Matt’s Week in Dork! (10/6/13-10/12/13)

    Not a whole heck of a lot going on.  I did read Godzilla: The Half-Century War.  Otherwise, just having my spirit crushed.

Jesse James:  Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda are fine in this perfectly OK film version of the classic American outlaw tale.  Pushed too far by railroad men, two brothers fight back…then keep fighting until they become full fledged bandits.  A nice supporting cast helps, but at the end of the day, it’s only an OK movie.  Not bad, but not amazing.

The Return of Frank James:  Henry Fonda reprises his role as Frank James in this sequel to the previous year’s Jesse James.  It too is fine, but nothing special.  If anything, this revenge movie is far too nice, too much of what TV would become.  And the Clem character?  Holy crap does he suck.  Gene Tierney made her big screen debut as a plucky girl-reporter.  Sadly, she’s not very good.  She’s cute enough, and it’s not like she’s terrible or anything.  Just not memorable.  Sort of like rest of the film.  Director Fritz Lang seems to have brought none of his visual flare along with him.

Dinosaur Valley Girls:  You may not expect it, but this movie is garbage.  Sadly, it’s not all that fun either.  I like dinosaurs.  I like dames.  Dinosaurs and dames have made a great combination many times before.  But cavegirls and fake boobs don’t work.  Also, writing is always a plus.  Good writing even more so.

My Young Auntie:  I’m generally not a fan of Hong Kong comedy (or any non-English language comedy).  I find there tends to be too much cultural specific stuff for me to engage in the humor.  And humor is such a monumentally subjective thing, that is very, very difficult to translate.  So, imagine my shock when I found myself enjoying the heck out of this story of a pretty young woman battling expectations and greedy relatives.  The fighting is top notch Shaw Bros. stuff, too.  I’d recommend watching it with the dubbing, as that adds to the amusement.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home:  The first Star Trek film I saw on the big screen is still one of my favorites.  It’s goofy fun, with lots of great lines.  And it’s probably the best film where it comes to giving all the characters moments to shine, especially McCoy and Scotty.  Considering this is one of the most successful films in the series, it’s frustrating that no other movie has imitated it, instead opting for rehashing Wrath of Khan’s formula.  Where are the dilemmas that need solving?  Where is the fun?  No, it’s darkness, war, and the villain that needs to be punched into submission.  Cut it out, Star Trek producers/writers.  It’s time to recapture some of the lighthearted and hopeful spirit of Star Trek IV.

Doctor Who: The Curse of Fenric:  One of the best Sylvester McCoy stories, this one has some good bits, and some interesting ideas.  But it’s still only OK.  As I near the end of McCoy’s run, and of the original Doctor Who series in general, I can absolutely see what it was canceled.  From the last season of Colin Baker on, the writing seems to have gone down the toilet.  Occasional bright spots serve to highlight the overall drop in quality.  And unfortunately, a lot of the worst aspects of this era seem to have been held over into the new series, especially the Stephen Moffat era.

Frankenstein The True Story:  This 3 hour, made for TV adaptation of the classic novel is pretty good.  It’s not as ‘faithful’ to the source material as I’d been led to believe, but it’s still probably the best adaptation of the book.  I have yet to see a film that treats the monster right, but this one seems to have done a better job of capturing the irresponsibility of Victor.  The thing about the original Shelley novel that I always liked is it didn’t actually condemn the science, so much as the lack of responsibility on the part of the scientist.  Adam was not evil, but was driven to do evil by circumstances created and exacerbated by his creator, Victor Frankenstein.  He is an immensely powerful child, given no direction or love by his parent.  This movie does not really get into that aspect of things as much as I’d have liked.  Still, it’s pretty good, and it’s worth seeking out.

    I tried a new wine that I ended up really enjoying.  Dearly Beloved: I Thee Red.  It’s mellow and went with the seared chicken and spicy rice I had for dinner.  I’m not much of a wine guy, so I’m trying out some various types to see if I can develop some kind of appreciation of it.

Human Desire:  Director Fritz Lang, stars Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame reunite a year after making the amazing film The Big Heat to craft another twisted Noir tale of love and betrayal.  Unfortunately, lightening did not strike twice, and this film is nowhere near as tense, brutal, or compelling as The Big Heat.  It’s not bad, but it’s not especially good, either.  Ford is fine, though he seems a bit out of place as a blue-collar rail worker.  Grahame is fine, too, if a bit shrill.

    So, I’ve had access to cable TV for a few months; the first time since moving to Virginia six years ago.  And generally speaking, it sucks total ass.  But TCM is a pretty cool channel, and on Saturday it gave me a chance to see a couple science fiction films I’d never seen, It Came from Outer Space and The World, The Flesh and the Devil.  TCM, the AFI Silver and to a lesser degree the Alamo Drafthouse have all combined create a kind of ambient noise of classic cinema that has me feeling pretty good about movies, even as I suffer through a dreadful year of film.  Plus, I’ve been catching a bunch of other older films through various other means recently.  It’s been quite nice.

It Came from Outer Space:  In tune with a lot of 50s sci-fi films, this has plenty of heavy-handed moralizing.  The acting is fine and the film looks good.  But the story is meh.  The creature is kind of cool, and I like the way seeing it seems to drive people temporarily mad, like something out of Lovecraft.  The ending is pretty cool; and somewhat unusual for its time.

The World, The Flesh and the Devil:  Harry Belafonte is working underground when something really bad happens.  Finally climbing up into the sun again, he finds himself alone in a desolate New York City.  The first half hour or so is carried completely by Belafonte, and there are moments that remind me of the early part of The Omega Man, making me wonder if this served as something of an inspiration (beyond the novel I Am Legend, obviously).  This certainly covers some similar ground, though without any supernatural/plague element.  When he meets a woman, things become more complicated, and suddenly the racial tensions ramp up.  This becomes even more intense when another man, a white man, arrives on the scene.  How much of their pre-nuke baggage will they hold on to, how much can they cast off?  Once the conflict becomes a three-way, it becomes quite odd, building to a rather strange ending that can’t be accused of being typical.  Good use of early morning New York to create a lifeless world.

Thunder Birds:  On the home front, some young men need to learn the ins and outs of flying.  And of course, along the way, catch the eye of a lovely young lady.  Gene Tierney is that lady, and by Odin’s beard, she’s gorgeous.  From her extremely sexy reveal through her search for love.  Goodness.  The movie is an interesting look into the Wartime attitudes about various things, including people from other countries, romance, and stockings.  By no means a great classic, it’s still quite entertaining.

    That’s about it.  I’ve spent a lot of time staring at the wall this week.  It’s been a rough go.

Get it done!

-Matt

A Fistful of Underappreciated Horror! (Matt’s Picks)

    With October in full effect, it’s time to celebrate the Horror genre once again.  We’ve talked a lot about the classics of Horror, established masterpieces like The Thing, Night of the Living Dead, Glitter, etc.  So, this time around, we’re going to look at those Horror films that don’t get the love they deserve.

5.  Dust Devil:  There are two key versions of this film, one of which is frustratingly unavailable.  The original theatrical cut of the film is good, but only the ‘director’s cut’ has been put out on DVD.  Either way, there’s a strange, haunting vibe to the film.  A quest across southern Africa, a mysterious spirit traveler who seduces lost souls, an emotionally broken old cop.  Very moody, and very atmospheric.  Unfortunately, it’s director Richard Stanley’s only good work.

4.  The Stuff:  Larry Cohen made this ultra-80s wackado study of American consumerism and fad.  When a white goo bubbles up from underground, it becomes the new snack sensation.  But the snack has something else in mind.  Like a Lovecraft story, filtered through the neon soaked underworld of early 80s discontent.  Conspiracy, commercialism, survivalists, and sweaty palms.

3.  Monsters:  Nobody saw this low budget kaiju movie when it came out in 2010, and that’s really too bad.  Here’s hoping next year’s release of Godzilla will inspire folks to see director Gareth Edward’s first movie.  After a space probe crashes to Earth in Mexico, bringing with it an alien corruption, walls are built and the whole area becomes a no-man’s land.  A young socialite and a photographer need to get back to the States in a hurry, but things are falling apart.  A journey across Mexico is harrowing and educational.  The movie was shot on a very low budget, yet ends up being more effective than many big budget blockbusters.

2.  The Ninth Gate:  When I first saw this film, I wasn’t into it.  It seemed kind of goofy, a bit slow, what the heck was that ending?  For some reason, I sat down and watched it again one day.  And it was weird, but I really, really liked it.  The music, the look, the characters, and the scenes of journeying across Europe were all fascinating.  When I had the chance, I bought the DVD, listened to the commentary, and went on to read the novel it was based (loosely) on, and somehow, it became a favorite film of mine.  It was also when I realized I was a Johnny Depp fan.  Now, I can pop this movie in any time and enjoy the heck out of it.

1.  Lifeforce:  It starts as a space exploration film.  It becomes an alien invasion film.  And then it becomes an apocalyptic zombie film.  And it is one of the very few vampire films that doesn’t …hem…suck.  A great cast of UK character actors and a sprawling story help make a film that feels like the best of classic Hammer, specifically the Quatermass films.  The movie was not well received and has never seemed to pick up a particularly large audience, and that’s too bad.

    Looking back over this list, I can’t say I’m surprised at all that all five of these films share aspects of Lovecraft’s work and the work of his fellows.

-Matt

New Release Tuesday!!! (10/8/13)

This is an exciting week of electric releases.  You have potentially the greatest incarnation of Batman outside of a comic book, plus Criterion's Spooky October series begins, a mustachioed Lee Marvin, and the Seed of Chucky has spawned a reboot.  You won't go broke this week, but you'll spend some serious time streaming some rentals.

MUST BUY DVD OF THE WEEK!

Batman - The Dark Knight Returns Deluxe Edition:  Best Buy has had this on their shelves for a couple of weeks now, and I've already watched it twice.  Just a damn good movie.  For decades comic book nerds have said that Frank Miller's Batman opus could not be replicated on the big screen...and they were half right, as Hollywood couldn't make it happen, but DC Entertainment's animated devision sure as hell could.  They've put out some iffy stuff in the past (Batman/Superman Apocalypse yeash) and some brilliant stuff as well (Justice League - The New Frontier), but I'm ready to claim the complete cut of The Dark Knight Returns as their masterpiece.  Peter Weller is Batman.  He's been out of the scene for over a decade, and Gotham City seems to have become an even crappier crap hole than before.  A roving gang of Mutants rules the night while the billionaire playboy tries to recapture the thrill of death on the race track.  Come on Bats, what were you thinking?  There is no end to Batman.  And that's what this film explores exceptionally.  Those looking for a straightforward narrative might find the four chapter screenplay a bit sluggish, but that's a small quibble when you're given so much Bat gold...or grit.  And if you're frothing at the mouth at the very idea of Zach Snyder's Batman vs Superman than you'll want to check out the climactic Kryptonian beatdown seen here at its brutal best.

BUY!

I Married A Witch:  Having just spent a month obsessing over The Criterion Collection, I'm pretty much committed to purchasing every single release.  The first of their October Halloween releases, I Married A Witch is apparently a comic tale in which Veronica Lake's Salem Sorceress sets her sultry sights on Fredric March's Richie Rich - hijinks ensue.  I'm a little more excited for the Eyes Without A Face & The Uninvited releases later this month, but my collection could certainly use more Veronica Lake.

Shout At The Devil:  This is not a great movie.  It's barely a good one.  But Lee Marvin vs Roger Moore set against the backdrop of World War I Africa?  You gotta see it just for the Lee Marvin handlebar mustache alone.  And there is a pretty rocking fist fight between Moore & Marvin planted at the center of the movie.  I can't really recommend this for the average movie goer, but if yer a Marvin maniac like myself than you have to have this Shout Factory blu ray.  Still, why they hell are Point Blank and Prime Cut not available in high definition!?!?!?  It's insane to me that Shout At The Devil gets there before those obvious classics.

RENT!

Much Ado About Nothing:  Sure, Joss Whedon's Shakespeare adaptation is fun enough.  What I really like is the notion that Whedon gathered up his friends and filmed this during a Christmas break from The Avengers.  Watching it through that lens will allow you to forgive some of its saccharine twee.  Much Ado About Nothing has never been one of my favorite plays (I'm a tragedy/history man myself), but if you're feeling particularly gormless or romantic than it will certainly hit the spot.

After Earth:  Not nearly as bad as some would have you believe, and nowhere near the worst monstrosity ever perpetrated by one time wunderkind M Night Shyamalan (uh, let's try not to remember The Last Airbender, The Happening, Lady in the Water).  This is a fun little adventure film in which Will Smith & son are stranded on an apocalyptic earth, counting down the seconds until their tic tac air filters run out, or the Cloverfield limb monster swallows them whole.  Sure, little Will Smith is not a particularly strong actor, and he's not given any help thanks to the awful hillbilly accent they saddled these future humans with or the countless CGI threats that are tossed his way.  He could have used a puppet or two to act against.  

Curse of Chucky:  I'm pretty darn excited for this Direct-to-DVD sequel or reboot or whatever.  Brad Dourif is still the voice of Chucky, so that's a win, and he's brought his daughter into the franchise as the distraught mother battling the demonic good guy doll from Toys R Us hell.  Don Mancini, the writer of the original film and the director Seed of Chucky, returns to helm what is hopefully a twisted tale of goofy horror.  What I don't want is a dour retread of the original.  Let's see some of those gross out gags made not-so-famous in the later films.

Corruption:  I've never seen this one, but I'm always down for some Peter Cushing.  Here, the man who held Darth Vader's leash, plays a mad doctor experimenting in diabolical skin grafts.  Sounds a lot like Eyes Without A Face to me, but again, who cares when it's Cushing on the prowl.  And in HD?  Sign me up.

AVOID!

The Hangover Part III:  I thought the first film had a few gutbusters.  I appreciated it's dark, mean-spirited humor as well as its willingness to jump into the absurd - Mike Tyson.  The second film was painfully horrendous in its shot-for-shot remake style approach.  Thankfully this third film is not nearly that bad, but it's really just not funny.  It tries to reach for an epic status, but nothing that occurs in the film matches the intensity of its poster marketing.  A couple chuckles but this frat party is over.

The Purge:  I really love the core concept of an America that has become so morally corrupt that one day a year citizens are given a Get Out Of Jail Card.  Burglary, Rape, Murder.  It's all good.  Unfortunately, this bitter pill of an idea is tossed away for a routine home invasion film in which Ethan Hawke & Lena Headey scream, cry, and panic as their children go down dark hallways they shouldn't.  Simply long, dull, and annoying.

--Brad

Comic Review: Godzilla The Half-Century war

    Godzilla, like many long running franchises (James Bond, Star Trek, Doctor Who, etc.) has been many things over the years.  It started as an atomic allegory with strong post-Hiroshima/Nagasaki imagery.  It evolved into an environmental message series, aimed primarily at the young.  And it came back (twice) as slightly more serious, less intellectual, bad-science fiction, typical of contemporary, post-anime Japanese film.  Along the way, it has featured comedy, adventure, mystery, conspiracy, and occasionally horror.  The best films use Godzilla and the other monsters as forces of nature…natural disasters.  The best of the films feature compelling and interesting people trying to survive and understand as the world is torn down around them.  And with Godzilla: The Half-Century War James Stokoe has extracted some of the best of the films to create a five chapter, five decade epic of one man’s life in the shadow of the beast.

    Starting with its first appearance in the 50s, our hero Ota and his spaced out friend Ken are on the front line of history.  After proving their metal in the burning hell of Tokyo, they’re recruited for a special group gathered to study and stop Godzilla.  During the Vietnam War, things escalate when it is discovered that Godzilla isn’t so unique, and there might be people working behind the scenes with ulterior motives.  From there the story takes us to Africa, then Bombay, and finally to Antarctica, as the world is hammered down into burning rubble by the chaotic battling of kaiju.  Stokoe manages to work in many series favorites, even some of the weirder, lamer new monsters, while weaving the sad life’s story of a man trying to understand the wild thing he has spent his life fighting.

    Several especially effective moments stand out, particularly in the turning point story set in Ghana.  Here, as so many monsters come together and lay waste to a city, Ota is irrevocably changed.  The scenes of him sitting in the blasted building, watching the carnage, are quite striking.  And the sequence in the VW bus just the right dash of comic relief, which feels like something right out of one of those 70s films.  And Stokoe’s art manages to be extremely busy, yet evocative.  The colors are beautiful and the action very well done.

    For any Godzilla/Kaiju fan, this book is an absolute must.  It gives the genre the respect it deserves, tells a good story, and I think lives up to the potential of the ideas.  In many ways, this is to the Godzilla series what Marvels by Busiek and Ross was to the Marvel Universe.  And like Marvels, you don’t need to be a fan to appreciate it, but if you are a fan, I think it will be especially affecting.

Godzilla: The Half-Century War
Author/Artist: James Stokoe
Publisher: IDW
ISBN: 978-1613775950

-Matt

Matt’s Week in Dork! (9/29/13-10/5/13)

    I feel a bit better about this particular week in dork, if only because I was able to be really lazy on Sunday and watch a bunch of movies, something I haven’t been able to do in a while.  I needed the rest, though it turned out not to be enough.  Not too much else going on, except that for about two hours, the Godzilla trailer was out there on the internet, and it looked good.  Not sure why it was taken down; that seems silly.

    On Sunday morning, I watched a few episodes of the serial killer TV series Hannibal.  Is it great?  No.  Honestly, it’s not even all that good.  But it’s watchable fluff.  For a show from one of the major networks, it’s shockingly adult, and I don’t just mean about the gore.  I mean, it’s not something a child or an illiterate feeb could follow with ease, making it at least better than ER, Big Bang Theory, or dozens (hundreds?…thousands?) of other similar crappy shows.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec:  “Who allowed you to shoot at science?”   Certainly, it is no great distinction, but this is Luc Besson’s best film since The Fifth Element.  It has a nice blend of his usual quirky humor, French sensibilities, and old timey adventure.  A plucky gal reporter travels the globe having crazy adventures, but her current quest involves a mummy, a mad scientist, an intellectual mummy, and a pterodactyl, all part of a puzzle that will save her infirmed sister.  Like most Besson films, it’s quirky and occasionally annoying, but unlike a lot of his more recent work, it’s fun enough to still be mildly enjoyable.  I’d have loved it as a kid, and I think that’s its best audience, with just enough potty humor and macabre to really rope ‘em in.  And who knows, maybe this will lead them to reading the comics and other books that inspire this sort of thing.  It also features possibly the only not terrible score by Eric Serra I’ve heard, so there’s something.

Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance:  The first film was an interesting take on the classic samurai film, with a swordswoman on a bloody quest for revenge.  This second film feels like an afterthought, with little of particular interest.  It’s fine I guess.  But I wouldn’t bother seeking it out.

The Brotherhood of Satan:  Another on a long list of 70s films about Satanists, this one has some cool bits, but like most of the others, it’s ultimately quite boring.  Lots of long, quiet shots, and sudden surreal action.  Lots of good character actors.  Worth checking out as a companion to The Devil’s Rain or Race With the Devil.  Just don’t go in looking for a classic.

The 70s, man.

Priest:  “I am the bringer of the tide.”  This movie is hardly genius, but it’s visually interesting and fairly fun.  It’s the sort of weird science fiction film that shouldn’t be so rare, where the filmmakers use modern technology to present something a bit different.  At the time, it was the closest thing to a Judge Dredd film (or Mutant Chronicles) I had seen.  Of course, now Dredd exists and that isn’t the case anymore.  Still, it’s an enjoyable little romp, and at least the vampires are monsters, not romantic heroes.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir:  “As for me morals, I lived a man’s life, and I’m not ashamed of it.”  A gorgeous widow moves into a beautiful old haunted house, the dwelling place of an old sea captain’s ghost.  She’s brassy and he’s cantankerous.  It doesn’t take long for sparks to fly.  It’s a very cute romance, and the actors both have a great deal of fun with it.

Sundown:  Gene Tierney is the adventurous lady of dubious background who gets mixed up with some bloody business in Africa.  Gun running, conscientious objectors, and hidden bases.  This is no classic. It’s a pretty forgettable espionage adventure film, but watchable.  If you’re looking for movies to supplement your Indiana Jones love, you can throw this on the list, but don’t make the extra effort if it’s not readily available.

Godzilla Raids Again:  The English dubbed/edited version of this film is a mess, but a funny one.  The Japanese version is more serious, though not nearly as good as the original film, or as interesting and strange as the later entries in the series would become.  It’s worth a watch for fans of the series, and does have some good bits, but it’s forgettable.

Son of Fury:  Tyrone Power is full of haughty, baby-faced rage with just enough charm to be likable.  Gene Tierney is only slightly more Polynesian than I am (read: 0%), but OH MY GOODNESS does she look amazing in her Hollywood island garb.  Mmmmm.  It’s a fun movie, and I really enjoy John Carradine’s supporting role.

Slaves in Bondage:  One of those ‘morality pictures’ that were so popular in the day.  Basically, just an excuse to show women in various stages of undress, doing various forms of naughty business…all in the name of educating people on the dangers of free love, drink, and any sort of fun.  The acting is markedly dreadful, with exceptionally awkward dialog.  It’s terrible fun.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.:  One of the better new Godzilla films, this one builds on a lot of what’s gone before, taking the whole ‘Godzilla’s bones’ thing to its obvious, Mothra infused conclusion.  The characters are OK, and the call-backs to classic films are well done.  There’s some genuine emotional stuff, and a good ending.  Plus, some crazy action.  I’m generally not as into these post-1985 films as I am the original run, but this is certainly a good entry.

Glen and Randa:  What if Adam and Eve were from Brooklyn…and morons?  In this post-atomic war story about a couple of naïve young people wandering around being stupid, we’re subjected to some strange images and weird behavior.  Not a good film, but an interesting low budget exercise.  It’s full of all that post-hippie disillusionment and self-hatred that has infected most science fiction since the 60s.  There are some good scenes.  Worth checking out, but don’t expect much.  Kind of like Idaho Transfer.  This has an X rating, but it's from a time before X meant 'porn.'  At worst, it should have an R.  There's nudity and a bit of awkward sexuality, but nothing to push it any higher than an R, for sure.

The Misfits:  Wow.  This is an absolutely brutal portrait of a bunch of broken people on a booze fueled journey into hell.  The film is uncomfortable and painful, and the characters all way past their breaking point.  It’s fascinating, really.  I’m still no Monroe fan, nor am I much of a Gable fan.  But they’re both oddly compelling here.  It’s some stark, strange stuff.  Melodrama of high order.  It has a lurking menace to it, something about the music or the lighting, I don’t know.  But through the whole movie, I really wasn’t sure how dark they were gonna go, how brutal it was gonna be.  And, coming out around the time the Hayes codes were breaking down made the possibilities just that much more.  Remembered now as the final film of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable, it is worth seeing past that ignominious distinction to see the film as it is, part of a changing tide of film as Hollywood began to shake the dust and cobwebs off.

Whirlpool:  Not an amazing Noir by any means, this does feature an especially fun and sleazy performance by Jose Ferrer.  I tuned in because of my building Gene Tierney obsession, but her role, while central to the film, was uninteresting.  You could have replaced her with any passable starlet of the time and nobody would have noticed.

    I’ve got multiple books going right now, not making a lot of progress in any of them.  Heck, I’ve even got a working CD player again, so I’m back to listening to audio books while I make my breakfast, which means I picked back up where I left off with a Cleopatra biography I was listening to last year.

    Seeing that trailer (now taken down, but no doubt coming out again soon) for the new Godzilla recharged my Kaiju engines again.  Not that they were all that run down.  And it worked out, because Tokyo S.O.S. had just come to me through NetFlix.  So, I’m gonna give Half Century War another read and do a review of that soon.  Darned fine comic series.

-Matt

The Godzilla Teaser Has Landed

    If you read this blog, you’ll know already that Brad and I enjoy some kaiju madness.  I don’t think I’d raise any hackles if I said that I’m something more of a fan of Godzilla and his friends than my co-Dork Brad, but suffice to say, we both enjoy the giant beast battle films like any overgrown child should.  And, it should also come as no surprise that I prefer the older films to the newer ones, and obviously to the horrible Roland Emmerich silliness.  You may be surprised that while I love the film, the original Godzilla (or Gojira) is not my favorite.  I’m more of a Terror of Mechagodzilla man.

    This past summer, we got a big budget adventure film featuring some kaiju carnage, Pacific Rim.  And while the movie was fun, and the world building interesting, the storyline (pretty much Top Gun) was bland, and the lead actor was a lifeless puppet (even compared to the CGI).  Still, that Tokyo attack flashback scene captured the magic and terror of the classic films in a way even they rarely approached.  And soon, the director of the little seen but shockingly good Monsters is bringing the great allegory back to the silver screen.  And this time, it looks like Godzilla is getting some respect.  When I heard that Gareth Edwards was going to direct, I felt a spark of hope grow in my chest.  When I saw the first poster, that spark became an ember.  Now that I’ve seen this trailer, I think there may even be a fire in there.  (Don’t worry about my heart; I don’t have one).  I’m not quite giddy right now, but I do have a smile on my face.  If this works out, if this Godzilla film is good and successful, might it mean a rebirth of the genre?  Might we see a Half Century War adaptation?  Could such awesome things happen?

                                                     Dang it.  Trailer has been pulled.  How about this in its place:

-Matt