Discovered Under the Christmas Tree Pt. Two

Bandai Mechagodzilla and Godzilla 1954

Discovered Under the Christmas Tree Pt. One

West Kenji Super-Deformed Minya and Godzilla

Godzilla on Vinyl

Here's a photo of the Wonderland L.P. that I have enjoyed for years and years. It still plays great and is a imaginative slice of the 70's. I've submitted an article about it to G-FAN. If anyone has any insights about its development, please post a comment here.

Our Very Own Daikaiju

Things have slowed down considerably here at Monsterland Ohio with the adoption of Theo, our five-year-old Newfoundland. He's our gentle giant and a wonderful companion. He's also received almost all our waking attention! Postings here will be more infrequent for a while, but please check back occasionally. Thanks for your ongoing interest.

Play-Dough Godzilla!

Inspired by our visit with Matt E. (a.k.a. Kaiju Modeler), Andy and I cooked up a Play-Dough Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah diorama. King Ghidorah's heads kept drooping so we had to take this picture fast!

Perry Library Patron of the Month

Andy was honored as Perry Library "Patron of the Month" for December 2009. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see what was on the library website (and his "G-Mazing Collection" in the background)!

I Give You...Kong!

Here at Monsterland Ohio it has become a tradition to watch the original King Kong on Thanksgiving night. This is part homage to UHF station traditions of the past; part recollection of seeing Kong at my grandparents' house as a kid; and part making new memories as a family today. At any rate, it is as good an excuse as any for a viewing of the standard-setting, granddaddy giant monster epic.

The story of Kong needs no synopsis, so here are a few full-bellied impressions of the classic creature feature.

I was struck by the casting this time around. Each character is embodied by the perfect actor for the task. Everyone seems tailor-made for their role. I especially like Robert Armstrong's cocksure Carl Denham. Fay Wray's Ann Darrow is more than just a "scream queen," yet with none of the "I-think-I'm-falling-for-the-big-guy" sentimentality of the Peter Jackson version.

I have come to appreciate the Max Steiner score (the opening theme of descending notes is almost as hair-raising as Ifukube's regal Godzilla marches), but what really stood out during this viewing were the moments when the score drops out completely, heightening the drama of the on-screen action (such as the time when the poor lug (who inexplicably climbs the tree) becomes a carnivorous dino snack).

Then there's Kong. What makes people want to watch him is that he is not merely a special effect. Willis O'Brien succeeded in creating a character, one frame of film at a time. There's no question Kong is a monster, stomping, chewing and killing the relatively innocent with wild abandon--and yet most viewers hate to see the big gorilla take that final, loose-limbed plunge off the Empire State. Garnering such sympathy would be a pretty nifty piece of acting--but we're talking about an immobile wire-and-fur figure given the illusion of life and movement through a painstaking photographic process. The result is an instantly recognizable personality, and the technique used to render that character enhances his singularity and eccentricities. While some might decry stop-motion as antiquated, I am of the opinion that the method only adds to the particularity of Kong as a unique creature.

Entire books have been written about the subtext(s) of King Kong and what allegories may or may not present themselves in the story. The beauty of Kong is that, for all such philosophising (intriguing as it is), the film is still enjoyable on its own terms--as a rip-roaring, exotic action picture that seeks simply to astound, and does so, royally.