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Please Baby, Please: Lost in Translation

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It can be very difficult to merge live theatre and cinema.

Although there have been countless efforts before, it seems that one must inevitably give way to the other in order for it to be effective. As Spielberg recently recreated the wonder of West Side Story, he had to make the film feel authentic. Even amidst the song and dance numbers, somehow the story felt rooted in the real world. By the same token, films that adapt to live theatre must adjust their style accordingly in order to connect with the audience. 

When these concessions don’t occur, the results can be… conflicted.

Directed by Amanda Kramer, Please Baby Please tells the story of Suze (Andrea Riseborough) and Arthur (Henry Melling), a couple in 1950s Manhattan who witness a grisly murder. Shocked by the experience, Arthur also finds himself dangerously attracted to the greaser gang that was guilty, causing tension within his marriage. At the same time, Suze begins her own sexual awakening when she meets a mysterious upstairs neighbor (Demi Moore) whose bedroom is always open for experimentation.

Using bright, basic colours and stage lighting, the film very much feels like an ode to the theatrical experience. Taking cues from other favourites such as West Side Story, Please understands the tropes of live theatre storytelling and then quickly begins to subvert them. Tough guys aren’t so tough and women aren’t sure what they want from men. In this way, Kramer takes the classic storytelling devices of classic musicals and constantly challenges them. Featuring performances that feel better served onstage, Melling, Riseborough and especially Moore do their best to bring this experience to life for the viewer in its heightened environment. 

Unfortunately, the film’s style becomes somewhat of a strange experience for the audience. Using a verbal rhythm that’s reminiscent of beatnik poetry of the 60s and 70s at times, the film’s style is fascinating to experience but prevents the viewer from investing authentically in its characters. Although we understand the hyper-reality of the theatrical experience, the translation here creates a gap that simply doesn’t work.

Even so, while jarring in style, one thing that Please does very well is its dissection of gender stereotypes. Struggling with his sexuality in a culture that emphasizes human power and dominance, Arthur is a man lost amongst the expectations of others. He’s married to a woman who wishes to see more ‘masculinity’ from him and conflicted by his feelings for one of the very men who threatened his life. (Though, it’s also worth noting that Suze is wrestling with her own sexual desire in the modern age as well, eventually turning to… a washing machine.) As such, Arthur finds himself drawn to a world that he finds both threatening and alluring. 

These unique conversations lead to some fascinating inquiries into our current notions of gender dynamics. Is masculinity something that comes naturally through genetics and physical attributes? Or is it something that is passed down from generation to generation through cultural expectations? With honest inquiry, Please leans into its other-worldly circumstances in order to help dissect and disseminate gender politics in the 21st century. (Again, you’ll never look at your washer quite the same way.)

However, despite the importance of these conversations, the distance between viewer and characters prevents the film from connecting on a deeper level. As a result, Please Baby Please feels more like a philosophical investigation than emotional journey. As a result, while beautiful to see, the film doesn’t allow the viewer to feel the true impact of its arguments.

Having said this, with some intriguing arguments and explorations, Please Baby Please certainly has its positives. However, despite it’s pedigree, I would say Please to another title for a night of viewing. 

Please Baby Please is available on VOD now.

Monster Mondays – Godzilla 2000: Millenium (1999)

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By Ben Dower

Yuji Shinoda (Takehiro Murata), with the help of his daughter Io (Mayu Suzuki), heads up the Godzilla Prediction Network (GPN), an independent group of researchers who track Godzilla.  While chasing Godzilla through Nemuro one evening, they are joined by reporter Yuki Ichinose (Naomi Nishida).

A meteorite has been discovered at the bottom of the sea.  Shiro Miyasaka (Shiro Sano) of the Crisis Control Intelligence Agency (CCI) works to have the meteorite brought to the surface, but it turns out to be an alien spacecraft which takes flight after the sun rises.

Godzilla appears at the Tokai Nuclear Power Plant.  Mitsuo Katagiri (Hiroshi Abe), head of the CCI, wants to kill Godzilla and has the JSDF confront the monster with their new armour piercing Full Metal Missile.  The battle is interupted by the UFO, which blasts Godzilla back into the sea and then lands nearby.  Yuji Shinoda and Shiro Miyasaka, who are old friends, study a fragment of Godzilla’s flesh and uncover the secret of Godzilla’s regeration abilities, which they name Organizer G1.  

Despite attempts by CCI to anchor the UFO to the ground with wire, the object eventually breaks free and heads to Tokyo.  The spacecraft lands on the Tokyo Opera City Tower and hacks computers across the city, collecting all the data it can on Godzilla.  CCI has the top of Tokyo Opera City Tower blown up, but the UFO remains unscathed.  The spacecraft then responds by blasting the rest of the building apart.

Godzilla surfaces in Tokyo Bay and marches through the city to Shinjuku.  The monster and UFO battle, and the UFO takes some of Godzilla’s DNA.  The alien inside alters its genetic makeup using Godzilla’s DNA and mutates into a giant monster called Orga.  Godzilla and Orga do battle, with Orga able to use Organizer G1 to heal itself after Godzilla’s attacks.  Godzilla eventually destroys Orga, kills Katagiri, and blasts Tokyo with his ray, marking it as his territory.

In 1995, Toho ended the Heisei Godzilla series with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, clearing the way for TriStar Pictures’ big budget American Godzilla film.  TriStar had originally planned to make their own series of Godzilla films, but with reception for Godzilla (1998) being so bad, those plans were cancelled.  Despite the lack of any big screen followups, in September 1998, an animated spinoff of the TriStar film called Godzilla: The Series began broadcasting.  In many ways, Godzilla: The Series feels a lot like a more grounded version of the Showa Godzilla series and has been very well-received by fans.

With such a powerful rejection of TriStar Pictures’ Godzilla movie came open calls for Toho to produce a new Godzilla film, and so the studio moved quickly to put one into production.  With Tomoyuki Tanaka having passed away in 1997, Shogo Tomiyama took over the role of executive producer and hired Hiroshi Kashiwabara and Wataru Mimura to write the new film.  Kashiwabara had previously written Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994), while Mimura had written Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993).  

Tomiyama also turned to people with past experience on Toho’s giant monster films when it came to the director roles.  Takao Okawara was hired to direct his fourth Godzilla film, having previously directed Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), and Godzilla vs Destoroyah (1995).  Kenji Suzuki, who had succeeded Koichi Kawakita as special effects director on Rebirth of Mothra III (1998), was also hired to be the special effects director for Godzilla 2000: Millennium.

Also returning to the series is composer Takayuki Hattori, who had previously scored Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994).  Hattori’s score is pretty good, and his theme for Godzilla really helps convey the power of the monster.  Akira Ifukube’s classic Godzilla theme is also used when Godzilla rises out of Tokyo Bay and walks through the city to the UFO.

Rather than pick up where Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) left off and begin a series about the now adult Godzilla Junior, Godzilla 2000: Millennium takes place within its own continuity, something that would become a staple for most of the Millennium Godzilla series.  The move to stand alone films allowed Toho great room to experiment as the Millennium Godzilla series progressed as everything was open to change from one film to the next.  In keeping with this experimental new style, Godzilla is given his first major redesign in a Toho Godzilla film since Godzilla v. Biollante (1989).

Godzilla 2000: Millennium is very clearly a response to Godzilla (1998).  When Godzilla is attacked by the JSDF, he moves toward his attackers rather than running away like in the Hollywood film.  There is also the scene where Godzilla is attacked by fighter jets and struck by twelve missiles – the same number of missiles that killed TriStar Pictures’ Godzilla – and he just shrugs it off.  As if to drive the point home, Godzilla’s invicibility is even made a core aspect of the plot in the form of Organizer G1, with the alien invader trying to use it to make itself more powerful as it attempts to take over the Earth.

Godzilla 2000: Millennium was released to theatres in Japan on December 11, 1999.  Toho had the film dubbed into English in Hong Kong and TriStar Pictures licensed the movie for North American distribution.  Rather than just release Toho’s English dubbed version to home video as had been done with the last five Heisei Godzilla series films, TriStar instead decided to give the film a theatrical release in North America.  The movie was given a new dub in the United States, with the dialogue tweaked to be a little more funny than the Japanese version.  The sound effects were heavily altered, including both monsters’ roars, and new music was composed for some scenes.  Also, several minutes were trimmed to tighten the pacing of the film.  This new edit was released in North American theatres on August 18, 2000 as Godzilla 2000.

Godzilla 2000 was released on North American DVD and VHS on December 26, 2000, though I personally don’t ever remember seeing the VHS for sale in stores, apart from video rental shops.  This release contained only the heavily edited American cut of the film.  On September 9, 2014, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released Godzilla 2000 and Godzilla 2000: Millennium to Blu-ray, with both cuts of the film on a single disc.  Godzilla 2000: Millennium is presented in Japanese with optional English subtitles only and lacks Toho’s own English dub of the film.  This Blu-ray release seems to still be available.

Deconstructing Karen – A woke up call

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“It’s white women’s niceness that is killing us all.”

A group of women sit around a dining room table to break bread and talk. But it won’t be an easy or pleasant conversation. That is because it will strive to be an honest conversation about race in America. Deconstructing Karen, a documentary by director Patty Ivins Sprecht, watches as the conversation unfolds with a group of white women as their understandings of themselves is challenged.

The women are there as part of a Race2Dinner event. It is facilitated by Race2Dinner co-founders Saira Rao and Regina Jackson. Rao is Indian-American who describes herself at one point as a former white feminist. Jackson is African-American who has been involved in civil rights issues for decades. Rao and Jackson lead the women in a conversation that is at times provocative, confrontational, and blunt.

The target audience for dinners such as this are white women who describe themselves as liberal or progressive. The underlying thesis is that racism is inherent in our society. (Racism is defined in the film as “the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another.”) Because of that, all white people carry racism within them. Even Rao raises her hand when they ask who at the table is racist. The point of the dinner is to help those who come (and the rest of us as we watch) to begin to see the way racism and white supremacy have defined who they are. The extension of the thesis is that even those who think of themselves as woke may still be supporting the inherent white supremacy of our culture.

More than once the facilitators say that change is not possible until there is acknowledgement. And that acknowledgement is what the film is seeking. (Even that is hard to accomplish in the brief 73 minutes of the film.) This is not a film that offers a cure for the racism of society, or even a great epiphany of self-awareness. At best this offers a starting point for viewers to rethink what racism is and to what extent we participate in racism, even if we think otherwise.

Having taken part in anti-racism events, I know that these ideas can be difficult to comprehend intellectually, but even harder emotionally. The film gives us a good start at an intellectual understanding of how racism and white supremacy infect us. The real mission has to be for us to not only intellectually acknowledge our racism, but to emotionally incorporate that into our self-awareness and daily lives.

Deconstructing Karen is available on VOD.

Monster Mondays: Gamera 3 – Revenge of Iris (1999)

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In 1995, while Gamera battled the Gyaos, he pushed his way through an apartment building, killing the parents and cat of Ayana Hirasaka (Ai Maeda) while she looked on from the car.  In the years since, Ayana’s hatred for Gamera has festered.

Ayana now lives in Minami-Asuka, Nara, with her aunt, uncle, cousin, and brother Satoru (Takahiro Ito).  Satoru is being bullied, so Ayana agrees to break into a shrine on a dare from the bullies on the condition that they leave him alone.  In the shrine, Ayana discovers a giant egg and magatama.

Meanwhile, Gyaos have begun appearing all over the world.  Gamera, his connection to humanity severed when the magatama shattered during the events of Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996), has been frantically racing around the planet, trying to swat the Gyaos down before they can reproduce out of control.  Eventually he catches up to some Gyaos over Shibuya, Tokyo, during a busy Friday evening, and the ensuing battle leads to billions in property damage and thousands dead.

The egg Ayana found hatches, and inside is a tentacled monster.  Ayana is linked to the monster through the magatama she found, and learns that it hates Gamera like she does.  She names the monster Iris, after her cat that was killed by Gamera.  Iris grows, but like Ayana’s hatred, the monster begins to take control of her, and soon Iris is on a mission to kill Gamera, threatening the whole world.

Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris is my favourite film.  It is easily among the best of the Japanese giant monster genre, and is an incredible special effects achievement for its time.  The human and monster drama is woven together tightly, and unlike most other giant monster films where the humans get out of the way for the final monster battle, our main characters are right next to the dueling monsters, and their actions can impact the fight.

Our lead this time is actress Ai Maeda who, despite her young age, turns in a very believable performance of a teen who has grown extremely bitter at the cause of her parents’ deaths.  Having once lived in Tokyo, she now lives in the small village of Minami-Asuka with her aunt, uncle, and cousin who are pressuring her to change her last name to theirs, something she doesn’t want to do because its one of her last connections to her parents.

Newcomer to the series Senri Yamazaki plays goverment fortune teller Mito Asakura, and believes she is the rightful human priestess for Iris.  Using her position in the government, she eventually has Ayana kidnapped and taken to a shrine, where she seemingly tries to get some control over Iris.

Another newcomer to the series is Toru Tezuka, who plays the eccentric programmer and government agent Shinya Kurata.  Kurata is an associate of Asakura, with detailed theories about the relationship between Gamera, Gyaos, Iris, and humanity.  Tezuka is a prolific actor, often playing odd characters, and has worked multiple times with directors Hideaki Anno and Sion Sono.

Shinobu Nakayama returns to the Gamera series, reprising her role as ornithologist Dr. Mayumi Nagamine from Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995).  She reunites with Tsutomu Osako, played once again by Yukijiro Hotaro, who is now living homeless on the streets of Tokyo due to the trauma from his past encounters with monsters.  

Also returning is Ayako Fujitani in the role of Asagi Kusanagi.  In the previous film, however, the magatama that linked her to Gamera was shattered, severing her connection to the monster.  Still, she trusts Gamera to do what’s right, even when his actions cause others to doubt him.

Gamera undergoes another redesign, this time looking much meaner than in the previous two films.  His head is smaller, and gone are the large cute eyes.  His shell is also much more jagged than before, and the crest on his head is enlarged.  This is easily the best design the monster has ever had, but it is a far departure from the Showa’s Gamera series’ friend of children look.

Iris is a very alien looking monster, with no clear eyes or mouth.  It has long tentacles flowing from its back, and its arms end in large pointed spear-like tips.  Iris emits a whale-like song rather than a traditional monster roar, and it is bioluminescent, which looks gorgeous during the night scenes in Kyoto.  When just a hatchling, Iris almost looks like a Pokemon, and despite its seemingly harmless appearance, it quickly reveals how dangerous it can be when it pierces a can of cat food with a tentacle and sucks the contents out of it.

Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris is a special effects showcase and there are several jaw-dropping sequences in this film.  Gamera’s battle with Gyaos in Shibuya is an early highlight, in which Gamera shoots fireballs around the ward trying to blast the fast-flying Gyaos out of the air. The fireballs slam into the ground and landmarks in rapid succession, sending debris and human carnage flying.  Another highlight is when Gamera and Iris crash through Kyoto Station, our core cast in the foreground as the monsters push through the wall.  Iris then tosses an injured Gamera out the otherside of the station, which is built largely of glass, causing the monster and debris to rain down on the bus terminal outside.  Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris also uses more CGI special effects than any other Japanese giant monster film up to that point. Fortunately the CGI is greatly improved over the little bit used in Gamera: Guardian of the Universe and Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, and while it looks a bit dated now, it still does the job well.  

Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris is currently available on Blu-ray from Arrow Video in the box-set titled Gamera: The Heisei Era.  It contains the Japanese version and the American English dub.

A Chance Encounter: The Soul of Storytelling

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If you want to really know someone, let them tell you their story.

Directed by Alexander Jeffery, A Chance Encounter tells the story of Hal (Paul Peterson), an aspiring poet who sets out in the Sicilian town of Toarmina to find inspiration. Along the way, Hal encounters Josie Day (Andrea von Kampen), a respected folk singer who is also working on her next project. Josie immediately feels responsible for her new friend and the two begin to bond in their travels. But, as secrets are revealed, the potential for a relationship may remain as stunted as the writer’s block that plagues them both.

Set in the heart of Italy, there’s a sweetness and charm to A Chance Encounter which keeps it interesting, even in moments when the film seems to fall flat. Well-written and executed, this is a story designed to charm the viewer with its stunning scenery, adorable meet-cute set-up and artistic whimsy. 

And, frankly, one can’t deny that there is a beauty about the film that remains enticing. 

As Hal and Josie share their artistic expressions with one another, Encounter feels like a personal love letter to the creative process. Even as he builds up the romance, Jeffery never loses sight of the power of the arts and allows it to remain front and center to the storytelling. (In fact, one could argue that we even wait with more expectancy for the next poem or song than we do resolution to the ‘will they/won’t they’ storyline.) 

Interestingly, it’s also worth noting that both Peterson and von Kampen contributed their own art to their respective characters. Whereas von Kampen performs her own original music, what might be more surprising is that Peterson also wrote all of the poetry for his character as well. In doing so, there’s a certain level of intimacy of expression that comes across in the performances that adds to the piece overall. .) Their willingness to share their souls makes Encounter feel genuine in a way that reciting words from the screenwriter does not. (For example, Peterson as said that he didn’t hear von Kampen’s final song until the moment she performed it, giving his character a more authentic response.)

As Hal and Josie respectively, Peterson and von Kampen offer engaging performances that help the film along. Peterson has a natural humility onscreen that brings Hal to life while von Kampen has an affability and quirkiness that serves her character as well. However, where Encounter struggles (somewhat ironically) are the scenes together. Although their individual performances are fine, there chemistry together is suspect at times in ways that can detract from the romantic angle.

Having said that though, Encounter has such whimsy embedded in its setting that it can often gloss over its flaws. In many ways, the film feels like a travel log of the Italian culture. Emphasizing fantastic food, wine and scenery, one can’t help but fall in love with the setting. What’s more, the film uses this to its advantage by emphasizing its belief that everywhere here is filled with history. There is a genuine sense within Encounterthat stories echo throughout eternity, whether it’s Italian history or the measure of a poem.

In this way, Jeffery’s script emphasizes the importance of sharing our experiences with one another. As Hal and Josie offer their art to one another, there’s an intimacy that builds between them. There’s a recognition that the stories they share offer pieces of their soul. 

Fused with its European culture that surrounds them, this message of intimacy makes it hard to deny the charm of this Encounter. But it’s also one that you may not want to give a second Chance.

A Chance Encounter is available on VOD/Digital on Friday, October 28th, 2022.

Nope: Devouring the Hollywood Dream

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No matter how good your work may be, you will always be judged by your greatest achievement.

Such is the case with filmmaker Jordan Peele. Having established himself with the gold standard of modern day, elevated horror with 2017‘s Get Out, Jordan Peele quickly became the hottest genre director in recent years. Comparisons to Alfred Hitchcock and other greats have been well-earned for his work as he continues to provide exciting horror entries that speak to the black cultural experience in the modern era. The problem is, of course, is maintaining the accolades. 

While his follow-up films and projects have proven to be incredibly well-executed and intricate puzzle boxes worth unlocking, they are inevitably going to be compared to the film that sent a shock through the system. (In some cases, one can compare Peele’s current career trajectory to that of M. Night Shyamalan who, after crashing through the door with The Sixth Sense, has found it difficult to escape from the legacy of that first film.) Now, with the release of Nope, Peele again has created a solid piece that entertains and challenges his audience. 

But, as unfair as it is to say, it’s simply not as good as Get Out. 

Nope tells the story of OJ and Emerald (Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer), two Hollywood horse-trainers who live a quiet life in the desert of Agua Dulce in California. Having inherited the family business from their deceased father, the siblings have found the business to have fallen on hard times. Forced to sell off their horses gradually to Ricky (Steven Yeun), a local owner of a theme park, the two ponder what will become of their homestead. However, when they encounter a mysterious ship in the sky, the two join forces to get footage of this otherworldly encounter as a way to make their mark on history.

Leading the film may be solid performances by recent Oscar winner Kaluuya and Yeun but, unquestionably, Nope feels like a star-vehicle for Keke Palmer. Bounding around the screen with endless energy, Palmer is the fire cracker that lights the fuse of Nope and keeps it burning. There is simply an energy and enthusiasm about her performance that one can’t help but be drawn towards. Hers is a character that is not only often funny but frequently, the strongest voice of reason as well, creating a character that it feels more than an amalgamation of a collection of horror tropes.

In a lot of ways, Nope is a more intricate film than Peele’s previous two efforts as it makes use of its metaphors far more subtly than its predecessors. Whereas Get Out and Us had a clear, social conscience, Nope feels much more like a large-scale, popcorn flick. Certainly, this is not a problem… Except for those nasty expectations that have been established already for Peele’s work. Unfortunately, for many, this left Nope to be seen by many as more confusing film, despite the high praise from critics (mostly) across the board.

Although Nope works as an entertaining and fairly straightforward piece, it also feels like there’s something more to be discovered within it. Even without the clear social impetus of Peele’s other films, it’s relevant, sharply written, and entertaining and its own right. Set on the outskirts of Hollywood, Nope is an scathing look at our obsession with fame and notoriety. In an influencer-driven culture such as this, everyone seems to have an interest in cashing in their chips in the Hollywood game. OJ and Emerald fight tirelessly to unlock the mystery of the skies, not out of the sense of wonder, but out of a desire to catch their ‘Oprah moment’. Despite the trauma that he experienced in his youth, Ricky builds a shrine to his legacy within his office while Holst yearns to leave his mark with the ‘perfect shot’. (Even the fact that Kaluuya’s character is named ‘OJ’ brings to mind the infamous ‘Trial of the Century’ of the mid-90s.) 

In this film, everyone is fighting for their five minutes of fame as they look for their chance at immortality. But, even though Nope celebrates the Hollywood dream, it also cuts against it as well. Characters such as Ricky have been left scarred by their experiences with fame but still they clamour for it. In this way, dreams of stardom are seen to come at a price (even a deadly one). 

On the disc, features are surprisingly sparse for such a large release. As a result, there are few episodes to get excited about, generally. (Although ‘Call Him Jean Jacket’ has a surprising level of depth into the design and sound design for the creature itself.) Nevertheless, it’s also worth noting that the film looks stunning in its 4K release as the film’s visuals absolutely pop on the television screen. Although the film is meant to feel immersive on the big screen, the colour and scope translate well at home. In each scene, the dryness of the desert or (apparent) serenity of the sky look stunning, drawing the viewer into film’s scope. (“We wanted the sky to feel like the water in Jaws,” Peele’s team notes.)

But, no. If Get Out is the standard, Nope doesn’t make the grade. But, sometimes, the brass ring simply can’t be the expectation. On it’s own, Nope is a highly entertaining ride that’s worth saying yes to, even if it doesn’t match the standard of Peele’s best work.

Get Out is available on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital on Tuesday, October 25th, 2022.

Monster Mondays – Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996)

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By Ben Dower

During a meteor shower, something lands in Hokkaido.  The JSDF head out to the impact site, but instead of finding a meteorite, they find a strange trackway, as if whatever struck the Earth was slowing down as it hit the ground.  

Midori Honami (Miki Mizuno), a Sapporo Science Centre employee, is called upon to help investigate a mysterious set of scientific phenomenon in the area, which seem to be moving in the direction of Sapporo.  Before long, a Sapporo subway train is attacked by human-sized insect-like creatures.  While the police are trying to extract survivors from the train, a gigantic flower bursts out of the ground.  It is soon learned that the monsters have a symbiotic relationship with the flower, and the flower will explode with the power of a nuclear detonation to launch a seed into space and spread the creatures to another planet.

Gamera emerges from the Pacific Ocean and flies to Sapporo.  It quickly destroys the flower before it can explode, but is then attacked by the creatures, which swarm over him.  As Gamera struggles with the smaller monsters, Colonel Waterase (Toshiyuki Nagashima) names the monsters Legion, after the demons described in the Biblical passage of Mark 5:9.  Gamera manages to get away, but after he leaves, the gigantic Queen Legion bursts out of the ground and flies away.

Soon a second flower is threatening to blow up Sendai.  Asagi Kusanagi (Ayako Fujitani) is among the evacuees at Kasuminome Airfield when Gamera arrives to try to stop the flower.  Gamera is confronted by the Queen Legion, who is desperate to stall long enough for the flower to launch its seed.  Eventually the Queen Legion ducks underground, and Gamera is free to make his way to the flower.  

Gamera arrives at the flower, but he is too late.  He throws himself on it just as it explodes, stopping the seed from launching, but is seemingly killed in the explosion.  With Gamera now out of action and Legion heading toward Tokyo, things are looking bleak for Japan.

Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995) was a hit with audiences and critics, so Daiei Film brought the crew back together to make a sequel.  Shusuke Kaneko, Kazunori Ito, Shinji Higuchi, and composer Kow Otani all return behind the scenes.  Actor Yukijiro Hotaru also returns, reprising his role as Tsutomu Osako, though this time he is a security guard at a Kirin beer factory, having left the Nagasaki police after his experience with the Gyaos.  Actress Ayako Fujitani also reprises her role from the first movie, once again playing Asagi Kusanagi, the girl linked to Gamera through the magatama amulet.

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion maintains the mature tone of the previous film.  The Soldier Legion’s attack on the subway train in Sapporo is suprisingly gory.  As with Gyaos in the last movie, Legion poses a real danger to mankind, and that danger builds as the film progresses.  The Legion’s flowers are essentially ticking time bombs, and thus our human characters and Gamera have only a short window in which to destroy them before they take out an entire city.  When Gamera fails to stop one from detonating in Sendai, not only is the city destroyed, but it helps to increase the stakes tremendously, especially with Legion moving in the direction of Tokyo.

The Queen Legion is a truly unique monster and a wonder of suitmation.  With Legion being an arthropod rather than a tetrapod, the special effects crew had to get very creative when it came to getting a human operator inside the suit, and they pull it off flawlessly.  Legion’s two front appendages are operated by the actor’s legs, but the back limbs, which are much more crab-like, function automatically as the actor walks, providing for very realistic looking arthropod locomotion.

Gamera gets a bit of a redesign, making him a little less cute than in the previous film.  It’s an improvement over his design in the last movie, with a more angular face.  Also, the crew made the wise decision to have his arms morph into flippers when he flies, giving him a much more plane-like appearance and helping to better sell the idea of a flying turtle.

Our two main cast members this time around are Miki Mizuno as Midori Honami, a Sapporo Science Centre employee, and Toshiyuki Nagashima as Colonel Waterase.  Both do a great job, with Nagashima in particular being very believable as a military leader facing a seemingly insurmountable crisis with dignity.

Kow Otani’s soundtrack is really good, with his main title piece helping set the unsettled tone early while also mixing in the Heisei Gamera theme.  The return of his Gamera theme helps link this film to its predecessor musically, and boosts the feeling of cohesion between the two.  Kow Otani would also return for Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999), and team up with Kaneko again for a film starring a bunch of other famous giant monsters: Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001).

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion is one of those rare sequels in that it is better than its predecessor, and considering how good Gamera: Guardian of the Universe was, that’s an incredible achievement.  The story is tight, with an increasing sense of urgency, and the enemy monster more interesting, with multiple forms and unique biology.  Shinji Higuchi has clearly learned a lot from his experience on Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, as his special effects work on Gamera 2: Attack of Legion shows clear improvement over that film.

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion is currently available on Blu-ray from Arrow Video in the box-set titled Gamera: The Heisei Era.  It contains the Japanese version, American English dub, and the “Lake Texarkana” comedy dub.

Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday – Still Alive and Kicking

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When you’re a hitman, you can’t take a vacation, even if you need one.

With the return of anti-hero Mike Fallon (Scott Adkins) in Accident Man: Hitman‘s Holiday, our fair hero wants to put the events of his past behind him and move on with his life. Having moved to Malta, he spends his days doing quick contract kills and attempting to survive his ‘training’ from his friend, Sarah Chang (Wong Siu-Ling). But the past has a way of catching up with you. All of a sudden, Fallon finds himself forced to fend off the world’s top assassins from killing the annoying son of a mafia boss.

Featuring a plot that could be taken from any of the myriad of violent actioners in the past, Holiday offers nothing particularly new to the genre. A symphony of nonsense, the film plays out almost as much like a video game as it does narrative. But one can’t say that it isn’t fun. Admittedly, each scene leads to increasingly brutal battles and plot twists can be seen coming a mile away. Even so, this isn’t a film that wants to challenge the boundaries of storytelling. Instead, this Holiday wants to offer a vacation for your brain by titillating it with some insane action work that keeps the film interesting. 

Quietly making a name for himself on the VOD circuit, Adkins continues to fly around the screen with unbelievable speed and precision here as well. Having said this, he is almost outshone by his costar, Wong Siu-Ling. While her acting performance is… lacking… she’s not here for her ability to spin a sonnet. In Holiday, Wong bounces around on screen with the energy of a young Michelle Yeoh, kicking butt whenever she has the opportunity. Between the two of them, there are enough bodies laid out on screen to satisfy every fan of the genre. 

Interestingly, there’s a subtle commentary on the modern action hero. Back in the 1980s and 90s, the ‘one man against the world’ actioner remained a staple of the cinema. Heroes such as Schwarzenegger, Van Damme and Stallone made their name by being one-man armies but our action heroes have evolved since then. While Fallon may be a killer, what’s interesting is that this man cannot do it alone. There’s a very real sense that this hitman needs a hit-family in order to survive in the New World. (“Enough of this toxic masculinity,“ one villain reminds him.) 

The best example of this comes when Fallon points out that, even though he may be a violent killer, that only happened because that is who he has been made to be by the previous generation. Stepping out on his own, he wants to do things differently than those who came before him. Now, he sees the value of working together, even if the job is to leave people out on a cold slab. To him, the outcome may be the same but that doesn’t mean that he has to do it the same way. In this way, Holiday holds on to its violent traditions while still acknowledging the need for a new direction. 

But let’s be serious, if you’re watching Hitman‘s Holiday, you’re likely not doing it for the social commentary. 

In this way, Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday carries all fun of wanton violence that should excite fans of the franchise. Although the plot is standard and the characters fairly one-note, Holiday features some truly eye-popping fight scenes that keep the film alive and kicking. (And, by the film’s end, there’s no doubt that this is intended to be the next chapter of an ongoing franchise.) So, if you’re looking for a night of martial arts action, it’s a Holiday that may be worth taking.

Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday is available on VOD and Digital on Friday, October 14th, 2022.

Monster Mondays: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)

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By Ben Dower

An angry Godzilla, glowing red and spewing steam, attacks Hong Kong and Taiwan.  Little Godzilla is nowhere to be found.  Kenichi Yamane (Yasufumi Hayashi), the son of Shinkichi, who was adopted by Dr. Kyohei Yamane after his family was killed on Odo Island by Godzilla in 1954, concludes that Godzilla’s internal reactor will likely explode.

Reporter Yukari Yamane (Yoko Ishino), Kenichi’s sister, interviews Dr. Ijuin (Takuro Tatsumi) who seems to have rediscovered the Oxygen Destroyer.  The UNGCC plans to use the Oxygen Destroyer to kill Godzilla, but Emiko Yamane (Momoko Kochi, reprising her role from Godzilla (1954)) pleads with Kenichi not to use it.  The Super X III uses freezer weapons and cadmium bombs on Godzilla, but his internal reactor is still having trouble, meaning the monster will undergo a nuclear meltdown.

Meanwhile, some prehistoric crustaceans mutated by the use of the Oxygen Destroyer in 1954 have been causing havoc at a construction site.  The crustacean creatures merge into a giant monster Dr. Ijuin names Destoroyah.  Little Godzilla, now grown into Godzilla Junior, resurfaces off Japan.  He is lured to Destoroyah in the hopes Godzilla will follow and be killed by Destoroyah before he melts down.

Destoroyah kills Junior and attacks Godzilla.  As the battle goes on, Godzilla’s meltdown begins.  The Super X III and JSDF use freezer weapons to kill a wounded Destoroyah, and then turn their guns on the melting Godzilla in an attempt to contain the damage.  Suddenly the radiation levels drop.  Godzilla Junior, having absorbed the energy released by his father, is alive once again and now a full-grown Godzilla.

With ticket sales dropping on Godzilla film releases since Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) and an American Godzilla film potentially on the horizon, Toho made the decision to end the series and kill off their monster star.  Still, there was one problem Toho had left to solve: how to fittingly end the series.

Takao Okawara was brought back to direct the movie, and Kazuki Omori was again given the job of screenwriter.  One early idea tossed around for the film was to have Godzilla fight the ghost of the original 1954 Godzilla, but this concept was scrapped.  Instead the team behind the film cleverly came up with a way to tie the film back to Godzilla (1954) and the Oxygen Destroyer.

Destoroyah is an interesting monster that goes through many forms in its growth.  Early on it is a tiny crustacean that disolves fish, evoking the imagery of the Oxygen Destroyer.  It soon grows to human-sized orange crab-like creatures that spit a highly damaging ray weapon from a secondary mouth, likely inspired by the Xenomorphs from the Alien franchise.  These crab-like forms soon fuse into a giant crab-like creature, that can switch to a flying form, which then later grows into a towering bipedal monster.

Godzilla undergoes his most substatial change since Godzilla vs Biollante (1989), and while his general design is still the same, portions of his body now glow orange and steam pours out of fissures in his body.  This is a very ill Godzilla that is clearly suffering from his malfunctioning internal systems.  Achieving these effects practically was truly an impressive feat by Special Effects Director Koichi Kawakita and his crew.

Godzilla Junior also looks very good, and thankfully Godzilla’s son has undergone a massive redesign from his look in Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994).  Though the audience goes into the film expecting Godzilla to die, Junior’s storyline comes as a surprise.  The movie constantly puts his survival in doubt, playing with the audience’s emotions, right up until the end credits roll.  It’s a very clever move by Omori and Okawara, helping to replace some of the suspense lost by announcing Godzilla’s death to the world to generate publicity for the film.

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah also carries a lot of thematic weight with it.  Godzilla’s death, whether it is by explosion or nuclear meltdown, poses a threat to the entire world, repeating the theme of Godzilla (1954) that our dangerous use of nuclear power could very well lead to our extinction.  The moral debate around the use of the Oxygen Destroyer is also brought back to the series, and the stakes are raised when it is discovered Dr. Serizawa’s use of the weapon in 1954 to kill Godzilla led to the creation of another terrible monster.

Not only did Godzilla vs. Destoroyah mark the end of the Heisei Godzilla series, but it was also the last film for two of Godzilla’s creators.  Tomoyuki Tanaka had been either a producer or executive producer on all the Godzilla films up to this point, and passed away in 1997 at the age of 86.  Likewise, Akira Ifukube, the man who had been the primary music composer for eleven of the previous twenty-one Godzilla movies, as well as a number of Toho’s other major giant monster pictures, wrote his twelfth and last score for a Godzilla film for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.  Ifukube’s music continues to be used in Godzilla movies, most recently in the American film Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019).  Akira Ifukube died in 2006 at the age of 91.

Toho had Godzilla vs. Destoroyah dubbed into English in Hong Kong and the film was released to VHS in North America in 1999 by Columbia TriStar Home Video.  This release was an English dubbed full screen version of the film that cut off the end credits, which featured a montage of footage from Godzilla (1954) and the Heisei Godzilla Series films.  The movie was released on DVD in 2000 in widescreen with English dubbing as the only audio option, again with the end credit montage largely cut off.  Unfortunately, the DVD is a double-sided disc with Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994), making it difficult to handle and easy to get dirty or damaged. 

In 2014, Godzilla vs Destoroyah was released to Blu-ray in a double-feature set with Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000) by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Both films get their own disc, and are presented in widescreen with the original Japanese audio and English dub as audio options.  The full end credits are also preserved this time, though translated into English.  The subtitles appear to be a reasonable translation of the Japanese dialogue, rather than just based on the dubbing.  The Blu-ray release seems to still be available.

God’s Creatures – Problem Prodigal

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“We’re all God’s creatures in the dark.”

Jesus’ parable of the return of a prodigal son (Luke 15:11ff) is a complex tale of grace and of judgment. In the parable, we see the perspectives of the son, his father, and his brother. In God’s Creatures, directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, we get a glimpse at what the Prodigal’s mother might have gone through on his return.  There is great joy, but there are also problems that could tear apart her community and her family.

Brian O’Hara (Paul Mescal) returns home to his small Irish fishing village after seven years away in Australia. His mother, Aileen (Emily Watson) sees this as her prayers being answered. She’s even happier when Brian sets out to restore their long-abandoned oyster bed. When Brian is accused of a sexual assault, Aileen lies to give him an alibi. That lie, and Aileen’s sense of morality create a struggle she must deal with as the consequences compound.

This is a tightknit community. The men all work on the sea, the women in the processing plant. Everyone depends on the sea and its dangers for their survival. The tides and the storms of the sea are reflected in the tumultuous emotional journey that Aileen will face as the story develops.

Aileen may be protecting her son, but she also knows, works with, and likes the woman who accused Brian. As is often the case, it is Sarah, the victim, who is ostracized by the community. But there are some, even in her own family, who believe Sarah’s accusations. Aileen struggles between protecting her son, and doing what is right for the community and for Sarah.

The emotional and ethical struggle that Aileen goes through is very much like the life in the seaside village. It is ruled by tides and storms. The sea is beautiful, but dangerous. It gives life, but it can also destroy. As Aileen deals with the repercussions of her lie, it is as if she is facing the sea itself. She begins to see that there are dangers she hadn’t imagined. It may not be possible to face this storm without losing more than she can stand.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son (or “Waiting Father” or “Elder Brother”) is one of Jesus’s most complex parables. It offers a wide range of points of view. It also raises some important issues. The Prodigal is never held to account, and in the end, we don’t see that he’s changed. If we use that parable as a lens to view God’s Creatures, we too may wonder if a welcome home was warranted by one who seems to have squandered so much.

God’s Creatures is available in select theaters and on VOD on Friday, September 30th, 2022.