayoffs and then arr the way to the Stanrey Cup Finars.

DKM: Switching gears for a second here Richard. Being a New York resident, it must have been exciting for you to see the Yankees win the World Series this year.

Park: Oh My! Very exciting indeed! The whore schitty was on pins and needers every time Yankees prayed and when they finarry won it was rike KA BANG KA BANG. I was so very proud for my good friend Hideki Matsui. He was named Most Varuabre Prayer of the series. He is a big Godzirra just rike Dwayne Roroson.

DKM: Did you get to celebrate with him?

Park: Very much so! Me and Matsui go to a big Japanese restaurant in Brookryn. We ate so much and arso drank rots and rots of expensive arcohor. Arr of the Brookryn women were very hornery with us because we are famous athretes

DKM: Sounds like a good time. Richard, thanks once again for lending us your time and good luck the rest of the way.

Park: It was a great preasure.

…and the guy I meet, fall in love with and move in with has a 7 year old child. A boy child. He lives with his mom in Pennsylvania, and while I don’t believe in talking about specifically children on blogs, I think that Xmas presents is safely non-intrusive.

So…these are a couple of the things I am thinking about for M. for Xmas this year (he’ll be spending the holidays with us, which is a Whole ‘Nother Post):

He loves Godzilla, and ThinkGeek.com has a cute Godzilla plush.  And I know he sleeps with an Ikea nightlight, so I was thinking that a night sky projection kit would be really cute. I found one at Urban Outfitters.

Happy Monday! Hope you had a great weekend.  Did you see any movies? Were you one of the folks who lined up to make 2012 a smashing success — the John Cusack-starring apocalypta-pic blew everyone else away at the box office with a massive $65 million opening weekend haul…wow. This was actually a lot more than the pundits expected, and very good news for director Roland Emmerich (the man who made The Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla, and Independence Day). Who knew 2012 would do so well? Oh wait. I forgot. We were warned. Guess Mayan Calendars are about to become this year’s hot holiday gift.So now we move forward with more on our People’s Choice Nominees. Last week we asked you all about Johnny Depp, Hugh Jackman and Brad Pitt movies. It turns out, you all had PLENTY to say about which of these fellas’ flicks you liked best. Thanks for your feedback. We’ll get back to the other two gents and their movies in a few days  (Robert Pattinson’s got a pretty big opening thiscoming weekend with his Twilight Saga: New Moon).  But before we look at his movies and Ryan Reynolds’ movies (BTW,  just caught The Proposal — totally diverting fun),  let’s look to some of the gals who scored nominations last week: Anne Hathaway, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, Kristen Stewart and Sandra Bullock. And because I’m thinking about The Proposal, let’s examine some of Sandra Bullock’s performances and see which ones you all found most memorable. And remember, I can only list four, so if you think one of her best was omitted, just let us know. With this in mind, voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which Sandra Bullock film is your favorite.

1) The Proposal

2) Speed

3) Miss Congeniality

4) Two Weeks Notice

Well… I mean… This is a really stupid movie.

As Printed in The Lumberjack on Nov. 19, 2009

by Gary Sundt

Director Roland Emmerich’s latest end-of-days blockbuster, 2012, is the very definition of huge. The film has a colossal $260 million budget, which was spent on special effects pieces that are dumbfounding in their enormity. The cast is huge, not only in size, but in caliber of actor (John Cusack is no slouch). The film’s length is no less than two hours and 38 minutes, which follows the recent trend of filmmakers who specialize in the stupid bringing us said idiocy at longer lengths than ever before (see Michael Bay’s Transformers 2 for an example of this).

The only thing not large about 2012 is the movie’s apparent numerical IQ, which is somewhere in the vicinity of borderline retardation. But for a movie based on something as silly as the 2012 conspiracy, it sure could have been worse. Emmerich is the man behind the good Independence Day, the bad Godzilla, the stupid The Day After Tomorrow, and the really, really stupid 10,000 BC. When it comes to destroying the world, this is the guy audiences flock to for the goods.

2012 is the disaster movie to end all disaster movies. The film features a good preliminary 30 minutes of what movies and comic books refer to as “junk science,” which is the medium’s attempt to convince the viewer/reader that any of this is possible using fake technical explanations. But soon the time for talk is over, and the CGI kicks into the highest gear I’ve seen since, well, forever.

The plot is quite simply that the popular conspiracy (in which the world is most certainly coming to an end in December of the year 2012) ends up panning out, and God works his ways to kill humanity really good. The movie follows a few individuals that fight to survive the rather realistic earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, clouds of volcanic ash, tsunamis, tidal waves, and the like, and among those people are struggling author Jackson Curtis (Cusack) and his estranged family.

We know the film’s clichés all too well, and the script by Emmerich and Harald Kloser ticks through them like a checklist. We have the beleaguered scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who saw all this coming and tried to warn everybody; the President of the United States (Danny Glover), who ponders dramatically over the situation because he is, after all, the only world leader who can do anything about this; the conspiracy nut who turned out to be right (Woody Harrelson); the divorced husband and wife (Cusack and Amanda Peet) who have to struggle to protect their children in all this disaster; the government tool who can’t help himself but to be a complete asshole (Oliver Platt).

If you know these actors well enough, you can admire what Emmerich has tried to do here. In the same vein as his better disaster pictures, he has enlisted several talented individuals in the roles of his cookie-cutter characters, which helps pass the long running time when most of the dialogue is something to the effect of “Oh God!” or “Look Out!”

The tagline for 2012 reads, “We were warned.” Allow me to warn you, the potential viewer. Know that 2012 is as big and as stupid as they come. Know that it is overly long and will grate on your nerves after a while. Know that it is tailor made to hit every emotional button while it inundates you with CGI and clichéd moments of human triumph.

But damn if it isn’t kind of fun to watch.

Weekend-ul asta am ajuns prin Bucuresti (am sa va povestesc intr-un post viitor ce am mai facut p’acolo) si cum vremea nu a fost tocmai excelenta pentru plimbari prin parc, am zis sa mergem la film. Dupa o scurta discutie preliminara am ales 2012 - cel mai asteptat film al anului asta.

Toate “indiciile” ma trimeteau la ideea ca va fi un film bun, sau cel putin peste medie, iar eu, ca mare cinefil, mi-am zis ca merita sa dau banii pe biletul de cinematograf. Un film sub regia lui Roland Emmerich ce este “parintele” unor “succesuri” rasunatoare precum:

• 10.000 B.C.
• The Day After Tomorrow
• The Patriot
• Godzilla
• Independence Day

nu avea cum sa fie unul chiar prost.

Ca fapt divers, eu ma ghidez dupa o clasificare foarte simpla: exista 2 tipuri de filme: BUNE si PROASTE. Alea bune sunt si ele de doua mari tipuri: bune de vazut in cinema si bune de vazut acasa. Stiu ca pare cam drastica si rigida impartirea asta dar simplifica cu mult situatia.

Ei bine… chiar a meritat, este un film bun. Nu exceleaza prin profunzimea scenariului si nici prin complexitatea personajelor (John Cusack interpreteaza un rol chiar facil/usor in comparatie cu talentul sau actoricesc – lipsa de complexitate ce se vede si in conturarea celorlalte personaje) – prin urmare nu o sa vedem vreun Oscar pentru cel mai bun actor intr-un rol principal, cum nu o sa-l vedem nici pentru cel mai bun scenariu; in schimb, mai mult ca sigur, il vom vedea nominalizat pentru filmul cu cele mai bune efecte speciale.

Desi plin de mici “erori” si cu un story-line destul de superficial, 2012 este un block-buster (no doubt about it). Efectele speciale sunt de domeniul fantasticului si te tin cu ochii lipiti de ecran pentru mai mult de 2 h. Filmul abuzeaza de “scapari la limita” si de scene supra-realiste (totul se duce de rapa numai personajele  principale scapa de fiecare data), ii lipseste realismul si “neasteptatul“, dar compenseaza din plin prin monumentalitatea scenelor apocaliptice. De la Titanic incoace dramatismul nu a fost in acest mod exprimat.

Filmul este o Apocalipsa continua ce se plaseaza in momentul 21.12.2012. Desi cu final predictibil, desi liniar, desi lipsit de realism ori de interpretari magistrale, 2012 este un film excelent ce merita vazut pe marile ecrane. In plus exista o doza de umor Hollywoodian ce prasara intreg filmul, facand din el un S.F. “monumentalo-apocaliptic” dar comic (way above average pentru acest stil de film – undeva aproape de Independence Day, poate chiar mai bun).

Acum partea mai dificila, notarea:

Stil: S.F.  apocaliptic cu nuante comice

Scenariu & story: catelus

Interpretare: gaina de curte

Efecte speciale: Zeu

TOTAL: 6,5 / 10

Va adaug si trailerul cu recomandarea sa-l vedeti totusi in cinematografe (in digital daca va tine portmoneul):

Recently, 2012 director Roland Emmerich expressed interest in making two sequels to his 1996 megahit Independence Day, and for that, I gush like an 11-year-old boy enjoying alien invasion mayhem and city destruction again. Talk about nostalgia!

However, one thing that Emmerich said during an interview regarding the sequels has sent me into a rare hissy fit because he doesn’t seem to know what he’s talking about when it comes to American government.

“In Independence Day, it was about a king who leads his country into a fight against an outside invader. I didn’t want to make that movie during the Bush years. It was not thought that George W. Bush would have made a great king. Now with Obama, it’s another story.”

What the hell is he talking about? Bill Pullman’s President Whitmore was a “king” leading his country into battle? Yeah, I get the imagery of the President leading the squadron of F-18s against the city destroyer is supposed to be evocative of some sort of “warrior king” from ancient or medieval times, but at the end of the day, the President is not a king. I saw it more as a small band of revolutionaries fighting against a technologically advanced and collectivist aggressor. Emmerich should have at least learned that from making The Patriot (2000).

I hate to give a boring lesson in Constitutional government, but a monarchical analogy applied to American politics would have to be the biggest faux pas in American culture. That is unless you’re among the wacky group of Americans (or even people from across the rest of the world) who think President Barack Obama should be a “king” working without the checks and balances of that annoying Congress, the Supreme Court, and those pestilent states that disobediently make up their own rules, because he’s just so damn cool and charismatic!

With that in mind, does Emmerich think that Obama would make a “great king”? Sure, obviously George W. Bush wouldn’t have made a great king, but neither would Obama. Hell, no President would! Please, the guy’s off his rocker and clearly exemplifies the weirdo Michael Moore businessman syndrome of wanting to make a Godzilla-sized pile of money making junk food movies, but is evidenced to dislike democracy and capitalism. What a hypocrite. Just look at his house, he reminds me of Anita Dunn because he’s clearly infatuated by undemocratic totalitarian regimes, which is linked to his crazy “King Obama” talk.  Some interesting lighting and furnishing though.

Granted, I love Independence Day. It’s always been one of my favourite movies simply due to the fact that it makes my sound system suffer severe cone damage from blowing up the subwoofer, and it’d funny to see that maybe Will Smith’s character has been elected President by now in a sequel, but this monarchical attitude from Emmerich is just too much for me to stomach. Perhaps he superficially believes that the other branches of government are irrelevant and hinder the progression of an imperial presidency. Who knows, he may be kidding, he is just a filmmaker afterall. But if not, it’s a frightening mindset.

Yet again, is this a European thing?

Godzilla iPod Cozy by AlyssaLyn

Ok, so these are allll over the place and come in a million different styles….however, these little guys have cute little arms that hug your ear buds. Therefore….AlyssaLyn wins! Her ear bud hugging iPod covers come in all kinds of great patterns, puppies, owls, monsters, elephants and hedge hogs…

Stop by her Etsy store and check them out!

Voto: 6 (su 10) 

Le dimensioni contano. Era la frase di lancio a doppio senso di Godzilla, uno dei film simbolo del cinema di Roland Emmerich, colui che ha fatto del gigantismo la sua poetica. Emmerich ha fatto del pensare in grande il fondamento del suo cinema, e della catastrofe, sia causata da mostri, alieni, mostri contro alieni, o dalla natura, la chiave per un cinema spettacolare per forza. 2012 parte dall’antica profezia Maya per mettere in scena la fine del mondo: per un allineamento dei pianeti il sole scalda troppo il centro della terra, e causa così degli spostamenti della crosta terrestre. Al centro dell’apocalisse seguiamo le vicende di uno scrittore separato dalla moglie e dei loro figli, e di un geologo. Oltre all’immancabile presidente U.S.A. (segno dei tempi, è di colore) e al suo staff.

È quasi un sequel de L’alba del giorno dopo, questo 2012. O il suo negativo. Se lì il problema era il troppo freddo, qui è il troppo caldo. Se una cosa si può dire di Emmerich, è che gli riescono meglio i film “realisti”, se di realismo si può parlare con tutto quello che accade, come L’alba del giorno dopo e questo, piuttosto che quelli legati in qualche modo al soprannaturale. Hanno un che di affascinante questi film d’azione senza nemico, quasi degli horror ambientali senza un cattivo. 2012 vive senza dubbio di scene spettacolari, come una serie di fughe in auto e poi in aereo dove la terra che crolla sotto ai piedi è tutto fuorché un’espressione metaforica, e dove il gran dispiego di effetti speciali la fa da padrone. Il tipico cinema catastrofico di Emmerich incontra la Bibbia, e capiamo presto che la storia si dipana secondo quella dell’Arca di Noè.

C’è però un qualcosa di deja vù nel film: a partire dagli appelli del presidente alla nazione, stravisti in mille altri film, per arrivare al gioco dei decolli degli aerei, stravisti in questo film (uno schema che si ripete almeno tre volte). E quando il film sembra arrivare verso il climax ci si accorge che alla fine manca ancora un’ora e un quarto. Emmerich infarcisce il film di troppi fatti, troppi imprevisti che accadono alla storia, che così è sempre in tensione, ma manca di una vera salita in attesa di un apice. Ai personaggi succede davvero ogni cosa. Come dire: sei in mezzo alla fine del mondo, e ti va pure di sfiga. Il film ha meno sobrietà nella scrittura dei personaggi rispetto a L’alba del giorno dopo. E i toni di Emmerich sono sempre solenni con improvvisi (e poco riusciti) sprazzi di ironia che vorrebbero spezzare la tensione.

Il momento cult del film è però umorismo involontario: dal governo americano apprendiamo che il premier italiano non è partito per salvarsi, ma ha preferito rimanere in Italia a pregare… Seguono immagini del crollo del Vaticano. Inutile dire che frasi così sentite in Italia suscitino il sorriso. Quanto alla morale del film, si capisce che Emmerich crede nella famiglia, ma poi chi si salva sono soprattutto i ricchi e i politici. Anche se il finale potrebbe rendere giustizia alla Terra: sarà l’Africa il centro del nuovo mondo?

Da vedere perché: Il cinema catastrofico incontra i Maya e la Bibbia… Spettacolare e gigantesco ma con troppa carne al fuoco e umorismo involontario

(Pubblicato su Movie Sushi)

This piece is an oldie but a goodie. When starting this piece I wanted to have a central theme that represented each band. The two bands that I was making the flyer for, Cloud Conquers City and Big City Send Out, both had the world city in their name so I thought a depiction of a city would work really well. To push the piece further and make it fun and interesting I added Godzilla because honestly, what is a city if not to get smashed by a giant lizard? I felt that the flyer no matter what age would be fun and grab your attention and hopefully bring more people to the show.