Postcards from G-FEST 18: More Field Fun

Here is a picture taken by Shinji Higuchi of Hiroyuki Watanabe taking a picture of a pteronadon and us with Robert Scott Field. If it looks like we were having a blast, it's because we were.

Postcards from G-FEST 18: Fun at the Field

I told you Friday wasn't low-key. We had the privilege of taking Special Guests Robert Scott Field and Hiroyuki Watanabe to Chicago's Field Museum for a fun-filled afternoon. The other guests of G-FEST came along in another vehicle. It was a day my family will never forget!

G-FEST 18: Kaiju Film Festival

This year's G-FEST began Thursday, with a "double-double feature" at the Pickwick Theater in Park Ridge, Illinois. First on the bill was "Gamera: Super Monster," which apparently received its North American big screen premiere with this showing.

"Gamera: Super Monster" is an exceedingly strange movie, but I still found it oddly enchanting. It was made at a time when Daiei Studio was closing, and it shows. New footage of Gamera is almost nonexistent, save for a couple rather static flying shots. All the monster battles (and there are plenty) consist of edited footage from previous Gamera films, which are knitted together by a nonsensical story about spacewomen and kids who use Kawasaki keyboards to save the planet. Oh, and then an evil spacewoman who finds redemption. No, seriously. But it is all done with enough heart to make it something I would willingly watch again. There are a couple of shots (one quite blatant, one recurring) that reveal a clear Star Wars influence (GSM was released in 1980).

Next up was the original "Mothra," (1961) a wondrous film that finds Toho's "dream team" of director Ishiro Honda, writer Shinichi Sekizawa and spfx master Eiji Tsuburaya operating at the peak of their creative powers. Intentional humor, exotic music, an incredible cast, crazily detailed miniature sets and one big moth add up to a moviegoing experience that is still transportative fifty years after its release.

After the dinner break, it was time for the second double feature, beginning with "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II," which benefitted greatly from being shown on the big screen. Released in 1993, this entry in the Godzilla pantheon is one that I have never seemed to connect with very strongly, but this viewing brought out its strengths. The effects work is actually quite impressive. Godzilla gets his tail handed to him by Mechagodzilla, and it seems possible that he could actually lose the duel. Akira Ifukube returns with a score that is intense and sounds fantastic in the theater. Most of the Heisei films seem about forty minutes too long to me, and this is no exception. In this setting, though, it was undeniably enjoyable, and the crowd, which had grown since the afternoon shows, laughed at the silly parts and cheered in the right places, too. There is nothing like watching a movie at G-FEST when the crowd is really "live."

Last on the list was 1995's "Gamera, Guardian of the Universe," regarded by most fans of the genre as a masterpiece, and you will get no argument from me on that point. A clear, crisp print only enhanced the meticulous effects work created by G-FEST guest of honor Shinji Higuchi, a real treat for all in attendance. The intensity of the day (combined with the shift to the Central time zone) caught up with us, and we returned to the Crowne Plaza before the movie's conclusion. But we perked up once back in the room, thanks to "G-TV," the in-house tokasatsu channel that is the unsung hero of the G-FEST experience, enjoying "Gomess" episodes of Ultra Q and Ultragalaxy.

It was great to be back on the G-FEST scene. It was a fun, exciting, yet relatively low-key day. That was good, because Friday would be anything but low-key!

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.