G-FEST Films Revealed; Takarada to Introduce Godzilla (1954)

It has been a HUGE G-news weekend at Monsterland Ohio. First we learned that G-FAN #91 will definitely include Andy's "G-Mazing Exhibit" article and that it is en route to our mailbox right now. Then, continuing to scroll down Brett Homenick's blog, we saw that the film lineup has been revealed. This represents months and months of waiting and wondering around here.

The films are:

Thursday (double-double feature) "Son of Godzilla" & "Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)" followed by "Godzilla 2000" & "Godzilla vs. Megaguirus"

Friday "Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster"

Saturday "Godzilla" (1954) introduced by guest of honor Akira Takarada

For more info, click on Brett's link over on the right. What a day!

Rondo Awards Announced

Early this past week, this year's Rondo results were posted. Although the results indicated a heavy slant towards classic American horror and sci-fi, a few of our favorites did make a dent in the honorable mention category. They were:

Best Blog: August Ragone's "The Good, the Bad, and Godzilla"

Best Magazine Cover: Mad Scientist #20 by Pete Von Sholley

Best DVD commentary: Ryfle & Godziszewski for "Mothra"

Best DVD Extra: Mystery Science Theater 3000 "Santa Claus"

Here's the Mad Scientist cover. Isn't it a beaut?

Kaiju Sighting: 2K Sports' "The Bigs 2"

We're not hardcore gamers, but we do enjoy our Wii now and then, as previous posts have indicated. Godzilla: Unleashed has gotten a lot of play around here, for obvious reasons. But we never expected to encounter a giant monster in our baseball game!

2K Sport's "The Bigs 2" has a "Home Run Pinball" fantasy game in which you can hit home runs in the middle of the streets of various cities around the world. When we saw Tokyo was an option, we were all over it. As Andy started knocking down billboards with home run shots, the profile of a purple people-eater became clear, much to our shock and delight! After much fiddling, Andy was able to brain the creature with a "Big Blast" homer, causing the monster to swivel back and forth and appear to roar. I guess you never know where kaiju are hiding!

Bandai Easter Basket

Andy's Easter basket featured a selection of Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight action figures (purchased for a song at a local discount retailer). Perhaps they will do battle against a radioactive Easter Bunny, who is trying to hoard the world's supply of Reese's peanut butter eggs!

A Day of Kings

On this date in 1956, "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" was released in the United States, featuring Raymond Burr as reporter Steve Martin. Interestingly, when "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" was released in its amended form in Japan, it took in big box office receipts, just a couple years after "Gojira (Godzilla 1954)" made its debut in Japanese theaters.

Also on this date, Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, promising eternal life to those who trust in Him. Happy Easter and best wishes to you and yours!

The Terror From Lake Erie

As an Easter Break treat, I am posting a work of fiction that was inspired by our experience at G-FEST 16 and which was published in G-FAN #89. Folks from Northeast Ohio will best be able to appreciate some of the references dropped into this humble mini-thriller. Hope you enjoy it--

The micro-blogging site “twitter.com” took on a new dimension recently when an Iranian student used it to chronicle civil unrest in his nation. Following his “tweets” inspired me to consider what might happen if someone used the same technology to report on…

www.twitter.com/TheTerrorfromLakeErie

Name Andy Martin
Bio NE Ohio born and raised; love the Browns and lake effect snow

It’s the all star break and the Tribe is already out of it. Guess Kerry Wood was not the answer. Oh well—tickets will be easy to get now
11:45 PM Jun 30th from web

Grandpa is still at Cleveland Clinic. Knee replacement went well. Was up on his feet the next day! Hope he’s home by the weekend-he’s bored
1:00 PM July 2nd from web

Another Lake County quake just hit-felt like a truck slammed into the house two or three times. Going to check for cracks in foundation
11: 19 AM July 3rd from web

Unbelievable—Fox 8 news reporting that the salt mines under Lake Erie have begun collapsing, caused by major earthquake
11:30 AM July 3rd from web

Reports suggest 85 workers were down there at the time of the collapse. State & county officials are “concerned” about Perry nuclear plant
1: 33 PM July 3rd from web

Emergency siren has been sounding for about 15 minutes straight-people are coming out of their houses and kind of wandering—I’m freaking out
2: 54 PM July 3rd from web

Talking to neighbors outside & we just heard WEIRDEST sound ever—can only compare it to black and white Godzilla roar THIS IS CRAZY!!!
5:05 PM July 3rd from txt

Ground shaking again nonstop. Can’t believe I’m hearing that HOLY COW 2 OR 3 PLANES (?) JUST THUNDERED OVERHEAD IN DIRECTION OF PERRY POWER
5:47 PM July 3rd from txt

They are dropping BOMBS over by the plant!!! Not making this up—can’t stay here
5: 55 PM July 3rd from txt

Made it to aunt’s house in Chesterland. Roads choked with evacs. Watching Action 19 news. Whatever was by Perry is gone. Unreal
8:05 PM July 3rd from txt

19 news chopper showing long range shots of Perry plant. One of the cooling towers is totally gone. “Reactor not compromised” they’re saying
8:25 PM July 3rd from txt

Wondering if I’ll ever see home again
8: 30 PM July 3rd from txt

Fox 8 reporting aftershocks at former salt mine site. Nobody is saying anything about whatever is was that came ashore
8: 34 PM July 3rd from txt

If this was not on the screen I would never believe it. 19 news chopper showing Browns stadium being leveled by blackish grey Godzilla
9:11 PM July 3rd from txt

I saw G-2000 once—it looks a lot like that but skin is wet black like he’s been at the bottom of the lake a long time
9: 13 PM July 3rd from txt

Sick joke—this is the most action Browns stadium has seen since they returned to Cleveland—the creature is pure power in motion
9: 16 PM July 3rd from txt

The Rock and Roll hall of fame was just obliterated with a blast of blue-white fire from monster’s mouth-“let me stand next to your fire”
9: 20 PM July 3rd from txt

Jimi also said “well I stand up next to a mountain/knock it down with the edge of my hand” Zilla is about to do that to Key Bank bldg
9: 22 PM July 3rd from txt

The Quicken Loans arena “the Q” is next in line—King James vs the King of the monsters. We are all witnesses-of total destruction and chaos
9: 36 PM July 3rd from txt

The lights are somehow still on at Progressive Field-getting great look at monster—it is so huge yet fluid; towers over light stands
9: 52 PM July 3rd from txt

Stations are replaying Browns stadium collapse; Tony Rizzo is doing ad lib commentary in tears “this is almost worse than what Modell did”
10:07 PM July 3rd from txt

Entire Gateway district is up in flames. Lebron said he would light it up like Vegas-I doubt he had this in mind. Zilla heading north now
10:53 PM July 3rd from txt

Creature dove back into lake. Networks in full coverage mode. We are sitting here in total shock—feel like I’ve been running a marathon
52 minutes ago from txt

Holy cow—grampa is still down there at the Clinic—gotta go
50 minutes ago from txt

Northbound lanes are a ghost town; southbound are a parking lot most vehicles abandoned
35 minutes ago from txt

Can see fires burning in the distance-not far from Clinic now
28 minutes ago from txt

WTAM 1100 reporting violent tremors just off downtown all the way to Mentor. Can feel and hear it
23 minutes ago from txt

Someone just called in to WTAM claiming military ready to use electromagnetic pulse weapon if creature appears again-how do they know?
18 minutes ago from txt

Made it to Clinic garage. If EMP goes off, I’ll obviously be phone silent. Guess this is where I say I love you to whom it may concern
5 minutes ago from txt

WTAM reporting creature resurfacing a couple miles east of downtown. Here I come grandpa
3 minutes ago from txt

TO BE CONTINUED (?)

"Fake Monsters" April

http://www.g-fan.com

"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