It was well over a decade ago when I first viewed Godzilla vs. Gigan. To my young eyes, that movie was just plain magical. It was my first exposure to King Ghidorah, and the beginning of my fondness for Anguirus (called Angilas in this dub). I used to watch this movie until my eyes were raw, and so many years later, I still watch the exact same VHS that I was given when I was 7 or 8 years old (say what you will, a well-made tape will last). Even though I see more flaws here and there now, I still can’t help but have fun watching the film that kept my gaze for an infinite number of weekends and Summer vacations back in the early 90’s. Godzilla vs. Gigan is a triumph, perhaps not in a critical sense or in a big-time production sense, but instead in it’s indefinable charm that doesn’t seem to go away, even with age. And yes, I still go wild during the monster-talk scenes. (more…)

For starters, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah was once my favorite Godzilla movie. I don’t think I’ve outgrown this kind of film; I’m still a fan of many bizarre kaiju flicks. But I think the initial awe at the origin plot, time travel, and the updated Ghidorah and Godzilla has just worn off with time, and the fundamental flaws of the film are far more visible now. The sub par acting, poor character development, and special effects blemishes have become more obvious. Also, the Americanization of the film is saturated with terrible dubbing. These negative aspects do not, however, detract from the positives of the film: the triumphant return of Akira Ifukube and the raw innovation of a back-to-Showa, kitschy plot. However, the storyline did create a swiss cheese continuum of eye-brow raising “huh, wait…?” moments with the paradoxical time travel aspect. Nevertheless, the film is light-years from a disaster, and it was a substantial box-office success. (more…)

Toho’s most successful endeavor from the 1970’s, Submersion of Japan (1973), is set for a remake to be released in 2006. The film will be produced on a budget of ¥2 billion, the same as last year’s Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), and will be directed by Shinji Higuchi, fresh off the extremely successful Lorelei (2005). Kazuya Hamana, the man behind Onmyoji (2001), is set to produce the movie. (more…)

Author: Christian Salabert | Banner: Christian Salabert

The citizens of Tokyo, Japan screamed in terror as the golden dragon, King Ghidorah, rained destruction down upon their helpless city. The creature’s golden gravity bolts shredded buildings by the dozen, and fires ravaged the city. The Japanese Self Defense Forces had already tried to slay the beast to no avail, and were cruelly mowed down by the creature. (more…)

Author: Thomas Fairchild | Banner: Christian Salabert

The Sun had vanished from the heavens. Darkness had fallen upon the land, robbing it of its precious light. Amid the surrounding obscurity, a towering figure stood motionless. Sharp, jagged spines protruded from its backside. Green scales encased its exterior. Powerful paws guarded a scarlet staircase, which concealed a deserted elevator. From a distance, the gargantuan object resembled a mighty creature cursed to walk the planet alone, forever feared by its life forms. But up close, its appearance was revealed to be deceiving. It was an artificial structure designed to resemble Godzilla. To nearby travelers, it was coined: the Godzilla Tower. (more…)

Author: Thomas Fairchild | Banner: Christian Salabert

New York City…

A city filled with over eight million people. Large, towering skyscrapers reached up from out of the ground, and touched the skies. During the day, millions of people flocked the streets, delaying multitudes of cars and other vehicles from reaching their destinations. At night, the city was alive with vibrant glows of splendor, beauty, and majesty. It is the pinnacle of Man’s dominion, a kingdom a part of the most powerful nation the world had ever known. (more…)

Author: Thomas Fairchild | Banner: Christian Salabert

[Continued from Match 13]

A pervasive wind blew against the shores of Monster Island. Fields of lush, vigorous trees occupied the majority of the island’s terrain. At the apex of the island, buried beneath thousands of tons of rock and soil, the world’s most sophisticated center of technology monitored the island’s monstrous inhabitants. On tiny screens, scientists observed the magnificent, yet terrifying creatures known as kaiju. Despite years of working at the island, it was still a mystery to its employees on why the destructive, city-leveling kaiju conveyed a sense of wonder and fear. (more…)

Back in 2000 many were excited to hear that a Japanese Godzilla movie was finally going to hit the big screen in the States. In fact, it had been 15 years since the last Godzilla movie had been given the theatrical treatment overseas, which means this was going to be a new experience for a whole new generation of fans. Unfortunately, for those of us who had already seen Godzilla 2000: Millennium, our excitement turned mixed. Now I wouldn’t say that the average Godzilla fan disliked this film, but all in all Godzilla 2000 was certainly a subpar entry in the long running series. A movie that gets bogged down by its lackluster premise and sluggish pacing, while the acting, characters, special effects and even music fail to really make the movie very enticing. (more…)

What can I say about All Monsters Attack, more commonly known in the United States as Godzilla’s Revenge? Hmm… to sum up the movie in one word: “flawless”. Now, try to imagine me saying that while rolling my eyes, lilting my voice, and crossing my fingers behind my back. I guess there is no fitting adjective I can think of for this movie. Maybe “weird” works. But you’ll ask: “Isn’t this Ishiro Honda? Doesn’t he know how to make a Godzilla film?” My answer is simple. A wise, anonymous reviewer on another movie site once stated, in reference to an Akira Kurosawa film, that he does not “blindly endorse” every one of that director’s films. Let me say the same about Ishiro Honda. Honda, from a critical standpoint, hit home runs quite frequently. However, he struck out on occasion: Destroy All Monsters (1968), All Monsters Attack, and Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) are just three examples. So, what is All Monsters Attack, this strangely nonsensical, stock footage-collage of a pseudo-entry in the Godzilla franchise? To which demographic does it appeal? Is it truly the worst Godzilla movie of all time? In due time, the merits, or lack thereof, will be shown in their full details. Personally, I’m a sucker for this film on some level that I can’t identify. In fact, it’s far from my least favorite Godzilla film. It’s quite a perplexing situation. So, let’s examine, or more appropriately dissect, All Monsters Attack and figure out what it’s really all about. (more…)

It was a decade and a half ago that I played Circus Caper for the first time, with my interest in the game coming from the flyer Toho packaged with Godzilla: Monster of Monsters. I eagerly rented the title at the first opportunity and warmed up my NES with high hopes for what Toho’s game might have in store. Four minutes and countless deaths later, I popped the game out of the system and placed it back in the box. However, much to my dismay, the residual experience would be forever burned into my psyche. (more…)