KaijuGalaxy Updates

Well, Donny Winter (co-founder of the KaijuGalaxy community) has an update for us reguarding the main site:

"After much difficult work and effort, the Kaiju Galaxy website has undergone a face lift giving it a more professional appearance. Of course there are still some kinks to work out, but that should be done in good time. Here is a list of the newest features:

-A 6 selection tool bar.
-Drop down buttons on each button
-Easier navigation

More centered and professional look. Feel free to browse the site and submit feedback through our “guest book” and “e-mail” feature. I'd like to personally thank Sahra Rau (wolfprincess2007) for the hard work she has put into the site's new look."

Thanks Donny and Sahra!

2 Weeks Notice - DAM

Well, it is two weeks till DAM. The holidays are seemingly upon us and I hope that all who read this blog - especialy fans living in Georgia - are comming to see this film which was originaly given a wide theatrical release 40 years ago this year. So, while we think about the upcomming DAM showing, let's also think about the other tokusatsu films the Plaza Atlanta - in association with the Silver Scream Spook Show - has shown this year!

And just for the hell of it...

Godzilla's Green... Again... For "Godzillabout"

News seems to be going slow this day and age. However, it seems like a new fashion in kaiju merchandise is going on - mostly with cell phones. Enter "GODZILLABOUT". A set of officialy made icons have been produced and are being used on cell phones and jackets (do not know if the jackets are official or fan made though). Check it out!

Check out the link!

http://www.t-entamedia.com/html/pressrelease/2009/rel091119_1.pdf

Monster Attack Team... No Worries

If any of you have tried visiting the official site for the ressurected Monster Attack Team fanzine and found it alarming that the link is no longer working. No worry! I have spoken to Michael Keller and here is where the site is moving to:

www.monsterattackteam.com

Limited Figure From "Mothra vs. Godzilla"

Nothing much is being presented news wise in the Godzilla side of things. Or for that matter Gamera, though in terms of Ultraman stuff those of you who are interested are sure to want to know that next month the Ultraman Belial action figure is comming out. So, here is just something which I found which I thought was interesting. How many of you have seen the 1980 re-release poster for "Mothra vs. Godzilla"?

The artist who drew the picture of Godzilla on the poster is L. Matsumoto. The art of Godzilla on the poster is obviously not the Mosu-Goji suit. Instead, it is Matsumoto's interpretation of the Shodai-Goji design. Recently, the design has been blessed with a 40 CM tall vinyl embodiment limited to 100 copies. The link below shows a plain grey version of the figure. The image below is of a red hard copy on display.

Link:
http://www.zerogoodsuniverse.com/assort/goods/godzila_black.html

Review: CHAW (2009)

WARNING: Major Spoilers Ahead.

What happens when you mix baby pigs, a small town, talking dogs, a cop with a pregnant wife, a mentally handicapped mother, a crazy woman, and a hunter hung up on a hook in a Saw-esque barn about to be cut up because the same aforementioned woman wants him to call her mommy? You get the newest monster film out of Korea: Chaw. But how does Chaw fair? Well, thanks to my friend Keith, I got a copy (complete with making of, deleted scenes, ect.) and I saw the film.

ALTERNATE OPENING: If I had to compare Korean monster films to other monster films, here is how it would go: Gwoemul would be Gojira, D-War would be Gamera, Yonggary (both) would be Guilala, and last but not least Chaw would be Jaws. The film is a thrill ride that sometimes uses old monster film "jump scene" tricks and puts then into new use and much more.

Unlike it’s predecessors, CHAW takes place in South Korea’s beautiful country side. The colors are nice and strong for all of the sets. This is the biggest stand out with the film. And many of the forested areas are of a creepy air - forests, an orange orchard, and other plant places with dense vegetation. Some of this plays on one of the reasons why "Children of the Corn" had at least a little bit of eeriness: a dense field of organized plants is creepy. But the forest scenery is also creepy. The hunter’s expertise in finding stuff makes it interesting and the boar’s roar is something which makes your heart feel a little disturbed. It also serves as a not-so-well-told underlying message in the film: the problems with cross breeding. More on that when you actually see the film.

Like it’s Japanese genre counterparts, Chaw takes the rout of being comedic mixed with horror. Much like the film "Gwoemul", the film does keep a current feeling of dread and terror through out the film. Such gimmicks such as the usual shot of someone walking and then all of a sudden getting hit by something are used to good effect with this film. The comedy does work though in most cases, such as when they were filming the examination of the boar’s fecal matter and hair. But there are times which it is unneeded. Sure, the actors deliver solid performances but it is sometimes not the performance that is flawed, but what they have to do. This brings me to some complaints.

But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t some moments of brutality, especially if you are an animal lover like me. Though it makes me a paradox though since I live in Georgia - a state which part of it’s economic gain is it’s hunting appeal due to the vast forests we have in this state. The first two and a half minutes of the film is actually hunting footage. Deer, boar, and other beasts are shown being killed. Brutality is also sprinkled through out the film, like the scene when the boar’s children are killed. They use pig noises for the squals and stuff and well, just keep in mind that you need to do what you need to do to. That thought is going to keep those more animal inclined through the film.

Other than the times of unnecessary comedy, a thing I have beef with is an unexplored plot device. I haven’t seen the deleted scenes, but there could have been a sub plot in which the only cast member under 14 could have been shown to have had ties with the boar (evidently, the boy’s guardian knows that he is feeding the boar human food!) Another gripe I have is not so much with the film as much as the people who have reviewed this film. Many say that the CGI is bad. While higher than SciFi Channel standards, the CGI is not the best. But it is good enough. Why grade the CGI so badly? There isn’t even that much of it in it. In my opinion, if CGI was such a problem, they should have had Younggu-Art do the touch ups. For what CGI there is in the film, I feel it gets the job done.

While not a terribly great film, the film is a good film and again makes the monster part of Korean cinema look good. It is better than what SciFi Channel produced and critically better than D-WAR (not personally though). When the film gets distribution in the states, I hope a lot of you take it upon yourselves to watch the film. It is sure to be a fun thrill ride.

Rating: 3.5/5

Recomended

More On Book "The Heisei Godzilla Chronicle"

Here are some links to a lucky Japanese fan's blog who went to some events which were done to celebrate Koichi Kawakita's 20th anniversary of taking over the Godzilla series and the new book "The Heisei Godzilla Chronicle". Enjoy!


http://blog.livedoor.jp/yakannabe/archives/51336556.html
http://blog.livedoor.jp/yakannabe/archives/51336625.html
http://blog.livedoor.jp/yakannabe/archives/51337360.html
http://blog.livedoor.jp/yakannabe/archives/51338882.html

Comfirmation: DAM at S.S.S.S.

Well, this topic at Tohokingdom says it all. Better get your bags packed!

http://www.tohokingdom.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23498

News On Legendary Picture's Godzilla Project

It isn't news from me which shall be bestowed upon you, the reader. This is of youtube member DeviantSon. Evidently, he knows someone who knows someone who knows what is going on with the epic sounding venture. While some on youtube have made videos on the project - which mostly consist of fan speculation and the maker's own wishes for the venture, DeviantSon seems to have a real fountain of information with him, along with the other usual stuff. Watch some, eh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTqy9N_mYy0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO6o_Smn1Rg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cANxNp3Qck
http://www.youtube.com/user/DeviantSon13#p/u/3/vxSyQ7FDapA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JZrXuvURxc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VwywLJcilc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgq_fc5R0UM

I shall be getting more information soon on this information.

Interview with Frank Gillen

Well, it is just natural to want to know about the man who has started a new phase in the youtube part of the Tokusatsu fandom. Frank Gillen is the creator of "TokusatsuReviewV3" (link in links bar). From this youtube channel, all of the big names in the Godzilla video buisness contribute to this channel to make an awesome collage of work. So without further delay, here is my interview with Frank Gillen AKA EatIt41. I would like to thank him for taking time out of his schedule for talking with us.

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1. So, how long have you been a Godzilla fan?

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According to my father, as old as 3 or 4 is when I started.

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2. How were you first exposed to kaiju eiga?

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My dad told me that every Saturday or Sunday after my nap I would sit down to watch the "TNT Monstervision". My dad knew I liked dinosaurs so He thought I would enjoy Godzilla and I've been hooked ever since.

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3. How has your passion for tokusatsu eiga changed through out the years?

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Lets put it this way, I went from a boy who loved trains to a boy who loved dinosuars. Then to a boy who loved dinosuuars who ate trains. But I have become more into the overall history of the tokusatsu series.

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4. How did it come to you that you need to have a youtube channel (talking about your EatIt41 channel)?

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I made this channel a long time ago just so I could watch videos becuase at the time I had no videos made.

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5. How is your EatIt41 account holding out?

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Its doing well. Recent videos have not been recieved as well due to lack of advertising.

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6. How did it come to create the TokusatsuReviewV3?

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Originaly it was called "Nori Imports" and I was never going to host it, just showcase the show. But as I worked on the outline, I created this channel for all kaiju fans to come together.

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7. What were the goals of the TokusatRevuewV3 channel?

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My goal is to unite all fans into a single place or something like that.

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8. What are some features which you want to keep up (news reports, toy review, event coverage, ect.)?

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I would like to keep up with the news but so many others have done this so I'm just keeping it a variety show for now.

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9. You got some great youtube members contributing to the channel. How do you keep up quality control?

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I try to keep the fans involved but I tipically ask the more experienced fan on staff for the show. But don't get me wrong, I love the fan submitted stuff, just people need to actually submit and not ask me million times.

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10. Where do you see the channel going in the future?

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Hopefully just make it a well known licenced channel with t-shirts or something.

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11. What problems have you experianced with the TRV3 channel?

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My weekly video output on top of high school is hard so I am struggling with that.