This morning, I had to go into Gallup to pick up my meds. While I was in town, I did some shopping at Walmart and found this Godzilla toy on sale. It is a tie-in to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Since it was marked down, I bought it.
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| Above, the cover of G-FAN #145. |
Today, I headed down to the Flying J to check my mailbox at the post office.
A welcome item was in the mailbox: G-FAN #145.
After returning home, I took a preliminary look-see of the issue's contents. Included was my article on the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I had completely forgotten that I submitted it back in July, for it was a busy summer with trips to Fort Sumner, G-FEST, the Bahamas, Colorado, Iowa and Utah.
Unless J. D. Lees changes his mind ("Is there something wrong with the one I have?" - Captain Spock in Star Trek IV) it looks like issue number 150 will be the last G-FAN. He mentions that he's been producing the magazine for around 30 years. I sometimes have a hard time grasping 30 years, often thinking 1970s instead of the 1990s. I think he's done his bit for king and country by producing G-FAN for 30 years.
Interestingly, not too many fans were impressed with Legendary's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, but loved Toho's Godzilla Minus One. Although both movies were entertaining, Godzilla Minus One is a far superior movie in my opinion.
Since we're to get some more snow this coming weekend, at least I have something to read while taking refuge indoors.
While I was on vacation in the Bahamas, it was announced that Godzilla Minus One will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray sometime in September. The actual release date is unclear
Retailers are now taking pre-orders for the movie.
It is funny, Delta Airlines had Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in their in-flight movie offerings. I wasn't interested enough to watch it.
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| Above, the 1954 Godzilla. Photo by Toho Co., Ltd. |
This has prompted Toho to lay out some ground rules on future films.
TVovermind posted an article on these ground rules.
They start it with:
Toho’s beloved kaiju Godzilla has always been a cultural icon, both within Japan and internationally. However, recent revelations show the iconic beast might undergo significant changes in its future cinematic portrayals. According to industry sources, Toho has outlined new rules for Godzilla’s character that aim to reshape how the colossal figure is seen on screen.
"I really wanted to make sure that they were intertwined in a balanced way so that the human drama and whatever’s going on with Godzilla had the right balance."Director Takashi Yamazaki emphasized the need for harmony between human drama and Godzilla’s storyline in ‘Godzilla Minus One’. This approach may have set a new tone.
To read what the ground rules are, go here.
Although both movies feature Godzilla, they are as different as night and day. The Legendary Pictures Godzilla acts more like Gamera rather than the King of the Monsters from Japan.
That is the topic of an article from theSun out of Malaysia. It is an article well worth a good read.
They begin the article with:
THERE is a clear line drawn in the sand between Toho and Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla films.
Although they share the same genetic strain, they could not be further apart, like twin children separated at birth and fostered by two different families from starkly different socioeconomic backgrounds. This has never been clearer than Godzilla Minus One.
For Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros Pictures Monsterverse franchise, Godzilla is the hero. In the recent Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the giant lizard teams up with his oversized monkey friend to save Earth.
On the other hand, Toho’s Godzilla Minus One features Godzilla as how Ishiro Honda conceived the creature in 1954’s Godzilla: an allegory for the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan, coalesced into a force of nature that will kill everyone and destroy everything in its ravenous path.
To read the full article, go here.
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| Above, the Godzilla 70th anniversary baseball jersey. Godzilla.com image. |
Godzilla and I came on the scene in 1954. The 70th anniversary of the King of the Monsters is being celebrated this year and Toho has introduced some brand new merchandise to commemorate the milestone.
According to The Nerds of Color:
The past two years have been a whirlwind of kaiju-sized proportions, as everyone’s favorite radioactive lizard has seen a slew of massive success! Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire crushed it at the box office, and Godzilla: Minus One won an Oscar, becoming one of the most critically acclaimed runaway successes of last year. But the 70th anniversary of Godzilla isn’t over just yet folks! Just in time for the big guy’s bit 7-0, Toho has released a new line of awesome merchandise commemorating the most famous kaiju in cinematic history!
To read more, go here.
For ordering, go here.
First, came Godzilla Minus One from Toho Studios last December. It was a critical success and it garnered the King of the Monsters his first Academy Award for Best Special Effects.
Then came Godzilla x Kong from Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. To me, and many others, it was entertaining but it lacked interesting characters and plot.
It has been announced that Godzilla x Kong will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on May 14. No word has been given by Toho on when Godzilla Minus One will see a similar release even though it is already out in these formats in Japan.
The Japanese discs have no English subtitles.
According to the Los Angeles Times:
“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” smashed its box-office competition this weekend, soaring past expectations with estimated domestic ticket sales of $80 million and delivering the second best opening of the year, just behind another Warner Bros. and Legendary film, “Dune: Part Two.”
Premium formats such as Imax and Dolby Cinema made up 48% of the film’s business. The movie also made $114 in international markets, bringing its global weekend haul to $194 million, according to Warner Bros.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, a late March snow in 2021. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
As I mentioned in my previous post about Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, we are expecting another snowstorm to come into the Gallup/Jamestown area tomorrow.
I guess we can thank the good Lord for holding off the storm so I can enjoy an evening out to the movies and dinner yesterday.
As the solar eclipse is to arrive on April 8, it will be interesting to see if the weather conditions will be good enough for people in its path to experience it. We will have a partial eclipse here.
According to the National Weather Service, the forecast for Gallup/Jamestown is as follows:
A 20 percent chance of snow showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 26.
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| Above, at Red Rock 10 Theaters. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Let me just start off to say that I found it entertaining. We're talking about a Legendary/Warners Godzilla movie, not Shakespeare. There are a few things that I see as flaws. To give any of them away would be spoilers. There was also some shark-jumping.
The MonsterVerse movies all play like a Heisei Gamera movie, not a Godzilla movie.
It is amazing that Godzilla x Kong had a budget of $135 million. But the money did not show up on the big screen. I saw a number of not-so-good shots. They were on a par with Godzilla vs. Kong, quality-wise. With that amount of money spent and the number of special effects people working on it, it makes the special effects of Godzilla Minus One all the more remarkable, considering the movie cost Toho around $15 million to produce. It is no surprise to me why Godzilla Minus One got a special effects Oscar whereas none of the MonsterVerse movies ever did. I have the feeling Legendary/Warners wanted to rush out a movie.
Right now, Godzilla x Kong is around 60% at Rotten Tomatoes by the critics. It is around 93% by fans. At this same point, Godzilla Minus One was in the upper 90s by fans and the critics.
Toho should use a paraphrase of Kentucky Fried Chicken's slogan: We do Godzilla right!
My grade: B+
Following the screening, I headed to Jerry's Cafe in Gallup for a great chile relleno/enchilada combo dinner.
Considering we're to get another round of snow, I am glad to get out of the house to see a movie and go out to dinner.
Today is the official day that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire opens in U.S. theaters, even though it was playing yesterday.
I will be going to the Red Rock 10 Theaters in Gallup today to see it. I'll likely have dinner in town after the movie.
I don't have high expectations for the movie, especially after Toho's great Godzilla Minus One. As long as I find the movie entertaining, I will be satisfied.
Here's the second official trailer.
Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. has released the official trailer for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Well, it appears there's a baby Kong in the picture (is there a Mrs. Kong?).
The shot of Godzilla and Kong running towards the camera looks like the opening of the 1960s Batman television show. Someone already used that footage and added the Neal Hefti Batman theme.
Godzilla has pink dorsal spikes? Going woke? Egads!
The trailer:
Legendary Pictures has revealed the title to the next sequel in their Monsterverse in a teaser trailer.
According to the YouTube posting:
The Monsterverse continues. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, only in theaters, March 15, 2024.
This latest entry in the Monsterverse franchise follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own. The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins, and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.
