"Legendary" Godzilla is Official

Months of speculation have given way to the announcement of a new Godzilla movie produced by the makers of "The Dark Knight" and "300."

Godzilla is one of the world's most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise," said Thomas Tull, chairman and CEO of Legendary. "Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has."

Read all about it at: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118017027.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

Attack of the Ceramic Dragons!

Andy writes:

"The one on the right is my Dad's. The one on the left is mine. We painted them at my school's Ceramics Night. I picked mine because it looked cool. I saw at the bottom that the dragon was standing on a stone ledge. My Dad picked his because it was the closest thing to a giant monster he could find. He used bold colors to make it look like an Ultraman foe."

Building the Big G (Part Two)

As mentioned in a previous post, there have been some bumps in the road on our way to building the Big G. The most notable has been a missing piece of the model! As we worked our way through the construction phase, it became clear that we were missing the front half of Godzilla's right arm. It had not fallen off the table or been misplaced...it simply was not there. A phone call to the number in the instruction booklet yielded the unhappy news that there are no replacement parts to be had. However, after some fevered brainstorming, we believe we have an answer that will salvage our project. If it works, faithful Monsterland Ohio readers, you will be the first to know!

Toybox Treasure: Mini "Hawaiian" Anguirus

Here's the miniature (replica) Bullmark Anguirus that watches over our kitchen sink. Andy and I purchased it in the G-FEST Dealer's Room as a gift for the Queen of Monsterland Ohio (who routinely destroys us both on Godzilla: Unleashed as the spiky-backed creature). Evidently this reproduction's paint job is termed "Hawaiian" by collectors, for reasons having not only to do with the color scheme but also the region in which it was originally marketed.

Takashi Shimura--b. March 12, 1905

One of our favorite actors here at Monsterland Ohio, Takashi Shimura, was born on this date in 1905. His portrayal of Dr. Yamane in Godzilla (1954) is possibly his most well known role to Western audiences, and he brings a certain gravity and conscience to the unusual proceedings. The role that might rival Dr. Yamane in terms of Western recognition would be that of Shimada, the honorable leader of the Seven Samurai in 1954's "Shichinin no samurai." But his greatest acting achievement would certainly have to be "Ikiru," (1952) in which he plays Watanabe, the government worker who, because of his imminent death, learns what it means "to live." (There are no monsters, samurai, or explosions in this film, but if you are a fan of movies in general, you simply must see "Ikiru"--it is cinema you will think about for a long time.) In our estimation, Takashi Shimura is one of the most likable and compelling actors ever to grace the silver screen. He passed away February 11, 1982.

Turner Classic Movies' "Mutant Marathon"

This Friday, March 12th, Turner Classic Movies presents "Mutants," a mini-marathon of classic American giant monster films. At 8:00 p.m. "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" will air--a film that had a somewhat surprising influence on the original "Godzilla." That will be followed by "It Came From Beneath the Sea" at 9:30 p.m., "The Monster that Challenged the World" at 11:00 p.m., and "Them!" at 12:30 a.m. Turn down the lights, pop some corn, (set your DVRs if you get drowsy) and get ready for a fun--and increasingly rare--evening of monster cinema!

Building the Big G (Part One)

Work has begun in earnest on a Polar Lights Godzilla that just might end up being entered in G-FEST's model contest. It is tons of fun, yet not without some drama, which I will highlight in a later post. Cue up the Godzilla soundtracks and let's get going!

"Fake Monsters" March

YetiBull vs. Gfantis

http://www.g-fan.com