Let me first say that I don't believe Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla(2002) is the best Millennium Godzilla film made by Toho. Rather, I believe GMK(2001) is. That said I like the 2002 Millennium G movie a lot, and for a lot of reasons. As I do every Sunday afternoon I sit down and watch a Toho film. Today's fare: Godzilla X Mechagodzilla, first released to theaters in Japan back in December, 2002. Some observations about this movie, both positive and negative -
Thumbs up:
1. the Godzilla suit, which was modified from the G suits used in Godzilla 2000(1999) and Godzilla Vs Megaguirus(2000). I'm sure there are those who don't like the suit as much. The suit looked less scaly and the dorsals didn't look so gigantic(and over-sized).
2. the character of "Akane Yashiro", played by model/actress Yumiko Shaku. Yumiko Shaku is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen and while I could absolutely watch her for no other reason than that her character in this movie is so much more than looks. She's mentally and physically tough, disciplined and dedicated to her job. Granted, she suffers a confidence problem and is extremely hard on herself because of the accidental deaths of comrades which she was unfortunately involved in. Rather than feel self pity Akane Yashiro swallowed her pride and kept plugging. In the end she stepped up and redeemed herself quite well.
3. the character of Dr. Yuhara: forgetting for a moment his bumbling attempts to make nice with Akane Yashiro, presumably to get her to agree to a date with him, this affable, somewhat goofy scientist is still a nice guy, easy to like, clearly a good father to his daughter "Sarah" and a key to the success of "Kiryu"(Mechagodzilla).
4. the rendering of Mechagodzilla: I didn't find the MG construction to be as visually threatening as the '74 MG rendering. Rather, the MG in this film looks almost noble. It's array of weapons is very impressive and its combat tactics against Godzilla are also impressive.
5. many of the effects shots, in particular MG's plowing through the building after it malfunctions, as well as many shots used during the final battle. High speed filming slows things down in many of the final battle sequences. The shot of Mechagodzilla driving Godzilla backwards along the ground is very satisfying to watch. I also liked the cameo appearances of Misato Tanaka, who played "Kiriko Tsujimori" from Godzilla Vs Megaguirus(2000), and her old CO from that film. MG's descent to attack Godzilla before the monster can incinerate the hospital is very cool: Mechagodzilla descends, slides along the ground and slams into Godzilla, sending the monster flying.
Thumbs down:
1. Lieutenant Togashi's hair style: Togashi is the leader of the Kiryu Squadron and yet his hair is a mini-mullet in back. This guy was in need of a haircut and badly.
2. Hayama: he acted like a jackass in this film and is lucky Akane Yashiro didn't throw his ass through a window.
3. New Japanese Prime Minister Igarashi accepting flowers from outgoing PM Tsuge(played by Kumi Mizuno). It should have been the other way around, for God's sake. A man accepting flowers. Good God.
4. The actor who plays "Dr. Kanno": this guy, with crewcut and possessing a squat, burly physique, looks more like a professional wrestler than a low temperature physicist.
A scene from the film:
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Persona Non Strata: X The Unknown(1956)
If I ever had to part ways with my classic Godzilla films on DVD I'd probably suffer from serious withdrawal symptoms. The same goes for my collection of Hammer Films produced movies on DVD. I'm especially fond of the earlier "Hammer" produced horror and sci-fi, from the mid 1950's through the early 1960's. Among my favorites: X The Unknown(1956). This film is genuinely spooky and plays out as a straight ahead, no-nonsense affair about a mysterious, radioactive creature living in the bowels of the Earth which manages to access the surface where it preys on humans. Leave it to a scientist(played by Dean Jagger) and local police inspector(played by Leo McKern) to try and figure out how to stop the creature.
The film's trailer:
The film's trailer:
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Made In America: Godzilla(1998)
There have been, in my own lifetime, perhaps a half dozen or so events that managed to get me excited. I'm a deliberate person, one who generally maintains and applies an even and/or slightly pessimistic and guarded perspective to everything and everyone I encounter in life. Movies are no different: I react to them in generally the same fashion.
One of these events that managed to get me excited was the impending theatrical release of an American Godzilla movie. My anticipation began back in late 1997 when, watching a VHS rental of the film I Know What You Did Last Summer(1997), I saw an advance teaser trailer for Godzilla(1998): it was the "museum" teaser where a group of students viewing a T-Rex skeleton have their tour interrupted by the gargantuan foot of Godzilla, which crashes down through the museum roof.
Seeing this advance trailer for the first time, I was fired up, no doubt about it. The months passed by and in early May, 1998 I managed to buy two tickets to an advance theatrical screening of Godzilla, the first showing of this film in Atlanta(GA), on May 19, 1998. I bought the additional ticket in order to take a friend of mine, who had expressed interest in watching the movie.
At the time I was between full time employment and was working for another friend, helping him get his small lawn care business up and running. I took the day off to see Godzilla(1998). On May 19,1998 me and my friend entered the theater and took part in some promotional giveaways that were part of the movie. The theater was crowded but not filled to capacity. I won a t-shirt and a cap. I gave the t-shirt to some nearby kid who appeared ready to cry because he hadn't won the shirt. He accepted the shirt from me without even saying thank you. I kept the cap and other item I won(I still have but don't know what it really is) and settled into my seat to watch the film.
After the film ended I was relieved...and fairly disappointed. I gathered from the reaction of others during the movie that it was generally well received, but there was no applause at the end.
Over the years that have passed since Godzilla(1998) first aired in theaters here in the U.S. I have read countless internet message board debate about the movie. I gather from what I've read that the movie has a far greater number of detractors than those that like it.
Godzilla(1998) generated $398 million dollars in worldwide receipts. Made on a budget of $125 million(with another $25 million spent to promote the film), Godzilla obviously turned a profit. It also was expected to be the summer blockbuster of 1998 but it wasn't. The film suffered a colossal drop off in box office revenue after its first full weekend in theaters, an anomaly that afflicts many films. Any hopes that Tri-Star had for a financial blockbuster in the $500-600 million dollar revenue range were quickly dashed by the film's sudden drop off in gate receipts.
As a result of the film's disappointing box office return many retailers lost a lot of money due to the lack of sales of merchandise tied in to the 1998 film. The film itself was generally assailed by movie critics and blasted by die hard Godzilla fans. The producer of the movie, Dean Devlin, was lampooned by long time Godzilla fans, death threats allegedly made against Devlin as well through large internet message boards like "CHUD". Dean Devlin exascerbated Godzilla fan backlash by allegedly responding to criticism of the film with responses like "If people don't like the film they can go to hell".
Tri-Star(Sony) had, contractually, a five year "window" by which to opt to produce a sequel to Godzilla(1998). Based on a number of factors, perhaps none more so than negative fan reaction to the film and disastrous $ losses by merchandisers tied to the '98 movie, the studio allowed it's five year sequel rights to lapse. Result: no sequel film.
Perhaps the most damning, and lasting legacy of Godzilla(1998) came after a man named Richard Pusateri coined the phrase "GINO", an acronym for "Godzilla In Name Only". This acronym has been, and still is, commonly used to reference both the film and the monster that appeared in the movie.
As to the film itself, I will repeat some of my general observations -
Thumbs up:
1. the suspense that was created in the film about the monster. Done very well, I think. We don't see the creature, only its footprints and the aftermath of its encounter with a large Japanese fishing vessel. It certainly made me want to see what the monster looked like.
2. the performance of various cast members in this film, particularly Jean Reno as French secret agent "Phillipe Roache" and Matthew Broderick as "Nick Tatopolous". Broderick conveyed the role of the unassuming but clever and highly intelligent scientist very well. Reno was also quite good as the mysterious "Roache", whose gruff demeanor was matched only by his frustration and ongoing struggle to find a good cup of coffee.
3. various effects shots looked solid, especially Godzilla's initial landfall in NYC and the first military engagement with the monster in the city.
4. the comic relief in this film, especially from the gruff and portly mayor vs his milquetoast assistant.
Thumbs down:
1. the overall design of Godzilla in this film: it looked IMO too much like an overgrown lizard and not nearly enough like a monster
2. the overall demeanor of Godzilla in this movie: the monster's actions appeared to be motivated more by curiosity, the exception being the final scene after it discovers its young dead and scattered about outside the demolished remains of Madison Square Garden. I think fans wanted to see an aggressive Godzilla, not a creature that flees from the military
3. the concept of Godzilla being asexual and the resulting "baby" Godzillas that are produced from this characteristic of the adult monster.
4. the absence of an enemy monster in the film.
I have seen the original concept art and a model of the Godzilla that would have been used in the originally conceptualized American Godzilla film, which would have been directed by Jan DeBont. It looked much truer to Toho's Godzilla and would have IMO been very well received by American audiences. The "Gryphon", the enemy monster of this failed movie project, also looked impressive and formidable as a potential adversary of Godzilla.
The 1998 American Godzilla film did produce a very decent cartoon series. The film itself has been released to both VHS(I actually have a widescreen copy of it on VHS) and Region 1 DVD(I have the DVD also). Not too long ago a "Monster Edition" R1 DVD release of Godzilla was released but it offers little if anything in the way of additional extras and is IMO ot worth buying.
Godzilla is tentatively scheduled to be released to Blu-Ray DVD but no specific release date has been announced yet.
More than anything, this film conjures up a lot of "what ifs" and "what could have beens" for me and, I suspect, a whole lot of other Godzilla fans. We have Dean Devlin to thank for that. I'm glad the film got made because I still think this film has its place in Godzilla history and fandom.
As many Godzilla fans have said, the film entertains to some degree as a giant monster movie but it's not accepted as a "Godzilla" movie. This sentiment is one I share, wholeheartedly.
The trailer for Godzilla(1998):
One of these events that managed to get me excited was the impending theatrical release of an American Godzilla movie. My anticipation began back in late 1997 when, watching a VHS rental of the film I Know What You Did Last Summer(1997), I saw an advance teaser trailer for Godzilla(1998): it was the "museum" teaser where a group of students viewing a T-Rex skeleton have their tour interrupted by the gargantuan foot of Godzilla, which crashes down through the museum roof.
Seeing this advance trailer for the first time, I was fired up, no doubt about it. The months passed by and in early May, 1998 I managed to buy two tickets to an advance theatrical screening of Godzilla, the first showing of this film in Atlanta(GA), on May 19, 1998. I bought the additional ticket in order to take a friend of mine, who had expressed interest in watching the movie.
At the time I was between full time employment and was working for another friend, helping him get his small lawn care business up and running. I took the day off to see Godzilla(1998). On May 19,1998 me and my friend entered the theater and took part in some promotional giveaways that were part of the movie. The theater was crowded but not filled to capacity. I won a t-shirt and a cap. I gave the t-shirt to some nearby kid who appeared ready to cry because he hadn't won the shirt. He accepted the shirt from me without even saying thank you. I kept the cap and other item I won(I still have but don't know what it really is) and settled into my seat to watch the film.
After the film ended I was relieved...and fairly disappointed. I gathered from the reaction of others during the movie that it was generally well received, but there was no applause at the end.
Over the years that have passed since Godzilla(1998) first aired in theaters here in the U.S. I have read countless internet message board debate about the movie. I gather from what I've read that the movie has a far greater number of detractors than those that like it.
Godzilla(1998) generated $398 million dollars in worldwide receipts. Made on a budget of $125 million(with another $25 million spent to promote the film), Godzilla obviously turned a profit. It also was expected to be the summer blockbuster of 1998 but it wasn't. The film suffered a colossal drop off in box office revenue after its first full weekend in theaters, an anomaly that afflicts many films. Any hopes that Tri-Star had for a financial blockbuster in the $500-600 million dollar revenue range were quickly dashed by the film's sudden drop off in gate receipts.
As a result of the film's disappointing box office return many retailers lost a lot of money due to the lack of sales of merchandise tied in to the 1998 film. The film itself was generally assailed by movie critics and blasted by die hard Godzilla fans. The producer of the movie, Dean Devlin, was lampooned by long time Godzilla fans, death threats allegedly made against Devlin as well through large internet message boards like "CHUD". Dean Devlin exascerbated Godzilla fan backlash by allegedly responding to criticism of the film with responses like "If people don't like the film they can go to hell".
Tri-Star(Sony) had, contractually, a five year "window" by which to opt to produce a sequel to Godzilla(1998). Based on a number of factors, perhaps none more so than negative fan reaction to the film and disastrous $ losses by merchandisers tied to the '98 movie, the studio allowed it's five year sequel rights to lapse. Result: no sequel film.
Perhaps the most damning, and lasting legacy of Godzilla(1998) came after a man named Richard Pusateri coined the phrase "GINO", an acronym for "Godzilla In Name Only". This acronym has been, and still is, commonly used to reference both the film and the monster that appeared in the movie.
As to the film itself, I will repeat some of my general observations -
Thumbs up:
1. the suspense that was created in the film about the monster. Done very well, I think. We don't see the creature, only its footprints and the aftermath of its encounter with a large Japanese fishing vessel. It certainly made me want to see what the monster looked like.
2. the performance of various cast members in this film, particularly Jean Reno as French secret agent "Phillipe Roache" and Matthew Broderick as "Nick Tatopolous". Broderick conveyed the role of the unassuming but clever and highly intelligent scientist very well. Reno was also quite good as the mysterious "Roache", whose gruff demeanor was matched only by his frustration and ongoing struggle to find a good cup of coffee.
3. various effects shots looked solid, especially Godzilla's initial landfall in NYC and the first military engagement with the monster in the city.
4. the comic relief in this film, especially from the gruff and portly mayor vs his milquetoast assistant.
Thumbs down:
1. the overall design of Godzilla in this film: it looked IMO too much like an overgrown lizard and not nearly enough like a monster
2. the overall demeanor of Godzilla in this movie: the monster's actions appeared to be motivated more by curiosity, the exception being the final scene after it discovers its young dead and scattered about outside the demolished remains of Madison Square Garden. I think fans wanted to see an aggressive Godzilla, not a creature that flees from the military
3. the concept of Godzilla being asexual and the resulting "baby" Godzillas that are produced from this characteristic of the adult monster.
4. the absence of an enemy monster in the film.
I have seen the original concept art and a model of the Godzilla that would have been used in the originally conceptualized American Godzilla film, which would have been directed by Jan DeBont. It looked much truer to Toho's Godzilla and would have IMO been very well received by American audiences. The "Gryphon", the enemy monster of this failed movie project, also looked impressive and formidable as a potential adversary of Godzilla.
The 1998 American Godzilla film did produce a very decent cartoon series. The film itself has been released to both VHS(I actually have a widescreen copy of it on VHS) and Region 1 DVD(I have the DVD also). Not too long ago a "Monster Edition" R1 DVD release of Godzilla was released but it offers little if anything in the way of additional extras and is IMO ot worth buying.
Godzilla is tentatively scheduled to be released to Blu-Ray DVD but no specific release date has been announced yet.
More than anything, this film conjures up a lot of "what ifs" and "what could have beens" for me and, I suspect, a whole lot of other Godzilla fans. We have Dean Devlin to thank for that. I'm glad the film got made because I still think this film has its place in Godzilla history and fandom.
As many Godzilla fans have said, the film entertains to some degree as a giant monster movie but it's not accepted as a "Godzilla" movie. This sentiment is one I share, wholeheartedly.
The trailer for Godzilla(1998):
Friday, April 10, 2009
Godzilla '84 Fan Video
I like to promote video submissions of members from my internet message board, Monsterland Forums, whenever I can. Here's one called "Godzilla 1984: Beginning Of The End", created by a member called gojiramatthew:
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Strength In Numbers: Destroy All Monsters(1968)
Lately I've been reminiscing about the earliest memories of my childhood. While memories from this time become a little more fragmented with each passing year there's one memory I can still recall with a little more clarity. It was in 1969, on a hot, sunny day. I went with a family member(my adoptive father at the time) to the Rialto Theater in downtown Atlanta(GA) to see a double feature. The theater was mostly empty and I remember the smell of stale peanuts. The first installment of the double bill was The Green Slime. The second film was the one I eagerly awaited to see...and it was the first Godzilla movie I ever watched: Destroy All Monsters, a Toho kaiju film originally released in 1968 to theaters in Japan.
This movie has had a lasting effect on me. Obviously compared to modern day special effects the effects in this film seem, and are dated. I've seen Destroy All Monsters(1968) widely criticized for it's "boring" talking scenes. Admittedly, this movie does not hold my attention nearly as much as it once did. That said here are some observations:
Thumbs up:
-the Soshingeki Godzilla suit, a leaner suit, weighing just over a hundred lbs, which afforded the suit actor more ease of movement. This suit had a nice four movie "run". I liked this suit but obviously there are those who don't.
-Anguirus and Gorosaurus, both monsters availing themselves well in this film, especially the final, climactic battle vs King Ghidorah
-Akira Kubo's character "Yamabe", a serious no-nonsense type and a nice change from his character in Invasion Of The Astro Monsters, who was a milquetoast, quasi-goofball inventor
-the score. It didn't blow me away but I thought it was solid overall.
-the AIP trailer for this film is very cool. I also liked the AIP English dub of this film, the opening narration by Norman Rose very easy on the ears.
-the final monster battle: not the best I've ever seen but it still entertains to some degree.
Thumbs down:
-some of the effects shots in this film left a lot to be desired. The curve in Godzilla's oral beam as he attacks NYC is one example of this.
-the continued portrayal of the JSDF as bored, detached, ineffective simpletons. As Tokyo is assaulted by multiple monsters we see several drab gray uniformed military personnel sitting at a table hardly looking the least bit traumatized and actually appearing, to me, as if preparing for a game of poker
-the rendering of King Ghidrah in this film. The monster's movements, especially its wings, look more limited. It's descent into the middle of the group of monsters near the end of the movie looked stiff.
-the obvious dummy that was thrown out a window after Yoshio Tsuchiya's character "Otani" was shown stepping out the window and falling to his death on the beach rocks below. Of course a dummy was going to be used but I thought it could have looked at least a little more realistic.
I could go on with a few more gripes but I won't. I watch Destroy All Monsters(1968) about once a year now. ADV Films has released a Region 1 DVD of this movie(with its international dub) and while the release is welcomed it has absolutely no extras of any kind. ADV Films also released "DAM" a second time and with an accompanying audio CD of the score but the primary disc has no extras. The movie is also available on Region 2 DVD(from Yesasia but in Japanese language only) and also on Region 4 DVD(Madman Entertainment and with English subtitles) and Region 3 DVD(eThaiCD.com).
Here's the ADV Films R1 single disc DVD release for sale at DVD Empire: http://www.dvdempire.com/exec/v4_item.asp?partner_id=10007594&item_id=11099
(or click the title of this blod to see this item for sale)
The AIP trailer for Destroy All Monsters:
The original Toho trailer:
This movie has had a lasting effect on me. Obviously compared to modern day special effects the effects in this film seem, and are dated. I've seen Destroy All Monsters(1968) widely criticized for it's "boring" talking scenes. Admittedly, this movie does not hold my attention nearly as much as it once did. That said here are some observations:
Thumbs up:
-the Soshingeki Godzilla suit, a leaner suit, weighing just over a hundred lbs, which afforded the suit actor more ease of movement. This suit had a nice four movie "run". I liked this suit but obviously there are those who don't.
-Anguirus and Gorosaurus, both monsters availing themselves well in this film, especially the final, climactic battle vs King Ghidorah
-Akira Kubo's character "Yamabe", a serious no-nonsense type and a nice change from his character in Invasion Of The Astro Monsters, who was a milquetoast, quasi-goofball inventor
-the score. It didn't blow me away but I thought it was solid overall.
-the AIP trailer for this film is very cool. I also liked the AIP English dub of this film, the opening narration by Norman Rose very easy on the ears.
-the final monster battle: not the best I've ever seen but it still entertains to some degree.
Thumbs down:
-some of the effects shots in this film left a lot to be desired. The curve in Godzilla's oral beam as he attacks NYC is one example of this.
-the continued portrayal of the JSDF as bored, detached, ineffective simpletons. As Tokyo is assaulted by multiple monsters we see several drab gray uniformed military personnel sitting at a table hardly looking the least bit traumatized and actually appearing, to me, as if preparing for a game of poker
-the rendering of King Ghidrah in this film. The monster's movements, especially its wings, look more limited. It's descent into the middle of the group of monsters near the end of the movie looked stiff.
-the obvious dummy that was thrown out a window after Yoshio Tsuchiya's character "Otani" was shown stepping out the window and falling to his death on the beach rocks below. Of course a dummy was going to be used but I thought it could have looked at least a little more realistic.
I could go on with a few more gripes but I won't. I watch Destroy All Monsters(1968) about once a year now. ADV Films has released a Region 1 DVD of this movie(with its international dub) and while the release is welcomed it has absolutely no extras of any kind. ADV Films also released "DAM" a second time and with an accompanying audio CD of the score but the primary disc has no extras. The movie is also available on Region 2 DVD(from Yesasia but in Japanese language only) and also on Region 4 DVD(Madman Entertainment and with English subtitles) and Region 3 DVD(eThaiCD.com).
Here's the ADV Films R1 single disc DVD release for sale at DVD Empire: http://www.dvdempire.com/exec/v4_item.asp?partner_id=10007594&item_id=11099
(or click the title of this blod to see this item for sale)
The AIP trailer for Destroy All Monsters:
The original Toho trailer:
Watch more My Video videos on AOL Video
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Captain Nemo And The Underwater City(1969) On DVD
A movie I have long waited to see on official R1 DVD has finally been released: Captain Nemo And The Underwater City. Warner Brothers has released this title, a 1969 British sci-fi film, and it can be ordered online at WBShops.com for $19.95 plus shipping. The link: http://www.wbshop.com/Captain-Nemo%20Undrwtr-City-%20MOD/1000088089,default,pd.html
You can also see this film for sale at WBShops.com by clicking the title(text) of this blog.
You can also see this film for sale at WBShops.com by clicking the title(text) of this blog.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Bad Hair Day: I Was A Teenage Werewolf(1957)
One of my favorite cinematic and TV monsters is the werewolf, also referred to, on occasion, as a "lycanthrope". There have been many films about this beast in cinema: some good and some horrendous. Prior to the decade of the 60's werewolf films were infrequent but among those that were produced a handful are quite good. Werewolf Of London(1935), The Wolfman(1941) & The Werewolf(1956) all provide genuine creeps and decent makeup effects. Another film about lycanthropy, from the 50's, is also a favorite I like to watch on DVD(-R) from time to time: I Was A Teenage Werewolf(1957)(American International Pictures).
The film's story: meet Tony, a likable young high school teenager who might be like any other typical high school student, but isn't. Why? because he has an explosive temper. After Tony's latest skirmish, a fight on the school grounds in which he tries to jack up and beat the daylights out of another student, the high school principal arranges for Tony(played by Michael Landon) to see a psychiatrist(played by Whit Bissell). The psychiatrist attempts to treat Tony for his aggressive behavior, but the result is hardly expected, or desired: Tony becomes a werewolf!
Tony's high school becomes a den of terror as the teenage beast terrifies students and preys on others off the school grounds, which attracts the immediate attention of the police, who obviously become tasked with stopping the creature's attacks on students and the locals.(no other spoilers).
Observations: a surprisingly effective movie, given the "cheese" factor, which is prevalent in so many of the 50's "monster-on-the loose" giant monster and horror films. Michael Landon is terrific as the moody, intense teenager with the temper, and fists, from hell, whose rage is amplified even more by his becoming a lycanthrope. The werewolf makeup effects are decent as Tony's hairy, fanged and bloodthirsty alter-ego understandably scares the hell out of all those unfortunate enough to cross paths with him. The makeup effects include an abundance of hair and generously oversized fangs and brows. The hostility and generally violent temperament of the student-werewolf clearly indicate that it is not interested at all in gym class or home economics. Bottom line: trying to send this student to the principal's office, for not having a hall pass, will definitely get you killed.
The film's trailer:
The film's story: meet Tony, a likable young high school teenager who might be like any other typical high school student, but isn't. Why? because he has an explosive temper. After Tony's latest skirmish, a fight on the school grounds in which he tries to jack up and beat the daylights out of another student, the high school principal arranges for Tony(played by Michael Landon) to see a psychiatrist(played by Whit Bissell). The psychiatrist attempts to treat Tony for his aggressive behavior, but the result is hardly expected, or desired: Tony becomes a werewolf!
Tony's high school becomes a den of terror as the teenage beast terrifies students and preys on others off the school grounds, which attracts the immediate attention of the police, who obviously become tasked with stopping the creature's attacks on students and the locals.(no other spoilers).
Observations: a surprisingly effective movie, given the "cheese" factor, which is prevalent in so many of the 50's "monster-on-the loose" giant monster and horror films. Michael Landon is terrific as the moody, intense teenager with the temper, and fists, from hell, whose rage is amplified even more by his becoming a lycanthrope. The werewolf makeup effects are decent as Tony's hairy, fanged and bloodthirsty alter-ego understandably scares the hell out of all those unfortunate enough to cross paths with him. The makeup effects include an abundance of hair and generously oversized fangs and brows. The hostility and generally violent temperament of the student-werewolf clearly indicate that it is not interested at all in gym class or home economics. Bottom line: trying to send this student to the principal's office, for not having a hall pass, will definitely get you killed.
The film's trailer:
New York, New York: The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms(1953)
One of the earliest "giant monster" films in cinematic history also happened to be the first film in which the marvelous "stop motion" effects created by a then an up-and-coming special effects artist named Ray Harryhausen were used, and with great success. I'm referring to The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, directed by Eugene Lourie and theatrically released by Warner Brothers in 1953.
The film's story: as part of an Arctic Circle research project an atomic bomb is detonated near the Circle itself, resurrecting a 100 million year old dinosaur that had been entombed, and of course preserved, deep in the ice. The monster, later identified by a kindly old zoologist and his assistant as a "Rhedosaurus", moves southward, attacking and sinking a trawler, as well as destroying a coastal lighthouse during it's transit while authorities try to track and determine just exactly what the hell it is. As part of that very effort a small bathysphere is lowered down into the predicted location of the monster, in this case off the coast of New York. The monster predictably arrives to trash the bathysphere, killing the zoologist and technician inside it.
The enormous Rhedosaurus makes landfall in NYC and all hell breaks loose. The monster takes in the town, so to speak, much to the chagrin of New Yorkers who flee in terror and the local police force which gamely shoots at the monster with sidearms and shotguns, to no effect. Later the creature is wounded by a shell fired from a 3-inch mini-howitzer and a final confrontation between the authorities and the 50 ton monster takes place at the Coney Island amusement park(no spoilers).
Observations: this film was actually the first time that Ray Harryhausen had total control of the special effects, and he sure doesn't disappoint. The score and special effects overall are marvelous. The pacing is brisk and the characters all work well within the story's framework. The story itself, including the conclusion and how the beast is finally brought down,is entirely plausible and believable. The WB R1 DVD of this movie is also very good, including a "Making Of" featurette and giant monsters gallery that includes this film and other movies that showcase Ray Harryhausen "stop motion" monsters. This movie is one of my all-time favorite American giant-monster movies, a true classic that still stands the test of time.
To see the Region DVD of this movie for sale at Amazon.com click the title of this specific blog.
The film's trailer:
The film's story: as part of an Arctic Circle research project an atomic bomb is detonated near the Circle itself, resurrecting a 100 million year old dinosaur that had been entombed, and of course preserved, deep in the ice. The monster, later identified by a kindly old zoologist and his assistant as a "Rhedosaurus", moves southward, attacking and sinking a trawler, as well as destroying a coastal lighthouse during it's transit while authorities try to track and determine just exactly what the hell it is. As part of that very effort a small bathysphere is lowered down into the predicted location of the monster, in this case off the coast of New York. The monster predictably arrives to trash the bathysphere, killing the zoologist and technician inside it.
The enormous Rhedosaurus makes landfall in NYC and all hell breaks loose. The monster takes in the town, so to speak, much to the chagrin of New Yorkers who flee in terror and the local police force which gamely shoots at the monster with sidearms and shotguns, to no effect. Later the creature is wounded by a shell fired from a 3-inch mini-howitzer and a final confrontation between the authorities and the 50 ton monster takes place at the Coney Island amusement park(no spoilers).
Observations: this film was actually the first time that Ray Harryhausen had total control of the special effects, and he sure doesn't disappoint. The score and special effects overall are marvelous. The pacing is brisk and the characters all work well within the story's framework. The story itself, including the conclusion and how the beast is finally brought down,is entirely plausible and believable. The WB R1 DVD of this movie is also very good, including a "Making Of" featurette and giant monsters gallery that includes this film and other movies that showcase Ray Harryhausen "stop motion" monsters. This movie is one of my all-time favorite American giant-monster movies, a true classic that still stands the test of time.
To see the Region DVD of this movie for sale at Amazon.com click the title of this specific blog.
The film's trailer:
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Lambs To The Slaughter: Feast III: The Happy Finish(2009)
I recently got around to watching Feast III: The Happy Finish(2009) on DVD. The third installment in the "Feast" films, directed by John Gulager, son of veteran actor Clu Gulager(who also stars in each of these movies), picks up right where Feast II: Sloppy Seconds leaves off: the motley group of survivors, fighting to stay alive from the raids of the marauding, bloodthirsty humanoid monsters that have invaded their town, continue the struggle. There's not much new in this third "Feast" film: a couple of new characters appear, neither of which ultimately can change the fate of any of the survivors. The dialogue between the human cast remains mostly confined to profanity and other bits of verbatim presumably meant to remind the viewer of this film how much these survivors dislike each other.
The film itself is a bloodbath, even more so than Feast II Sloppy Seconds. Perhaps director John Gulager wanted to try and sicken even the most die hard gory horror movie fans. I doubt he succeeded but, judging by the absolute butchery of humans in this movie, I think it's safe to say it wasn't for lack of effort.
I wouldn't have considered it possible that director John Gulager could outdo himself regarding the gore and carnage in the second "Feast" movie but he did it in Feast III: the movie's gratuitous and over the top gore is steady and unrelenting, the various deaths of the human cast violent, sometimes sudden and always bloody: there are gruesome impalings, dismemberments of limbs, the periodic claw hammer strikes used on the monsters by one of the biker girls, and an abundant amount of sequences in which both victims and monsters are disemboweled, their intestines and other internal organs falling out into plain view. There's also a scene that might bring bile to the viewer's throat: one of the monsters manages to have anal sex with a surviving male cast member, a truly vile scene with an even more repulsive consequence a moment later.
Personally, I like the first "Feast" film the best. The second and third films in this trilogy ramp up the bizarre, campiness and occasional injection of black humor into the story lines, something I can do without. Still, "gorehounds" and other fans of gory horror movies should like Feast III: The Happy Finish just fine.
I've heard that a fourth "Feast" film is in the works. All things considered, and after watching Feast III, I hope it doesn't happen.
Here's the third "Feast" film on R1 DVD for sale at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Feast-III-Finish-Jenny-Wade/dp/B001KKU9CS
(you can also see this film for sale on DVD by clicking the title of this blog)
The film itself is a bloodbath, even more so than Feast II Sloppy Seconds. Perhaps director John Gulager wanted to try and sicken even the most die hard gory horror movie fans. I doubt he succeeded but, judging by the absolute butchery of humans in this movie, I think it's safe to say it wasn't for lack of effort.
I wouldn't have considered it possible that director John Gulager could outdo himself regarding the gore and carnage in the second "Feast" movie but he did it in Feast III: the movie's gratuitous and over the top gore is steady and unrelenting, the various deaths of the human cast violent, sometimes sudden and always bloody: there are gruesome impalings, dismemberments of limbs, the periodic claw hammer strikes used on the monsters by one of the biker girls, and an abundant amount of sequences in which both victims and monsters are disemboweled, their intestines and other internal organs falling out into plain view. There's also a scene that might bring bile to the viewer's throat: one of the monsters manages to have anal sex with a surviving male cast member, a truly vile scene with an even more repulsive consequence a moment later.
Personally, I like the first "Feast" film the best. The second and third films in this trilogy ramp up the bizarre, campiness and occasional injection of black humor into the story lines, something I can do without. Still, "gorehounds" and other fans of gory horror movies should like Feast III: The Happy Finish just fine.
I've heard that a fourth "Feast" film is in the works. All things considered, and after watching Feast III, I hope it doesn't happen.
Here's the third "Feast" film on R1 DVD for sale at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Feast-III-Finish-Jenny-Wade/dp/B001KKU9CS
(you can also see this film for sale on DVD by clicking the title of this blog)
Friday, March 13, 2009
Animal Attraction: Frogs(1972)
I have always enjoyed watching documentaries about the natural world on cable TV. The Discovery Channel is, I admit, one of my favorite channels. Today there is a wider variety of programming on cable television regarding animals and wildlife, shows like Animal Rescue, which showcases the efforts of the various big city ASPCA's to catch those guilty of animal cruelty, and another show that chronicles a type of animal cruelty of it's own: When Animals Attack. This television show is a compilation of footage of often violent and bizarre encounters between man and the various members of our planet's animal kingdom.
Though "When Animals Attack" was not inspired by the movie that is the topic of this blog, it no doubt could have been. The film I am referring to is Frogs, a horror movie released in 1972 by American International Pictures and produced by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff.
The film's story: Jason Crockett(played by Ray Milland) is a surly and generally miserable millionaire who has gathered family and friends to his isolated island mansion for a party. Crockett displays a blatant disdain for many of his guests, including the non-human kind, much of his dislike for the local animallife manifest in the rampant pollution on the island. Despite grumbling from some of the early arrivals at his mansion, Jason Crockett is determined to have his party. The problem: the local animal life has decided to attend the party as well. The island becomes overrun with, of course, frogs, but also among the animals who have decided to join Crockett's gathering are aggressive rattlers and water moccasins, several alligators, a small army of lizards, birds, tarantulas, and even one very large and formidable-looking loggerhead turtle.
One by one the guests begin having very unpleasant encounters with these critters, including old man Crockett himself (no spoilers).
Observations: This film is a an early, somewhat simplified effort to show the "nature run amok" movie motif. Does it work? I think so, even if not on a grand scale. The attacks of the various critters in this movie are often exacerbated by the stupidity of the victims, their own actions(or inactions) contributing to their demise. The "tarantula" scene was creepy, and would definitely give arachnophobes goosebumps. The acting is serviceable: Sam Elliott is decent enough as the photographer Pickett Smith, and Joan Van Ark looks great! Ray Milland's portrayal of the sullen, self aggrandizing and perpetually cranky "Jason Crockett" is the best of the group.
The DVD of this movie is presented in either full frame or widescreen(1.85:1) options, and includes scene selection and a theatrical trailer. Fans of campy horror will like this one, which I recommend. If you are a casual horror movie fan and have a Netflix queue to burn use it on this older classic. I think you'll be glad you did.
Click the title of this blog to see the MGM Region 1 DVD of this movie for sale at DeepDiscount.com or copy and paste this URL into your address bar: http://www.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct.htm?productId=5753629
The theatrical trailer for Frogs(1972):
Though "When Animals Attack" was not inspired by the movie that is the topic of this blog, it no doubt could have been. The film I am referring to is Frogs, a horror movie released in 1972 by American International Pictures and produced by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff.
The film's story: Jason Crockett(played by Ray Milland) is a surly and generally miserable millionaire who has gathered family and friends to his isolated island mansion for a party. Crockett displays a blatant disdain for many of his guests, including the non-human kind, much of his dislike for the local animallife manifest in the rampant pollution on the island. Despite grumbling from some of the early arrivals at his mansion, Jason Crockett is determined to have his party. The problem: the local animal life has decided to attend the party as well. The island becomes overrun with, of course, frogs, but also among the animals who have decided to join Crockett's gathering are aggressive rattlers and water moccasins, several alligators, a small army of lizards, birds, tarantulas, and even one very large and formidable-looking loggerhead turtle.
One by one the guests begin having very unpleasant encounters with these critters, including old man Crockett himself (no spoilers).
Observations: This film is a an early, somewhat simplified effort to show the "nature run amok" movie motif. Does it work? I think so, even if not on a grand scale. The attacks of the various critters in this movie are often exacerbated by the stupidity of the victims, their own actions(or inactions) contributing to their demise. The "tarantula" scene was creepy, and would definitely give arachnophobes goosebumps. The acting is serviceable: Sam Elliott is decent enough as the photographer Pickett Smith, and Joan Van Ark looks great! Ray Milland's portrayal of the sullen, self aggrandizing and perpetually cranky "Jason Crockett" is the best of the group.
The DVD of this movie is presented in either full frame or widescreen(1.85:1) options, and includes scene selection and a theatrical trailer. Fans of campy horror will like this one, which I recommend. If you are a casual horror movie fan and have a Netflix queue to burn use it on this older classic. I think you'll be glad you did.
Click the title of this blog to see the MGM Region 1 DVD of this movie for sale at DeepDiscount.com or copy and paste this URL into your address bar: http://www.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct.htm?productId=5753629
The theatrical trailer for Frogs(1972):
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)