More Giant Monster And Alien Mayhem From SyFy

Source: NBC / Universal

Now that mega pythons and gatoroids have been tamed, the survival of the planet is threatened by a murderous giant sculpture and rampaging escaped aliens in the February Syfy Saturday Original Movies.

In Iron Invader, premiering Saturday, February 12, at 9PM (ET/PT), a meteorite crawling with space bacteria crash lands in a junkyard. The unusual combination of alien bugs and Earth garbage brings a huge metalwork to life. The ungrateful Iron Invader then goes on a killing spree. The movie stars Kavan Smith (Eureka, Red: Werewolf Hunter). Nicole de Boer (Dead Zone, Stargate: Atlantis) and Donnelly Rhodes (Battlestar Galactica, Tron: Legacy). Iron Invader is a production of Cinetel.

Directed by Jason Connery -- Sean Connery’s son -- Area 51 premieres Saturday, February 26, at 9PM (ET/PT). In the movie, the Air Force decides to allow a few reporters into the most secretive base on the planet, Area 51, but the visit turns into violent mayhem when one of the captive aliens leads an escape. Area 51 stars Bruce Boxleitner (Tron: Legacy, Babylon 5), John Shea (Lois & Clark: The Adventures of Superman, Mutant X) and Jason London (Dazed and Confused, MonsterWolf). A production of After Dark Films.

See Also: Its Debbie Gibson vs Tiffany (Oops) I Mean Mega Python Vs Gatoroid On SyFy / DESTINATION TRUTH Goes "Live" On St. Patrick’s Day / SyFy To Go Werewolf Crazy In October / The Return Of SyFy's CAPRICA Moved Up To October / THE CHEETAH WHORES Score A Hit For SHARKTOPUS And SyFy

Godzilla Stomp Card Game

Order Yours Here For Only $11.99!

Source: Entertainment Earth

Godzilla Stomp Card Game

• The Terror of Tokyo card game!
• Mayhem and destruction on the go!
• Smash, stomp, and dominate your friends!

In this fast-paced game of citywide destruction, players pick from Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Mothra, Battra, or Destroyah, and compete to smash as much of the city as possible. In Godzilla: Stomp!, players choose the ferocity of their attacks from round to round to rack up as much destruction as possible- attack early to smash a single building, or go on a rampage to destroy several at once! Lay waste to the high-value skyscraper, or hope to get a collection of power plants! This lightweight card game includes 42 building cards and 30 monster attack cards, and is ideal for Godzilla gaming on the go. Two to five players can play a speedy game of monster mayhem anytime, anyplace.

See Also: Gareth Edwards Talks About GODZILLA To The Press / Is There Going To Be A New "Japanese" Godzilla Movie In 2012? / Reflections On The Hiring Of Gareth Edwards As The Director of Godzilla / Gareth Edwards To Direct Legendary's Godzilla / More Info On GODZILLA MONSTER WORLD From IDW / Godzilla vs The Gryphon - Exclusive Art From Todd Tennant / Godzilla - 13-Inch Plush - Doll / Chinese Entertainment Co. Buys Share In Legendary Pictures / Godzilla Goes Prime-Time! - Godzilla vs Megalon On NBC In 1977 / Putting Legendary Pictures Godzilla 3D (2012) Into Perspective (Part 2) / Godzilla 2012: Brian Rogers On Legendary Pictures Film Plans / GODZILLA 2012 Producer Brian Rogers To Speak At 3D ENTERTAINMENT SUMMIT / It's GODZILLA Vs TUFFZILLA In Court / New Legendary Pictures GODZILLA Design To Be Revealed At Comic Con! / Arkansas Family Builds Ultimate GODZILLA Suit / Tim Burton On For MONSTERPOCALYPSE - Still In Line For GODZILLA? - More Film Details! / A Reason To Be Optimistic About Godzilla 3D (2012)? / Hot Off The Press! Page 77 Of Todd Tennant's "Godzilla 1994" Online Comic / Godzilla, Anguirus, And The Case Of The Missing Monster Suits / Godzilla 3-D, Godzilla 2012, Rumors And Misinformation Abound / What The Fans Want To See In An American Godzilla / Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group) / It's Official! A New Godzilla Movie Is Coming In 2012! / Get Ready With Your Finger Missiles And Robot Punch! The Shogun Warriors Are Coming To The Big Screen! / Japanese Uber Geekdome - Godzilla Related Cosplay & The Return Of The Life-Sized Gundam / "Godzilla 1985": 25th Anniversary / All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla's Revenge)(1969)(Toho) / A Godzilla Plush Doll For All You Little Monsters / Run For Your Life! It's Godzilla!!...No...Wait It's A Crustacean / Putting Legendary Pictures Godzilla Into Perspective / Legendary Pictures Announces New Godzilla Movie!

Gareth Edwards Talks About GODZILLA To The Press

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: London Evening Standard / Shock Til You Drop

In a recent article I posed the question whether "Godzilla 3D" director Gareth Edwards was the right man to take on "The King of the Monsters" due to the fact that he had only one major film under his belt? I also pondered on whether or not the film maker was a Godzilla fan and if he knew the source material from the monsters 50-plus year movie career?

In a group of online interviews Edwards was asked about these very subjects and I want to let his own words speak for themselves:

Here is an excerpt from an interview with Edwards from the London Evening Standard

And then there'll be that attempt to reboot the Godzilla franchise after the disastrous 1998 offering.

"I am attached and we are just starting the process," he says.

Will his Godzilla be battling Mothra or another monster, as rumoured?

"Everyone involved knows what the film has to be," he says judiciously.

"What's important to me is that, as well as spectacle, you have to give a shit about what's happening and why."

Godzilla, like the Bekmambetov project, will have a big budget.

So what about the digital revolution? Edwards is sceptical about its imminence.

True, he says, anyone can pick up a camera and make a film tomorrow, and computers are gradually picking up speed to match the sophistication of the CGI software around.

But Avatar remains the most expensive and the most successful film ever, and therefore the paradigm for the movie business.

"But the gap between the $100 million movie and the hundred-grand movie is getting smaller," he concedes.

"What we need is a hundred-grand movie that looks like a $100 million movie and makes the kind of money that a $100 million movie makes. When that happens there will be a lot of head-scratching. Obviously Monsters isn't in that category. But I think it probably will come."

Read More

Edwards also had this to say to a writer for the Shock Til You Drop Website:

"I'm a big fan, I guess I will say I'm highly aware - and everyone involved is incredibly aware - of everyone's opinions on what this film has to do and what it has to be. And no one will do anything but the right thing. Without addressing anything specific, everyone knows how important is to get it right."

"My earliest memories was channel 4, they showed them (Godzilla movies) every Friday night. As a kid I wasn't quite sure about the dubbing, the English-dubbed versions. They threw me for a bit. I love science fiction and, well I call them B movies but they're not, but I love '60s and '70s sci-fi. But these would come on and be dubbed and it would take my kid brain to adjust to the dubbing. It took me some time to get through that."

Edwards also revealed to Shock that he will not be writing the script for "Godzilla 3D" as many people, including myself had speculated.

Read More

Okay, so Edwards is a fan of the Godzilla movie franchise and he seems to well aware of what all of us fans have been saying about what we expect from this film. That, at least on the outset, is very encouraging news. Now lets see how all of that translates into a movie.

See Also: Is There Going To Be A New "Japanese" Godzilla Movie In 2012? / Reflections On The Hiring Of Gareth Edwards As The Director of Godzilla / Gareth Edwards To Direct Legendary's Godzilla / More Info On GODZILLA MONSTER WORLD From IDW / Godzilla vs The Gryphon - Exclusive Art From Todd Tennant / Godzilla - 13-Inch Plush - Doll / Chinese Entertainment Co. Buys Share In Legendary Pictures / Godzilla Goes Prime-Time! - Godzilla vs Megalon On NBC In 1977 / Putting Legendary Pictures Godzilla 3D (2012) Into Perspective (Part 2) / Godzilla 2012: Brian Rogers On Legendary Pictures Film Plans / GODZILLA 2012 Producer Brian Rogers To Speak At 3D ENTERTAINMENT SUMMIT / It's GODZILLA Vs TUFFZILLA In Court / New Legendary Pictures GODZILLA Design To Be Revealed At Comic Con! / Arkansas Family Builds Ultimate GODZILLA Suit / Tim Burton On For MONSTERPOCALYPSE - Still In Line For GODZILLA? - More Film Details! / A Reason To Be Optimistic About Godzilla 3D (2012)? / Hot Off The Press! Page 77 Of Todd Tennant's "Godzilla 1994" Online Comic / Godzilla, Anguirus, And The Case Of The Missing Monster Suits / Godzilla 3-D, Godzilla 2012, Rumors And Misinformation Abound / What The Fans Want To See In An American Godzilla / Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group) / It's Official! A New Godzilla Movie Is Coming In 2012! / Get Ready With Your Finger Missiles And Robot Punch! The Shogun Warriors Are Coming To The Big Screen! / Japanese Uber Geekdome - Godzilla Related Cosplay & The Return Of The Life-Sized Gundam / "Godzilla 1985": 25th Anniversary / All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla's Revenge)(1969)(Toho) / A Godzilla Plush Doll For All You Little Monsters / Run For Your Life! It's Godzilla!!...No...Wait It's A Crustacean / Putting Legendary Pictures Godzilla Into Perspective / Legendary Pictures Announces New Godzilla Movie! / Roland Emmerich Proud Of Godzilla, Not Making Sequel

Is There Going To Be A New "Japanese" Godzilla Movie In 2012?

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: The Examiner (Pittsburgh)

Is Toho planning to release a brand-new "Godzilla" movie in Japan at the same time that the new Legendary Pictures "Godzilla 3D" is released here in America?

Well, according to a Pittsburgh film industry reporter ........ yes, that is exactly what Toho is planning to do and actually has been planning to do for some time.

According to Fiore Mastracci of Examiner.com Toho had originally wanted to produce a new "Godzilla" movie for a 2012 release, but due to issues with the script and other aspects of the film the studio was having trouble getting things moving. When the Japanese movie company was approached by Legendary Pictures about making another "American" Godzilla movie they viewed it as a way to get the monster back into theaters without having to produce a film themselves.

Now, however, the studio may be looking to go forward with their own Godzilla movie after all.

According to the report, Toho may still be aiming for a December 2012 release date for their film, which may mean that the Japanese movie and Legendary's "Godzilla 3D" may be released within months, or weeks, of each other creating an international Godzilla vs Godzilla cinema battle.

Here is an excerpt from the original article:

Toho may scrub its planned 2012 release and attempt to satisfy fans with the new American version. This will allow them to keep to their original decade of retirement. The American version will satisfy clamoring fans and give the parent company the needed time to work out its difficulties. But, as of now, both movies could be released within months of each other, creating an on-screen battle of epic proportions.

The article also states that Toho may plan to make a new Godzilla movie, then put its release on hold to see how the American film does. If the Gareth Edwards helmed 3D "G" film does well, then Toho would release the Japanese movie, if not, then they may opt to scrap it or release it only in Japan.

Another excerpt:

No official word from Toho yet if it will still release its project in December 2012 or add the two remaining years to Godzilla’s forced retirement. Speculation is that Toho may release its new version of Godzilla, but only in Japan, allowing them to gauge reaction to Edward's treatment first and providing the opportunity to compare fan reaction and acceptance.

I want to point out that this is the first time that I have heard anything about this. Could it be that somehow with all the excitement surrounding Lengendary's "Godzilla 3D" Toho was able to slip this one under the radar?

Maybe.

Then again Maybe not. It is hard to gauge whether Fiore Mastracci may have gotten a scoop that has eluded just about everyone in the monster movie media, or that he may have simply gotten his facts wrong, confusing the ill-fated "Godzilla 3D To The Max" with a new Toho Godzilla movie.

Hopefully, this is all legit and we can all look forward to possibly two new Godzilla films in the next couple of years.

Here is the original article - Battle of Godzillas may be newest screen battle.

See Also: Reflections On The Hiring Of Gareth Edwards As The Director of Godzilla / Gareth Edwards To Direct Legendary's Godzilla / More Info On GODZILLA MONSTER WORLD From IDW / Godzilla vs The Gryphon - Exclusive Art From Todd Tennant / Godzilla - 13-Inch Plush - Doll / Chinese Entertainment Co. Buys Share In Legendary Pictures / Godzilla Goes Prime-Time! - Godzilla vs Megalon On NBC In 1977 / Putting Legendary Pictures Godzilla 3D (2012) Into Perspective (Part 2) / Godzilla 2012: Brian Rogers On Legendary Pictures Film Plans / GODZILLA 2012 Producer Brian Rogers To Speak At 3D ENTERTAINMENT SUMMIT / It's GODZILLA Vs TUFFZILLA In Court / New Legendary Pictures GODZILLA Design To Be Revealed At Comic Con! / Arkansas Family Builds Ultimate GODZILLA Suit / Tim Burton On For MONSTERPOCALYPSE - Still In Line For GODZILLA? - More Film Details! / A Reason To Be Optimistic About Godzilla 3D (2012)? / Hot Off The Press! Page 77 Of Todd Tennant's "Godzilla 1994" Online Comic / Godzilla, Anguirus, And The Case Of The Missing Monster Suits / Godzilla 3-D, Godzilla 2012, Rumors And Misinformation Abound / What The Fans Want To See In An American Godzilla / Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group) / It's Official! A New Godzilla Movie Is Coming In 2012! / Get Ready With Your Finger Missiles And Robot Punch! The Shogun Warriors Are Coming To The Big Screen! / Japanese Uber Geekdome - Godzilla Related Cosplay & The Return Of The Life-Sized Gundam / "Godzilla 1985": 25th Anniversary / All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla's Revenge)(1969)(Toho) / A Godzilla Plush Doll For All You Little Monsters / Run For Your Life! It's Godzilla!!...No...Wait It's A Crustacean / Putting Legendary Pictures Godzilla Into Perspective / Legendary Pictures Announces New Godzilla Movie! / Roland Emmerich Proud Of Godzilla, Not Making Sequel / Toho Tells Comcast, "Didn't You Learn From Subway? You Can't Use Godzilla To Sell Cable TV!"

Reflections On The Hiring Of Gareth Edwards As The Director of Godzilla

Written By: Ken Hulsey

By now your probably aware that Legendary Pictures has hired the British film maker Gareth Edwards to helm their upcoming 3D "Godzilla" film. As the news broke on Tuesday I was caught off guard by the hire.

As I’m sure many of you out probably felt, the news was sort of a disappointment. Not to knock Edwards too much, but I had hoped for a more prominent director to take on "the king of monsters". Though, I had high hopes, things transpired much as I knew deep down in my heart as the would, Legendary Pictures would opt to go with somebody ‘trendy’ instead of somebody with a long pedigree.

Again, I really don’t want to take this time to bash on Edwards, for all we know he may indeed be the right man for the job and after all is said and done all of us "G" fans may be singing his praises for producing an excellent monster film. Only time will tell on that one.
In preparing this little piece I took some time to do some research on Edwards to gather some background info to try and put together a kind of feeling for what he may have in store for "Godzilla 2012." As many of you already know Edwards has only one major film title to his credit, "Monsters" which was released in 2010 besides that he has only two other projects under his belt, two short films, "Factory Farmed" and "Attila the Hun", both produced in 2008.

Granted, that isn’t a very long resume for someone who is about to take on the world’s most popular monster and his legions of fans around the world.

Now in regards to "Monsters" I have to admit that I haven’t seen the film, though I will undoubtedly seek it out now that Edwards has signed on for "Godzilla". I did, however, do quite a bit of searching online to see just what other "arm-chair" movie critics thought of the film. To be honest, those reviews that I happened to find were all over the place. Some critics loved it, some didn't, and yet others were on the fence. Granted, I’m certain that if I looked up reviews on just about any film I would find the same type of results. Regardless of all that Legendary Pictures must have seem something in "Monsters" that they really liked to hand a film like "Godzilla" over to Edwards.

On the plus side:

Edwards is a film maker who understands both special effects and cinematography, due to the fact that he handled both for "Monsters", and undoubtedly "Godzilla" is going to be a film heavy in both of those elements.

On the negative side:

Like with any film like this one can only hope that Edwards has a good working knowledge of the "Godzilla" movie series. If a survey of the film makers DVD library includes several Godzilla, and other giant monster genre, films then we can all rest a little easier, if not, then this good be just another crappy film in a growing list that has been churned out by Hollywood over the past decade.

Again, only time will tell.

First order of business for Edwards, find a replacement writer for the script to replace the ousted David Callaham. Then again, maybe that is why Legendary brought him on board, to write the story for the film as well? That seems like a stretch, but besides handling the directing duties, cinematography and effects for "Monsters" Edwards also wrote the darn thing.

Understandably the burning question is whether Legendary Pictures "reached" with the hire of Edwards or not? Was the director one of their fall-back choices? If you recall way back in March of last year when the studio initially announced that they were going forward with "Godzilla" they had stated that news on a director was coming shortly. Monster movie fans around the globe waited, and waited, and waited some more, but that news took almost a year. It would be safe to assume that the studio was actively pursuing a selected director, or group of directors at that time that either opted out of the running or had other projects that they had committed to.

So here we are, Legendary Pictures has locked on to Gareth Edwards to launch a new American Godzilla franchise. With any luck the film maker will soon begin to look for a creative team to aid him in making a monster film that lives up to vision that the studio talked about last year. My advice? Find out what the fan base wants to see in a new "G" film". Remember, despite what Michael Bay may think, they are your bread and butter. I know the idea is to make a Godzilla film that will appeal to the masses, but just don’t forget the core fans. It’s a razor thin line, I know, but if Abrams can make it work for "Star Trek" it can be done. Just for Gods sake do your homework on this one!

See Also: Gareth Edwards To Direct Legendary's Godzilla / More Info On GODZILLA MONSTER WORLD From IDW / Godzilla vs The Gryphon - Exclusive Art From Todd Tennant / Godzilla - 13-Inch Plush - Doll / Chinese Entertainment Co. Buys Share In Legendary Pictures / Godzilla Goes Prime-Time! - Godzilla vs Megalon On NBC In 1977 / Putting Legendary Pictures Godzilla 3D (2012) Into Perspective (Part 2) / Godzilla 2012: Brian Rogers On Legendary Pictures Film Plans / GODZILLA 2012 Producer Brian Rogers To Speak At 3D ENTERTAINMENT SUMMIT / It's GODZILLA Vs TUFFZILLA In Court / New Legendary Pictures GODZILLA Design To Be Revealed At Comic Con! / Arkansas Family Builds Ultimate GODZILLA Suit / Tim Burton On For MONSTERPOCALYPSE - Still In Line For GODZILLA? - More Film Details! / A Reason To Be Optimistic About Godzilla 3D (2012)? / Hot Off The Press! Page 77 Of Todd Tennant's "Godzilla 1994" Online Comic / Godzilla, Anguirus, And The Case Of The Missing Monster Suits / Godzilla 3-D, Godzilla 2012, Rumors And Misinformation Abound / What The Fans Want To See In An American Godzilla / Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group) / It's Official! A New Godzilla Movie Is Coming In 2012! / Get Ready With Your Finger Missiles And Robot Punch! The Shogun Warriors Are Coming To The Big Screen! / Japanese Uber Geekdome - Godzilla Related Cosplay & The Return Of The Life-Sized Gundam / "Godzilla 1985": 25th Anniversary / All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla's Revenge)(1969)(Toho) / A Godzilla Plush Doll For All You Little Monsters / Run For Your Life! It's Godzilla!!...No...Wait It's A Crustacean / Putting Legendary Pictures Godzilla Into Perspective / Legendary Pictures Announces New Godzilla Movie! / Roland Emmerich Proud Of Godzilla, Not Making Sequel / Toho Tells Comcast, "Didn't You Learn From Subway? You Can't Use Godzilla To Sell Cable TV!" / Peter H. Brothers' Ishiro Honda Bio To Be Published / G-FAN No. 88 Summary / Schedule Conflict Knocks Out Godzilla Film Fest

Its Debbie Gibson vs Tiffany (Oops) I Mean Mega Python Vs Gatoroid On SyFy

Source: NBC / Universal

In what promises to be the television movie event of 2011, 1980s singing sensations Debbie Gibson and Tiffany get down and dirty in their long-awaited pop princess smackdown when they co-star in the ripped-from-the-headlines Syfy Saturday Original Movie, Mega Python Vs Gatoroid, which will premiere Saturday, January 29, at 9PM (ET/PT).

A production of The Asylum, Mega Python Vs Gatoroid takes an up-close-and-personal look at the crisis in the Florida Everglades where invasive Burmese pythons are threatening the indigenous alligator population. Gibson portrays a fanatical animal rights advocate who spends her evenings “liberating” illegally imported exotic snakes from pet stores and setting them free in the Everglades, where the pythons grow and thrive.

Tiffany plays an over-zealous park ranger worried about the growing ecological damage. To save her beloved alligators, she’s willing to employ dubious methods, overdosing them with steroids so they grow mega, setting off a war between the species – and putting her on a collision course with Gibson.

Mary Lambert (Pet Sematary) is director of Mega Python Vs Gatoroid – the first time a woman has directed a Syfy Saturday Original Movie. The writer is Naomi Selfman (Evil Eyes).

In their most recent Syfy roles, Tiffany starred in Mega Piranha, while Gibson starred in Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus.

Tiffany at age 15 was the youngest female artist to have a #1 debut album. Her global smash hits include I Think We’re Alone Now, Could’ve Been, I Saw Him Standing There, and All this Time…selling more than 15 million records worldwide. To this day, her groundbreaking “mall tour” sets the precedent to launch young musical careers. Venturing into acting, Tiffany starred as the voice of “Judy Jetson” in Jetsons: The Movie and has appeared in many award winning indie festival films. In 2002 Tiffany graced the cover of Playboy; her pictorial became one of the best selling issues of all time. Her album The Color of Silence was named “one of the finest pop albums of 2000” by Billboard. 2007 marked her return to the Billboard charts with three Dance Hits. Tiffany makes her home in Nashville with her husband and son, and is currently writing and recording her country music debut.

Debbie Gibson began her career at 16 with the hit Only in My Dreams. She has sold 16 million albums and still holds the world's record for being the youngest writer/producer/performer of a #1 hit. She went on to star in critically acclaimed Broadway shows such as Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, and Cabaret, among others. She originated Sandy in the West End revival of Grease, breaking box office records. Gibson received rave reviews for her sold-out, one-woman show, Pop Goes Broadway, with critics calling it "the best show of the year at Harrah's." She also guest starred in Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy at MGM/Foxwoods. Currently, Gibson runs her "Electric Youth" summer camp and music programs throughout the year to mentor young aspiring songwriters and performers, as well as awards scholarships through her “Gibson Girl Foundation.” She’s also a spokesperson for Murad, Inc. As the new spokesperson for Children International, she recently spent time in impoverished villages in Manila. Her new album for Sony Japan, Ms. Vocalist, is presently Top 10 in the Billboard Charts with the first single I Love You at #1. She will be doing a concert tour overseas in February 2011.

See Also: THE CHEETAH WHORES Score A Hit For SHARKTOPUS And SyFy / MEGA SHARK vs GIGANOTOSAURUS! Okay, Enough Is Enough! / The Trailer For The Asylum's 'Mega Piranha' - Get Ready To Laugh Your Butt Off! / Tiffany To Star In The Asylum's 'Very Brady' Megapiranha Movie / Traci Lords To Play The Princess Of Mars / The Dinosaurs That Time Forgot - New Photos And Trailer / Exclusive Pics From Transmorphers: Fall Of Man / Not To Be Confused With Transformers - The First Trailer For Transmorphers Fall Of Man / Transmorphers Fall Of Man: Transforming Cell Phone Effects Shot / An Early Effects Shot From Transmorphers The Fall Of Man / Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus: How Big Is Too Big? / Its An Aquatic Monster Free For All In Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus.....Oh And Debbie Gibson / DVD Art For The Land That Time Forgot / The Trailer For The Asylum's Terminators / The First Photos From The Land That Time Forgot / The Land That Time Forgot Remake Begins Filming / The Trailer For Asylum's Dragonquest / Exclusive Images From Asylum's The Terminators / The Top Ten Hottest Monsters Of 2008 / New Photos From Next Weeks Big Monster Movie Release / Monster (2008)

More Info On GODZILLA MONSTER WORLD From IDW

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Pop Culture Zoo / Mark Torchia

Last October IDW Publishing announced that they had struck a deal with Toho studios to bring the world's most popular monster, "Godzilla", back to comics in the United States. According to IDW the publishing company not only secured the rights to Godzilla, but also Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah as well, characters who until now had never appeared in comic books on this side of the Pacific.

As you probably already know, this will not be the monster's" first comic book series here in America. Way back in 1977/78, Marvel Comics published the 24 issue series "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" which was written by Doug Moench and illustrated by Herb Trimpe. That series featured Godzilla fighting both brand-new monsters and some of the comic book publisher's most famous heroes like Spider Man and the Fantastic Four. Likewise in the 1990s Dark Horse Comics continued the "King of the Monsters" label, again with stories about Godzilla fighting new monsters and an elite combat unit commissioned to destroy him.

In this decade, graphic artist Todd Tennant began publishing a great online comic series called "Godzilla 94" that is based on the unused Sony movie script by Rossio and Elliott.

Efforts by Tennant, and recently Blue Water Comics, to secure the rights to Godzilla for either a "Godzilla 94" comic book or a new comic book series, were ignored by Toho (who would not return phone calls or emails on the subject) which is a strong indication that the IDW deal has been in the works for some time.

More information about this new Godzilla comic, which I forgot to mention is called "Godzilla, Monster World", comes in the form of a press release that IDW just sent out to the media:

IDW Publishing and Toho Co., Ltd. are excited to announce the return to comics for the biggest star in motion pictures! Kicking off in March, GODZILLA®: MONSTER WORLD offers fans the world over the first ongoing comic series in years. GODZILLA® will be joined by many other monsters throughout the series, including MOTHRA™, KING GHIDORAH™, RODAN™ and more that have never before been featured in an American comic book series alongside King of the Monsters™.

“Godzilla has been gone from comics for too long” said Yukio Kotaki of Toho. “And to have it return with other monsters is simply very exciting.”

Bringing these fearsome creatures back to comics is a larger-than-life creative team, led by co-writers Eric Powell (The Goon) and Tracy Marsh. Artist Phil Hester (Kevin Smith’s The Green Hornet) will capture every monster moment. The series will feature not one but two painted covers, offered on a 50/50 basis: Eric Powell will provide a gatefold wraparound cover featuring many beloved Toho monsters, and fan-favorite artist Alex Ross contributed an imposing image of Godzilla®. Powell has also painted a separate incentive cover to herald the debut issue’s launch.

“To be able to launch a Godzilla series that features many fan-favorite Toho monsters never before seen in comics is gratifying enough,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer. “But to do it with the guiding hand and brush of Eric Powell — as perfectly suited a creator as I could’ve hoped to come aboard here – along with Hester, Marsh, and Ross, is about as monstrous a line-up as I could’ve ever hoped for. What’s more, this is just the first series to come in the line. The next one out of the gates features multiple Eisner-nominees and winners handling the creative, so we’re well and truly just getting started here.”

In GODZILLA®: MONSTER WORLD, a full-scale apocalypse is brewing. The monsters are a force of nature whose attacks can be no more predicted or rationalized than a lightning strike. There will be no clean-cut heroes with perfectly chiseled chins and capes billowing in the wind; only ordinary human beings struggling desperately to survive in a world gone mad.

With an impressive cast of monsters both old and new, IDW’s series will treat fans to both familiar themes and original takes on the pop culture legends that have stomped, smashed, and fought their way across movie screens for over four decades.

Adding to great creators and a monster story, IDW is also offering killer retailer specials for GODZILLA®: MONSTER WORLD #1, including a one-of-a-kind, hand-drawn Eric Powell sketch cover. Plus, retailers will be eligible for their very own cover – featuring Godzilla stomping their comic store.

GODZILLA: MONSTER WORLD #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in comic stores in March 2011. Diamond order code JAN11 0463.

See Also: Godzilla vs The Gryphon - Exclusive Art From Todd Tennant / Godzilla - 13-Inch Plush - Doll / Chinese Entertainment Co. Buys Share In Legendary Pictures / Godzilla Goes Prime-Time! - Godzilla vs Megalon On NBC In 1977 / Putting Legendary Pictures Godzilla 3D (2012) Into Perspective (Part 2) / Godzilla 2012: Brian Rogers On Legendary Pictures Film Plans / GODZILLA 2012 Producer Brian Rogers To Speak At 3D ENTERTAINMENT SUMMIT / It's GODZILLA Vs TUFFZILLA In Court / New Legendary Pictures GODZILLA Design To Be Revealed At Comic Con! / Arkansas Family Builds Ultimate GODZILLA Suit / Tim Burton On For MONSTERPOCALYPSE - Still In Line For GODZILLA? - More Film Details! / A Reason To Be Optimistic About Godzilla 3D (2012)? / Hot Off The Press! Page 77 Of Todd Tennant's "Godzilla 1994" Online Comic / Godzilla, Anguirus, And The Case Of The Missing Monster Suits / Godzilla 3-D, Godzilla 2012, Rumors And Misinformation Abound / What The Fans Want To See In An American Godzilla / Godzilla 2012 - Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group) / It's Official! A New Godzilla Movie Is Coming In 2012! / Get Ready With Your Finger Missiles And Robot Punch! The Shogun Warriors Are Coming To The Big Screen! / Japanese Uber Geekdome - Godzilla Related Cosplay & The Return Of The Life-Sized Gundam / "Godzilla 1985": 25th Anniversary / All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla's Revenge)(1969)(Toho) / A Godzilla Plush Doll For All You Little Monsters / Run For Your Life! It's Godzilla!!...No...Wait It's A Crustacean / Putting Legendary Pictures Godzilla Into Perspective / Legendary Pictures Announces New Godzilla Movie! / Roland Emmerich Proud Of Godzilla, Not Making Sequel / Toho Tells Comcast, "Didn't You Learn From Subway? You Can't Use Godzilla To Sell Cable TV!" / Peter H. Brothers' Ishiro Honda Bio To Be Published / G-FAN No. 88 Summary / Schedule Conflict Knocks Out Godzilla Film Fest / G-FEST XVI News / Preserving Godzilla And The Blu-Ray Announcement

Yet Another Monster Rises To Attack Japan In THE MAN WHO SUMMONS KAIJU

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Robert Hood / Avery Guerra

Many people thought that once Toho put Godzilla on hiatus that the giant monster genre in Japan would have gone on hiatus along with him. That, however, was not the case. In the past six years since Godzilla was given a well deserved vacation, the genre has actually experienced the kind of boom not seen since the 1960s. It seems that many Japanese monster movie makers were simply waiting for 'The King' to step aside for a while so that they could have their moment to showcase other monstrous creations.

And it's not just Japanese cinema that has caught 'monster fever' over the past half-decade, there have been several great monster series produced for Japanese television as well. This, of course, leads me to today's subject matter, a one-off TV special (25 minutes in length) called "The Man Who Summons Kaiju" (Kaijû wo yobu otoko) which is set to debut this Friday (December 10th).

The short film, or episode actually, is the creation of director Daisuke Andô and stars veteran Japanese monster movie actor, and anime voice actor, Tetsu Watanabe (Godzilla vs Mothra, Godzilla x MechaGodzilla, The Ring, Princess Mononoke) as well as Nao Nagasawa (Daimajin Kanon) and Gen Hoshino who plays a Japanese movie maker who's quest to produce a monster film takes an unexpected turn, when a real monster shows up.

I know what your thinking, it's been done before. A 'real' monster shows up while someone is trying to film a monster flick. How 'Scooby Doo' right?

Well, yes the idea may not bee too original, but we are talking about a giant monster program here, so we can cut Ando and company a little slack.

Here is the synopsis:

Kouta Soejima (Gen Hoshino) works for the Saga Film Commission. One day, approached by an old school friend now working in the film industry, Kouta is given the opportunity to make a monster movie and eagerly takes up the challenge. He begins scouting for locations, seeking the perfect shoot location — which turns out to be the hometown he had left years before. As elements of his past start to catch up with him, he finds that something else — something big — is about make an appearance…

The folks over at NHK were quick to point out that the monster would be seen in the episode, and that the production company opted to forgo the traditional 'man in a suit' style effects for computer generated ones.

The spokes person for the project also had this to say about the monster, "As for the daikaiju that is in the film, its appearance is based on a fish known as “Odontamblyopus lacepedii”, which looks a little like H.R. Giger’s Alien design."

What is a Odontamblyopus lacepedii you may ask? Besides being something that is a pain in the ass to spell, it is a form of eel that lives off the coast of China, Korea, and Japan ...... and is really, really ugly.

Actually kinda looks like the monster that popped out of the wall in "Big Trouble in Little China."

"What? What will never come out again!?"

Classic!

Anyway, here is the trailer, plus some stills and behind-the-scenes shots from "The Man Who Summons Kaiju". It should be noted that the second pic is of a cute little toy monster that has been produced as a publicity tool for the show, not the actual monster from the episode.

Lost KING KONG Print May Not Be As Old, Or Rare, As First Believed

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: BBC News / Avery Guerra

Earlier this week I posted an article about a rare copy of the classic monster movie "King Kong" that was discovered in the wall of a London movie house. The article has been linked on several different websites and referenced on several others. It seems that many a movie buff was more than just a little excited about the possibility of a rare print of "Kong", with possibly 'missing' footage in tact, being found for everyone to enjoy.

Alas, I hate to be the one to dash every ones hopes, but the copy of the film that sat in a wall for decades waiting to be unearthed, may not be what was advertised.

The print that was discovered is indeed old, and somewhat rare, but further examination has revealed that the film stock is composed of celluloid and not nitrate means that it probably dates back to the 1950s, not the 30s as first reported.

If this is indeed true, any hopes of this copy of "King Kong" containing any rare footage or deleted scenes is slim to none.

It seems that during all the excitement caused by the discovery of an old copy of such a classic film, no one really took the time to examine it to find out exactly what they had in hand.

There is an interesting rumor emerging that suggests one of the Grosvenor Cinema's (the theater where the film was discovered) past employees hid the film so that they could come back and steal it later.

No one knows if that is the case or not.

For now, fans can find some joy that a piece of cinema history has been found, even if it doesn't contain certain items that have been lost for decades.

See Also: Long Lost Print Of KING KONG Discovered In London Cinema / KING KONG Comes Roaring Back In Style At Universal Studios / KING KONG Done Wrong In Bangladesh / King Kong Attacks The Santa Monica Pier! / The Original KING KONG Comes To Blu-ray September 28th! / The Top Ten Hottest Monsters Of 2009 / "Kong: King Of Skull Island" - New Artwork For The Graphic Novel / Kong: King Of Skull Island - The Mighty Ape Sequel / 3D Animation Bonanza - King Kong And Killer Beans / Steve Bissette Creates Special Artwork For New Hampshire Screening Of King Kong vs Godzilla / King Kong And Godzilla Invade The London Subway / King Kong vs Godzilla (1962)(Toho) / Nerdoh Is Producing Movie Inspired T-Shirts In The UK / King Kong, Godzilla And The Creature From The Black Lagoon At The Rose Parade / King Kong vs Godzilla: Trailer / Universal Fire: King Kong & Godzilla Up In Smoke? / Kingukongu no gyakushu / King Kong Escapes (1967)

WAITING FOR GORGO Comes To DVD

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Avery Guerra

Way back in 2008 I posted a small article about a short film called "Waiting For Gorgo", which was, at the time in production under the direction of Benjamin Craig for the indie UK studio Cinemagine.

Well, it seems that the film, which is a homage to homage to the classic 1961 monster film "Gorgo" that starred Bill Travers and William Sylvester, is finally completed and available on DVD through Amazon.com.

Despite what you may be thinking, "Waiting for Gorgo", isn't a monster movie at all, but a comedy about a young woman who discovers a top secret British organization called DMOA that is run by two eccentric old men who believe that one day the island nation will be attacked by some giant monster or possibly aliens. Despite the fact that the two old coots are a little bit senile, one of them actually believes that Gorgo actually did attack Great Britain, their organization actually has a working system in place to protect the country from any outside attack.

Here is the synopsis:

Deep in the bowels of the Ministry of Defence lies a secretive government department identified only as the "DMOA". Just what the DMOA does has been lost in the annals of time - all that is known is that it's the last line of defence protecting London from total destruction.

Determined to find out more about this strange department, Alexandra, a young ambitious defence analyst, sets off into the rabbit warrens of Whitehall to see the DMOA for herself. Finding two aged public servants in varying stages of senility, Alexandra is convinced that the DMOA is the result of an unfortunate mistake. However, as the conversation progresses it becomes apparent that the old guys may not be as senile as they seem, and more worryingly, they may indeed be London's last line of defence.

Sometimes you need a couple of crazy old guys to keep everyone safe huh?

Actually I think that a couple of old nut-bags are keeping this country safe from aliens, monsters and blimp attacks. It just makes sense.

Oh, and by the way, Gorgo does not make a cameo in this one, but he did make our "The 100 Greatest Monsters From Movies And Television" list, coming in at number 64!

Here is the trailer:



See Also: Davies, Amer And Eastwood Are Waiting For Gorgo

Godzilla - Silhouette Navy T-Shirt

Source: Entertainment Earth

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Long Lost Print Of KING KONG Discovered In London Cinema

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Bloody Disgusting / Avery Guerra

It seems that a rare print of the 1933 classic film "King Kong" has turned up in a rather unlikely place, buried in the wall of a London cinema.

During recent renovations to the Grosvenor Cinema, a worker named Ross McMillan was working on knocking down a partition wall in the projection room when he noticed something odd looking in the rubble. To his amazement he discovered that it was a copy of "King Kong." Not just any copy, mind you, a copy that has been missing from the vaults of RKO for more than seventy years. An original print, that may very well contain scenes cut out of the film, including the long-lost Lizard and Spider canyon sequences.

Mr McMillan said: “I didn’t know what it was at first, I hoped it was hidden treasure but when I realised it wasn’t I was about to throw it in the skip.

“One of the cinema staff stopped me and took it away to find out what it was.

“When I heard it was an original version of King Kong, one favourite movies as a kid, I couldn’t believe it.”

Interestingly enough, when the cinema's projectionist contacted Universal, the company that now owns the rights to the film, about the find, he was informed that since the movie wasn't returned on time, way back in 1934, there were some £43,000 in late fees. However, the studio was more and willing to waive the bill just to get the prized copy of "Kong" back into their collection.

As a special added bonus, the Grosvenor Café & Cinema will be able to screen the long lost print in celebration of it's renovation.

See Also: KING KONG Comes Roaring Back In Style At Universal Studios / KING KONG Done Wrong In Bangladesh / King Kong Attacks The Santa Monica Pier! / The Original KING KONG Comes To Blu-ray September 28th! / The Top Ten Hottest Monsters Of 2009 / "Kong: King Of Skull Island" - New Artwork For The Graphic Novel / Kong: King Of Skull Island - The Mighty Ape Sequel / 3D Animation Bonanza - King Kong And Killer Beans / Steve Bissette Creates Special Artwork For New Hampshire Screening Of King Kong vs Godzilla / King Kong And Godzilla Invade The London Subway / King Kong vs Godzilla (1962)(Toho) / Nerdoh Is Producing Movie Inspired T-Shirts In The UK / King Kong, Godzilla And The Creature From The Black Lagoon At The Rose Parade / King Kong vs Godzilla: Trailer / Universal Fire: King Kong & Godzilla Up In Smoke? / Kingukongu no gyakushu / King Kong Escapes (1967)

The New ULTRAMAN ZERO Trailer!

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Youtube / Wikipedia / Avery Guerra

If you are a huge Ultraman geek like I am, than the new trailer for "Ultraman Zero The Movie: Super Deciding Fight! The Belial Galactic Empire" will be right up your ally.

Looks like the folks over at Tsuburaya Productions have pulled out all the stops for this one with some amazing CGI work combined with the traditional 'man in the suit' effects made popular by the studios founding father, Eiji Tsuburaya.

There is some "Pirates of the Caribbean" themed stuff in there that I don't understand, but overall the film looks like the kind of giant monster, or in this case, superhero, free-for-all that we all yearn for.

Her is the skinny on the film from Wikipedia:

Ultraman Zero The Movie: Super Deciding Fight! The Belial Galactic Empire is an upcoming Japanese film in the Ultra Series to celebrate the franchise's 45th anniversary. It serves as a sequel to Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legend The Movie. The film will be directed by Yuichi Abe. The lead character Run (who serves as Ultraman Zero's human form) will be portrayed by Yu Koyanagi, the son of Bro. Tom of the Bubblegum Brothers. Other characters include Run's brother Nao, portrayed by Tatsuomi Hamada and Run's love interest Princess Emerana of Planet Esmeralda, portrayed by actress Tao Tsuchiya. The film will also feature a new version of Ultraman Belial called Galactic Emperor Kaiser Belia.

Along his journey in the film, Ultraman Zero will come across several allies collectively known as "Ultimate Force Zero" (ウルティメイトフォースゼロ, Urutimeito Fōsu Zero). One is Glenfire (グレンファイヤー, Gurenfaiyā), a free spirited warrior with a soul of burning magma from the Planet of Flames (炎の星, Honō no Hoshi). He wields the Fire Stick (ファイヤースティック, Faiyā Sutikku) as well as control over fire itself. Glenfire was originally the captain of the Pirates of Flames (炎の海賊, Honō no Kaizoku) traveling through space with the Avant-garde (アバンギャルド号, Uchūsen Abangyarudo Gō). The other is Mirror Knight (ミラーナイト, Mirā Naito), a being from the 2-D Planet of Mirrors (鏡の星, Kagami no Hoshi) who was originally charged with the duty to protect Planet Esmeralda from the attacks of Kaiser Belial. In addition to several mirror-based powers, he also performs the Mirror Knife (ミラーナイフ, Mirā Naifu) finisher attack. In addition to these living allies, Ultraman Zero meets the Jean-bird (ジャンバード, Janbādo), a spaceship with artificial intelligence from Planet Esmeralda that is passed down through the planet's royal family. It can transform into a humanoid robot that Nao can control called the Jean-bot (ジャンボット, Janbotto) by shouting "Jean Fight!" (ジャンファイト！, Jan Faito!). Jean-bot is armed with the Jean Blade (ジャンブレード, Jan Burēdo) on his right arm and the giant Battle Ax (バトルアックス, Batoru Akkusu). He can also execute the Beam Emerald (ビームエメラルド, Bīmu Emerarudo) finisher attack.

Kaiser Belial also gains two commanders to work under him in the film to control his empire: Iaron (アイアロン, Aiaron), who takes pride in his steel body, and Darkgone (ダークゴーネ, Dākugōne). All of them have control over robots called Legionoids (レギオノイド, Regionoido). The Legionoids come in an Alpha-type which is geared with a red drill for land combat and a Beta-type geared with a large bazooka for space combat.

All of the new characters in the film are based on the protagonists and antagonists of the Tsuburaya Productions television programs: Fireman, Mirrorman, and Jumborg Ace.

Since that info comes from Wikipedia, I can't say for sure if it is 100% accurate, but it sure sounds cool!

As was the case for most of the most recent entries into the "Ultraman" series, there is no word on any American release plans, either theatrically or domestically , for this one, so you should start looking for the Chinese DVD release at your favorite Anime shop beginning next summer.

See Also: Monster Uber Geekdome- Ultraman Collages, Playing Cards & Alien vs Pooh / Bandai Releases Cover Art For Their "Daikaiju Battle Ultra Coliseum DX" Game/ Namco Bandai Releasing An Ultraman Fighting Game For The Wii / Tsuburaya Making Giant Monster Halloween Costumes!? / Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Lends Voice To New Ultraman Movie / Do You Have A Smelly Fridge? Ultraman Has The Answer! / Japan's Greatest Hero, "Ultraman", Coming Soon To An Electrical Box Near You! / It's 'Voltron', 'Ultraman' and 'The Power Rangers' Thrown In A Blender For 5432 Film's "Megabot" / It's An Ultra Galaxy Legend Trailer Double Feature / The Ancient Dogoo Girl - Can A Hot Girl With Big Boobs Replace Ultraman? / It's Spider-Man, Iron Man And The Hulk Vs The Decepticons in 'Transformers 3: The War of the Earth' / Is Ultraman Based On A Chinese Solar Diety? / Ultraman: The Next (2005)(Tsuburaya) / The First Trailer From Koichi Sakamoto‘s Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends - The Movie / Mill Creek Entertainment To Release The Complete Ultraman Series On DVD / Hey Kids! It's Ultraman......Sorta / Behind The Scenes Photos From Norman England's It's All Good / Mothra X MechaGodzilla: Revenge Of The Black Hole Aliens / You Really Haven't Lived Until You Have Seen The Japanese Spider-Man TV Show / DEX Wins The Thai Rights To Ultraman Max And Ultraman Mebius / Pusan International Film Festival Focuses On Asian Super Heroes / Ultraman To Appear At This Years Japanese Film Festival In Kuala Lumpur / Ultraman Showcase 2008 - Ultraman Comes To Malaysia / Ultraman Cosmos vs. Ultraman Justice: The Final Battle (2003)

Godzilla vs The Gryphon - Exclusive Art From Todd Tennant

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Todd Tennant

It has been quite some time since Todd Tennant has blessed us with some of his exceptional artwork from his "Godzilla 94" online comic based on the unused Sony movie script by Rossio and Elliott.

Though we had to wait quite some time, it was well worth it! Tennant has produced what can certainly be called on of his best pieces, an exclusive image of Godzilla taking on The Gryphon, in what will undoubtedly be a battle for the ages.

Look for more monster action in the upcoming pages of "Godzilla 94"!

Fans can also check out more of Todd's artistic skills in the pages of several titles published by Blue Water Comics, who publish a wide variety of books based on classic horror and sci fi franchises.