reading: a clash of kings george r r martin
listening: mirrorball sarah mclachlan
surfing: brand x

1999 july 06

ecozilla

we've been watching monster movies.

we tuned in too late to catch most of king kong vs godzilla, but did catch the end where the two monsters wreak much havoc upon each other and the countryside before godzilla sinks to the bottom of the sea, presumably dead, and king kong sets off swimming across the ocean, hoping to get back to the peace and quiet of his tropical island. we did, however, get to watch all of gojira tai hedora.

it might be better known to you as godzilla vs the smog monster, and it turns out to be the favorite godzilla movie of both gene and myself; it is amazing the things we are still discovering about each other. i first saw it in the theatre when i was a small child and the scene where the smog monster almost invades the groovy nightclub, only to withdraw its slimy self up the stairs, has remained with me throughout the years. i think it was the image of the little bedraggled kitten sitting there, all covered in goo, meowing piteously. i have always been a sucker for piteous meowing, well evidenced by the mewling manipulations peter parker pulls off.

this is a godzilla with a social conscience, angered by the pollution. he rises from the ocean depths [where he has presumably been lurking ever since his ignominious defeat at the hands of king kong] and starts burning the ocean pollution with his atomic breath. he then proceeds to kick the black sludgy ass of the smog monster, frying him, stomping on him, turning him into so much grey dust. go godzilla!

fully in the swing of the japanese thing, we decided to watch kakushi toride no san-akunin [the hidden fortress]. we are pretty close to having the full akira kurosawa catalog under our belts and this one was great fun. it is the movie that inspired at least part of star wars, the story of a deposed princess and her loyal general trying to escape to a safer part of japan so she can rebuild her clan. unlike most kurosawa movies we've seen, this one seemed more made for entertainment than social commentary or philosophical exploration.

two movies + two thumbs up on both = a four thumb viewing experience. you just don't get much better than that.

call me robert ebert, claire

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