Godzilla VS. The Hotel Guest

Luxury Hotel. Kabukicho nightlife district. Godzilla.

It's hard to imagine this didn't already exist in Japan, but at long last, the Godzilla themed hotel (Hotel Gracery Shinjuku) opened last Friday. The theatre attached to the hotel has a life-sized Heisei Godzilla appearing at the top of the building, breaking through the roof. There are Godzilla-view rooms (6 designated as such0 that are already booked months in advance. Godzilla themed rooms are also available, as seen in the pictures below, along with Godzilla desserts, food, gifts, memorabilia, and smaller statues throughout the hotel. It looks like I'll have to do some traveling and experience this for myself!

Godzilla 2016 Accouncement

It looks like Toho has discovered the footprint of a new species of Godzilla. This is the only known image to surface from the anticipated Godzilla 2016 movie produced by Toho Studios, the original creators of Godzilla. According to Variety, Toho has also stated that Japanese filmmakers Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi will co-direct the new Godzilla flick. The directors previously worked on God Warrior Appears in Tokyo.

“Ever since Hollywood announced that Godzilla was to be resurrected, the expectation for another Japanese Godzilla grew. And if we were to newly produce, we looked into Japanese creators who were the most knowledgeable and who had the most passion for Godzilla” according to a statement from Toho.

Looking at the image of the foot, it appears that Godzilla will have more in common with 'Zilla than any precious incarnation of the Big-G. Notice the five toes and what looks like almost a vestigial toe on the right. It is also more dinosaur looking in appearance with long curved nails and thing long toes. Godzilla 2014 had trunk link legs and toes with squat nails. Looks like 2016 will be lean and fast. Lets hope this Godzilla can live up to the iconic creation Gareth Edwards unleashed last year.

Toho to make Godzilla 2016

With the success of Gareth Edwards Godzilla, it would only be appropriate that Toho studios once again revive the king in an all new movie produced by the original studio that created the monster. 10 long years passed between Godzilla: Final Wars and Godzilla 2014, and the wait couldn't have paid off more than with the rebirth of the King. 

"This is very good timing after the success of the American version this year: if not now, then when? The licensing contract we have with Legendary places no restrictions on us making domestic versions," a Toho staffer said.

While there are no details pertaining to the movie the announcement, it is just enough to get me excited about Toho's Godzilla in 2016 and enough to tide me over for Legendary Pictures Godzilla in 2017.

Happy 60th Birthday Godzilla!

The biggest star in the world turns 60 today! The image above honors Godzilla in all his forms and as you can see he's probably had more face lifts than Joan Rivers. 

Rodan

Name: Rodan
First Appearance: Rodan

Like Anguirus and Godzilla, Rodan is a giant prehistoric monster awakened from a time long ago. Unlike Godzilla though, Rodan was not altered by radiation, having more in common with the ankylosaurus-like monster Anguirus than Godzilla. However, Rodan starred in his own movie before he crossed over into the Godzilla series. He would become one of Godzilla's closest allies and would fight alongside Anguirus, Mothra, and Varan.

The original Rodan possess no beam weapons or
special weapons of any kind. Instead, Rodan relies on his natural talents and abilities, using his claws and beak to attack his opponents. He can fly at super-sonic speeds, destroying planes, buildings, and creating hurricane like winds in his wake. With a flap of his wings he can blow down the strongest structure and even hold back the great King Ghidorah. On many occasions Rodan fought along side Godzilla, waging war on Earth and Planet X. Although a friend of Godzilla, Rodan became his enemy later on. However, Rodan would be reborn as Fire Rodan, more powerful than ever with a uranium beam capable of halting the King of Monsters in his tracks. Eventually, Fire Rodan would sacrifice himself to save Godzilla to protect the young baby Godzilla that he cared for in his nest.

Rodan shares a rich and deep history with Godzilla. A fan favorite for all time, Rodan is the opposite of Godzilla-a quick and nimble flyer. The duo is unstoppable, able to bring down MechaGodzilla, Gigan, and King Ghidorah. Loyal and true, Rodan is brave and strong and makes appearances throughout Godzilla movie history.

Life Cycle of a Goddess

Review: Godzilla Awakening

Godzilla: Awakening

Right before Godzilla 2014 hit theatres, Legendary released the Godzilla: Awakening comic. This would act as the prequel to the movie and give the readers a little more history on the reinvention of Godzilla for a new era. Produced by Legendary Pictures and written by Max Borenstein (the writer of the Godzilla 2014 script), Godzilla: Awakening gives the reader something to think about before seeing the legend reborn.

The comic takes place decades before the events that unfold in Godzilla 2014. The comic opens in Tokyo, 1980, where Serizawa's father begins to tell his secrets before he passes. Hirshima is bombed in 1945 and Serizawa senior is desperately searching for his old home and new born son (who would later become Serizawa in Gareth's Godzilla). Somehow his son survived the bombing and while removing him from the rubble a flying monster, Shinomura, appears before Serizawa Sr. So begins his fall into the mysterious world of mutants, monsters, and Godzilla.

Essentially the comic serves as an introduction to the world of Godzilla. Borenstein writes around the scientist Serizawa, which any fan knows, pays homage to the original Godzilla in 1954. Serizawa was the name of the scientist who created the Oxygen Destroyer which led to the death of the original Godzilla. In Awakening, Serizawa now has a mission: to protect his only son from the dangers of man and now the dangers of monsters. The vast majority of the comic is spent on Serizawa tracking down the creature, known as Shinomura. This creature is from the same time as Godzilla and is actually a super-organiasm, or a creature made from millions of microscopic organisms to create the appearance of one. Shinomura very much echoes Godzilla final foe from the 90's, Destoroyah.

We also come to learn that MUTO's have been around and documented by Monarch for sometime. We even get a glimpse at some of the other colossal creatures that shared the Earth with Godzilla long ago. While this all adds depth to the Godzilla universe, it really only acts as a stepping stone into the movie. The story is very basic and doesn't really break new ground. That is not necessarily a bad thing. When reinventing a series, you must compliment the old with the new. Awakening does just that, immersing the reader in a new world with new monsters with the original Godzilla.

The artwork is beautiful but can get difficult to decipher at times. Being that it is illustrated by three different artists, it is sometimes hard to follow the story because characters change appearance and color palettes are different. The battles between Godzilla and Shinomura are really just glimpses, with the action merely hinted at. While this does seem to set-up Gareth's Godzilla fairly well, it doesn't lend itself to the comic format. We want to see full color drawings of the new Godzilla and this new enemy he must face. The cover is probably my favorite artwork in the entire comic.

While Godzilla did have a short-lived Marvel series, Legendary has produced a quality comic to supplement this new universe Godzilla will inhabit. The story is good while basic, the artwork is superb when it works, and the brief history is all we need to feel Godzilla belongs once again in the modern world.

Anguirus

Name: Anguirus
First Seen: Godzilla Raids Again

Anguirus made his first appearance in Godzilla Raids Again, making him the first enemy Godzilla would face. A distant cousin of the Ankylosaurus, Anguirus is a gigantic spiked lizard, sporting a crown of horns and a large spiked carapace. He has no beam attacks or weapons of any kind except for his own body. He was actually defeated in his first bout with Godzilla but would burrow underground to heal and fight along-side Godzilla later in the series.


One of the only Godzilla characters to walk on all fours, Anguirus is easily a fan-favorite with his never-give-up attitude and his loyalty to Godzilla. The Showa Era brought a sense of family and friendship to the Godzilla monsters and Godzilla and Anquirus would be an inseparable pair. He fought the likes of King Ghidorah, Gigan, Megalon, MechaGodzilla, and the King himself. He even gets kicked around like a soccer ball in Godzilla: Final Wars which is now a classic scene with Anguirus and Godzilla. One of the early monsters, Anguirus would only appear in the Showa Era series and for one final battle in 2004 for Godzilla: Final Wars.

The Art of Suitmation

A reason to ROAR! Godzilla Review

In an age where most kids don't know who Godzilla is and most people associate the films with bad dubbing, guys in suits, and Saturday mornings, Godzilla 2014 has given us a reason to cheer for Godzilla again. In the capable hands of Gareth Edwards, Godzilla has risen from the ocean once again to stomp our favorite cities in an all out kaiju battle. But Edwards brings a human element to the story, one that works in tandem with Godzilla and brings the audience into a world where giant monsters roam.

*****Warning Spoilers*****

I will not go into a full synopsis of the movie as I want you to see it and judge for yourself. I would have to say the opening credits are entertaining and informative, explaining the origin of Godzilla and tying it to the original film. From there we move to the introduction of the main protagonists, Dr. Serizawa and the Brody family. Any fan of the series will recognize the name. Dr. Serizawa is a sympathetic character, working for Monarch and hunting Godzilla and discovering other MUTO's, or Mutated Unidentified Terrestrial Objects. His motivation is kept secret from us until a key moment when the heart of the original Godzilla movie comes through and we see that Edwards wants to pay homage to the reason Godzilla was created all those years ago. That is where Godzilla 1998 went wrong, never paying back the original movie it came from. Devlin created a new Godzilla, Edwards re-imaged the original. The Brody family is our window into this new world where giant monsters exist. More than a plot device, but still secondary to the title character himself. Edwards said he saw Spielberg as an inspiration and it shines brightly in the Brody's, an average family with problems and issues, but caught in the events unfolding before them. Think War of the Worlds, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and E.T. Character development is key and what Edwards does is create characters we care about, have believable back stories, and become attached to, suffering with them during their downfalls and silently cheering when they succeed.

I also would like to congratulate Edwards on making this movie respectable. He does not try to out do other Godzilla movies, blow-up every scene with special effects, or even include unnecessary violence. What he has done is create a Godzilla adults, kids, and everyone in-between can enjoy. Godzilla causes damage, but unintentionally. People die. This is no exception in the new vision, but there are no gruesome deaths, no onscreen horrors, or objectionable material. No one uses profanity in the movie. No sex scenes or alcohol, illegal substances, or the like. Godzilla has been good, clean fun and still remains good, clean fun. The Showa era especially was designed for children, even Little Godzilla was created to market a kids TV show starring the bubbly little monster.

Plot was always a struggle in previous Godzilla movies and many used what would become cliche Godzilla plots. Godzilla 2014 takes one of these plots, fleshes it out, and what would be familiar is now new and unique. Godzilla is a titan, and inevitably, death goes where he goes. Both protagonists are looking for answer to questions they cannot answer and were the results of something much larger than them and directly affects family. I am trying to be vague so you see the movie. Why was the concept of plot a struggle in the previous generations of the series? Well, because of the title character. The movies is called Godzilla and he is the star. The humans were always just an entry point for the viewer so we could step into the world of Godzilla. Not so here, humans and Godzilla get plenty of screen time although I wish some of the fight scenes were not merely teases.

What we really want to see is Godzilla and his introduction into the movie is epic. Godzilla is bigger, badder, and familiar all at once. What Godzilla 1998 failed to do was bring us the character we all know and love. The character who in my childhood was a hero, someone we rooted for to win, who fought to the bitter end, never gave up, and left you cheering. There were many moments in the movie I was audibly cheering in the audience as Godzilla rose from the ocean and fought the MUTO's or used his famous radioactive beam weapon.Yes! It's back and bolder than ever. Godzilla, however, is treated more like an animal in Edwards version and I applaud him and give him a standing ovation for his interpretation of Godzilla, a force of nature. Godzilla fights with tooth, claw, and tail, and has some pretty spectacular scenes with the MUTO's. Even the MUTO creature design was different and fascinating and, most importantly, were believable. There is one things people must remember when watching a Godzilla movie, and that simple fact is, you are watching a Godzilla movie. You must suspend disbelief in order to enjoy, engage, and relish in the epic awesomeness that is giant monsters fighting. Edwards stayed true to the series and brought us the familiar in a novel way, much like Abrams did for Star Trek and Avatar has done for the stranger in the strange land theme.

But Godzilla is more than that in Edwards vision. He is a god, a creature who will correct the balance of Earth from unstoppable forces. As I've said before, Godzilla is just that, a force. He is neither good nor bad, wicked or saintly, but protecting the Earth he lives on and his territory. I would say though this Godzilla definitely leans towards good, which is fine by me. He has become the hero I remember from childhood and a monster for all ages. 

Destroying the Destroyer

We all have our weaknesses. Superman has kryptonite. Kermit has Miss Piggy. Achilles had his heel. Well, the Big-G also has his weakness. The only weapon capable of killing him twice.

The Return of the King (of Monsters)!

Just one week to go and Legendary Pictures has declared the next 7 days as Godzilla Week! While they may not know, California has an official Godzilla week, but I'll take two in one year anytime! Over the next couple of days we'll take a closer look at Godzilla: past, present, and future. But for now, enjoy this video from the screenwriter of Godzilla 2014.

Happy Birthday Ishiro Honda!

Ishiro Honda

Born May 7th, 1911 - Died February 28th, 1993

Ishiro Honda would have been 103 and if he were alive today would have seen the rebirth of the movie character he made famous the world over. Honda directed and co-wrote the screenplay for the most famous of all monster movies, Godzilla, and would later direct many more including the Mysterians, Mothra, and the first appearance of King Ghidorah. These monster movies would make him famous overseas and make him the father of all kaiju and monster movies from 1954 on.

To see a complete listing of his life work please visit the link below:

Like no roar before!

Anywhere I here this roar, I get excited. Godzilla has the most recognizable sound of any movie character in the world (besides Kermits "Hi-ho everyone" and Mickey's infectious laugh). However, Godzilla's roar does not come from a mix of other animal sounds or anything living.

Godzilla's roar was created by Akira Ifukube (the composer of 22 Godzilla films and creator of Godzilla's theme which will NOT be featured in the new 2014 movie). Ifukube wanted the sound to be natural and organic but not just the recreation of any living animal. The roar was created by rubbing a leather glove across a contrabass and applying an echo to that recording. When the roar was created there was only one contrabass in all of Japan and Ifukube had no prior experience with the instrument.

Below is the original Godzilla's roar:

Now here is the Heisei Godzilla roar:

Finally, Godzilla 2014's roar:

They all have their own unique style and sound to match the era in which that Godzilla exists. Gareth Edwards says they stayed true to the original roar. Watch the video below to find out more:

The Goodzilla, the Bad, and the Ugly

I think the first thing that is asked by every person I meet when Godzilla comes up in conversation is whether Godzilla is good or bad. That's a really complicated question. I could go film by film (yes, all 29) and tell you what stance Godzilla took, but when you look at the series as a whole Godzilla really stands out as a neutral force. He isn't on any one side, and if it appears as if he is, well, lucky for the human race then.

If we start back in 1954, Godzilla was created by humankind from a nuclear blast. He attacked fishing boats, villagers, and finally Tokyo Bay and Tokyo, killing hundreds and leveling the city. Does this make Godzilla evil. Not in my opinion. As explained before, Godzilla is just a giant animal. He can't control what happened to him nor can he really watch where he steps. The landscape is foreign, everything is different, and on top of it all, Godzilla can shoot a radiation beam from his mouth. As any animal would react, he is angry and afraid. We don't call a lion evil for killing its prey. How is Godzilla any different? Tokyo just happened to be in the way when he got angry.

Once we move to the Showa era, Godzilla begins to look more kid friendly. However, that doesn't
necessarily make him a good guy. I would say superficially on the outside Godzilla happens to do good deeds that benefit mankind. However, in most of the Showa era Godzilla must defeat some unstoppable monster from space, under the sea, or alien creature. Most of the time he is protecting his own territory or a challenger. Godzilla does make friends with Anguirus, Rodan, and Mothra during the Showa era and teams up with them on a number of occasions. However, they are just protecting the Earth rather than human kind. Once again, Godzilla is playing the neutral part.

We reach the Heisei era next where Godzilla is bigger, meaner, and badder than ever. The creatures he encounters are more dangerous than ever before and most are coming back from Godzilla's past. In both series, Godzilla gets abducted by aliens and is used for their own good. They use Godzilla's aggressive nature to fight the likes of King Ghidorah, the most famous of Godzilla's foes. Godzilla is mainly left alone by human kind and only emerges when another kaiju marches on his territory or steals his young. Once again, Godzilla is protecting his offspring like any animal would, and actual must battle his friends Rodan and Mothra in this series. He has no allegiance to anyone or anything. The Heisei era shows an independent Godzilla but still neutral.

Finally, we move to the Millenium series, where Godzilla gets a makeover and an edgier look. However, this
Godzilla does set out to destroy all sources of nuclear power, forcing Japan to switch to alternate sources of energy. Evil? Hardly. Godzilla is protecting the earth from humankind and the evil they create, destroying the earth without knowing it. Taking the original Godzilla's bones from the ocean floor and creating Kiryu upsets Millenium Godzilla and he tries to destroy Kiryu, but with just cause, it's made from his relatives bones. Even Final Wars, Godzilla is merely protecting the earth. Neutral.

Gareth Edwards states many times that the new Godzilla is a force of nature, keeping in line with the vision that original series held on to. Good, bad, or ugly? Godzilla is none of these things. He is an animal, acting like an animal would in a world he doesn't understand.

Godzilla is...

All of the Above

Selfin Dragon

1. A giant radioactive iguana.
A member of the Iguanidae family (Tatopoulos said the design is based off of his pet Selfin Dragon), Godzilla of 1998 (hereby referred to as Zilla) would be born from the blast of radiation from nuclear testing. This would be the only similarity Zilla would share with the origins of Classic Godzilla.

Nuclear blast from Hiroshima

2. An allegory for the bomb.
The original Godzilla emerged as a representation of the horrors that the Japanese people experienced at the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Godzilla would become a symbol of the bomb, seeing as how the Japanese never tested nuclear weapons, but were only the victims of an unstoppable force. Godzilla became that unstoppable force, destroying Tokyo overnight, and leveling the city like the bomb had done to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The fear of the invisible killer, radiation, was real to the Japanese audience and Godzilla presented the opportunity to make that fear visible. He was given a radioactive beam, a character trait that would become iconic with Godzilla.

Godzillasaurus

3. A Godzillasaurus
In order to revive the series and give Godzilla a new look, the writers would go back and change Godzilla's origin. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) would have Time-travelers from the future come back and move the 1944 Godzillasaurus on Lagos Island to the Bearing Sea, therefore avoiding creating the original Godzilla at all. However, the Godzillasaurus was exposed to radiation from a nuclear submarine and is reborn bigger, stronger, and meaner than ever. Godzillasaurus resembles a typical theropod but with a double set of teeth, which is later reflected in Godzilla from the Heisei series.

4. A Force of Nature.
Godzilla has been and always will be a force of nature. Looking at any of Godzilla's origin stories, he is still an animal. Transformed into a towering force, imbued with radioactive properties, and being the last of his kind, Godzilla faces a world that he can never be a part of. Acting like any animal would, Godzilla is merely defending his territory. He is neither good, nor bad, but a neutral force (this topic will be discussed in later days).

What is Godzilla?

How well do you know Godzilla? Answer the question below and tomorrow I will discuss the answers!

14 Days

A Brief Introduction to Godzilla

A Brief History of Godzilla

Godzilla 2014

The original Godzilla was born in 1954 off the Bikini Atoll during a radiation blast. The citizens of Odo island considered it a god and prayed for the beast to go back to the depths from which it came. However, the beast destroyed ships and left radiation trails in its wake. After attacking Tokyo Bay and defeating the Japanese army, Dr. Serizawa creates the Oxygen destroy and sacrifices himself to kill the beast beneath the waves. Like, I said, this is a brief history of Godzilla.

Godzilla with his star, joining
Kermit the Frog & Mickey Mouse.

However, the history of Godzilla ranges 60 years, 29 movies, 2 animated series, incalculable collectibles, a star on the walk of fame, and a loyal fan base.  Who knew he would join the ranks of Kermit the Frog and Mickey Mouse as one of the worlds most beloved and well-known characters. When Americans were asked to fill out a survey of famous people they knew of from Japan, Godzilla was at the top of the list. His friends range from Mothra, the goddess of the Earth from Infant Island, Rodan, the flying terror, and Anguirus, the living ball of spikes. You can find his image on t-shirts, mugs, toilet paper dispensers (yes, you read that right), posters, watches, toys, rulers, candy, etc. While not even able to say a word or be understood, somehow Godzilla is able to connect with audiences of all ages.

Join us tomorrow for an in-depth look at what Godzilla is when we continue our countdown to the release the new Godzilla on the 16th.

15 days!