Art Adams, Alan Moore and Godzilla

Comic book writer Alan Moore and artist Art Adams do Godzilla: The Musical. Adams has done a lot of Godzilla work in the past, I think he even worked on Dark Horse's Godzilla series (as a writer? I can't remember for sure.) He's a true fan and these pages look great. Moore is, of course, a genius. I remember getting some of these Songbook episodes in Negative Burn. They were weird little ditties and a lot of fun.

New DVD news

The always essential SciFiJapan has a new post about the upcoming Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster and Invasion of the Astro-Monsters DVDs from Classic Media. The post includes screen caps from the discs as well as Classic Media's press release. It looks awesome.

I'm surprised they are using the Astro-Monster title for that movie. I thought Godzilla vs. Monster Zero was Toho's preferred name. Shows what I know. But that's OK, I think Invasion of the Astro-Monsters is an awesome title.

As for Ghidorah, I've only seen that film on a screwed-up pan-and-scan VHS tape, and still it was one of my favorites. I really can't wait to see it in all its true glory.

This all reminds me that I'm falling behind on DVD buying. I still haven't picked up Godzilla Raids Again!

Godzilla's storytelling engine

I've been reading the blog Fraggmented for a few weeks now. It's mostly a comic book blog and one of the main features is "Storytelling Engines." With this series of posts, John Seavey looks at the protagonist of a comic book series and tries to delineate how the writers create "storytelling engines" -- the ongoing goals, characters and situations that keep the plot moving perpetually -- for that protagonist. (You can find some background on this idea here and here.)

This week, Fraggmented takes on Marvel's Godzilla series. Seavey talks about how Godzilla was added to the Marvel universe and how the story was run on the basis of a "false status quo" (think "The Fugitive" or "The Hulk" TV series). It's interesting stuff, Seavey thinks strongly and well about series and has interesting insights. Take a look at the Godzilla entry and let it lead you through his blog to the other Storytelling Engines, all of which are highly recommended.

The post makes me think about the Gorgo comic books (which I promise I will get back to). It might be interesting to look at the storytelling engine there, if there was one ...

More on Unleashed

SciFi Japan has a wealth of new information on "Godzilla: Unleashed," including a video and screen shots. I'm still wondering how much different this will be than Atari's earlier Godzilla games. I think the use of the Wii controller could make it a totally different game. I hope so.

New Godzilla video game

By now, most of you have already heard the news: Atari will be releasing a new Godzilla video game, Godzilla: Unleashed. (Also of interest, they will be making a Gundam game.) Judging by the screenshots, this will be the same kind of fighting game as Godzilla: Save the Earth and Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee. I think this game will have to include some serious changes before I pick it up. I bought the last two and they are both very similar. They are fun fighting games with some destroying buildings included. It's not very deep, but it makes for a fun few hours with friends. Here's to hoping it will recapture my interest.

Classic Media's "Gojira" review

If Classic Media had simply put out a DVD of the Japanese version of "Gojira," with no extras and a crappy clamshell cover, it would still be one of, if not the, major giant monster event of the year. The movie has long deserved to be seen this way, its recent tour of art house theaters was important, but being available in everyone's home is crucial.

But that's not where Classic Media stopped. Their 2-disc "Gojira" DVD set, which is officially being released Sept. 5, is a beautiful piece of work that is absolutely essential for giant monster and Godzilla fans and, probably more importantly, film buffs in general.

THE PACKAGE

The first thing that hits you is how beautiful the packaging of this disc is. The cover shows Godzilla's gray image surrounded by sea and black sky. At the top is the red lettering of Gojira, with the Japanese symbols for the monster's name a shadowy gray behind it. The case is cardboard, giving the feel of a hardcover book.

Open the package up and there is a plastic tray for each version of the movie. Beneath the disc for "Gojira" is a photo of Godzilla breathing atomic fire across the Tokyo skyline. Underneath "Godzilla King of the Monsters" is the monster rising from the sea in its death throes, our heroes' ship in the background.

Inside is a booklet with an essay called "Godzilla's Footprint" written by Steve Ryfle, author of "Japan's Favorite Mon-Star," one of the best books on Godzilla films. The essay helps put the films in perspective of the times. It also details the stories of the creators behind the films. The booklet contains a couple of nice stills from "Gojira."

THE FILMS

I was surprised by the number of pops, lines and other artifacts in the film. In this age of cleaned up films, I expected things to look much cleaner. However, the explanation for it came in the commentary. First, because of the matte work and layered film used for effects, there were flaws from the first time this film was shown. Second, Japan used a lower quality film stock than American films of the same time period. Therefore, much of the film degraded quickly and prints would not come much cleaner than this.

There is, of course, no widescreen here. The movie was not filmed in Tohoscope, so its shape is much the same as your TV screen. I detected nothing cut off or missing (however, I've never seen the film in a movie theater, having missed last summer's showings.)

"Gojira" seems to be subtitled very well. I don't know Japanese, so I can't tell the quality of translation, but it does read well. There were no mistypes or spelling errors that I could see.

Most importantly, it was wonderful to see "Gojira" again. Before this, I had only seen bootleg copies on VHS tape. The movie is truly dark and dismal. There's a seriousness to the film unlike any other giant monster film. Unlike almost all of Ishiro Honda's other work, there is no irony or humor in "Gojira." There is no doubt Honda was making a film for adults dealing with issues that were still raw for the Japanese public.

I'm also impressed with the structure of the movie. In most giant monster movies, one of the most difficult problems to overcome is creating an interaction between the characters and the monster, making the human drama as compelling as the devastation. Only during the long destruction of Tokyo are the characters removed from the center of the film. In particular, I was impressed with the love triangle at the center of the film. Emiko and Ogata confront Serizawa about the oxygen destroyer. This would be compelling drama on its own, but it deepens and becomes more powerful knowing that their argument is about more than just that issue. When Ogata and Serizawa fight, Serizawa is lashing out against a world that would use his discovery for evil and against Ogata directly. Yamane's character is also well drawn. He wants to save Godzilla, not because the monster is one of a kind or some other misguided impulse, but because he sees in studying Godzilla the possibility of saving people's lives. Despite his misgivings, however, he still helps the government in finding a way to defeat Godzilla. In an American monster movie of the time, (think "The Thing from Another World") the scientist would be a madman not really in touch with the situation.

"Godzilla, King of the Monsters" suffers from being packaged with "Gojira." The things that make the original great are hollowed out. Terry Morse and Raymond Burr did a good job with what they had, and if they hadn't done it Godzilla may never have had the level of fame it's reached, but it doesn't have the gravitas of the original. But it is still wonderful to have this film side by side with the original. This was, after all, the version that brought Godzilla to worldwide fame.

THE EXTRAS

The extras on the disc include a commentary on each film by Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski (the creator of Japanese Giants magazine as well as many other fandom publications). There are also two featurettes, one on the making of the Godzilla suit and the second on how the story of "Gojira" was developed. There are also original theatrical trailers on each disc.

All these extra materials are very informative. There were many pieces of information I had never heard before, and I've read much about the Godzilla films. In particular, the commentary for "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" includes snippets from interviews with people involved with bringing the film to America and an interview with Terry Morse Jr., the son of the American director who also worked on the film. This is great stuff and is essential listening for any Godzilla fan.

The featurettes are basically still photos while commentary continues about the movies. The featurette on story development fascinated me (although I imagine many fans will be more interested in the suit-making story of the other featurette.) After hearing it, I really would like to see the original version of Shigeru Kayama's story for "Gojira." It sounds much different from the film and fascinating in its own right. Just hearing the plot details of Kayama's story goes to show how much work Ishiro Honda put into the film. After Honda finished with the film, it was no longer Kayama's story. Honda had made it his own, and much more dramatic and affecting. (Of course, this is all judging from what the featurette tells us. Maybe Kayama's story was much more dramatic in other ways.) Regardless, I am now fascinated with Kayama as he supposedly wrote stories before Godzilla about sea creatures. I wonder if any of his work has been translated? (Actually, I just found this page about an effort to get Kayama's story translated.)

COMPARISON TO BFI

Previous to this release, the only other "Gojira" release in English was BFI's Godzilla disc. Many of the same people worked on both packages, including Ryfle and Godziszewski, but as I understand it, Classic Media's extras are all new. Still, the BFI disc (which I have not seen) includes the one Japanese version of the film, a commentary by three Godzilla experts (the third expert (I think, I welcome corrections) was Keith Aiken, who worked on the animated Godzilla series in the U.S.) It also includes two featurettes that sound very similar to Classic Media's, one on story development and one on suit building. There is also a documentary called "12 Japanese Fishermen." It's a documentary from the 1950s on the effects of radiation on Japanese fishermen.

It sounds to me, from my uninformed position, that Classic Media's release stands up well against BFI's. It's too bad the documentary on Japanese fishermen was not included, but it alone is probably not worth the price of importing BFI's disc.

SUMMATION

This disc is a dream come true for me and probably for most Godzilla fans. Finally, the original film treated with respect and care. This bodes well for Classic Media's upcoming releases of "Godzilla Raids Again" and "Godzilla vs. Mothra," which will get very similar treatment. In the meantime, "Gojira" gets a place of honor in my collection.

Godzilla sweepstakes

Classic Media's release of "Gojira" is nearing and I, for one, can't wait. I hope to have a review of the DVD up by early September, thanks to a review copy I should be getting. The company is hyping the launch with a sweepstakes, details follow:


CLASSIC MEDIA LAUNCHES “RETURN TO THE KING OF THE MONSTERS™ HOMETOWN”
SWEEPSTAKES TODAY TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF “GOJIRA” ON DVD

One Grand Prize Winner Will Receive an 8-Day, 7-Night Trip for 2 to Tokyo, Japan

New York, NY – August 16, 2006 – Godzilla wants to show you his hometown! To celebrate the US release of GOJIRA, the original 1954, uncut Japanese Godzilla movie, Classic Media kicks off the Return to the King of the Monsters™ Hometown Sweepstakes.

Starting today, Godzilla fans can log onto www.godzillaondvd.com to enter to win one of more than 250 monstrous prizes.

One grand prize-winner will receive an 8-day/7-night vacation to Tokyo, Japan for two, including travel and first-class accommodations. Classic Media will also give away one SONY PSP ™ per day for the duration of the sweepstakes, running from August 16 – September 16, 2006. Additional prizes include 50 “Gojira/Godzilla: King of the Monsters” DVD sets and 200 limited-edition Gojira DVD movie posters.

For “Return to the King of the Monsters ™ Hometown” sweepstakes details, rules and regulations – please log onto www.godzillaondvd.com. This promotion is produced by T.E.A.M. Group, Florham Park, N.J.

About Gojira:

Gojira is the original, unedited Japanese version of Godzilla: King of the Monsters. On September 5th, Classic Media will release Gojira on DVD, for the first time ever in the U.S., as part of a 2-disc set that will also include the Americanized Godzilla starring Raymond Burr. Gojira will include 40 minutes of footage that was edited out to allow for the addition of Burr as an American reporter and will be available for $21.98 SRP.

About Classic Media:

Classic Media owns and manages some of the world’s most recognizable family properties across all media including feature film, television, home video and consumer products. The company’s extensive library features a diverse collection of popular animated and live-action characters such as: Casper the Friendly Ghost, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Lone Ranger, Lassie, Underdog and Rocky & Bullwinkle.

New hope for new Godzilla DVDs

I almost hurt myself I'm so excited. Check out this post from Monster Zero. I've been pretty skeptical about what Classic Media would do with the Godzilla DVDs they now have the rights to, but it looks like they are coming through in a big way. Not only do we have a whole bunch of great classic G films in widescreen and with subtitles, but they include commentary by people like Steve Ryfle, Richard Pusateri, Keith Aiken and Stuart Galbraith IV. (Basically, most of the people behind SciFi Japan and some of the most informed minds in G fandom.)

And the best part is the last line:

This is just a partial list. These discs are still being worked on, so more extra features are expected to be included.

Original Gojira DVD announced

According to ScifiJapan, Classic Media has announced it will release a Godzilla 2-pack DVD of the original Gojira with the Raymond Burr version. This is good news. It will be released in September.

There is talk of adding extras to the DVD. I hope they do, because I am still seriously considering buying the BFI version of Godzilla from the UK. But I will wait to see how Classic Media handles this. Cross your fingers G fans and hope for the best.

New Godzilla cartoon DVDs

Two new DVDs of "Godzilla: The Series" have been announced. Like the "The Monster Wars Trilogy" I don't think there will be much in the way of extras, but it will add more of the series to your collection. You can find my thoughts on the original disc here. I enjoy the cartoon and am looking forward to picking up more.

Not Godzilla, but cool

Scientists have discovered an ancient 'Godzilla'-like sea creature. Actually, it's nothing like Godzilla, outside of being amphibious. Still, the creature is pretty large and threatening looking. Check it out.

Halloween G

At Four Realities, Bob has posted a Steve Bissette sketch of Godzilla for Halloween. Be merry! Don't forget to check out Bissette's blog.

Godzilla Final Wars DVD

Godzilla: Final Wars has a DVD street date of Dec. 13, pre-order now. This site has images from the DVD. I'm hoping these are early versions because there are almost no extras. On the other hand, it appears we will have the Japanese language track. It will be nice (I hope) to see this after hearing so many raging debates about it.

Yummy Godzilla eggs

Watermelons are really Godzilla eggs
(Link found at BoingBoing.)

Godzilla: Return scheduled for 2013

According to a Monster Zero translation of a news report, Godzilla won't come back to the silver screen for another 9 years. Apparently, the producers want to wait for a new generation of fans to revive the films.

Final Wars reviews

Well, "Godzilla Final Wars" has premiered in America (the first time a G premiere happened here before Japan) and the reviews are coming in. And Ain't It Cool News has a review as well:

This past summer, I got really tired of hearing people try to defend VAN HELSING as “just fun,” because it didn’t feel to me while watching it like Stephen Sommers actually had fun making it. It just felt like he had a release date to make and thought that biggerlouderfaster was the way to cover any narrative flaws. Here, you can feel Kitamura giggling behind the camera as he piles up the insanity, and it’s infectious.
...
From the moment Godzilla wakes up to the end of the movie, Kitamura kicks out the jams and just bombards you with one fight after another. Some of them are frustratingly brief, like when he butts heads with the miserable American Godzilla in Sydney Harbor. Just about the time the real deals holds down the pale imitation and starts recreating a scene from DELIVERANCE, the sequence is over. Other fights pick up in the middle, like when we see Godzilla whup up on Hedorah, who was actually one of the toughest monsters to fight in the original series. These are minor nitpicks, though. There’s something like an hour of sustained monster action, intercut with kung-fu and spaceship dogfights and a kamikaze STAR WARS scene and did I mention that Minilla drives a car? Seriously. And he wears a seatbelt. It’s gloriously batshit, and I loved it all.

It sounds like this is a very fun movie filled with lots of references to Toho past. However, it's not a serious movie. Almost every review mentions Minya and how he just slows down the film.
Still, it all sounds immensely fun. I'm hoping it gets an American release so everybody can enjoy Godzilla's 50th in style.

Bob Eggleton on Godzilla

Fantasy and science fiction artist Bob Eggleton has written a nice summation of Godzilla's career at Locus Online. It won't be anything new for Godzilla fans, but it's a nice way to get literary science fiction fans to check kaiju films out. Eggleton is a great artist and is very active in Godzilla fandom. His most recent work is the cover of Japanese Giants, which can be seen at the Locus site.

Happy birthday, Gojira!

Today, Nov. 3, my favorite giant monster is 50 years old. The theatrical release of the original "Gojira" opened in Japan today. (It would be another year yet before his American sibling, "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" would premiere.) Half a century of giant irradiated reptile goodness, that's quite an achievement. Here's to another 50!

Inside the suit

Here's a nice profile of the latest man in the Godzilla suit, Tsutomu Kitagawa.

Gojira, Mysterians to be released on DVD!

According to this little snippet from USA Today (found at Digital Monster Island), the original Gojira will be put out on Region 1 DVD by Classic Media! It's about time. This follows up Rialto's theatrical release of the film that beat Van Helsing on per theater receipts this summer (it opened on the same weekend). No date yet. I can't wait!
And while I'm at it, Media Blasters has set Jan. 25 as a release date for The Mysterians, a classic Japanese science fiction film that includes the first appearance of Mogera. There's also talk of the same company bringing out Matango (aka Attack of the Mushroom People) which is my favorite Japanese fantasy film. This is truly a good time to be a fan of Japanese fantasy films.