Nagoya Castle To Be Destroyed Again?

By Armand Vaquer

Above, Godzilla approaches Nagoya Castle in "Mothra vs. Godzilla" (1964). The photo was signed by Haruo Nakajima.

It was destroyed by U.S. air raids in 1945. It rebuilt and later destroyed by Godzilla in 1964. Now, it may be destroyed again by Nagoya city officials.

The City of Nagoya, Japan is considering rebuilding Nagoya Castle.

The Mainichi Daily News reports:

NAGOYA -- Local residents here showed mixed feelings during a public meeting over the weekend over a plan to rebuild Nagoya Castle from the current concrete structure into a wooden one to preserve its original state.

The Nagoya Municipal Government held the meeting at a civic hall on Feb. 19, in which some 160 local residents discussed the pros and cons of Mayor Takashi Kawamura's plans to transform Nagoya Castle into a wooden structure.

Founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the initiator of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1867), Nagoya Castle was first completed in 1612. The structure, however, was destroyed by U.S. air raids in May 1945. The current castle tower was rebuilt in 1959.

Above, the real Nagoya Castle.

Nagoya Castle was featured (and demolished by Godzilla (Haruo Nakajima)) in the 1964 feature Mothra vs. Godzilla.

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan covers Nagoya Castle on page 40.

To read the full article, go here.

USA Today Article On Criterion's "Godzilla" Blu-ray

by Armand Vaquer


USA Today is carrying an article on the upcoming Criterion Blu-ray edition of the original 1954 Godzilla and the 1956 Americanized Godzilla, King of The Monsters!

The article also includes interview comments by kaiju historians David Kalat and August Ragone.

The article starts with:

From terms like "Bridezilla" to films like Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, the thought of Japan's most famous monster usually evokes a chuckle, not a roar.

But the roots of the Tokyo-stomping beast are dark and terrible. Long before its 27 sequels and endless spinoffs, the original 1954 film, called Gojira in Japan, was a fearful atomic fable from expert filmmakers, a metaphor for the bombing of Hiroshima that ended World War II just nine years earlier.

On Tuesday, the highbrow Criterion Collection, which usually traffics in the world of Hitchcock, Truffaut and Japan's Akira Kurosawa, will add digitally restored editions of Toho Studios' Gojira and the watered-down American version from 1956, Godzilla: King of the Monsters with Raymond Burr, to its prestigious DVD and Blu-ray catalog.

To read the full USA Today online article, go here.

Godzilla "Concept" Art: Nothing To See Here, Folks!

by Armand Vaquer

These images purported to be "rejected concept designs" for the Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros. Godzilla are making the rounds over the Internet.



Sites such as Shock Till You Drop, Dread Central and others have posted articles proclaiming that these are "the real deal" and, also, citing G-Fan as the source.

From Dread Central:

The images popped up in the latest issue of G-Fan. It should be noted these concepts were rejected, but at least they offer insight into which direction they're looking to go. Thankfully it's the right one!

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending upon one's point-of-view), the images are fan-art drawings. They are not rejected concept drawings.

"Gamera The Brave" Blu-ray Coming May 22

Above, Gamera and Zedus locked in battle in Nagoya.

Media Blasters' Blu-ray edition of Gamera The Brave (2006) is set to hit shelves on May 22.

Above, "Gamera The Brave" Japanese poster.

Gamera The Brave is an entertaining movie targeted to the younger set, but it is "adult" enough so that it won't make adult viewers cringe.

For Media Blasters' website, go here.

Travel Guide Holiday Special: 6 Days Left

by Armand Vaquer


The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan holiday "stocking-stuffer" sale has six (6) more days remaining.

This is your chance to get the travel guide for $12.00 total (and that include shipping!) for that kaijulogist in your life (or for yourself).

Don't delay, order today!

For details, go here.



Left, Yuu Asakura with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science-Fiction Convention Sunday, January 15, 2012

by Armand Vaquer



I will have a table at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science-Fiction Convention Sunday, January 15, 2012 at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium Expo Center at 700 West 32nd St., Los Angeles, CA.

I will be selling The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. The celebrity guests include actor Ron Ely (Doc Savage, Tarzan), actress Yancy Butler (Witchblade) and stars of the Adventures of Superboy.

From the show's website:

REGULAR ADMISSION is only $8.00, five years and under are free. Show Hours: 10:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Each attendee receives a Hand Stamp and Ticket which allows all day access to the Convention, so you can go to lunch and come back to continue shopping. EARLY ADMISSION is only $12.00 and shop early like the Dealers starting at 9:10 A.M. PREMIUM ADMISSION is $12.00 and you'll receive a UNDERWORLD AWAKENING MOVIE T-SHIRT AND FULL SIZE POSTER! In addition, the PREMIUM ADMISSION also includes EARLY ADMISSION! GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE (opens in theaters February 17) give-aways might be added, so check back closer to show date for updates.

For more information, go to http://www.comicbookscifi.com/index.html.

Remember: The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science-Fiction Convention Sunday, January 15, 2012! Mark your calendar!

It's Time Once Again For Godzilla Christmas

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Inventors Spot / Whyismarko

It's the holiday season again and everyone is thinking about buying gifts, eggnog, Perry Como songs, snow, Christmas carols, setting up an enormous light display in front of their house, friends, family, and of course Godzilla. What the hell does Godzilla have to do with Christmas? Well my naive friend quite a lot as you will soon discover.

Over the past couple of decades a new Godzilla movie has been released each year just before Christmas much to the delight of monster movie maniacs around the globe. Of course when I say released I mean released in Japan. The connection with these films and the happiest of holidays has not been lost on the people who dwell in the land of the rising sun and every year it seems that the monster is primed to kick Santa to the curb for good.

A perfect example of this the Christmas tree at the Aqua City Odaiba shopping mall in Tokyo which is shaped like "the king of monsters". Not only is the thing shaped like Godzilla but it also has eyes that glow red and it shoots out steam from it's mouth!

How friggin cool is that!

Only the Japanese would come up with a 40ft Christmas tree that is shaped like Godzilla that breathes fire!

God, they really are years ahead of us aren't they? Our Kong tree that kidnaps a blond female shopper and climbs to the top of the food court is a decade away at best.

Now many of you may think that this is sacrilegious .... and it probably is, but for some reason some people like to replace the characters from the Bible with Japanese giant monsters in their nativity scenes. Why? Who knows? Yet every year pictures of Godzilla nativity scenes start popping up online just after thanksgiving. This image comes from a blogger's list of the 40 worst nativity scenes. Now is Godzilla Marry or Joseph? Is Ghidorah supposed to be the three wise men? Did they eat up all the sheep and oxen? That stable would have to be huge! More questions here than answers I'm afraid.

Merry Godzilla Christmas!

Hundreds flee in terror as the Godzilla Christmas tree attacks a Tokyo mall!