G-FEST 18: All Kaiju, All the Time

Another G-FEST has come and gone. I wasn't sure how last year's show could be topped, but it was...at any rate, it will be fun to relive the experience here on the blog.

Three years ago we made it to our first G-FEST. We were rookies, and didn't know anyone else in attendance. This year we were truly among friends, which makes for a richer experience all around. So come along with us as we share virtual postcards from G-FEST 18, which promised "All Kaiju, All the Time," and did not disappoint!

CKC "Kaiju Chat" This Sunday

Kaiju fans who are on Facebook are invited to chat this Sunday, July 10, at 10:00 P.M. EST. Once you're on Facebook, just search for "Cuyahoga Kaiju Club" and join the conversation! This is a very informal discussion, but chances are there will be some talk about G-FEST, upcoming monster movie releases, and more.

Mad Scientist # 23

Our copies of the latest Mad Scientist arrived this past Wednesday. Great cover, isn't it? More about the contents in a future post. Order yours today!

June 2011: A Memorable Movie Month

Thanks in large part to Turner Classic Movies, June has been a banner month for fantastic cinema around these parts!

It all started with TCM's "Toho Night," the kickoff to their Drive-in Double Feature programming. Buried way in the wee hours of Friday morning was "Valley of the Gwangi," which we recorded and watched a day or two later. This solidified Ray Harryhausen's standing in Andy's mind, having previously seen "Clash of the Titans," "Mighty Joe Young," and "Twenty Million Miles to Earth." One thing led to another--Amazon has a great deal on the Harryhausen collection pictured above--and it has been all about the stop motion (or should I say Dynamation) ever since. The book Andy is holding in the picture is a real treat, too (more like a treasure trove, in truth). Andy's favorite of the Blu-ray collection is probably "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad," which I greatly enjoy as well, but I would have to give the nod to "Twenty Million Miles to Earth," and of all the films that bear the Harryhausen stamp, my absolute favorite is "Mighty Joe Young." A long time ago, I drew a picture of MJY, sent it in to a Detroit-area "monster host" and it was shown on the air for a moment or two. But I digress...

Each Thursday night has been a little monster movie fest, an enjoyable return to the days of old when VCRs and DVRs could not help you view your creature feature of choice. We only "cheated" once, popping in our DVD of "Atragon" instead of "The Giant Claw" or some such thing. I'm very much looking forward to what, for us, will be the double bill of "The Blob" and "The H-Man" tomorrow night.

All of that would've been enough to make it a month for the record books, but then there was a true moviegoing experience to boot. We made it a point to see "The Lord of the Rings: Extended Editions" in the theater over a three week stretch. Each Tuesday night we went to a modern movie palace in Columbus, Ohio to see the trilogy in state-of-the-art picture and sound. These were very special evenings that I hope Andy recalls fondly for a long time. I have the blog http://theonering.net to thank; without reading about this event there, we would likely have missed it altogether.

And, by the way, we saw "Kung Fu Panda 2" also, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it is a visually breathtaking movie. It will make for a dazzling Blu-ray release. The movie earns extra cool points for getting Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) to voice the part of the Soothsayer.

June was an unforgettable movie month, where doors were opened to new worlds and old favorites were seen with new eyes. It's been quite a ride...and now we're only days away from the Pickwick and G-FEST!

This Thursday: The H-Man on TCM

This Thursday, June 30th, Turner Classic Movies presents the H-Man at 9:30 p.m. Eastern, starring Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa and Akhiko Hirata. While there are no giant monsters to be found, this is great fun from the golden age of Toho (1958).

One Month Until G-FEST XVIII

One month from today, G-FEST 18 kicks off with a double-double feature featuring Gamera, Mothra, and, of course, Godzilla.

It has been a year of many changes for us, so the thought of returning to Chicago for some kaiju fun with our fellow fans and friends holds a lot of appeal.

The design for this year's Fest highlights the diversity of characters that inhabit the tokasatsu universe and reflects the movies being screened. Very nice!

While last year's experience will be nigh unto impossible to top, I'm open to whatever happens this year, and just enjoying the utterly unique setting that G-FEST provides. Can't wait...

G-FEST Movie Update

After weeks of speculation (at least in this household), the final two G-FEST movies have been announced. Thursday night's last film will be "Gamera 2: Advent of Legion," and Friday night's stand-alone will be "Ultraman Gaia: the Battle for Hyperspace." In light of this year's guests, these are perfect choices. It will be too cool to finally see an Ultraman movie at G-FEST!

G-FAN Magazine # 95: Surprises Inside

It has been too long since a G-FAN review appeared here. Time to correct that.

What one notices immediately upon opening the distinctive Daikaiju Enterprises envelope is the cover; another remarkable work of art by Rudy Gardea. Two details I really enjoy: Godzilla is about to unleash a blast and "Gardea" appears on the plane in the foreground.

The G-Force news and notes section is highlighted by a number of stills of Tom Tvrdik's next American Greetings Godzilla ornament, and Matt Frank's Mothra artwork for the IDW comic book.

Fabien Mauro, who we met briefly at G-Fest last year, checks in with two offerings, one an interview with the one-and-only Akira Takarada, and the other a meditation on Ishiro Honda's work, focusing on Matango (Attack of the Mushroom People).

Mark Justice's "Save the Earth' continues his consideration of the ecological messages embedded in Toho's monster movies, persuasively demonstrating that these films have been ahead of their time when it comes to sending a "green" message to viewers.

Brett Homenick contributes an interview with West Side Story's George Chakiris, who traveled to Japan for the filming of Flight from Ashiya in 1964. Brett once again manages to glean interesting tidbits about Japanese culture, especially the Japanese film industry, from his famous conversation partner.

G-FAN Junior returns in this issue, always a welcome addition (my eight-year-old son says). An article about monster appearances and locomotion, kid-generated artwork, a discussion of all the alternate movie titles, and a "Spot the Difference" photo game comprise this section of the mag.

Then, just when one thinks that there's not much more to be said about kaiju, G-FAN cracks open a whole new realm. Jolyon Yates files a report about giant monsters in Thai cinema--a subject about which I knew absolutely nothing before reading this article. What an excellent surprise!

Stalwart G-FAN contributors Lyle Huckins and Skip Peel each provide the type of writing for which they are known; thoughful analysis and inventive fiction, respectively.

Stan Hyde gives readers the details on the Revoltech line of extremely posable figures that feature Baragon and Gamera. The toy love continues with James Bond's "Godzilla Vinyl Market Update," a cogent description of what creature figures are going for these days and--most insightfully--why they are fetching those prices. As if that didn't set one's collector's blood a'boilin', Steve Agin throws gas on the fire with his enthusiastic toy reviews (accompanied by copious full color photographs), all of which is more than enough inspiration to pinch those last few pennies before hitting the G-FEST Dealers Room.

G-FAN continues to honor the creativity of kaiju fans, which seems to spring from an endless source. An impressive variety of fan reaction is the calling card of this publication, and articles like "Thai-ju: Giant Monsters in Thai Monsters in Thai Films" keep taking us to new places and unpacking new worlds of imagination!

Cuyahoga Kaiju Club Anniversary T

As revealed on Facebook, this is the awesome Tom Tvrdik-designed T-shirt that marks the 15th anniversary of the CKC. If you think this front design is cool, wait until you see the back! Shirts should be available at this year's G-FEST. (See www.g-fan.com for info and registration.)

Turner Classic Movies Toho Marathon TONIGHT

Beginning at 8:00 p.m. Eastern tonight, Turner Classic Movies will show "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," "Rodan," "Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster," and "Monster Zero" followed by "Dinosaurus" and "Valley of the Gwangi." This is old-school appointment viewing at its best! For more info go to www.tcm.com

Akira Takarada's Autograph

This is the page of G-FAN #87 that Mr. Takarada was kind enough to sign for us. It was great to watch him leaf through the magazine, finding himself in old stills, and marvelling at the fact that there even was such a magazine to leaf through.

Return to G-FEST XVII: The Final Chapter

A story so great it took ten months to tell...

The Awards Luncheon is a fun event. Among other things, it means 'sit down' food as opposed to fast food, which is a welcome change come Sunday afternoon. But it meant far more than that to us this past year.

When doors opened, we took a seat near the front podium, and to cut right to the chase, we ended up sitting with Akira Takarada, R. Scott Field, Brett Homenick, Tom Tvrdik, and a couple other lucky G-FANS. I sat next to Brett, and enjoyed getting to know him a little bit better. In fact, while we were eating, he asked me to help him come up with a line for his introduction of Mr. Takarada, and I happily obliged. Brett actually did use it later on, and it got a nice reaction, which was a very cool moment. I also ran Brett's video camera for him while he read some letters of appreciation from colleagues and friends, and participated in the Mangled Skyscraper presentation.

Brett also facilitated Mr. Takarada's signing of our copy of G-FAN # 87. It was fascinating to see Mr. Takarada pore over our issue before signing. Brett's thoughtfulness also meant that we had the rest of the afternoon free, and wouldn't have to wait in a long line to get an autograph. Mr. Takarada also graciously posed for pictures with everyone at our table, and made sure everyone got the shots they wanted before moving on.

It was fun, if more than little surreal, to chat with Mr. Takarada over lunch. He asked about Andy and how he was doing in school. I got the impression that he was surprised by the reception he received from his North American fans, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to convey that same goodwill to him.

What a memory! Ten months on, I am truly amazed that my son and I had lunch with the human face of the Godzilla franchise, who just so happens to be a warm and classy individual (not to mention Android M-11, and our friend Tom, Godzilla artist extraordinaire). I'm grateful to Brett for making sure we had an unforgettable time. It was great day to be a Godzilla fan, among fans and friends.

Two Months from the Fest

With two months to go before the next G-FEST, anticipation here is beginning to build. Moving has certainly had an impact on our fan activity, as the infrequency of posts here suggests. But the information coming in is beginning to light the old fires of interest, starting with the movie lineup.

It has been announced that Thursday's first film will be the original Mothra, a movie that took me an absurdly long time to see. It is an exciting choice, and I am really looking forward to seeing it on the movie screen. Mothra is considered by many to be a classic of the genre; even so, I believe that it is somewhat underrated. Mothra is thought-provoking, humorous, and amazing to behold! Can't wait!

Following on Mothra's heels will be Gamera: Super Monster, which I have never seen. It is sort of universally panned for basically being a Gamera clip show, but I think G-FEST will be the perfect place to screen it. According to the G-FAN website, this will be its North American theater debut. I find nothing to dislike about any Gamera movie, really, so this should be fun.

Things get rolling Thursday evening with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2. This is a movie that I've always wanted to like more than I do; I can't really put my finger on it...it just never has held my attention like some others. It'll get another chance to make a good impression soon.

The other film announced as of this writing is the classic Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. Lots of ink has been spilled about the excellence of this one. It was a creative reboot of the Gamera franchise, and it proved that, at least in the 1990s, a straightforward kaiju flick was a viable entertainment option. "Guardian" deserves all the props it has received, and it will be introduced by its special effects director, Shinji Higuchi.

On a related note, new Cuyahoga Kaiju Club t-shirts will likely be available at G-FEST. The Tom Tvrdik design can be seen on Facebook--just search for the CKC page.

Time to count the days until G-FEST! It's a great feeling!

Moments with Mothman

The Mothman statue in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, stands as a tribute to a series of extremely strange events that took place there in the late 1960s. More on this fun little side trip to come...

Blast from the Past

Godzilla fandom has not only introduced us to some great people, but it has also been a link to renew old friendships.

Just today I received the t-shirt pictured here from my best boyhood friend, who ran across it in a second-hand store and picked it up for me. What's especially great is that in a bit of synchronicity, Andy and I had just been watching this commercial on You Tube and enjoying it tremendously. Thank you, DCV, for your generosity and thoughtfulness!

Tonight Andy and I watched the first hour of GMK, and I just enjoy the heck out of that film. As a one-shot, sort of "alternative history" Godzilla movie, it works for me, and most importantly the visuals are stunning. I've stated this many times already, but that G-suit is in my top three, and the musical score is remarkable too. If you haven't seen a Godzilla movie in a long time, this (Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack) is the one to watch!

P.S. Andy recognized G-FEST guest-to-be Hiroyuki Watanabe in this movie. Good eyes, Buddy!