tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-658662284013692766.post6694059820947976298..comments2024-03-25T06:27:58.294-07:00Comments on Atomic Robot News: Deep Sea Monster Raiga - A Tale Of Toys And TeethKen Hulseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18251290408099991105noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-658662284013692766.post-52705622717159498322009-01-27T07:57:00.000-08:002009-01-27T07:57:00.000-08:00Point well stated!I would love to see Toho, or one...Point well stated!<BR/><BR/>I would love to see Toho, or one of the other Japanese studios, go back and look at the early days of the genre. Films like the original Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra were classics. I think that when Toho desides to "fire-up" their monster monster making machine again, that they try to recapture the essence of those films.<BR/><BR/>I was hoping that Final Wars would be a throw-back to that era, but Kitamura made it very clear when I interviewed him that he wanted to make a 70s style G film.<BR/><BR/>Like you said, for the most part, the Gamera films have been more in line with what the genre should have evolved into.<BR/><BR/>That being said, I am looking forward to Raiga and the camp that goes with it.Ken Hulseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18251290408099991105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-658662284013692766.post-80238356580318384692009-01-27T06:32:00.000-08:002009-01-27T06:32:00.000-08:00As an old school fan of Japanese monster flicks, I...As an old school fan of Japanese monster flicks, I'd like to preface this comment by saying that I'm all for intentional goofiness and humor in the genre. I grew up with the 70s Godzilla films and the original Gamera series, so I'm grateful for camp largely for camp's sake. That said, it troubles me a bit that almost all the major kaiju films coming out of Japan in the last 5 years have gone for laughs as often as (or more often than) thrills and chills. The new Guilala films was a spoof. It appears that Raiga will be similar in tone. As much as I love FINAL WARS, it was pure 70s hokum (with a new millennium spin) from beginning to end. Ironically, only Gamera has avoided this trend, and his latest outing was more poignant family drama than giant monster spectacle. What's most notable about all of this is that most of these films have been box office disappointments, while more serious fare like Korea's THE HOST, CLOVERFIELD, and recent Ultraman outings have been big hits. I'm very glad for the return of goofy fun to the genre, but I think it's time Toho and other Japanese studios realize that a large portion of the ticket-buying audience wants serious horror and spectacle in these pictures. As much as I hate to say it, they need to stop making movies for children of the 70s like myself, and start making them for today's audiences again, or else the genre is going to continue to suffer at the box office.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com