Thursday, May 27, 2010

Shinji Higuchi Bringing Monster Magnitude 9 To Television

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Nippon Cinema / Toho Kingdom / Avery Guerra

Japanese special effects master, Shinji Higuchi (Heisei Gamera Series), has developed a brand new giant monster television series for late night television called, "MM9" (Monster Magnitude 9).

The series will take place in an alternate universe, where Japan is constantly attacked by monsters. MM9 is a special unit of Japan Meteorological Agency who's job it is to predict the arrival of these monsters in very much the same way that the National Weather Service predicts rain and snow.

When the monsters do show up, and you know that they will in every episode, a team of monster specialists called “Kitokutai” are dispatched to combat them. Only one problem, these specialists are not from the military, so they don't have any weapons. The group will have to rely on their skills, knowledge, and experience to prevent the monsters from reducing Japan to toothpicks.

That's a new twist! You would think that a group that specializes in dealing with 200ft tall creatures would get a maser tank or two......or at least a bazooka or something?

"MM9" stars Anna Ishibashi as the teams rookie, Sakura Fujisawa, along with Machiko Ono as Sakura's mentor, Mikazuki. Rounding out the cast are Issei Takahashi, Yasuhi Nakamura, Satoru Matsuo, Sarutoki Minagawa, Takako Kato, and Yutaka Matsushige.

"MM9" also has a great list of directors lined up, including Tomoyuki Furumaya, Kiyotaka Taguchi and Ataru Oikawa. So far all of the shows episodes have been written by Kazunori Ito (Patlabor, Gamera).

Back on April 1st, posted a fake message, that hinted that this show was coming, about a new series called, "XX9". The post featured the cast of "MM9" dressed in sci fi costumes with futuristic weapons.

As a late night sci fi dorama "MM9" will go toe-to-toe with Kadokawa's "Daimajin Kanon".

"MM9" is set to premiere July 7th on the Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS).

Why can't we get any great shows like this here in America?

See Also: New Images And Video From "Daimajin Kanon" / In The Absence Of Godzilla, Japan Has Had A Real Giant Monster Boom!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Godzilla 2012 Facebook Group Update - 500 Members And The Thread Of The Week!

Written By: Ken Hulsey

I want to apologize for the lack of posts over the past couple of days, and "Godzilla Toy Tuesday" will return next week. I decided to seize the opportunity due to the lack of Godzilla, or other Japanese giant monster news, this week to work on my other two blogs, "Monster Island News" and "Cryptomundo".

I did, however, think that it was about time that I posted an update on the Facebook group associated with this site, the very popular "Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group)".

Let's see, the last time I posted anything about the group was way back on April 5th...wow....has it been that long? At that time I was jumping-up-and-down because the number of members had reached '300'. Well, I'm happy to report that the group has sailed past the 500 hundred member mark to 543 members at this moment.

My thanks go out to all of you for joining!

As expected, due to the lack of news coming out of Legendary Pictures about "Godzilla 2012", the frantic pace of new members joining, new wall posts and new discussions has slowed to a more steady crawl.

Fans have taken the opportunity to post photos of their favorite Godzilla designs, both from films and fan made, in hopes of swaying the folks over at Legendary Pictures to either go 'retro' or with something new and unique looking in the new film.

One member, Anthony Acker , posted this pic of a rather peaceful looking Godzilla and King Kong holding hands. I'm sure that I speak for everyone when I say that I support peace in many forms, but I'm sure every red-blooded monster movie fan would rather see Kong and Big G throwing rocks at each other and smashing Nagoya Castle into balsa scraps.

That leads me to a feature I would like to start posting on a regular basis called "Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group) Thread Of The Week", where I post an entire discussion board post including replies.

This week, due mainly to the fact that a director for "Godzilla 2012" still hasn't been named yet, I have chosen - "Who will Direct?"

With 38 replies this has been the most active thread on the Facebook group so far.

Here we go!

Who Will Direct?

David Nunez I was wondering who will direct this new Godzilla movie? I think it could be an established Kaiju movie director like Kaneko. Nobody said it had to be an American director.

Kenneth Lee Hulsey Yes, this could be a 'make-or-break' decision! If the name Michael Bay comes up...I'm jumping off the Golden Gate!

Not likely to see a Japanese director here....going to be American for sure, but who could do a film like this justice?

David Nunez Thats a good question Kenneth if its an American director it has to be someone who knows the genre. Right now I cant think of anyone off hand.

Kenneth Lee Hulsey That would be the real problem, no American director knows how to do one of these. I can't see them bringing in someone from Japan.

Unfortunately, we Americans aren't very good at making giant monster flicks....well, not since the 60s anyway.

David Nunez Who directed Cloverfield? That was a good movie imo.

Mark Torchia I would love to see Matt Reeves (who directed Cloverfield) or even JJ Abrams himself handle this. They get Daikaiju Movies. They get the fans. They're "nerds" like the rest of us. LOL. But....as far as JJ goes, isn't he exclusive to Paramount?

Kenneth Lee Hulsey Yes, they are hooked in with Paramount, but yes, those guys could do "Godzilla 2012" right.

Any other ideas?

David Nunez How about Quinton Tarentino or Tim Burton I have heard both of those guys like kaiju movies. But for now I like the idea of Matt Reeves or JJ Abrams.

David Nunez Reeves I mean

Kenneth Lee Hulsey Quinton Tarentino is an interesting choice! He said in a recent interview that he wanted to do a Godzilla film...and he understands Asian cinema......hmmm

My wild card was Norman England....he's an American living in Japan...he's worked on several Godzilla films.

Not a big name...but he has the credits.

David Nunez I didnt know Norman was a director? Wel he for sure could do it.

Kenneth Lee Hulsey Norman has been making indie films in Japan for a few years now...find a copy of "The iDol"...a very good film!

David Nunez You think Norman can handle a high budget movie? If so then he has my vote.

Kenneth Lee Hulsey He has been trying to get a big scale alien invasion flick made in Japan for a bit.

He once told me that he didn't want to do a kaiju film....so he may not have any interest in this...

Bryan Singer or Christopher Nolan anyone?

Nolan has ties with Legendary and Warner Bros......could be?

David Nunez I get the feeling that Warner Brothers and Legendary want to make this Godzilla movie the right way so I think they will go with someone they feel could be qualifyed. I wonder who it will be?

David Belmont Montoya Maybe Tim Burtn could do Godzilla 2012 good. he's put godzilla cameos in a bit of his films, and he has the twisted mind to make Godzilla serious, yet action-packed.

Arlo Hansen While I like Tim Burton and many of his movies, I don't feel strongly towards him directing the next big Godzilla installment (sorry).

Quentin Tarentino I like for he has an understanding for Asian films and has wanted to make a Godzilla film for a while.

Christopher Nolan is another good choice for he did justice to the recent Batman franchise...but then again his films are too dark and serious and many people may want a balance between that and humor (like Star Trek or Sherlock Holmes). However if he can pull that off the he has my vote.

Peter Jackson is an unlikely candidate (for I hear he doesn't like Godzilla) but it would be an interesting hypothetical situation for he has a knack for pulling off EPIC movies.

Michael Bay........please shoot me if that happens, stick with Transformers pal!

J.J. Abrams would be one of my top candidates for this project but since he's exclusive to Paramount it would be very unlikely that he would be pulled into the project.

From what I have been hearing this movie is going to be a "modern epic" as well as a "reimagining of the original films" so I am expecting that Warner Bros. and Legendary will hire a director who has a broad understanding for the Godzilla series (unlike Emmerich) and is able to pull off a great story with morals, great human drama mixed with all that kaiju rampaging and battling we all love.

Overall , It would be cool if we saw either Quentin Tarentino or Matt Reeves direct it.

David Nunez I think the best thing Warner Brothers should do is get a well known kaiju movie director to direct the movie like Kaneko or Okawara. I would hope that the movie would be dark and horrific.

Ian Jentsch I wish Guillermo Del Toro could direct, but he's far too busy with The Hobbit and many other projects. He really understands monsters, plus his fantastic cinematic vision would be unique and cool for Godzilla, but still have nice retro feel to it.

Evan Brehany I think they are gonna go with an American director since the Japanese are going to have alot of influence over the producing. After all, they get to write the checks. ;) But seriously, I would like to see JJ Abrams take this. Just not in the same form as CLOVERFIELD. Traditional filming would be good. Other names could be Tarantino (if his idea is done correctly, I can see some pluses with his idea), Scorcesse (I've seen August explain this one), Burton (lots of fans are saying no to this), John Carpenter (I'd rather not, he's getting old and I don't want a death on set. FAV US DIRECTOR), and maybe the dude who did THE INCREDIBLE HULK and the remake of CLASH OF THE TITANS (I got a feeling it is going to be good). I say ultimately go with Scorcesse. He is the best in the line up, plus name recognition. Assured quality.

Though now... Mr. Nunez did bring up a good point. Being the Kaneko fanboy I am, I wouldn't mind him having his shot with a US film. After all GGOTU was successful here in the US - spawn a comic book series and toy line. Plus, I heard Kaneko does respect American filmmaking style and did a part in that movie NECRONOMICON.
March 31 at 12:55pm · Mark as Irrelevant · Report · Delete Post
Charles X. Thao Me! I have directing experience and have been a Goji-fan since forever. Make it so fellow fans, and you will not regret!

Ian Jentsch I think some fans took Tarantino's "I have a Godzilla movie I really want to do" statement waaaay too seriously. Quentin also had a Bond film idea he "really wanted to do". The man's a fan who likes to share his fan-ficty ideas, that's all.

David Nunez Without egos getting in the way do you think this new Godzilla movie might have 2 directors? Or at least one director giving advise on Godzilla? Keep in mind this movie will also be seen in Japan. So it might be a good idea if it had some Japanese film influence.

Without a doubt some of the people from Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers have got to go to G-Fest 2010 this year for a Q&A session and hear what the fans have to say. I think this could help in getting the right director for the movie.

Evan Brehany When it comes to directoral influence, I hope Banno influences some. Tree huggers ftw!

Ian Jentsch You know just because a director has saids they like Godzilla, or they Godzilla movies had some influence on them when they were younger doesn't mean they're clammering to make a Godzilla movie.

Eric Chandler OMG there are so many directors out there picking one is tough, but I the person to know the material inside and out and have passion about it as well. If that makes sense. Heck if a woman directed this that would be surprised. So I really don't know, sorry.

Javier Antonio Munoz i really dont think the director is really the main focus the main focus should be a good writter to write a good godzilla script and allright actors...as for the terrantino rumors i wouldnt like him to take the helm i think he is to wild for a godzilla movie i really loved what shusuke kaneko did and admired what matt reeves did...beacuase if this godzilla movie changes everything than it will all be in vain just like Gino....what if toho could have kaneko and reeves do a colabotrtive joint

David Nunez I kind of like the idea of Kaneko & Reeves co directors for G2012. nice suggestion Javier. You also made a good point about who will write the story. I am kind of curious about that myself.

Domenic Betters I'm down with either Reeves since i loved Cloverfield.

Or the long shot of peter jackson doing it.

Javier Antonio Munoz Peter Jackson are you serious? he hella kan the only way king kong was made good was cuz of that hot blondy

Eric Chandler Who was the guy of directed Hellboy? I don't think he'll do it, but its a thought.

Jesse Laythe My top directors are:
Neill Blomkamp
Louis Letterier
Tim Burton
Martin Scorsese

David Nunez Well aside from Tim Burton which of those other director is a fan of Kaiju movies and might have some understanding of what makes a good daikaiju movie?

Erik Cornell Personally I would like to see Jan De Bont and maybe even Steven Spielberg directing the film together.

I truly felt that although De Bont's 1994 version of Godzilla was flawed origin wise, he PERFECTLY nailed it's personality and iconic character.


Javier Antonio Munoz i never heard of that guy

Erik Cornell He was originally supposed to direct GINO, and his version was infinitely better (though far from perfect)

Here is the synopsis of the version of the film he made:

http://www.kaijuphile.com/rodansroost/scrapyard/godzillavsgryphon.shtml

Here is designs that where considered to be used in his take on Godzilla:

http://web.me.com/toddtennant1/G94/G94.html

Want to get in on this one? Well, you can either go to to Facebook and join the group Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group) or continue on at the bottom of this post. The choice is yours!

See Also: Godzilla 2012 Facebook Group Passes The 'Magic 300' / Godzilla 2012 Facebook Group Update: Continued Success! / Godzilla 2012 Facebook Group Update: Immediate Success!

Monday, May 24, 2010

New Photos And DVD Release Info For “Deep Sea Monster Raiga"

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: J-Film2009 / JETRO-USA / Taito International Comedy Film Festival / Starchild /Raiga Blog / Avery Guerra

It has been almost a year since Shinpei Hayashiya's film, "Deep Sea Monster Raiga", made it's debut at the “Tokusatsu Kaiju Tengoku” (SFX Monster Heaven) film festival in Tokyo last June. Since that time, things have been very, very, quite, with no new reports coming out of the "Raiga" camp.

That is, until today.

Indeed, it has just been announced that the film will, finally, be released on DVD, in Japan, on August 25th.

Here is the scoop:

...... Global Warming is the catalyst for unleashing giant monsters on Japan. The melting of the southern polar ice causes a disruption in Earth's ecosystem that causes the migration of the monsters to the island nation.

The largest of the sea monsters is a beast called "Raiga", which unleashes it's "Inconvenient Truth" on Tokyo just like Godzilla, Gamera, Mothra and Rodan have numerous times.

Reportedly, there are four different monsters in the film, "Raiga", and three others. You can get a look at one of them in the photos below.

Here are the film's details from the DVD:

“SHINKAIJÛ RAIGA” (2009)
English Title: RAIGA, the Monster from the Deep Sea
Genre: Sci-fi
Format: Digital Betacam / 85min / Color
Year of Production: 2009
[Theatrical] Release Date (Japan): June 27, 2009
Production Company: Crossroad
Director: Shinpei Hayashiya
Producers: Atsuko Iwai
Screenplay: Shinpei Hayashiya
Director of Photography: Toshiharu Nakagawa
Music: Keiichiro Kitazono
Main Cast: Yukijiro Hotaru, Miyu Oriyama

Also in conjunction with this upcoming release of "Deep Sea Monster Raiga", now being called, "Raiga, The Monster From The Deep Sea", three new English language synopsis have surfaced, and several new photos have been released.

First, here are the synopsis:

Set 60 years after the events from the previous film “Deep Sea Monster Reigo”, the threat of global warming is causing the southern polar ice-cap to slowly melt. Because of this, the ecosystem is disturbed and sea monsters are heading to Japan. [As] if things couldn’t get any worse, a huge sea monster by the name of Raiga arrives at Asakusa and begins its path of destruction on the town. (J-Film2009)

A monster from the deep-sea attacks again! This time in Asakusa, where many temples attract visitors from not only Japan, but also all over the world, the sparkling thunder brings a gigantic monster from the deep-sea with deadly fangs. It will burn Asakusa to ground. (JETRO-USA)

The second theatrical film directed by Shinpei Hayashiya, a rakugo master (comic storyteller). Raiga, the evolved version of the deep-sea aquatic dinosaur “Reigo” from his first film Deep Sea Monster Reigo, runs rampant in the town of Asakusa! …

It has been over six decades since the battle of Deep Sea Monster Reigo and Battleship Yamato. As global warming worsens, throwing the ecosystem off balance, a disaster approaches Japan. A mysterious, massive creature emerges from the nearby ocean and a fishing boat encounters an ominous deep-sea creature in Tokyo Bay. Then a giant monster “Raiga” lands in Asakusa, Tokyo! The Taito Guard is called out at the request of the government, and a cut-throat battle beyond all imagination begins… (Taito International Comedy Film Festival)

Just like in Minoru Kawasaki's 2008 film, "Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit!", "Raiga" is part monster movie, part comedy, that lampoons the giant monster genre, while also paying a respectful homage to it.

I was actually half tempted to add, 'music video' to that description, due to the fact that director Shinpei Hayashiya spent almost as much time promoting the singing careers of his three young leading ladies, Enosawa Manami, Urata Mao and Oriyama Miyu, as he did for his monster movie.

For those of you who don't know, "Raiga, The Monster From The Deep Sea" is actually a sequel to Hayashiya's 2005 film, "Deep Sea Monster Reigo", which was set during World War II and told the story Japanese battleship Yamato and it's confrontation with a giant monster in the remote Pacific.

As you have probably gathered, the events in "Raiga" take place in modern times.

No word yet on any possible DVD release for "Raiga, The Monster From The Deep" here in America.

Here is the website for the Japanese DVD - http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/raiga/

Here are the photos, plus the films trailer, now with English subtitles:









See Also: In The Absence Of Godzilla, Japan Has Had A Real Giant Monster Boom!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Ghidrah: The Three Headed Monster - Continental Press Book Text

Written By: Ken Hulsey

In 1965 Continental Distributing put out a press book full of add slicks and articles to promote their release of "Ghidrah: The Three Headed Monster" here in America.

Included inside are some news stories, written by the distributor, to be printed in local newspapers and magazines while the movie was in theaters.

Also included were, "add slicks" for the film. These are the images you find in the entertainment section of the newspaper that normally feature a graphic of the films poster art with a square at the bottom for theater and show time information.

I thought that it would be fun to publish the text from this press book for fans to read through. I believe that you find it interesting just how an American company would publicize a Japanese monster film.

I find it funny that in several of their pre-written articles for the press, Continental states that Ghidrah has four legs.

Makes you wonder if the person who wrote them even watched the film?

I just happen to have a copy of this Showman's Manual in my collection. As luck would have it, I was able to get this rather rare piece of Godzilla movie history autographed by Yasuyuki Inoue and Akinori Takagi at the "Godzilla X Mothra X MechaGodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S." American premiere at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood (2004).

Summit Meeting of Monsters Saves Earth

It's not the leaders of nations who gather for a Summit Meeting at Mt. Fuji to save the world, but three infamous monsters....Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra..when they attempt to conquer an "outsider" in "Ghidrah..The Three Headed Monster" the new Tohoscope / Eastmancolor thriller which opens at the...(Insert Theatre Name)..Theatre on....(Insert Opening Date)...

Each a specialist in destruction, it takes a bit of doing on the part of strategists to convince the world levelers that their own existences are threatened by the arrival from outer space of a behemoth that has three heads working for it and some new intergalactic techniques to use in wiping out a planet. Once united in a common cause, the monsters whip up the most incredible battle scenes yet to be seen on the screen.

Master special effects creator, Eiji Tsuburaya, is again responsible for the action which calls for the realistic destruction of ships at sea, the city of Yokohama and villages unfortunate to be in the path of the havoc-bent monsters. Directed by Ishiro Honda, renowed for his contributions to this specialized field of science fiction motion picture making, "Ghidrah - The Three Headed Monster" was produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka for the Toho Company. It is being released by Continental, a division of Walter Reade-Sterling, Inc.

"Ghidrah - Three Headed Monster" Fiction Or Fact?

"Ghidrah - The Three Headed Monster" the Eastmancolor thriller which opens at the...(Insert Theatre Name)...Theatre on....(Insert Opening Day)..., brings up a reverse question, is it fiction or fact?

"Way out" science fiction magazines and cartoons of a decade or two ago have been proven to be amazingly accurate in predicting the future. Today, they are being examined with a new respect. Too many of their space predictions have developed from fiction to fact.

Two veterans of the science fiction field director Ishiro Honda and special effects expert Eiji Tsuburaya have been making motion pictures which deal with monsters created by the imbalance of nature through the radio-active results of the atom and hydrogen bombs. According to them, man's experimentation with the inner secrets of the Universe created a breed of monsters such as Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra. Enlarged beyond human imagination, they have inflicted their monstrosities upon trembling peoples, cities and nations. Nuclear defense devices used against them strengthens rather than diminishes their powers. The latest of the teams fertile imaginations deals with a meteorite which manages to pierce earth's atmosphere without being consumed by the friction. Once settled on the new planet, it cools off and goes through an incubation period. The disturbed elements of nature are the midwife to the strangest creature yet to be born on earth. The metallic shell splits in half and a tremendous fireball roars into the sky becoming GHIDRAH, the monster to end all monsters. Equipped with four legs (again..?), coliseum sized wings and three heads, no spanking is necessary for it to breath out fiery flames from each of its mouths as it surveys a new world to ravage.

Like the radio-active fallout which can have freakish genetic effects on humans, could a disruption caused by man-made satellites and space crafts wandering into space cause a shift in the solar order of wandering meteorites so that they are diverted to a new gravitic earth force? If so are they capable of bringing foreign life to this planet?

The reality of that threat is yet to be seen. However, the Toho Production deals with the problem as if it has already occurred. They have lined up three of earth's most formidable monsters...Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra ..to challenge the intruder from space. Born to destroy anything that stands in their paths, their showdown with Ghidrah is fore-ordained. Technically and dramatically, "Ghidrah - The Three Headed Monster" is the company's most ambitious project to date.

Filmed in Tohoscope. "Ghidrah - The Three Headed Monster" was produced by Tomoyki Tanaha (Tomoyuki Tanaka) and is being presented by Walter Reade-Sterling through its Continental Distributing Division.

GHIDRAH THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER

The balance of the universe has been upset by the entrance into earth's atmosphere of a brilliant meteorite. The people are totally unprepared for the shock of seeing a three-headed monster with wings, flames spewing forth from its multiple mouths, emerge from the fireball from outer space. It is GHIDRAH! Its giant wings lift it into flight as it soars off to ravage the planet Earth.

Godzilla and Rodan are reactivated from hibernation because of this upset in the balance of the universe.

Royal Princess Salno of Selgina, a small country between the two worlds, appears before the unbelieving people as a beautiful Prohetess (EIKO WAKABAYASHI) and proclaims herself to be a Martian. Naoko (YURIKO HOSHI), an enterprising girl reporter , is the only person to befriend her until Detective Shindo (YOSUKE NATSUKI), the reporter's brother, takes her into protective police custody to guard her against a group of thugs, headed by Malness (HISAYA ITO) who are determined to kill her.

Naoko takes the prophetess to Mt. Fuji where Ghidra does battle with Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra, the massive caterpillar who comes to their assistance.

NEW MONSTER PROVES THREE HEADS BETTER THAN ONE

It was bound to happen! Forget the axiom that two heads are better than one. The very latest in world destroyers is one head up on it as proven in "Ghidrah - The Three Headed Monster" the new Tohoscope / Eastmancolor thriller which opens at the..(Insert Theatre Name) ..Theatre on..(Insert Opening Date).. Those veteran one headed monsters, Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra are on hand to learn this new lesson the hard way.

Purely an outer space product, Ghidrah comes equipped with four legs (?), a set of coliseum size wings and multiple mouths that spew out three times as much destruction at the crack as the earth born monsters can do singly in a month of Sundays. The obvious solution is for Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra to stop tearing at each other's throats long enough to put their combined heads together to drive the foreigner out of their territory, which means our of this world.

Shinichi Sekizawa, an expert on the extra-curricular activities of delinquent monsters, conjured a screenplay which affords Godzilla and Rodan with scenes to exhibit their individual specialties, than adding Mothra to combine their talents for the inevitable showdown with Ghidrah on the slopes of Mt. Fuji. The built-in violence of each contestant automatically brings about a smash climax when irresistible forces meet an immovable object and the earth literally trembles from the impact.

"Ghidrah - The Three Headed Monster" was produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka for the Toho Company. A Walter Reade-Sterling presentation, it is being released through its Continental Distributing Division which has to acknowledge that three heads are better than one.

The Monster Movie Report 05/21/10 - The Return Of Dracula, The Creature, Frankenstein? Giant Spiders And Eggs Run Amock!

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Famous Monsters To Bring Back The Creature, The Mummy, Frankenstein And Others To The Silver Screen?
Source: Bloody Disgusting / Avery Guerra

Just wanted to tip everyone off to some interesting news that is breaking at Cannes.

According to a source at the movie festival, the newly revived, "Famous Monsters of Filmland" magazine has announced that they are getting into the movie making biz.

So far, the magazine, once owned by the legendary publisher, Forrest J Ackerman, has a slate of five classic Universal horror franchises that they either wish to relaunch, or remake.

Check out these titles: Dracula: Reborn, Mummy: Resurrected, Frankenstein: Regenerated, Werewolf: Reloaded and Creature: Returns.

Not much else has surfaced about these potential new monster films, obviously based on the classic monster films of the 30s, 40s and 50s.

Is this true? Could "Famous Monsters" be about to start making their own films?

We'll wait and see. This could just be a rumor.

I wonder what Universal will have to say about this?

Tibor Takacs And Nu Image Are About To Unleash SPIDER IN 3D!
Sources: JoBlo / Avery Guerra

Are we living in the second 'golden age' of monster films or what?

If you are a huge fan of classic monster movies, like me, then you should be literally smiling ear-to-ear with all the news of remakes and monster movie franchises be 'reborn' or 'relaunched'.

As most of you know, Universal is presently working on reworking all of their classic monster films, namely "Creature From the Black Lagoon", "Frankenstein" and "Dracula" for a modern audience, and, if you read my article yesterday, it looks as if the publishers of "Famous Monsters of Filmland" magazine are looking to produce a series of their own films based on these monsters as well.

Then, of course, there is the news that Legendary Pictures will be producing a new "Godzilla" movie for a 2012 release as well.

Amazingly enough, the films of the next decade are starting to look a lot like the ones seen in the 1950s' and 60s', with film makers leaning more towards films that feature creatures from outer space and monsters that can step on tanks and swat airplanes, and thanks to "Avatar", just about all of these new, 'retro-style' films will be coming at you in 3D.

For those of you who don't know, 3D films are another throw-back from the 1950s' as well.

That brings me to today's topic, a newly announced giant monster flick called "Spider In 3D", which is just beginning production at Nu Image studios. The film, which will be directed by Tibor Takacs (The Gate) is an obvious homage to films like "Tarantula", "The Deadly Mantis" and "Black Scorpion". Films that used to make peoples skin crawl some 40+ years ago.

Here is the synopsis:

A new species of poisonous spider is discovered in the caves of Afghanistan and inadvertently makes its way to New York City where it mutates to gigantic proportions and wreaks havoc on the entire city.

Sounds kinda like the plot for "Tarantula" and "The Deadly Mantis" mixed together doesn't it?

As I mentioned before, "Spider In 3D" is in the early stages of development, so there is no cast or producers attached to the film yet.

3D Spiders attacking New York? You can't get any more retro than that. Well, unless you make a movie about a giant ape attacking New York that is.

This Egg Will Eat You For Breakfast!
Source: Avery Guerra

Eggs have always gotten a pretty bad rap as being...well.....bad for you.

You know, that whole Cholesterol thing.

Well today I have an egg that is very, very, bad for you, not because it may lead to a potential cardiac issue, but because it is 200 feet tall and mad as hell.

Take that FDA!

Born as a lark, "Giant Egg Attack!", has grown (literally) from a joke movie trailer, to a music video/song, to a pseudo religion and a modern bit of folklore, to a short film.

Let me explain. Last year two Norwegian musicians, Geir Are Mo and Jan R. Bakken, took their love of monster movies and combined it with their love of omelets, to create a fake movie trailer about a giant egg that runs amok.

Though the whole thing was created as a joke, the two Viking descendants envisioned much, much more, from their creation.

Geir Are Mo explains, "Yes, the trailer was just a faux. But I will make more videos of it [The Egg] in the future."

"I’m actually a musician and me and a friend [Jan R. Bakken] have a band to make silly and weird music just for the fun of it. At one point it all evolved into a [pseudo] religion, made up out of dumb lyrics and themes, where we were supposed to pray to forks (yeah, the thing you eat with. In Norway, it’s called Gaffel). Later I recorded a song called “The Mortal Egg That Eats Me”. (If you’re interested, you can find almost all the songs here http://www.tonne.co.nr/)."

"Anyway, as a joke we decided to make the Eggs a mythical gigantic creature in the “gaffismic religion” we created — so that’s where it all started. We later thought about how cool it would’ve been if it was in a giant monster movie. So last summer [Jan] came over to my house. We filmed a few shots around the farm where I live and later that night I finished the trailer."

From that trailer, and song, the whole giant Norwegian egg idea kinda took on a life of it's own, and before the duo knew it, they were working on series of short films, which then in turn, mutated into one, not so short film.

Though Geir Are Mo and Jan Bakken's first love is music, the pair have been working on "Giant Egg Attack!" in their spare time and have been able to put together some fun shots of the Egg rampaging through a city.

"There is still a lot of work to be done ....... Sadly this has taken too long time because of things getting in the way. However, the video WILL be finished when I've got some time to work with it!"

Indeed, film making can be rather time consuming. So, I guess we will have to be patient for "Giant Egg Attack!" to be completed.

Here are a couple examples of what the two Norwegians have been able to do so far:




A religion that worships forks? Giant eggs? Boy, the folks in Norway sure love their breakfast foods. I bet Denny's or IHOP would make a killing there.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Mazinkaiser (1999)(2001) OVA

A Giant Robot Thursday Movie Review!

Written By: Ken Hulsey

In 1997 Banpresto approached Go Nagai about creating an advanced version of his famous mecha, Great Mazinger, for the later stages of their Super Robot Wars video game. The design Nagai came up with, Mazinkaiser, is arguably the most powerful mecha ever created. The robot proved to be so popular that it was eventually added to the Mazinger canon (storyline). In 1999 a seven episode OVA (Original Video Animation) anime series was produced to tell the origin of the mecha.

Many American fans may not be too unfamiliar with the Mazinger Z storyline, which aired under the name Tranzor Z shortly after Robotech became popular. Many American children also got to play with a 3 foot tall Mazinger which was released as part of Mattel’s Shogun Warrior line of toys in the late 1970s’. I had one and so did most of my friends.

In the original series Mazinger Z was always pitted against some lame robot that was created by the enemy of the Photon Energy Research Laboratory, Dr. Hell, whose henchman (henchwoman?) Baron Ashura would always oversee the attack. In typical Japanese superhero style the enemy robot would always win through the majority of the fight until Mazinger Z would unleash all its power and destroy it. I always wondered why Dr. Hell never just built one robot and put it aside. Then built another robot and put it aside and so on and so on till he had an army to kick Mazinger’s butt?



In the Mazinkaiser series Dr. Hell finally got a clue. Baron Ashura leads an army of nasty robots into battle against both Mazinger Z and The Great Mazinger (a later advanced version of Mazinger Z) and succeeds in scoring a victory. As the Great Mazinger is sent packing the Mazinger Z is all but destroyed. The machines pilot Kouji Kabuto escapes and follows an automated signal to a hidden cave where he finds a holographic message from his grandfather, Juuzou Kabato, who designed and built both Mazinger.

Dr. Hell rebuilds the Mazinger Z and sets out to destroy the Photon Laboratory. The Great Mazinger proves to be no match for the army of lead by Ashura who is piloting the former defender of Japan. Just as all seems lost the enemy forces begin to be blasted apart by an unseen mecha. Out of the smoke steps the Mazinkaiser piloted by Kabuto. This new machine begins to run amok destroying everything in its path. After the enemy forces had been vanquished the Mazinkaiser engages the Great Mazinger! This new machine is far too powerful for the inexperienced Kouji to control. He does manage to pull in the machines reigns just before it begins to destroy the laboratory. It is no wonder that Juuzo Kabato felt his creation was far too powerful and kept it secretly hidden. As the series proceeds Kouji spends hours perfecting his piloting skills and eventually learns to control the mighty Mazinkaiser enough to finally defeat Dr. Hell and his minions.

Mazinkaiser is a great mini-series, which combines badass robot fights with plenty of comic relief and good amount of topless girls. Yes, this one is geared for the guys. As a fan of the original Mazinger Z series I was very pleased with the way this series continued that storyline, taking it further and showcasing newer technology. As a fan of Japanese mecha, the Great Mazinger especially, I was very impressed by the design of the Mazinkaiser. It is the greatest of the greats hands down. I recommend this one to anyone who ever fired missiles out of their Shogun Warriors hand in an attempt to shoot their cat. Don’t pretend like you never tried it!

Mazinkaiser (1999)(2001) OVA
Directed By: Masahiko Murata
Produced By: Kichou Minami, Koji Morimoto, Satsuki Mizuno, & Yashima Tokuhara

Cast:

Ai Uchikawa as Sayaka Yumi
Akiko Hiramatsu as Lolly
Fumihiko Tachiki as BossHiroshi Yanaka as Tetsuya Tsurugi
Jouji Yanami as Professor Yumi
Kousi Tomita as Doctor Hell
Mitsuki Saiga as Jun Honoo
Sayaka Aida as Shiro Kabuto
Shiho Kikuchi as Roll
Goro Naya as Juzo Kabuto
Haruko Kitahama as Baron Ahura (Woman)
Hidekatsu Shibata as Baron Ashura (Man)

Runtime: 7 - 30 minute episodes
Color: Color
Sound: Stereo
Released: 2001 (USA Video)




See Also: More Info On Jules Urbach's Shogun Warrior Movie "Gaiking" / Giant Robot Toy Thursday! - Robotech Edition / DreamWorks Courting Tim Burton To Unleash Their Monsterpocalypse /Giant Robot Toy Wednesday! - Mazinger Edition / New Images From Won Shin-yeon's 'Taekwon V' / Japanese Giant Monsters And Robots In The News 04/23/10

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Godzilla (And Friends) In The News 05/19/10 - Norman England Talks DEATH KAPPA, Toho Goes 3D And Lindsay Lohan (WTF)?

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Not too much to talk about on the Godzilla and Japanese monster movie front, but I did discover a couple of articles that I think that everyone will find interesting.

For starters, I have a new blog post from our dear friend, Norman England, where he talks a little bit about the "Death Kappa" premiere and some of the other movie projects he has been involved with over the past few weeks.

After that, there is an interesting article about how Toho is going to produce the first ever 3D film in Japan. No, it's not a monster movie. No, it's not a sci fi film, and, no, it's not a fantasy film. Oddly the studio who made a name for themselves by producing such films has opted to make an action movie in 3D, namely the third "Umizaru" film, which is about a coast guard rescue team.

Lastly I have a story about "Godzilla: Final Wars" director, Ryuhei Kitamura........well, actually the story is about gonzo actress, Lindsay Lohan, being cast in "Black Friday 3D", but Kitamura will be at the helm. Amazingly the plot sounds a little like the director's prior effort, "Sky High".....kinda. It's about vengeance...and a serial killer.....anyway.

Here we go:

Full Steam Ahead!

I don't know if this is a blog or simply a list of things I've done between time point A and time point B. I wouldn't mind writing more often and in more detail, if only time permitted. Not even sure where to begin...

Well, since my last entry, I attended two screenings at Imagica. The first was "Death Kappa," an upcoming giant monster film by director Tomoo Haraguchi. It was the premiere screening of the film and attended by the staff and cast. I was there finishing up my story on the film for Fangoria magazine.

I love watching films at Imagica. Nice, large, cushiony seats, a bright clear screen and some booming audio. As "Death Kappa" isn't a major release it was screened in the smaller theater on the lot, but even that's not bad. Still, the large theater is my favorite screen in Japan and I've seen a number of big films there over the years.

Read More

Japan's 'Godzilla' studio enters 3D films
AFP

A major Japanese studio known for its "Godzilla" monster films plans to enter the booming 3D movie business this year with an adaptation of a manga series, it said Tuesday.

Recent Hollywood three-dimensional hits "Avatar" and "Alice in Wonderland" have scored huge success in Japan, whose first major domestically produced 3D film will be released in September, top distributor Toho Co. Ltd., said.

Toho will distribute the third installment in the live-action "Umizaru" series about coast guards to more than 400 theatres across Japan, starting September 18.

"It will be the first 3D production of a major Japanese film," a Toho spokesman said. A team led by major network Fuji Television was in charge of production and Toho would distribute the movie, he added.

Read More

Lindsay Lohan Ready For 'Black Friday 3-D'?
Moviefone (blog) - Bryan Enk

'Black Friday 3-D' tells the story of a brother and his friends who seek revenge after his sister is brutally attacked, a journey that puts them in the path of a serial killer named Tyler Hillburg. The film will be directed by Ryuhei Kitamura ('The Midnight Meat Train,' 'Godzilla: Final Wars').

Read More

See Also: Godzilla In The News 05/13/10 - A Great Godzilla Retrospect, Godzilla Goes A Dancing?, And Bambi Didn't Have A Chance / Godzilla (And Friends) In The News 05/11/10 - How Does King Kong vs Godzilla Rank Among Monster Battles? More Gamera And Kamen Rider DVD Stuff / Godzilla (And Friends) In The News 05/06/10 - Rina Akiyama Rides The Metro To Promote Kamen Rider And Return Of Godzilla Actor Kei Satô Passes / Godzilla 2012 (And Gamera) In The News 05/06/10 - A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Rumors / Godzilla (And Friends) In The News 05/03/10 (Part 2) / Godzilla (And Friends) In The News 05/03/10 / Godzilla In The News 04/21/10 - Big G Influences Fashion And Music, Plus The Top 5 G Films According To CNN / Godzilla In The News 04/19/10 - Obama Worried Jolly Green Giant/Godzilla Conflict Could Destabilize Region / Godzilla 2012 In The News 04/15/10 - The Angry Edition! / Godzilla 2012 In The News 04/12/10 / Godzilla 2012 In The News 04/08/10 / Godzilla 2012 In The News 04/04/10 - Happy Easter! / Godzilla 2012 In The News 04/01/10 / Godzilla 2012 In The News 03/31/10

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Gamera DVD Tuesday! (Normally Godzilla Toy Tuesday!) Free Gamera And Barugon Wallpapers!

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Shout! Factory



Okay, I know this is when all of you expect to see my weekly piece about hard to find Godzilla toys on Amazon.com, but, as you know, "Gamera: The Giant Monster" comes out on DVD today, so, I thought that it would be a good idea to let the titanic turtle rule the day.

I can only assume that if you are either a fan of Godzilla, or Ultraman, that you are most likely a Gamera fan as well, and for the past decade, you have had to suffer through any number of poor quality DVD releases of the American versions of these Japanese monster films.

Well, today that all changes, thanks to Shout! Factory, and their upcoming releases of the original Japanese versions of these Gamera films, starting with "Gamera: The Giant Monster", today, and continuing with "Gamera Vs. Barugon" on July 6th.

The difference between these DVD's, and the horrible versions of the Americanized, public domain, Gamera films is night-and-day. No more scratchy images, poor dubbing and chopped prints.

These babies are in widescreen, with crisp colors, unedited in the original Japanese with English Subtitles.

For decades American fans have longed to see these films as they were intended, as the Japanese did in their theater seats.

Here is the info from Shout! Factory:

From Japan – the country that brought us such mythical movie monsters as Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah – storms Gamera, the titanic terrapin feared by adults and loved by children. On May 18, 2010, Shout! Factory will unleash Gamera, The Giant Monster – Special Edition on DVD for the first time in its unedited original version, with English subtitles — in anamorphic widescreen from an all-new HD master. The DVD includes a 12-page booklet with an essay by director Noriaki Yuasa, a photo gallery, trailers and more. The collectible Gamera, The Giant Monster Special Edition DVD is priced to own at $19.93.

Like all classic monster movies, it is the folly of man that unleashes a ginormous beast upon the world. This time it is literal fallout from the Cold War — a Soviet bomber is shot down over U.S. airspace in the Arctic Ocean, with the massive radiation from the resultant atomic explosion awakening the ancient, gargantuan Gamera. A long-forgotten legend of the lost continent of Atlantis, the 200-foot-long, fire-eating turtle isn't in a good mood, and proving impervious to all manmade weapons, the colossal chelonian smashes a cataclysmic swath across the globe. But when he arrives in Tokyo, a small boy forms an odd connection with him, allowing authorities to unleash “Plan Z.”

The classic Gamera was directed Noriaki Yuasa, who helmed all seven of the original Gamera entries in the Showa era series between 1965 and 1971, and stars Eiji Funakoshi (Fires On The Plain), Harumi Kiritachi, Junichiro Yamashiko and Jutaro Hojo (Wrath of Daimajin). The subsequent franchise was more kid-friendly (yet ironically bloodier) than Godzilla, who became less menacing and more cuddly himself during the Sixties. The Gamera series was creative in the monstrous nemeses that it pitted against the towering turtle, the most famous being the flying, pointy-headed Gyaos, who was resurrected for the successful trio of movies in the Heisei-era series between 1995 and 1999.

Created by the same company who brought Zatoichi to the screen, Daiei Studios’ titanic terrapin is the only true rival to Toho’s King Of The Monsters, able to hold his own at the box office and secure a place in the hearts of kaiju eiga (Japanese monster movie) fans around the world. The original films have woefully been underrepresented on DVD, a especially release featuring the authentic Japanese versions.

In searching the Shout! Factory website, I discovered these two wonderful Gamera (above) and Barugon (below) wall papers free for download.


Here are some outside reviews of "Gamera: The Giant Monster":

Gay for Gamera: To Live, To Love, To Stomp on Tokyo
QS (blog) - Alonso Duralde

Take that damn Steel Magnolias DVD out of your player already and make room for a real scenery-chewing monster.

Shout! Factory releases a Special Edition of Gamera, The Giant Monster on May 18, and it's a must for everyone who loves kaiju (that's Japanese for "monster") movies. And who doesn't love a zipper-backed beastie laying waste to scale models of Japanese cities?

Read More

REVIEW: 'Gamera, The Giant Monster' DVD
Pop Culture Zoo - Joseph Dilworth Jr

When I was a kid one of the things I looked forward to the most on the weekends was the Creature Double Feature, which aired on a TV station out of Boston, channel 56. Every Saturday the station would air two movies back to back drawn from a stable that included the Universal Horror movies from the 1930s to 1950s, the 1950’s Hammer Studios and American International Pictures films, along with a healthy does of early Roger Corman horror films and, most importantly to me, the Toho Studios “giant monster/man-in-suit” films from the ’50s through the ’70s. This is where I developed a great affinity for the early monster and horror films and also where I discovered Godzilla. I was an instant fan of the giant green monster, but he would take a back seat once I saw the first Gamera film. The gigantic turtle has been my favorite of all the Japanese giant monsters since then. Now, Shout Factory has released a great edition of the film Gamera: The Giant Monster and I couldn’t be happier.

Read More

Gamera is a giant, fire-spewing turtle monster -- and that never goes out of style
Los Angeles Times (blog

Look! Up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's, um ... a giant turtle that spins and spews fire as it flies through the air? That's right, it's “Gamera: The Giant Monster," which destroys everything that stands in its path -- save for little children. Aww, hard shell -- soft heart!

On Tuesday, Shout! Factory releases a DVD of the original 1965 Japanese horror film produced by the Daiei Motion Picture Co. as a direct competitor to Toho Studio’s established monster, the mighty Godzilla.

The competition didn't really go so well for the massive sabre-toothed, turtleshell terror.

While the Japanese version of “Godzilla” is actually a well-made, effective thriller, “Gamera” is pretty cheesy with all the seams showing -- including visible wires and rinky-dink miniatures. And poor Gamera -- the team that designed and created him must have learned their craft from a school that advertised on matchbooks.

“Gamera” was made at the height of the Cold War and just a year after such nuclear war flicks as “Dr. Strangelove” and “Fail Safe.” And in this film, Gamera is a prehistoric species awakened from his Arctic slumber during an atomic blast in the region during a dogfight between U.S. fighters and Soviet bombers that have flown into U.S. airspace.

Read More

Turtle Soup: 'Gamera, the Giant Monster'
Express from The Washington Post (blog)

"Gamera, The Giant Monster" is not an especially good movie. It's an admitted rip-off of the popular "Godzilla" craze that stomped through Japan in the early '60s, and every element points to its quick-buck origins: The story is outlandish and convoluted, the acting wooden and broad, the direction one step above hackwork, and the effects decidedly primitive. Even Noriaki Yuasa, who made the movie in 1965, calls it "technically outdated and juvenile." In 1991, "Mystery Science Theater 3000" made particularly hilarious sport of it.

So why does "Gamera" hold such a fascination for generations of Japanese as well as American filmgoers, even 45 years after its release? Why has Gamera survived when other kaiju flicks have long ago breathed their last fireball and destroyed their last city?

According to Shout! Factory's new DVD edition of the '65 flick, that longevity has more to do with the monster itself and very little to do with any of the cinematic niceties we ascribe to "good" movies. First of all, he's a giant turtle. Not a giant lizard or a giant bird or even a giant moth, but a giant, bipedal turtle. That by itself is endlessly and weirdly entertaining. As a turtle, Gamera shoots fire out of his mouth, lets loose an ear-splitting screech and can fire jets out of the limb holes in his shell, which spin him like a flying saucer. Two enormous tusks on his bottom jaw give him the appearance of a scaly warthog.

Read More

Gamera, The Giant Monster (Special Edition) DVD Review
IGN - Arnold T. Blumberg

If you were one of those kaiju fans who gravitated to the Gamera series instead of the sprawling Godzilla saga, you were probably the sort of kid that liked to be an outsider; you know, the type that likes the really edgy band no one else likes, at least until they become popular. Now of course the flying turtle has his following and a reputation built on multiple films from different eras; nevertheless, Gamera always seemed to come in number two in the Japanese giant monster race. Ah, but did he try harder? Taking a look back at his very first appearance, you'd be hard pressed to think so.

Born out of an appreciation for the same '50s rampage romps that fueled the creation of Gojira himself – more on that later – this debut adventure for Gamera is similarly dark and destructive, with a sledgehammer-subtle commentary on the forbidding frontiers of science. Things kick off with a nuclear explosion in the Arctic that awakens a giant turtle under the ice. Yes, Gamera is out and about that early in the film, and his existence is explained briefly by a character postulating that the creature may have lived in Atlantis a long time ago. Huh? Never mind, the movie distracts you with the only English-speaking actors they could scrounge up in 1965 Japan to play the most inept and inarticulate American military officers this side of an Ed Wood movie. And make no mistake, they're hysterical! See how you forgot to ask why none of this makes any sense?

Read More

Coming Soon!







And let us not forget that Shout! Factory will be releasing "Gamera Vs. Barugon" on July 6th. Though the distributor has not made a formal announcement about this release, Amazon lists it as a single disc, in widescreen format, in Japanese with English Subtitles.

One can only assume that it will be of the same quality as the "Gamera, The Giant Monster – Special Edition" release.

Fans can click on the link box provided to preorder "Gamera Vs. Barugon" before it's July release date.

Here are some more Gamera DVD releases.....for those of you who like the 'old-school' Americanized versions:

Attack Of The Monsters (aka Gamera vs. Guiron) $7.98

War of the Monsters (aka Gamera vs. Barugon) $7.98

Gamera vs. Monster X / Monster from a Prehistoric Planet $9.98

Destroy All Planets $7.98

Gammera the Invincible $7.98

See Also: Godzilla (And Friends) In The News 05/11/10 - How Does King Kong vs Godzilla Rank Among Monster Battles? More Gamera And Kamen Rider DVD Stuff / Godzilla Toy Tuesday! Godzilla vs The Micronauts And Gamera In A Box / Godzilla (And Friends) In The News 05/03/10 (Part 2) / Killer Kaiju Monsters: Strange Beasts of Japanese Film (Ivan Vartanian)(HarperCollins)(2010) / Info On Shout Factory's 'Gamera The Giant Monster' And 'Gamera vs Barugon' DVD Releases / A Classic Godzilla Comic Strip - The Monsters That Devoured Canarsie / Godzilla 2012 In The News 04/05/10

Monday, May 17, 2010

Monster Japan Travel Guide Sale Ends In Two Weeks

Two weeks from today will be the end of the May sale on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan, the world's only Japan vacation travel guide focusing on Japanese science-fiction and fantasy locations.



Orders received with a May postmark will be able to get The Guide 20% off the $15.00 cover price.



With summer vacation season approaching, now's the time to take advantage of this offer. So don't just sit there...



...get The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan at $12.00 per copy (plus $2.00 shipping & handling) and then you can sit and read it!

To order, go here.

Andrew Stengele Developing A Japanese Monster Heavy Documentary

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Andrew Stengele

This past week I was contacted by independent film maker, Andrew Stengele, about his plans to film a very Japanese Monster heavy documentary this upcoming summer.

According to Stengele, the film will center on monsters, both real and imaginary, and their transition from myth and folklore to movies and television.

"It (the documentary) will be a look at mankind's view of monsters from mythical creatures, cryptozoology, and horror/scifi movies, books, video games, and so on."

At this time, due to budget limitations, the film maker will be making the rounds of local Midwest conventions interviewing scholars, people in the movie biz and fans to get his content.

Stengele adds, "I am looking for anyone who might have something to say about monsters, basically. I am going to start by interviewing some people at the University of Illinois about monsters in folklore and literature, and probably some sort of psychology professors as well to get their perspective on why we are fascinated by them and why children always imagine there are monsters everywhere."

So far, Stengele has zeroed in on two Chicago area conventions, that being "G-Fest", the official gathering of Godzilla and Japanese sci fi movie fans, and the Famous Monsters of Filmland convention.

Though, the documentary will feature monsters of all types, the film maker admits that Godzilla and his Japanese monster cousins will steal the show.

"The project isn't limited to kaiju (Japanese movie monsters), but I will admit I know that sub-genre better than the others and will make it a bigger portion of the movie."

Luckily for Stengele, he already has all the equipment necessary to film his movie, but he still needs to raise the money to travel outside his area to do more interviews. Namely, to travel to California to talk to Hollywood monster movie makers, stars, and more fans.

In fact, if he can raise the money, yours truly will be included in that prestigious list.

Stengele has started a fundraiser through Kickstarter, a company that helps independent film makers raise money for their projects, to aid in gathering the funds necessary to produce a top-of-the-line documentary.

I urge all of you out the to give what you can to help get this one going. I have talked with Andrew Stengele in length about his movie, and it sounds like he has great plans for producing something that will be both educational, and very entertaining.

Once again, to donate to this film project, go to Kickstarter (project page here).

Friday, May 14, 2010

Godzilla Vs Hedorah (aka Godzilla Vs The Smog Monster)(1971)(Toho)

Written By: Ken Hulsey

For anyone following the progress of the upcoming Legendary Pictures American made "Godzilla" film, one name should stand out above the rest in regards to the films list of producers, Yoshimitsu Banno, a man who was responsible for helming one of the most controversial G films of all-time, "Godzilla vs Hedorah."

For you see, Godzilla, and Banno, were way ahead of the curve when it came to ecology. A full two decades before Al Gore was causing politicians, and the general public, to loose sleep over pollution, 'the king of monsters' was already on the case.

Though many critics have looked unfavorably at Banno, and "Godzilla vs Hedorah", his film would follow a natural progression that began in 1954 with the release of the original "Gojira", though this time around the film maker would change the message of Japan's most famous movie series from anti-bomb to anti-pollution.



Granted, in the early 70s, Banno and Godzilla were not alone, recycling, conservation and other anti-pollution buzz words were on the lips of the younger generation who saw that man's folly and wastefulness would eventually lead to his demise.

A message that seemed to fit in perfectly with the times.

Banno's vision of a Godzilla film was very much different from any of the films that either proceeded, or followed it. The film maker added several elements to "Godzilla vs Hedorah", such as animation, abstract images and actual letters from Japanese school children, that seemed a bit out of place in a movie of this type.

The film maker would also include scenes that were obviously inspired by Toho's previous sci fi film "The H-Man" and the American 1958 cult horror, "The Blob."

Risky move s to say the least, and moves that would ultimately lead to Banno never getting a chance to direct a Godzilla movie again.

During the filming of "Godzilla vs Hedorah" producer Tomoyuki Tanaka was very ill in the hospital, so Banno was allowed to direct, 'without a net', so to speak. After his release, Tanaka became furious after viewing the finished film and told Banno that, "...he ruined the Godzilla series and that he would never direct at Toho again."

Tanaka's reaction came much to the surprise of the film maker, who believed that his film could have been the starting point for a new and different series of Godzilla films. In fact while filming "Godzilla vs Hedorah", Banno had began to develop two other G films, one a direct sequel and another where Godzilla would fight a giant mutant starfish. Again, the underlying message of both films would be anti-pollution.

Plot:

Hedorah, an alien lifeform, lands on Earth and begins feeding on pollution. Thanks to his toxic nature, as well as his acidic, poisonous body, Hedorah very nearly puts an end to Godzilla in their struggle. Godzilla finally destroys Hedorah by dehydrating him using electrical generators set up by the military and his own atomic ray. The film contains several strange impressionistic animated scenes portraying the smog monster at his evil work.

On a side note, this was the first (and only) time we see Godzilla fly under his own power. He uses his atomic ray as jet propulsion. Director Banno reportedly added the scene to provide a light moment in what is otherwise a fairly dark film compared to many of those which preceded it.

As a Godzilla film, "Godzilla vs Hedorah" is a bit boring a times. The monster action seems to drag and in the end, Godzilla needs a lot of help from the military to defeat Hedorah, constantly having to force the monster between two giant electrodes to shock it to death.

As is the case with almost all the Toho sci fi films, post Eji Tsuburaya (the father of Japanese special effects, who had passed away a year prior), the effects in "Godzilla vs Hedorah" are inconsistent, and not of prior quality. Though it should be noted that Teruyoshi Nakano (a top member of Tsuburaya's staff who took over for the master) didn't use either over-the-top pyrotechnics or stock footage, both of which became standard in the Godzilla movies of the 1970s, in this film.

On the plus side, the film is a little more hip, and artsy, than any other Godzilla film. Two points that are somewhat refreshing, though most monster movie fans would agree that better monster action would be preffered over the films more artistic qualities.

Though I do want to give props to Banno for his excellent use of visuals. If he wanted to convey just how ugly pollution can be, he did a perfect job.

However, the ecology issue really kinda gets old after it's been driven home over and over again.

After all is said and done, is "Godzilla vs Hedorah" a bad film? No, it's just different. It's enjoyable, entertaining and thought provoking, which depending on your mood, could be good or bad.

There are obviously other Godzilla films that I would pull out of my video library to watch before "Godzilla vs Hedorah", but as a change-up, it's definitely worth a the time.

As we all know, Yoshimitsu Banno tried in vein to continue on the legacy of his one and only Godzilla film with the never produced "Godzilla 3D to the Max." In that film, Godzilla would have fought against a more modern version of Hedorah, called "Deathla", in South America and here in North America.

Now that the film maker is attached to "Godzilla 2012" it is unknown just how much input he will have on the film, or if any of his unused film ideas will be included in the films story.

A Godzilla film that has an environmental message? In 2012? Seems to fit right in with current events doesn't it? We'll just have to wait and see.

Gojira tai Hedorâ
Aka: "Godzilla vs. Hedora" & "Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster"

Director: Yoshimitsu Banno
Writers: Yoshimitsu Banno & Takeshi Kimura

Cast:

Akira Yamauchi as Dr. Yano
Toshie Kimura as Toshie Yano
Hiroyuki Kawase as Ken Yano
Keiko Mari as Miki Fujiyama
Toshio Shiba as Yukio Keuchi
Yukihiko Gondô as Mean general
Eisaburo Komatsu as Fisherman
Tadashi Okabe as Scientist
Wataru Ômae as Helpless police officer
Susumu Okabe as Interviewer
Haruo Nakajima as Gojira
Kenpachiro Satsuma as Hedorah

Godzilla vs Hedorah Photo Gallery:





More Info On Jules Urbach's Shogun Warrior Movie "Gaiking"

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: /Film / Heat Vision / Avery Guerra

There have been many people in the entertainment biz that have questioned why film maker, Jules Urbach, would opt to make a live-action, 3D, film based on a Japanese giant robot cartoon from the 1970s that was rarely seen on American television?

Others are also wondering why Urbach would choose to release his film, "Gaiking", in the same year as "Godzilla 2012", "The Avengers", "Star Trek 2", "Batman 3", possibly "Cloverfield 2", "Iron Man 3", and the newly announced, "Monsterpocalypse"?

True, the "Transformers" movies have made bank, and similar films, such as "Robotech", "Voltron" and "Battletech" are also in development for release over the next few years, but making a film based on a property such as "Gaiking" looks, on the outset, like a major gamble.

I'm sure that there are a good amount of us generation x'ers out there that remember "Gaiking" from the popular Mattel toy line, "Shogun Warriors", which came out in the late 70s, but that's hardly enough of a fan base to warrant such an outing........or is it?

Recently the website, Heat Vision, caught up with Urbach and picked his brain for information about his film:

HV: "Transformers" is pretty huge. and there's a "Voltron" movie in the works. Is there room for something like "Gaiking" that isn't that well known here?

Urbach: "Voltron" really took off because of the great cartoon. "Gaiking" never had that and neither did "Shogun Warriors" as a whole. The only thing we had was "Four Spies" here in the U.S. And that was only shown on the East coast for a little bit. I can only imagine how this property would have been perceived if we had a normal cartoon.

In France or Italy, this is bigger than Spider-Man. Toei understands this will do very well in Europe, where the cartoon is well-known. They approached us because they wanted somebody outside Japan to take a crack at this.

Our goal was to figure out a way that would be appealing to an American audience. And while there's a lot of people who played with the toys, we are not counting on any of that. For most people, this will be completely new.

And I think we did a good job introducing it, even from that little teaser. It's just been exciting to be introducing it to a lot of people and seeing their reaction.

HV: Are you worried about the title being a little inaccessible? Why not go with "Shogun Warriors"?

Urbach: We wanted to introduce one robot and thought it should be the focus of the film. It's like you want to introduce Superman before you introduce the Justice League, right?

The title is something that we're still looking at. It's in the mix. We are very aware of the possible limitations. I can't speak for Toei, so I can't speak how it will be used in the marketing of that film. We just want to use it wisely.

HV: There was a time when there were a lot of giant robot cartoons. And now with special effects technology being where it is, we're poised for a movement in movies. What do you think is the appeal of giant robots?

Urbach: Gaiking and those kinds of robots, you're talking about giant robots that are piloted by humans. You're not talking about Transformers, where they are their own characters. These robots are the extension of the pilots; they are really like giant suits of armor. So it's really the people inside them that are the characters. That is a huge differentiator. Gaiking is one pilot. It's really the pilot expressing himself through this giant mecha.

Read more of this interview - HERE

Here is that mega-cool teaser trailer that is mentioned in the interview:



Though the film maker doesn't touch on it in the interview, there is already interest in adding more of the robots from the "Shogun Warriors" line in a planned sequel, tentatively titled.....you guessed it...."Shogun Warriors".

Just which of these classic Japanese giant robots will make it into that film is still up in the air, but reportedly Urbach has already secured the rights to many of them and in his own words, "(Shogun Warriors)...will feature more of the robots, than the Marvel Comics series did."

Now, I know exactly what you are thinking. The "Shogun Warriors" line of toys featured a few very prominent names from Japanese pop-culture, including, The Great Mazinger, Godzilla, and, unofficially, Rodan.

Was Urbach able to secure the rights to use any of these characters in his film? Will we see Mazinger (called Mazinga in the toy line) in the movie? Could the film maker have been able to cough up enough dough to get Toho to let him use two of their prize properties, namely Godzilla and Rodan?

Urbach isn't saying, yet, which robots are going to be in his movie, except Gaiking....and that's kinda a given. Though, he does plan to reveal all at this years Comic Con, which I will be attending.

Of course, since Legendary Pictures is already making a "Godzilla" movie here in The States, so any chance of seeing the monster go toe-to-toe with Japan's greatest giant robots is all but an absolute 'no chance in hell'.

Though, that may make for the greatest movie ever!

I don't see that happening, and without Godzilla, there certainly won't be a Rodan in the mix either.

Mazinger, however, could be in the film, and that alone would be amazing.

Wonder why Urbach didn't go with Mazinger anyway? I mean, the Japanese animated show was released here in America under the name, "Tranzor Z".

Oh, well. Here is some history on "Gaiking" and the "Shogun Warriors" from Wikipeadia:

Demon Dragon of the Heavens Gaiking (大空魔竜ガイキング, Daikū Maryū Gaikingu) was a Super Robot mecha anime series produced by Toei Animation, credited as an original idea by Akio Sugino. However, in reality the original idea was of Go Nagai. Toei deliberately took Nagai out of the credits in order to avoid the payment of royalties. Because of that, Nagai sued Toei and stopped further collaborations with Toei for a long time. The legal battle lasted more than 10 years. Nagai himself confirmed that he was the creator of Gaiking in the Comicon 2007 in Naples, Italy.

It ran from April 1976 through January 1977 and consisted of 44 26-minute episodes. Gaiking was notable for being one of the few super robot series to take place in real places outside of Japan, and for being the first Super Robot series to have a mobile carrier for the chief robots. In the USA, Gaiking was part of Mattel's popular Shogun Warriors import toy line of the late 1970's and Jim Terry's Force Five anthology series. In 2005, a sequel titled "Gaiking Legend of Daiku-Maryu" was produced. On March 28, 2010, a Live-Action Movie based on the series, simply entitled, Gaiking, was announced at the 2010 Tokyo Animation Fair. In international production will be helmed by American filmmakers, Jules Urbach and Matthew Gratzner. Gaiking is being prepped for a 2012 world-wide release.

Shogun Warriors were a line of toys, licensed by Mattel during the late 1970s that consisted of a series of imported Japanese robots all based on then-popular giant robot anime shows. They were originally manufactured in three sizes, the 24-inch (610 mm) plastic versions, the 3.5-inch (89 mm) diecast metal versions and the slightly taller but much more detailed and articulated 5" diecast versions. There were also several vehicles offered and a set that could be put together to form Combattra (Combattler V).

The most attractive features on these toys were the spring loaded launcher weapons such as missiles, star shuriken, and battleaxes. Some robots were able to launch their fists. The later diecast versions of these toys were also attractive for the ability to transform into different shapes. Raydeen, for instance, was changeable into a birdlike spaceship. These "convertible" editions were the precursors to the "Transformers" line of toy robots but unlike the later toyline it was not unusual for minor dissasembly to be required to achieve the secondary form. There was even a robot named Megatron in issue #18 of the comic, then the name was used multipe times for the leader of the evil Decepticons from Transformers. Also, the second form was not always an apparently useful one, a "giant skull" for instance.

Like certain other toylines of the 70s, the Shogun Warriors came under pressure due to safety concerns regarding their spring loaded weapons features. Children would launch the weapons and hit other children or pets in the eye, or else they would swallow the plastic missiles. Toy manufacturers were facing new regulations due to reported child injuries as a result of playing with these toys. Consequently, many toy companies were forced to remodel existing toylines with child safe variations (such as spring loaded "action" missiles that would remain attached to the toy). For this reason, as well as decreasing sales, the Shogun Warriors toyline disappeared by 1980.

Several of the anime from this toyline were seen in the 80s as part of Jim Terry's Force Five series.

Shogun Warriors was licensed in 1979–1980 for a 20-issue series by Marvel Comics, which was written by Doug Moench and featured art by Herb Trimpe. In the comic, the Shogun Warriors were created by a mysterious group called the Followers of the Light. Human operators were chosen from all around the world to operate the massive robots in order to battle evil.

The series is firmly rooted in the Marvel Universe, as evidenced by their interactions with Doctor Demonicus in issues #12-14 and the Fantastic Four in the last two issues of the series. Issue #15 was a fill-in issue written by Steven Grant with art by Mike Vosburg. The series took a dramatic turn with issue #16, as the Shogun Warriors' mentors were destroyed by the Primal One and his followers. This alien force decided that Earth's technology had outpaced its morality, and so it was their duty to destroy the Shogun Warriors as well as other powerful humans, including Reed Richards and Tony Stark.

Though he never appeared in the comic series, Red Ronin (a robot created for Marvel's Godzilla comic) was mentioned occasionally and was frequently talked about in the letters pages.

See Also: DreamWorks Courting Tim Burton To Unleash Their Monsterpocalypse /Giant Robot Toy Wednesday! - Mazinger Edition / New Images From Won Shin-yeon's 'Taekwon V' / Japanese Giant Monsters And Robots In The News 04/23/10
"LEGENDARY PICTURES TO DEVELOP AND PRODUCE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE BASED ON TOHO COMPANY’S ICONIC MONSTER, GODZILLA

Burbank, CA – March 29, 2010 – Legendary Pictures announced today that they will develop and produce a new film based on Toho Company’s famed GODZILLA character. Through the terms of the agreement, Legendary Pictures has acquired the rights to produce a movie inspired by Toho’s Godzilla, a franchise the Japanese company created and has nurtured for over fifty years.

Toho’s GODZILLA franchise boasts one of the most widely recognized film creatures worldwide, resulting in a series of books, television programs, video games and more than 25 films worldwide. Legendary intends to approach the film and its characters in the most authentic manner possible. The company will, in the near future, announce a filmmaker to helm the film for an intended 2012 release. The film will fall under the company’s co-production and co-financing deal with Warner Bros. Toho will distribute the film in Japan."

"Godzilla" is coming back -- this time, with Legendary Pictures taking the lead, co-producing and co-financing with Warner Bros. for release in 2012.

Legendary announced Monday it had obtained rights to the iconic monster character from Japan's Toho Co., which has overseen more than 25 "Godzilla" films. Toho will release the pic in Japan.

Legendary said it's planning to announce a director shortly.

In addition to Legendary, producers on the new film will be Dan Lin, Roy Lee and Brian Rogers. Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira and Doug Davison will exec produce.

"Godzilla is one of the world's most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise," said Thomas Tull, Chairman and CEO of Legendary. "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."

Legendary noted the film will fall under its co-production and co-financing deal with Warner Bros. Legendary's productions with Warners have included "The Dark Knight," "300" and "The Hangover."

Speculation about a new "Godzilla" has been active since last summer. The Bloody Disgusting web site reported in August that the project was in development.