The Mothman Cometh: A True Story

Mothman is a Sci-Fi-Horror film about Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Local legend has it that settlers fought an Indian chief, Cornstalk, whose last act of retribution was to summon evil and turn into Mothman, basically a moth-like grim reaper. Fast forward to today and six friends are yanking one of their little brother under water, just to tease him. But he drowns and they cover it up by bashing his head in, one by one. Being a righteous daemon, the mothman cometh only when evil-doers get away with gruesome acts. In gory twists and turns, the mothman enters our world through mirrors (his version of portals include rear-view mirrors, drivers beware) and pick of the six friends.

Mothman is satisfying in that the six friends were so wicked that it was great seeing them get their just desserts. The Mothman CGI wasn't horrid like most of Syfy Channel's effects, and the gore was delightful, especially a line of guts sliding down a trailer. The acting wasn't exactly award-winning but it served its purpose. On the other hand, the costume department left something to be desired, the film was shot in an odd yellow hue, and Frank (the creepy old man character) was ridiculously deceiving.

Better yet, the Mothman Myth is real. So is Point Pleasant. So is the sightings and bridge accident of 1967. This adds a dimension of realism to the film, and an eeriness. Citizens of Point Pleasant still insist Mothman is real. Just as in the film, Point Pleasant commemorates Mothman at the yearly Mothman festival.

Mothman is worth the gore and CGI; the added layer of true elements makes the film worth a watch.

American Zombie

American Zombie is the story of the zombie community in Los Angeles. A mockumentary, comedy, and issues film, American Zombie slightly humorously follows several fictional zombies, or revenants as they prefer to be called. I didn't know that this film was actually supposed to be a statement about racism or civil rights going into it, but that became clear as the film progressed.

The fictional zombies themselves are mildly funny. Judy, an asian zombie, tries the hardest to hold onto her human past. She collects cat statues, makes scrapbooks, works at an organic food company, and is searching for a human boyfriend. Lisa, by far the funniest, is a florist who specializes in funeral arrangements while pursuing her not-so-good art. Ivan, a dud of a character, is a teenager that happens to be a zombie. Joel (pronounced ho-el) is the founder of ZAG, Zombie Advocacy Group, which puts on Live Dead, a zombie Woodstock. What happens at Live Dead is the big twist of the film...

The film is told from the perspective of real life documentary filmmakers Grace Lee and John Solomon, who are parodying themselves. This is another theme of the movie that some viewers may find pretentious, in that American Zombie is something of a tongue-in-cheek diatribe on documentary film-making. Many reviews I've read have claimed it's boring, and that's a fair assessment but the humor is more quiet and not a goofy in-your-face attempt at garnering laughs. The other biggest complaint is that the last third of the film takes a serious turn, but that's the point and I didn't mind it. The events of Live Dead shift the documentary's focus both in the film and the film itself. Also, there is so much foreshadowing to the climax that I don't know why people didn't see it coming.

I recommend this film if you have nothing better to do, but thankfully it's not too long. It's a wee bit boring but there's some twists that make it possibly worthwhile in the end. Perhaps that was part of the point, in that some documentaries can be hideously boring (read: Food, Inc. Waste of time!)

Clash of the Titans: Cute Creatures and Sam Worthington

*minor spoilage below*

I went into Clash of the Titans with some trepidation. Though I will always have fond memories of the original, this new movie was entertaining in its own way. The story deviated in that they condensed some elements and added new ones. The major change was the character arc of Perseus, who wants to prove his humanity by fighting like a man rather than using his abilities as a demigod. In the original he didn’t question the gods. They added the character of Io, played by the beautiful Gemma Artenton, who is the new Keira Knightley as far as I am concerned.

The CGI is great, and I don’t think 3D is necessary for this movie, having seen it as 2D. Pegasus’ wings are really realistic, and the Kraken is impressive. Medusa fell short: she wasn’t as terrifying as the original stop-motion Medusa; I think there were too many distractions in her scene and the CGI tail was pretty fake looking. A major annoyance in the movie was a religious zealot who goes after the royal family of Argos, but the other actors were really good, most of them being familiar faces to Masterpiece Theatre fans. The bad guy with the scar from Casino Royale pops up, as does Colin Firth's TCAP pedophile-bait from A Single Man. There were lots of cute creatures in this, my favorite being the Gin people. They resemble the helper that worked with Scotty in the new Star Trek, but with awesome black magic powers. A sentient severed hand even appears. The witches with the oracle eye were really well executed. I was awestruck by Charon, he was a skeleton twisted into the sinews of the wooden shop he pilots.

The jokes were a little conventional, but endearing in a Pirate of the Caribbean sort of way (though without the obnoxious water wheel and Keira-Johnny-Orlando banter). The training scene, though short, was cliché. Sam Worthington shined in this movie, and I’ll pay $10 again to watch him save the day in a Greek warrior tunic. He was his normal serious self, but mustered a smile (I counted twice in the movie) which was a departure for his otherwise predictable performance. His chemistry with Io was a treat, and I wish they did more with that story. The ending was different in that he doesn’t wind up with Andromeda, but there’s a nice twist in the end (though they could’ve shown them kissing).
Sam and Gemma: Great On Screen Chemistry

This isn’t better than the wonderful original, nothing can beat the mechanical owl, but it is a decent movie and I wound up really enjoying myself. This felt very Jerry Bruckheimer, and I think Guillermo del Toro could've made magic with this movie. 4 stars out of 5.

Hellhounds: You Get What You Pay For

Hellhounds recently broadcast on SyFy channel; being a loyal viewer of their Saturday movies, I had to watch it. I'm sure they chose to air this movie because of Clash of the Titans' release. Kleitos, a Greek warrior, married Demetria, a Grecian princess. On their wedding day, she is captured by Kleitos' jealous best friend and taken to Hades. She dies but is revived. However, as Kleitos and Demetria make their way to the Seer that can save Demetria forever, they are pursued by a pack of Hellhounds. These, I believe, are based on Cerberus, the three headed dog of Greek mythology. They get to the Seer and she manages to figure out how to save Demetria, but sacrifices herself. In the end, the evil best friend is defeated and the hell hounds with him.

This movie is a case of getting what you paid for. They didn't spend much money on this movie, but it wasn't to the film's detriment. The costumes were great. The special effects for the Hellhounds were actually on par with the werewolves of New Moon (I guess that's not saying too much, from a certain point of view). I look forward to lots of gore, but this film didn't have that much. The acting was wooden in many parts, but at the least the leads were good looking enough to make up for it. I liked the Seer character, she could get a little cliche in parts, but her acting was good and her all-black eyes were good visual effects. There's a scene in a village where Demetria magically gets new clothes and Kleitos' brother is expected to carry a tray of apples on a horse that is laughably bad, but the well meaning intentions of the scene make up for it. The fight scenes in the woods are well shot, especially the horse riding moments, but the Hellhounds just weren't scary enough.
Kleitos and Demetria: Pretty People in Need of Acting Lessons

I'd watch this over 300 any day for its so-bad-it's-good qualities (the film itself is oddly endearing in its underdog way), but when all is said and done (that's an ABBA song, by the way) this movie needed scarier dogs and more blood, guts, and gore.

Who said Zombies Can't be Cute!

Hedorah showed me an excellent campy/b-movie zombie flick by Peter Jackson called Dead Alive, released as Braindead everywhere else. How could Pete go from making such a masterpiece in over the top gore to the LOTR trilogy? I've seen this film derided on the internet, and that's sad. This movie will satisfy gore and humor fans. Anyways, I consider this post Part 2 of an earlier post about Non Traditional Kawaii. Dead Alice contained many adorable zombies.

One such zombie is the zombie baby. The spawn of the priest and a zombie woman, the zombie baby provides some of the best moments in the film (besides the mother's gasp, the glowing zombie, and "this calls for some divine intervention"). The zombie baby reminds of Kuato's evil twin. When he goes for a day in the park, he can escape even barbed wire, and goes careening down a hill in a tram. The attempts to stop him from attacking the park goers are hilarious. I don't like normal babies, but I do love zombie babies!

I couldn't find a picture of the organs, but they are really kawaii. The zombie organs are the remains of another zombie that take on a life (or unlife) or their own. They attack people by using intestines like rope. The cutest scene is sadly its demise, when it puts together what looks like lungs as "hands" begging for mercy. The heart as the face is adorable. I did find a picture of the half-head zombie in the ensnares of the organ zombie's intestines.
Lastly, the rat monkey found in New Zealand's outback is really cute. Hedorah said it's reminiscent of Salacious Crumb, and that's right. The rat monkey bites the mother at the zoo, which leads to the whole mess of zombies in the little town. Its demise, though sad in that it's cuteness is extinguished, is funny because the mother stomps it to death. At least it enjoyed a meal of a primate arm before it died.

So I ask again, who said zombies can't be cute? These ones sure are!

The Descent: Smart Horror

When The Descent was first released, I remember hearing people say it was not a good a movie. I can see why they said that, as the story arc is non traditional, but the film was a profound take on a cliche genre. (Note: analysis of Sarah's character arc came from Hedorah)

The film is about a group of friends who reunite on the anniversary of one of their husband's and kid's death, and they plan to go cave diving in the Appalachian Mountains. Only one of the members is quite ambitious and leads them to an "undiscovered" cave system. The opening is somewhat slow, with the friends' personalities being established, but once they get into the caves the movie really picks up. After a few accidents, and some wrong twists and turns, the group of women confront creatures that devour human flesh. These creatures, as the women discover, are the devolved descendants from an original group of cavers who were trapped over a century ago. The really enemy are the girls themselves: as they battle the creatures, they ultimately battle themselves. Some are quick to turn on the others, others abandon their friends, still others make stupid mistakes that endanger the rest of the group.

Sarah, the grieving wife and mother, is the true center of this story. As they descend into the caves, her own mental paranoia and illusions become her reality. In a highly symbolic scene, Sarah emerges from a pool of blood, a baptism into insanity. She hallucinates to the point that when the viewer thinks she has escaped, she merely is resting on a pile of bones. In a touching twist, Sarah's last moments are spend looking at a torch, which she believes to be her daughter: thus mother and daughter are reunited, the fire of her daughter's life guiding her into death.

This movie was genuinely excellent because of its depth. The viewer desperately wants the girls to escape from the caves, but in the end, that never was the point. There is no way out. The film was very realistic, not only in exploring the devolution of the old cavers, but also in showing the downside of humanity. People will turn on you very quickly if it gives them a few extra minutes of life. The gore in this movie wasn't over the top, neither were the thrills and scares. It was this understated horror element that made the film a human drama set against the hell of the cave. The reveal of the creatures for the first time is practically iconic, and will startle even the most serious observer.

Nazi Zombies!: Dead Snow

The last movie I talked about on There's Something Wrong With Esther was Wild Zero, an oddball Japanese zombie comedy. Today, I will cover Dead Snow, another foreign zombie comedy, that, while different in style and tone from Wild Zero, is equally funny and entertaining.

Dead Snow begins with a group of Norwegian med-students heading to a remote cabin in the mountains where they plan to party their spring break away. The characterization here is minimal. Each character is given one major distinguishing factor and that's pretty much it. Included are a "very single" gal, an overweight movie nerd (who provides a lot of the movie's self-aware humor), an aspiring doctor whose terrified of blood, and a cocky ex-military guy, among others. If this premise sounds familiar it's because it is. The creators of Dead Snow are well-aware of the cliches of the horror genre, and seem to have a lot of fun poking fun at them. As mentioned earlier, the chubby film nerd makes frequent references to other movies, and often pokes fun at the more tired elements of Dead Snow's plotline ("How many movies start with a group of friends on a trip to a cabin with no cell phone signal", he asks). While such dialogue was necessary to set the tongue in cheek tone of the movie, jokes like this could have easily become grating over an hour and a half long span of time. Luckily, it seems that the people behind Dead Snow were aware of this as the movie guy is the first member of our core group to die, and his death is a memorable one.

His death is caused by the central source of the mayhem behind Dead Snow: the Nazi-zombies. Nazi zombies are the film's main selling point, and the concept of these creatures is so brilliant that I can't believe they aren't in every movie. Just imagine Tron, Mama Mia, or March of the Penguins with Nazi zombies. See? They are brilliant in every scenario you could possibly place them in. On a slightly more serious note, these zombies worked for me mainly because of their look. The combination of the Nazi uniform, which is famously cold, sharp, and utilitarian looking, combined with the look of a rotting zombie body, which looks messy and organic, was a great combination. Also, I have always liked the idea of applying supernatural themes to real life historical event, whether it is done to communicate a serious message (as in the original Gojira), or for simply for the humor that results from the absurdity of it all (as is in Dead Snow).

It helps that the zombie makeup here is well done. The zombies have cold grey faces and mouths that spit blood. These zombies are creatures that really do look like monsters and not simply people in costumes. Watching them growl, trudge through snow banks, and stab our med-students in synchronization (yes, these zombies use weapons), is bizarrely entertaining. That said, these beings are still monsters, so you won't feel too bad for them as they are destroyed with all manners of weaponry. Zombie movies as a whole are generally a gory bunch, and Dead Snow is no exception. During the last half-hour of the movie, there are guts, brains, and blood galore flying across the screen non-stop. It is in the gruesome moments of the film that its delightfully dark sense of humor comes through, and it is here that Dead Snow becomes something awesome.

It's true that Dead Snow is not a flawless zombie epic- it's not entirely original either in premise or tone, and the first half of the film is a bit slow. These faults are forgivable, however, because Dead Snow does not attempt to be truly different or expertly paced. It merely wants to make the viewer laugh, and possibly makes them squirm. From my own experience, and from watching other's reactions, I would say that it does what it set out to do, and does it very well.

"Hey mister, do you know 'Rock 'n Roll'?": Wild Zero

Like the hordes of undead themselves, zombie comedies are overrunning the pop culture landscape. This sub-genre's reign shows no signs of slowing down. Last year alone saw the release of numerous books and movies that cast a humorous light on the undead. Most notably there was the New York Times bestseller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (a goofy reworking of the Jane Austen classic), Death Troopers (the first Star Wars horror novel and the only book in the history of literature to feature zombie wookies), and the crowd pleasing Zombieland. So what makes this blend so appealing? I can't speak for everyone, but I believe that, when done correctly, a zombie comedy is a delicious mix of action, horror, and pure insanity. Wild Zero, a Japanese movie from 2000, is such a mix.

Wild Zero opens with a view of the Earth as seen from outer space. Hundreds of UFOs swarm across the screen. They are arriving to launch the zombie apocalypse and doom us all. Wild Zero, if you couldn't guess from this, is a movie that doesn't take itself seriously. The UFO plot point is ripped straight from no-budget 1950's science fiction. In particular it seems to be a nod to Plan 9 From Outer Space, a favorite amongst fans of "so bad it's good" cinema. This should give you a hint as to the tone of Wild Zero- it's crazy, campy, and makes no attempt to slow down and think about things.

As one would expect, the characters that populate the world of Wild Zero are as colorful as can be. Our hero is Ace, a rock 'n roll fanboy who wants nothing more in life than to be just like his favorite band, Guitar Wolf. Guitar Wolf is a real Japanese rock band which consists of three band members who go by the matter-of-fact stage names Guitar Wolf, Bass Wolf, and Drum Wolf. All three have starring roles in Wild Zero playing exaggerated versions of themselves to great comedic effect. It's hard not to love Guitar Wolf. They all dress in a simple uniform that consists of black leather jackets, sunglasses, and slicked-back hair. In between battles with the undead, they scream into microphones that shoot fire, offer advice against intolerance ("Love has no borders, nationalities, or genders!"), and make Ace their rock 'n roll blood brother (when Ace is in danger, he can blow a whistle to summon the band to his aid). The majority of the soundtrack consists of Guitar Wolf songs, and they, like the movie itself, are loud, fast, obsessed with B-grade sci-fi and horror, and distinctly Japanese.

Standing in Guitar Wolf and Ace's path to happiness is hundreds of hungry undead. The zombies in Wild Zero are an odd bunch of creatures. They have blueish complexions, similar to the zombies in Dawn of the Dead (1978), but unlike that crowd, the creatures in Wild Zero can speak, and they seem to have clear memories of their lives pre-zombification. In one humorous yet bizarre scene a zombie attempts to trick a group of humans into thinking he is one of the living.

While the zombies themselves are entertaining, the majority of the special effects surrounding them are pretty bad, and are easily the weakest part of the movie. The zombie makeup is passable, but could've used some touching up. The computer generated exploding zombie heads, however, are atrocious looking, and represent everything that is wrong with CG gore. It doesn't help that Wild Zero was made in the early 2000's, making such poor effects look dated as well as cheap. Luckily, this is not a movie that relies on special effects to propel the zombie mayhem. Instead, it uses the strong personalities of its characters to grab your attention, which makes the subpar gore more forgivable than it might be in another story.

In fact, I would argue that the true villain of Wild Zero is not the zombie horde, but rather a greedy, sleazy, club owner with a passion for criminally short shorts. While a money hungry business man is not exactly a new character concept, the way this man dresses, speaks, and acts is totally unique, totally hilarious, and very different than anything I could imagine seeing in an American movie of this style. I would even say that Wild Zero is worth looking into just to see this outrageous character.

Wild Zero is a movie created for a specific taste. It is crazy, random, fast, loud, and packs in as much fun per minute as is humanly possible. Its something you either "get" or you don't. For the record, I get the joke of Wild Zero, and it never gets old.

Track of the Week: Monster

"Monster" by Lady GaGa from the album "The Fame Monster."

Seeing as we reviewed Lady GaGa and The Wolfman movie this week, I've chosen Lady Gaga's "Monster" as the Track of the Week.

"Monster" is one of the best tracks from the album. It is dark, eerie and epic all at the same time. The opening robotic cries of "He ate my heart" practically make the song excellent by themselves. The electronic dance track is as dark as the lyrics, which relate the story of Gaga's Monster consuming her completely. We get the sense that this wasn't a nice guy. The bridge of the song is astonishing, as Gaga sings "we french kissed on a subway train, he ate my heart and then he ate my brain." The prechorus, in which Gaga sings about wondering who the Monster is on the dancefloor, has the best melody on the entire album.

Gaga performed monster in an homage to to Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" (an excellent campy horror film!) on her Monster Ball Tour. Dressed in a black feathered cape with feathered mask, images of ravens and a forest flashed across a red background video.

The song isn't single worthy, as say "Alejandro" or "Bad Romance," but it is a highlight of the album. It's dark, entrancing lyrics, powerful dance beats, and arena-sized melody, makes for an enjoyable and bewitching three minutes.

Kill Or Be Killed: The Wolfman (2010)

It's been said that, finally, the vampire trend that has dominated the pop culture landscape for the last few years is finally reaching its close. Its successor? The werewolf story.

Leading the pack of the upcoming crop of werewolf films is The Wolfman, a remake of the classic 1941 movie of the same name. While this version of The Wolfman deviates from the original in major plot points, each story starts off basically the same. Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro), the son of a wealthy Englishman, has lived in America for years, making a living as a Shakespearean actor. He has a slightly tense relationship with his father (Anthony Hopkins), and the two have not spoken for some time. It is not until his brother's mysterious disappearance that Lawrence is drawn back to his childhood home.

The home he returns to is a large mansion, covered in dust and cobwebs and dripping with atmosphere. The mansion itself is a perfect example of The Wolfman's visual style. Every floor tile and brick is made to look weathered, worn, and dusty. The colors are vivid and bold, with every setting making a statement, yet blending perfectly into one another. The green plains of the English countryside transition neatly into the dusky interiors of the Talbot estates which meld with the sterile whites of a mental asylum. All in all, the world of The Wolfman looks fantastic. It is exactly the kind of setting where one would could imagine monsters prowling about under the moonlight.

The gore and creature effects, generally, look pretty good too. Lawrence's bone-crunching transformation sequences are my favorite moments in the entire movie. The grinding noises as the bones snap and rearrange themselves, combined with the visual of his hands, feet, and jaws, growing and forming into something inhuman, were very effective. The gore, while not shockingly new or original, worked well enough, and there were a few great moments of action and destruction during the Wolfman's nighttime rampages. Lawrence Talbot's first night as a werewolf, in particular, was a wild, well-executed action sequence that culminated in a fearsome decapitation.

Unfortunately, it is when the action stops, and the talking starts that things start to get boring. The detail that is visible in the character's surrounding environments, isn't found in the plot line. While we see characters fearfully casting silver bullets and locking their doors at night, we never get a great sense of the roots of the town's fears and superstitions. Does everyone in the town believe in werewolves, or is it merely an underground superstition? How far back does the town's relationship with monsters go, and how deeply rooted is their superstition? I realize that it is implied that the small town folk believe in werewolves, while the more educated elite view these superstitions as delusions. Still, I would have liked more detail as to how and why such beliefs came to be.

Similarly, most of the characters came across as a bit one-dimensional. While Benicio Del Toro's weathered face seems like a perfect fit for a heavily stylized monster film of this type, his acting mostly felt flat and unemotional. Anthony Hopkins' character made for an interesting villain, but needed to be fleshed out more. He was interesting in that he reveled in things that his son detested, making him a great contrast to our lead character. The problem is, I never really got a good sense of why he took such great pleasure in the darker side of life, other than the fact that it added an extra twist to the storyline, and allowed for an extra fight scene. The one character I did enjoy here was a Scotland Yard investigator, played by Hugo Weaving. He was delightfully sarcastic, and perfectly believable amongst the fog of the English countryside.

While The Wolfman has its faults, it also has its strengths. It's not the new definitive werewolf movie, but it's no Twilight either. Those who venture out to the theaters to see it are in for an enjoyable, yet occasionally frustrating experience. That said, those who are truly interested should make the trip to see it, if only to witness bone-crunching transformations on the big screen, and in stereo sound.

A Monster is Born: Gojira (1954)

Godzilla has starred in twenty-eight films, has won numerous awards, and is an international icon beloved by children all over the world. Not bad for a fictional character. Especially when you consider that this character's first film was a dark, not-so-subtle metaphor for the horrors of nuclear warfare.

Many Americans have never seen the side of the Godzilla legend that is presented in Gojira (1954) and therefore are missing out on an important part of the monster's origin story. Unfortunately, it wasn't until 2006, over fifty years after the movie premiered in Japan, that the original subtitled and uncut version of Gojira was released on DVD in the United States. Up until this point, the only version of the film that was widely available on home video in the United States was the heavily cut and dubbed American version (known as Godzilla: King of the Monsters). The American version, while lovable in its own right as a piece of campy '50's science fiction, does not handle the original story with much care and accuracy. Nearly all of the political messages and illusions found in the original Japanese version were cut so as not to turn-off American viewers.

The political messages in Gojira, while occasionally heavy-handed, are absolutely essential to the storyline. Even Godzilla's first attack, which results in the sinking of a small fishing boat, is a clear reference to a specific nuclear accident, in which United States nuclear tests caused the contamination of the cargo and crew aboard the Lucky Dragon No. 5, a Japanese fishing boat. Viewed in this historical context, Gojira is haunting. Gojira 1954 is, arguably, the only Godzilla movie that is interested in its human character as much as it is interested in Godzilla himself. Here the monster is merely a metaphor for the nuclear threat. He does not have a personality as he does in the later films. This Godzilla does not does not dance and play with children, here he is much more animal like.

In regard to the human characters, this film features my all-time favorite, non-monster Godzilla character: the eye-patch wearing Dr. Serizawa. Serizawa is the type of scientist that only exists in the movies. He's reclusive, lives in a house that resembles a castle, and is tormented by the terrible power of his inventions. Serizawa is the tragic hero of the film. He holds the secret to defeating Godzilla in his invention, "the oxygen destroyer". True to its name, the oxygen destroyer is a device that sucks all the oxygen out of the surrounding water it is placed into. But while it is an object that could prove to be the last hope for humanity, it could also, in the wrong hands, be used as a devastating weapon. It is for this reason that Dr. Serizawa is extremely conflicted. Should he save the world from Godzilla only to hand humanity the keys to further devastation in the form of a deadly weapon? Of course, in the end, Serizawa decides to use the oxygen destroyer to vanquish Godzilla, but only at great personal sacrifice.

Godzilla himself is a powerful, intimidating force in the movie. It was because of budgetary issues that special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya decided to portray the monster as a man in a suit (he had originally wanted to animate Godzilla using stop motion techniques similar to those in King Kong). The resulting "suitmation" technique would become a staple of the Godzilla films. True, it does not look "realistic", but I personally love the look of the Godzilla films and would not be happy if the monsters look different than they do now. The detail in the handcrafted buildings that Godzilla destroys are very impressive. Thanks to the human actor underneath the Godzilla suit, the monster's movements look natural. He moves and reacts to his environment similar to the way in which a real animal would. Backing Godzilla's rampages through Tokyo is a rousing soundtrack, which is topped only by the iconic roar of the monster himself.

Gojira is a genre classic. Anyone with any interest in movie monsters, specifically those from Japan, obviously need to see Gojira in its original, uncut form. It is a film with a serious political message, yet it also manages to be very entertaining and engaging while teaching its lesson. As far as Godzilla goes, he has never been more menacing than he was in this movie, as he lumbers out of the water and into the city under the darkness of night. Godzilla's introduction, his head appearing over the crest of a hill, is a classic moment. On the other hand, Godzilla's death at the end of the movie is sad, in its own way, despite his role here as an unfeeling terror.