Mothra [Monster Egg Series Godzilla]

I love kaiju and transforming egg toys and by God, Bandai makes the best of both worlds. Hailing from the Monster Egg Series Godzilla toys the Mrs. gave me at Christmas is this super rad. Mothra usually appears in either larva or adult form, so this toy features both! That was a super neat surprise when I opened up Mothra's package. The larva actually combines with the moth's underside and the egg shells form around the two creating a neat egg. The same egg shells are Mothra's wings and the entire thing is super cool and creative. Admittedly, I'm not a great photographer, so Bandai's site offers some better looks at the toy. I mean damn, I have her sitting on the lid from a Yankee Candle. A lesser company would have just made a moth that transformed into an egg, but Bandai is just the best. Just the best. I like the toy, btw.

Mothra, o Mothra
Through thy magical life energy
Accept the prayers of thy humble servants
Arise and
Show us your magic power

From Planet X With Love

I don't know what it is about my birthday that makes me focus on Ghidorah so much. But it's a few days away from it and guess who's on my mind yet again. It's funny though. I strongly recall as a child not caring for Ghidorah at all. Whenever Grandpa Munster would show a Godzilla movie on Super Scary Saturdays, I'd be absolutely ecstatic (as you could imagine). But if Ghidorah was on it... yeah I'd watch it, but man I was so unimpressed with ole' Monster Zero.

At some point my opinion changed completely and now I get so damn excited to see him. Last year, my mother spent the weekend with us and my wife took me to Fun Spot for my birthday. It was a fun day. Before we left, the Mrs. had me open my presents and in my Mom's grand fashion, she gave me money in a gift card. Though this time, good ole' Ghidorah was holding the card. She don't even know his name, just that gold dragon I like.

Earlier today I finally began playing with my new Godbeast Monster 0 DX set (it's been a hard week). While I initially assembled the various members, I started working on the combined Monster 0 (Ghidorah homage) and just the memories came to me. Getting Starfox for my SNES in 9th grade and only stopping playing to watch Invasion of Astro-Monster. Badly drawing Ghidorah fighting Optimus Prime while waiting for school to be over so I could get treated to Pizza Hut.

I sure do put a lot of extra focus on Ghidorah this time of year... and I have no clue why. Of course how could I not think about a giant golden dragon from space that breathes lightening bolts? That's all year thinking right there.

Sega dreams of Gamera (and so do I)

I've had Gamera on my mind today, because I like him. It's a little unfair that Gamera doesn't have the most shinning legacy, admittedly being widely perceived as a low rent wanna be Godzilla will do that for you. But man, it's really hard to hate a giant fire breathing turtle. For one thing, Gamera's fights have always been crazy violent. In his goofier children's movie roots to his more darker and gritty 90's movies... Gamera's fights are usually full of blood shed, severed limbs, and carnage all around. It's just insane.

The commercial above is for a Gamera VMU mini game. Gamera has had some good showings in video games and while the Dreamcast may have been short lived, it's still pretty well regarded. The VMU was really before it's time. A memory card that served as a portable gaming device. It was pretty limited, but in time I could have seen it developing into something special. Sadly we'll never know as the Dreamcast, as great as it was, pretty much had all it's momentum killed by the PS2.

The game is called Gamera: Dream Battle. Basically it was for sale in a neat package loaded on a VMU with an included Gamera figure. Pretty dang neat. It was the standard virtual pet/monster fighter type game that was all the rage at the time. If somebody had the prior released Mothra: Dream Battle VMU, they could battle those as well. That's pretty dang great, Mothra vs Gamera, the winner is you.

Generations of The King

It's a damn shame the Dreamcast had such a short life.

Godzilla King of the Monsters

As usual, due to my work schedule and honest time preference these days, my early tickets had been purchased for a peaceful Sunday morning showing. I won't mince words and I'm not going to spoil anything either. This was a love letter to Godzilla fans. An outright big budget kaiju throwdown by Hollywood that managed to be so authentic and fan serving that I'm almost concerned that I'm still asleep and won't be at the movie until later.

A straight shot of pure adrenaline is the bloodline in a movie full of monster madness with Monarch going full G-Force trying to keep up with all the madness. You had bad guys vs good guys and holy crap Ghidorah in his most threatening appearance maybe ever.

The monsters were on point with little things that went with each one making them more like living beings than special effects. Rodan felt so pure with his burning wings and slightly self serving behavior. Mothra is a giant breathe of wholesome and goodness. Godzilla seems like an old soldier who's going to keep fighting until there's nothing left to give. Ghidorah was a force of nature and omg each head had it's own personality. God(zilla), I loved that.

I want to send the movie crew a thank you letter for this movie. I loved it so very much and have been on cloud 9 since leaving the theater. Looking forward to Kong vs Godzilla next year, but getting a copy of this movie feels even further away. Pure exhilaration.

Godzilla Store Invasion!

2019 Toho x Kinokuniya
GODZILLA STORE INVASION
A Godzilla Pop Up Shop

With the highly anticipated release of GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS on May 31^st, several Kinokuniya stores across the nation have come together to bring the Godzilla Store to you to provide you the best in Godzilla merchandise! At Godzilla Store Pop Up Shops, you can find an abundance of unique visual books, a whopping 12 of the Godzilla “B SIDE LABEL” stickers, various Godzilla T-shirts including the coveted TOMODACHI shirt featuring Godzilla and Jet Jaguar, a Second-Form Shin Godzilla Cable Bite, several Godzilla straps, and so much more! These unique and one-of-a-kind items can be found nowhere else outside of Japan’s Godzilla Store in Tokyo. GODZILLA STORE INVASION will be available at these Kinokuniya locations starting from May 18^th to June 30^th.

New Jersey

New Jersey

Mitsuwa Marketplace
595 River Road
Edgewater, NJ 07020

Illinois

Chicago
Mitsuwa Marketplace
100 E. Algonquin Road
Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Washington

Seattle
Uwajimaya Village
525 South Weller Street
Seattle, WA 98104

California

San Francisco
Japan Center
1281 Webster Street
San Francisco, CA 94115

Los Angeles
Little Tokyo
123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Texas

Austin
6929 Airport Blvd.
Suite 121
Austin, TX 78752

Carrollton
Carrollton Town Center
2540 Old Denton Road
Suite 114
Carrollton, TX 75006

*Thanks to Rogers & Cowan for providing Zone Base with this news*

Godzilla Destroys the Internet!

Godzilla Destroys the Internet!

King of Monsters Roars onto the Web to Establish Global Dominance with First Official Website Godzilla.com

Enter the Only Godzilla Portal for Official Exclusive News, Events, Complete Filmography, Rare Videos, New Merchandise and First Official Monsterpedia

May 14, 2019 (Los Angeles) – Feel the rumble as one of the most iconic monsters stomps its way online with the global launch of the first-ever official Godzilla website from Japanese entertainment studio Toho Co., in time for the highly anticipated film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters releasing on May 31.

Commemorating the 65th anniversary of its screen debut in 1954, Toho is connecting Godzilla fans around the world of all ages through exciting content from more than 30 films, comics, art, apparel, toys, encompassing the entire Godzilla universe.

“We’re thrilled to unleash a world of content around our most beloved Godzilla,” said Keiji Ota, CGO (Chief Godzilla Officer) at Toho.  “Fans have been longing for a universe that celebrates the all-mighty king of monsters and Godzilla.com delivers the most exciting news and stories about upcoming events, new merchandise and special releases as we commemorate the 65th anniversary of Godzilla.”

One of the most exciting features is the first official Godzilla Monsterpedia, unveiling everything fans have ever wanted to know about monsters (or kaiju) in the Godzilla Universe!  Monsters such as King Ghidorah, the three-headed monster and Godzilla’s biggest rival; Mothra, the guardian god of its maternal island; and MechaGodzilla, the giant battle robot modeled on Godzilla are featured. The battles among them and with humans are one of the highlights of the Godzilla movies. The more fans get to know about the kaiju, the more they can enjoy the exciting world of Godzilla.

Godzilla.com will be continuously updated as a source of news for upcoming Godzilla films including movie trailers and key art, events, fan content, new product news, and all future announcements.  It will also be a resource for Godzilla’s complete filmography including rare videos, wallpaper and much more destructive content including updates on epic Godzilla toys, apparel and lifestyle products.

Godzilla first appeared in Toho’s “Godzilla” (1954), a classic monster movie widely regarded as a masterpiece. The work launched a monster franchise that expanded over 64 years with more than 30 films. Over time, the franchise itself has evolved, as Godzilla and other creatures appearing in Godzilla films have become a metaphor for social commentary in the real world. The characters are no longer mere entertainment icons but embody emotions and social problems of the times. Godzilla has become a globally recognized icon, finding its way into worldwide pop culture and influencing many creative minds.

About Toho:

Toho Company, Limited, is a Japanese entertainment studio focused on the development, production, exhibition, and distribution of powerful content for motion pictures, television and theater. Founded in 1932, it remains a prominent force in bringing brands and original storytelling with versatile talents to audiences worldwide. Its subsidiaries include Toho Cinemas, the highest grossing exhibition company in Japan


*special thanks to Rogers & Cowan for providing Zone Base with this news*

Godzilla: King of Monsters new trailer

Dang, this looks wonderful.

King Ghidorah, 3 heads are better than 1

It's hard to see the hype for the upcoming Godzilla: King of Monsters without getting excited, though the past few days my focus has been mostly on Ghidorah. There's badass and then there's King Ghidorah level badass. Depending on the movie, Ghidorah's orgin's change, though I'm mostly fond of his space alien roots from the Showa era. There's something special to a monster from outer space who's based on a hybrid of the Hydra and Orochi who's purpose is to destroy.

Godzilla: The Planet Eater

I finally got a chance to view the third and last installment of the Godzilla anime trilogy this weekend. The Godzilla anime series hasn't had the most kind critical response, and the first two installments I did enjoy. I'm not making any apologies. They were slow, weird, and the monsters involvement was disappointing. You had an outright cartoon Godzilla movie and Godzilla was hardly more than occasional background scenery. That being said, I did enjoy those two. I found them entertaining despite the prior complaints. This one, not so much. I found this one to be extremely long winded, too weird (there's a point where weirdness stops being acceptable and just doesn't make sense), and the monsters were completely misused. I usually try to balance the line on spoilers. I feel there's a time where it's considerate of others and a time where others need to get off the pot. I'm going to try to be considerate as I can, but give those who haven't seen it yet fair warning.

run away

I try not to get this way about things like movies. It's not important and really doesn't affect a real life. Though when you pay good money for something (life a Netflix subscription, it aint free ya'll) you don't have to accept everything and have every right to be unhappy. You can be a fan of something and be critical at the same time. Of course there's a line between being critical and being a whiny nerd. I'll try my best to stay in the first category for my own sense of self.

This movie is bullshit.

In a movie where the monsters could have had the most amazing fight possible due to being 100% animated, they're hardly featured and are practically a gif. The plot is complete nonsense that doesn't even try to make sense. The plot of the first two was reaching, but I could still enjoy what they were trying to tell me. I honestly was just waiting for this to be over. Fortunately, the movie wasn't too long as though the creators wanted to get it over also. I was utterly disappointed in this movie and even though the last two were hardly amazing, felt like this would be ok at least. Fortunately Godzilla 2 is coming soon to hopefully wash the bad taste of this out of my mouth.

Godzilla 2 King of Monsters new trailer

MMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Godzilla: King of Monsters trailer

Kong: Skull Island

The movie Toho would have made.

I don't think I'm spoiling in this post, but just incase I am, this post may contain spoilers. So there, I gave you more warning than Wikipedia.

I had been anticipating Kong: Skull Island for awhile now and with Toylanta being held on opening weekend, I had to wait a week to watch it. So last night the wife and I saw it and OMG it was great. The movie is part of Legendary Pictures Monsterverse, which so far is just Kong and Godzilla (the Legendary Pictures version), though Pacific Rim would fit right on it. It's a Legendary Pictures film series, and as I'll get to in a few sentences, fits pretty well into the ongoing story. For the record, I wish Legendary made the Transformers and Power Rangers movie.

As a long time kaiju fan, this is the King Kong movie I've wanted for a long time. I would say the King Kong movie I've always wanted, but the Toho Kong movies (King Kong vs Godzilla, and King Kong Escapes) are in the same vein. So I'll say the movie I've wanted for a very long time, because Kong as a super hero doesn't get explored often. Though, Legendary is doing it's part to contribute to that cause.

The movie is wonderful. Taking place as Vietnam is wrapping up, we see a military group of helicopter pilots provide escort for a Monarch expedition into the largely known Skull Island for testing. The testing (which includes explosions) upsets the wildlife and drives Kong out to defend his land. The surviving military and Monarch  members find their way to the pick up point for rescue and along the way discover the giant (and dangerous) wildlife Skull Island has to offer. Separated into two crews, one discovers a long lost fighter pilot and villagers were they learn about Kong and the dangerous monsters living in Skull Islands hollow core. The other crew, hellbent on revenge for the loss of their comrades get into various skirmishes with that not so friendly wildlife.

The movie establishes Kong as one of the guardians of Earth, like Godzilla. It's beautifully filmed, paying homage to Apocalypse Now, and featuring some extremely gorgeous visuals. The scenes of the villagers place of worship and Kong in the sunset are particularly impressive. It's only weak points are easy to ignore for the most part. Some of the scenes are edited in a way that seems a little clip show like. This is a common complaint I've had with a lot of recent movies, so I think it may be the result of a newer editing trend that may just not working so great with me.

While several newer movies this editing style doesn't gel so well for me, making movies seem like a series of scenes or clips and not so much like a flowing narrative. Fortunately Kong's moments like that are much fewer than other recent movies that I've found moments like this few and not so distracting. Other complaints could be found in some of the human characters seemed two dimensional. Which, in all honesty is a common complaint in most big budget movies as well as pretty common in kaiju movies. So the movies lesser parts were easy to overlook in greater sum of awesomeness.

I said above Pacific Rim would fit easily into Monsterverse, and this movie opens that door even more. The Pan Pacific Defense Corps was created in response to the 2014 kaiju attack that took the military weeks to stop. The M.U.T.O attack, which took a long time to end was in Godzilla 2014. The resulting kaiju attacks came from a portal in the Pacific Ocean. Skull Island, which is home to many giant monsters (I'm not spoiling the entirety of it) and even is hollow, providing monsters in the center of the earth a way to come to the surface. Skull Island just happens to be in the Pacific Ocean.

So, OMG IT WOULD BE SO AWESOME IF GYPSY DANGER TEAMED UP WITH KONG AND GODZILLA AND....wait...

Hey, what if we got a Legendary Pictures version of Jet Jaguar?