Friday, March 1, 2013
GODZILLA 2000(1999) - Metaphorically speaking by Evan "G2KMaster" Brehany
In GODZILLA 2000(1999), Godzilla attacks nuclear power plants as a way of acting on his nuclear metaphor role a la fifteen(15) years earlier in THE RETURN OF GODZILLA(1984) ...and not attacking them to feed off the energy either - Godzilla
is nature talking!. While agencies are trying to find a new alternative
energy source, it seems things are not progessing fast enough for nature's
liking ... not that nature doesn't think humanity doesn't deserve a chance seeing as that Godzilla protects humans from a seemingly invincible foe.
With the human characters, particularly scientists, there is the resurgence of the "kill vs. study" Godzilla conflict. This argument, which has been in the franchise since the original 1954 Godzilla film, has the same arguments for the kill Godzilla argument: human safety. As Katagiri says, "in the meantime, he just levels Tokyo." For the opposing argument, there are two supporting details given. The lesser deals with the duality of humanity, those willing to make the sacrifices thinking of the possible greater good the study of Godzilla would bring as opposed to others who want to destroy Godzilla due to a lack of clear understanding of Godzilla (example: "Anything we don't understand, we try to destroy. The CCI is ground zero for that kind of lunacy"). Unlike previous entries, GODZILLA 2000 transforms the assumption that studying Godzilla would be beneficial for humans into reality as it ties into the plot, revealing the secret's of Godzilla's durability.
Of course the human characters in this Toho film are not aware of such themes. What they are aware of is that in this chapter of Japan's history with Godzilla, public opinion of Godzilla's treatment and use of the scientific knowledge surrounding Godzilla is radical enough to prompt people to work independently, pooling their resources and even getting their daughters involved with the study of Godzilla. Such is the struggle between Katagiri, one of most simple villains you will see in this movie franchise. His foil is Shinoda, who goes up against Katagiri's goverment funded Godzilla feud with his small, six member Godzilla Prediction Network(GPN) tasked with science based investigations of Godzilla. Meanwhile, we have the journalist Yuki who, unlike "Yuri Tachibana" from GODZILLA, MOTHRA & KING GHIDORAH-ALL OUT MONSTERS ATTACK(2001), is covering the actions of Godzilla as "hard news". Indeed, the end of Japan's "Tiger Economy" years, a subtext to films like GODZILLA VS KING GHIDORAH(1991), is now something that gives added significance and importance to the work the GPN is doing AND goes to reporter Yuki's intentions: the reporter does care about Shinoda and his daughter Io personally and isn't just a career driven(and financially exploited) reporter. Yuki is concerned that Io and Shinoda are both alright when their involvement in the extraterrestrial's plans turns deadly.
That is all what GODZILLA 2000 is about. When Shinoda says at the end of the movie, "Godzilla is inside each one of us", I believe he means that humans are coming closer to gaining redemption from Godzilla. Humans want to make points just like Godzilla and for the better. How? A good illustration of this is the ressurection of Orga which is an accident as efforts are made to find a new source of alternative energy all while characters like Shinoda try changing the official thinking from the tragic "we must kill the monster" to a world where Godzilla can just simply be contained and studied to benefit humanity.
The American trailer:
This analysis s courtesy of Evan "G2KMaster" Brehany, a resident of Warner Robins, Georgia and dedicated fan of Japanese kaiju films. Evan is now a contributor to "Packmule's Pen" and has graciously agreed to share some of his written submissions on Toho Godzilla films and other interests in this blog. Evan is member of MONSTERLAND FORUMS and KAIJU GALAXY.
With the human characters, particularly scientists, there is the resurgence of the "kill vs. study" Godzilla conflict. This argument, which has been in the franchise since the original 1954 Godzilla film, has the same arguments for the kill Godzilla argument: human safety. As Katagiri says, "in the meantime, he just levels Tokyo." For the opposing argument, there are two supporting details given. The lesser deals with the duality of humanity, those willing to make the sacrifices thinking of the possible greater good the study of Godzilla would bring as opposed to others who want to destroy Godzilla due to a lack of clear understanding of Godzilla (example: "Anything we don't understand, we try to destroy. The CCI is ground zero for that kind of lunacy"). Unlike previous entries, GODZILLA 2000 transforms the assumption that studying Godzilla would be beneficial for humans into reality as it ties into the plot, revealing the secret's of Godzilla's durability.
Of course the human characters in this Toho film are not aware of such themes. What they are aware of is that in this chapter of Japan's history with Godzilla, public opinion of Godzilla's treatment and use of the scientific knowledge surrounding Godzilla is radical enough to prompt people to work independently, pooling their resources and even getting their daughters involved with the study of Godzilla. Such is the struggle between Katagiri, one of most simple villains you will see in this movie franchise. His foil is Shinoda, who goes up against Katagiri's goverment funded Godzilla feud with his small, six member Godzilla Prediction Network(GPN) tasked with science based investigations of Godzilla. Meanwhile, we have the journalist Yuki who, unlike "Yuri Tachibana" from GODZILLA, MOTHRA & KING GHIDORAH-ALL OUT MONSTERS ATTACK(2001), is covering the actions of Godzilla as "hard news". Indeed, the end of Japan's "Tiger Economy" years, a subtext to films like GODZILLA VS KING GHIDORAH(1991), is now something that gives added significance and importance to the work the GPN is doing AND goes to reporter Yuki's intentions: the reporter does care about Shinoda and his daughter Io personally and isn't just a career driven(and financially exploited) reporter. Yuki is concerned that Io and Shinoda are both alright when their involvement in the extraterrestrial's plans turns deadly.
That is all what GODZILLA 2000 is about. When Shinoda says at the end of the movie, "Godzilla is inside each one of us", I believe he means that humans are coming closer to gaining redemption from Godzilla. Humans want to make points just like Godzilla and for the better. How? A good illustration of this is the ressurection of Orga which is an accident as efforts are made to find a new source of alternative energy all while characters like Shinoda try changing the official thinking from the tragic "we must kill the monster" to a world where Godzilla can just simply be contained and studied to benefit humanity.
The American trailer:
This analysis s courtesy of Evan "G2KMaster" Brehany, a resident of Warner Robins, Georgia and dedicated fan of Japanese kaiju films. Evan is now a contributor to "Packmule's Pen" and has graciously agreed to share some of his written submissions on Toho Godzilla films and other interests in this blog. Evan is member of MONSTERLAND FORUMS and KAIJU GALAXY.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
ACORN whistle blower: Voter fraud played role in election
ACORN whistle blower: Voter fraud played role in election: A former employee of a controversial community organizers group said Friday that voter fraud may have played a role in last month’s presidential election.
I've had countless conversations with liberals who tell me voter fraud is a figment of a Republican's imagination. Really?
I've had countless conversations with liberals who tell me voter fraud is a figment of a Republican's imagination. Really?
Monday, February 25, 2013
GODZILLA VS MEGALON(1973) - a look back by Evan "G2KMaster" Brehany
GODZILLA VS MEGALON(1973), the fourth(4th) Godilla movie directed by Jun Fukuda, has the distinction of being the most viewed Godzilla film on the planet. This movie has been released as numerous VHS tape offerings, most of subpar quality as well as many cheapie R1 DVD releases. The only quality DVD releases are the Region 4 "Madman Entertainment", the Region 2 Toho and the Region 1 Mediablasters(Tokyo Shock), the latter void of extras but at least featuring the movie in its original widescreen(2:35.1) aspect ratio and with both English dubbed and Japanese language(w/English subtitles) audio options. This film, loaded(or overloaded) with stock footage from other Godzilla films, has been widely lampooned by both kaiju film fans and other casual fans of monster movies. Here is Evan Brehany's take on this film after his latest viewing of it:
- GODZILLA VS MEGALON as a satirical comedy -
Vincent Camby wrote a positive review for GODZILLA VS. MEGALON. That review showed that the legendary critic didn't pay attention to special effects in films from either side of the Pacific. This positive review for GODZILLA VS. MEGALON is different than that. If there had to be a thesis it would be that GODZILLA VS. MEGALON is Jun Fukuda's try at making a satirical Godzilla film. GODZILLA VS. MEGALON is full of irony, both practical and thematic when seen against the backdrop of the series up to that point. I believe this movie is an intentional comedy.
The thematic irony is that Megalon is going to fight Godzilla. Nuclear testing naturally awoke not one but two Godzillas. That was the Earth's natural reaction. Of course, as explained in the prologue, by 1973 mankind still detonated with atomic bombs including the Japanese whose nuclear tests would eventually damage and then destroy Ogasawara Island, a location which is the island designated to be "Monster Island" where all of Earth's monsters have been collected and incarcerated. As if a natural reaction isn't enough to these nuke detonations, a physical embodiment of the earth also reacts: the Seatopians. These subterranean dwellers, ticked off at humanity for atomic bomb tests, dispatch their enormous, insectoid monster "Megalon" in retaliation, the winged, roach like monster reaching Earth's surface and immediately beginning a wanton rampage. For the first time since the original Godzilla film, a kaiju completely ravages Tokyo without stop as Megalon attacks Tokyo and battles the JSDF. For all the monster's destructive power, it's hostile disposition and its rampage, Megalon isn't a very coordinated monster nor does it seem well skilled in combat against another kaiju(Godzilla).
Megalon does weird things all through the film. Megalon jumps into a damn, only to plow through it and topple over himself. Megalon performs an odd floating action which leads to a face plant. When first fighting Jet Jaguar, Megalon just looks dazed, swaying back and forth until he gets smacked into consciousness.
The Seatopians who operate on the Earth's surface in this movie are idiots, plain and simple, their bumbling tactics completely undermining their obvious goals. Examples of their idiocy include an odd car chase scene in which vehicles go up and down stairs: this bizarre car chase results in a Seatopian motorcyclist crashing into a barn, splattered in paint and never seen again. In the case of the primary two Seatopian spies (if you can call them such), it is interesting in that they choose to try to kidnap a stay at home scientist/inventor who has created an experimental robot, "Jet Jaguar". This colorful robot develops abilities and a self awareness that not even its inventor can foresee. The pair of bumbling Seatopian spies meet their end by both by two unasuming truckers and Megalon himself!
Though GODZILLA VS. MEGALON was originally planned by Toho to be a movie featuring Jet Jaguar only, Godzilla's more restricted presence in this movie is nevertheless well timed and obviously crucial to the movie's ending. We have seen in the past (particularly with GODZILA VS. HEDORAH) that Godzilla is capable of instinctively tracking down kaiju he is going to fight. Here we have a rather uninspired Godzilla: the monster doesn't want to do anything unless his eventual tag-team "buddy" Jet Jaguar helps him out. Godzilla initiating a straight on attack at Megalon? No: rather Jet Jaguar lead the charge. Walk through fire which Godzilla has done many times?-No again. When it comes to Godzilla's choice of attacks its mostly physical assaults: just beat Megalon with a tree, let him swallow his own napalm ball and use the next best ability to flying: sliding on his own tail! The lack of high speed filming is a real bummer during the kaiju combat scenes and don't even get me started on the heavy use of stock footage.
Many scenes, including Godzilla's reluctance to walk through fire, is interestingly enough scored to flute music you'd hear if it was a playful spring morning scene in a non-kaiju film. Reiichiro Manabe scores this film after having scored GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH. Now, Toho and company could have simply reused Ifukube themes (cut possible losses by following GIGAN's infuence as shown here with the abundance of stock footage) but instead of that they employ a composer who turned in the most bizarre score of the Godzilla film franchise up to this point.
Any kind of unifying seriousness comes from the protagonist "triumvirate" of scientist/inventor, his kid brother and the scientist's best friend. This human cast of "good guys" create Godzilla's partner "Jet Jaguar", get the JSDF involved AND are also the ones who jeopardize their own lives the most to save humanity. Despite the usual plot advances such as the characters trying to learn about the antagonists, we are subjected to quotes like, "that doesn't help us get any closer to the people behind all of this." Is it a comedic comeback or is it a pun on the often far fetched exposition the antagonists of the series have experienced up to this point? Other silly cast dialog includes "what side is Gigan on?" and "that's not too hard to guess". There is physical "slapstick" in this movie to boot with Jet Jaguar's servant-like bowing at the door and subsequent sucker punching a Seatopian in the stomach. In another sequence one of the Seatopians meets his end after two simple truck drivers simply push him over a hill!
At the end of the day my comedic interpretation of GODZILLA VS. MEGALON(1973) does not mean I don't regard it as a good film. When producing a comedy, it is inevitably hit or miss because such a comedy may or may not reach into the audience and make them laugh. If you haven't watched GODZILLA VS MEGALON or if you have seen it but not recently give it another look and decide for yourself if it strikes you as a comedy.
The American trailer:
This review was written by Evan "G2KMaster" Brehany, a dedicated fan of Godzilla, Godzilla movies and other Japanese fantasy/sci-fi cinema. Evan is a resident of Georgia(like myself) and lives in Warner Robins, Georgia. Evan and I have been friends through our shared adoration for Godzilla movies and Japanese kaiju "eiga" for over six years now. He is a valued member of my online community called Monsterland Forums and is also active on Facebook and at Donny Winter's online community called Kaiju Galaxy. Look for more reviews from Evan "G2KMaster" Brehany in the near future!
- GODZILLA VS MEGALON as a satirical comedy -
Vincent Camby wrote a positive review for GODZILLA VS. MEGALON. That review showed that the legendary critic didn't pay attention to special effects in films from either side of the Pacific. This positive review for GODZILLA VS. MEGALON is different than that. If there had to be a thesis it would be that GODZILLA VS. MEGALON is Jun Fukuda's try at making a satirical Godzilla film. GODZILLA VS. MEGALON is full of irony, both practical and thematic when seen against the backdrop of the series up to that point. I believe this movie is an intentional comedy.
The thematic irony is that Megalon is going to fight Godzilla. Nuclear testing naturally awoke not one but two Godzillas. That was the Earth's natural reaction. Of course, as explained in the prologue, by 1973 mankind still detonated with atomic bombs including the Japanese whose nuclear tests would eventually damage and then destroy Ogasawara Island, a location which is the island designated to be "Monster Island" where all of Earth's monsters have been collected and incarcerated. As if a natural reaction isn't enough to these nuke detonations, a physical embodiment of the earth also reacts: the Seatopians. These subterranean dwellers, ticked off at humanity for atomic bomb tests, dispatch their enormous, insectoid monster "Megalon" in retaliation, the winged, roach like monster reaching Earth's surface and immediately beginning a wanton rampage. For the first time since the original Godzilla film, a kaiju completely ravages Tokyo without stop as Megalon attacks Tokyo and battles the JSDF. For all the monster's destructive power, it's hostile disposition and its rampage, Megalon isn't a very coordinated monster nor does it seem well skilled in combat against another kaiju(Godzilla).
Megalon does weird things all through the film. Megalon jumps into a damn, only to plow through it and topple over himself. Megalon performs an odd floating action which leads to a face plant. When first fighting Jet Jaguar, Megalon just looks dazed, swaying back and forth until he gets smacked into consciousness.
The Seatopians who operate on the Earth's surface in this movie are idiots, plain and simple, their bumbling tactics completely undermining their obvious goals. Examples of their idiocy include an odd car chase scene in which vehicles go up and down stairs: this bizarre car chase results in a Seatopian motorcyclist crashing into a barn, splattered in paint and never seen again. In the case of the primary two Seatopian spies (if you can call them such), it is interesting in that they choose to try to kidnap a stay at home scientist/inventor who has created an experimental robot, "Jet Jaguar". This colorful robot develops abilities and a self awareness that not even its inventor can foresee. The pair of bumbling Seatopian spies meet their end by both by two unasuming truckers and Megalon himself!
Though GODZILLA VS. MEGALON was originally planned by Toho to be a movie featuring Jet Jaguar only, Godzilla's more restricted presence in this movie is nevertheless well timed and obviously crucial to the movie's ending. We have seen in the past (particularly with GODZILA VS. HEDORAH) that Godzilla is capable of instinctively tracking down kaiju he is going to fight. Here we have a rather uninspired Godzilla: the monster doesn't want to do anything unless his eventual tag-team "buddy" Jet Jaguar helps him out. Godzilla initiating a straight on attack at Megalon? No: rather Jet Jaguar lead the charge. Walk through fire which Godzilla has done many times?-No again. When it comes to Godzilla's choice of attacks its mostly physical assaults: just beat Megalon with a tree, let him swallow his own napalm ball and use the next best ability to flying: sliding on his own tail! The lack of high speed filming is a real bummer during the kaiju combat scenes and don't even get me started on the heavy use of stock footage.
Many scenes, including Godzilla's reluctance to walk through fire, is interestingly enough scored to flute music you'd hear if it was a playful spring morning scene in a non-kaiju film. Reiichiro Manabe scores this film after having scored GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH. Now, Toho and company could have simply reused Ifukube themes (cut possible losses by following GIGAN's infuence as shown here with the abundance of stock footage) but instead of that they employ a composer who turned in the most bizarre score of the Godzilla film franchise up to this point.
Any kind of unifying seriousness comes from the protagonist "triumvirate" of scientist/inventor, his kid brother and the scientist's best friend. This human cast of "good guys" create Godzilla's partner "Jet Jaguar", get the JSDF involved AND are also the ones who jeopardize their own lives the most to save humanity. Despite the usual plot advances such as the characters trying to learn about the antagonists, we are subjected to quotes like, "that doesn't help us get any closer to the people behind all of this." Is it a comedic comeback or is it a pun on the often far fetched exposition the antagonists of the series have experienced up to this point? Other silly cast dialog includes "what side is Gigan on?" and "that's not too hard to guess". There is physical "slapstick" in this movie to boot with Jet Jaguar's servant-like bowing at the door and subsequent sucker punching a Seatopian in the stomach. In another sequence one of the Seatopians meets his end after two simple truck drivers simply push him over a hill!
At the end of the day my comedic interpretation of GODZILLA VS. MEGALON(1973) does not mean I don't regard it as a good film. When producing a comedy, it is inevitably hit or miss because such a comedy may or may not reach into the audience and make them laugh. If you haven't watched GODZILLA VS MEGALON or if you have seen it but not recently give it another look and decide for yourself if it strikes you as a comedy.
The American trailer:
This review was written by Evan "G2KMaster" Brehany, a dedicated fan of Godzilla, Godzilla movies and other Japanese fantasy/sci-fi cinema. Evan is a resident of Georgia(like myself) and lives in Warner Robins, Georgia. Evan and I have been friends through our shared adoration for Godzilla movies and Japanese kaiju "eiga" for over six years now. He is a valued member of my online community called Monsterland Forums and is also active on Facebook and at Donny Winter's online community called Kaiju Galaxy. Look for more reviews from Evan "G2KMaster" Brehany in the near future!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Christian Vote - site updates
I've made a significant number of updates to CHRISTIAN VOTE, a website funded by one of my closest friends and maintained by yours truly. Between now and the next presidential election(in 2016) we will be focusing on government corruption, government waste & voter fraud all of which is unfortunately in great abundance in the United States. As always "Christian Vote" is dedicated to exposing and stopping liberal media bias which has become rampant in U.S. politics(at all levels) and undermines the security and economic prosperity of America. To access CHRISTIAN VOTE click the below link:
christian vote
christian vote
Monday, February 18, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
State of the disunion
Despite my considerable disdain for President Barack Obama's on the job performance as well as that of his Democrat cronies in Washington, DC I opted to watch last night's "state of the union" address which was nationally televised on all the major TV and cable networks. Like in the previous state of the union address given by President Obama this time last year, our President touched on a wide variety of subjects without really saying anything that he hasn't already said before. The president called on new government spending to create jobs aimed at repairing the nation's aging infrastructure of roads and bridges, somehow believing that this initiative will help with job creation. It does create jobs, typically those that last 90-120 days and pay about $9-10 per hour. That does nothing to improve the chronically high and persistent unemployment rate in the United States, currently stated as 7.9% by the Department Of Labor. Given that this statistic does NOT count those Americans not working this stat is more likely around 15%. President Obama made no mention last night in his state of the union address about how any of his programs would be paid for...not that he has to. The Democrats want to raise taxes and take more money from working Americans to finance their agenda.
Nearly forty eight(48) million Americans remain on welfare assistance to pay their bills and put food on the table. 30% of African-American adults between the age of 18-25 are unemployed. The United States has accrued a national debt of $16 trillion and that number shows no sign of being reduced given the Democrats(including President Obama) want to spend more money. As it stands now for every dollar the U.S. federal government spends our government only has sixty cents to cover that dollar. The other forty cents is "credit" and gets tacked on to our ever growing national debt.
"Obamacare" has already resulted in hundreds of layoffs in the medical prosthetic manufacturing sector, companies that produce these devices now subject to a burdensome new tax under the "Obamacare" legislation and, rather than risking insolvency, opting to layoff employees to offset this new tax and expense. It's expected that when Obamacare laws become fully implemented in 2014 health insurance premiums for both businesses and individuals will increase which will result in more Americans being unable to afford paying for health insurance.
GDP is projected to remain at 2% for the duration of 2014 and the economy, according to some financial and economic analysts, will likely never recover to pre-recession levels. The same goes for the unemployment rate.
There's plenty of blame to go around in both the Democrat and Republican parties but I blame the Democrats more than anyone else. The Dems, led by our current sitting president, have done next to nothing to help the U.S. recover, really recover. Any gains we make as a country will happen DESPITE President Obama and the liberal Democrats and not because of them.
To those reading this blog post who voted for President Obama in last November's national election, here's what you voted for: higher taxes, a chronically high unemployment rate, a higher general unemployment rate for women and African-Americans, higher heath insurance premiums in 2014, a national debt that may hit $20 trillion by 2016 and economic growth that will remain paltry for the next 18 months - 2 years. My congratulations to all of you.
Nearly forty eight(48) million Americans remain on welfare assistance to pay their bills and put food on the table. 30% of African-American adults between the age of 18-25 are unemployed. The United States has accrued a national debt of $16 trillion and that number shows no sign of being reduced given the Democrats(including President Obama) want to spend more money. As it stands now for every dollar the U.S. federal government spends our government only has sixty cents to cover that dollar. The other forty cents is "credit" and gets tacked on to our ever growing national debt.
"Obamacare" has already resulted in hundreds of layoffs in the medical prosthetic manufacturing sector, companies that produce these devices now subject to a burdensome new tax under the "Obamacare" legislation and, rather than risking insolvency, opting to layoff employees to offset this new tax and expense. It's expected that when Obamacare laws become fully implemented in 2014 health insurance premiums for both businesses and individuals will increase which will result in more Americans being unable to afford paying for health insurance.
GDP is projected to remain at 2% for the duration of 2014 and the economy, according to some financial and economic analysts, will likely never recover to pre-recession levels. The same goes for the unemployment rate.
There's plenty of blame to go around in both the Democrat and Republican parties but I blame the Democrats more than anyone else. The Dems, led by our current sitting president, have done next to nothing to help the U.S. recover, really recover. Any gains we make as a country will happen DESPITE President Obama and the liberal Democrats and not because of them.
To those reading this blog post who voted for President Obama in last November's national election, here's what you voted for: higher taxes, a chronically high unemployment rate, a higher general unemployment rate for women and African-Americans, higher heath insurance premiums in 2014, a national debt that may hit $20 trillion by 2016 and economic growth that will remain paltry for the next 18 months - 2 years. My congratulations to all of you.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Mountains of madness: THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN(1957)
The
"yeti", also known as the "abominable snowman", a large and hairy
humanoid creature alleged to exist in the Himalayas, has been the
subject of countless horror movies and documentaries over the years. I
can honestly say that I haven't come across a yeti documentary thus far
that I didn't like. Sadly I can't say that for horror movies featuring
this mysterious beast: most of the ones I've seen are total stinkers
include one I recently watched on SyFy called "Abominable Snowman".
Apparently the company that produced this film(a word I use loosely
here) decided that poor acting, a largely uninteresting human cast of
characters and CGI renderings of the malevolent creatures that resembled
something out of a video game is a formula for success for SyFy.
They're right about that, if nothing else but their completed work is
still something I regret watching and also a movie which is in my
estimation absolutely atrocious, even by SyFy standards.
To date there are only a handful of films featuring "yeti" or yeti like creatures that I find watchable, even entertaining: 2006's Abominable, a 1977 made for television movie called Snowbeast, the 1955 Toho produced Half Human(Ive only seen the Americanized version) and last but definitely not least, 1957's The Abominable Snowman, an early Hammer films movie that has stood the test of time and remains IMO the best movie presentation of the yeti.
The yeti phenomenom came to the forefront of media headlines in national newspapers in the 1950's in concert with the publicity surrounding the first successful ascent of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth(at over 29,000 feet in height) by Sir Edmund Hillary and his expedition in 1953. Members of the expedition, including Hillary himself, have been quoted as saying they heard strange noises that sounded semi-human.
Hammer Studios decided to make a film about the mysterious creature, based on the 1955 BBC teleplay The Creature. The result: The Abominable Snowman, directed by Val Guest and released theatrically two years later in 1957.
The film's story: world renowned botanist Dr. John Rolason(played by Peter Cushing), despite an ominous warning from the local Buddhist temple priest, reluctantly decides to join an expedition to search for the yeti, aka "the abominable snowman". The expedition, led by Tom Friend(played by Forrest Tucker of F-Troop fame), begins it's ascent into the steep, rugged higher elevations of the Himalayas. After establishing a small base camp the group is indeed visited by the mysterious creatures. One is shot and killed by expedition member and trapper Ed Shelley(played by Robert Brown). The dead creature is ignominiously used as bait, to lure other members of it's kind to the expedition members. This action proves disastrous, the team discovering that the yeti have a mysterious "telepathic" ability, it's effects on the surviving team members unpredictable and dangerous. (no spoilers).
Observations: this film is easily one of my top five favorite Hammer horror films. It's a grim and moody feature with some marvelous visuals of the rugged and awesome mountains of Nepal and a somber, at other times urgent score that nicely compliments the action in the film itself.
Like every Hammer horror film the story is actor driven and Hammer horror film veteran Peter Cushing doesn't disappoint as botanist "John Rolason" whose curiosity about the existence of the yeti is a proverbial itch he finds himself compelled to scratch despite his wife's concern for his safety and Rolason's own disdain at adventurer "Tom Friend"(played by Forrest Tucker). Tucker's character "Friend" contrasts to botanist Rolason in that the adventurer wants to capture a yeti to make a profit with no interest in studying the creature at all. The clash of wills between the characters "Rolason" and "Friend" is an interesting dynamic in this clasic black and white horror film, the two characters maintaining an uneasy tolerance of each other during their hike into the mountains and nearly coming to blows during a lively debate about the merits of their expedition.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of this movie, for me anyway, is the ending. I won't reveal what happens but for me the films' conclusion is thought provoking and not what I expected at all.
The movie itself is available on Region 1 DVD as either a stand alone film, or as part of a double-feature, paired with the 1970's martial arts crime drama Shatter!
The trailer:
Click the link to see the stand alone R1 DVD for sale at Amazon: THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN DVD
To date there are only a handful of films featuring "yeti" or yeti like creatures that I find watchable, even entertaining: 2006's Abominable, a 1977 made for television movie called Snowbeast, the 1955 Toho produced Half Human(Ive only seen the Americanized version) and last but definitely not least, 1957's The Abominable Snowman, an early Hammer films movie that has stood the test of time and remains IMO the best movie presentation of the yeti.
The yeti phenomenom came to the forefront of media headlines in national newspapers in the 1950's in concert with the publicity surrounding the first successful ascent of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth(at over 29,000 feet in height) by Sir Edmund Hillary and his expedition in 1953. Members of the expedition, including Hillary himself, have been quoted as saying they heard strange noises that sounded semi-human.
Hammer Studios decided to make a film about the mysterious creature, based on the 1955 BBC teleplay The Creature. The result: The Abominable Snowman, directed by Val Guest and released theatrically two years later in 1957.
The film's story: world renowned botanist Dr. John Rolason(played by Peter Cushing), despite an ominous warning from the local Buddhist temple priest, reluctantly decides to join an expedition to search for the yeti, aka "the abominable snowman". The expedition, led by Tom Friend(played by Forrest Tucker of F-Troop fame), begins it's ascent into the steep, rugged higher elevations of the Himalayas. After establishing a small base camp the group is indeed visited by the mysterious creatures. One is shot and killed by expedition member and trapper Ed Shelley(played by Robert Brown). The dead creature is ignominiously used as bait, to lure other members of it's kind to the expedition members. This action proves disastrous, the team discovering that the yeti have a mysterious "telepathic" ability, it's effects on the surviving team members unpredictable and dangerous. (no spoilers).
Observations: this film is easily one of my top five favorite Hammer horror films. It's a grim and moody feature with some marvelous visuals of the rugged and awesome mountains of Nepal and a somber, at other times urgent score that nicely compliments the action in the film itself.
Like every Hammer horror film the story is actor driven and Hammer horror film veteran Peter Cushing doesn't disappoint as botanist "John Rolason" whose curiosity about the existence of the yeti is a proverbial itch he finds himself compelled to scratch despite his wife's concern for his safety and Rolason's own disdain at adventurer "Tom Friend"(played by Forrest Tucker). Tucker's character "Friend" contrasts to botanist Rolason in that the adventurer wants to capture a yeti to make a profit with no interest in studying the creature at all. The clash of wills between the characters "Rolason" and "Friend" is an interesting dynamic in this clasic black and white horror film, the two characters maintaining an uneasy tolerance of each other during their hike into the mountains and nearly coming to blows during a lively debate about the merits of their expedition.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of this movie, for me anyway, is the ending. I won't reveal what happens but for me the films' conclusion is thought provoking and not what I expected at all.
The movie itself is available on Region 1 DVD as either a stand alone film, or as part of a double-feature, paired with the 1970's martial arts crime drama Shatter!
The trailer:
Click the link to see the stand alone R1 DVD for sale at Amazon: THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN DVD
Saturday, February 9, 2013
GARDENWURKS - winter landscape maintenance tips
With the leaves down and cold(er) temps in the winter there are a number of things ideally suited to be done on residential properties during the cold winter months here in the United States. I live and work in Atlanta, GA and while my tips below primarily apply to the southeast many of them are applicable for residential properties in other parts of the U.S. as well. Some "to do" items for homeowners this winter:
-prune back roses and fertlize them: I like the Bayer 3-In-1 liquid fertilizer-insecticide blend which is commonly available at Lowes, Home Depot and most retail nurseries. Magnesium sulphate or other granular rose food products also work well. This action will ehance bloom production on roses during the spring and summer months
-prune back crape myrtles. These trees should be completely defoliated by now and for those that are mature and well established they should be pruned back and fertilized. How much pruning? I always prune no more than one third(1/3rd) of the tree's total height. Example: a ten(10) foot crape myrtle would be pruned back no more than 3-3.5 feet off the top. A good fertilizer for use here is any 10-10-10 starter fertilizer(granular) which should be spread evenly around the main trunk of the tree. These actions will enhance bloom production and ensure overall health of the tree(s). Other small(er) and medium sized trees that benefit from a winter fertilizer application: dogwood(Florida), cherry(Akame and Yoshino), magnolia(Little Gem), hemlocks, cryptomeria, willow, arborvitae, birch and maple
-many shrubs benefit from a granular application of fertilizer in the winter months including: boxwoods, cleyera, various hollies(especially Mary Nelle, sky pencil, compacta and helleri), pieris, fatsia, euonymous, camellia, hawthorne, pitosporum, gardenia, azalea, ewe(cephalotaxus), acuba, hydrangea(oak leaf and other varieties) and osmathus(tea olive) -make sure to apply fertilizer around the main trunks of these shrubs as much as possible
-ground covers benefit from a fertilizer(10-10-10) application including ivy, Boston ivy, pachysandra, ferns, vinca(both major and minor), ajuga, liriope aka "monkey grass"(both Big Blue and variegated), mondo grass(including dwarf mondo grass) and creeping fig
-common winter "color" like pansies and violas should be fertilized with any common granular flower or pansy "food" product and pansies should be "dead-headed"(carefully plucking off the declined flower attached to the stem) - performing a handweeding and then refreshing these flower beds with new mulch top dressings is something I do quite a bit this time of year on a customers' property, not just in these flower beds but also in containers as well
-any larg(er) scale pruning to decrease the size of a large shrub should also be done during the cold(er) winter months
-the winter months are a great time to apply pre-emergent herbicides in large(r) natural areas where weeds tend to propagate heavily in the warmer months of spring, summer and early fall. A pre-emergent herbicide, as it's title suggests, kills a weed seed in the soil BEFORE it can germinate and appear above the ground. Pre-emergent herbicides can be pricey but in my experience can also make a huge difference in the amount of weeds that appear in natural areas and other areas where weeds tend to appear in greater quantity. Pre-emergents are typically sold at Lowes/Home Depot in bags and are a fine, granular product which can applied manually or using a standard sized or hand spreader("drop" or "broadcast type" for standard spreaders depending on the size of the natural area)
-many landscape companies will cut back "Big Blue" liriope(the kind that is solid green in color) because it can become blighted and grungy looking in appearance during the winter and this is definitely a good idea. Cutting back the liriope can be done either manually(for smaller beds) or with a string trimmer(weedeater) for larger amounts of liriope. Fertilize the liriope after cutting it back and cleaning out the clippings. You can expect the liriope to flush back out with new growth quickly as the temps warm up in the spring
-the early winter months are also an ideal time to install pine straw in beds and natural areas. Pine straw is an outstanding top dressing, affordable, readily available at retailers and pine straw contractor businesses and when installed properly can really make a residential property stand out. Pine straw also helps to suppress weed propagation.
To access my gardening/maintenance landscaping website click the link below.
Home - Gardenwurks
-prune back roses and fertlize them: I like the Bayer 3-In-1 liquid fertilizer-insecticide blend which is commonly available at Lowes, Home Depot and most retail nurseries. Magnesium sulphate or other granular rose food products also work well. This action will ehance bloom production on roses during the spring and summer months
-prune back crape myrtles. These trees should be completely defoliated by now and for those that are mature and well established they should be pruned back and fertilized. How much pruning? I always prune no more than one third(1/3rd) of the tree's total height. Example: a ten(10) foot crape myrtle would be pruned back no more than 3-3.5 feet off the top. A good fertilizer for use here is any 10-10-10 starter fertilizer(granular) which should be spread evenly around the main trunk of the tree. These actions will enhance bloom production and ensure overall health of the tree(s). Other small(er) and medium sized trees that benefit from a winter fertilizer application: dogwood(Florida), cherry(Akame and Yoshino), magnolia(Little Gem), hemlocks, cryptomeria, willow, arborvitae, birch and maple
-many shrubs benefit from a granular application of fertilizer in the winter months including: boxwoods, cleyera, various hollies(especially Mary Nelle, sky pencil, compacta and helleri), pieris, fatsia, euonymous, camellia, hawthorne, pitosporum, gardenia, azalea, ewe(cephalotaxus), acuba, hydrangea(oak leaf and other varieties) and osmathus(tea olive) -make sure to apply fertilizer around the main trunks of these shrubs as much as possible
-ground covers benefit from a fertilizer(10-10-10) application including ivy, Boston ivy, pachysandra, ferns, vinca(both major and minor), ajuga, liriope aka "monkey grass"(both Big Blue and variegated), mondo grass(including dwarf mondo grass) and creeping fig
-common winter "color" like pansies and violas should be fertilized with any common granular flower or pansy "food" product and pansies should be "dead-headed"(carefully plucking off the declined flower attached to the stem) - performing a handweeding and then refreshing these flower beds with new mulch top dressings is something I do quite a bit this time of year on a customers' property, not just in these flower beds but also in containers as well
-any larg(er) scale pruning to decrease the size of a large shrub should also be done during the cold(er) winter months
-the winter months are a great time to apply pre-emergent herbicides in large(r) natural areas where weeds tend to propagate heavily in the warmer months of spring, summer and early fall. A pre-emergent herbicide, as it's title suggests, kills a weed seed in the soil BEFORE it can germinate and appear above the ground. Pre-emergent herbicides can be pricey but in my experience can also make a huge difference in the amount of weeds that appear in natural areas and other areas where weeds tend to appear in greater quantity. Pre-emergents are typically sold at Lowes/Home Depot in bags and are a fine, granular product which can applied manually or using a standard sized or hand spreader("drop" or "broadcast type" for standard spreaders depending on the size of the natural area)
-many landscape companies will cut back "Big Blue" liriope(the kind that is solid green in color) because it can become blighted and grungy looking in appearance during the winter and this is definitely a good idea. Cutting back the liriope can be done either manually(for smaller beds) or with a string trimmer(weedeater) for larger amounts of liriope. Fertilize the liriope after cutting it back and cleaning out the clippings. You can expect the liriope to flush back out with new growth quickly as the temps warm up in the spring
-the early winter months are also an ideal time to install pine straw in beds and natural areas. Pine straw is an outstanding top dressing, affordable, readily available at retailers and pine straw contractor businesses and when installed properly can really make a residential property stand out. Pine straw also helps to suppress weed propagation.
To access my gardening/maintenance landscaping website click the link below.
Home - Gardenwurks
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