Youtube/Fan Fiction Update

While a lot of things seems to be going on film-wise with the announcement of Legendary Picture’s negotiation for the rights to make an American Godzilla film and Comcast is being sued for using Godzilla in one of their commercials, the fandom seems to be having some news going on. But what? First, another video for Donny Winter’s highly anticipated new fan fiction, "Mothra and Godzilla: Future Destiny" is now out on youtube. It is a really emotional video. Remember to click the "HD" button.



Next is something which really evolves the youtube side of the fandom. The youtube fandom’s most talented members are getting together under one banner as "TokusatsuReviewV3". News, Coverage of fan events, toy reviews, and news reports are all present. Right now the members of the channel is Deadzilla, EatIt41, NickJownz, and Ultraman Cronos. Below are the three videos done for the channel. The first one is by EatIt41, the second is UltramanCronos, and the third by Deadzilla.

Cultural References in "Gojira" (1954)

Cultural References in the film Gojira
By Kuroneko-sama

There is no limit to the wonders of diversity. Each culture is different, possessing individual beliefs and practices, each one more intriguing than the next. Nevertheless, many cultural beliefs and practices are virtually similar, such as the various beliefs on the creation of the earth.

Centuries ago, and perhaps even in today’s modern world, polytheism and heavy religious beliefs were central figures in everyday life. Certain rituals were performed in order to placate the various deities of ancient religions, and many basic practices were performed based upon the precepts and guidelines of a civilization’s religious tendencies.

There are also cultural similarities regarding the subject of "courting". Many include the practice of marriage, marital arrangements, et cetera. Courting behavior is also dictated by society, as well as religious influence.

In the film Gojira, there are at least two interesting cultural references that shapes the tale of the lifestyle of 1954 Japan. One is in regards to ancient mythology and religious belief, and the other refers to the practice of arranged marriage. Keeping in mind that while these practices no longer ordinarily occur, they are no less important to the culture of a country than they were so many years ago.

Mythology, Legends, and Folklore
In the original 1954 film, Gojira, mythology is one of the first examples of Japanese culture that we come across, as we are introduced the terrible incidents of death and destruction at sea, and the idea that Odo Island’s deity, Gojira, is to blame for the tragedy. According to one old man, Odo Island would send young women out on rafts once a year in order to placate the terrible god, so that fishing would be good and Gojira would not seek to destroy the island and its inhabitants. During the initial course of events at Odo Island, a ritualistic ceremony of dance is performed, what is described in the 1956 American cut of the original film, entitled Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, as the remains of a ritual that was "all but forgotten".

The tale of Odo Island’s wrathful god is by no means uncommon. Such a sub-plot was utilized in the 1933 film King Kong. Many tales of ancient cultures are littered with instances of gods and deities imposing some form of authority over small villages and even large cities. There is the Aztec legend of the Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent god of great power and importance to which the Aztecs would offer animal sacrifices, as it was said the Quetzalcoatl opposed human sacrifices, which was highly common in Aztec culture. There are also tales of European dragons laying waste to different villages, and pillaging the lands, eating livestock and occasionally humans. Tales of dragons in Japan are just as commonplace, although in Asian culture dragons are seen as more benevolent beings, save for those such as Mizuchi, a water dragon known for its malevolent tendencies and for it desire for human sacrifices to be made to it. The most famous Japanese deity tale, perhaps, is that of Yamata no Orochi and Susanoo.

The tale of Gojira also shows similarities to a perhaps little-known tale of folklore, which takes place around 1320 AD:

Hojo Takatoki, the last shikken (regent) of the Kamakura Shogunate, banishes a samurai by the name of Oribe Shima. Shima had insulted or displeased Hojo Takatoki in some manner, and was banished to a prison on the Oki Islands. Oribe Shima had a daughter named Tokoyo, who was noted for her strong character and love of her father. Overcome by grief, she sold everything in her possession in order to search for her father so that she would be reunited with him. Towards the end of her long and difficult journey at the Oki Islands, she comes across a grim priest and a fearful young woman of perhaps fifteen years of age, both dressed in white. Tokoyo stops the priest from pushing the girl off a cliff, and he explains to her that each year a girl of fifteen years or younger must be sacrificed in order placate the deity that held dominance over the islands. Seeing the grief in the priest’s eyes and the angst in the girl’s, Tokoyo asks that she don the white attire of the sacrificially intended, as she felt she had no reason to live without her father. It is agreed, and Tokoyo, who is noted for being an excellent swimmer, dives from the cliff, a sharp knife clenched in her teeth. Whilst down below, she finds a wood carving of the Emperor, and intends to bring it up to the surface, initially believing that the wood carving was the so-called deity. Her supposition is shattered, however, with the arrival with what many have speculated to be a water dragon. She slays the beast, and brings the wood carving to the surface. She is then treated as a hero, and there is a great celebration. With the death of the Oki Island deity, the Emperor finds himself released from a terrible illness, which had been inflicted upon him by the water beast. Upon the discovery of this, the Emperor orders the release of Oribe Shima, and the samurai and his daughter are happily reunited. There is also a hint that the city of Edo (ancient Tokyo) was later re-named in honor of Tokoyo, whose bravery had caused her name to be "known worldwide".

Culture
A little subject matter is occasionally argued upon, but is never truly delved on, is the subject of the "love triangle" in the film Gojira. By today’s standards, it would appear that there are virtually no romantic angles in the film at all. At least one person I have noted has stated that he/she would not have known there was a love triangle at all, had it not been blatantly stated. Keeping in mind the romantic standards of modern society, there is a legitimate reason as to why there is a debate at all.

Japan has always been a country that has kept its traditional values. While today Japan is a very modern society, and, sadly, many of those values have begun to fade, in the 1950s they were still very highly honored. One could compare the relationship between Emiko Yamane and Hideto Ogata as a sort of "courting romance". What we perceive as romance today (i.e. – kissing publicly, et cetera) would have been seen as lewd and, frankly, inappropriate behavior. There were (and still are) subtle indications that a couple is in love. The most common, perhaps, is simply holding hands. With Ogata and Emiko, it is Ogata’s constant attempts at doing little things for Emiko, such as holding her umbrella for her, et cetera. In addition, their behavior suggests only slightly the air of romance. While it is undetected by the modern youth of today, those who look closely and those who perhaps even grown up in strict societies will notice the slight hints of romance.

The type of romance conveyed in Gojira appears very odd to those of today’s society. Many perhaps do not grasp the concept of arranged marriages, which have all but faded away. Arranged marriage is another romantic element of Gojira that has a tendency to confuse modern society, as it is no longer a common practice. For those unfamiliar with arranged marriages, it is the practice of the parents of a young girl meeting with the parent of a young boy, and having it arranged so that the children would one day marry. It was a very common practice at one point, and it was ordinarily between families that had very close relations. With Dr. Serizawa, it was perhaps that he had been great friends with Daisuke Serizawa’s father, as Emiko and he had been betrothed since they were children.

If the concept of arranged marriages sounds startling, imagine what it must have been like to have to have been chaperoned! It was once a highly common practice that a girl and a young man could never be alone together. The girl was always to be in the company of her chaperone, and there were never any exceptions.

-----------------------------------
Thanks!
*~Kuroneko-sama~*

2nd Line of Toho Blu-Rays!

Visit Links for Pictures!
http://www.toho-a-park.com/tokusatsu-bd/godzilla1984.html
http://www.toho-a-park.com/tokusatsu-bd/vskingghidorah.html
http://www.toho-a-park.com/tokusatsu-bd/daikaizyuu.html
http://www.toho-a-park.com/tokusatsu-bd/rengoukantai.html
http://www.toho-a-park.com/tokusatsu-bd/japan.html

New Line Up:
Godzilla 1984
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
GMK
Japan Sinks (1973 version)
and more!

FULL LIST OF SPECIAL FEATURES (Roughly Translated)

GMK
(1) notice Theater (HD quality)
(2) dispatch (HD Quality Blow-Up)
(3) TV Spot (SD quality)
(4) project the GMK Godzilla fought day and Shusuke Kaneko (SD quality)
(5) Mount the new assistant director Akira Hide Tiharu Murakami ODIO・EKOMENTARI Shusuke Kaneko

Godzilla 1984
(1) notice Theater (HD quality)
(2) dispatch (HD Quality Blow-Up)
(3) "Godzilla 1983" (HD-quality blow-up)
(4) Making of Godzilla 1984 (SD quality)
(5) Audio Commetnary

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
(1) notice Theater (HD quality)
(2) dispatch (HD Quality Blow-Up)
(3) Location Guide Godzilla series (tentatively titled HD quality) (NEW!!!!!)
(4) public dispatch (SD quality) (5) after dispatch dated (SD quality)
(6) Cut and unused special effects (SD quality)
(7) The special effects seen in the multi-angle scenes (SD quality)
(8) Audio Commentary with Shogo Tomiyama and Director Kazuki Omori

Sinking of Japan
(1) notice Theater (HD Quality Blow-Up)
(2) dispatch (HD Quality Blow-Up)
(3) Special Interview: Sakyo Komatsu Takeuti Hitoshi × (SD quality)
(4) Director Kei Nakano Akira Hashimoto Yukiharu specialty Sakyo Komatsu Audio Commentary

Tales From Toho's Back Editing Room: FINAL CUT

Back when the original blog was hacked, I did not have intentions of bringing this feature back. But it turns out that while submitting material to Tohokingdom, Anthony did not take all of it thus I felt that I might as well resurrect this feature with the rejected material. So here are pictures of the cut scenes with what would have been their descriptions. Enjoy!

Just a deleted scene from King Kong vs. Godzilla. No description here :P...

The most famous of the deleted scenes from the 1964 film, the original version of the scene ended with an accident. Evidently the building was too strong or Nakajima did not strike in the right place and the castle did not crumble the way it was supposed to. Though when the suit hit up against the castle, the resin piece that the skin of the top lip was broken. Tsuburaya actually kept this for couple of scenes before it was repaired. Nakajima did try to save the scene though, looking at the camera trying to maker Godzilla seem frustrated. While some of the original shot was kept, the scene had to be redone at great expense.

This shows something more intricate when it came to Tsuburaya's SFX, the animation. The then magnificent 1200 Optical Printer was in no doubt the machine which made this beautiful scene. The only real difference between what is in the final film and this, which is basically an unfinished version. The scene is not as light as the final version and lacks the beginning explosions. But with this the scene is actually more detailed, seeing the flames on Ghidorah's body and a couple of orbs that seem to be in the middle of the fire before we finally see the Ghidorah suit 100% exposed. It was cut because the scene would have been more excited, which once some things were added, it was.

Like some scenes, they are taken out for no apparent reason. This is one of them. Or at least this version. It is a beautiful shot, mixing dust effects with houses that are blown away which would have been a big plus on Tsuburaya's already impressive body of work. The only real reason why the scene would be cut out is how Rodan looked when they showed his wings moving. Other than that, nothing.

The scene is rather well know scene. But the problem with it is the overuse of the 1/3 Godzilla foot model. While a couple of clips of the foot made it to the final cut, most of them were thankfully cut - including some which showed the inside of the foot prop! About five shots were cut with a side view of the bottom half of the suit stomping through some models. Another imperfection is that some of the buildings were a little too sturdy and through that showed their hollowness.

The main difference with this shot from the finished film was that we see the train go across the bridge before Rodan wrecks it, giving the audience a "whew" moment, adding some suspense to the film. Though it would have been a cool scene, it would have been detrimental to the pacing of the film. Still a nice shot though.

Just an extended version of Godzilla's landing, with some footage being of Rodan's POV while flying.

Interview: Stephanie Hughes

1. So, how were you introduced to kaiju eiga?


When I was really young (not sure what age, but I believe I was a toddler at the time), I used to watch movies, some being Godzilla, some being other monster movies. I seemed to have forgotten all about them until I reached Grade 4 and I was given a Godzilla video game. Excited out of my mind, I beaten the game and done internet searches and watched the movies up until now.


2. Could you explain some of your history in the fandom?


Not much, but I remember my first, and favorite, site to go to was always "Toho Kingdom". I used to go just for Godzilla, but now I guess I just go because of the people. I was a bit surprised seeing as there weren't a lot of female fans around. From where I live, there were more girls into Godzilla than there were guys


3. Other than KMR/KQ, what other major activities have you done in and out of the fandom?


I had submitted some work to Anthony at Toho Kingdom. I had also done some writing, submitting pictures, and graphic art for Kaiju HQ. I had also created my own site called "Toho Island" which I guess I would call abandoned at this point as I can't seem to keep up with it. I also have a Deviant Art page that I am more than happy to update every now and then.


4. How did you get acquainted with Dan and KMR?


At Toho Kingdom's forums, I had set up a thread opening something called GGG (Goji_girl's Graphics) in hopes to keep an edge to my graphic work. As that small business didn't go so well, I found something a lot better as Dan sent me an e-mail asking me to do some graphics (Logo, Title card etc.). From there, I made myself more useful by submitting reviews.


5. You are one of the few shining females who represent kaiju. Could you say you are proud of what ground you could break with a title like that?


I am, I really am. Kaiju Films are a really great and entertaining genre of films and to actually have a title at all is really amazing. Especially being different from other fans. I hope in the future, there can be more female fans around. We really give a different view on these kind of movies.


6. Let’s talk about Kaiju Quickie. Who came up with the idea?


As much as I'd love to take credit for this idea, it was Dan's idea. I was planning on doing written reviews only when I came to the conclusion that people would much rather hear me talk than read huge bodies of text expressing my thoughts on a movie. I didn't want to make thorough reviews like Dan always does, so he gave me the idea of doing reviews under ten minutes and even gave it the title "Kaiju Quickie". From that, we got to work.


7. Was "Kaiju Quickie" the originally proposed name for your review program?


It was the only title that was to be considered. I had not the slightest clue as to what I wanted to call it, but Dan quickly came up with an idea. We were both satisfied with the title, it was simple, fun, and made absolute sense.


8. So far, you have reviewed three films, none of them Japanese kaiju. Is that going to be Dan’s
territory or are you going to do some Japanese kaiju films sometime in the future?


It was actually quite a coincidence that I hadn't done a Japanese film yet. Japanese and Korean films were always my favorite kind of films (That, and Canadian filming of course!). When I did the three movies that I did thus far, I was going after the movies that not a lot of people have heard of just to show that I could convince people why they should or shouldn't watch a movie. I was thinking of doing a couple of Gamera and Godzilla films. Dan and I don't have territories. Since our reviews are so different and we both have two different opinions on them, it wouldn't be bad for us to do the same movie. We just basically let each other know what film we're doing. But we've been discussing and we're thinking of being a bit more organized than that.


9. What reviews can we look foreword to?


Looking back at the reviews I've done, I found that my opinions on films were either "Bad" or "Okay". I wanted to pursue the movies that I had seen before and that I considered to be cinematic gold! Titles like "An American Werewolf In London", "Gamera: Guardian Of The Universe" (Which, judging by Dan's latest review, "Super Monster Gamera", I believe he'll be reviewing the Heisei Gamera films soon, so I'll wait), "The Fly", "King Kong"(1933) and other movies I can happen to come across. I can't say I guarantee these titles, but I can say that I will get more known films in my mix.


10. What are some things you have wanted to do with KQ which you cannot, or at least cannot do right now?


I've always wanted to be able to edit film scenes or better effects in my videos. As of now, what I usually do is just give the video to Dan where he edits it using Windows Movie Maker. As he said, "Not the best, but it gets the job done!". I always wanted to make mine a bit more funnier. I find that I'm getting better (being more comfortable with the camera, being able to come up with funnier jokes about the movie, maybe do skits if I have the time). I know I can't add too much as these are supposed to be under ten minutes, which is great because I don't think I can keep the audience entertained for a long time.


11. You joined KMR wanting to provide Dan with art. And as you have shown in your review for "Reptilicus", you can draw pretty good. Could you delve into your artistic background some?


My father has been an artist. Naturally, I was born with eye for art. Growing up, I've always been striving to get better and better at it. As I do better in graphic art than I do with actual sketches, I have been known to combine the two often. The experimentally hard work of a led pencil and paper with the added "oomph" of digital coloring, shading, and effects. More of my work can be seen at my Deviant Art page at: http://gojigirl.deviantart.com/

12. On an anonymous forum, a member said, "But at least she's much better at it than Dan." What is your opinion of this comment?

I really like Dan's work, he's honest, he's funny, he's great. He's given me a great opportunity with the Kaiju Quickie. I really appreciate the comment, but I don't think I'm anywhere near as great as Dan. Dan is a mentor and we both have our styles. Apples and oranges comparisons just aren't cool.

13. Any projects not related to KMR/KQ we can be expecting?

I had kept this secret from pretty much everyone in case I wouldn't be able to stick to it, but I was working on a thriller/horror novel. I can't say much more than that, I wouldn't want to give it away. I was also working on a comic of a fan made monster. I might go back to doing it. But people might not see it for a while.

14. Mothra or Godzilla? Which do you prefer?

This is a very difficult question, I've always enjoyed how Mothra had so much of a story to it, a catchy song, colorful movies, a mixture of peace and love and vengeance and hate. As an actual kaiju, I find that Mothra, unlike Godzilla, is a more amicable type of character. It's an icon, not one as popular as Godzilla, but still represents a different part of what kaiju films can be, and even represents the female fans of kaiju films (and I'm not referring to the cheesy mini-twins). Godzilla on the other hand, is a dark, black and white, monster who is an unstoppable force of nature. There's more fear and destruction with Godzilla (except of course in those films which Godzilla actually saves earth from aliens and monsters). What I like to see in Godzilla is not just the hateful monster or the kid friendly, tail-kicking hero, but as both of them. Godzilla's resentment for mankind, but at the same time, realizes that the world belongs to him as much as it belongs to mankind and feels that it's his responsibility to protect it (besides who else is gonna rebuild Tokyo for the next ass kickin'). All in all, I suppose I would say Godzilla. Not in a matter of films or character, just because I find Godzilla to be more of an archetype character. Many films like "Mothra" (1961), "Varan" (1958) and "Rodan" (1956) are just mere attempts by Toho to achieve the same popularity as they had when "Godzilla" (1954) came out. And this is when this particular archetype was conceived.

15. Any words/tip you can give our readers?

A few come to mind: For those out there who want to make a film review show, go for it. Find ways to be different from other reviewers and be interesting. Don't mind people who criticize your work in unfair ways, there will be people who disagree with you, but don't forget that it's your own opinion. You don't need the best editing software or be famous or anything, if you can convince people what you think is good and what isn't, AND manage to have fun while doing it, you've done your job.

But what I'd really rather see is you people make your own Kaiju films. I might even try to do one myself. It doesn't have to be a studio production because none of us have that kind of green. But even Lucas and Spielberg started with 8mm making their own low-budget films. Make a difference in your world. Make your mark. Bigger, better, bolder - just go for it!

Interview with Donny Winter

Such is that of the world of fan fiction. Such is also fan fiction writer Donny Winter. Creator of Kaiju Galaxy forums and a kaiju fan who's specialty is the world of fan fiction from every corner of the English-speaking internet. He is now finishing up his latest manifesto, "Mothra and Godzilla: Future Destiny", part of a trilogy of stories. "Future Destiny" is approximately 220 pages long and is already getting positive feedback. I got a change to interview with acclaimed author. This is what I found out...

Glad to have you on the blog Donny!

Thank you for having me!

So, let's talk about Kaiju Galaxy as of late. How has the forum been?

Oh the forum has been as delightful as it's always been. We have many activities going on, so people are satisfied!

Could you explain your passion for fan creations?

Well some may have heard me mention something to this regard before, but I sincerely feel that the creations wrought by kaiju fans are the heart and soul of the fandom right now since no movies are being produced. Not to mention, it really puts perspective on people's talents and allows them to improve themselves.

What is your new fan fic, Mothra and Godzilla: Future Destiny, about?

Well it would take me forever to describe what it is about, since it is a continuation of the other stories in my series. Technically "Future Destiny" is an alternate reality story that takes place about 4 years in the future from my current time line (around 2012). Most of the plot revolves around a group of humans with special Psychic gifts that allow them to protect the world along side of various Kaiju like Mothra, Godzilla, etc. This story; however, takes those characters to a whole new level---and really develops them. Which a lot of kaiju fan fiction and movies do not have...actual developed characters that people can identify with.

What were some influences on your writing?

Well a lot of things influence my writing. My friends really inspire me a lot...which is one of the main reasons why both them and myself are the characters. Plus a lot of music also influences my writing...many Kaiju Movie Soundtracks, Star Trek soundtracks....Lord of the Rings...so many things! I also get a lot of inspiration from other stories whether it be in TV series' like Charmed or the actual Godzilla/Mothra movies. But probably the main influence is my passion for writing, it has really allowed me to get this far.

What are some "dropped concepts" for the story?

Well...let me think. I can't really remember any specific concepts that I dropped....the only significant change I've made is that I've spread this story out over the course of a Trilogy. Originally it was supposed to be only two books; however, if I would have stuck with that plan the first book would be around 500+ pages in length...which would take me forever to finish.

How long has it taken you to write this 220+ page story?

So far...almost 2 years...in fact it will be 2 years this November.

Is there a sequel/prequel planned for this story?

Like stated before, this story was split into a Trilogy, so yes, there will be 2 sequels. And any story that came before this one are technically the prequels. Hence the concept of a "series".

How much hype is there for this story on other message boards?

Mainly just Kaijuphile and Kaiju Galaxy, I don't really post my fan fiction on any other kaiju message board---granted I probably should. So far there's been a lot of hype here on Kaiju Galaxy regarding this new epic.

You actually have close relations to other fans, like wolfprincess2007 AKA Mrs. Sahra. If they have, how have friends like this and other friends influenced your writing?

Well like I said before, my friends always inspire my work. I just love taking their personalities
and putting them into writing...into their own actual characters. People like Cyndi and Sahra are two main examples of this.

What is your next project?

My next project will be to start working on Book II!

Youtube fans Deadzilla and NickJownz have made films which actually while not looking as good, can be just as good as an actual kaiju film. With the help of creative film making and use of
Bandai figures, how good are the chances of fans getting a film adaptation?

Well the likeliness is pretty low since I don't have the materials to create an actual film adaptation. The best I can do is just film the characters! After the characters are main focal point of this epic.

You filmed a trailer for the film using your youtube account xMysticMothx. Could you give us some behind the scenes information about this trailer?

Actually, we (Sahra, Cyndi, and I) have filmed 3 movies up to date. There really isn't any impressive behind the scenes knowledge, aside from the fact that we all contributed to them.
How has the response to the fan fic been?

Initially I thought it would get poor response due to the gigantic amount of character development; however, the response has been increasingly positive!

Can you give any tips, information, or last words to our readers and to aspiring writers?

Probably the most important tip I can give to our readers and aspiring writers is to never give up on your talent. It doesn't matter if it is writing, art, etc, it is all important. Keep up the wonderful work!

Thanks for the Interview!

Interview with Dan of Kaiju Movie Review

http://www.youtube.com/user/Roehm21

How long have you been a fan of kaiju?

I believe it was since I was 5 years old. You can blame my father and uncle for this actually. They both got me into all sort of sci-fi movies back then. I used to borrow movies from my uncle all the time. I'm pretty sure I ruined his copy of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, in fact I actually have that exactcopy in a box some where.
The thing is once they got me started on kaiju I never stopped. Been watching these movies ever since. The biggest reason I think was because of how impressionable I was and how big I was into dinosaurs and such.

What inspired you to do KMR (Kaiju Movie Review)?

James Rolfe was the big inspiration behind me doing videos, particularly his movie reviews. Also because I had a hard time finding a really good monster movie review series. So after a bit of consideration and the purchase of Yongary from a local store I decided to go for it. While my reviews in general might not be the most original. I have yet to find a review series like mine on the net so far.

Have you ever critiqued films via text?

No, though I have considered it at a few times. The big reason I haven't done it is because the English language and me are not the best of friends.

Have you ever wanted to do something with the videos which you couldn't, and could you list them?

There are a few things that I have wanted to do. I would like to have more freedom with the way to videos are put together. Like better transitions and possible effects. A dedicated area to film which can be tough with the size of our current home. Better filming and lighting equipment would be nice but with the way money is I don't think I will be getting anything like that for a while.

You have reviewed a mix of American, Korean, and Japanese Gamera kaiju films instead of going to Godzilla. I personally think this is a good decision. What influenced this decision?

Well at first the idea was to get some experience with the videos under my belt before I jumped onto Goji films. Then I decided to wait a year before reviewing any because that is what most people would expect from a kaiju review show, just to jump right into Godzilla. In hindsight it was kind of a double edged sword. Since I didn't do Goji first, I started with lesser known movies that really needed reviews but less people know about so fewer people watched my series to begin with. Where if I did start with Goji I would have gotten more viewers right off but I'm confident the quality would have suffered.

What is the history of your blogspot site?

Not really much of a history there. Just wanted a dedicated website for updates and since you can't do that so well on youtube, I started looking around. I remembered that there were a few blogs at blogger.com that I have read so it seemed as good a place as any. That’s pretty much all there is too it.

How did you meet Gojigirl and how long have you two been working together?

I was browsing around the Tohokingdom forum and clicked on a random topic by chance that just started. It was her topic and she was offering to do avatars, signature pics and what not. So I figured I would trouble her for a new title card to make the reviews look a little nicer. After we talked a bit I got the title card I needed, a new background for my youtube page, a logo and a partner. We haven't been working together too long only a matter of weeks at this point. But she is the first person outside my wife to join KMR and I must say its nice to have someone else around, that’s for sure.

Let's talk about your collection, how big is it?

At this time not too large. A decent amount of kaiju DVD's probably around 40+ and growing quickly. Probably about 20+ figures mostly small things but I got a ton of 6" and larger figures coming to my house. Other than that there are about 6 poster floating around the house. Again it doesn't seem like much but the collection is growing in all areas at this point.

I see you found S.V. Can you tell our readers how good they are?

They are absolutely fantastic. There prices are amazing along with the shipping fees. Not to mention the owner Keith is a really nice guy. The quality of their products are top notch. If you need to see for yourself check out my review of Gamera vs. Zigra. The video quality floored me when compared to what is available for those movies in the US market. Everyone reading this should do themselves a favor and look up Showa Video.

Any last words or tips you can give?

I would personally like to thank my wife first of all. She's been a great support and a big help with everything. I would also like to thank all the fans of my show. You guys and your comments keep me going and without you this show would not nothing. So thanks again, I hope ya'll will stick around and I will keep making videos. Also if anyone is thinking of starting your own video series. I don't think I could give much advice other than just to go for it. That’s what I did, just took a shot and I'm pretty satisfied with were I am at. Not to mention KMR is slowly growing larger. With the addition of Kaiju Quickie you never know what the future might hold. Maybe another show in the distant future, only time will tell.

Godzilla 2000 Trailers

Some trailers have surfaced concerning tv spots for Godzilla 2000. I have already downloaded them and copied them down to disc, but I thought it would be interesting to share. This is the first one...




Second is at this link...

http://www.starz.com/titles/Godzilla2000

Enjoy!

Godzilla 2000's Alternate Ending Card

I was not originaly going to ressurect these pictures, but I thought that since all on the internet which showed this was a video and no pictures, I felt the need. These images can be used by anyone and everyone without paying tribute to the site, though all text is of this blog and needs to be used with permission only. Enjoy!

And yes I got some more stuff to submit to Tohokingdom. Be watching!

Review: G2K JP Version

Just when I thought I had seen it all, I was wrong. I finally saw the Japanese version of my favorite Godzilla film, Godzilla 2000. All I can say is wow for the matter. I had seen the first 18 minutes and part of the final fight scene from the Japanese version before and I am happy that I got to try it out, otherwise what I saw would have kept me in shock. So here is my review of the Japanese version.

The film screams rough cut. I am not going to lie, there are many points in the film that the sound for realism is just lacking and is just dull, unlike the US version. Many things which seemed epic in the US version are not in this version. It is rather weird. Though I do like some of the scenes which were cut out from the US version. All of the deleted kaiju action should have been kept in the US version. I also think that the two scenes with the UFO projecting words onto computer screens should have been kept.

There are some things which I am on the edge about. The first thing is the dialogue. I really think that this film needs to be recut a third time, combining into one package the best of both the JP and US versions. And it would have to be dubbed. Really, I do not know what to think of the JP dialogue. There is so much detail in it which actually helps flesh out the human characters. I am right now actually making of own subtitle script for the film. If only I had a DVD copy of the JP version, no doubt I will be making a home made cut on my computer. Really, the human element can be improved on. Both the US and JP dialogue together would make for some great scenes.

The soundtrack is something I am also on the fence about. I can diffidently see where some think that the soundtrack gets repetitive. Owning the soundtrack, I thought it was kick butt. Though now seeing how it was used, especially since the track Godzilla: Dreaded God is in different places through out the film is just awkward. Plus some of the music is just not as epic as the J. P Robinson pieces. Though I would not be surprised. Hattori also did Spacegodzilla. Though I do love this soundtrack. I am also now more appreciative about the added Ifukube tracks in the US version.

Overall, with the cuts and changes Michael Schlesinger did with the film, I do not agree with 45% of the changes he and his crew made. Though I still love the US version and the changes did enough to actualy let G2K be the only Godzilla film without added scenes with Americans to actualy feel like it is it's own entity. The JP version is just as good, maybe a little deeper but not as fun as the US version.