Gojira, not Godzilla

During the first week of September saw another legend being reborn on DVD.

The film “Gojira” from 1954 makes its long and difficult journey to a DVD release that would have many fans, old and new, finding new discoveries with the original version of a more well-known name… Godzilla. The four-hundred foot monstrosity that wrecked havoc throughout Tokyo leaving behind a trial of firey destruction.

There’s no Raymond Burr in this version. And there’s nothing by the name of Godzilla. It’s Gojira. The Japanese spelling.

It’s an interesting piece of movie-making. A bit of history too. Not many people outside of the United States were familiar with the original Japanese version concentrating on the family, the debating scientists, and the statement on nuclear weapons that could eventually see the ruination of mankind someday.

The film by director Inoshiro Honda was a simple one. It tells us to be careful nuclear weapons that may be still outside of our understanding. It shows that we are still children playing with something we shouldn’t be. And there’s a terrible inevitability about it. There is an outcome to the use of nuclear weapons. And results could become very dangerous to our existence.

So the awakening of the bold, massive creature, stemming from the Pacific ocean, walks the earth with a forceful vengeance, a natural, near-cosmic power that destroys everything in its path. The giant lizard, with its high-pitched, ear-shattering shriek, was just a living allegory for nuclear weapons. And something more. Our ability to control what is larger-than-life.

Gojira sets up some interesting questions that are still relevant 54 years after its initial release. The original film, shot in a striking B&W, offers several interesting scenes, with the lovely Japanese culture used as a backdrop, the jungle-like forestry of the islands, adding to the strange, alien look of the film. The best scenes, however, were filmed during night. The moving shadows, the nocturnal shapes, engulfed the scene with a stretch of darkness that still remained convincing, and the walking monster, in its horrible glory, looked like a clambering, frightening figure, cutting against the explosive night skies, ripping into the city with a prehistoric madness.

Yes, some of the model sets are cheap. Yes, a few tanks and buildings remind me of plastic or styofoam waiting to be crushed by a random footstep. There’s a kind of carelessness involved when creating these scenes that were none too convincing. The airplanes looked like they were on strings. Oh wait, they are puppet strings. Ridiculous. Some of the illusion was ruined by the obvious fakery of it. And you’re forced to shout out many times, “Cheap!” I'll live with it.

My only problem with the DVD is the rough cut of the film which looks like they haven't cleaned it much. There are still splices, looking very dirty as if it's been taken out of the garage, and I feel like I'm watching something from T.J. and the Ant back in the 70s.

Such as the images of a demolished Tokyo which causes you to think back to the historical pictures of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. With the trees ending up looking like toothpicks and the the buildings were reduced to rubble. Only a monster could do this.

But, on the other hand, there’s a certain charm to it. I don’t know what it is. I’m sure that there’re elements in the film that could attract a huge audience of children and adults alike. Younger kids could get into the big, jolly green lizard blasting the city of Tokyo into junk and the older folks could mull over the tantalizing questions of the human race’s future.

I don’t understand why there was the inclusion of Raymond Burr in the Americanized version. It was unnecessary. But his name was known during the 1950s and it was an anchor to get newer audiences. But even he was overshadowed by the might of the title creature. I was fascinated by the continued rivalry of the two scientists who debated over the Ultimate Weapon that was even more destructive than the atomic bomb.

We haven’t reached that stage yet. Thankfully. But there may be a time in the near future when our willingness to create such a weapon lifts the final the question: do we have the ability to control our own destructive nature?

Ask Gojira. On a good day.

Doctor Who is Here to Stay in the U.S.

The mysterious traveler. He can only be identified with his longest-standing companion… a time machine shaped like a 1950s British Police box. His adventures stretch across time and space. He is also the last of his own people. Literally. He's a wandering soul lost in the universe.

Doctor Who is hitting the U.S. airwaves again on the Sci-Fi channel on Sept. 29.

The first season was like an adrenaline rush. The second time around sees the new series settling in its stride. The stories more focused, the characters painted with broad strokes of background stories.

The second season starring David Tennant as the Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose gives strong indication that the series is picking up audiences in the U.S. That’s a good sign. The popularity isn’t fading out. It’s growing.

During the last few seconds of the previous season, before the series came to a rushing halt, we watched through the eyes of Rose, helpless, as the Doctor changed into an entirely different person. Now played by Tennant. A physcial transformation. The series has always been written through the point of view of the small-time shop girl from London. Rose.

There are some great episodes including the moody piece “Tooth and Claw” by the head writer Russell T. Davies who brings does well to bring in some supernatural elements into the series, running through a number of horror genres. Interestingly, the Doctor Who series never did a werewolf story before. It’s one of the best stories of the season.

Davies is really swinging this stuff. He’s bringing a lot of good writing into the series and never allows for the series to be overtaken by the special effects. The stories always take center stage. It’s a priority.

The horror elements continue in a standout two-part “Impossible Planet” and “The Satan Pit” by Matt Jones. Again, the supernatural elements are used cleverly, tied down by mythic, religious ideals. The supernatural is pushed into the background, giving the audiences a chance to make up their minds about the true nature of evil.

The mammoth episode is extremely tense, nerve-wracking stuff picking up bits from “Aliens” and “Event Horizon,” creating a very memorable show. Loaded with gothic trappings. Everyone gets a chance to shine in the episode and the Doctor works through the people around him, inspiring those to help themselves. Belief, not science, was what saved the Doctor’s life.

One of the more genuine moments is the episode “School Reunion” where the Doctor meets up with a companion from the past. In the form of Sarah Jane Smith played still with much gusto by Elizabeth Sladen. There’s a sadness in the episode because the Doctor’s loneliness is played up a bit. And the effects he has on other people. The Doctor takes a job as a schoolteacher to investigate the going-ons in a children’s school.

There’s plenty of fun moments such Sarah’s seeing the time-machine for the first time in 28 years, K-9’s first appearance or Rose first meeting Sarah. There’s plenty of clawing and pawing, like cats fighting, between the girls. But eventually they become good friends. Mickey isn’t an idiot as usual in this episode.

But Rose’s story isn’t done. Not yet.

It's been known that Piper left the series still on a high note.

In the final two-parter, set against the ferocious battle between the Daleks and Cyberman, there’s a smaller story about Rose’s departure from the string of adventures she’s been so used to. She would never leave the Doctor. She loved the thrill of the ride, the rush of danger. She is cut off from everything she had taken for granted.

The parallel universe story has broken the traveling soul mates apart—it’s virtually impossible for them to get back together. But look what the Doctor did for her. Rose has gained back her family through second chances, her boyfriend Mickey is with her, her father alive now. It’s a small price to pay for traveling with the world-weary person like the Doctor.

Now I envy you for seeing these episodes for the first time. Sit back, you’ll enjoy them. There’s a lot of catching up to do. But you can watch the growth of these main characters. And in the end, you might shed a tear by the cosmic break-up between loved ones.

"Star Wars II: Lego" a hit

You could play Star Wars II Lego: the Original Trilogy. Piece by piece.

That’s the idea when it comes to two household brand names clashing into each other to create a hybrid of super franchises. Lego takes on Star Wars and vise versa. You get the idea.

They’re turning back the clock to yesteryear as a fever of nostalgia runs amok. You’re bombarded by favorite childhood moments of a movie that once changed film industry through a monumental effort of upgrading special effects and a massive classical score. You’ll be able to see, yes, Han blasting Greedo, the first lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan and his former student Darth Vader, and the giant, striking orb of the Death Star plowing through a planet’s dead remains.

You can even see Admiral Ackbar doing his rendition of his famous line, “It’s a trap!”

The game works.

There’s a kind of charm to it that’s undeniable. You can’t help but blush with an awkwardness about how the game runs through your favorite films starting from the New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and finally the last moments of Return of the Jedi. You can’t help but keep smiling.

It’s blissful heaven in a galaxy, far, far away.

It’s like being on a first date. You call in love with the game right away.

The surprising thing? The game is well made. The tons of work can be seen through every detail of the graphics—crisp, smooth, almost unearthly in its ease. You have to remind yourself that you’re in lego-land populated with your favorite Star Wars characters. Some of the film clip scenes in between the game portions turn out to be very clever stuff. You find that the game-makers of this have taken liberty in poking fun at the movies.

You’ll find some scenes don’t always happen like in the movies. But it’s still good fun. The best feature, I think, is the co-op game playing where you can play alongside your friend. Both of you can plow through the game and continue to collect enough points to buy different characters. You can drop in or out of the game. Which makes it convenient for us when we need to eat lunch or do the laundry. If you're feeling evil, backstab your friend in the game.

There are some interesting additions to the game this time around. If you played and successfully beat the first Star Wars games, concerning the prequels, you can use an “old save” which will include playable characters from the Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. You’ll be able to add even more characters to the current games.

You can also mix and create your own characters, using different parts from each and every character. It’s just like lego, really. Always putting together the pieces. I’m not overly fond of this feature, but some people might get a kick out of it. You could create a strange breed of characters just by doing this.

The game's a massive hit. The Target Store ran out of copies on the release date last Tuesday. I had to get my copy from a Target store in Appleton.

There might be some glitches in the game. I’ve gotten a couple of glitches while playing through the first Star Wars segment and it can get annoying. Never fear. I turned off the X-Box and everything turned out just fine after jumpstarting it. So I suggest shutting the system down before taking the game back to the stores.

The game will be much harder now. You’ll have to put more effort into collecting the credits in the game.

Plus you’ll find yourself spending hours upon hours going through the Star Wars game like a human wrecking ball. It’s highly recommended. And it’ll keep you off the streets.

Star Trek turns 40

I’m sure you’ve heard it on the news. Or, at the very least, the right hailing frequencies.

Star Trek is hitting its 40th anniversary this year. That’s right. The big four-oh. Time to break out the bottle of Romulan Ale.

It’s been around for a long time. Four spin-offs and a host of films isn’t a bad thing for a beat 1960s TV series that struggled and limped its way through its first three seasons. It's greatest enemy turned out to be the Neilson ratings.

Sept. 8, 1966. That was the first public airing of the TV series with “The Man Trap” to be the flagship in a roll-call of episodes. I’m not counting the couple of pilot shows that came before it.

It’s impossible to put into a blog or column the mammoth popularity that Star Trek has become. The spirit of Star Trek lives on. You heard about Jimmy Doohan’s ashes being blasted into space on a maiden flight with the space shuttle a while ago. The series has become a welcome part of the mainstream.

It’s been culturally accepted.

It’s tough to put into a few words about the long history involving the numbered crews of the Enterprise and other series involved. For me, it’s always been the original series. The whole family thing with Kirk, Spock and McCoy could never be duplicated anywhere. Sure, we’ve got close to it. But it’s never the same.

I don’t mind the Next Generation series either with its extravagent upping of special effects, but keeping the original spirit of the old shows. It’s when 1991 hit when three different TV series were running the same time. It was a bit of an overkill that never really salvaged the franchise name. After that, slowly and surely, the series went on a downward spiral into a rehashing of same ideas and concepts.

Any show runs the risk of getting stale and it’s no exception to the Star Trek franchise. They really ran it to the ground and milked the ideas for all it’s worth. It’s the commercial wheel of Star Trek they kept turning. It’s safe territory when you know there’s a fan base. You can keep coming back to knocking on the same door. But it didn’t work anymore.

The death of Star Trek?

It’s unthinkable.

The most recent series struggled without the kinetic energy it needed. Instead it became lost in its own flood of reused ideas. The stories grew uninteresting. And the franchise name was showing its old age.

No new episodes being made now. No sign of any movies for a long time to come. It’s quiet. But there were several conventions taken place across the United States such as the PlanetXpo’s STAR TREK 40th Anniversary Gala Celebration & Conference in Seattle, Wash. Several actors appeared to celebrate the franchise such as Walter Koenig and George Takei.

There seems to be a healthy dose of life in the franchise. And there’s still hope. In the dreamland of Hollywood, still crackling with some ideas, some talk about a forthcoming Star Trek film crops up in conversation. J.J. Abrahms, creator of the hit TV show Lost, may take the helms in steering Star Trek into undiscovered frontiers: the younger years. The story may be set during the academy days of Kirk, Spock and McCoy.

It’s a possibility. I’ve seen many things go back to the original roots that turned successful. You’ve seen it in Superman Returns and Batman Begins. Both lagging franchise that had turned into a huge deal. It could work for Star Trek also.

It’s not too late to look ahead at the prospect of a TV series that had the ability to change people’s lives. And the utopian view it had struggled to portray on both the small screen and theater. But it’s humanity’s greatest destiny to continue exploring. Nothing could ever quench the thirst for knowledge. Or perhaps it’s just plain simple curiosity that keeps us going. And so does Star Trek.

Stars Wars on DVD... just how we remembered it...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

I remember those words from almost thirty years ago. I was five years old at the time reading those words scrolling across the celluloid screens for the first time. Nothing like it hit the screens before or since. It's like a fairy tale turned into a fantasy.

Then the music poured through the speakers with a bombastic note. For better or worse, Star Wars changed the face of science fiction.

And for the next six years, we followed the adventures of the lone Jedi knight on a quest to turn his father back to his good side. Still training, as in the old traditions, Luke Skywalker became a force to be reckon with. The Empire Strikes Back further embellished the rogue character of Han Solo and his romancing of Princess Leia while Return of the Jedi brought everything into a full circle.

Now, on Sept. 12, you’ll be able to see these films again on DVD. The original, original versions.

Not the crappy version where Greedo shoots and miss at point blank range.

And the version where you get to see the ghostly Anakin Skywalker played by a pudgy, older actor who looks more like your friendly uncle or grandfather. Not Christian Haydenson.

The screeching, fingernails-to-chalkboard voice of Boba Fett will be all back in its ship-shape form. And several other bits and pieces.

These are the versions enjoyed by the first generation of fans who stood in line for hours to get tickets for the films. One of the earliest memories I have is people standing around the corner down the street outside of the Waupaca theater.

It’s part of nostalgia. That’s why some people were upset when movie tycoon George Lucas fiddled with the originals so he could try to get it into perfection. Some people complain that these things should be left alone. It’s really Lucas’ works. So he can do what he wants with them.

But I can also see the point-of-view made by disgruntled fans. They don’t want someone messing with their childhood memories. And it’s like putting into one too many ingredients into the mix.

Of course, putting the original versions on DVD will put more chunks of change into Lucas’ pockets. Like doesn’t he already have more than a millions dollars. I'm sure he's got a swimming pool filled with money.

I always did prefer the original version of the cantina scene where Solo blows away Greedo. It establishes his character. He’s supposed to be someone with a mean steak. The shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later really became his trademark. Some of the alterations weren’t really thought-out.

It feels like the thirty-second Kennedy assassination footage where everyone keeps going at it at every angle. Where to start?

Lucas was quoted as saying he didn’t want Solo to be such a cold person. Hell, Solo’s supposed to be delivering illegals for his fat, slug boss. He’s not going to be a nice guy. And the arguments could go on and on.

Some fans really do feel that the original versions are timeless, meant to be savored for years to come.

They’ll be finally getting that piece of history, digitally restored, on DVD. There’ll be a time to rejoice by fans, who had longed to see these versions come out for prosperity. And I’m sure Lucas will be counting his dollars again.

I'm surprised I haven't done a Star Wars blog until now. It's been a long time coming. Or maybe I'm just a procrastinator? Could be.

I never really had too many problems with the prequels eeked out to finish the epic father/son storyline first hinted way back in 1977. In many ways, it’s amazing how much of the plot had been dilligently thought out way back when. And how much Lucas put his own money into financing the rest of the story 17 years after. I thought Revenge of the Sith was the best of the bunch.

But these prequels really don’t have the charm and mischief like the originals of Luke, Han and Leia. I suppose that’s how people remembered it.

And besides, for the record, Solo shot first.