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Godzilla: Turn Off the Dark!

The many editions of 'Godzilla' (2014) on Blu-Ray and DVD. (Image courtesy of www.SciFiJapan.com).
The many editions of ‘Godzilla’ (2014) on Blu-ray and DVD. (Image courtesy of www.SciFiJapan.com).

Some people complained that Godzilla didn’t get enough screen time in his big budget reboot this past summer. Now those people may think he’s seen even less! The Blu-ray of Gareth Edwards’ monstrous movie has such subpar picture quality, you’d have an easier time spotting a ninja in the dark.

Film:
I reviewed Godzilla earlier this year when it was released in theaters.

Picture:
When I read an early review that complains this Blu-ray has horrid picture quality, I didn’t want to believe it. Other reviews are kinder, saying that the film is already dark (in terms of lighting), making it difficult to transfer to home media. So, like any good fanboy, I went into this hoping for the best.

I am disappointed.

While I didn’t quite notice any muted colors during day scenes, the night scenes are definitely murky. Much of the film’s epic monster battles take place at night, so this increased darkness hurts the film. I was particularly annoyed when I saw the final scene where Godzilla kills the MUTO. I couldn’t enjoy his triumph because I could barely see it!

Adding insult to injury—as the previously mentioned negative review reported—the clips used in the special features are at the proper brightness! It’s as if Warner Bros. is taunting fans.

The DVD included with the Blu-ray has the same problem. I popped it in and compared a few scenes to the Blu-ray after I watched it.

I hear the film looks much better on the 3D Blu-ray, so if you have a 3D TV, you can enjoy a brighter version of the film. Sadly, not everyone has that luxury, and it seems those who don’t, got the jip.

Audio:
Ironically, the sound on this Blu-ray is incredible. The high definition 7.1 sound thunders through speakers. Every roar, explosion, and creak can be heard. It reminds you somewhere in the darkness there are battling beasts.

Special Features:
This disc has more special features than the Blu-ray for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but it still seems a bit underwhelming; more could’ve been added. Target sells an edition with an exclusive 30-minute feature entitled, “Godzilla: Rebirth of an Icon,” but half of it is cobbled from other featurettes on the disc. What is different—some details on creating Godzilla’s roar, for example—is much-appreciated.

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“Monarch Declassified”: A series of three featurettes that actually build off each other. They were made as if they were created by people in the film’s universe. “Operation: Lucky Dragon” explains Godzilla’s origins more thoroughly, and is done in the style of 1950s documentaries. (The title is a reference to a fishing boat whose crew was exposed to radiation in 1954, an incident that partially inspired the original Gojira). “Monarch: The M.U.T.O. File” supplements the previous short by explaining the MUTOs’ origins in a modern style. “The Godzilla Revelation” actually takes place after the film and looks like a YouTube video made by a conspiracy theorist. It even features a little sequel baiting.

“Godzilla: Force of Nature”: A 20-minute feature on the making of the film. It includes interviews with cast and crew. Strangely, screenwriter Max Borenstein is left out (although, he is in the Target exclusive feature). It recounts some of Godzilla’s beginnings and what everyone involved with the film thought of the character. Arguably the best of the special features.

“Into the Void: The H.A.L.O. Jump”: A 5-minute featurette on the making of the spectacular military free fall sequence. For Edwards, it was more than a cool scene: it played into the themes and symbolism of the film.

“New Level of Destruction”: An 8-minute special effects featurette that shows how the art department used a combination of on-location footage and some CGI to create ruined cityscapes. Green screens were kept to a minimum.

“Ancient Enemy: The M.U.T.O.s”: A featurette on the creation of the MUTOs. Without the Target exclusive content, these creatures get more time dedicated to them than Big G himself.

Again, this is all good, but Warner Bros. still dropped the ball. The scene featuring veteran G-film actor Akira Takarada—who was given a cameo thanks to an online fan campaign—that was cut from the film is nowhere to be found when the studio promised it would be included. There’s no Comic-Con 2012 teaser trailer. For that matter, none of the film’s excellent trailers are included. No commentary. No deleted scenes. Nothing on crafting the story. That’s just a few opportunities the studio missed.

The menus for both the DVD and Blu-ray are lazy but easy to navigate. If you’ve bought any Blu-rays or DVDs from Warner Bros. lately, you’ll know what I mean. It’s just an unanimated image with a few icons. Warner Bros. has made a habit of reusing this set-up, even for their major releases.

Packaging:
It’s a standard Blu-ray/DVD jewel case and slip cover for most editions. There’s also a FuturePak (metal pack) case that plays Godzilla’s roar.

Conclusion:
I love this film, so I expected much from this Blu-ray. Maybe the bad picture quality is due to compression issues and it already being a dark film. I’d like to think that’s the case; however, after spending three weeks writing Blu-Ray/DVD guides for G-film collectors, I’ve been reminded, once again, how G-fans often get the shaft when Godzilla movies are released on home media. You’d think with this being one of Warner Bros.’ biggest films of the year they would have given the movie a better release. Only those with 3D TVs can enjoy the film as it was seen in theatres. It makes me glad I saw it in IMAX.

There may be hope. Producer Thomas Tull, the CEO of Legendary Pictures, told Toho Kingdom there would be an extended cut of the film. I haven’t seen that reported anywhere else, though, so I don’t know if that will happen. There’s already an online fan petition to re-release the film on Blu-ray and DVD with better picture quality and the Takarada cameo—I signed it.

In the end, I’m not sure if I want to recommend this Blu-ray. The film is great, but it deserved better treatment. It you want to hope against hope for a re-release, skip it. Otherwise, buy it to complete your collection.

Final Grade: B-

Cinema Sit-Down, Film/Television/Broadcast/Radio, Game File, Movies/TV, Random Giga

Coldwater: An Interview with James C. Burns

Available now on select digital outlets is the new film Coldwater, a story about a troubled teenage boy who is sent to a camp for healing. The movie follows not only the teens struggling to survive, but also a retired war colonel,  Col. Frank Reichert  (James C. Burns), pushing these kids to their limits, searching for ways to change them. These elements come together to create an intense drama, powered by strong, deep characters.

Burns is well-known amongst gamers because of his role as Sgt. Woods in Call of Duty: Black Ops and its sequel. In many ways Col. Reichert and Sgt. Woods are the same, but their driving force is subtly different. While Woods merely needs to kill his enemies before they kill him, Reichert is given the complex task of rehabilitation, while facing some problems of his own.

Giga was given a chance to talk with Burns himself over Skype for some additional insight.

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As a fan favorite in Black Ops, what is it like to go from being an actor to voice actor and vice versa? How different is the mind set to play these roles?

“Woods was actually entirely a live-action performance. There’s less of a difference than one would think. I was testing the technology for them and they loved me so much they kept me around. Activision is constantly pushing the technology to make a richer experience. Lucky for me, I get to play with these new techniques, often before most.”

Sgt. Woods was in every sense of the word a badass. Col. Reichert seems to be an iron father figure with no room for disrespect. How do you make that transition from the defiant warrior to the rehabilitator as an actor?

“Woods and Reichert are all about getting the job done. Woods has a very simple mission. Kill the enemy. Reichert has to transform individuals. It takes anger and having good intentions.”

cw_bts_25

While some trailers show Coldwater as a movie about change for the better, others portray it almost like a horror. What genre, or combination of genres, would you put the film into?

“It is not a horror film, it’s a dark drama. There are some hearty and funny moments, but it comes from a very serious and horrific subject. Conflict is inevitable from these strong personalities, so it has its scary moments.”

Getting away from the film for just a second, is there any word on a Black Ops 3? Being that Sgt. Woods is so old in Black Ops 2, would the new game visit crucial moments in the past or find a way to put him back into the fight? What would you like to see happen to the character?

“Unfortunately, I can’t answer that. As for what I would like to see done with the character, there are so many options.”

Why do you think people become attached to military characters? What is the core of these characters that makes them interesting? What makes them special to you?

The tablets should be taken at-least 30 purchase cheap cialis minutes before the sexual intercourse to experience best results. The AV node is the point from which the ventricular nerve branches originate. Dosage and Prices acquisition de viagra He will diagnose your medical condition and will let tadalafil 20mg you know how effective the pills are. Kamagra has viagra 100mg tablet been one of the most encouraging medicines for erectile dysfunction and other kind of sexual difficulties in India. “It’s not really just a military connection, but more of a level of trust and confidence in his ability. Woods is a resolutionist. He resolves problems. He is all about being supportive and being the best you can be. Reichert is an evolution to that character. Reichert is trying to bring out the absolute best in people.”

“What makes them so special? Integrity. I was once a pro hockey coach. I enjoy being around teamwork and love working with other people. That permeates the entire process of making a game or movie. Everyone is striving to bring these stories and experiences to life and that bond is what teamwork so special and powerful.”

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Coldwater is a film about transformation. Could you explain not only the internal changes in the film’s characters, but also the sort of changes you hope to bring to the audience?

“Kids make bad choices. These choices get harder as you grow older. The consequences to actions become more complex and potentially devastating as time goes on. It starts to affect the other folks involved in that person’s life as well. I think Coldwater may make people be more aware of how their choices affect themselves and each other. One of the main questions of the film is how do we expand one’s vision into a broader spectrum? Most the characters realize this perspective as the film progresses.”

“Coldwater will just get people thinking, not change them outright. People have to want to change. We’re just exposing a real event.”

Burns went on to compare this type of movie to the common summer blockbuster. “There’s no real villain. These kids belong there. Change would do them good. There are no good and evil characters in Coldwater.”

I also asked Burns to leave us with a closing comment about Coldwater. He responded with, “It’s a very powerful film. Well-acted and expertly filmed, but at its core it’s about a true subject and something people should be aware of and think about.”

One final question for fun. Are you a gamer?

“I’m a backseat gamer, because I’m terrible at them. I do have all these insights about what to do though. For instance in Black Ops, if the game gives you a crossbow, use the damn crossbow.”

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC1m3KhbqcI&w=640&h=360]

Coldwater is available on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, and Vimeo. Check it out! After that, go back and play Black Ops. As far as the next Black Ops, maybe the next one will take America’s toughest soldiers to Africa to hunt giraffes, but that’s just hearsay.

 

 

Cinema Sit-Down, Movies/TV

Bringing Balance to Nature: A Review of “Godzilla”

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

A decade after his last starring role, Godzilla, the King of the Monsters, returns to the big screen. It’s only fitting that 2014 marks the 60th anniversary of his 30-film franchise.

After meeting his distraught father in Japan, a young American soldier journeys back to the States only to be caught in a clash of colossal creatures. (How’s that for some Stan Lee-style alliteration?)

 

(WARNING: SPOILERS THROUGHOUT)

Last summer, Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim proved that the kaiju (giant monster) genre still has life in it. It was one of my favorite films of 2013. That’s not surprising since I’ve been a fan of such movies since I was in high school. Toho’s Godzilla films were my particular favorites. With a few exceptions, these movies are my guilty pleasures. Watching stuntmen in rubber monster suits beating each other up amid model cities is great fun.

When I heard Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures had acquired the rights to make a new “Big G” film, I was simultaneously excited and nervous. Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich’s infamous 1998 remake, while fun, was over-hyped and missed the essence of the character. It was more a remake of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (ironically one of Godzilla’s influences), but then I heard Gareth Edwards, the director of the fascinating indie film Monsters, would be helming this new movie. Not only is he a Godzilla fan, he knows how to create a great-looking film with a compelling story and good characters on a shoestring budget.

I was not disappointed.

This film plays with expectations. Its trailers made it appear that Bryan Cranston would be the hero, or at the very least a major player. His character is obsessed with learning the truth behind the nuclear “accident” that killed his wife, but he dies within the first 30 minutes! From there the focus shifts to his son, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. His story is simple but compelling : get home to his family. However, it’s a perilous one reminiscent of Homer’s The Odyssey in that he battles monsters during his long journey.

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This film is all about build-up and suspense. Much like Edwards’ Monsters, the characters often find themselves with, as he put it, “the Spielberg movie happening just over the hill.” It takes its time revealing the creatures, especially Godzilla. We catch glimpses of them but don’t get a full-body shot. During Godzilla’s first two encounters with the MUTO, the camera cuts and only pieces of the battles are seen. In fact, a MUTO is completely revealed before Godzilla is. When Big G does appear, it’s a slow reveal with the camera panning up from ground level. However, Edwards pulls out all the stops for the climax when Godzilla battles not one but two MUTOs. It’s then that Godzilla unleashes his trademark atomic fire breath. It’s masterful pacing rarely seen in a summer blockbuster.

Godzilla also proves, like Cloverfield before it, that giant monsters can be scary. Edwards intentionally shows the monsters from the ground level most of the time, like the audience is looking up at them. This is especially effective if the film is viewed in IMAX (which is how I saw it). The scariest sequence is a night scene where a soldier lies still on a bridge to avoid a skulking MUTO.

Hardcore fans may object to the CGI special effects. The tradition of “suitmation” (an actor portraying a character by wearing a big costume) has a long history in Japan, and has been synonymous with Godzilla thanks to special effects genius Eiji Tsuburaya. Plus, the CGI creature in the 1998 remake left quite a stigma (which is parodied in Godzilla: Final Wars). But here the special effects are used sparingly. In fact, the creatures’ screen time is almost minimal, which make the effects stellar since more money was invested in fewer sequences. Spit shoots from Godzilla’s mouth when he roars, his muscles flex whenever he moves, and his nostrils flare when he confronts MUTO. The old rubber suits will always have their homespun artistry and charm, but Godzilla has never looked this alive.

Credit must be given to the film’s creature designers. Unlike the overgrown iguana of the 1998 film, this new Godzilla still resembles the rubber suits of old with a “realistic” look. The MUTOs in many ways harken back to other classic Toho creatures like Rodan,but also resemble the alien beasts in Monsters. They’re more than worthy of admission into the Toho pantheon.

Akira Ifukube’s classic Godzilla theme is sadly absent. This may disappoint many fans since the composer’s music was Godzilla’s soul. On the other hand, they’ll be delighted to see Ken Watanabe play, Dr. Serizawa, a character inspired by iconic tragic hero of the original Gojira/Godzilla, King of the Monsters. However, he doesn’t have an eye patch, which is sad because Watanabe would’ve looked great in one.

This film is to Pacific Rim what The Dark Knight Rises is to The Avengers in 2012.  Avengers is fun and colorful, Dark Knight Rises is gritty and serious, both are great examples of their genre in spite of their differences. The same is true for Pacific Rim and Godzilla;they’d make for a great double feature.

In the words of Blue Oyster Cult, “Go, go, Godzilla!”

Final Grade: A-

Cinema Sit-Down

Will Smith Coming Back for Independence Day 2?

Direct from Independence Day 2 director, Roland Emmerich, Will Smith is back in talks to reprise his role as Captain Steven Hiller. According to Digital Spy’s interview with the White House Down director, Emmerich  said, “I sometimes say no, Will Smith will not be in it because he didn’t want to do it at first. Now we have a meeting planned, we want to talk about it again. Anything can happen.”

With Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum already confirmed for the sequel, Smith would be the the piece de resistance for full on blockbuster marketability. As awesome as it is to even have the chance to get the gang back together so to speak, I have to call into question why the sudden change of heart. I am a huge Will Smith fan and stand as one of the minority that enjoyed After Earth; however, it did nowhere near the numbers it was expected to ($60,522,097 total gross after 80 days with a $130 million budget ). For that matter, White House Down was not exactly a box office smash either ($72,834,443 total gross after 67 days with a $150 million budget). Could this just be a way for both Emmerich and Smith to get a quick turn around from a beloved IP (intellectual property)? Whatever the reason, no one will mind as long as they do not drop the ball.

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Source: DigitalSpy.com

Cinema Sit-Down, Film/Television/Broadcast/Radio, GIGAvision, Pop Culture

Cinema Sit-Down: ROBOcop 2014