Will Japan's Travel Industry Get The Hint?

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Haruo Nakajima. Could he and his alter ego be the ones who revives Japan's tourism industry?

It is amazing how things can go viral over the Internet.

A few days ago, I posted a blog "Can Godzilla Save The Japanese Tourism Industry?" at Monster Island News, Godzilla 2012 and Armand's Rancho Del Cielo blogs. I posed the question in this way:

Getting up this evening from much-needed sleep (I have to work the graveyard shift in Burbank again tonight), I found an email about a Twitter Tweet from Tom Baker of The Daily Yomiuri:

Can Godzilla help save Japan's tourism industry? Monster expert @ArmandV comments on an editorial from @DailyYomiuri.

I think Godzilla would be a great help in saving Japan's tourism industry. He's as internationally recognizable as Mickey Mouse. Of course, the tourism industry would need the cooperation from Godzilla's owner, Toho Co., Ltd., but ads featuring the King of the Monsters promoting Japan tourism could do the trick. Also, taking on Haruo Nakajima, the original Godzilla suit actor, as a goodwill ambassador in a advertising campaign for Japan tourism would be a plus. Given his age (he's 82), his participation would have to be limited a bit. But seeing the crowds gather around him on Hollywood Blvd. (see photo below from his daughter Sonoe) convinced me that he could be useful. And, I think he'd have a ball!

Above, Haruo Nakajima drew a crowd on Hollywood Blvd. last month. Photo courtesy of Sonoe Nakajima.

As I said before, the Japanese tourism industry needs to think "outside of the box" to get travelers over to Japan. It's worth a try!

Checking Google, I found that a number of websites have picked up on the posts. They range from other bloggers to travel websites. Maybe the Japanese travel professionals and tourism bureaus (especially the Japan National Tourism Organization) will get the hint?

Wouldn't be cool to see Godzilla and Haruo Nakajima featured in promotions for Japan travel? They would certainly catch a lot of attention!

Both Godzilla and Haruo Nakajima are valuable resources that could and should be tapped. We'll see what develops.

THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD Worm On Girl Promo Pics

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Okay here is another topic that I had been talking about on Facebook. Is it my imagination or do all the promo photos from the 1957 movie "The Monster That Challenged The World" look like worm on woman intercourse?

Really! Look at the photo on the left and tell me what comes to mind? Be honest!

If that doesn't look like monster rape I don't know what does?

Then again .... maybe she consented?

Anyway .... pretty racy stuff for the 1950s.

Actually I had never seen the movie until last week and I honestly thought it was one of the better monster movies from that era.

I'll post a better review in the next few weeks .... I promise.

Here is the info:

The Monster That Challenged the World (1957) is a science-fiction monster movie, about an army of giant mollusks that emerge from the Salton Sea, California. Directed by Arnold Laven, the film starred Tim Holt and Audrey Dalton.

It was produced by Gramercy Pictures (not related to the former PolyGram division) and released by United Artists. The film is currently available on DVD as part of UA sister Metro-Goldwyn Mayer's Midnight Movies collection.

An earthquake has led to the hatching of eggs belonging to a prehistoric mollusk. The hatchlings emerge from the Salton Sea, escape into an underground aquifer, and proceed to terrorize the citizens of California's Imperial Valley. The navy is called in to battle these monsters. Navy Lieutenant Commander John Twillinger (Holt), teams up with several scientists to battle the threat.

Here are a couple more of the scandalous photos:

Real Or Hoax? Youtube Videos From The Other Side (05/28/2011)

Written By: Ken Hulsey

I think that everyone has probably seen the popular series "Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files" on the SyFy Channel by now. To make a long story short (in case you haven't seen the show) the series revolves around a group of investigators who find UFO, paranormal and crytozoology based videos online then go out and try to stage the events depicted in them to prove if they are real or BS.

Over the past couple of days I have been posting videos from Youtube on my Facebook page and asking my friends to rate them as "Fact or Faked?"

Most of these get a lot of "faked" votes, but there have been a few that left people scratching their heads. Either people really captured the "real deal" or they have a future in the movie industry.

I thought it would be fun to move the subject off of Facebook to Monster Island News where more people could enjoy these videos and respond with their own two cents about whether the videos contain something paranormal or are just the work of bored people with cinematic talent.

To keep the legal eagles out there happy I have changed the name of this feature from "Fact or Faked" to "Real or Hoax".

Here are the videos with their descriptions from Youtube:

Outstanding UFO Sighting Alien Encounter Caught On Tape 2011

Outstanding UFO Sighting Alien Encounter Caught On Tape 2011 A Closer Look of what apears to be an ALIEN or TROLL Caught on tape you decide?

Note: It has been pointed out that the people who made this one run a movie production company .... so it is a hoax. Regardless .... it freaked the shit out of me!

BIGFOOT SIGHTING!!!

Uploaded by samantha13950 on May 23, 2011

While hiking, we accidentally caught an image of bigfoot walking through the woods. I didn't even notice until I got home and saw it on the computer! This scarred the crap out of us!

UFO's making Crop Circle

Daytime Gold Sphere UFO Over Chicago 27 May 2011

Uploaded by guttergawker on May 28, 2011

I saw this gold shape shifting UFO sphere flying over Chicago May 27, 2011. This is the 3rd time this year I have seen it. It also flew over on 4/29 and 5/22. It appeared as a point of light looking East towards the Downtown. It was a gold sphere then a diamond shape back to a sphere it seemed to flicker and change from copper to burnt orange back to gold color. I saw to seperate MUFON reports of this being seen over Chicago I will include the links to those sightings and my own here in the description.

UFO Japan May 28, 2011

Something Big (and blurry) On Security Cam

Uploaded by lucysandini on May 26, 2011

This is security video captured on 5/25/11 at my house. Keep your eye on the tree next to the vehicle across the street. Watch as the blurry object descends the tree, seems to attack something in the driveway and then climbs back up the trees actually going from tree to tree.

Tatra Mountain Yeti

The Tatra Mountains are a range of mountains that form a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. They are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains. In the summer of 2009, a rock climber named Piotr Kowalski captured an unexplained humanoid creature in the Tatra Mountains. Piotr is quoted as saying, "I saw the huge ape-like form hiding behind the rocks. When I saw it, it was like being struck with a thunderbolt." The footage is shocking and confirms a Sasquatch on multiple levels.

Celebrate The 100th Birthday Of Vincent Price With HOUSE OF WAX in 3D!

Source: Downtown Independent

I just wanted to quickly pass along this information on a special screening of the Vincent Price classic "House of Wax" at the Downtown Independent cinema her in Los Angeles on June 11th.

Here are the details:

The Board of the Vincent Price Art Museum Foundation and the Family of Vincent Price invite you to celebrate
THE ONE HUNDREDTH BIRTHDAY OF VINCENT PRICE and THE GRAND OPENING OF THE VINCENT PRICE ART MUSEUM.

Join us for a 3-D screening of 1953's HOUSE OF WAX starring Vincent Price PLUS "THE LIFE AND ART OF VINCENT PRICE" slide show and talk by Vincent's daughter, Victoria Price.

Proceeds raised will benefit THE VINCENT PRICE ART MUSEUM.

Everyone will receive a set of commemorative 3-D glasses!

TICKET INFORMATION:
$85 VIP tickets or $150 for 2 tickets:
($50 per person is tax-deductible)
includes 6:30PM rooftop pre-screening celebration.
Beer, wine, and culinary selections from A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary & Vincent Price.
Meet Victoria Price, Museum Director Karen Rapp, and VPAM Board Members.
$25 Tickets for: "The Art & Life of Vincent Price" and HOUSE OF WAX in 3-D.

More Info: http://www.downtownindependent.com/events/the-one-hundreth-birthday-of

See Also: The Fly - Bobble Head Figure / Shock It To Me! Brings Two Classic Vincent Price Movies To San Francisco's Clay Theatre / Vincent Price Presents - A Wonderful Horror Comics Anthology From Bluewater / House of Wax (1953)(Warner Bros)

Bryan Singer Begins Production On 3D Remake Of JACK THE GIANT KILLER

Source: Warner Bros

Principal photography is underway in London on acclaimed filmmaker Bryan Singer's 3D epic action adventure "Jack the Giant Killer," with Nicholas Hoult in the title role of Jack, for New Line Cinema and Legendary Pictures.

"Jack the Giant Killer" tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend—and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

Hoult and Singer recently collaborated on the Singer-produced "X-Men: First Class," for release later this year. "Jack the Giant Killer" also stars Eleanor Tomlinson as Princess Isabelle; Stanley Tucci ("Captain America: The First Avenger," "Julie & Julia") as the deceitful Lord Roderick; Ian McShane ("Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," HBO's "Deadwood") as the besieged King Brahmwell; Bill Nighy ("Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows") as the giants' leader General Fallon; and Ewan McGregor ("Star Wars," "The Ghost Writer") as palace guard Elmont.

Singer will direct from a screenplay by Darren Lemke and Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, story by Darren Lemke & David Dobkin. The film will be produced by Neal Moritz, David Dobkin, Bryan Singer and Patrick McCormick.

The creative filmmaking team includes Singer's longtime collaborators, director of photography Newton Thomas Sigel ("X-Men," "Superman Returns") and editor John Ottman ("X2," "Superman Returns"). The production designer is Gavin Bocquet ("Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith").

"Jack the Giant Killer" is filming on location in and around London, and is scheduled for a summer 2012 release.

A New Line Cinema presentation, in association with Legendary Pictures, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

New Guest Stars Announced For TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY

Source: Starz

Imagine a day when nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep aging. They get hurt and sick but they never die. This is the extraordinary premise of the highly-anticipated STARZ original drama series, "Torchwood: Miracle Day," produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for STARZ, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Worldwide. The series will premiere on STARZ July 8 at 10 pm ET/PT.

Today, the network announced that in addition to Torchwood alumni, John Barrowman, Eve Myles, and Kai Owen and new headliners, Mekhi Phifer, Bill Pullman and Alexa Havins, that the 10-episode, hour-long series will also feature an impressive list of guest stars: Wayne Knight (“Seinfeld,” Jurassic Park), C. Thomas Howell (“Southland,” The Outsiders), Ernie Hudson (“OZ,” Ghostbusters), Nana Visitor (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), John DeLancie (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Mare Winningham (Mildred Pierce, George Wallace) and Frances Fisher (Titanic, The Lincoln Lawyer).

Additional actors starring in the cult sensation include: Arlene Tur (“Crash,” Eat Pray Love) and Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under,” The Other Woman) who join the cast in an extended guest role. The show's original creator, writer/producer Russell T Davies, serves as executive producer along with BBC Worldwide Productions' SVP Julie Gardner, with Davies also serving as show-runner for "Torchwood: Miracle Day."

"Torchwood: Miracle Day" begins with a day when nobody dies. The result: a population boom, overnight. With all the extra people, resources are finite. It's said that in four month's time, the human race will cease to be viable. But this can't be a natural occurrence - someone's got to be behind it. It's a race against time as C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy. The answers lie within an old, secret British institute. As Rex keeps asking "What is Torchwood?," he's drawn into a world of adventure, and a threat to change what it means to be human, forever.

Dracula (Bela Lugosi) Film Cell

Source: Entertainment Earth

Order Your Dracula (Bela Lugosi) Film Cell For Only $54.99

Dracula Bela Lugosi Film Cell

Dracula Bela Lugosi Film Cell. Bela Lugosi vants to be on your wall! This is an 8-inch by 10-inch print of Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula alongside a series of 35mm film clips. This item comes in a beautiful black ash effect frame with a stunning sublimated plaque and certificate stating authenticity.

After a harrowing ride through the Carpathian mountains in eastern Europe Renfield enters castle Dracula to finalize the transferral of Carfax Abbey in London to Count Dracula who is in actuality a vampire. Renfield is drugged by the eerily hypnotic count and turned into one of his thralls protecting him during his sea voyage to London. After sucking the blood and turning the young Lucy Weston into a vampire Dracula turns his attention to her friend Mina Seward daughter of Dr. Seward who then calls in a specialist Dr. Van Helsing to diagnose the sudden deterioration of Mina's health. Van Helsing realizing that Dracula is indeed a vampire tries to prepare Mina's fiance John Harker and Dr. Seward for what is to come and the measures that will have to be taken to prevent Mina from becoming one of the undead.

It's Official: Media Blasters To Release "Godzilla vs. Megalon" and "Destroy All Monsters"

by Armand Vaquer

Above, the U.S. poster of "Godzilla vs. Megalon."

After weeks of speculation and rumors, it is now official: Media Blasters has Godzilla vs. Megalon and, also, Destroy All Monsters.

According to their Facebook page:

Talking about Godzilla we can make it official now, we have DAM and Godzilla vs. Megalon. DAM is scheduled for October and will be both Blu-Ray and DVD releases. Do not know all the details about the extras yet. We will post with it later as they become available. Now for the funny part, we were not looking at Godzilla vs. Megalon till everyone said we have it so we asked they said ok so we picked it up.

There is no word as yet on the release date of Godzilla vs. Megalon, but it will likely be in 2012.

The last sentence from Media Blasters' announcement is interesting:

Now for the funny part, we were not looking at Godzilla vs. Megalon till everyone said we have it so we asked they said ok so we picked it up.

As mentioned previously, Robert Dunham's daughter Emiko Jade Frost said she was approached by someone working on the extra features for the DVD some months ago. Then, the word about it was announced by August Ragone. I posted the news as Ragone has been a reliable source for news in the world of kaiju. Then Media Blasters said they don't have Megalon. After this, all hell broke loose and Ragone found himself on the receiving end of attacks by irate fanboys.

Perhaps the hullabaloo surrounding the Ragone announcement was a good thing in the end as Media Blasters acquired Megalon and it'll finally receive an official release.

As far as Destroy All Monsters is concerned, I have the ADV VHS and DVD releases. Unfortunately, both have Toho's international dub instead of the original A.I.P. dub. It is hoped that Media Blasters can release Destroy All Monsters with the A.I.P. dub or, at least, the Japanese language, but subtitled version. The international dub is atrocious.

Nevertheless, this is good news! (Now if we can only get Return of Godzilla (Godzilla 1985) and Godzilla vs. Biollante released on DVD.)

Can Godzilla Save The Japanese Tourism Industry?

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Haruo Nakajima (right) during his Godzilla days. Can Godzilla and Nakajima help save the Japanese tourism industry?

Getting up this evening from much-needed sleep (I have to work the graveyard shift in Burbank again tonight), I found an email about a Twitter Tweet from Tom Baker of The Daily Yomiuri:

Can Godzilla help save Japan's tourism industry? Monster expert @ArmandV comments on an editorial from @DailyYomiuri.

I think Godzilla would be a great help in saving Japan's tourism industry. He's as internationally recognizable as Mickey Mouse. Of course, the tourism industry would need the cooperation from Godzilla's owner, Toho Co., Ltd., but ads featuring the King of the Monsters promoting Japan tourism could do the trick. Also, taking on Haruo Nakajima, the original Godzilla suit actor, as a goodwill ambassador in a advertising campaign for Japan tourism would be a plus. Given his age (he's 82), his participation would have to be limited a bit. But seeing the crowds gather around him on Hollywood Blvd. (see photo below from his daughter Sonoe) convinced me that he could be useful. And, I think he'd have a ball!

Above, Haruo Nakajima drew a crowd on Hollywood Blvd. last month. Photo courtesy of Sonoe Nakajima.

As I said before, the Japanese tourism industry needs to think "outside of the box" to get travelers over to Japan. It's worth a try!

5 Years Since "Gamera The Brave"

by Armand Vaquer

Above, the Tokyo premiere of "Gamera The Brave." I am in the center waiting to get into the theater. This is a screen capture from the Region 2 DVD.

Following the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, my concern and concentration was on Matsushima Bay and Sendai, which were hit hard by the quake and tsunami.

Despite my focus on Sendai and Matsushima, it dawned on me recently that it was five years ago last month that I visited both Sendai and Matsushima Bay in Tohoku. The visit was a highlight of that trip.

Above, at the premiere of "Gamera The Brave," I am at the souvenir table in this screen capture from the Region 2 DVD.

The other highlight of that April 2006 trip to Japan was attending the premiere of Gamera The Brave at the Piccadilly Theaters in the Yurakucho Mullion Building in Tokyo. The Japanese Region 2 DVD has a separate disc containing extras, including the Tokyo premiere. I am in a couple of shots in the premiere footage.

Gamera The Brave was an enjoyable little movie and greatly underrated. It brought Gamera back to his "friend of the children" roots and it was tailored to younger audiences. But it was scripted in such a way that it wouldn't make adult viewers cringe in their seats. It also had good special effects (on a par with Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)). The kid actors did a good job.

The premiere was packed to capacity. Unfortunately, the movie failed to wow them at the box office during its run. Had it been even a modest hit, Kadokawa Pictures would have been able to make sequels. The movie deserved better.

Tokyo Shock released the DVD in the U.S. It is probably now out-of-print. But if one should find a copy, I recommend watching the Japanese language version with English subtitles. The dubbed version is atrocious. At least the viewer is given a choice.

Sure has been a fast five years!

Godzilla (Haruo Nakajima) Takes Hollywood! Take 2

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Haruo Nakajima and his daughter Sonoe pose at the Godzilla star on Hollywood Blvd. Mr. Nakajima played a major role in the popularity of the Godzilla character which led to the Walk of Fame honor. Photo courtesy of Sonoe Nakajima.

The original Godzilla, Haruo Nakajima, conquered Hollywood while he was in Southern California as a special guest at this year's Monsterpalooza in Burbank.

Above, ever the performer, Haruo Nakajima poses with the Godzilla star for the tourists. Photo courtesy of Sonoe Nakajima.

While he was here, and during some free time, he was taken to Hollywood Blvd. and posed with the Godzilla star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star is located in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Sonoe sent several of their personal photos of their visit and these are some of them.

Above, back home in Japan, Mr. Nakajima poses with his Certificate of Welcome from the Mayor of Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of Sonoe Nakajima.

Godzilla (Haruo Nakajima) Takes Hollywood!

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Haruo Nakajima gives his famous "Godzilla attack" pose at Godzilla's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Photo courtesy of Sonoe Nakajima.

After getting home from work tonight, I found an email from Sonoe Nakajima in Japan with photographs of her and her dad's visit to Hollywood. The photos accompanying this blog post are just part of what she sent of their personal collection.

Above, Haruo and Sonoe Nakajima pose at the Hollywood Sign. Photo courtesy of Sonoe Nakajima.

Back in early April, the original Godzilla, Haruo Nakajima and his daughter Sonoe, attended Monsterpalooza at the Burbank Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. Mr. Nakajima was a special guest of Monsterpalooza.

Mr. Nakajima was a big hit at the show, and that's an understatement!

While in Los Angeles, the Nakajimas were taken around Los Angeles by August Ragone, David Chapple and others. Their stops included the Hollywood Sign up Beachwood Canyon and Godzilla's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd.

Above, Haruo Nakajima drew a crowd on Hollywood Blvd. Photo courtesy of Sonoe Nakajima.

The Nakajima's visit to the Godzilla star on Hollywood Blvd. was originally going to be a nice, quiet visit. However, once word got around to the tourists on the boulevard that Godzilla himself was in their midst, they gathered around to have their pictures taken with him (photo above).

One can tell from these photographs that the Nakajimas had a great time while visiting Hollywood!

The Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) ought to hire Mr. Nakajima. He'd make a great "goodwill ambassador!"

New Yowie Sighting Sparks Interest In Australian Bigfoot

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Oh yes there are all kinds of alleged creatures wandering around out in the Australian wilderness. There are dinosaurs, the once believed extinct Thylacine, giant spiders, reptiles of shapes and sizes and of course Bigfoot.

Not as well known around the globe as the Yeti of Tibet, the Sasquatch of Canada or the Bigfoot from here in the good old US of A the Yowie has been a staple in folklore from the land down under for centuries.

As a matter of fact the Yowie doesn't get seen too often, due mostly to the fact that Australia has hundreds of miles of wilderness where man seldom ventures to hind in, so likewise he normally doesn't get much press.

A recent sighting, however has sparked new interest in the wild man of the outback .... no not Yahoo Serious .... what? Never heard of him? .... "Young Einstein"? .... it's a film.

Anyway, a motorist, who wanted to only be identified as Dean, was busy Tuesday morning at about 2:30 am on his usual route (Pacific Hwy, north of Grafton) as a truck driver when he spotted something strange.

“I reached the top of the hill and I was coming around the sweeping corner to the right when I noticed something a lot larger than a kangaroo in the middle of the road – my headlights weren't on it yet but it was a bright night and I saw what looked like a large person stooped over, with a big overcoat on,” Dean explains.

“At the time I thought ‘you silly old thing, what are you doing in the middle of the road at this time of the morning', but next thing I knew my headlights started to light it up and it took one giant step off the road, it went from standing up like a person to going down on all fours and then it disappeared into the scrub in about three bounds.”

The eyewitness described the creature as being well over 6-feet tall and covered with jet blck hair or fur.

“It had an almost sort of a square, shaggy block head sitting straight on its shoulders – I'm a pretty big guy but it made me absolutely awe-struck how huge its body was – it had its arm up against a tree and it had about a foot of hair hanging from under its biceps.”

The sighting has left the eyewitness rather rattled and wanting desperately to come to terms with what he saw.

“Anybody who knows me knows I'm the ultimate realist but this was an awe-inspiring moment, it's definitely made me a believer,” Dean adds.

Since his encounter Dean has been in contact with local Yowie investigators who believe his story is legit.

Is what Dean saw a monster .... some other mammal possibly some huge koala? Was it possibly another of Australia's mythical creatures, the drop bear? Was it one of the members of Men at Work out looking for food ..... or a Fosters?

See Also: Does A New Video From Alaska Show Bigfoot? / This New Bigfoot Clip Is ABOMINABLE / Animal Planet Announces New Series - FINDING BIGFOOT / Bigfoot News - NIGHT CLAWS And The Face Of Sasquatch On Video? / "Credible" Bigfoot Sighting On Road In Pennsylvania / A Quick Update On NIGHTBEASTS / Yet Another Yeti Movie - CLAWS / The First Look At SNOW BEAST Coming Soon To SyFy / A New Bigfoot Movie In 3D From China? / Trailer Alert! THE MOUNTAIN WAILER / UNAWARE / Cole Bayford Serves Up A Little Bigfoot Australian Style In YOWIE / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #7) / Borrego Sandman / Speedway Monster - Updates - California The Monster State - Part 4 / The Fontana Speedway Monster (1951 - 1992) - California The Monster State - Part 3 / The Borrego Sandman (1939 - Present) - California The Monster State - Part 2 / Classic Tales From Cryptozoology - Mass Flying Dinosaur Sightings In Texas Circa 1976 / The Long Beach Sea Monster (1909) - California The Monster State - Part 1 / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #6) / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #5) / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #4) / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #3) / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #2) / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #1) / Young Film Makers Taking On The Scottish Sasquatch In BROKEN SPECTRE / Bigfoot Movie News - Nightbeasts Premiere Info - The Bloody Rage Comes To DVD / Two Terrified Kids Unleash THE DEVIL AT LOST CREEK / Is It The Great Pumpkin? Or The MOMO Monster? / An Update On Jamie Belty, The LEGEND OF GRASSMAN Crew Member Who Was Assaulted With A Hammer / A Call Out To All Fans To Help THE LEGEND OF GRASSMAN Crew Member After Assualt / The New Poster For James Baack's BLOODY RAGE OF BIGFOOT - Cast And Crew On MNBRT Radio / Bigfoot Pummels Both Peter Graves And Mr Lobo

Bonsai Kitten - Monster Music Profile

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Bonsai Kitten

With the impending Rapture and the following Zombie Apocalypse on our doorstep I thought that it would be a great public service to turn MIN readers on to another great rockabilly band that actually took the time to search me out.

The band that I think everyone should ride out the end of the world listening to is the German band Bonsai Kitten who combine punk and bass rattling tracks with modern pop to form a unique sound that will definitely cause some sort of cataclysm.

Here is their bio:

When there is a genre for the own musical creations missing, one either has to weirdly name it "a mixture of..." or just come up with a new trademark for the own style of music. The Berlin combo BONSAI KITTEN did just that by labeling their mixture of NEWPUNK and ROCKABILLY simply as "KILLBILLY". It contains explosive own compositions next to well-known, yet energetically shagged songs from the 80is and 90ies. Founded by the female singer Tiger Lilly Marleen in early 2005, grasping lots of attention within a wee of time, BONSAI KITTEN soon released their self-entitled debut album on the Japanese record-label "ON THE HILL" in 2007. The Lady Tiger Lilly Marleen lives up her name by wearing sexy outfits in leopard-print to rock the stage and sing the songs with a husky alto and full body action. All songs are performed with heavy speed by KRCZYCZ double-bass and HAJO SUN´s electric guitar to ignite the explosive material with a feisty punk rock attitude. To top it all off, drummer ALEXX Delarge´s beats it all down to a burning boiling point of music. All in all BONSAI KITTEN sum up to a rock..n..roll driven combo of dedicated musicians, who cleverly merge all different kinds of music styles into a spicy killbilly party. They do their jobs whole-hearted, sexy and with a lot of fun.

Killbilly .... now that's something I hadn't heard of .... but in regards to Bonsai Kitten it fits.

Links:

www.bonsai-kitten.de

www.facebook.com/bonsaikittenband

www.myspace.com/bonsaikittenband

Here are some music vids from Bonsai Kitten:

Only the Germans would have enough guts to take on Pat Benatar!

Bonsai Kitten photo gallery:

Bonsai Kitten Tour Dates:

28.05.2011 @ Alleefest, Erfurt
28.05.2011 @ Ilvers Club, Erfurt
04.06.2011 @ Jazzkeller, Hofheim
11.06.2011 @ Psychomania Rumble, Potsdam
24.06.2011 @ Finnegan´s Irish House, Altenburg
25.06.2011 @ Rock´n Roll lives! Open Air, Fürth
01.07.2011 @ Binger Open Air, Bingen
02.07.2011 @ Sound´n Arts, Bamberg
27.08.2011 @ Festival, tba
02.09.2011 @ Birranthology Festival, Italy
21.10.2011 @ Dr. Rock, Lübeck
22.10.2011 @ Pferdestall, Wittenberge
29.10.2011 @ Halloween, Jugenhaus, Nord

Filming Begins On Tim Burton's Dark Shadows

Source: Warner Bros

Filming begins this week on Warner Bros. Pictures' and Village Roadshow Pictures' "Dark Shadows," which brings the cult classic television series to the big screen under the direction of Tim Burton. The film's all-star ensemble cast includes Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, Chloe Moretz, and newcomer Gulliver McGrath.

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth's ne'er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger's precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David's new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

Burton is directing and producing "Dark Shadows" from a screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith, story by John August and Grahame-Smith, based on the television series created by Dan Curtis. Also producing are Oscar® winner Richard D. Zanuck ("Alice in Wonderland," "Driving Miss Daisy"), continuing his long association with Burton; Oscar® winner Graham King, ("Rango," "The Departed"), continuing his collaboration with Depp; Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, and David Kennedy. The executive producers are Chris Lebenzon, Nigel Gostelow, Tim Headington, and Bruce Berman.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, Oscar(R)-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs ("Sleepy Hollow"), Oscar(R)-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood ("Alice in Wonderland") and editor Chris Lebenzon ("Alice in Wonderland"). The score will be composed by Danny Elfman.

"Dark Shadows" is being filmed entirely in England, both at Pinewood Studios and on location.

"Dark Shadows" will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

Celluloid Philosophers - Shaun And Ed

Ed: Any zombies out there?
Shaun: Don't say that!
Ed: What?
Shaun: That!
Ed: What?
Shaun: The zed-word. Don't say it!
Ed: Why not?
Shaun: Because it's ridiculous!
Ed: All right... are there any out there, though?
[looking out of the letter-box, he sees an empty street]
Shaun: I can't see any. Maybe it's not as bad as all that.
[he turns his head and sees a pack of zombies]
Shaun: Oh, no, there they are.

- Shaun (Simon Pegg) / Ed (Nick Frost) - Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Bonus:

Ed: What's the plan then?
Shaun: Right.
[cuts to dream sequence]
Shaun: We take Pete's car, we drive over to Mum's, we go in, take care of Philip - "I'm so sorry, Philip" - then we grab Mum, we go over to Liz's place, hole up, have a cup of tea and wait for this whole thing to blow over.
Ed: Why have we got to go to Liz's?
Shaun: Because we do.
Ed: But she dumped you!
Shaun: I have to know if she's all right!
Ed: Why?
Shaun: Because I love her!
Ed: All right... gayyy... I'm not staying there, though.
Shaun: Why not?
Ed: If we hole up, I wanna be somewhere familiar, I wanna know where the exits are, and I wanna be allowed to smoke.
Shaun: Okay.
[cuts to dream sequence again]
Shaun: We take Pete's car, go round Mum's, go in, deal with Philip - "Sorry, Philip!" - grab Mum, go to Liz's, pick her up, bring her back here, have a cup of tea and wait for this whole thing to blow over.
Ed: Perfect!
Shaun: No, no, no, no, no, wait, we can't bring her back here.
Ed: Why not?
Shaun: Well, it's not really safe, is it?
Ed: Yeah, look at the state of it.
Shaun: Where's safe? Where's familiar?
Ed: Where can I smoke?
[Shaun and Ed pause then slowly make a realisation]
Shaun: [cuts to dream sequence a third time] Take car. Go to Mum's. Kill Phil - "Sorry." - grab Liz, go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over. How's that for a slice of fried gold?
Ed: Yeah, boyyyeee!
[Shaun and Ed clang their weapons together]

Shaun: They still out there?
[Ed checks, revealing two zombies scratching at the window]
Ed: Yeah. What you think we should do?
Shaun: Have a sit down?

See Also: Shaun of the Dead Uniform T-Shirt / Shaun of the Dead 12-Inch Talking Action Figure / PAUL DVD News And Simon Pegg Book Signings / SHAUN OF THE DEAD In 60 Seconds Scott Pilgrim Style / Paul (2011)(Universal) /Univerasl Picks Up the Tab For PAUL Roadtrip / Shaun of the Dead - Bash 'Em In The Head - T-Shirt / Celluloid Philosophers - Shaun / Hot Fuzz (2007)(Rogue Pictures) / Star Trek (2009)(Paramount) / Pegg Makes His Portrayal Of Scotty A Tribute To Doohan / Simon Pegg Reaches Out To Star Trek Fans / Has Simon Pegg Burned His Star Wars Bridge? / Is Edgar Wright Planning A Gorgo Remake? / Pegg, Wright, And Frost Set To Cause The Worlds End

Shaun of the Dead Uniform T-Shirt

Order Your Shaun of the Dead T-Shirt Here For Only $17.99!

Source: Entertainment Earth

Shaun of the Dead Uniform T-Shirt

Ever felt like you were surrounded by zombies?
High-quality t-shirt based on Shaun of the Dead.
Wear your favorite movies!

Ever felt like you were surrounded by zombies? Then you'll definitely need this 100% cotton, high-quality white Shaun of the Dead Uniform T-Shirt. Styled to look just like Shaun's work uniform (complete with printed-on tie!). Machine washable. Order yours today!

Shaun of the Dead 12-Inch Talking Action Figure

Order Your Shaun of the Dead Figure Here For Only $37.99!

Source: Entertainment Earth

Shaun of the Dead 12-Inch Talking Action Figure

"How's that for a slice of fried gold?"
Shaun speaks key phrases from the movie.
Stop the zombie uprising and have some flesh-eating fun!

Relive the adventure with this 12-inch tall Shaun of the Dead Talking Figure. Shaun really gets the deluxe treatment in this 1:6 scale. He comes with his cricket bat and base, an interchangeable left hand with a flower bouquet, and speaks key phrases from the movie. So, c'mon. Have some good old-fashioned, flesh-eating fun! "How's that for a slice of fried gold?" Shaun also voices the following:

"We need to be somewhere more secure, somewhere on the ground, somewhere we can stay alive."

"If you get cornered, bash them in the head. That seems to work."

"I don't think I've got it in me to shoot my flatmate, my mum, and my girlfriend all in the same evening."

The Flintstones Say "Smoke Em If Ya Got Em Kids"

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Cartoon characters smoking? WTF!

It is hard to fathom that a cigarette company would use cartoon characters to sell it's product to children, but that is exactly what Winston Cigarettes did back in the early 1960's.

During the original run of The Flinstones the show was sponsored by several different companies, one of them Winston Cigarettes. To showcase the sponsor's products Hanna-Barbera (the animation company that produced The Flintstones) produced several add spots featuring their beloved characters using the products ..... even smoking cigarettes.

Today such a advertising campaign would be strictly taboo .... but back in 1961 nobody thought twice about it and the adds aired on prime-time television for the whole family, including youngsters, to see. It is pretty damn obvious that these adds, though made for adults (The Flintstones, though animated, was considered adult viewing), were really designed to get kids to take up smoking.

Screw you Joe Camel .... we got Fred and Barney!

I actually think that there was an add with The Great Gazoo reading a Playboy and drinking Coors beer ..... but I may be mistaken.

All jokes aside these adds did air at the end of every episode of The Flintstones back in the day.

Here are an example of some of these commercials:

There are just soooo many things that are not PC about this one! "Hey Barney let's sit on our fat prehistoric butts while the women folk do all the hard work .....". Forget the fact that they are smoking for a minute and think about how much of an uproar there would be today for Betty and Wilma being portrayed as female servants to their male husbands alone.

You've come a long way baby!

This is the kinda stuff that you will never see on Boomerang!

Okay, the last one is a Jelly add .... which would be okay .... except for the fact that it promotes obesity in children. Which is now a big no-no! In fact Fred and Barney are a bit on the heavy side so maybe the whole show should be banned?

Sounds crazy right?

You never know? Things are getting kinda weird around Washington.

Just saying ....

See Also: Travel Back In Time With Clips From Saturday Morning Cartoons / The Man Called Flintstone (1966)

Does A New Video From Alaska Show Bigfoot?

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Cryptomundo

I'm sorry that I haven't posted very many stories from the world of Cryptozoology lately, but my time to concentrate on the topic has been limited due to all the new movie news coming out lately.

This one really grabbed my attention though, and I really wanted to spend a couple of minutes on it.

The video above seems to show what looks like a Bigfoot moving very quickly through the woods. We don't get a very good look at the object that moves from left to right in the sequence, but it appears to be walking on two legs and covered with brown shaggy fur. If you look real close, the animal, or whatever it is, kinda looks like the Sasquatch from the infamous Roger Patterson film, but then again that is a stretch.

I think that my mind may be filling in the gaps here.

The voices that we here during the clip do sound genuinely scared/freaked out by the encounter so that may add some credibility to the clip but it's hard to say for sure.

Here is the account of the sighting from the eyewitness (putua76):

"I was on a logging road in Ketchikan hiking with my friend when I saw it! Boy did my heart start racing!! It was about 40 yards from the road! Not sure if it knew I was there or not, because the noise of flowing water from the stream. It seemed to travel fast! It made my hair stand up!! At one point you can see a whitish yellowish thing in it's hand! I believe it was skunk cabbage. Not sure, but it is in bloom.

You see it jump and after that point it just seems to disappear. There was a lot of brush and trees between it and I, I could not tell where it had gone. It was a scary sort of exciting feeling at the same time!! We went to search for tracks but the river bed where we thought it was walking was full of perfect skiping rocks, we found no prints! If there is a BigFoot, Sasquatch, or Kushtaka I swear I saw him!!"

Overall, the fact that we see very little of the alleged Sasquatch makes it hard to tell whether what we are truly witnessing is the real deal or a hoax?

Regardless, it's a pretty damn cool video!

UPDATE!

This may be the quickest update in the history of MIN!

I just found an "enhanced" version of the clip on Youtube.

Even "enhanced" it's just too hard to tell if it's Sasquatch, a bear, a hunter or crazy uncle Jeb running around out there.

See Also: This New Bigfoot Clip Is ABOMINABLE / Animal Planet Announces New Series - FINDING BIGFOOT / Bigfoot News - NIGHT CLAWS And The Face Of Sasquatch On Video? / "Credible" Bigfoot Sighting On Road In Pennsylvania / A Quick Update On NIGHTBEASTS / Yet Another Yeti Movie - CLAWS / The First Look At SNOW BEAST Coming Soon To SyFy / A New Bigfoot Movie In 3D From China? / Trailer Alert! THE MOUNTAIN WAILER / UNAWARE / Cole Bayford Serves Up A Little Bigfoot Australian Style In YOWIE / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #7) / Borrego Sandman / Speedway Monster - Updates - California The Monster State - Part 4 / The Fontana Speedway Monster (1951 - 1992) - California The Monster State - Part 3 / The Borrego Sandman (1939 - Present) - California The Monster State - Part 2 / Classic Tales From Cryptozoology - Mass Flying Dinosaur Sightings In Texas Circa 1976 / The Long Beach Sea Monster (1909) - California The Monster State - Part 1 / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #6) / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #5) / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #4) / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #3) / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #2) / The Crypto Reporter - Monster Sightings From Around The World (Issue #1) / Young Film Makers Taking On The Scottish Sasquatch In BROKEN SPECTRE / Bigfoot Movie News - Nightbeasts Premiere Info - The Bloody Rage Comes To DVD / Two Terrified Kids Unleash THE DEVIL AT LOST CREEK / Is It The Great Pumpkin? Or The MOMO Monster? / An Update On Jamie Belty, The LEGEND OF GRASSMAN Crew Member Who Was Assaulted With A Hammer / A Call Out To All Fans To Help THE LEGEND OF GRASSMAN Crew Member After Assualt / The New Poster For James Baack's BLOODY RAGE OF BIGFOOT - Cast And Crew On MNBRT Radio / Bigfoot Pummels Both Peter Graves And Mr Lobo / New Behind-The-Scenes Photos From Brian Jaynes BOGGY CREEK

The Space Shuttle Program: In The Beginning

by Armand Vaquer

Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the flying brick Enterprise...

Above, Armand with the shuttle prototype "Enterprise."

The winding down of the U.S. Space Shuttle program caused me to look back at the beginnings of the program back in the 1970s.

I've always been a fan of the U.S. Space Program, beginning with Project Mercury. It has been my contention that the space program is the only worthwhile U.S. government program.

In the beginning, the shuttle program started out at the NASA's Dryden test center at Edwards Air Force Base out in the Mojave Desert.

In 1977, a friend of mine, Mitch Geriminsky was in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Edwards. Talk about being at the right place and at the right time! One weekend, I paid a visit and Mitch took me over to the space shuttle facilities at Edwards.

Luckily for me, I had my camera with me when we visited the shuttle facilities. The photographs are in black & white as I had a black & white darkroom at home where I developed and printed photographs.

First off, we viewed the modified Boeing 747 used to piggy-back the shuttle prototype, Enterprise.

Above, the modified Boeing 747. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Enterprise was so-named as fans of Star Trek petitioned NASA to name it after the television show's starship. Actually, they should have waited a bit so that a space-worthy shuttle would carry the Enterprise name. The prototype was never intended for space flights and it was just used for gliding tests. The 747 would carry it aloft and release it and it would glide for landings on Rogers Dry Lake.

Above, shuttle prototype "Enterprise." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The first space-worthy shuttle, Columbia, was under construction. Its maiden flight was in 1981.

After viewing the 747, we went over to the main shuttle hangar and went inside. There, in the hangar, was Enterprise.

Above, Mitch and Armand with "Enterprise."

It was fascinating to see up close the Enterprise and the 747. I was able to attend two shuttle landings when the shuttles became operational: Columbia in July 1982 and Endeavour in May 1992.

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Godzilla (Haruo Nakajima) Takes Hollywood!

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Celluloid Philosophers - Shaun And Ed

Shaun of the Dead Uniform T-Shirt

Shaun of the Dead Uniform T-Shirt

Shaun of the Dead 12-Inch Talking Action Figure

Shaun of the Dead 12-Inch Talking Action Figure

The Flintstones Say "Smoke Em If Ya Got Em Kids"

Does A New Video From Alaska Show Bigfoot?

The Space Shuttle Program: In The Beginning

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