"Godzilla" in a "20 franchises that never were" article

Hitfix.com has a great article showcasing 20 movies that never became franchises.

The 1998 Godzilla is listed there, with some brief description as to why those sequels never came to be.

I wholeheartedly agree with what the article first asserts as to it being a box office success.

The movie made nearly $400 million dollars worldwide, and that's in 1998 dollars without factoring in DVD and rentals.

Adding those we're probably talking about half a billion dollars here!

It's strange how movies today that barely get that much money (Iron Man and Star Trek come to mind) get sequels, but Godzilla didn't.

In any case the article is correct in that the main reason behind this was the lackluster response from audiences. The movie alienated old fans and confused new ones, so Sony probably got cold feet thereafter.

Thankfully we're getting a second chance here with Legendary Pictures and Co.

Take a look at the article. You'll find 20 more franchises that never came to be, along with some interesting reasons behind them:

Hitfix.com: 20 movie franchises that never were

Godzilla Image of the Day

A while back I had listed this picture as one of my "Godzilla Image of the Day" entries.

I thought it looked fantastic, and was a wicked but cool way for showcasing an alternative theory towards the Titanic's destruction.

...who knew that a die-hard Godzilla fan out there took to the time to make it into a diorama.

Look at how absolutely beautiful that work is!

Is this not the coolest thing ever!

The painstaking detail involved...it just boggles the mind!

I wish I could give credit to where credit is due, but unfortunately the website listing it does not showcase who it's from.

It was apparently entered into a contest held at the "G-Fest 14", which showcases other super cool Godzilla sculptures and even a costume contest.

How I wish that would have been held near my area. I would have definitely gone!

Here's the original website for more info:

vinylmaddness.com: G-Fest 14

Interview from Harou Nakajima, the first Godzilla man-in-suit

Examiner.com is chronicling the upcoming release of the Godzilla Criterion movie, and as such they've relisted their interview with Harou Nakajima, the first Godzilla man-in-suit actor.

It's a fascinating interview where Harou talks about how he landed the part, what his experiences were inside the costume, what he based his acting on, and so forth.

There's even a funny moment where the interviewer asks him to recall any comical moments inside the suit, and Harou says he doesn't have any because the experiences were always excruciating.

It's amazing that this guy put up with so much of this suit throughout his life.

He was in no less than 12 Godzilla films, each of them requiring him to move around in this 200 pound monstrosity.

I'm certain though that when this new Godzilla film is made, Gareth Edwards and Co. will probably have Harou listed as a cameo, that way they can ensure that his legacy is kept.

Here's the full interview:

examiner.com: Talking with the man in the Godzilla suit

"Godzilla" in a Remakes and Reboots list

The as of yet untitled "Godzilla" remake/reboot from Legendary Pictures and company is chronicled within a fascinating article from screenrant.com.

While it doesn't provide any new info from what we already know, the article does list 20+ other movies getting the same treatment.

After going through this list it was amazing to find out the range of movies here.

I was surprised that Snow White was included, as I had figured that nobody would ever want to touch the history that Disney did with the story.

Sure enough it's getting remade, with Charlize Theron (pictured above, and still undeniably one of the sexiest women in the world) playing the part of the evil Queen.

(My goodness is she stunningly beautiful. If you've never seen her in Aeon Flux, then you've never seen female perfection).

I recommend everybody to take a look at this list as you may see some surprises of your own:

screenrant.com: Movie remakes/reboots 2012 and 2013

****Bonus Charlize Theron/Aeon Flux picture****

Godzilla Image of the Day

****Credit goes to John Hamer for this image****

Here's another great comparison chart that showcases Godzilla's size against other well known structures.

He positively dwarfs the Balrog from the Lord of the Rings movie...but is relatively the same size as Noah's Ark!

He could literally step on an AT-AT from the Star Wars films...but would need to get out of the way of an oncoming Klingon Bird of Prey!

I love such comparison charts because it truly puts things into perspective when it comes to sizes.

Why box office dud "Anonymous" was even made in the first place

A few days back I had chronicled Roland Emmerich's film "Anonymous" being considered one of the biggest box office bombs of 2011.

(See that article here).

Just as I was beginning to think how a movie like that was even allowed to be made, along comes this article from chron.com stating the reasons why.

In essence it's because studios are catering to powerful directors/producers/actors' wants and needs.

Many of these famous people make big blockbuster movies that rake in hundreds of millions of dollars in profit for a studio.

But in most cases these movies aren't what those celebrities are passionate about.

They still want to create something they'll be utterly committed to, something truly creative...even if it's something most audiences won't care about (such as "The Big Year" pictured above).

So to keep those stars happy (and to keep them with the studios for future projects) said movie companies give these stars free films to make.

Such films are usually smaller budgeted ($25 to $50 million) so that even if it bombs it's a minor loss compared to the benefits of keeping this star power.

Fascinating trade-off if you ask me, and one that I favor as everybody wins in this scenario.

For further info on this interesting topic here's the website:

chron.com: How'd these films get made?

Godzilla Legends #1 Rankings

The numbers are in and Godzilla Legends #1 by Matt Frank and Co. debuted to a strong start!

Coming in at 177th place with 10,330 issues sold, it actually ranked above the last issue sold for "Godzilla Kingdom of Monsters".

That's great news for this new series, which I still believe comes with a very strong concept.

Having each issue be a stand-alone ensures that comic book fans finish each issue with a satisfied state of mind.

They know they don't have to buy an umpteenth number of issues just to get to the final part.

They also know that each issue will not be filled with meandering fluff just to ensure that more issues get sold.

It's a concept that I love and wish other comic books embraced.

I've already read this first issue and loved it, as Matt Frank did a great job respecting Anguirus in all of his tiny glory.

And even though Godzilla didn't come out until the last few pages, his presence was still felt throughout the comic.

I highly look forward to seeing how the rest of the series pans out in sales.

Godzilla Raids Again entering public domain? ...not yet.

Classic Godzilla film "Godzilla Raids Again" was first released way back in 1955, it being the second film within the Godzilla franchise and the first movie to star lovable Anguirus.

As such its timeline would have placed it within a public domain status in 2012...if laws surrounding this hadn't been changed back in 1979.

So says a fascinating article within datblog.com chronicling various other potential public domain films.

Public domain is a fascinating concept to me.

In essence various products and ideas all become universally free of licensing/royalty rights after a certain period of time.

A common scenario is one seeing old cartoons/movies jumbled as DVD "collections" that sell for very cheap prices. The rights behind these cartoons have expired and anyone is able to sell/distribute them now.

Superman, Mickey Mouse, Tom Sawyer, War of the Worlds, etc., these are just examples of some characters having certain products freely available to use.

But because laws changed in 1979 that extended ownership rights (I'm sure enabled by families and estates who own them) we may not see "Godzilla Raids Again" in such a category at least until 2050.

For further info on this fascinating subject here's the original website:

datblog.com: Your New Year Public Domain Report 2012

Happy New Year!

I wanted to wish all fellow Godzilla fans a Happy New Year for 2012!

May you all enjoy great success and fortunes this year, and that all of your New Years Resolutions come to pass!

This should have been the year of Godzilla, with a movie coming out this summer ever since Legendary Pictures and Co. announced their intentions back in 2010.

But production is taking longer than expected...but you know what, this all good news for us because the longer wait will be worth it. Before you know it the new movie will come out and it will blow us away.

I already have big plans for this website this year, as I am going to expand it beyond what's seen now. More news to come as time passes.

Again a big thanks to all of my old and new Godzilla fans out there for becoming a fan, and I look forward to bringing you more new stuff!

Enjoy!