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Have any of you ever bought anything from Mezco Toys? I kinda like the look of some of their Godzilla box sets. If only their Mothra box with the Shobijin fairies was still in stock...
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May 30, 2023 06:35
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| # ? May 26, 2024 11:39 |
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Mantis42 posted:Have any of you ever bought anything from Mezco Toys? I kinda like the look of some of their Godzilla box sets. If only their Mothra box with the Shobijin fairies was still in stock... Yes, they're legit. I have their Kong and it is way better than the ones NECA was releasing at the time.
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May 30, 2023 20:16
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Yah, I have their Destroy All Monsters sets and they are great!! 
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May 31, 2023 01:44
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God, i know theyre super goofy but the suit designs from those old movies are so charming and fun
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Jun 1, 2023 02:23
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Just got out of Shin Kamen Rider. I’ve only ever seen a handful of clips of the original show shared by friends, so maybe I’d have gotten more out of it if I was familiar with the source material, but it was… fine. I just couldn’t stand Takeshi. He’s so incredibly dour and joyless and he brings the tone of the movie down with him. The early fights also kinda drag on forever, especially the Wasp’s. To be honest, I really wasn’t into the movie at all until Hayato showed up and I really wish he’d been the lead instead. I didn’t hate it, but it’s definitely my least favorite of the three Shin movies we’ve gotten.
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Jun 1, 2023 03:05
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Snowglobe of Doom posted:I did a rewatch of the 90s Gamera trilogy just last week and goddamn but Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris was bad. Also that cliffhanger ending was total bullshit. what in tarnation
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Jun 1, 2023 16:49
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DeimosRising posted:what in tarnation that's what i said. i just rewatched the trilogy too and i think it's one of those great trilogies where you can make an argument for each entry being the best one.
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Jun 1, 2023 17:57
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Uncle Boogeyman posted:that's what i said. i just rewatched the trilogy too and i think it's one of those great trilogies where you can make an argument for each entry being the best one. I think it gets better as it goes along, but yeah absolutely. the pacing in the first one is just a little off for me, and the final Iris battle is unimpeachable which puts it just a bit ahead of Legion, which has a great golden age sci fi invasion vibe. I watched them with my kids this winter, too.
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Jun 1, 2023 18:48
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for me, Guardian of the Universe is the best as just a well-rounded blockbuster (it's interesting that you single out the pacing because that's kind of my favorite thing about it), Attack of Legion has the most insane kaiju suit effects/fights, and Revenge of Iris has the wildest plot/themes for a kaiju movie.
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Jun 1, 2023 18:50
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Snowglobe of Doom posted:I did a rewatch of the 90s Gamera trilogy just last week and goddamn but Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris was bad. Also that cliffhanger ending was total bullshit. I’ll second this - Gyaos sets the stage, Legion really hits its stride, and then Iris starts strong but gets lost. Like I really loved the ‘side effects of monster rampage’ angle but I remember just wanting it to end. Legion is really the true top tier.
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Jun 1, 2023 19:29
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Gamera the Brave is good because there's a baby Gamera and he's cute
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Jun 1, 2023 21:33
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Uncle Boogeyman posted:for me, Guardian of the Universe is the best as just a well-rounded blockbuster (it's interesting that you single out the pacing because that's kind of my favorite thing about it), Attack of Legion has the most insane kaiju suit effects/fights, and Revenge of Iris has the wildest plot/themes for a kaiju movie. Maybe it was watching it with kids but some of the puzzle solving research segments drag on a hair too long, while the equivalent scenes in Legion are a little livelier. Iris would be improved if Iris was more puppet and less CGI but it’s too ambitious of a monster. Legion perfectly straddles the line between Power Rangers monster and actually threatening
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Jun 1, 2023 21:58
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I was born without the ability to produce the anime digestion enzyme, so Revenge of Iris goes a bit too far for me, though I appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship involved. GotU and Legion are both all-timers though.
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Jun 1, 2023 22:07
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DeimosRising posted:Maybe it was watching it with kids but some of the puzzle solving research segments drag on a hair too long, while the equivalent scenes in Legion are a little livelier. Iris would be improved if Iris was more puppet and less CGI but it’s too ambitious of a monster. The overreliance on CGI is a bit of an issue when it comes to Iris and I do think the fully grown Iris design is a little busy but I love the "immature" form of Iris, really a marvelous movie monster. RichterIX posted:Gamera the Brave is good because there's a baby Gamera and he's cute this is also true
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Jun 1, 2023 22:10
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HannibalBarca posted:I was born without the ability to produce the anime digestion enzyme, so Revenge of Iris goes a bit too far for me, though I appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship involved. GotU and Legion are both all-timers though. Uncle Boogeyman posted:The overreliance on CGI is a bit of an issue when it comes to Iris and I do think the fully grown Iris design is a little busy but I love the "immature" form of Iris, really a marvelous movie monster. To combine these observations, the problem with big Iris is she’s a little too anime and not cute anymore. When she’s both adorable and horrific, like some kind of xenomorph Pokémon, that’s perfect. Gamera is also both cute and monstrous, it’s a good match.
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Jun 1, 2023 22:16
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That's exactly it, the reaction to seeing the young Iris is "aw, it's cute!" almost immediately followed by "oh no what is it doing". It's extremely effective.
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Jun 1, 2023 22:23
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DeimosRising posted:the final Iris battle is unimpeachable Look, I'm a huge G3 stan, and I think it's one of the finest giant monster movies ever made, but no. The final battle is absolutely impeachable. That brief bit in the air loving rules and both monsters get an honest-to-god Wrestlemania entrance, but once they touch the ground, the only things that happen are 1. Gamera gets pushed down/into a building from off-screen. 2. Human drama/stomach surgery 3. Shoryuken. I can see why someone might feel a bit bored watching if the characters didn't click and they went in expecting even a standard monster brawl. The Legion and Gyaos fights were loads more fun. If it weren't for the boring, watered-down Salvia trip that that was the Space Godzilla fight, I'd say it was the biggest let-down final kaiju fight of the 90's. Two out-of-five stars, from me, a professional wrestling critic.
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Jun 2, 2023 00:33
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https://twitter.com/Danzilla93_GNP/status/1664662010779279367
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Jun 2, 2023 18:18
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Ahh that's sad. I was watching a video about her just the other day. Terror of Mechagodzilla is actually relatively subtle compared to a lot of its immediate predecessors, it's an underrated flick
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Jun 2, 2023 18:45
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Terror of Mechagodzilla owns. RIP
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Jun 2, 2023 22:38
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Dangerous Person posted:Terror of Mechagodzilla owns. RIP It's my second favorite Showa Godzilla. It's also one of the all time greatest fashion movies ever made. Every outfit is next level
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Jun 3, 2023 04:05
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Takayama also wrote a sort of “sequel” manga to Terror of MG focusing on Katsura and Titanosaurus being revived in the far future, it’s an interesting little side story.
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Jun 3, 2023 04:15
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I watched Godzilla (1954) as part of kinda getting back into movies and, like, drat. That's one hell of a film. Beyond thinking about it constantly since it's also awakened a bit of an interest in Kaiju stuff broadly. So, I followed up with Mothra, which is a pretty hinky film in places both structurally and in its use of compositing effects, but it was fun. It was nice to go from the deep, deep sadness of Godzilla to a more fundamentally goofy & good-natured film. I like Mothra herself a lot, her flapping about sending all the lil' minature cars flying was pure joy. Also enjoyed some of the wild motif choices about how polynesian natives were the true christians all along (??) Next I kind of want to sample platter my way through the history of Godzilla just watching a few random movies from each era that strike me as potentially neat. I was tempted to watch every godzilla movie in chronological order, but there are a lot of these and most of them probably aren't that interesting. So, are there any I definitely shouldn't miss? Next will be Godzilla vs. Hedorah I think.
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Jun 7, 2023 10:32
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Terry van Feleday posted:I watched Godzilla (1954) as part of kinda getting back into movies and, like, drat. That's one hell of a film. Beyond thinking about it constantly since it's also awakened a bit of an interest in Kaiju stuff broadly. Showa era is my jam - I found most of Heisei too boring and stiff and anything after that I tend to lose interest because they lose that old school charm that I love so much. Personal faves: 1960s: Mothra vs Godzilla Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster Destroy All Monsters 1970s: All of them, basically lol vs. Hedorah is mad and brilliant vs. Gigan, vs. Megalon, and vs. Mechagodzilla are all peak "Godzilla as b-movie" films, they're tons of fun even if they're mostly not good Terror of Mechagodzilla is a little bit more subtle and serious Heisei era: Godzilla vs. Biollante is ok if a bit po-faced Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is comparatively gonzo and really good fun
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Jun 7, 2023 11:04
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Terry van Feleday posted:I was tempted to watch every godzilla movie in chronological order, but there are a lot of these and most of them probably aren't that interesting. So, are there any I definitely shouldn't miss? If you’ve just watched Godzilla and Mothra, Godzilla x Mechagodzilla and Tokyo SOS are a direct sequel to both of those, telling a single self-contained 4-part story.
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Jun 7, 2023 17:30
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Terry van Feleday posted:I watched Godzilla (1954) as part of kinda getting back into movies and, like, drat. That's one hell of a film. Beyond thinking about it constantly since it's also awakened a bit of an interest in Kaiju stuff broadly. Hedorah is essential, so enjoy. Beyond that, vs. Gigan is my pick for the most underrated Godzilla movie. I'd also say you can safely skip Godzilla Raids Again, Son of Godzilla and Godzilla's Revenge from the Showa period (60s-70s). vs. Biollante, vs. King Ghidorah and vs. Destoroyah are the best of the Heisei movies. If/when you get to Godzilla 2000/MIllennium, watch the US cut. And while not featuring Godzilla at all, you need to watch War of the Gargantuas.
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Jun 8, 2023 01:44
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I would honestly recommend watching all of the Showa-era films. If you were going to pass on any, I think that Raids Again, Destroy All Monsters, and All Monsters Attack are the most skippable, although they're all interesting in their own way. Make sure to watch the Japanese cut of King Kong vs. Godzilla if you can; it's probably the series entry with the biggest quality gap between the American and Japanese versions.
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Jun 8, 2023 01:51
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Yeah I don't think I really dislike any of the Showa era except for All Monsters Attack. Biollante, King Ghidora, and Destoroyah are the best in the Heisei era. I also like 2000, and Against Mechagodzilla almost entirely because of the Mechagodzilla drop to rocket punch moment.
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Jun 8, 2023 02:33
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All Monsters Attack is a sorta interesting documentary on Japanese society at the time though. Just don’t go into it expecting a lot of killer kaiju action since all of it just the kid daydreaming. However, being “interesting” is unfortunately not the same as being “good”
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Jun 8, 2023 03:42
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You could probably skip Raids again too, even if it does have Anguirus.
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Jun 8, 2023 04:04
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Godzilla vs. Ebirah (or Sea Monster) has some of the best human stories of any of the Showa era films. The human main characters are over the top, off the wall, and played completely straight. It's ridiculous, and I love it. You might too!
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Jun 8, 2023 04:17
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I tend to prefer the ones that have aliens in them. That's what the Monsterverse needs, more guys in jump suits trying to take over the world with a Godzilla themed amusement park.
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Jun 8, 2023 04:22
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mllaneza posted:Godzilla vs. Ebirah (or Sea Monster) has some of the best human stories of any of the Showa era films. The human main characters are over the top, off the wall, and played completely straight. It's ridiculous, and I love it. You might too! I'm saving this one for a rainy day 
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Jun 8, 2023 09:02
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Cool, thank you all! That gives me plenty to go for.
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Jun 8, 2023 09:35
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david_a posted:However, being “interesting” is unfortunately not the same as being “good” Definitely. The wacky, Home Alone style hijinks get old really fast.
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Jun 8, 2023 11:47
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Apple TV+ 'Monsterverse' Show Filming in 3D for Vision Pro Viewing https://www.macrumors.com/2023/06/12/apple-tv-monsterverse-spatial-video-vision-pro/ quote:Upcoming Apple TV+ show "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" is reportedly being shot in 3D format to make the most of the immersive cinematic experience afforded by Apple's Vision Pro headset.
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Jun 12, 2023 18:39
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They should do it in the old, red and blue 3d for maximum authenticity
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Jun 12, 2023 19:02
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Jun 12, 2023 21:00
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A bad week put me in the mood to binge through a bunch of the showa Godzilla movies rather quicker than I expected. My thoughts: Mothra vs. Godzilla: I was hoping this would be a direct followup to Mothra, but instead it's another take on her mythos that... Kind of strips out much of what was really cool & interesting about it? I much preferred the hidden tropical paradise Infant Island over the mostly-unlivable one for its thematic implications, and so on. As a story I didn't find this one very compelling, though the kaiju action is cool. Mothra's death landed for me and her 2 ugly-cute little larva babies vs. the invincible super-lizard who casually shakes off so much nonsense in this film was some real hydrogen bomb vs. coughing baby booking. I also appreciate Godzilla being kind of a petty bitch Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster: This one's great! I loved the gonzo plotting with the venusian et al, her being this Cassandra figure who no one listens to because they're all too obsessed with making her Normal Again was simultaneously entertaining and quite sad. King Ghidorah is effectively weird & scary and probably the best-looking suit in any of these, and the Kaiju get a lot more characterization than I was expecting - Mothra pleading with the other 2 jerks was a great scene. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep: The plot and premise of this one are just fun, fundamentally it's an entertaining movie about 4 idiots trying to steal a boat and stumbling onto a secret nazi cult nuclear weapons lab slash human trafficking operation. The Kaiju fight elements are weak by comparison, the titular Ebirah is kind of a chump and as a result the movie deflates a bit at the end. Also this isn't a complaint but uh, I was kind of taken aback by Godzilla's little dance number to say the least Destroy All Monsters: I actually quite strongly disliked this one. Humans successfuly corraling & controlling the Kaiju is quite startling and I was hoping there would be an interesting thematic exploration of that, but instead the alien mind control conceit just kind of turns them into props. Mothra being treated as just another critter particuarly didn't sit right with me, you'd think the Infant Islanders would have some kind of opinion about that and that would be like, part of the story. I actually felt really bad for King Ghidorah at the end which. Doesn't feel right? I guess I'm just not a fan of alien invasion stories, and neither the aliens nor the human cast were very compelling in this one. Godzilla vs. Hedorah: Slaaaaaaps. Abandoning any notion of subtlety or restraint and just going as hard on the imagery as humanly possible makes for some pure cinema. So many haunting and memorable scenes, deeply emotionally resonant. Even simple things like the movie practically beginning with the statement "Godzilla is Superman!" and letting that be the thesis about what his role is here really stuck with me. Godzilla vs. Gigan: Was pretty bored throughout, oddly look back at it a little more fondly in retrospect. The human protag cast was actually great here and I wish they'd gotten more space to be characters rather than just move the plot along. The cockroach reveal slayed me. King Ghidorah really didn't need to be here, but it did give me a real appreciation for Anguirus. Poor guy's doing his best. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla:  These alien invasions are getting a bit repetitive. Mechagodzilla is a cool baddie at least, and I enjoyed Godzilla getting a shounen training montage where he gets hit by lightning a bunch and turns himself into a giant magnet(?) Terror of Mechagodzilla: Rather unexpectedly a serious contender for my favourite of this entire batch, though Hedorah is hard to beat. It takes a lot of ideas from the previous movies but executes them with much stronger cinematography and a willingness to really explore their implications. "Control" by virtue of its abstract nature is harder to turn into a physical baddie than something like pollution, and I think this movie succeeds where Destroy All Monsters falls short. The big triumph is the character of Katsura: Besides serving some A++ looks, in her we actually center the perspective of the victim and tie every aspect of the story together through directly paralleling her dad's paternal control over her with Titanosaurus' mind control device even before she becomes Mechagodzilla in the end. (Before Mechagodzilla becomes her?) It's the most elegant way to make the human & kaiju elements feel like a coherent whole I've seen to the point where it almost feels like cheating. There's something poetic about finishing this mostly-goofball leg of Godzilla's history with an ending almost as desolating as the original, though in a different way and for different reasons. It does make me wonder if it doesn't land quite as hard if you're not a woman. I'll take a break and watch some other stuff before continuing into the heisei movies, in the interest of not burning out. But so far, I'm having a fun time! I do seem to prefer the more weighty & serious films over the more sci-fi b-movie ones, but those do have their charms.
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Jun 13, 2023 13:09
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Violator posted:Apple TV+ 'Monsterverse' Show Filming in 3D for Vision Pro Viewing Well that will move $3500 headsets! Especially remembering how 3D TVs were so popular. Man, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing people talking about how much they enjoyed their 3D TVs.
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Jun 14, 2023 13:24
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