Godzilla (2014)

In 1954, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka of Toho Studios decided to make a film that reflected the true horror of the atomic bomb that the japanese people had experienced in their own flesh after the attacks to Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Working with scriptwriter Shigeru Kayama and director Ishirô Honda, the result was the birth of one of the greatest horror cinema icons: Gojira, better known as Godzilla, King of the Monsters. After its release in 1954, "Gojira" kickstarted a whole horror sub genre (Kaiju eiga) that dealer with giant monsters fighting over cities, creating a mythology in which Godzilla played the central role. Either as brutal destroyer or as heroic defender of humanity, Godzilla is now part of out pop culture, representing how small we are in the face of nature's fury. After 50 years of cinema history, Toho Studios decided to let Godzilla rest for 10 years, and in 2014 the return of the Big G is in the hands of an American studio, in an attempt to resurrect the mythical monster and erase the previous American remake from memory.

The story begins in 1999, when scientists Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watabanabe) and Vivienne Graham (sally Hawkins) discover the skeleton of a giant monster, and two eggs deep at the bottom of a mine at the Philippines. One of the eggs is broken and there are traces left by what came out from it reaching the sea. Meanwhile, at Japan, a series of earthquakes shake the nuclear plant of Janjira. Sandra Brody (Juliette Binoche) and her team of engineers check the state of the reactor when a huge explosion releases the radiation. Her husband Joe (Bryan Cranston), the plant supervisor, is forced to leave his wife to die in order to save the city from a major disaster. Years later, Joe is still convinced that what happened in Janjira wasn't a normal earthquake, as access to the Janjira zone is forbidden. His son Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is now a marine, and lives away from Joe, considering a madman. Nevertheless, when Joe takes Ford to Janjira, they discover that what has been hidden in the zone is the existence of terrible giant monsters, and they have been awakened.

Through the years, Godzilla film have touched themes that range from nuclear horror to the destruction of ecosystems. This time, the story written by Max Borenstein and Dave Callaham (and David S. Goyer and Frank Darabont, uncredited) presents Godzilla as a nature's force of equilibrium in the wake of human action. However, the thematics the story tries to uphold lose strength given the fact that Godzilla takes the back seat and the spotlight is in turn given to the other giant monsters that the human beings have resurrected, the MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms). Given that the story circles around the threat that those monsters present, Godzilla gets reduced to be almost a living deux ex machine of sorts. While there's an attempt to develop a human story as a counterpart to the giant monsters, the character development is so poor that it's limited to explain the story to its audience. Certainly, Godzilla films have never tried to be serious dramas, but the problem is that in this version, the poor human drama in the screenplay plays (or tries to play) the central role.

The reason for this is that director Gareth Edwards (who rose to prominence with 2010's "Monsters") decides to focus his attention in the human characters that live the disaster left by the MUTOs and Godzilla. As in his previous dil, Edwards keeps his monsters in the dark, showing only the devastation that's left after every fight between the monsters. To be fair, in "Monsters" this approach worked quite well given the carefully constructed relationship between the human characters (not to mention the convenience of it for an extremely low budget film such as his), in Godzilla this becomes useless as the human roles are unidimensional empty characters with no real personality or sympathetic traits. While the special effects are magnificent (it's worth to point out that Godzilla has never look this great, and the original design by Toho is respected) and manage to capture the grand scale of the monsters' titanic fights, Edwards doesn't allow that tremendous work of effects to be fully seen, as he opts to cut to his characters' reactions anytime the monsters fight. Reactions that aren't performed that well by the cast.

While acting has never been the strength in Godzilla films, the work done by the cast in this incarnation of the franchise is particularly mediocre. Despite having respected actors in the cast, the performances are far to be the best this group of artists can deliver, and a lot of this is to be blamed to Gareth Edwards' poor direction. Bryan Cranston and Juliette Binoche, as Joe and Sandra Brody, deliver an admirable performance that manages to create the only real moment of human drama in the film. Unfortunately, their role in the film is too short and they are soon forgotten by the story. The real protagonist, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (as their son Ford), fails to escape from the typical American marine stereotype, to the point that it seems that he doesn't really care for his parents or his own family. Elizabeth Olsen, who plays his wife, limits her role in the film to scream anytime the monsters are on screen. The most unfortunate thing is to see actors Ken Watanabe, David Strathairn and specially Sally Hawkin sin meaningless roles whose only dramatic function is to spoon-feed the plot to the audience in long explicative dialogues.

The truth is, "Godzilla" is not really a bad film, it's simply an extremely mediocre movie that's sadly not really memorable. The disappointing result of the film makes it fell as if director Gareth Edwards had taken the Godzilla name and all that it represents to make a spiritual remake of his previous film, "Monsters". But without any luck. While the respect for the original design and "Gojira"'s mythology are welcomed, as well as the fact that the film takes its concept seriously (fortunately, no Minillas or Godzookys are around); the film fails to capture the magic and awe of watching two titanic monsters fighting on the city. Mainly because Edwards doesn't let the camera see much of it. And it's not that Edwards' focus on human drama is a wrong decision, it could be an interesting take on the concept if only such drama was well done. Since it isn't the result is a monster movie that feels boring and tiresome until Godzilla appears on the screen (late). A lot of this can blamed to the screenplay that Edwards had to work with, based on exaggerated coincidences and explanatory dialogue to advance the poorly developed plot.

As mentioned above, "Godzilla" isn't a bad film, it's merely a truly disappointing one. After ten years without the Big G on the big screen and with the backing of a big Hollywood studio, an epic return to glory was expected, one that could take advantage of the technical development of American film industry without forgetting the Godzilla mythos. Sadly, this wasn't the case. There are even things that the vilified 1998 film by Roland Emmerich did much better than this version. While there are remarkable things in "Godzilla" (Alexandre Desplat's music being one of them), in general Gareth Edwards' film fails to fulfill the huge expectations. There's a progress in some areas, but it seems that Hollywood still hasn't really understood the secret of how to make a good Gojira film.

5/10

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Oni (1972)

Bunraku, a traditional form of puppet theatre, captivated the mind of a young Kihachiro Kawamoto, who decided to dedicate his life to the fine art of puppet making. However, it would not be the only thing that would fascinate the young Japanese artist. Years later, Kawamoto would discover the works of legendary Czech filmmaker Jirí Trnka, whose work in stop motion animation impressed Kawamoto so much that the puppet master decided to learn the craft. Kawamoto began working with another legend of animation, Tadahito Mochinaga, and later he traveled to Prague and met his hero, Jirí Trnka himself, in order to perfect his craft. Trnka would suggest Kawamoto to find inspiration in his own culture, and so combining what he learned from the Czech master with his background in Bunraku theatre, Kawamoto would produce several short films in which he would show Japanese culture to the world. "Oni", released in 1972, is the third of these independently produced short films that would earn Kawamoto a place in the history of animation.

"Oni", which can be translated as "Devil" or "Demon" (name in which the film is known in English) is the story of two brothers who live in the mountains with their old mother. The brothers are hunters, and their mother is very ill and frail due to her age. One night the two hunters decide to go deep into the woods in order to hunt deer. The brothers set traps for their prey, which they intend to kill with their arrows. While the younger of the brothers is setting up a trap near a tree, a pale white hand comes from above and grabs him from the hair, pulling him into the crop the tree. In panic, the captured hunter calls for help, and his older brother arrives with his bow and arrow ready to shoot. The shoot is difficult, but the hunter manages to save his brother, as the arrow severed the arm that was holding him. The two brothers check the amputated arm and discover it's a demon's arm. They decide to return home and take the arm with them. When they finally get home, the two hunters will make a shocking discovery, when they find that their mother is hurt, and her arm amputated.

As in most of his early shorts, the story of "Oni" was written by director Kihachiro Kawamoto himself, taking inspiration from ancient Japanese folklore. In "Oni", Kawamoto presents a fable which explores two main concepts: the fear and respect to the spirits of the woods, and most importantly, the fear of old age. In Kawamoto's "Oni", when age becomes too much for old people, they become demons willing to eat their own children. The demon in "Oni", originally a frail woman weakened by her old age, becomes a monster in order to devour her sons. However, while Kawamoto could make his story a full fledged horror tale, he actually makes of "Oni" a tragedy. After the horror has been overcame, what is left is an ominous sense of sadness. The woman's transformation is not only a horror, but a tragedy. It's not treated as something she willingly wants, but something that actually possesses her and dehumanizes her. This dehumanization of old people with age may be a commentary on the mental degeneration that old age can bring.

In "Oni", Kawamoto displays his craft at his best, showing not only his roots at Bunraku theatre, but also the great influence that Noh theatre had in his formative years. "Oni" works like a Noh play, though certainly, Kawamoto's film is anything but stagy. The camera-work is highly dynamic, and by creatively playing with light and shadows (work of cinematography by Minoru Tamura and Ken Yoshioka), Kawamoto gives his story a surreal atmosphere that suits perfectly the story's narrative style, which works like an ancient fable. In "Oni", Kawamoto creates one of his most impressive puppets in the Oni herself, which is based on the Japanese artistic representations of the demons. The stylish demonic face looks impressive when captured by the camera of Tamura and Yoshioka. The film is silent, and the story is narrated in intertitles. However, this aren't intertitles as those of classic silent cinema, but dynamic texts that move and fade following the film's visual design, flowing with its rhythm, being themselves an integral part of the film.

Visually breathtaking, and full of a haunting beauty, Kihachiro Kawamoto's "Oni" is a powerful fable that displays perfectly the craftsmanship of the legendary puppet maker. With its surreal cinematography and its brilliant music (a score in the traditional way by Seiji Tsuruzawa), "Oni" is almost like watching the traditional Japanese art forms come alive through the magic of cinema. Melancholic and ethereal, "Oni" is more than a supernatural horror film, it's a powerful drama that in barely 8 minutes presents the tragedy of losing oneself in old age. After "Oni", Kawamoto would continue working in several short films of the same style, in which he would tackle classic themes of Japanese folklore, creating several masterpiece of stop-motion animation in the process.

8/10
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Suchîmubôi (2004)

In the year 2004, Katsuhiro Ôtomo, writer and director of the enormously influential anime, "Akira" (1988), returned to film-making after almost 10 years since his last directorial effort ("Memorîzu" or "Memories"), with another epic story of action and science-fiction named "Suchîmubôi", literally "Steamboy". In this film, Ôtomo dives into the sci-fi sub-genre commonly known as "Steampunk", stories often set in the 19th century where highly advanced steam machines are the fantastic technology of the time creating alternative history and settings. The Steampunk sub-genre shares many similarities with its "literary parent", cyberpunk fiction, so the idea of having the creator of one of the most celebrated works of cyberpunk fiction, "Akira", tackling a steampunk story is particularly interesting. Ôtomo's background and these similarities between the sub-genres force an inevitable comparison to "Akira", but while "Steamboy" won't revolutionize anime the way "Akira" did, it's one of the best feature length animated films of the decade.

Set in Victorian Britain, "Suchîmubôi" is the story of Ray Steam (Anne Suzuki), a young kid from Manchester who spends his free time working at a factory and inventing steam machines following the example of his father Dr. Edward Steam (Masane Tsukayama) and his grandfather Dr. Lloyd Steam (Katsuo Nakamura), both renowned inventors working in America. One day, he receives a box from his grandfather containing a small spheric steam machine, with explicit orders of not giving it to anyone except to famed inventor Robert Stephenson (Kiyoshi Kodama). The young Ray marvels at the device, and wonders about his grandfather's mysterious instructions. However, soon he finds his answers when he receives the visit of agents from O'Hara, the company where his grandfather works, violently demanding the spheric machine. Ray's grandfather appears too, and helps Ray to escape with the sphere, making Ray to realize that the small machine contains a power beyond his imagination. And everyone wants it.

"Suchîmubôi" is by all accounts a classic example of Steampunk fiction as it takes a historical setting and gives it a spin by adding the element of fantastic super science. Written by Katsuhiro Ôtomo and Sadayuki Murai, "Suchîmubôi" uses the sub-genre's setting and elements to tell a story about science, its possibilities and specially its consequences if handled in a bad way. Ôtomo uses the characters of the Steam family to describe what he sees as the two possible uses of science, and makes a sharp (although heavy handed) criticism to our modern capitalist society. In this way, it shares some of "Akira"'s themes, but "Suchîmubôi" has a decidedly more optimist tone, as it's essentially a story about the birth of modern science (in an exaggerated fantasy way of course) where mankind is still on time to learn the enormous responsibility of using science. Overall it's a pretty straight forward story of action and adventure, but the use of this themes through the movie makes the story really captivating.

As expected, the animation of the film is flawless, with a great (and often unnoticeable) combination of both traditional 2-D and 3-D animation that bring the incredible Steampunk machines to life. The movie has an exiting visual design, mix of real classic Victorian designs and Ôtomo's very own sci-fi style, paying honest tribute to the pulp adventures and Victorian literature that form the basis of the Steampunk sub-genre. Despite his limited output since "Akira", director Katsuhiro Ôtomo's visual narrative seems to be in top form, as "Suchîmubôi" has an exciting rhythm, pretty much in tone with the adventure inherent in the story. And this is another of the differences with "Akira": subtexts aside, "Suchîmubôi" is first and foremost, a tale of adventure, and to this effect Ôtomo keeps a fast pace that for his set pieces. And those set pieces truly showcase Ôtomo's great eye for visual flare, particularly in the epic finale, which is one of the best staged scenes in an animated film of the last years.

The voice work is of great quality, as director Katsuhiro Ôtomo has reunited a particularly strong cast for his film. Anne Suzuki makes an outstanding job as Ray, not only because the character is male (and she is female), but because the character is old enough to his voice be "manly". Suzuki makes Ray very convincing, as the young kid discovering the benefits (and dangers) of science. Masane Tsukayama plays Ray's father, giving a certain dignity and power to the character and avoiding most of the clichés this kind of character tend to have. On the same tone is Katsuo Nakamura, who in turn plays Ray's grandfather. Nakamura's eccentric character is effectively portrayed by the experienced actor, and is one of the highlights of the film. Finally, Manami Konishi plays Scarlett O'Hara, the young heir of the O'Hara company, making this spoiled little brat (by the way, a more than obvious reference to "Gone with the wind") annoying yet likable enough to make her a fine counterpart to Ray.

Probably the film's biggest flaw is that it's simply not "Akira", meaning that given that Katsuhiro Ôtomo's 1988 movie was such an important landmark in the history of anime, the expectations generated by "Suchîmubôi" were probably impossible to live up to. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that "Suchîmubôi" is a bad movie, it's simply a different experience than "Akira". In a way, "Suchîmubôi" is a simpler tale than "Akira", but this doesn't mean it's less remarkable. "Suchîmubôi"'s epic scope, apparent optimism and upbeat, colorful atmosphere doesn't mean it's only for kids. It simply reflects the timeframe in which it's set. A time where science is seen as the future, with great optimism and faith. And yet, despite this optimism, deep inside "Suchîmubôi" deals with the same dark subject that "Akira": Man must learn to use the science before it's too late. In this aspect it could be seen as a prequel of sorts (set several centuries before) to the world of "Akira", as the science in "Steamboy" seems to be getting advanced at a very fast pace.

In the end, the only real flaw of the movie is that despite having a runtime of 2 hours, the film feels rushed, and leaves one wanting for more; as if Ôtomo had not been able to condense his story in a tighter way, and often it seems that the plot is too complex for its own good. Anyways, while certainly less impressive than "Akira", there's a lot to enjoy in "Suchîmubôi", which stands as a fine piece of animation by its own merit. Director Katsuhiro Ôtomo spend almost 10 years conceiving and developing "Suchîmubôi", and the effort certainly payed off. With its excellent animation and captivating story, "Steamboy" is an excellent introduction to Katsuhiro Ôtomo's work. It's not going to change anime again, but Ôtomo's movie is still definitely one of the best.

8/10
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Sky High (2003)

After spending some years making independent projects with limited budget, Japanese director Ryûhei Kitamura became a household name after the international success of his epic mix of action and horror titled "Versus" back in the year 2000. The recognition earned by "Versus" allowed Kitamura to keep displaying his talent in action films like "Alive" and "Aragami", movies where he continued demonstrating his fresh and very dynamic style clearly influenced by the Japanese comic books (Mangas). Kitamura's style would reach a peak in his epic "Azumi", a martial arts film based in the manga of the same name, which could be considered as a masterpiece of his style. "Azumi" that many of his followers consider a masterpiece. After "Azumi", Kitamura directed several chapters of the popular TV series "Sukai hai", a tale of fantasy and horror also based on a manga. In the meantime, Kitamura directed a movie to serve as a prequel to "Sukai hai": an action film titled simple "Sky High" (the English name of the TV series).

"Sky High" is the story of detective Kohei Kanzaki (Shosuke Tanihara) and his bride Mina Saeki (Yumiko Shaku), and how their lives get shattered when on the day of their wedding, Mina is brutally killed by the mysterious serial killer that Kanzaki was trying to arrest, a criminal who removes the hearts of his victims. Now, Mina goes to the Gate of Rage, the place where the souls of all the murdered people go to make an important choice: whether to go to Heaven and expect the next rebirth, return to the Earth as a ghost, or to curse the killer and go to hell with him. Mina has 12 days to decide, but in the meantime, she decides to attempt to help Kanzaki to regain sanity, as Kanzaki is now decided to kill the assassin even if that means going to Hell for his sin. While this happens, Kanzaki has not only discovered the identity of the killer, but also the purpose: the killers need to obtain six hearts from the Guardians of the Gateway of the Afterlife to open the Gate of Rage.

As written above, "Sky High" was conceived as a prequel to the TV series "Sukai hai", so Kitamura's "Sky High" is basically the introduction to the extensive plot of "Sky High", the manga by Tsutomu Takahashi. The screenplay, by Kitamura's regular collaborator Isao Kiriyama, starts off with Kanzaki's attempt for revenge over Mina's death, but also spends its time focusing on Mina's own story at the Gates of Rage, as she contemplates what to choose for her afterlife. In this way the two main "genres" are defined, with Mina's side being more a fantasy horror story while Kanzaki's works like a crime thriller, complete with twists and turns as the main villain's identity and motivations are revealed. To this effect, Kiriyama's script is very well detailed and spends a good time into developing its characters and establishing the concepts that become familiar in the TV series. Nevertheless, behind the violence and horror, "Sky High" is a tale of romance, and it's this emotional aspect is what sets it apart.

As expected, once again Kitamura displays his mastery of the visual flare as the film is filled with his trademark energetic camera-work and remarkably done action set-pieces. Kitamura gives flesh to Kiriyama's screenplay in the same way as if he was drawing a comic book, giving chance to his imagination to fly by keeping true to the essence of the "Sky High" story. While "Sky High" is considerably less violent graphically than Kitamura's previous films "Versus" and "Azumi", this choice fits the stylish concept of the film, as despite all the visual eye-candy, it remains focused on the relationship between its two main characters, and an excess in gore would feel out of place. In fact, this focus on the characters is the film's greatest strength, as it allows to give more consistence to the fantastic situations the characters live, and give meaning to their actions. In "Sky High", Kitamura succeeds in balancing out the action and the romance in a natural and believable way, without sacrificing one element to benefit the other.

The cast ranges from average to very good, and this divergence in quality is certainly one thing that lessens the power of "SKy High". Nevertheless, for the most part it could be said that "Sky High" has a mostly effective cast. Leading the cast, Yumiko Shaku delivers a pretty good performance as Mina, and proves to be a good dramatic actress, not only a pretty face. However, her action scenes seemed a bit weaker when compared to other actors in the film. Shosuke Tanihara, who plays the tortured detective Kanzaki delivers the best acting of the movie, as he carries the film with a great attitude and a believable delivery of the part. It wouldn't be wrong to call Tanihara's performance the true heart of the film. Finally, Kitamura's regular collaborator Takao Osawa is excellent as the mysterious Tatsuya Kudo. As written above, the rest of the cast is mostly good, but nothing really spectacular, although the action scenes are excellently choreographed and performed.

While certainly "Sky High" has many of Kitamura's trademarks to its full potential, it's unfortunately not one of his masterpieces, as it contains a great deal of the usual flaws in Kitamura's cinema. As beautiful as it is in visual terms, "Sky High" is a bit overlong, mainly due to the excessive detail that writer Kiriyama gives to the story. Unlike "Azumi" (also scripted by Kiriyama), where the epic approach of the story suited a long and detailed script, "Sky High" relatively more intimate story feels unnecessarily long, and at times it seriously drags a lot. Perhaps a better work of editing or more concise scriptwriting could had improved the film a bit, as it would seem that the film gets a bit lost in the creation of its own mythology. Perhaps it's that "Sky High" seems to take itself too seriously at times, or perhaps Kiriyama tried too hard to synthesize the world of "Sukai hai" in the film. Anyways, despite its problems, "Sky High" is by no means a bad film, just perhaps one certainly that could had been a lot more.

In the end, Ryûhei Kitamura's "Sky High" is a very recommended movie, not only for die hard Kitamura fans, but for those with a taste for intelligent action films. The touches of horror and fantasy give the story a lot more depth and make it stand out among the many martial arts movies out there. It certainly offers an interesting and thought-provoking view on the after life, and contains several set pieces that display the remarkable talent for visuals that director Ryûhei Kitamura has. While a bit too long, "Sky High" is actually a very good, albeit flawed, film that can deliver great entertainment when watched on the right mood. It's certainly a fine introduction to "Sukai hai", which is probably what its producers intended in the first place.

7/10
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The Manster (1959)

Ever since first published 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson's popular novel "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde" has served as inspiration for numerous works dealing with the concept of "split personality". Beginning with the 1887 stage play (by Thomas Russell Sullivan), the classic novel has been adapted dozens of times, all with different degrees of faithfulness to the source story. However, perhaps the most interesting versions are those that are not exactly typical adaptations of Stevenson's novel, and instead opt for a different angle that often carries only the splitting of the personality. Examples of this are 1963's screwball comedy "The Nutty Professor" and the comic book "The Hulk". Amongst this kind of versions is a Japanese American co-production realized in 1959 titled "The Manster", a tale of horror and science fiction which has earned a reputation as a schlocky camp classic due to its tacky special effects. However, it also has some pretty interesting elements that elevate it from being the typical monster on the loose story.

In "The Manster", Peter Dynley plays Larry Stanford, an American foreign news correspondent who has spent the last few years working in Japan. Tired of being far from home, there's nothing that Larry would want more than to return to his wife Linda (Jane Hylton), so he is eager to finish what will be his last assignment: an interview with the reclusive scientist Dr. Robert Suzuki (Tetsu Nakamura). Larry travels to the volcano where Suzuki has his laboratory, and soon becomes friends with him. However, what he doesn't know is that Suzuki has found him to be the perfect candidate for his ultimate experiment in evolutionary change. Dr. Suzuki drugs Larry and injects him with his new formula. When the reporter awakes, he doesn't remember anything, and eagerly accepts Suzuki's invitation to spend a week of vacation with him and his beautiful assistant Tara (Terri Zimmern). Vacationing with Suzuki, Larry soon forgets about his wife, and enjoys a life of alcohol and women. However, he is also changing physically, and something horrible is growing in his shoulder.

Written collaboratively by director George P. Breakston and William J. Sheldon, "The Manster" is by all accounts, a pretty much typical horror story of the 1950s. There's the general distrust of science that was common in Atomic Age horror, reflected in the science fiction origin of the monster, and in the person of Dr. Suzuki, who fills the "mad scientist" role. However, there are also certain elements that make it quite atypical for its time. For starters, the frank depiction of sex and violence the story has which, while by no means graphic (at least not for modern standards), it's certainly there: an uncontrolled sexual libido is the first thing that awakes in Larry as his transformation begins. Larry has been, in his words, "a good boy" all the years he has been in Japan, but after meeting Suzuki, he becomes a frequent visitor in brothels, and begins an affair with Tara. And this is related to the other element that sets the film apart from the rest: its "Jekyll and Hyde" theme makes it work as a thinly-veiled allegory of alcoholism.

Directed by George P. Breakston and Kenneth G. Crane, at first sight "The Manster" looks also typical in its execution, which is certainly quite simplistic; however, the directors also make some really good choices. To begin with, there's a real care in its portrayal of the Japanese culture. In "The Manster", it's more than just an exotic location, it adds up to the feeling of isolation and loneliness that the lead character begins to experience (the scene at a Buddhist temple is specially haunting). The sombre black and white photography by cinematographer David Mason is actually pretty good, and actually closer in spirit to film noir; something that's particularly appropriate, as the film deals with themes a bit more lurid than the usual fare. The degeneration of Larry is well-handed, for the most part, and the personality change the character undergoes isn't that far fetched. It's only when the remarkably poor special effects appear on the film when "The Manster" shows why it earned its camp classic reputation.

The acting is just slightly above the average, though for the most part the performances are good. As the lead character, Peter Dyneley makes an acceptable job in his portrayal of Larry Standford. Initially a somewhat stereotypical All-American husband, as Larry descends into his life of debauchery there's a good chance for Dyneley to showcase his talents, and often he does. Certainly he is not a great actor, though within his limitations Dyneley doesn't make a bad job. As Dr. Suzuki, Tetsu Nakamura is pretty mediocre, though his role is certainly the most clichéd in the film. Now, as his assistant Tara, the alluring Terry Zimmern is perhaps the film's highlight. Strangely, Zimmern never did any other film and vanished from the spotlight, so "The Manster" remains a testament of what could had been. The rest of the cast is pretty average, though Jerry Ito shows some passion at playing the typical detective a film like "The Manster" must have. Unfortunately, he receives the worst lines in the film.

And bad lines of dialog is a common flaw in "The Manster", which despite having a particularly original angle to its storyline, can't avoid resorting to common places and clichés in its screenplay. And this includes its ending, which is of a moralist nature, though this is hardly a surprise, considering the overall theme the film has. This double face, on one side a lurid tale full of eroticism, and on the other a moralistic story of the Atomic Age, is certainly fitting for a horror tale about a split personality, though one wonders how much would had helped a better constructed climax. Because the ending does feel unfortunately rushed and somewhat incoherent, a huge contrast to the first half, which chronicles Larry's degeneration with such a great care. It feels so different in tone and pacing that is as if the directors had been forced to do it just to meet the deadline. And of course, the film's great bane: it's incompetent special effects. It's true, "The Manster" can't help but looking awfully schlocky with those cheap make-up effects.

Certainly, it's difficult to talk about "The Manster" without discussing the camp value of its silly effects. It's certainly one of the most notorious aspects of the film, and one of the most unintentionally funny as well. Nevertheless, beyond its trashy visuals, "The Manster" is still a sombre tale. As a metaphor for the destructive effects of alcoholism (or any drug in general) the film makes pretty good points; and as a sci-fi tragedy, the movies does work nicely if one gets past its cheap visual look. More ambitious than its budget allowed it to be, "The Manster" is by no means a great film; however, despite its many obvious flaws, this offbeat "Jekyll and Hyde" tale is certainly worth a watch.

6/10
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Download "The Manster" (1959)

The Relic (1997)

Authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child found the perfect niche for their collaborative writing in the techno-thriller genre, novels where a vast amount of technical detail is important part of the prose. Amongst their work, the series of novels with Agent Pendergast have proved to be their most popular, with eleven published novels to date. "Relic", the first of the series, became a bestseller very quickly, and naturally, negotiation began for a movie adaptation with director Peter Hyams at the helm. Hyams at the time had gone from making several science fiction movies ("Capricorn One", "Outland" and "2010"), to direct several thrillers in the 80s and 90s, including two action films with Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 90s ("Timecop" and "Sudden Death"). "The Relic", as the film was retitled, was released in 1997 (two years after the book), and while several major changes took place from novel to film (Pendergast is omitted entirely to begin with), the resulting horror film was not really bad.

"The Relic" begins when an strangely abandoned ship arrives on the Illinoins River. Chicago PD homicide detective Vincent D'Agosta (Tom Sizemore) is sent to investigate the ship, which contained cargo for the Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Looking for the missing crew, D'Agosta finds their severed heads in the bilge hatch. At the Museum, Dr. Margo Green (Penelope Ann Miller) examines the cargo sent and only finds a statue of the mythical beast Kothoga. When a security guard is murdered in the same gruesome manner as the ship's crew, Detective D'Agosta suspects that there may be a link to the crime at the ship. The Museum is planning a gala opening for its latest exhibition, "Superstition", so it's on its best interest that D'Agosta's investigation ends soon. The police finds and kills a deranged homeless man hiding in the basement and the case is considered closed. However, D'Agosta is not convinced of this, and takes his men for a final search through the basement, when they are attacked by an enormous monster: Kothoga.

Preston and Child's novel was adapted to the screen by a team of scriptwriters consisting of Amy Holden Jones, John Raffo, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver. Moving away from its techno-thriller roots, "The Relic" film version takes a decidedly more straightforward horror approach: it is a creature feature in the most classic style, with a monster roaming free and hunting a group trapped in a dark and sealed location, in this case, the halls of the Museum of Natural History. "The Relic" is certainly very traditional in its approach to this formula, perhaps too traditional for its own good; however, the little details and ideas that "dress" the plot are what keep things fresh and interesting, and almost make up for the lack of originality in its formula. The Museum by night is a wonderful setting for a monster movie, and the creature mythology and origins are a nice twist as well. Character development is kept at a pretty basic level, though Detective D'Agosta has interesting bits when his extreme superstitiousness faces the Museum's "Supersition"'s exhibit.

However, while the plot may be formulaic, director Peter Hyams plays with it to his favor and builds up in "The Relic" an effectively atmospheric film that takes full advantage of its setting to deliver a simple but entertaining monster movie. As expected, Hyams is also the cinematographer of the film, and while his work in this field is often labeled as poorly lit, his style actually works favorably for the kind of horror he attempts in "The Relic". His low-key lighting enhances the ominous atmosphere of the Museum, and increases the tension and suspense by having the monster Kothoga lurking in the dark for the most part of the film (traces of Ridley Scott's "Alien" can be felt). An effective craftsman, Hyams creates a couple of pretty interesting set pieces in which this terror of what lurks in the shadows is exploited to good effect and elevate the film from the rest. "The Relic" is also a tad gorier than other mainstream horror films of the same period, an element that along the dark cinematography give the film a nice grizzly style.

Leading the cast is Tom Siezemore as Detective Vincent D'Agosta, playing a superstitious yet hard-working detective, basically an extension of the tough guy persona that Sizemore had been built through the 90s. in "The Relic" Sizemore delivers a good, effective performance, believable and natural though to be fair, without showing anything really outstanding. However, Sizemore manages to carry the weight of the film with strength. As his counterpart, Penelope Ann Miller is a bit less successful, as while her performance is not particularly bad, she seems just average, sleepwalking through her role as if she preferred to be somewhere else. Granted, a lot of this may be the result of the sad fact that their roles are pretty much the typical stock characters of the modern monster movie, so there's the tough guy who must face his secret fears and the sexy scientist who must put up a good fight with the monster. The rest of the characters are also of the classic variety of supporting characters that make up good victims for mythical beasts so, nothing truly new here.

Certainly, the apparent lack of originality in "The Relic" basic elements make it sound like a typical B-movie with relatively known actors, and clichéd situations. However, as written above, the little details are what make "The Relic" to rise from the norm and deliver good entertainment. Hyams crafts his movie with a deeply somber seriousness: there is no place for cheesy humor, juvenile roles or witty postmodern references; "The Relic" may be nothing more than a simple creature feature, but it takes its subject seriously, and with as much realism as its fantastic roots allow it to have (perhaps an inherited trait from its techno-thriller origins). This approach works nicely with the grizzly gore and Hyam's dark cinematography, giving the film an atmosphere akin to a descent into a Lovecraftian nightmare. And this is maybe why Hyams' faithfulness to the monster movie formula actually works in "The Relic": the built-up atmosphere is so effective that a move away from the expected may feel like a betrayal to the genre.

American columnist William Safire recommended that one should avoid clichés like the plague, however, and specially when working within a defined genre, sometimes clichés are what work best. The secret being not what happens, but how it happens. In "The Relic", director Peter Hyams takes a clichéd storyline and delivers a well-crafted tale of horror that, while certainly will not change the face of the horror genre, at least delivers its fair share of scares and entertainment. And sometimes that's all that's needed. While perhaps of little resemblance to Child and Preston's techno-thriller, "The Relic" is definitely one of the better monster movies that came out in the 90s. Dark, creepy and ominous, "The Relic" is an underrated minor gem, and a highlight in Peter Hyams' uneven career.

7/10
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Blood: The Last Vampire (2000)

Since the 1970s, Japanese animation experience a tremendous growth in popularity thanks to the worldwide success of artists like Osamu Tezuka, Go Nagai and Yoshiyuki Tomino. Anime, the Japanese word for"animation", became the de facto term for the Japanese style of animation, and a synonymous for its very particular visual characteristics and wide array of thematics. Manga, the extremely popular Japanese comics, have been the source for countless anime films and TV series, thanks to the fact that adaptations of popular manga often guarantee an already captive audience. However, near the end of the 20th century, producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa decided that instead of following that route, he wanted an original concept. To do it, he recruited famous anime producer Mamoru Oshii (of "Kôkaku kidôtai" fame), and settled on a concept by Kenji Kamiyama. With director Hiroyuki Kitakubo on board, the project became "Blood: The Last Vampire", a horror short film intended to break new ground in its genre. And, more or less, it did.

"Blood: The Last Vampire" is set in 1966, a couple of months before the Vietnam War, in the American Yokota Air Base located in Japan during the American occupation. A mysterious young girl, Saya (Youki Kudoh), enters the Yokota Air Base posing as a high school student but in reality, she is actually the secret weapon of an organization code named Red Shield. Armed with a katana, Saya's mission is simple: to destroy the vampire monsters known as Chiropterans. Saya's abilities as a vampire hunter come from the fact that she is the only remaining original vampire, and her relationship with Red Shield is more a partnership against a common enemy than a true collaboration. Agent David (Joe Romersa) is Saya's contact with Red Shield, and only human she respects. At school, Saya discovers that two of her classmates are vampires, and are plotting to take over the Air Base. Naturally a massive battle between the monsters and the vampire hunter begins, with Red Shield agents and the U.S. Air Force getting in the middle.

With a screenplay written by Kenji Kamiyama and characters designed by Katsuya Kerada, "Blood: The Last Vampire" brings a quite different take on the vampire myth, with the Chiropterans being monsters of unknown original able to transform into demonic bat-like creatures of great strength. The real vampire of the film is Saya, the sword wielding vampire hunter whose origins remain a mystery. In fact, this is actually one of the film's problems: basically everything is clouded by mystery, and not much is explained in the film's 48 minutes. Kamiyama's concept is certainly interesting, a young girl wielding a katana happens to be the last known real vampire, and is hired (used?) by the government to destroy the Chiropterans. Unfortunately, that is basically all that is known about the subject. What is known, is that Saya is unbelievably good at her job, and the battles she has with the Chiropterans are certainly the film's highlight. "Blood: The Last Vampire" is a highly dynamic action-packed film, but the mystery, while intriguing, is also a tad unsatisfying.

Where "Blood: The Last Vampire" succeeds is in the stylish visual aspect it has. Director Hiroyuki Kitakubo creates a haunting work of art with a very attractive visual design. Combining traditional and digital animation, the artwork in "Blood: The Last Vampire" is impressive, specially during the action sequences, which showcase a dark, gritty violence that still retain a certain beauty in their conception. The visual composition and overall mise-en-scène is particularly good. The music, by Yoshihiro Ike, adds a lot of atmosphere to the movie, fitting nicely the dark tone and atmosphere that Kitakubo was aiming for. However, the top-notch work of animation and Kitakubo's visual imagery are not enough to make for the lack of development the story has. It is true that often good stories are the ones that are kept simple, but "Blood: The Last Vampire" takes this simplicity to the extreme, and what results is a superbly animated piece that lacks the substance that would give a better constructed story.

The problem is that basically, Kamiyama and Kitakubo introduce a wide array of concepts that, while interesting, are never fully developed. From the mysterious Chiropterans to Saya's origins, not to mention Red Shield's real motives and the nature of its relationship with Saya, everything remains shrouded in mystery; and while this works nicely at keeping the intrigue high during the film's runtime, the lack of a proper conclusion leaves everything as a very unsatisfying mess. No answers, no solutions, just stylish and impressively animated action. Even the possibility of political commentary (given that the film is set in U.S.-occupied Japan) gets forgotten as are the several subplots that are hinted by the film. On a more positive note, the voice acting is particularly good, with Youki Kudoh delivering a very good performance as Saya. Interestingly, "Blood: The Last Vampire" was not dubbed, but actually produced almost entirely in English (as more than half the characters are American).

Unfortunately, "Blood: The Last Vampire" ends up being a mixed bag. The animation is flawless, and the visual design is quite attractive and interesting. But a the same time, in terms of story is a bit lacking and ultimately unsatisfying. The fact that it is a short film has nothing to do with this, as more care should had been taken to condense and develop the concept even in the shorter runtime. Because as it is, it can't help but feeling like an unfinished concept. Granted, a quite cool, original and interesting one, but still an unfinished concept in spite of that. Certainly, "Blood: The Last Vampire" has more positive elements than negative, but it still is a proof that amazing animation is not the only thing necessary for a great anime. The story is still essential.

7/10
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Marebito (2004)

In the year 1998, a young Japanese film student named Takashi Shimizu was invited by his mentor, filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa to make two short films for an anthology TV film. The resulting short films, "Katasumi" and "4444444444" became part of "Gakkô no kaidan G", and kick-started Shimizu's career as an horror director. Five years later, Shimizu had become one of the most recognized names of the New Wave of Asian horror cinema, thanks to the enormous worldwide success of his horror film series "Ju-on"; which after 4 installments in Japan, was going to be remade in the U.S. by Shimizu himself. However, right before working on the remake, Shimizu teamed up with fellow director Shinya Tsukamoto (of 1989's "Tetsuo" fame) and writer Chiaki Konaka (of the anime "Serial Experiments: Lain"), took some days and a small crew to return to his roots and make a very low-budget horror movie; pretty much in the style he used to make when the "Ju-on" films were straight to video releases. The result was "Marebito", a Konaka screenplay directed by Shimizu and starring Tsukamoto.

In "Marebito" (literally "Stranger") Shinya Tsukamoto is Masuoka, a freelance cameraman almost completely detached from the world and entirely focused on his preference for videotaping and doing camera-work, literally carrying his camera everywhere he goes. Onde day, Masuoka accidentally tapes the suicide of a man named Arei Furoki (Kazuhiro Nakahara) on a subway station. The strange characteristics of this event makes Masuoka to be obsessed with the idea of fear, a fear so powerful that only death can erase. So, in an attempt to understand Furoki's fear, Masuoka descends into the underground tunnels of Tokio, discovering the entrance to a bizarre cavern that seems like a passage to the underworld. Is in this caverns where he finds a naked girl (Tomoi Miyashita) chained to the wall. He unchains her and takes her to his apartment, but soon he discovers that this girl (whom he names "F") is not a normal person, and that her presence in his world will make a darker side of him to come out.

"Marebito" was written by Chiaki Konaka, adapting it from his novel of the same name. Like most of his oeuvre, "Marebito" is a dark psychological story of inner horrors that makes a thinly veiled cometary on the relationship between humans and the technology they produce. Narrated by Masuoka, the story is entirely told from his perspective, allowing a deeper insight on the character's complex psyche and its development through the movie. Full of Lovecraftian elements (Konaka has also written some Cthulhu Mythos stories), "Marebito" follows Masuoka through his discovery of mysteries that should be better kept secret and the terrific consequences of his actions. However, "Marebito" is more than a homage to Lovecraft, as it covers as well themes of videophilia, obsession and isolation, all within the context of Japan's contemporary life. Japan's underground becomes the connection to a world that lives hidden under the urban metropolis. Masuoka's bizarre relationship with F conjugates all these themes in a dark tale of madness where nothing is what it seems.

It seems that this "return to roots" that represented "Marebito" was really beneficial for Takashi Shimizu, as the work he offers in the film is once again a very fresh and original horror movie that proves that there is more in Shimizu's vision than the haunting yet somewhat repetitive "Ju-on" series. Working again on a shoestring budget, Shimizu is able to vividly capture the simple and monotone life of his character, Masuoka. Putting to good use the work of digital cinematography by Tsukasa Tanabe, director Shimizu mimics the world as his main character sees it: a world seen through the camera lens. This truly enhances the claustrophobic atmosphere of "Marebito" as, Masuoka sees and communicates with the world employing through the frame of his camera's eye. While the movie moves at a very slow pace, Shimizu keeps mystery and suspense on the rise as Masuoka's slowly uncovers the secrets of the underground. As in "Ju-on", Shimizu showcases his skill for creating ominous, haunting atmospheres of horror in common settings of everyday life.

While better known as the director of remarkable and influential films such as "Tetsuo" (1989) and "Tokyo Fist" (1995), Shinya Tsukamoto has had a career as an actor in films, not only in his own, but also in those of other directors (most notably in Takashi Miike's "Koroshiya 1"). As the certainly disturbed Masuoka, Tsukamoto offers a very restrained performance, as an everyman kind of character whom is fully dedicated to his passion: videotaping stuff. Dedicated to an obsessive degree, and in this aspect, his characterization as a common man enhance the believability of the role. Certainly, Masuoka could very well be the next door neighbor so, his uncovering of the mysteries that lurk in the shadows is all the more disturbing. Nevertheless, the movie's highlight is Tomomi Miyashita, who gives life to the feral child "F", with a frighteningly believable performance that definitely gives the chills. The rest of the cast is effective, but certainly the movie belongs entirely to Tsukamoto and Miyashita.

"Marebito" is an excellent example of how imagination and a good plot can make a film work even with the most limited resources. The strength of the movie is entirely based on Shimizu's powerful visual style and Konaka's haunting story, which together craft an interesting and nightmarish descent to hell. Of course, the movie suffers the most in the special effects department, with some of the most fantastic visuals looking tragically bad in their making, making sharp contrast with the realism captured by the camera. The use of digital cinematography plays a big part in this realistic tone, which has an almost documentarian visual style, pretty much in tone with Masuoka's vision of life through the lens. While Konaka's story is indeed a tad too convoluted for its own good (not to mention the fact that's filled with many details and obscure references), it is truly captivating because of its nightmarish, surrealist atmosphere; and that disorienting unpredictability that makes it refreshing amongst Asian horror stories.

If the "Ju-on" series of ghost stories helped to make Takashi Shimizu became known worldwide as part of the new generation of creators of Asian horror; "Marebito" is definitely the movie that truly reveals him as a horror author beyond regional or generational classifications. With its surreal atmosphere and its disturbing storyline, "Marebito" offers a new view on Asian horror, different from the classic ghost stories based on Onryō spirits. Certainly, "Marebito" is not a movie destined to be a hit, but it's one that shows Shimizu's stylish brand of cinema. While maybe "The Grudge" is the movie that most people relate to Takashi Shimizu, "Marebito" is ultimately a much better experience and more satisfying movie on the whole.

8/10
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Ukikusa (1959)

 In Japanese, "floating weeds" is a nickname used to metaphorically describe itinerant livelihoods, more specifically, to describe itinerant actors. Troupes traveling through the country with no place to call home, are like weeds floating on the water, moving without following any specific direction. Japanese filmmaker Yasujirô Ozu used this metaphor in 1934 to title one of the most important films in his career: "Ukikusa monogatari" ("A Story of Floating Weeds"), a family drama involving itinerant actors which defined many of his trademarks and essentially marked the maturing of his particular style. It also became one of his most successful films of his pre-war era. 25 years later, Ozu found himself with the chance of making a film of his choice for Daiei Studios, and so, his chosen project for Daiei was a remake of his own 1934 classic "Ukikusa monogatari". Naming it simply as "Ukikusa" ("Floating Weeds"), Yasujirô Ozu revisited his earlier classic after 25 years of social changes, style maturity and life experiences.

"Ukikusa" begins with the arrival of a troupe of itinerant actors to a seaside town during an extremely hot summer. The troupe's lead actor and owner Komajuro (Ganjiro Nakamura) has a very special reason to visit this town: his former lover Oyoshi (Haruko Sugimura) lives there, as well as their son Kiyoshi (Ayako Wakao). It's been 12 years since Komajuro's last visit, and now Kiyoshi is a grown-up man working at the post office with the dream of saving enough to go to college. Kiyoshi doesn't know that Komajuro is his father, as the old actor has always posed as his uncle, ashamed of his status as an itinerant actor. Komajuro begins to spend time with Kiyoshi, even when the attendance to their kabuki act is pretty poor. Sumiko (Machiko Kyô), the lead actress and Komajuro's new mistress, begins to suspect that Komajuro is up to something, and when he discovers that he is visiting his former mistress, she becomes jealous and confronts Komajuro about it. Komajuro decides to break up with her, but the enraged Sumiko conceives a plan to take revenge on Kiyoshi.

Written by director Ozu himself along regular collaborator Kôgo Noda, "Ukikusa" focuses chiefly on the intimate family drama triggered by Sumiko's discovery of Komajuro's son. Lies, jealousy and love are the main themes, which could give the notion that "Ukikusa" is nothing more than a conventional and lachrymose melodrama. However, there is more in the story than what seems at first sight, as it is also a character study about the aging itinerant actor Komajuro. Strict and possessive, yet well intentioned and profoundly human, it is a character full of contradictions that unnecessarily has complicated his own life with each lie he has told to Kiyoshi. Komajuro has played Kiyoshi's uncle for many years, in what ironically seems to had been his best role through his mediocre career as an actor, and the effects of this acts further complicate his goal of leaving the road. And like Komajuro, the characters are what make "Ukikusa" different to typical melodramas, as in Ozu's cinema what matters is not what the characters do, but what they feel, think and believe.

In essence, what matters is what the characters live, what they experience intimately in their relationships with each other; and to take the audience to this intimacy, Ozu places his camera right in the middle of the action. In the original "Ukikusa monogatari", Ozu's distinctive style was blooming; in this remake, his style has reached full maturity. Everything is set up to immerse the audience into the character's intimate world. With the placing of his camera, its static positioning and the centering of the actors during dialog scenes; Ozu forces us to stare almost straight to the characters and discover them, as if they were old acquaintances, old friends. It's worth to point out Kazuo Miyagawa's masterful work of cinematography, which creates some of the most beautiful images with his brilliant use of colour and lighting. It's interesting to see the legendary Miyagawa, noted for his tracking shots, working with the classic static compositions of Ozu. The result captures perfectly the images of daily life and makes them transcend into beautiful works of art.

As expected in a drama of such intensity as this, the performances by the cast are instrumental part in the success of the film, and in "Ukikasu", the actors make for the most part a remarkable job in this aspect. Actor Ganjiro Nakamura, as the film's de facto protagonist, creates a powerful and very human portrait of the aging itinerant actor Komajuro. In a complex role that can be both sympathetic and hateful at the same time, Nakamura makes a wonderful job in capturing the many faces of Komajuro Arashi. An equally powerful performance is that of the beautiful Machiko Kyô, who plays Komajuro's current mistress Sumiko. Certainly, her role is considerably smaller (more details about Sumiko in the screenplay would had been appreciated), but her talents exploit every frame she is in, particularly in the scene of the confrontation in the pouring rain. Actress Haruko Sugimura, who plays Oyoshi is more restrained, perhaps a bit too restrained, but this passive subtlety adds a nice contrast to Kyô's explosive Sumiko.

Actor Hiroshi Kawaguchi, who plays Komajuro's son Kiyoshi, is unfortunately the cast's weakest link, appearing wooden and stiff, and well below the high standard set by the rest of the main cast. The other cast members are pretty effective, and specially funny are the three actors played by Haruo Tanaka, Yosuke Irie and Kôji Mitsui (whom incidentally, played the actor's son in the original "Ukikasu monogatari"). All in all, "Ukikasu" is a beautiful display of the maturity of Ozu's style tackling a more conventional (more traditional perhaps) family drama than his usual. With a calm rhythm, beautiful visual compositions, and a subtle, very intimate narrative style, Ozu crafts his drama slowly, focusing not on unfolding the story, but on letting his characters breath and grow in the screen. The powerful, colorful images captured by Miyagawa's camera enhance the beauty of common daily life and serve as the words of Ozu's visual poetry, and this is probably what could summarize "Ukikasu", and perhaps Ozu's cinema in general: the poetry of daily life.

Slow and calm, Yasujirô Ozu's cinema may be an acquired taste, with his very Japanese style and that, in Akira Kurosawa's words, "dignified severity" that permeates his films. However, "Ukikusa" is a very rewarding film, and transmits a sense of intimacy with the characters that, rather than voyeuristic, it's more contemplative. Perhaps Ozu felt that there was room for improvement (like Alfred Hitchcock's 1934 and 1956 versions of "The Man Who Knew Too Much"), perhaps he wanted to make a final statement of his style using the film that began to define it, or perhaps he simply liked this story of floating weeds so much he just had to do it again; whatever the reason was for this remake, the result is an interesting showcase of Yasujirô Ozu's lyricism, and a powerful display of his full technique.

8/10
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Gojira (1954)

Without a doubt, one of the most recognizable figures in the history of modern horror and science-fiction cinema is the nuclear-powered lizard known as Gojira, or Godzilla, the King of the Monsters. One of the ultimate icons of Japanese horror, the giant beast has taken the roles of villain and hero interchangeably through its many incarnations; however, one theme remains a constant in its existence: the destruction of mankind's habitat by a twisted, uncontrolled and devastating force of nature, which Godzilla, symbol of the fears of the nuclear era, perfectly represents. It was in 1954 when the powerful monster first reared its head when, inspired by a tragic naval incident (as well as motivated by the success of 1953's film "Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" and other films about nuclear-powered monsters), writer Shigeru Kayama and director Ishirô Honda decided to give their own view, a very Japanese view, on the horrors of the nuclear era, very real horrors that their country had experienced first hand. And so, the most formidable of the giant monsters was born: Gojira.

The story begins with the Japanese fishing boat Eiko-Maru, which is attacked by a mysterious flash of light from the water near Odo Island, and is shipwrecked. Two other ships meet the same fate. In the mean time, the fishing community of Odo Island is unable to find any fish, which together with the news of the attacks prompts the locals to remember the legend of Gojira (or Godzilla), an ancient monster god that lives in the sea. Reporters arrive to Odo Island to investigate about the attacks, and that night, the giant monster (Haruo Nakajima) attacks the village, leaving only death and destruction. In the aftermath of the attack, paleontologist Dr. Kyohei Yamane (Takashi Shimura) discovers that Godzilla is a giant dinosaur mutated by atomic tests. Meanwhile, Dr. Yamane's daughter Emiko (Momoko Kôchi) visits her fiancée, Dr. Daisuke Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata) in order to break off their engagement, as she is in love with Lieutenant Hideto Ogata (Akira Takarada). But with in her visit she'll also discover that Serizawa has a secret that might be the only chance to stop Godzilla.

As written above, to conceive the story writer Shigeru Kayama found inspiration in the case of the Lucky Dragon, a ship which after straying too closely to a nuclear test site, had its crew severely injured by radiation. Having this as inspiration, it's not surprising that horrors of the nuclear era became one of "Gojira"'s main themes, and the screenplay, by Takeo Murata and director Ishirô Honda himself, follows this concept expanding the idea by adding their own experiences and memories about the nuclear attacks at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This becomes obvious as not only it's the atomic test what create the monster but the monster's own wave of destruction is akin to the one left by the atomic bomb. The story is essentially simple, and highly influenced by American monster movies, but instead of jingoistic action and adventure, writers gave "Gojira" a huge dose of suspense, and a terrifying verisimilitude, resulting in a darker, almost pessimist tone, in which heroism does exist in people, but not without great sacrifices.

Deeply shocked by the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, director Ishirô Honda brings to life Kayama's giant monster by echoing the devastation that impressed him nine years before. While budgetary constrains forced Honda to shot "Gojira" in black and white, cinematographer Masao Tamai plays this to the film's advantage and creates an ominous atmosphere perfectly in tone with the somber mood the story has. Handling suspense in a masterful way, Honda keeps his monster in the shadows, hidden during most part of the film in order to enhance the effect of its arrival to Tokyo and the following destruction of the city. This climatic scene is effectively built up as a nightmarish vision of chaos, with Godzilla as an implacable force of nature unleashed to finish what the atomic bombs started. Raw and crude, yet full of style and suspense, Honda's "Gojira" succeeds in transforming a man in a monster suit into an apocalyptic vision of nuclear horror.

Framed by the big event that is Godzilla's rampage is the story of a love triangle between the main characters; and while definitely the giant monster's brutal attack overshadows such plot with its great impact and overwhelming power, the cast does and overall good job with their roles. Experienced actor Takashi Shimura plays Dr. Kyohei Yamane, a man more interested in studying Godzilla than on destroying it. As the good paleontologist, Shimura adds a certain sense of dignity to the cast, and is remarkable in his portrait of the troubled scientist, torn between his wish to understand the monster and his responsibilities. Nevertheless, even more interesting is Akihiko Hirata's work as Dr. Daisuke Serizawa, a complex character whose life will get a dramatic change with Godzilla's apparition. Hirata has a very commanding presence that helps him to steal every scene he's in. As Dr. Yamane's daughter, Emiko, Momoko Kôchi is effective in her role as Hirata's counterpart, while Akira Takarada, who plays the man she loves, is the cast's weakest link, being easily overshadowed by Hirata's great performance.

However, as time has proved, no matter how good the cast is (and the cast of "Gojira" is one of the best in any Godzilla movie), it is ultimately the giant monster, Godzilla, whom is the real star of the film. Because even when the Godzilla of "Gojira" is a brutal representation of nuclear horror, it's also a victim of it, and so its fury is mankind's punishment for going too far. Eiji Tsuburaya's special effects, while certainly a tad crude and rudimentary to an extent, manage to perfectly compel the terror of Godzilla with the only help of a rubber suit and carefully designed models. Tsuburaya's work may not had been the state-of-art effects director Honda expected, but together with the work by stuntman Haruo Nakajima, it truly created a mythical figure of epic proportions. While far from a perfect film, "Gojira" succeeds in making the unbelievable a reality, as despite lacking great special effects, the whole tone set by the story and the visual style transform the fantastic story of a giant monster into a very vivid nightmare with echoes from World War II.

Nowadays, more than 50 years after the first time Godzilla smashed a city, the big old monster is more a pop culture icon than the terrifying creature it originally was. Years of facing colorful enemies, kitsch alien invaders and cheesy sidekicks have made us forget that Godzilla is a monster, and that monsters were meant to be scary. Watching Ishirô Honda's original vision of "Gojira" is a great reminder that the big G is more than a giant monster: it's an enormous nuclear nightmare. Even when contrasted to the 1956 American re-edited version, "Godzilla, King of the Monsters", this film is really a completely different take on the monster. This is definitely Godzilla: the monster, the destroyer, the legend.

9/10
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Kumonosu jô (1957)

Director Akira Kurosawa, without a doubt Japan's most famous director in the Western world, had an enormous influence from English language's best playwright, William Shakespeare, to the extent of making adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. However, unlike most adaptations of the Bard's works, Kurosawa's versions blended the plots with his many other influences resulting in very original stories that while Shakespearean at heart, were also very Japanese. Movies like "Ran" and "Warui Yatsu Hodo Yoku Nemuru" ("The Bad sleep Well") are examples of the results of this mixtures of influences, where the plot is deeply rooted the play, but with the rich Japanese culture filling the screen. Like those two, "Kumonosu Jô" (known in English as "Throne of Blood"), is technically Kurosawa's very own interpretation of "Macbeth", but like the other examples, it is more than a mere adaptation of Shakespeare's play and actually takes the story to a new level by adding elements of Japanese Noh theater.

"Kumonosu Jô" means literally "Cobweb Castle", and that is the place where two brave generals, Taketori Washizu (Toshirô Mifune) and Yoshiteru Miki (Akira Kubo) are heading to after defeating the enemies of their Lord. In their way to the castle, during a dark foggy night, they meet a mysterious old woman (Chieko Naniwa) who presents herself as a powerful spirit. The spirit foresees their future, revealing them that Washizu will be Lord of "Cobweb castle", and that Miki's son will be his successor, but before that, they'll receive great honors from the Castle's current Lord. After they arrive to Cobweb Castle, the first part of the prophecy fulfills as both are highly honored, and this triggers the ambition of Washizu's wife, Lady Asaji (Isuzu Yamada), who in turn convinces Washizu to betray his Lord in order to fulfill the second part of the prophecy. The ambitious Washizu obeys and soon finds himself Lord of Cobweb castle, but fearful of the unfulfilled final part of the prophecy.

While certainly there is more than a little resemblance to "Macbeth" in the plot, the similarities remain only in the basic plot structure, as the story of "Kumonosu Jô" (Written by Kurosawa and his regular collaborators Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryuzo Kikushima and Hideo Oguni) has more changes than the simply translation from Medieval setting to Feudal Japan; in fact, "Kumonosu Jô" works more like a Noh drama put on screen than as a straight forward Shakespeare adaptation. This is not to say that the immortal theme of uncontrolled ambition is lost in the script, but here it takes a very different approach (with Lady Asaji being far more intelligent and cold blooded than Lady Macbeth), and with the element of fate being of bigger importance due to the setting of the story and the cultural differences.

The elements of Noh theater are more prominent in the visual conception of the movie, as director Akira Kurosawa takes the highly stylized atmosphere of Noh drama and translate it to film. This atmosphere includes not only the slow graceful moves of the characters and the equally slow pace of the movie, but also in the gestures, the music and the overall atmosphere of the film. As always, regular collaborator Asakazu Nakai is in charge of the cinematography of the film, creating this atmosphere of desolation and impeding doom with an excellent use of the forest, the birds and the fog. Using Nakai's beautiful work Kurosawa literally creates poetry with his images, and while far from faithful to Shakespeare, he creates one of the most powerful versions of "Macbeth" ever done. The finale, while appropriately different from the play's ending, is simply a glorious example of both Kurosawa, Nakai and Mifune's work.

No review of "Kumonosu Jô" would be complete without talking about the superb acting by Toshirô Mifune and Isuzu Yamada. As Washizu, Mifune shows his vast range as an actor by playing a considerably different character than his previous samurai warriors. Washizu is a man whose ambition is only equaled by his loyalty to his Lord, so the inner conflict in this character after he is finally convinced to fulfill his destiny is what drives the movie. Mifune is simply excellent in his portrayal of a man whose ambition is driven by fate, and consumed by guilt. However, while Mifune definitely gives one of his best performances in his career, Isuzu Yamada is the one who completely steals the movie as Lady Asaji. Her performance is simply breathtaking and of an almost supernatural quality. She is definitely the highlight of the film and it is not a surprise that this is her most celebrated performance on film.

"Kumonosu Jô", or "Throne of Blood", is a remarkable achievement by Kurosawa, and one of the best Japanese dramas of the 50s. However, its fame as a "Macbeth" adaptation may give the false impression that it's a faithful translation. People expecting an exact Japanese "Macbeth" will be sorely disappointed, as while the stories are similar, the explored themes are a bit too different for purists. In the same vein, fans expecting another samurai epic like "Shichinin no samurai" (done 3 years earlier) will definitely be disappointed as the movie is more drama than samurai action. The Noh drama style of the film may be probably hard to get at first, as its stylish method of storytelling may look a bit too slow to modern audiences. However, once the movie starts it's easy to get used to it and personally, I don't see a better way to tell Washizu's story than this.

In his country, Kurosawa was often criticized for being "too Western" for Japanese audiences after the worldwide success of "Rashômon" and "Shichinin no samurai"; however, "Kumonosu Jô" is an example of Kurosawa making a very Japanese film that despite having its roots in an English play, it's very accurate in its portrait of the Japanese Feudal culture. "Throne of Blood" is definitely a must-see and a remarkable classic.

9/10

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