The Bullmark Die-Cast Godzilla

Courtesy of Brian F,

New Jersey Monster Base

Cor!

Legacy of Monsters: Kurt's Kaiju

I've taken up Apple TV's free 7 day trial, so I could watch Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. 

I'm still on Season 1, very nearly done and in the main enjoying it. Overall I'm sure anyone who's seen it would agree that more monsters couldn't harm this series and less talking. 

Having said that it's not a film, so Apple have to inevitably pad it out and like all modern series its aimed at teenagers and, whilst searching for thier Dad among the titans, are often very emotional and talkative.

An olive branch to oldies like us is the great Kurt Russell, essentially the leading man in season 1 and his sci-fi chops shine through. Every time he appears I think is The Thing, Escape from New York and so on. Kurt and Kaiju are a superb combo!

To capture a younger vote Kurt's real life chiselled chinned son plays his character as a young man. Talk about role reversal! You'll know this Russell, he was the President-appointed Captain America after Steve Rogers hung up his shield before the Falcon got it.

The kaiju clock is ticking and I need to finish season 1 and begin 2, which has only just started. I've got till Wednesday night!

Are you watching Legacy of Monsters readers?

HOW TO DESTROY A GODZILLA MOVIE: MAKE KING OF THE MONSTERS!

Because I love Godzilla a lot and after a few reasonable years' gap, I've just re-watched the movie Godzilla King of the Monsters. I couldn't wait to see Ghidora, Rodan, Mothra and the Big Guy himself together again.

Alas, once more I found myself shouting at the TV screen.

Never in the history of monster movies has such a fabulous gathering of Kaiju been ruined by actors and weather.

The entire film was shot in an eternal misty night with more rain lashing down in two hours than in the last two million years. You could hardly see anything at all. A billion dollars filmed in a shower with the lights off.

Even worse where the interminable helicopters, choppers and gunships incessantly whizzing in front of the camera and blotting out any chance of seeing the very beasts we came to see. Not only that but they were in a permanent state of tilting and turning and keeling with the crews flying about in every direction yelling their heads off. The action was unrelenting, irritating, loud and tedious.

I don't think there was a single moment of calm and steady monster filming in the whole disaster. They need to watch Night of the Demon to see how its done and watch it a hundred times before doing another! Even Matthew Broderick's New York Zilla was way better than this! At least it was filmed in daylight!

The soundscape was awful too, a confused morass of notes and riffs from previous US Godzilla films interspersed with corny Japanesque motifs when Godzilla was onscreen. Its either American OR Japanese, not both!

But worse, much worse than all of this were the humans. I've never seen such a huge frenetic mess created by so many actors all at once. If the rain didn't drown the film than the sentiment sure did. It was off the scale. Two completely useless and self-righteous parents constantly losing their ridiculously headstrong daughter, then finding her, then losing her and dragging half the US Army with them to find here just one more time for good measure. For God's sake, get her and leave the set!

And who is that leading man? I know he was in Super 8, but c'mon, he can't act! Bring back Brian Cranston! and as much as I enjoyed the Conjuring, Vera Farmiga was wholly miscast as the female lead, her face utterly dour throughout the entire thing as if she was in mourning for Annabelle. Not even the gravitas of one Charles Dance, he of ALIEN 3, could rescue the roster from wholesale tedium and the final act of self-sacrifice by Ken Watanabe's Japanese Professor became subsumed into the dark, wet, noisy and chaotic maelstrom of the finale rendering it powerless.

MONARCH should have been called SCHMALZ. The characters had more baggage than the Royal Family. Even Godzilla looked like he'd had enough of them! Let the Kaiju do the talking and the humans should just shut the **** up!

Rant over, just my opinion.

Long live the King!

MONSTERS INK: Godzilla Drawings Commissioned By Terranova47

Hello Woodsy

Attached are the four commissioned Godzilla drawings by Carmen Cerra, from the story book I wrote, in sequence.

Even Godzilla is no match for Milesosaurus Rex.

I like them even if my Grandson didn't.

Regards,

Terranova47

NYC

[words in italics added by Woodsy]

TERRANOVA47'S CARMEN CERRA GODZILLA

Terranova47 kindly sent me this fabulous drawing of his favourite "dragon", the original Godzilla, part of a private family commissioned work by the artist Carmen Cerra, who Terranova47 discovered from Hugh's Small Scale World blog [there are the occasional links with updates of Carmen's painting of gaming figures.]

MUTO AND MOTHRA

 

I've always liked Matt Allsopp's superb design for the MUTO, the Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism, which was pitted against Godzilla a few years back. Its pointed claws, angular features and square jaw have an almost Alex Toth feel to them.

Matt also gave Mothra a similar look, creating a striking crab-like creature.

Do you like these Matt Allsopp designs?

Have you got a favourite creature desgn readers?

HOTZILLA

There have not been too many new Hot Wheels models lately, but I pounced on this one when I saw it. A Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 in white, with Godzilla markings on the sides.

It has Godzilla himself and claw marks in black, with the Godzilla name in red. The model also has red tail lights, and a black plastic base.

Most Hot Wheels movie related models are in the Showtime sub-series, but this one is part of the J-Imports series instead. It is a 2024 model, but there was also a 2023 version with different markings on the sides in blue, grey, and black.

Upon looking in to this model, it seems that Hot Wheels have done a few Godzilla models over the last few years, including a Character Car (a vehicle in the shape of the character), and a Monster Truck, but this is the first one I have seen.

I am sure these models will disappear very quickly, given the number of monster fans there are out there. If you see one, grab it.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

NORTH OF THE BORDER'S FANTASTIC CLAY MODELS

 My mate Mark told me about this fella, the mega-talented modeller North of the Border. What he can't do with clay and paint isn't worth doing!

This is his Zombie Octopus Godzilla battle!

You can see it in much more detail and how it was done here on North of the Border's amazing You Tube channel.

Have a gander and be gob-smacked!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKRZKxwT1zY

RODAN ID'd!

Hi Woodsy. Here's two examples of the Jakks Pacific Rodan you encountered over the weekend. I'm guessing you saw the larger toy (the one packaged with the building, without Godzilla)

-BrianF 

Monster Base 

NJ USA

JUST CUZ ....

Fun From Ed

Vegas Base!

Grrrrrr!

Godzy on The Loose!

In keeping with the latest Godzilla film, here's a pic from the archives (Bandai #91881 Godzilla 1954 and MPC vehicles)

Enjoy!

Ed

Vegas Base

GODZILLA MINUS ONE

I had the real pleasure of seeing Godzilla Minus One at the cinema. My mate Mark and me were super impressed with this Japanese language film [subtitled].

Its a real return to form for the cinema for us in general as this was a cracker of a movie; well made, authentic, sincere and dramatic. The monster itself is sensational and the action is compelling.

A distinctly Japanese storyline, fascinating in itself, its set against the emergence of Gojira a few years after the end of World War II.

If you like Godzilla and have enjoyed the Hollywood run of films then Japan's Minus One will be right up your titanic alley.

Have you seen it? Best hurry in the UK, its already been around 5 weeks.

Here's a trailer.

MONSTROUS PLASTIC: THE HASEGAWA GODZILLA MINUS ONE MODEL KIT

Hasegawa has re-boxed one of their existing aircraft kits - the Kyushu J7W1 Shinden, to tie-in with the film.

The J7W1 actually appears in the movie, and the box art shows the aircraft diving past Godzilla. Kit number SP579 is in 1/48th scale.

The J7W1 was a bizarre Japanese canard design that never made it in to production. But it is a great looking plane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO28c16RuAY&t=149s

One photo of the box art, from Amazon.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

GODZILLA MINUS ONE TRAILER

 What do you think?

The Toho Godzilla flick currently doing the rounds in the cinema.

GRRRRRR!

Will you be going?

CHRISTMAS WITH THE KING: GODZILLA MINUS ONE

There's a new big screen Godzilla coming to town, a Toho original called Minus One. He stomps into UK cinemas in mid-December.

Minus One refers to the state of play of the post-war Tokyo in the film i.e. not good at all and Godzilla is not feeling the love either.

Like the previous Shin Godzilla this is a new film from the original makers of the 1954 debut, the 33rd Japanese film and is already garnering good reviews.

Could be a Christmas cracker for fans of the King.

Will you be going to see Godzilla this holiday?

Here's the official trailer to wet your whistle.

BIRTHDAY BURGER: DESTROY ALL MONSTERS

Hi Woodsy

Here is my Ken Films "Destroy all Monsters" Super 8 film box.

I also have this cartoon, Woody Woodpecker, not a Ken film, but Castle from New York [Frankenstein is advertised on the rear].

As an added bonus, here is a homemade Big Mac I just cobbled together. I think McDonalds is in trouble!

[put your orders in!]

Brian F

Monster( Burger) Base

NJ USA

*

Woodsy adds:

New collectors book available:

Castle Films https://www.amazon.co.uk/Castle-Films-Hobbyists-Scott-Macgillivray/dp/0595324916

For more on Ken Films check out Retro TV on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ILbbaTaSDMo

Have you got any cine films readers? Pictures welcomed.

ED'S GODZILLAS

I never really got into collecting monster toys.

I did manage to pick up a Bandai 'Godzilla 1954' from about 2013 and a smaller Christmas tree ornament with sound from American Greetings. AND, I did collect the entire range of Peter Jackson's 'King Kong' toys by Playmates back in 2006 or so.

Enjoy!

Ed B

Las Vegas

GIANT STEPS

Back on my Jack Jones I'm turning to Titans for company, those big beasts from movie prehistory,

I've just watched Godzilla V. Kong, the monster rumble from a couple of years ago. I thought I'd seen it at the flicks but I think the Pandemic stopped me. 

I enjoyed the film. I'm a monster nut so its hard no to. Godzilla and Kong never disappoint. There's plenty of Kaiju action with big strides in the whole Hollow Earth mythology being fleshed out too, with some neat Nebuchadnezzar-like craft zipping through the crust. They made me think of the project SWORD Beetle in the SWORD Annual.

Its always a comfort knowing that an Alpha has our backs and two Titans are clearly better then one when it comes to keeping any new baddun's at bay.

This movie does bring back an old foe. I won't spoil it, suffice to say that its a proper dukeroo between the titans and a fair few window-panes get rattled.

On the downside I found the constant splattering of neon colours a distraction from the Saurian action, although that actually may be how Hong Kong looks, lit up like a Christmas tree.

Overall tho, I enjoyed Godzilla v. Kong and look forward to the next instalment in Monarch's quest to find all of the Titans. 

Have you seen G v K?

Which is your fave Kaiju film? Any Kaiju toys?

Did Gerry Anderson go in for any massive monsters?

and PS. watch this space, next week but one is Gorgo week here on MC!

THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE TRACKS!

 

THE DAY BRIAN SHOOK HANDS WITH GODZILLA

Hi Woodsy. I share with you today a Medicom Toy Real Action Heroes Godzilla toy.

An interesting fact is it is not so much a Godzilla toy as it is a Takara Combat Joe toy.

Combat Joe is the Japanese version of Action Man or GI Joe. The doll comes with a rubber Godzilla suit to wear, accurately depicting how difficult it must have been to masquerade as the big G.

I had the rare opportunity to hand this toy to the original Godzilla costume actor himself, Mr Haruo Nakajima!

He was delighted by the concept of the toy and requested that I take it out of the package so he could see the finished product.

It took us a few minutes to figure it out, but after the toy was complete, we posed for a picture and he autographed the box.

Sadly, Nakahima-San passed away in 2017, but I am grateful for the opportunity to have met him.-

Brian F 

NJ USA