DOOMSDAY

I’d love to do some reviews, like for Classic Media’s Monster Zero and Ghidrah The Three Headed Monster.

Friday the 13th comes out in a few weeks, and it looks interesting. This reviewer read that it is a remake of what amounts to the first four movies. In any case, I’ll be waiting for the DVD.

This reviewer may have made it known in the past that he has a preference as to what type of audio commentary is more favorable when accompanying a DVD presentation of a film. This reviewer, at one time, enjoyed running audio commentaries by the actual film director, possibly with a producer or writer.

However, these Classic Media DVDs of the Godzilla movies are opening up a whole new perspective as highly-informed historians bring forth a great wealth of information on the films they comment on.

Monsters HD is gone. The channel that had been made for horror fans has been off the air since yesterday.

It had been expected for a long time, but it was announced last month that all of the VOOM HD channels were to stop operations in the last remaining area of broadcast, the tri-state area.

Monsters HD seemed to have cut off around 1AM Tuesday morning.

Well, I’m not really snowed in, but I’ll be shoveling over the course of the day!

I’m watching a marathon of Godzilla Vs. Mothra, Ghidrah The Three Headed Monster and Monster Zero!

These are all fantastic movies, and used to show up fairly often on New York’s Channel 11 (and later on TNT for MonsterVision).

Reminiscence of the old January Fango convention VHS roundup continues…..

1998 had just begun weeks before. The following day was the Fangoria convention. Staying at his girlfriend’s house before heading to the train station the next morning, this reviewer was only supplied with a newly-acquired Triboro VHS of the unrated version of Andy Warhol’s Dracula (aka Blood for Dracula, 1974). The night was long.

This reviewer arrived around 11AM in the morning. This first Fango con was overwhelming. Meeting the great director George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, 1968; Dawn of the Dead, 1978), special “splatter” effects master Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th), and “El Hombre Lobo” himself - Paul Naschy, was a lot to absorb. However, the fact that hundreds of movies that would ordinarily be out of reach for this webmaster were plentiful - and for easy selection - was almost too much for the wallet to bear. Oasis of the Zombies (1982) was a quick ten dollar purchase.

This reviewer is starting the “zany horror movies bought at January’s Fango convention on VHS roundup.”

One of the first experiences this webmaster had at a Fangoria convention (aka Weekend of Horrors, put together by Creation Entertainment) was at a table where a guy was selling rare, widescreen VHS versions of Italian horror films, taken from Japanese sources. A film this reviewer wanted badly was Doctor Butcher, MD (Medical Deviate, aka Zombi Holocaust). The person selling the tapes cued up the tape and played the over-the-top trailer.

To say that this reviewer immediately bought the film would be all-too-simply put. The incredible voice-over by the legendary actor, Adolf Caesar (who could easily be mistaken for voice-over master Don LaFontaine) gave the film even more credibility…..

The following trailer is pretty gory…..

Continuing on with the “wine list” of horror films, there are other films that seem to work well for colder days, mainly the days where it is unnecessary to go outside. These films include engaging supernatural gore epics such as Hellraiser (1987) and Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988). Other genre films include the classic Italian zombie films by Lucio Fulci; these include Zombi 2 (aka Zombie, 1979), City of the Living Dead (aka The Gates of Hell, 1980), and House by the Cemetery (1981).

A couple of black and white horrors that will definitely make a viewer’s cold, cloudy afternoon include Horror Hotel (aka City of the Dead, 1960) and Nightmare Castle (1965).

King Ghidorah had arrived. Godzilla emerged from the ocean as Rodan re-emerged from a volcano. A great battle had ensued between the King of the Monsters and Rodan. The stage has been set for Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster (1964).

King Ghidorah, a three headed serpent with the ability to fly and shoot lightning from its multiple mouths, landed on Earth in a giant meteor. The egg-like meteor hatched, and the demon went on a destructive spree across Japan. Mothra, hatched in Godzilla Vs. The Thing (1964), had to convince Rodan and Godzilla to work together in order to defeat the three headed golden dragon. After a long argument, Godzilla and Rodan complied. The rest is history…..

Godzilla had crossed over into the character of the hero, a defender of the Earth and mankind. Godzilla was no longer self-interested, and learned to put aside differences for the greater good. This lesson would be vital to Godzilla’s preparation for battles to come.

This horror fan has the odd quirk of keeping a “wine list” of movies for each part of the year. It is not such a bad habit, as it helps guide a viewer to pick a movie that works best for them at a particular time of year. Very weird if one thinks about it for a few seconds.

The beginning of the year brings about the kaiju eiga “leftovers” as the rest of what was to be a re-creation of the TNT MonsterVision’s Godzilla marathon for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (and that shipment of movies came just in time). In addition, this reviewer watches several movies purchased at the old Fangoria (the magazine) conventions (the Weekend of Horrors). Those films include Dr. Butcher MD (aka Zombi Holocaust, 1981), Ruggiero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust (1979), Oasis of the Zombies (1982), among others.

Other movies that seem to have a place during this uneventful time of year include the dark, cold mansion films like Dr. Jekyll’s Dungeon of Death (1982), The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism (1967), Dr. Tarr’s Torture Dungeon (1970), The Man With Two Heads (1972), Re-Animator (1985), The Exorcist (1973; 2000), Mark of the Devil (1970), and so many more…..

For Mothra Vs. Godzilla (aka Godzilla Vs. The Thing aka Godzilla Vs. Mothra, 1964), Godzilla’s design was far more slender than that of his design in King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962). However, he still moved relatively slow and did not yet have a strategic, combat driven brain.

Godzilla had a tough time defeating an old, weak Mothra, and was easily defeated by Mothra’s twin larvae. It would be a long time before Godzilla would have the skills, strength, and brain power to defeat foes faced towards the end of the Showa era (1975).

Godzilla would then learn that he will have to combine his strengths with those of other monsters in order to overcome his next adversary: King Ghidorah…..