Saturday, October 29, 2011

Godzilla On Monster Island Video Slot Machine

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: IGT

It seems that there is some sort of conspiracy going on to get me into a casino. Yes, a very definite conspiracy to get my big white parked in front of a slot machine. Sure I play the slots from time to time, who doesn't, but I'm no high roller and I can easily resist an urge to plunk my hard earned dough into a one-armed bandit.

That will power is starting to ebb however with the recent introduction of a slot machine that is classic Universal monster themed. I loved to play the old "Creature From The Black Lagoon" slot machine so I figured that I give the new game a shot. Anyway, I can resist "The Creature", "Wolfman" and "Frankenstein" when I want to ...... but can I resist "Godzilla"?

Probably not.

Yes, the "King of Monsters" has invaded the casino!

Here is the skinny from slot machine manufacturer IGT:

Launch into the explosive world of monsters and mayhem with Godzilla on Monster Island Video Slots. Packed with larger-than-life Godzilla characters, this MegaJackpots animal provides some exhilarating interactive features.

During the Godzilla vs. the Military Bonus, players control the path of Godzilla's atomic breath to military vehicles with the guidance of their hand.

Look for Mothra and Godzilla to enter the base game to reward random wilds and more. And in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, the legendary monsters battle in an epic Free Games match.

Innovative technology, frequent bonuses and an atomic progressive keeps players engaged and immersed in some mighty, monstrous entertainment.

"Godzilla on Monster Island Video Slots" contains animations of Godzilla, MechaGodzilla, Gigan and Mothra.

Damn these slot machine makers will make a gambler out of me yet!

Check out these images and trailer:





Sunday, October 23, 2011

Media Blasters' "Destroy All Monsters" DVD/Blu-ray Release Including AIP Dub?

by Armand Vaquer

Above, the box art for ADV Films' DVD of "Destroy All Monsters" from 2004. Media Blasters hasn't released any photos of their upcoming box art. They say they have a few "surprises" in store.

Media Blasters' DVD and Blu-ray editions of Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla vs. Megalon are days away (slated for October 25) from being released.

The big question in fans' minds is, "Will they include the AIP (original distributor American International Pictures) dub on DAM?" Fans generally agree that the Toho "international dub" is horrendous (I am in this camp) and that the inclusion of the AIP dub would be a big selling point.

Well, once people start receiving their discs and post reviews on the Internet, we will know for sure! It is rumored that the AIP dub had been sourced from a 16mm print of DAM.

The last video release of DAM by ADV was back in 2004 (for Godzilla's 50th anniversary) and it only included the "international dub." As a refresher, here's my 2004 review of that release:

Taking advantage of Godzilla's 50th Anniversary, ADV Films has produced a Special Edition DVD of Destroy All Monsters! (1968) complete with a soundtrack CD for the price of $14.99.

While I have other and better (including one with the original U.S. dubbing) copies of DAM, the price of $14.99 for a DVD with a CD were too good to pass up. Was this worth the $14.99? Easily yes!

On the DVD itself, it contains the "international" Toho dub that many fans aren't too fond of. Since I've owned the ADV VHS edition with the same dub, that really didn't bother me and I fully expected it.

However, the film transfer itself is not one that I would give high marks for. The print used was a bit worn to begin with and the "natural" enhancement that digital transfers do to older films only accentuate the film scratches and sound pops of the soundtrack. It was not anywhere near as obvious in the VHS edition of a few years ago. I would have expected that ADV would have been able to obtain a more pristine print of the film to make the digital transfers. Plus, there are no chapter stops or a menu (well, since there's no chapters, who needs a menu?) and no extras on the DVD. It would have been nice if they included the original Japanese and/or U.S. trailers. This is pretty bare-bones!

The soundtrack CD, on the other hand, is a gem of an item and it alone is worth the price of the item. There are 30 Akira Ifukube tracks on the CD. But, unfortunately, there's nothing in the package to tell you the titles of each track. Since most of us pretty much memorized the movie anyway, we can picture in our own minds which scenes each track came from. If you don't already have the soundtrack for DAM in your kaiju library, this item is a must-have. Your neighbors will love you for cranking up your system's volume while playing this!

I have to admit the packaging art for this DVD/CD is very nice. It is a lot better than the cartoony one ADV released before. "50th Anniversary" is quite evident in the packing art. The average person not "in the know" might be led to believe that it is the 50th Anniversary of Destroy All Monsters!, not Godzilla himself.

The DVD is in widescreen and 2.0 English.

My overall grade for this item is B. Too bad ADV didn't put out a product that matched or came close to their recent Gamera trilogy releases.

The DVD gets a C and the CD gets an A.


Media Blasters has promised a few "surprises" with their release. We'll see.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

The Criterion Collection: "Godzilla"



Details on the upcoming Criterion Blu-ray and DVD of Godzilla (1954) are now available at Criterion's website. Both the Blu-ray and DVD editions will be available January 24, 2012.

Features include:

New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)

Audio commentary by David Kalat (A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series)

New high-definition digital restoration of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Terry Morse’s 1956 reworking of the original, starring Raymond Burr

Audio commentary for Godzilla, King of the Monsters by Kalat

New interviews with actor Akira Takarada (Hideto Ogata), Godzilla performer Haruo Nakajima, and effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai

Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube

Featurette detailing Godzilla’s photographic effects

New interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato

The Unluckiest Dragon, an illustrated audio essay featuring historian Greg Pflugfelder describing the tragic fate of the fishing vessel Daigo fukuryu maru, a real-life event that inspired Godzilla

Theatrical trailers

New and improved English subtitle translation

PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic J. Hoberman


To see Criterion's site on the Godzilla Blu-ray and DVD, go here.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Monster Japan Travel Guide Discount Ends In 4 Days


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


The 20% autumn discount sales for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan are going well. Strangely, sales through ComiXpress (without the discount) are also going well.

Orders sent directly to me (not through ComiXpress) postmarked through October 10 can get the guide for $12.00 plus $2.00 shipping & handling for a grand total of $14.00.

So, between now and October 10 (four more days) send your orders to:

Armand Vaquer
18618 Collins Street #105
Tarzana, CA 91356

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Legendary Pictures' Godzilla?

by Armand Vaquer

Is this the design for Legendary Pictures' Godzilla?



Maybe so, maybe no. Anyway, Dread Central posted this photo on their site. They won't bet the farm on it, but can't rule it out either. Fans are dubious.

As for me, it is too spikey for my tastes, but it at least looks like Godzilla and it is a major step above the Sony/TriStar version of 1998.

We'll have to wait and see.

To see Dread Central's write-up on it, go here.

UPDATE: Turns out this picture has been floating around for a while.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

THE TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SHOWS "GODZILLA, MOTHRA, KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK

Ten years ago, on October 31, 2001 to be exact, I flew for the first time to Japan to attend the 2001 Tokyo International Film Festival for the premiere of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-out Attack. The movie was shown on November 3.

Upon my return to the United States, I submitted the following article to G-FAN magazine. It was published in the January/February 2002 issue (no. 54). Here's a look at what I wrote about the movie and experience in 2001.

Above, Godzilla lumbers onstage at the 2001 Tokyo International Film Festival. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

THE TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SHOWS "GODZILLA, MOTHRA, KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK"

by Armand Vaquer

Before the year 2000 ended, I had not a single thought about making a trek over to Japan to see the newest Godzilla epic. However, when fellow G-FAN contributor Richard Pusateri returned from a 19-day Japan vacation in December to see the premiere of "Godzilla X Megaguirus" and later told me of the great time he had, I then started thinking that maybe the time has come to make the trip myself.

I have always wanted to go visit Japan ever since high school when I took an Asian studies class in my senior year of 1972. When word got out that Gamera director Shusuke Kaneko was slated to direct the next installment of the Godzilla series, excitement and some anxiety flooded the fan Internet message boards and newsgroups. Will Kaneko give Godzilla a new lease on life or will his film be the death knell of this nearly half-century old character?

Fortunately, my thoughts of attending the 2001 Tokyo International Film Festival came closer to reality as I had the good fortune in obtaining a high-paying job in the insurance claims industry. As soon as the paychecks started coming in, I immediately set out to plan my trip to Japan to see the premiere of "Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack" at the festival on November 3.

The name of the film itself is a throwback or homage to the Godzilla movie titles of the 1960s. Producer Shogo Tomiyama had stated that the films beginning with "Godzilla 2000: Millennium" would be a trilogy of three separate films totally unrelated to each other or of the films of the past except, to some degree, the 1954 original. Each film would be a different "take" on Godzilla and other kaiju characters. This way, they can "play around" with the characters and see what interesting films they can come up with.

I know it has been stated in these pages and elsewhere that changing origins and motivations of established characters does a "dishonor" to the creators of the past. But I look upon this strategy as a means to an end that all fans can agree on: to keep churning out fun and enjoyable Godzilla films in the years ahead. After all, how many times had Godzilla changed in the years before "The Return of Godzilla" in 1984? The superhero Godzilla of 1975 was not the nuclear terror that started out in 1954.


To Tokyo And Beyond.

I got into the New Tokyo International Airport in Narita a couple of days before the showing. Contrary to what some have said around the Internet, I found that taking the Narita Express (N'Ex) train into Tokyo to be easy and relaxing. Who wants to sit in a cab bogged down in rush-hour traffic after an eleven-and-a-half hour flight from Los Angeles? Certainly not me! Having the Japan Rail Pass also was a
great help (for about $230, the Rail Pass may be obtained through authorized travel agencies).

I elected to arrive in Japan early so that I can spend the next day touring around and get acclimated to the area. I had the unplanned fortune in making reservations at a Japanese inn in the Shibuya section of Tokyo that was within walking distance to the Bunkamura shopping complex that contained the Orchard Hall where "GMK" would be shown. Thanks to my friends in Japan at Toho Co., Ltd., I was able to obtain
tickets to the film and was able to get a hold of the festival's public relations committee in time to obtain a press pass to the festival to cover the premiere for G-FAN.


Onward to the show.

After a hearty breakfast at the Shibuya Denny's Restaurant (yes, there are Denny's restaurants in Japan), I made my way to the Bunkamura for the show. The T.I.F.F. is a well-run operation and my press credentials were waiting for me at the press center. After sending off a quick dispatch to Aaron Smith at Monster Zero, I wandered around the festival's exhibits and eventually made my way to where the line was beginning to form (three hours before the show) for "GMK."

I found some familiar American fan faces in the crowd and spent most of the time waiting with them and having a good time discussing films, kaiju toys or whatever subject that happened to come up. I became reacquainted with some old friends and found some new ones. There were many fans with Godzilla figures, models, books and magazines waiting in line and were having a grand time looking at each other's items. It was so pleasant to get away from the constant bombardment of the U.S. media's coverage of anthrax and the war in Afghanistan. Rain began to fall before we are allowed into the theater. But the spirit of the fans there refused to be dampened.

The Orchard Hall theater is a big facility that reminded me of the grand movie palaces of a bygone era, only modern. The show started with a film called "A Message to Godzilla From Godzilla" that had Japanese baseball player Hideki Matsui, whose nickname is Godzilla and flanked by Godzilla himself (or a reasonable facimile) playing around and posing with baseball bats. Then followed the live show with Godzilla producer Shogo Tomiyama, director Shusuke Kaneko and "GMK" stars Chiharu Niiyama, Ryudo Uzaki and Nobuaki Kakuta. After each gave a brief address to the audience, Godzilla enters the stage spewing out dense vapor from his mouth to the audience's delight. As one can imagine, many camera shutters went off during this portion of the show (including mine.) The show was a great warm-up for what
was to come.


The Movie.

After the stage was cleared, the film began. Rather than go into the storyline in great detail, what I will do is describe my impressions on what I saw and heard. Keep in mind that as producer Shogo Tomiyama stated in his remarks, this film was not quite completed. It was said that the film was about 95% completed with some special effects scenes that were in need of fixing (or perfecting) and more scenes to be added in. So, between the showing on November 3 and opening day of December 15, the film will be undergoing more refinement.

Godzilla's first appearance was actually just of his dorsal spikes as he was underwater behind a sunken American nuclear submarine. Jettisoned were the spikes of the prior two films and a return to a more traditional style. It seems that there was a "first" Godzilla that was apparently killed off in 1954 by an unknown chemical compound (a hint at the Oxygen Destroyer) and for some reason the generations of Japanese that followed caused this new Godzilla to appear because they have forgotten the horrors of the Pacific War and its war dead. The spirits of the war dead did not take kindly to be forgotten by the present generation, so they merged into Godzilla, who is still a creation of the H-bomb, but now has this new aspect to his character. Godzilla's appearance triggers the awakening of the three guardian monster "gods" of Yamato: Baragon, Mothra and King Ghidorah (also known as the 1000-year dragon.)

The designs of the four monsters were probably the best examples of modern kaiju suit designs. They remained somewhat faithful to their previous incarnations, but updated. I was told by Mr. Tomiyama that Kaneko had control over the suit designs and other facets of the film, more so than previous directors with the possible exception of Ishiro Honda. His involvement in storyboarding and directing the special effects helped to integrate the live action and the special effects scenes into a more seamless product than what we have seen in past Godzilla films.

Former special effects director Koichi Kawakita makes a couple of cameo appearances as a military leader and one of the two investigative mini-subs was named "Satsuma" (a reference to former Godzilla suit actor Kenpachiro Satsuma. There is a notable "dig" at the American Godzilla early in the film that the audience immediately caught.

Although the Godzilla suit is larger than the more recent ones, it was amazing to see how maneuverable it was and expressive it could be. Mothra never looked better and never flew better. It did not suffer from the wing movements (or lack thereof) of previous films. If only Megaguirus (in "Godzilla X Megaguirus") had the wing articulation that Mothra did, it would have greatly improved that film. The Mothra larva was only briefly seen in a nighttime shot and there was an aerial shot of Mothra's cocoon floating on a lake. Unfortunately, it lacked detail, and looked like Snoopy floating in a bathtub.

The use of integrating CGI (computer-generated imaging) with the live action enhanced the effects.

The "younger" versions of Ghidorah were good, but the final form transformation of King Ghidorah was absolutely breathtaking.

What is especially striking about this movie is the daytime photography of the battle between Godzilla and Baragon. That, plus the miniatures and camera angles, made Baragon the show-stealer. The flaws usually apparent in having a human portraying a quadruped were not present in this film. One can only imagine how well Anguirus (a past Japanese monster) would have turned out if he had been included.

Baragon, while clearly out-matched by Godzilla, was tough-as-nails (like a pit bull) and fought valiantly.

The dark humor one usually associates with Kaneko's films were also apparent in this film. A man relieving himself and a girl in a hospital meet their maker courtesy of Godzilla were fun to watch. The funny part is, one instinctively knew ahead of time what was to happen, but it was fun anyway.

The battles were all well done and there was not a dull moment. The ending was a surprise, though.

Without giving it away, I'll just say that it was a very unusual one for a Godzilla film. This is obviously "not your Daddy's Godzilla film" and is more like a "thinking man's Godzilla film." It definitely cries out for repeated viewings in order to soak in all the various nuances. The score was okay, but not strong as the
one for "Godzilla X Megaguirus." The sound system was lacking and the score will be remixed before the film's general release.


Post Movie Mortems.

The movie ends and the crowd files out of the theater. It is pouring rain outside, but everyone is so pleased with the movie that they linger around to discuss it and visit with friends. Original Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima was there and graciously signed autographs and posed for photos with fans. I complimented Mr. Tomiyama on a job well done. I had earlier seen people exit the theater from other movies and at no time did they stay and linger as the Godzilla crowd did. It was a communal experience with like-minded people, Japanese and non-Japanese alike.

Eventually, the crowd thinned out to different venues for dinner, drinks or whatever. I went with a group to dinner in Nakano that grew to around 20 that included Kenpachiro Satsuma. Mr. Satsuma, while quite a character anyway, really gets quite jolly after putting away a few. He's definitely a man one would enjoy partying with.

There were some who attended that I only knew from the internet and it was a pleasure meeting them in person. Sometimes, one can get the wrong impression on somebody and when you meet them and talk with them for a while, you can come away with a vastly different (for the better) view of them.

A new Godzilla film is now being planned to be made this year and if it gets premiered at the 2002 T.I.F.F., without hesitation I would suggest that you seriously consider going. Sure it costs a little money, but what's a little money in comparison to a lifetime's memory of an experience that many have only dreamed of? You only live once, so make the most of it. And if you do go, take some time to go see some of the country. You will want to return, I certainly do.

Above, Shogo Tomiyama, Godzilla and Shusuke Kaneko pose for photos with some of the movie's actors. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

###

It is interesting to look back at what I wrote at the time. Some of the things I wrote were a little off. For example, Godzilla's dorsal spikes weren't first seen behind the sunken submarine. They were seen glowing behind an underwater rock formation. I was going by memory at the time (along with some notes).

"GMK" is probably the most revered G-movie of the millennium series (1999 - 2004).
"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.