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Awix (3310 KP) rated Gamera: Advent of Legion (1996) in Movies
Mar 15, 2019 (Updated Mar 15, 2019)
Startlingly sophisticated mash-up of the giant monster and alien invasion B-movie genres; second in Shusuke Kaneko's trilogy of Gamera movies. A meteorite brings the gestalt organism Legion to Earth, specifically Japan (of course). Scientists and the army embark on a desperate race to figure out how to stop the various manifestations of the creature, but may have to rely on their unlikely ally: the giant nuclear turtle Gamera.
The bare bones of the plot make it sound fairly absurd, but the combination of a clever, cine-literate script that knows exactly when to play it loose and when to get to the point, and superbly accomplished special effects mean this is one of the highlights of the Japanese monster movie tradition; arguably very influential within the genre, not least for the way it plays with all the classic tropes and manages to rationalise many of them. The design of the antagonist monster could have been a bit less weird, but you can't have everything I suppose. Exceeded in its crazed grandiosity only by the third part of the trilogy, but still outscores that in the script department.
The bare bones of the plot make it sound fairly absurd, but the combination of a clever, cine-literate script that knows exactly when to play it loose and when to get to the point, and superbly accomplished special effects mean this is one of the highlights of the Japanese monster movie tradition; arguably very influential within the genre, not least for the way it plays with all the classic tropes and manages to rationalise many of them. The design of the antagonist monster could have been a bit less weird, but you can't have everything I suppose. Exceeded in its crazed grandiosity only by the third part of the trilogy, but still outscores that in the script department.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Godzilla Raids Again (1955) in Movies
Jun 1, 2019 (Updated Jun 1, 2019)
Second Godzilla movie (and the last in black and white) hits on the idea that would sustain the franchise for decades to come (monster wrestling!) but doesn't quite perfect it. Two pilots in the fishing industry discover a second Godzilla has appeared, along with another monster, Angilas. With the secret of the weapon used to destroy the first Godzilla lost forever, it's thinking caps on for the government and armed forces...
The movie starts with pace and energy, even if it doesn't really have the intensity or powerful subtext of the original film. The city-flattening clash between Godzilla and Angilas comes relatively early on, though, and its impact is lessened somewhat by the fact it's arguably filmed at the wrong speed. After this comes a long and honestly dull soap opera subplot about the workers and management of a fishing company affected by Godzilla's attack, before we come to a protracted and quite laborious climax. Obviously of interest to fans of the series, but it really misses the presence of Ishiro Honda and Akira Ifukube as director and composer. Not a great or even particularly good film, but an important one in monster movie history.
The movie starts with pace and energy, even if it doesn't really have the intensity or powerful subtext of the original film. The city-flattening clash between Godzilla and Angilas comes relatively early on, though, and its impact is lessened somewhat by the fact it's arguably filmed at the wrong speed. After this comes a long and honestly dull soap opera subplot about the workers and management of a fishing company affected by Godzilla's attack, before we come to a protracted and quite laborious climax. Obviously of interest to fans of the series, but it really misses the presence of Ishiro Honda and Akira Ifukube as director and composer. Not a great or even particularly good film, but an important one in monster movie history.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla II (1993) in Movies
Mar 11, 2018 (Updated Mar 11, 2018)
Old-school Toho monster mash follows the trend of early-90s Godzilla movies by reinventing popular characters from 60s and 70s films. Kind of suffers from the same problem as superhero films with multiple villains (cf Spider-Man 3 or Batman Forever), in that contriving a way for all the monsters to appear and interact requires some outlandish plotting and a good deal of hand-waving of implausibilities (not to mention indulgence from the audience).
In addition to Godzilla, in this film you get Mechagodzilla (well, duh), and also giant pterodactyl Rodan and Minilla (aka Baby Godzilla). The monster battles are pretty good, though there's a slight tendency towards the combatants just standing there and zapping each other with breath-rays, and the monster suits are excellent (the Rodan puppet is particularly impressive). Set against this we must place the fact that the movie doesn't actually have a plot, as such - things just happen one after the other with no sense of theme or structure. Most of the human characters are slightly annoying too. A step down from the previous few films, but still better than much of what was to follow in the late 90s and early 2000s.
In addition to Godzilla, in this film you get Mechagodzilla (well, duh), and also giant pterodactyl Rodan and Minilla (aka Baby Godzilla). The monster battles are pretty good, though there's a slight tendency towards the combatants just standing there and zapping each other with breath-rays, and the monster suits are excellent (the Rodan puppet is particularly impressive). Set against this we must place the fact that the movie doesn't actually have a plot, as such - things just happen one after the other with no sense of theme or structure. Most of the human characters are slightly annoying too. A step down from the previous few films, but still better than much of what was to follow in the late 90s and early 2000s.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Dogora (1964) in Movies
Jul 20, 2019 (Updated Jul 20, 2019)
Bonkers Japanese sci-fi from the Godzilla team makes most of those movies look like models of restraint and gritty realism. Odd things are afoot in Japan as seemingly random objects - coal, trucks, bank robbers, buildings - start spontaneously floating into the air. 'I never jump to conclusions but I think a giant space monster is probably responsible,' says the lead cop investigating the case. Of course, he is correct, and it's up to the usual team of cops, scientists, and soldiers to save the day.
The really weird thing about Dogora - and this is saying something - is that the giant diamond-eating monster element is not the oddest thing about this film. Most of it looks and feels like a particularly frantic cops-and-robbers thriller with the odd giant floating blob sequence edited in under protest. Still, the script has Shinichi Sekizawa's usual cheerful wit and the special effects are, believe it or not, excellent. Good fun if you like tokusatsu movies; the climax, in which wasp venom is used to try and petrify the monster and a gun battle turns into a dynamite-chucking contest, has to be seen to be believed.
The really weird thing about Dogora - and this is saying something - is that the giant diamond-eating monster element is not the oddest thing about this film. Most of it looks and feels like a particularly frantic cops-and-robbers thriller with the odd giant floating blob sequence edited in under protest. Still, the script has Shinichi Sekizawa's usual cheerful wit and the special effects are, believe it or not, excellent. Good fun if you like tokusatsu movies; the climax, in which wasp venom is used to try and petrify the monster and a gun battle turns into a dynamite-chucking contest, has to be seen to be believed.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Dearly Devoted Dexter (Dexter, #2) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
Second installment down! Happily, it was as easy & enjoyable to,plow through as the first. I still hold firm to my belief that Dexter is one of the best characters in modern writing. This book finds Dexter & his Dark Passenger tangling with & even admiring the handiwork of a monster even more horrific than he is.
Allana (5 KP) rated The Last Wish in Books
Jan 29, 2018 (Updated Jan 29, 2018)
I enjoyed how each individual story had a completelydifferent and unique monster that was dealt with differently each time. The ending was great and left me wanting to pick up the next book immediately. The only small downside was I was a little confused for a small section of the story in the middle.
AT (1676 KP) rated Michael Jackson's Halloween in TV
Oct 21, 2018 (Updated Oct 21, 2018)
What in the world did I just watch?! Two animated young people find themselves trapped in some odd monster hotel. Coupled with Michael Jackson showing up throughout the show as different characters, the storyline was weird. At least they did do Thriller at the end. The show's idea was okay. The execution, not so much.
Cassie Osbourne (6 KP) rated A Monster Calls in Books
Nov 9, 2018
Several difficult and sensitive subjects handled very well and delicately without shying away from the reality. The Monster teaches such important lessons that are good for children and adults who have forgotten. Lessons about good and evil, humanity and most importantly letting go and moving on in the face of despair. Beautiful, just beautiful
Kevin Phillipson (10072 KP) rated Doctor Who: Ark in Space in TV
May 3, 2020
Tom baker (3 more)
Elizabeth sladen
Ian marter
Whirrn
What can I say about this one classic who thru and thru Tom getting into his his stride as the doctor the monster the whirrn just a brilliant design and even some of the ideas pre date ailen by four years and looks even better in hd
Godzilla Vs Megaguirus (2000)
5.3
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Twenty-fourth film in the Godzilla series. Tests on a new wormhole cannon that the Japanese...
monster movie