Godzilla Image of the Day

****Credit goes to Mister Mushroom for this image****

What more can one say?

This literally is a Bridezilla.

For those not in the know, a Bridezilla is a soon to be married woman who becomes so exasperated by her wedding, she turns into a monster bent on destroying everything around her.

...or something to that effect.

I've actually seen a few episodes of that "Bridezillas" show and the women there are bat-crazy. It makes for good material.

I think a lot of it is played for the camera though, but it's insane stuff nonetheless.

Godzilla Kingdom of Monsters #9 Rankings

New writer, new artist, new storyline, new direction...loss of sales?

So it seems as the latest issue within the "Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters" series, #9 is out, and things continue to slip.

As I recall from before, issue #8 was at 197th place with 10,637 issues sold.

And even though issue #9 came in at a higher ranking, 182nd place, it only sold 9,879 issues.

That's a loss of nearly 1,000 issues despite the increased positioning. I believe this is the lowest number of issues sold within the series too.

Could this be fans of Eric Powell jumping ship after hearing that their favorite writer was no longer on board?

Or could it be retailers not feeling so anxious without a headlining writer, and thus ordering less copies?

Time will only tell as next month's figures will definitely reveal which direction this new creative team is taking.

On a side note that cover is absolutely gorgeous. David Messina did an outstanding job of truly conveying Godzilla's menace.

"Anonymous" among 2011's worst movie flops of the year

Former Godzilla director Roland Emmerich made a film this year that branched out from his usual blockbuster routine.

Gone are the heavy special effects and large armies battling against an unstoppable force...instead replaced with character drama focusing on Shakespeare's past.

And for this Emmerich now finds his first official movie flop.

Blogs.indiewire.com created a great article highlighting the most financial disastrous movies this year, and "Anonymous" is included.

Interestingly enough, it's not due to large amounts of money being lost.

The film was made for $30 million and made nearly $15 million worldwide. So adding in DVD, rentals and television rights it will eventually recoup its cost.

And there were plenty of other films this year that lost FAR more money.

It seems it was included because (again) this is Emmerich's first official flop.

Here's how the article nicely describes it:

But when the maker of "2012," "Godzilla" and "Independence Day" tries to make a Shakespearean drama? Audiences could barely care less. It surely doesn't help that the cast, including Rhys Ifans, Rafe Spall and David Thewlis, aren’t exactly stars and the title surely does the picture no favors either, even if it does fit the film quite well. Budgeted at $30 million, the movie grossed a pitiful $14.8 million worldwide, and only $4.4 million of that figure came from domestic audiences. At one point, Sony was hoping some kind of Oscar talk would coalesce around the movie, but that moment faded fast.

In any case I recommend everybody to give the article a read. It gives a good analysis on why other films flopped this year too:

Blogs.indiewire.com: 2011 By the Numbers, the year in box office flops

Bambi Meets Godzilla makes a "50 Best Cartoons Ever" list

Like most everybody out there, I was first introduced to this comically absurd cartoon while watching the "Godzilla 1985" film on VHS.

I still think it's a rather pointless cartoon, but it undoubtedly made its mark within the cartoon world.

Added proof comes from Examiner.com including it within their "50 Best Cartoons Ever List".

The author Grey Hall remains vague as to why he included it within this list. My guess is that its absurdity again makes it so memorable.

That and practically most people out there, if asked if they've seen/heard of it, will undoubtedly say yes.

Here's the full article for this and further cartoons noted:

Examiner.com: 38th Best Cartoon ever: Bambi Meets Godzilla

A note before you go to that site. Examiner.com has made it frustratingly hard to even look at the article due to their infestation of streaming/rollover ads.

I always find it bizarre why websites do this.

If they're going to inundate a place with so many ads it causes the browser to nearly collapse, why on Earth would anybody come back to visit?

Also here's the cartoon in its entirety:

Fight of the Day: Godzilla vs Dr. Doom!

In one corner we have the arch-nemesis of the Fantastic Four. A man so powerful he once took on the Beyonder himself (a God no less) and won, and remains a villain for the entire Marvel Universe...Dr. Doom!

In the other corner is the King of Monsters himself...Godzilla!

Sorry G fans but this is one fight that Godzilla will definitely lose.

Dr. Doom's holds many talents that remain unrivaled within various worlds. Besides being the supreme polymath of the human race, his most dangerous asset remains his nth degree intelligence.

A supreme tactician/inventor, Dr. Doom can easily invent any device/weapon to suit his immediate needs.

Coupled with his unparalleled chess/war techniques...and you have someone who would have already figured out how to defeat Godzilla only moments after meeting.

I would imagine that their fight would go like this.

Dr. Doom would see Godzilla lumbering towards him and completely ignore the beast. Why should he?  He's fought Gods before and won. What's some mindless animal going to do to him?

The moment though that Godzilla fires his radioactive breath, suddenly Dr. Doom knows that this is one opponent that cannot be ignored.

(By the way his suit would instantly shield him from this breath, at least against short bursts).

Using his boots to fly up to Godzilla, Dr. Doom would micro-scan the beast to instantly gauge any weaknesses.

He could use his gauntlets to blind Godzilla with two short bursts. He could trick Godzilla into roaring and expose his open mouth, where he'd fire two who-knows-what bombs to counter-act his radioactive strength. He probably has Dr. Pym's shrinking technology tucked somewhere in his suit, which he'd use to shrink Godzilla down to an ant.

He could even create a time portal to send Godzilla back to the stone age!

The possibilities are endless!

Dr. Doom has seen and done it all.

Most likely though he'll choose the path of least resistance, which is create a mini-wormhole to teleport Godzilla near the surface of the Sun, where gravity will take care of the rest.

At most I see this fight lasting less than 30 seconds after Godzilla first fires his breath.

The only hope Godzilla has is to catch Dr. Doom by surprise, and use his mass/strength to crush him to death.

Godzilla Criterion early review from Aintitcool.com

Aintitcool.com has a nice review of the soon to be released Godzilla Criterion film, specifically the Blu-Ray.

In essence they highlight the near flawless picture produced, with must restoration done to make the film(s) as crisp and clean as possible.

Now apparently it's not necessarily fantastic looking, but it looks good enough to get the most out of Blu-Ray's capacity.

He goes on to state that the audio commentary provided on both films (Gojira and Godzilla) by David Kalat are fantastic.  Without straying too far into scholarly land, David is still able to provide enough information to make it geeky amount of fun.

 In other words he is able to keep your interest without sounding too snotty, something that apparently other Criterion releases failed to do.

And then there's a whole checklist of items that come with the release, too many to name here but definitely something that can be read on the review below.

There's even a mini-documentary chronicling the Lucky Dragon #5 boat, the one that inspired this film to first be made.

(Interesting side note that I was not aware about. The front cover artwork is done by none other than cover artist Bill Sienkiewicz! Great stuff).

All in all author "Monty Cristo" gives the Blu-Ray very high marks, and finishes by stating "no offense to the previous Classic Media releases (on DVD and Blu-ray), but this edition eclipses everything that has come before quite handily".

Great to hear this happen with Godzilla, so outstanding work Criterion.

I personally can't wait to pick up this copy.

Here's the original article for further info:

Aintitcool.com: Godzilla Criterion Blu-Ray review

Toho to stream films in Japan

How interesting that this news articles comes out just as I was chronicling Toho's struggle during the 1970's (seen here).

Apparently Toho Studios is struggling again in the theater screen medium, this time due to a reduction in movie attendees within Japan.

So much so that box office revenue is down 20% when compared to last year.

20% is a huge drop, and Toho is not taking this sitting down.

So they're teaming up with several other partners (ad shop Dentsu and the NTV, TBS and Fuji TV networks) to help create a service that will stream their films and other Japanese films.

Such a service will be specifically aimed towards smartphones, and will be paid for through the use of debit/credit cards.

Hmm...I don't know if they see this outright...but wouldn't this further deplete the number of people attending the movie theater? Wouldn't they want the opposite if they're trying to bring attendance up?

In any case here's the article for further info:

Variety.com: Toho to stream films in Japan

Godzilla Movie News: The History of Toho Studios

Here I go over a very fascinating article I found detailing the history of Toho Studios, how Godzilla came to be, and the way the studio operates now.

For the original article please visit Mania.com: A History of Toho

Merry Christmas!

I wish all of my fellow Godzilla fans a Merry Christmas, and I hope everyone enjoys this holiday with their families and loved ones!

Thanks as always everyone for being a fan of this website, and take care!

- Fernando

The history of Toho Studios

I found this fantastic website that chronicles Toho Studios and how it came it be.

If you've ever wondered how Toho Studios first started, how and when it began working on Godzilla, what direction Toho Studios initially wanted to go, how it operates now, etc., this article has it all.

What was interesting to note was that there was a time period when Toho Studios almost went bust.

Apparently in the early 1970's the entire Japanese movie industry was suffering. This explains Toho's reduced budgets (and very cheap special effects) on some of their movies in order to get by.

As the article highlights, "compared to the SFX advancements going on in the US, it was a struggle for Toho not only to stay current, but just to stay afloat".

Can you imagine if Toho Studios would have gone under?

Undoubtedly they would have had to have sold their assets, including ownership of the Godzilla franchise and characters.

This means an entirely different studio could be making the Godzilla movies now...or could just be withholding them from future use, as is the practice of some studios nowadays.

Fascinating stuff.

In any case here's the original article:

Mania.com: A History of Toho

Godzilla Toy of the Day

For this "Toy of the Day" it's none other than the "Bane" within the Godzilla franchise, Destoroyah.

No other monster brought Godzilla closer to death than this monster.

Looking literally like a bat out of hell, it's gigantic stature and devilish wings towered over Godzilla, and toymakers Bandai have been able to perfectly capture this monstrosity here.

To reiterate I do these "Toy of the Day" features to highlight some spectacular toymakers out there, and Bandai definitely fits the bill.

Standing at just 6.5 inches tall, they were still able to beautifully capture many of the details within Destoroyah.

From the intricate ridges within his body armor, to the wrinkles within his outspread wings, to even the little teeth within his mouth, nothing is lost here.

I highly recommend this to anyone out there who's a Godzilla fan, or knows someone who would enjoy such a treat.

Fantastic Video showcasing deleted "Godzilla 1985" scenes

I found this fantastic video from YouTube user "gigan997" that chronicles various deleted scenes from the "Godzilla 1985" film.

...well not really deleted scenes, as they remain available in the international "Return of Godzilla" DVD release...

...but rather omitted scenes that were nowhere to be found within the American VHS release.

I highly recommend everybody to take a look, as you'll see images related to various long-lost scenes.

Some of these scenes are so outstanding...it makes you wonder why in the heck American editors left them out on the cutting room floor.

My personal favorite are the scenes involving Godzilla walking by a skyscraper and his reflection gleams off of it, and another one where a crowd gathers around a comatose Godzilla (after being shot with Cadmium missiles), only to run away in horror as he is revived.

Why oh why were these fantastic scenes omitted?

I really hope an American DVD release is made of this film that integrates these long lost scenes, so that Godzilla fans here in the US can finally get to enjoy them.

Godzilla Image of the Day

****Credit goes to manhawk for this image****

I'd brake for him.

...well it's not like you have a choice really.

Go ahead and try to run him down and we'll see who's on the losing stick.

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

While I realize this is NOT Godzilla related news, I just had to post this nonetheless.

I just finished watching this latest trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises" movie that comes out in 2012...and it looks FANTASTIC!

This is how a movie trailer is suppose to be made...reveals everything but nothing at the same time.

Shows you enough to get fully interested while still leaving you non-spoilered and wanting more.

Bane looks amazing, and the newest version of the "Batwing" is as cool as ever.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this next year!

Godzilla on Crackle.com

I thought I would use this post to remind everybody that the wonderful crackle.com has a whole host of Godzilla movies available to stream.

I don't know how they were able to get penny-pinching Toho to agree to this, but 9 Godzilla movies are available to stream for free without any membership needed.

Granted there are quick 30-second ads playing during 10-minute intervals, but that's nothing compared to the overall enjoyment of these movies.

We're talking films like "Godzilla 2000", "Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla II", "Godzilla: Final Wars", and so on.

You can literally make it a "Godzilla weekend" with this whole host of available films.

Check it out if you want to watch some free Godzilla films. I've also added the link to my sidebar of Godzilla related websites:

Crackle.com: Godzilla movies

A Propaganda-laden Godzilla?!

Well almost...at least that's what newly deceased dictator Kim Jong iL was trying to create some years back.

The story goes that Kim Jong iL was a huge fan of films, owning over 20,000 copies in fact, and he wanted to create his own "Godzilla" film.

The difference was that this film would be filled with forced propaganda stating that North Korea is great and that capitalism is bad.

As such Kim Jong iL had noted South Korean film director Shin Sang-ok and his wife kidnapped, and under extreme duress Shin was forced to make this film.

The resulting film was called "Pulgasari", which was released back in 1985.

Luckily Shin and his wife escaped a year later...but otherwise an interesting bit of trivia no?

That's not all, as Kim Jong iL had many other quirks that are described within this fascinating article.  I highly recommend everybody to give it a read:

nzherald.co.nz: North Korea's 'Dear Leader': what you didn't know

Godzilla Image of the Day

****Credit goes to Patrick Reilly for this FANTASTIC looking image****

Look at this amazing artwork!

On his website (which you'll find by clicking the link above) Patrick states that this was actually a speed-painting of sorts.

Just something quick that he created in order to emote Godzilla in an early morning attack.

If this spectacular work is him speed-painting, I would love to see what he does when he spends some time on something.

Doesn't it look amazing!

I highly recommend everybody to check out Patrick's website for further examples of his extreme talent.

"Destroy All Monster" Blu-Ray Review

Twitchfilm.com has some great insight on the recently re-released "Destroy All Monsters"

They actually give it a somewhat mild-to-negative review, citing the release's lack of improved Audio and Visual aspects, particularly on the Blu-Ray itself.

They state that while things were definitely upped considering previous editions, Media Blasters (the makers of this re-release) didn't take full advantage of Blu-Ray's capabilities.

For example they state that the picture quality transfer looks good but not great. There's lack of detail in many of the scenes, at least up to what a Blu-Ray should present.

They did like the sound aspect though, even if it was just in 2.0...but still in HD no less.

Ultimately they stated that Godzilla collectionists would enjoy adding this to their pile, as it's still a copy to own.

Here's the original article for all this info:

twitchfilm.com: Destroy All Monsters Blu-Ray Review

Godzilla vs Megalon included within a "Distinctive Geek List"

Now that Toho has re-released "Godzilla vs Megalon" on both DVD and Blu-Ray, fortwayne.com has included it within their annual Christmas "Geek List".

Essentially it's a list catered to the geeks we all know, those friends, family members and coworkers (not to mention ourselves) that would make their Christmas dreams come true.

Such a list contains fan favorites from Star Wars such as the "Han Solo Carbonite Ice Tray" and the "Voice activated R2D2".

Others are the Star Trek "Romulan Ale" and the 2001: A Space Odyssey "HAL Iris 900 Speakerphone dock".

In any case they included this Godzilla film because the author highly recalls seeing John Belushi, in a Godzilla costume, introducing it nationally on NBC in 1976.

I was trying to find a video of this because I had never heard of this before, but unfortunately nothing came up.

Here's the link for more info about this cool "Geek List":

fortwayne.com: ‘Distinctive’ gifts for all the geeks on your list

Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths TPB Review

Comicbookmovie.com has a great "Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths" review from user "LAWLZY96".

Essentially he agrees with everything I've been stating before.

This mismatch of themes, one involving mafioso/gangster men and the other kaiju monsters, should have imploded upon the first issue.

But writer John Layman was able to expertly mingle the two while still creating a rousing and intriguing story.

The main character Detective Sato truly was someone you wanted to root for, which is miles ahead of whatever was happening within the "Godzilla Kingdom of Monsters" series.

It goes to show how important feeling empathy towards a character can be.

Plus the artwork by Alberto Ponticelli was perfectly adequate. It gave the series that roughness it needed in order to convey a seedy atmosphere.

(On a side note I tried getting Alberto to agree to an interview but alas he never responded back to my inquiries. Oh well).

In any case here's the original review for further info. I also recommend everybody to pick up this TPB when you have a chance.

You won't regret it:

comicbookmovie.com: Godzilla Gangsters and Goliaths TPB Review

Godzilla! Godzilla! Godzilla Movie Marathon in Hawaii at Year's End

In Hawaii near the end of this year?

Well then you're in luck because at the Honolulu Academy of Arts they are screening a Godzilla marathon from December 27th to the 30th!

No specific reason is given for this marathon, only that it's Godzilla themed...and really that's all that's needed to get things going.

"Godzilla vs The Sea Monster" will play on the 27th, "Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II" will play on the 28th, and finally the original "Gojira" will play both the 29th and 30th.

Great stuff, as it's a unique opportunity to see these movies on the big screen.

I wish I was near there as I would certainly go see all of them.

Here's the original article for further info:

Examiner.com: Godzilla Godzilla Godzilla movie marathon in Hawaii

Godzilla Trivia of the Day

Did you know...

...that the "Godzilla 2000" film was originally to have featured monsters Angilas (Anguirus) and King Ceasar as the villains!

Interesting bit of trivia, as this would have changed the course of the movie completely.

Ultimately I'm glad that Toho scrapped this idea and added a new monster with Orga.

Orga remains an interesting monster, a tragic one really considering it was awakened by humans and then was immediately attacked by both Godzilla and the military.

As far as I could tell it was simply trying to survive by imitating Godzilla, not necessarily doing any actions out of malice.

Source: IMDB.com

Great website for rare Godzilla 1985 photos

****Credit goes to "Geekspace" for these pics****

Anybody who's followed this website and my Godzilla YouTube channel knows how much I love "Godzilla 1985".

It is by far my favorite Godzilla movie of all, as I strongly feel it has the best action, the best Godzilla model, the best storyline, and most importantly, the best tone.

How I strongly wish that the forthcoming film from Legendary Pictures and Co. incorporates many of these elements, in particular the idea that Godzilla remains a deadly force of nature.

In any case it was amazing to come across this website that chronicles some rare behind-the-scenes/publicity shots from the film.

Essentially they come from a Godzilla movie card set released some years back.

I think it's a movie card set that focuses on all of the Godzilla films, and "Godzilla 1985" happens to be included.

I highly recommend everyone to take a breeze through this website to see these pics. I've included the above two as a teaser of sorts.

Enjoy!

geekspace.deviantart.com: Godzilla 1985 pictures

Godzilla Image of the Day

I'd vote for him.

The ONLY choice in 2012's election.

****Credit goes to Scott Partridge for this image****