Showing posts with label GMK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GMK. Show all posts

4.02.2010

Kaiju Triple Feature In Ohio


This whole post is by KG Member Mecha74 AKA Neal
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At 'The 24 Hour Ohio Science Fiction Marathon'.' Godzilla vs. Mothra 92', the recent short film parody 'Gehara' and even another Toho classic 'Battle In Outer Space'From noon Saturday April 17th to noon Sunday April 18th.
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Drexel Theatre
2254 E. Main Street
Columbus, Ohio 43209
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For more info...
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Here is the lineup so far...
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Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)
Gehara
Battle In Outer Space
Moon
Galaxina
Sleep Dealer
Star Trek(2009)
Ink
2010: The Year We Make Contact
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In past years they have shown the following...
Inframan
The Giant Claw
The Mysterians
Ghidrah The Three Headed Monster
The H-man
Them
Gamera Guardian Of The Universe
Mighty Peking Man
Gamera 2 Advent Of Legion
Gamera 3 Revenge Of Irys
GMK
Mothra(1961 original)
King Kong(original)
Godzilla Final Wars
Big Man Japan
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The lineup ain't finished yet but will be soon. Aside from films there are also short films and trailers for both old movies and upcoming summer blockbusters. There are also intermissions between each film for restroom breaks and to attack the concession stand or connecting cafe if need be.
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TICKETS ARE $30 THROUGH APRIL 11; $35 APRIL 12-16; AND $40 AT THE DOOR.
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Then there's the 12 hour halfthon, for those who lack the stamina for the full 24 hours. It will be run in a separate auditorium from the main marathon. Right now though which films will be shown from the full lineup for the halfthon is unknown. If you are worried about missing a certain film, sticking with the full 24 hour shebang is your best bet. But if you don't care one way or the other... HALFATHON TICKETS ARE $15 THROUGH APRIL 16 AND $20 AT THE DOOR. I've been going to the 24 hour marathon for years myself, it's a mere 20 minute drive from where I live and has always been a blast for me!
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WARNING! Film lineup is subject to change due to last second problems with print availability or technical difficulties. Granted it has only happened with 6 films that I am aware of in the marathon's 26 year history.

3.24.2010

News: GODZILLA PERFECT COLLECTION BOX 6



Source: G-Matt (KG/TK Member)



Main Blurb Written By: Evan Brehany



Translations by G-Matt






Thanks to KG member G-Matt, more and more information has been uncovered on the GODZILLA PERFECT COLLECTION BOX 6, first revealed back in 2009 in a chirashi publicising the Kawakita Film Festival. Toho's official site has been publishing official information and here is the specs:






Release Date: August 25, 2010



Price: 10,500 Yen (estimated $110)



Pre-Order Period: March 25, 2010 - April 24






This set will house the most complete recording of the Millenium Godzilla films excluding "Godzilla 2000: Millenium" (was included in BOX SET 5) with the extra disc containing the complete score for the 1998 film. Tract Listing below.



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GXM



1. Nichiei News (M1)



2. 1954 - Godzilla Attacks Tokyo~Reconstruction (M Akira Ifukube)



3. 1966 - Godzilla Attacks Tokai~The Government's Decision (M2)



4. 1996 - Godzilla Attacks Osaka (M3T2 First Half)



5. Superior Officer Miyagawa's Death (M3T2 Second Half)



6. Main Title (M4)



7. Scout (M5)



8. Special G-Headquarters (M6)



9. Hideous Tragedy (M7)



10. G-Confirmation I (M8)



11. Experiment Preparation (M9)



12. Black Hole Cannon Fired (M10)



13. Late-Night Incident (M12)



14. Dumping the Egg (M13)



15. Dog Tag (M14)



16. Cell Division (M15)



17. Meganulon (M16)



18. Kiriko and Jun (M18)



19. G-Confirmation II (M19)



20. Griffon Mobilized (M20)



21. Godzilla Emerges (M21 First Half)



22. Transmitter Mounted (M21 Second Half)



23. Dimension Tide (M22)



24. Submerged Shibuya (M23)



25. Shibuya Lake Discovery~Godzilla in the Trench (M24)



26. Guidance (M25)



27. The Meganula in Flight (M26)



28. Dimension Tide Launch (M27)



29. Godzilla X Meganula (M28)



30. Dimension Tide Fires! (M29)



31. The Immortal Godzilla (M30)



32. The Larva Grows (M31)



33. The Birth of Megaguirus (M32)



34. Ultra High Frequency (M33)



35. The Ultimate Fighter (M34)



36. Godzilla to Tokyo (M35)



37. Godzilla Lands in Odaiba (M Akira Ifukube)



38. Godzilla X Megaguirus I (M36)



39. The Effects of the Ultra High Frequency (M39)



40. Godzilla X Megaguirus II (M40)



41. Godzilla X Megaguirus III (M41)



42. Godzilla X Megaguirus IV (M42)



43. Repairing the Program~The Conclusion (M43)



44. Dimension Tide Falls (M44)



45. Kiriko's Decision~Lock On! (M45)



46. Dimension Tide X Godzilla (M46)



47. Victory at Last (M47)



48. End Credits (M48)Bonus Tracks49. Nichiei News (M1)



50. Nichiei News (Oshima Version) (M1)



51. 1996 - Godzilla Attacks Osaka (M3T1 First Half)



52. Superior Officer Miyagawa's Death (M3T1 Second Half)



53. Space and Time Distorted (M11)



54. Meganula Witness! (M17)



55. Appearance! I (M38A)



56. Appearance! II (M38B)



57. Ending Material (M48A)



58. Ending Material (M48B)



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GMK



1. Marching Orders (M1)



2. Main Title (M2)



3. The Spirited Village (M3)



4. Huge Fangs (M4)



5. The Scars of Threat (M5)



6. The Legend of the Holy Beasts (M6)



7. The Incident at the Lake (M7)



8. Premonition (M8)



9. The Mysterious Old Man (M9)



10. The Giant Foot (M10)



11. Cries of Sorrow (M11)



12. The Mysterious Stone (M12)



13. The Sleeping Three-Headed Dragon (M13)



14. The Cruiser Oizu (M14)



15. The Black Afterimage (M15)



16. The Legend Revived (M16)



17. God of Earth - Baragon (M17)



18. The God of Destruction Appears (M18)



19. The Terrifying Landing (M19)



20. The Forgotten Terror (M20)



21. The Confrontation of the Two Giant Monsters (M21)



22. The Ambushing Holy Beast (M22)



23. Signs of Resurrection (M23)



24. The Giant Cocoon (M24)



25. God of Sea - Mothra (M25)



26. The Released Souls of the War Dead (M26)



27. Attack Preparation (M27)



28. A Tense Moment (M28)



29. God of Sky - King Ghidorah (M29)



30. GMK (M30)



31. The D-03 Missiles Fired (M31)



32. The Furious Godzilla (M32)



33. Determined to Protect the Future (M33)



34. The Mysterious Force (M34)



35. The Miracle of the Three Holy Beasts (M35)



36. A Desperate Crisis (M36)



37. The Escape from Godzilla (M37)



38. A Tribute to the Souls of the War Dead (M38)



39. End Roll -Godzilla Theme~Great Monster War March~Main Title- (M-End)



Bonus Tracks- Edited Music



40. The Giant Foot (M10)



41. God of Earth - Baragon (M17)



42. The Forgotten Terror (M20)



43. The Forgotten Terror (M20A)



44. The Confrontation of the Two Giant Monsters (M21)



45. The Ambushing Holy Beast (M22)



46. God of Sky - King Ghidorah (M29)



47. GMK (M30)



48. God of Sky - King Ghidorah (M34A)



- Demo Sound Source



49. Demo I



50. Demo II



51. Demo III



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GXMG



1. Toho Logo~Transit Mission (M1)



2. Godzilla Comes Ashore~Godzilla X the Special Self-Defense Forces (M2 First Half)



3. Maser Hit (M2 Second Half)



4. Main Title (M3)



5. The Hideous Recollection (M4)



6. Memorial Service (M5)



7. A Request to Be Present (M6)



8. The Skeleton of Godzilla (M7)



9. The End of School Day (M8)



10. Akane's Effort~Building Kiryu (M9)11. The Return~The Kiryu Squad (M10)



12. Intensive Training (M11)



13. Akane and Sara (M12)



14. Type 3 Kiryu Announcement Ceremony (M13)



15. Mobilization (M14)



16. Godzilla X Type 3 Kiryu (M15)



17. Arousal (M16)



18. Running Wild (M17)



19. Shirasagi No. 3 Crashes (M18)



20. Outage (M19)



21. Investigating the Cause (M20)



22. Trust~Sara's Feelings (M21)



23. Godzilla Detected~Intercept (M22)



24. The Prime Minister's Decision (M23)



25. Flight (M24)



26. Fierce Fighting I (M25)



27. Fierce Fighting II (M26)



28. Absolute Zero (M27)



29. Akane's Decision (M28)



30. Power Outage (M29)



31. Restart~Kiryu's Will (M30)



32. Crisis~Decisive Battle (M31)



33. The Immortal Godzilla~The End of the Battle (M32)



34. Victory at Last~End Credits (M33)



35. Salute!~Ending (M34)



Bonus Tracks



36. Akane's Effort~Building Kiryu (M9 Edit)



37. Toho Logo~Transit Mission (M1)



38. Godzilla Comes Ashore~Godzilla X the Special Self-Defense Forces (M2 First Half)



39. Main Title (M3)



40. Mobilization (M14)



41. Godzilla X Type 3 Kiryu (M15)



42. Fierce Fighting (M25)



43. The Immortal Godzilla~The End of the Battle (M32)



44. Salute!~Ending (M34)



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GMMG



1. Toho Logo~Mothra in Flight~Main Title (M1)



2. The Visit of the Shobijin (M2)



3. Mothra Flies Away (M3)



4. Press Conference (M4)



5. Reunion (M5)



6. Island of Memories (M6)



7. Akane and Yoshito (M7)



8. The Field of God (M8)



9. Kamoebas Drifting Ashore (M9)



10. The Submarine Attack (M10)



11. Repair Status (M11)



12. Azusa and Yoshito (M12)



13. Cross-Examination in the Bureau (M13)



14. Godzilla X the Guard Fleet (M14B)



15. The Ground Self-Defense Forces (M15)



16. Godzilla X the Ground Self-Defense Forces~Coming Ashore (M16)



17. Adult Mothra in Flight (M17)



18. Adult Mothra X Godzilla I (M18)



19. Yoshito's Distress (M19)



20. Adult Mothra X Godzilla II (M20)



21. Mothra's Song (M21)



22. Adult Mothra X Godzilla III (M22)



23. Marching Orders (M23)



24. Kiryu Mobilized (M24)



25. Tokyo Tower Collapses~Godzilla X Kiryu I (M25)



26. Yoshito at the Schoolyard~Godzilla X Kiryu II (M26)



27. The Birth of the Mothra Larvae (M27)



28. The Mothra Larvae in the Ocean (M28)



29. The Couple's Rescue (M29)



30. The Mothra Larvae Come Ashore (M30 First Half)



31. The Death of the Adult Mothra (M30 Second Half)



32. Yoshito Off to Repair Kiryu I (M31)



33. Yoshito Off to Repair Kiryu II (M32)



34. The Shobijin's Guidance (M33)



35. Repairing Kiryu (M34)



36. No Escape~The Capitol Collapses (M35)



37. Maser Attack (M36)



38. Prayer (M37)



39. Kiryu in Flight~Rescuing Yoshito~To the Japan Trench (M38)



40. Only a Brave Victory~Salute (M39)



41. End Credits (M40)Bonus Tracks



42. Farewell Party BGM



43. Marching Orders~Kiryu Mobilized (M23+M24)



44. The Mothra Larvae Come Ashore~The Death of the Adult Mothra (M30)



45. Mothra's Song 2003 Version



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GFW



Disc 1



1. Opening ("King Kong vs. Godzilla" M10)



2. Godzilla vs. the Undersea Battleship (M1)



3. The Monster Threat and the Earth Defense Force (M2A (Long))



4. Main Title (M2C)



5. Gotengo vs. Manda (M3)



6. M-Organization Combat Training Center (M4)



7. Dr. Otonashi (M5)



8. Mummy Gigan (M6)



9. The Message of Infant Island (M7)



10. Rodan in New York (M8)



11. Ebirah vs. the Mutant Forces (M9)



12. The Xiliens Arrive (M10)



13. We Love X I (5.1 ch Material)



14. We Love X II (Cruising the Cirro-Stratus)



15. Secretary General Daigo's Incident (M11)



16. Commander Namikawa's Incident (M12 Mix)



17. The Identity of the Suspicious Star Gorath (M13)



18. The Xilien Conspiracy I (M14B)



19. The Xilien Conspiracy II (M14A)



20. Highway Battle (M15)



21. Start Gigan (M16)



22. Gotengo in the Underground Dock (M17)



23. Operation: Final War (M18-19)



24. The Departure of Gotengo (M20)



25. The Return of the King of the Monsters (M22)*



26. Gotengo and Godzilla (M23-1)



27. Godzilla vs. Kumonga and Kamacuras (M23-2)



28. Godzilla's Wrath (M24)



29. Godzilla vs. the Three Giant Monsters (M25 (GtrA))



30. Kazama's Suicide (M26 (Edit Version))



31. Gotengo's Rush (M26B)



32. Mothra Flies (M27)



33. Godzilla vs. Hedorah and Ebirah (M27B)



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Disc 2



1. The Xiliens' Purpose (M28)



2. Monster X Appears (M29 Add)



3. Mothra vs. Gigan (M30)



4. The Battle of the Four Giant Monsters (M31-1)



5. The Struggle in the Mothership UFO I (M31-2)



6. The Struggle in the Mothership UFO II (M32)



7. The Battle of the Keizers (M33)



8. The Xiliens' Last Moments (M34)



9. Keizer Ghidorah Appears (M35-1)



10. Godzilla vs. Keizer Ghidorah (M35-2)



11. The End of the Battle (M36)



12. Goodbye Godzilla and Minilla (M37 Pre-End)



13. Ending (M37 Edit (Type 1 ???? Version))



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Bonus Tracks



14. Godzilla vs. the Undersea Battleship (M1)



15. Start Gigan (M16)



16. Cruising the Cirro-Stratus



17. The Return of the King of the Monsters (M22)



18. The Return of the King of the Monsters (M22) (5.1 ch Material)



19. Gotengo's Rush~Mothra Flies (M26B~M27) (5.1 ch Material)



20. Keizer Ghidorah Appears~Godzilla vs. Keizer Ghidorah (M35-1~M35-2) (5.1 ch Material)



21. The Monster Threat and the Earth Defense Force (M2)



22. Kazama's Suicide (M26 (Tribute Version))



23. Monster X Appears (M29)



24. Ending (M37 Type 2 Another Version)



25. Ending (M37 Full)*Edited Music



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Disc 3



1. The Xiliens Arrive (M10 Edit)



2. The Xilien Conspiracy (M14 Edit)



3. Operation: Final War (M18-19 Edit)



4. The Return of the King of the Monsters (M22 Edit)



5. Godzilla vs. the Three Giant Monsters (M25 GtrA Edit)



6. M1



7. M2A



8. M3



9. M24



10. M25 Battle 1



11. M25 Battle 2



12. Xilien Ship 1



13. Xilien Ship 2



14. First Meeting



15. Parody Spy Music Into Serious 1



16. Parody Spy Music Into Serious 2



17. Hedorah



18. Ifukube GZ



19. Demo Music 1



20. Demo Music 2



21. Demo Music 3



22. Demo Music 4



23. Demo Music 5



24. Demo Music 6



25. Demo Music 7



26. Demo Music 8



27. Demo Music 9



28. Demo Music 10



29. Demo Music 11



30. Demo Music 12



31. Demo Music 13



32. Demo Music 14



33. Demo Music 15

1.01.2010

Essay By A Japanese Otaku


In this day and age, the majority english written material on tokusatsu eiga has been writen by American otaku. Very rarely does one find a piece composed by a Japanese tokusatsu otaku which is eye opening. Today is an exception - for all of you who read this blog. By clicking the link below, you will go to a page which in adobe format is an english language version of the paper "Signs Taken For Monsters: What Made Godzilla So Angry Then" by Hiromi Nakano. In this paper, you will be exposed to a great analysis of GMK with the fallowing:


-look into some alternate dialogue from the GMK script
-where Kazunori Ito got his ideas
-information from rare information sources, such as the "GAMERA PERFECT BOX" (a limited 2 book set)
-and alot more!

Happy reading and make sure to leave a comment!

11.12.2009

First Look: Godzilla Soundtrack Perfect Collection Box 6



What you see above is one the best chirashi I have seen in some time. On the reverse side it shows off the Koichi Kawakita Godzilla film festival and the advent of Godzilla on the blu-ray format. But it also shows something: we finally get a look at the cover of the much awaited "Godzilla Soundtrack Perfect Collection Box 6". If someone can read the Japanese on the chirashi, please post a comment regarding what is going to be the extra disc in the set (we already know it is film "Godzilla vs. Megaguirus to "Godzilla: Final Wars"). This is awesome!

8.31.2009

Legendary Pictures Godzilla... by Who?



Something which has apparently set the world on fire for kaiju fans was the news of Legendary Pictures going into negotiations with Toho for the rights of a Godzilla film. But what is fact and what is not? This is what I am going to write about. Well, that and a look at possibly directors.


Legendary Pictures is in negotiations with Toho. True. Toho said "no comment", though how they said it proved that they are doing something which is top secret. True. Did Legendary Pictures ask Toho or was it the other way around? It was Legendary Pictures which approached Toho (this is based on the wording of a certain Twitch article). Legendary Pictures would like to make for the film an updated version of the Shodai-Goji suit? I do not know. This is where stuff starts to get tricky. That, and accouple of more rumors (that Legendary Pictures will have Weta do the CGI and that they want a Toho villain to oppose the King of the Monsters) came from an ananymous. When I asked about his source for validity, he said that his source was someone high in the industry. So make of it as you will. Is what Avery Guerra keeping secret the same facts? I do not know and event though I am a friend I do not know either nor do I have the audacity to do so.


But who will be the director? Many famous directors love Godzilla. John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing, Escape From New York) has been in two different documentaries on the Big "G". But due to his age and his current projects, I doubt it. Tim Burton (Batman, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) has given Godzilla a cameo in his film "Pee Wee’s Big Adventure" and even mentions him, "Destroy All Monsters", and had a picture of the Big G in his autobiography, "Burton on Burton". Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, and Apocalypse Now) did what August Ragone said: "In 1956, Scorsese ended up seeing GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS several times as a young teenager. Decades later, when he worked on Akira Kurosawa's DREAMS (in which he played Vincent van Gogh), Scorsese was elated to discover that Honda was working on the film and asked to have a sit down with him. He told Honda about how much he loved GODZILLA and how he used to do chores so he could see the movie as many times as he could when it first came to NYC. Scorsese also, according to an interview with Honda, talked to Toho and managed to get several of Honda's films into the New York Museum of Modern Art's film library." But there is another guy who I want the most to do this project. And I got two words for you: QUENTIN TARANTINO.


Tarantino is already known to be a Godzilla fan. For "Kill Bill Vol. 1", he used one of the Yokohama sets from "Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack". For the epic fight between Beatrix Kiddo and Elle Driver in "Kill Bill Vol. 2", he made both Daryl Hannah and Uma Thurman watch his print of "War of the Gargantuas" before filming the scene - which also copies some publicity stills from "War of the Gargantuas". Some even say that Quentin owns a print of "Destroy All Monsters". Well, some news has surfaced that has seemingly not hit most kaiju forums.


Originally around the time "Death Proof" was released, Tarantino mentioned something about wanting to make a Godzilla film but claimed that he was not at liberty to say anything about it. Very recently, Tarantino was interviewed and said this: "I have an idea for a Godzilla movie that I've always wanted to do. The whole idea of Godzilla's role in Tokyo, where he's always battling these other monsters, saving humanity time and again- wouldn't Godzilla become God? It would be called "Living Under the Rule of Godzilla". This is what society is like when a big fucking green lizard rules your world."


Some unique narrative, eh? Godzilla as a religious symbol is an interesting concept. This is something which effects the original, "Gojira" in which somewhat getting influenced from the original "King Kong", Godzilla is a God to the natives of Odo Island. 30 years later, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka would call Godzilla, "…a nightmare created out of the darkness of the human soul. He is the sacred beast of the apocalypse." Then in 2001, Godzilla became the embodiment of the dead souls of the Pacific Conflict theatre of the Second World War which were angry for the Japanese to try to forget about the war. However, "Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack" also proves that Japanese mythology is in the GMK universe real, with the description of King Ghidorah’s mature form being eight headed - a call to Yamato No Orochi. Then there is the fact that the international name for Godzilla has the word "God" in it. Tarantino’s take on the religious angle to Godzilla himself sound different from what I have listed above and seems to be a breath of fresh air not smelled since Kaneko’s "GMK".



Overall, Tarantino has revealed something which he has kept secret for two years. We do not know when Legendary Pictures started negotiating for the rights to "Godzilla", with some people (including Chris55) saying that at least it has been going on for the past 2 months, so is it possible at Tarantino may be the new director since right after the revealing of the negotiations he can how talk about his Godzilla concept? Time will tell. I can say one thing, though it may be off topic: Michael Schlesinger is no longer available for interviews for publishing on the internet. Please comment on what you think Tarantino’s Godzilla may be like with this new information and how Legendary Pictures may use this if the negotiations lead to a green lighting which would lead to the hiring of Tarantino in a rare project which does not include the Weinstein Company.

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE IN NO WAY SAYS THAT TARANTINO IS THE DIRECTOR FOR A FILM THAT IS ONLY IN NEGOTIATIONS. THIS IS JUST TO GET OUT SOME DETAILS ABOUT THE LEGENDARY PICTURES GODZILLA AND SOME INFORMATION QUENTIN TARANTINO LET OUT IN AN INTERVIEW ABOUT NINE DAYS AGO. TARANTINO IS OF RIGHT NOW NOT THE DIRECTOR OF THE LEGENDARY PICTURES GODZILLA.

8.28.2009

Kaiju Memoir: Silver Scream Spook Show Presents... GMK


This is an edited version of the report.

Coppola, Kurosawa, Scorsese - these are all names that are recognized by people who take pride into wanting only the best out of the best films to watch. Another name comes to mind which should be on the list: Kaneko. Shusuke Kaneko is a great director, from making great drama films like Cross Fire (Pyrokenesis) and the Death Note duology to creating films which challenge what were the greatest giant monster films of all "Gamera 3: Incomplete Struggle". Another is "Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monster All Out Attack". GMK, while not as good as G3 (which is good only because of the film's evolution coming from G1 and G2) is considerably better than G1 and G2 and arguably better than the original "Gojira". Back on January 31, the Plaza Theatre of Atlanta, Georgia, which used to be a grindhouse/porn theatre, showed GMK. In this report, we will look into the history of Godzilla in this theatre and what happened at the premiere and if anything else would happen.

First we have to talk about the history of this film. This film has been the most shown Godzilla film ever (in American art houses and cult film theatres). The film has been shown at least eleven times at an estimated six different art film houses and other specialty theatres. And now it’s showing here. According to two articles on Henshin!Online, the way theatres get prints of these types of films is by contacting Sony Pictures Repertory, and with paying $150 and 33% of the box office income, you can show the film that you want (in this case, GMK). At the current time, you have a choice to rent a dubbed version and a subtitled version. It was not always liked that. A subtitled version was made available only a little bit before September 14th, 2004 (and the first article explaining this film was written a year and accouple of days before). The print which was shown was the dubbed version.

So it turns out that this is not the first time a kaiju film has been shown in Atlanta, let alone the legendary Plaza Theatre. Previously, the theatre has shown the films Mothra (February 24th 2007) and Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster (March 29th 2008). As they say, third times the charm, and their third kaiju film was GMK. Two weeks before the premiere, I estimated that only a little more than $35 will be made at the box office. At the end of the 10:00 pm showing, the box office draw became a total of $2,800 (that is both showings together). Attendance to the 1:00pm showing was around 150 and the attendance for the adults-only 10:00pm showing was 250.
INTERVIEW WITH SHANE MORTON (runner of the Silver Scream Spook Show and affiliate of the Plaza Theatre)

Here now is an interview with Professor Mort, the guy in charge of the Plaza Theatre:
1. How well known is the Plaza Theatre and it's main attraction: The Spook Show?
The Plaza is Atlanta's greatest movie theatre as well as Atlanta's oldest continually operating movie theatre which opened in 1939. The Spook Show is Atlanta's greatest theatre going experience! You will see a line around the building twice a day on the last Saturday of every month!
2. What is the theatre regarding to giant monster films (kaiju films) and what Godzilla films have been shown there?
We were the first theatre in North America to show the newly restored Mothra print. We've shown Godzilla vs. The Sea monster, Infra-Man, and the greatest giant monster movie of all time, 1933's King Kong!
3. Sources say that the theatre has shown two kaiju films: Mothra (1961) and Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster (Godzilla, Mothra, Ebirah: Big Duel in the South Sea). Can you recall how successful this screening was. If not, the Mothra screening?
The Mothra screening was a huge deal and extremely successful. In my opinion, it was the most beautiful and colorful print of a film I have ever watched! All of the Kaiju films are well attended and even none of the children seem to care about the subtitles... Hey , were purists!
4. For monster films shown with the "Spook Show", there is a poster made (like the one seen in this link: http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2009/01/04/giant-asian-monsters-on-the-big-screen-in-january/). Who makes these posters and is there any other information I can get on them?
Kevin Rej is our amazing poster designer and artist. He is a long time Atlanta resident and designs ad campaigns and logos for national companies but still loves drawing Monsters for us! check him out here - http://www.raisestudio.com/
5. What film requests do you get, if you can say some monster-movie oriented?
Everyone has a favorite Monster / Scifi / Horror film and we get requests for all of them. Believe me if it exists on 35mm film and is a classic, you will get a chance to see it at the Silver Scream Spook Show. (or if it is R rated, at Splatter Cinema which The Plaza hosts the second Tuesday of every month.) I have personally fulfilled many of my cinematic viewing dreams at the Plaza Theatre.
6. What monsters films are being planned to be shown in the future?
We have a line on King Kong Vs. Godzilla and many of the newer Godzilla films, but we prefer to show the older ones. GMK is an exception to our rule. Coming up in March we have the 7th Voyage of Sinbad, May we have Creature From the Black Lagoon in 3D, plus more classic Bela Lugosi, Ray Harryhausen, and Vincent Price in the works.
7. What monster films have you seen and liked (if you can, list Japanese Kaiju films)?
Kaiju films, All of them! I am a huge fan and have actually partied with Haruo Nakajima and Kenpachiro Satsuma! (Do not get in a drinking contest with Nakajima, trust me!) I also love any old monster movies. It's too long of a list to put down but I do have an intense and all encompassing love of classic Horror / Monster / Sci-Fi movies!
8. Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Attack; Mothra; and Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster are all owned by Sony. Do you have any affiliation with Sony and how do you go by getting a print of the films (please be specific with this)?
We have no official affiliation with Sony. The Plaza Theatre has relationships with most if not all the film studios in order to run their films. Getting the films to show is just part of the day to day operations of running a movie theatre. The theatre requests films to the studios, they see if they have 35mm prints, what kind of shape they are in and if they are available. Sony seems to be the only studio that has 35mm prints of Godzilla films that are made available to theaters.
9. What is your goal when releasing a movie like this (e.g.: box office sales and attendance)?
We want to fill the theater of course, but we also want to turn people onto stuff that they are unaware of. Especially in the case of GMK, we are going to blow people’s minds with this movie - and the show! We have never worked so hard on props, magic tricks, etc, as we are on this show. It's going to be stupendous!
10. Anything to say to the people reading this interview?
Yes! Thank you for the support! The Silver Scream Spook Show is a dream come true for all involved and it makes us very happy every time we hear the laughter and the screams of an appreciative audience! Come see the Spook Show, you won't believe your eyes! We'll scare the Yell out of you!

I would like to re-mention from the article that King Kong vs. Godzilla, 7th Voyage of Sinbad, and some Harryhausen films are going to be shown, including Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D and some classic Bela Lugosi and Vincent Price.

Something about the Plaza Theatre is that it is one of the ultimate fan hot spots in America. As Shane Morton said, if you got a request, he will try to fill it. And also since it is an old theatre, people want to keep it fun. But what do the people think? Here is an interview with Avery Guerra, who is actually a friend of mine. Here is the interview that gives everything from a fan's point of view. I did this interview in way that not everyone has been to this theatre which is located in the south.
AVERY GUERRA INTERVIEW
Q. State your name and history as a kaiju fan concerning writing papers, being staff of official sites like SciFiJapan, MonsterZero, and Henshin!Online, ect.
A. Hi my name is Avery Battles but I'm more commonly known online as Avery Guerra. From as far back as I can remember I have been a fan of daikaiju [giant monster] films. [I should note on your interview questions that I've never worked for any of those sites before. I regularly work for the ones that I mentioned and I am pretty good friends with Kieth Akin of 'Sci-Fi Japan' and stay in regular contact with him. ] You know I was in your shoes just a few years back. I never thought that I would be where I'm at now and with all the connections I've made. I wouldn't ever claim to be anyone special or better than anyone else as I'm just a Regular Joe, but apparently I've got quite a talent at finding news on giant monster [kaiju] films and making the right friends, as I've been told regularly. I think that had a big hand in landing me the jobs as I've become basically a 'news hound' for several sites including; Kenneth Hulsey's 'Robo Japan/Monster Island News' and famous Australian author and film critic Robert Hood's 'UnDead BackBrain' among many others including several mainstream horror movie news sites that I regularly help out. I'm actually not much of an author and only write the articles on occasion. Although I'm told my writing skills are not too bad. Usually, I'm just the one going out there and finding the news and taking it to the right people. I don't receive any pay for what I do, it's more of just a hobby, but I enjoy it immensely. I do however make a lot of connections with movie directors, special effects artists, actors, etc. that will surely benefit me a lot in the future.
Q. How many times have you gone to the Plaza Theatre and what films do you usually see there?
A. I have only been to the Plaza Theater a handful of times to catch some of the Silver Scream Spook Show's monthly screenings of classic horror/sci-fi films. I have been lucky enough to catch 'King Kong [1933], 'The Creature From The Black Lagoon [in 3-D], 'Mothra' [the original Japanese language print] and a few others.
Q. Are you associated with the staff of the Plaza Theatre?
A. I'm actually not in any way associated with the staff at the theater nor with the staff of any of the special events that it hosts such as; 'Silver Scream Spook Show', 'Splatter Cinema' or 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'. I have been in contact with the host [Professor Morte] of the 'Spook Show' via e-mail through their 'MySpace' page. A very pleasant experience. They are a very professional and friendly crew and put on a fantastic show that's not to be missed.
Q. You mentioned to me before that you recommended a lot of films. Was GMK one of these films and what other kaiju related films did you recommend?
A. I have recommended many films to them for consideration for future shows and "Godzilla: GMK" was actually second on my list of films I most wanted to see as a part of their show. Among the countless others I suggested such recent releases as; "Godzilla: Final Wars" and "Gamera; The Brave", as well as classics such as "Reptilicus", "The Giant Claw", "Gammera; The Invincible", "The X-From Outer Space", "Majin; Monster Of Terror", "Gorgo", "Mighty Peking Man", "Pulgasari" and many others.
Q. How have your experiences at this theatre been to you and have effected you?
A. Each of the shows that I had the pleasure of catching at this theater were exactly that; a pleasure. The staff of the cinema and crew members of the special events were all very professional and courteous and you can easily tell that they have a love for what they're doing. That really helps makes it all a much more enjoyable experience and one that I would highly recommend to others.
Like what Morte said, if you got a request, he will try to fulfill it. May a Gamera film or a Guilala film be not too far off in the horizon?
THE PREMIRE
First, as a Georgian and a South Easterner in general, not a lot of Kaiju related event happen here, excluding Florida. But the one place that we Southerners can always rely on is the Plaza Theatre to show films as a good alternative to other events. Here is how everything went:
I left two hours early. I live in Warner Robins so it is not that long to Atlanta. We got there 45 minutes early, and thank god we did. I was the first to get out of the car (I am only 15, so my mom drove me and my brother to the event) and I got my camera and started snapping photos till I was met my a short woman who was a radio talk show host who was doubling for security. Next, after covering the front of the theatre, I decided to ask a teen aged woman, an employee, if the posters could be bought once the show was over. I was answered with a , "no". I tried getting in, but there was another no. Of course anyone who knows me knows that no one is going to get in my way of kaiju stuff. And then the true magic took it's toll on me.

I had never been to a G-FEST or any type of kaiju-related event. So when I went to the theater and saw GMK and Kill Bill posters and a dealer's table and another table full of free promotional items and a table of display only items (unless you are a member of the Silver Scream Spook Show fan club). In case you were wondering, the items on that table were a bunch of issues of G-FAN, a bunch of Japanese VHS tapes (some from Video Daikaiju), and last but not least a slew of Dark Horse Godzilla comic books.

The dealer's table was actually a guy selling his copies, which he had a lot of copies and stuff. All 6 inch figures were $15, Bandai Creation figures were $5, Bandai Creation 12" figures were $20, and all exclusives were $30. So here is what I got:

-Bandai AFFE Exclusive crystal Gamera 1999 $30
-Bandai Theater Exclusive Gamera 1999 $30
-Bandai History of Godzilla set (from 1999/2000) $20
-Bandai Godzilla vs. Destroyer Diorama $10-Bandai Iris 6" $15
-Bandai Toho Kaiju 6" King Ghidorah $15
-Bandai Godzilla Island 6" Mecha King Ghidorah $15
-Bandai Toho Kaiju 6" Spacegodzilla $15
-Bandai Theater Exclusive 6" Mire-Goji $15
-Bandai Theater Exclusive 6" Gira-Goji $15
-Bandai Toho Kaiju 6" Burning Godzilla $15

Me, the dealer, and a friend of the dealer then chatted. It was nice that I got to chat with other Godzilla fans. We covered topics like our Clubtokyo memberships, Gamera 3 or Gojira, and other Godzilla collectibles. Then some eyes widened when people found out that I got such rarities like the Bandai Large Scale 1991 Godzilla or the Chogokin Kiryu 2002. Then we talked about the CM discs. Total nerd fun. Sadly, the dealer, who I forgot to get his name, had to leave half way through the film to go on a trip to Florida.

After that, I just started taking more and more photos. The theatre, I found out, is like the Godzilla capitol of the South East: the theatre itself keeps Godzilla toys at it's box office stand (a bottle cap with a HG figure of 1974 Mechagodzilla and a Bandai SD Gira-Goji in the corner of a window. The stand, which held the G-Fans and the R2 VHS tapes and the Dark Horse comics, is a monthly thing filled with Goji merchandise; but on occasion other merchandise to other cult films, depends on what they are showing).
Around 45 minutes after I came to the theatre, that is when the crowds came. This is a major learning point for me, a Godzilla fan who is also studying the fandom. G-Fest is the Mecca for American/Canadian fans and those who go are well educated G-FANS who know a lot about Godzilla and other kaiju related facts. This premier was not. So there were more casual fans than die-hards like me. First, the crowd was mostly adult - no doubt either nostalgic people or people wanting to look at a movie that they thought would have a snowball's chance in hell of being shown (a Goji film so to speak). There was no one in my age group there. But there were kids. It was mostly boys, but there was one little Mothra fan who bought a VHS of Rebirth of Mothra (1996). But the main thing was that most people in attendance were casual fans. Some boy's father thought that the film they were showing was Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster (1964), which I overheard this comment and politely corrected him. Another said that the film was made in the Heisei series, but I corrected that also. As I said, casual fans. The kids were cool though, two younger fans were holding their Imperial Godzillas (did not know there were even collectors in Georgia) and a HG Heisei 1995 Gamera. But I do not blame them, I made my mother hold my Bandai 8" GMK Ghidorah, my brother hold a w/ tag Bandai 8" GMK Baragon and I held my Bandai 8" GMK Goji figure (all figures I bought were but into a box which went into the back of my mom's SUV). Then came the time to enter the theatre, with by the doors two big home-made Godzilla banners. Then the magic happened:
The Silver Scream Spook Show is something which lots of people come to on a regular basis in Atlanta, that I can assure after overhearing the multitude of comments. Audience participation is a given. The Spook Show cast tries to do a 30 minute show based on the movie. First, we had the character Retch give out treats to all the kids who had birthdays, which ranged from the aforementioned HG Gamera and Godzilla shirts to official Silver Screen Spook Show merchandise (stickers and trading cards). Then the show started. First, a semi-burlesque Japanese school girl was dancing around a teacher. Then they went off and Professor Morte (played by Shane Morton) and his henchmen Retch finds an Xilian that tells a prophecy of monsters coming on the 31 of January to do battle in and around the Plaza Theatre. The crew go and give the sea monster (with music from Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water, and the sea monster is not Ebirah) and a giant big foot (they used Toho Kong roars) sleeping pills in which if taken on an empty stomach, makes the monsters enraged. So they have to get Mothra by making her come out of her cocoon to the Shobijin's song with burlesque dancing. Mothra wakes up and is to fetch Godzilla to do battle with big foot and the Sea Monster. Mothra fights Big Foot and Godzilla fights the Sea Monster. After wards the movie began.
Audience reaction to my second favorite Godzilla film was nice. Nothing Rocky Horror like, but it was fun. There was clapping for the Toho logo, the main credits, Godzilla's appearance, Ghidorah's coming to the final battle, Ghidorah getting his wings, and last but not least the end of the film. But there is always expected to be laughter. But sometimes laughter can be a sign of a difference between two different societies. First, I do not understand the laughter at the quote, "It is a bit far fetched" when a guy suggests they name the monsters. Second, the dubbing is ok, I do not see anything wrong with it. Not to forget the laughter when Yuri Tachibana said, "They're dead. The men in the helicopter. They're dead." There was laughter accompanied with a random "You think so?" Honestly, we Americans are so bad at mental stuff. We Americans are always going fast. We text fast, we multi task fast, we like stuff fast. So we think fast and do not ponder/meditate on subjects. This is a bad thing. For instead on thinking, "Why did Yuri Tachibana say that?" and coming to the common conclusion that she is trying to recon with the incredible events which she is witnessing. But we Americans, unless used to the Godzilla films and are a little intelligent, take it that: "She said that? Yo duh their dead! Why say something as obvious as that?" Either A.)This film is comedic and I am an idiot not to realize that, B.)I take these films too seriously, or C.)America needs to wake up. I am glad though that the American people liked the film and that the film's reputation has grown as a good film that even made American critics like it.

On a side note, I bet that the woman who greeted me is a critic who is hopefully going to or already has reviewed the film positively on local Atlanta, Georgia radio. Another thing I wish is that Roger Ebert would be here. While he did not like Gojira much, he did like Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995) and therefore hope to get a review of the film from him. When the film was over, my family went and got a photo with Proff. Morte (and I thanked him for the interview) then got a photo with the Godzilla suit (the Godzilla suit was not the GMK suit, it was very well made home made suit with the head looking like the 12" Banpresto figure's head). Everyone seemed to be pumped and I could not go to sleep for another 16 hours after that, since it was my first Godzilla theatrical experience.

In conclusion, it was a well worth event. Sure, I was the only forumer to go but it was a cool experience which a lot of people wished could have been here. And I wished that Packmule and Avery Guerra could have been there. And if you are reading this, you should have been there. It was like a mini G-Fest like none other.

8.16.2009

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