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Posted on 06.14.07 by David @ 4:26 pm
Review By: David Austin Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster Godzilla vs. Monster Zero I’ve made no secret in the past of the fact that I love Godzilla (see my reviews of Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster and Godzilla Final Wars). Consequently, these last two years have been a pleasure, as Sony and Classic Media have seen to it that the majority of the earlier and later films get legitimate US releases (though the middle period is still poorly accounted for). Ghidorah and Monster Zero, released last week by Classic Media, are particularly interesting as they mark a distinct transition in the Big G’s films – namely, Godzilla’s own evolution from destructive villainous monster to hero and defender of the Earth. Similarly, they mark a transition from relative earnestness to out-and-out adventure and slapstick (though previous films had somewhat prefigured the latter). In these two films, we move away from scenarios where humans or more friendly monsters have to vanquish Godzilla, and move into a period of films where Godzilla and his kaiju Superfriends defend the planet against a series of alien menaces, each more outlandish and wacky than the last. While for some this marked the beginning of the end for the “serious” Godzilla; for me, it merely marked a change from one type of great movie to another, and Monster Zero remains a personal favorite in the series.
In his commentary on the English version of Ghidorah, David Kalat discusses how the driving forces behind the critical reappraisal of Godzilla felt it necessary to reject the campiness of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, creating a rift between proponents of the “serious” and “campy” Godzilla. Personally, I never felt this had to be such a hot button issue. It’s very simple - some Godzilla movies are meant to be serious, some are not. This issue arose in an on-line discussion during the recent touring Godzilla film revival. There were those who were offended that people laughed during the original Godzilla, especially in the context of scenes showing hospitals filled with casualties. To which I say, “Agreed, and point well taken.” However, some of the same people took offense at the so-called “ghoulish” laughter during scenes of destruction in Destroy All Monsters. To which I say, “Excuse me, are we watching the same movie?” Destroy All Monsters is clearly intended by its creators as a laugh, a lark, a piece of goofy fun. To take it seriously is to miss the point entirely. Filed under: Movie Reviews and Movie Reviews: Japan and DVD Reviews and DVD Reviews: Japan and Contributors: David and Rating: Good ★★★ and Studios: Toho Company Ltd. and People: Godzilla and DVD Companies: Classic Media and People: Kumi Mizuno and People: Ishiro Honda Comments: 4 Comments |
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Posted on 06.06.07 by Charlie @ 5:01 pm
Think of it as a last chance at DVD spring cleaning. Each week for the next several months is jam-packed with exciting dvd releases, so this week is one of our last chances to get caught up on movies, with a relatively quiet slate of films out this week. That said, there are a few exciting nuggets to look for this week. Most importantly, the Sergio Leone Anthology has finally arrived on North American shores. Now, because three of the four films included in this set (including the uber-classic Westerns A Fist Full of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) have been released numerous times in the past, it is really the fourth film in the set — Duck, You Sucker! – that makes this set noteworthy, as it marks the first release of the film in the USA or Canada (aka “region 1”). Of course, the disc has been available in the UK for the last year and had been available in South Korea for several years now, so many of our readers with special, all-region dvd players will have already seen it. But for those that haven’t, I assure you it is a real treat, starring James Coburn and right up there with the other three that make up Sergio Leone’s classic “Man With No Name” trilogy. Duck, You Sucker! is also being released individually this week for those who aren’t looking to buy the whole set. Thank you MGM!
This week also sees the release by Classic Media of two more in their line of classic Godzilla films with Ghidorah: the Three-Headed Monster and Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (released under its alternate title: “Invasion of the Astro Monster”). Although these titles have been released previously on vhs, Classic Media has put together definitive editions of the films as part of their continuing and excellent line of Godzilla releases. In addition to releasing the film with a cleaned up picture and the proper aspect ratio, one of the more exciting features here is that they have included both the original Japanese language track with English subtitles as well as the original English dub that so many Godzilla fans grew up watching. Personally, I stick to the subtitles, but it’s nice to have the option. Expect a full review from David soon. On the even weirder side, Palm Pictures is releasing (with extras no less) The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai, a Japanese pinku film about a call girl who develops super-human intelligence and spends her time pleasuring herself with George Bush’s disembodied finger. It’s not precisely good (in fact, it’s not good at all), but the bizarro and sleaze factors go to 11. For those who like their sex scenes peppered with philosophical conversation. We’re also excited about the release of The Sand Pebbles, a solid and remarkably grim film about an American navy ship patrolling the waters near China in the 1920s (and starring Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough, among others). On the HD front, Blood Diamond has finally gotten its belated release along with Guillermo Del Toro’s Hellboy on Blu-Ray disc. Also, a handful of catalog titles came out this week simultaneously on HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, including John Wayne starrers Rio Bravo and The Cowboys, and the popular Eddie Murphy comedy Coming to America. Filed under: Movie News and DVD News and Contributors: David and Contributors: Charlie and DVD Companies: Palm Pictures and DVD News: This Week in DVD and People: Godzilla and DVD Companies: Classic Media Comments: None |
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