Halloween 2014: October 25

Yet more pumpkins.

Saturday morning, I caught the last of the "Rebirth of Mothra" films at home. That evening, faithful movie watching pal and podcast co-host JD and myself ventured to the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, VA. There, horror host Mr. Lobo was presenting an all-night movie marathon called Dismember the Alamo. The line-up included "Night of the Creeps," "Halloween III," "The Monster Squad," and "Night of the Comet." (I didn't write a new review of "Halloween III" since I just reviewed it last year. I know there are lovers of it around here but I'm still not a fan. Sorry.) There were more to the festivities then just the movies though. Mr. Lobo smoozed for the crowd, telling jokes and talking along. There was a costume contest, judging those that dressed-up in the audience. A Shaun of the Dead cosplayer won even though my favorite was a clever Jack Torrance costume, that included a cardboard door around his head. Stacey Nelkin from "Halloween III" was there and a brief Q&A followed the movie. There was a game, where contestants had to toss beanbag "creeps" into a bucket, and shirts, DVDs, comics, and posters were given away.

One of my favorite things about going to the Alamo are the pre-shows. In-between each film, a reel of classic horror trailers were presented. Each one had a theme. One was a collection of "Don't!" movies, including "Don't Answer the Phone," "Don't Open the Door," and concluding with Edgar Wright's "Don't." Another set was of "blood" movies, giving us trailers for "Blood Beach," "Blood Orgy of the She-Devils" and more fun stuff. I enjoyed Mr. Lobo's antics but you can't overstate the fun of a good old fashion collection of bizarre and sleazy movie trailers. On with the reviews!

Rebirth of Mothra III (1998)
Mosura 3: Kingu Gidora raishu

Last time, I said that Toho clearly didn’t care what the kaiju otaku thought about their movies. Maybe not but the studio at least seemed aware of when they made a bad movie. After the lackluster response to “Rebirth of Mothra II,” the studio got their shit together for the third of the Heisei Mothra movies. “Rebirth of Mothra III” dials back the kid friendly angle a bit, beefs up the monster action and mythology, and wraps things up on a fairly decent note.

It also introduces a fan favorite enemy. King Ghidorah returns to Earth after millions of years. The kaiju was responsible for destroying the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period. Now he’s back to do the same to humanity. He kidnaps the kids of Japan, putting them in a weird bio-bubble in the jungle. Mothra, his fairies in hand, shows up to save the day. However, the mystical moth is out-matched. Deciding to take the fight to Ghidorah, Mothra travels back in time to defeat the monster in the past when it’s weaker. Meanwhile, a trio of young siblings have to help the fairies, and humanity, survive in the present.

“Rebirth of Mothra III” smartly does two things. It raises the story’s stakes without removing the kid-friendly tone established in the previous flicks. Last time, the plot felt disconnected from the rest of the world. Whether or not Mothra stopped the monster or the kids made it out of the temple didn’t seem to have much effect on Earth. In part three, however, the entire fate of the planet is resting in Mothra’s insectoid claws. King Ghidorah kidnapping the kids also makes the movie seem like a decent riff on the “Gamera” formula. Mothra is the friend to all children and King Ghidorah is the enemy of all children. A lot of focus is given to the imprisoned kids and much attention is paid to whether or not Mothra can save the day. The tone is dark enough that you might wonder if he can do it.

Another big difference between this and the previous two “Rebirth of Mothra” flicks is that the audience is actually invested in the kids and the fairies. Holy shit. I know, right? The hero kid is the oldest of the three siblings. Shota is a bit of a misfit and a truant who frequently skips school to explore the near-by forest. When Ghidorah abducts all the children from the school, he’s the only one left, forcing him to save his siblings. He’s older and edgier then your usual “Rebirth of Mothra” protagonist, which helps. The fairies, meanwhile, are directly involved in the plot. Belvera and her sisters put their differences aside to stop Ghidorah. Apparently even the bad fairy draws the line at killing kids. There’s some business about stones that transforms the Elias’ tiny daggers into magical swords. I don’t care about that. However, it is nice that the fairies are directly involved in the story, trying to stop Ghidorah and helping Mothra out.

But what are we here for? The fuckin’ monster fights, that’s what. Part three ups the action considerably. Instead of just shooting lightening bolts at each, the monsters actually wrestle. Mothra and Ghidorah fly into each other. One notable moment has the dragon tossing the moth to the ground and stomping on it. More then once, Ghidorah seizes Mothra’s wings in his jaws, attempting to tear him apart. The battle in the past is the real highlight. First off, the Cretaceous form of Ghidorah is an individual take on the iconic kaiju villain. The form he’s in throughout most of the movie isn’t much different then the Heisei Ghidorah design seen in “Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah.” Cretaceous Ghidorah is thinner, more agile, and has a thornier armor. In the past, we see the dragon eating dinosaurs, which is cool, and the two monsters really beat the crap out of each other. Like last time, Mothra undergoes several transformation. At least they actually feed into the plot though. Leo turns into Light-Speed Mothra to travel back in time, Armored Mothra to survive being buried in lava, and Millieum Mothra after everything’s over. The monster fights are satisfying and fun, easily pleasing this kaiju nut.

None of the “Rebirth of Mothra” movies are great. None of them even remotely approach the quality of the Heisei Godzilla series. However, part three is the one that comes the closest. It has the least cutesy nonsense, even though there are still plenty of kids and musical numbers, and the most focused storyline. Thankfully, there is no overdone moral message this time, which also helps. I doubt this is a series I’ll revisit much but at least part three gives me a valid reason for owning the shiny new Sony Blu-rays. [6/10]

Night of the Creeps (1986)

I considered opening this review with the phrase, “Fred Dekker is the most under-appreciated horror director ever.” This, however, isn’t true. The two horror films Fred Dekker made are genuine cult classics and widely beloved by thousands of fans. It’s not that Dekker is obscure. He just doesn’t work enough. It’s proof that cult cache doesn’t count for much in Hollywood, even though everyone loves “Night of the Creeps” and “The Monster Squad.” Maybe it’s a miracle that a project as offbeat as “Night of the Creeps” got made in the first place. Considering the movie wasn’t a hit originally, maybe it’s a miracle that Dekker made as few films as he did.

The film immediately asks an audience to accept a lot. We begin with aliens running around a ship, pursuing another alien. That alien drops a tube out of the ship, which lands on Earth in the 1950s. In a black-and-white opening scene, we see a necking couple. The man of the group discovers the tube, a black slug flying into his mouth. The girl, meanwhile, is hacked to death by an escaped mental patient with an axe. Thirty years later, we meet Chris and J.C., a pair of nerdy college kids trying to score with chicks and win some popularity. A pledge prank gone horribly wrong results in the same boy from the opening being awoken from cryogenic sleep. More black slugs explode out of his skull, reviving anyone they encounter as undead zombies. Now Chris and J.C., teaming up with an eccentric detective, have to team up and save the campus. Oh yeah, and the world too.

Before the movie started, Mr. Lobo said the film threw everything at the audience: Aliens, axe murders, college comedy, zombies, and hard-boiled cops. This is true. Dekker obviously just stitched a bunch of things he loves together into some sort of coherent whole. This also proves that the director was ahead of his time, considering Quentin Tarrantino would have huge success doing the same thing the next decade. “Night of the Creeps” is filled with references to horror classics past. The film is actually a loose remake of “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” what with the zombies being controlled and motivated by aliens. (The script skips the Solaranite, though.) The movie even acknowledges this connection, by having “Plan 9” play on a TV at one point. Most of the characters are named after noted genre filmmakers. George Romero, John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper, James Camerson, David Cronenberg, John Landis, Sam Raimi, and Steve Miner are all name-dropped. The college is named after Roger Corman. Hell, even the cat is named after Stuart Gordan. Dekker never pushes the referential tone too far, making the in-jokes never more then a fun time for hardcore watchers. There are elements of a slasher, when the axe-wielding maniac comes into focus. The ins-and-outs of Chris and J.C.’s friendship, the relationship with Cindy, and the fraternity recalls “Animal House” and countless other college comedies. The movie becomes a full-blown zombie flick at the end and even throws in a little “Evil Dead” when power tools are utilized. Basically, there’s something for everyone here and the whole package is wrapped up in fifties drive-in nostalgia.

However, the lovable cast of characters is the real reason the movie endures. The friendship between Chris and J.C. is gracefully realized. The movie never lets J.C.’s crutches define him as a character while acknowledging how the disability affects his life. Little moments characterize how realistic the friendship is. The two resolve an argument with kind words and a pillow fight. When Chris wins over Cindy, he secretly make a triumphant fist to J.C., who returns the gesture. Their dorm room is littered with little mementos and trinkets, small details that build on their personalities. J.C.’s death provides an unexpected amount of pathos in the middle of the movie. The note he leaves for Chris, describing how the slugs taking over his brain allowed him to walk for the first time, is touching. Jason Lively and Steve Marshall are both great in their roles.

Though many other films helped, I think “Creeps” is responsible for the cult of Tom Atkins. Detective Cameron is a weirdly nuanced guy. He puts on the act of a hard-boiled detective, croaking his catchphrase “Thrill me!” so often that it becomes a joke. A later tagline, “It’s Miller time!” is such a non sequitur that I’m sure the movie was simultaneously embracing and mocking the entire concept of pithy one-liners. His apartment is littered with pulp magazines and old mystery novels. It’s clear that this is just a persona he adopts to cover up his inner pain. The death of his high school sweetheart, and what he did about it, clearly haunts the guy. This is best displayed during a monologue, fantastically delivered by Atkins. It’s a testament to the movie’s quality that Cameron is both a real, flawed character and a B-movie bad ass, blasting zombies to pieces. I also like Jill Whitlow as Cindy a lot, defining the character as more then a screaming damsel but making it believable when she picks up a flame thrower. About the only negative thing I can say about the cast is why didn’t Billy “King of the Assholes” Zabka play the Bradster? Missed oppretunity there.

“Night of the Creeps” builds quite successfully to an awesome final act. The movie operates on witty comedy and flashes of gruesome horror for most of its run time. For the big finale, the movie has a horde of creep-ified zombies laying siege to the sorority house. The film then front-loads with zombies getting their heads blow open and the rest of them getting set on fire from a flamethrower. My favorite bit, and a favorite of many others I suspect, is when Chris and Cindy lock themselves in a tool shed. Grabbing up a lawnmower, they fight back. Atkins gets to overact, plug some creeps, and the camera spins. Then the whole thing goes up in a massive fireball. Awesome. Depending on which version you’re watching, the movie either ends with a callback to the aliens or a fun house jump scare. I like both.

If there weren’t so many other candidates for the title, I’d declare “Night of the Creeps” the ultimate eighties horror/comedy. The movie certainly packs in plenty of everything I love about the genre. You could even say that it, ahem, thrills me. [9/10]

The Monster Squad (1987)

“Night of the Creeps” is a hell of a first act to follow. I’m referring to both Fred Dekker’s career and to the movie marathon I attended. Somehow, with the help of iconic scribe Shane Black, the director topped himself with his second feature. I love “The Monster Squad” and have raved aboutit  a few times before on this blog. Because I have seen the movie a zillion times, I was a little disappointed that it replaced “Evilspeak,” which I’ve never seen, on the Dismember the Alamo bill. This is kind of a silly thing to say though. Every time I see “The Monster Squad” my love of it is reaffirmed. This movie is a blast from beginning to end.

“The Monster Squad” is set in a classical American small town during that magical time – the late eighties – when pre-teen kids were still obsessed with classic monster movies. Best friends Shawn and Patrick form a club about those movies, along with overweight Horace, younger Eugene, cool kid Ruby, and Shawn’s noisy little sister Phoebe. Unexpectedly, the Monster Squad’s interests become relevant to saving the world. As often happens in fiction, the planets align, and good and evil struggle for control. Sensing he has an advantage, and seeking a magical amulet, Dracula recruits the Wolfman, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Frankenstein's Monster. Being a gentle soul, Frankenstein should joins up with the kids. The Monster Squad has to scrap together all the tools a ten-year old can find, including a helpful book and an old Scary German Guy, and prevent Drac from plunging the world into darkness.

Rewatching “The Monster Squad” many times over the years, it’s become apparent to me that every awesome idea the writers had during the screenwriting process made it into the final product. Ever wonder if Wolfman had nards? Congratulations, now you know. Want to see a werewolf blown up in midair and then have him reassemble himself? Look at that, there it is. Dracula getting burned with a garlic pizza? The mummy being unraveled? The Gillman eating a Twinkie? One of Drac’s brides getting crossbowed in the chest? Frankenstein throwing Dracula onto a fence post? All of it and more is in “The Monster Squad.” And it’s not like the monsters are the only ones that do awesome shit. The kids are not peripheral to the action in “The Monster Squad.” They are the heroes. They’re the ones blasting the monsters and saving the world.

Part of that is the reason why certain viewers respond so strongly to the film. (And why it should have been a bigger hit in its day.) “The Monster Squad” is told from the perspective of the pre-teen lot. So it’s got all the stuff kids that age likes. In addition to the obvious appeal of the monsters, there’s wacky comedy, instantly memorable dialogue, bikes, fast cars, cute girls (though they aren’t the focus), and big explosions. The movie’s view of what’s cool is childish enough – and I mean this in a good way – that the kid in the leather jackets and penny loafers is the cool one, like some sort of Fonzie throwback. Because “The Monster Squad” accurately reflects the world of its protagonists, things aren’t always cute and fun either way. Horace is bullied relentlessly and even his friends call him “Fat Kid.” In a move that’s deeply un-P.C. by modern standards, “homo” and “fag” are used pretty loosely. I don’t know how it is now but, when I was in middle school, that’s what twelve year olds talked like. Yet “Monster Squad” is also a fantasy, so the bullies get punished and Horace proves himself a bad ass.

The reviews almost over and I haven’t talked about the friggin’ monsters. A noted monster kid like Stan Winston getting a chance to redesign the classic monsters was probably a big deal. I’m a huge fan of the film’s version of the Gillman and the Mummy, both of which are fantastic updates. I think the Wolfman design is a bit awkward. I’ve never been in love with the way the head looked. The Frankenstein make-up perfectly straddles the line between being the classic design and being something new. Tom Noonan is great in the role, bringing out the giant’s gentle side without ever getting to syrupy. (Though the relationship with Phoebe comes close. I still like it.) Duncan Regehr really cuts an intimidating figure as Dracula, making the character an imposing, serious threat. I love just about every line of dialogue and joke in the movie. “Wolfman’s got nards!” clearly reigns supreme but there are little ones I dig too, like “Accident with power tools?” and “You looked!” The cast is evenly great, though Brent Chalem is my favorite. Fat Kid is who I was in middle school. The movie also doesn’t overlook the serious stuff, with Shawn’s parents dissolving marriage being an important plot point and a small reference to Scary German Guy’s history as a holocaust survivor.

At the screening, JD and I were Those Guys. We were quoting the movie, laughing and clapping at probably inappropriate volumes, and flashing thumbs-ups and clenched fist during the right moments. I’m not going to disguise my love for this movie, especially not during a midnight screening. It just further confirms that “The Monster Squad” is one of my favorite flicks. It’ll never happen but maybe Universal should look this one if they really want to reboot their classic characters. [9/10]

Night of the Comet (1984)

Out of all the films we saw last night, “Night of the Comet” is the one I’ve seen the least. I first saw it many years back, enjoyed it enough, but slightly wondered what the big deal was all about. Coming off an enthusiastic screening of “Night of the Creeps” and “The Monster Squad,” the film definitely seems like the weakest of the lot. But it’s still pretty good and has its own cult-y pleasures to give.

During the Christmas holiday, a comet approaches Earth. People all over the world gather around, looking up to the skies in excitement. What they don’t expect is that the comet’s tail will contact a deadly powder, that reduces most everyone to red ash and turns the survivors into deadly zombies. This fate befalls most of Los Angeles. Except for sisters Regina and Sam. Tough, resourceful Regina spent the night in a steel-plated projection booth with her sort-of boyfriend. Flighty cheerleader Sam, fighting with the girl’s step-mother, slept in a steel tool shed. Both survived the apocalypse and awaken to a different world. The post-Armageddon city is both fun and terrifying. However, things change when zombified ghouls show up, along with asshole government scientists with less then noble intentions.

I really like the central characters of “Night of the Comet.” Neither Regina or Sam are your usual, screaming teens. Both were trained by their merchant marine father, so both known their way around an Uzi. Both girls are tough enough to fight off a zombie, turn an old car into a test target, or get into a fire fight with a band of mutated raiders. The script doesn’t sacrifice their girlishness either though. Sam is every bit a bubbly cheerleader, spending half the film in her uniform. She reminiscences about boys and friends at school. Regina, meanwhile, is obsessed with getting the high score in Tempest and seems to have a weakness for hunky guys too. When both are feeling down, they go on a shopping spree at the mall. Catherine Mary Stewert and Kelli Maroney have a great chemistry together and easily carry the film. Even the smaller characters, like the two little kids the girls save at the end, are likable and memorable.

Like “Dawn of the Dead” or the later “Zombieland,” “Night of the Comet” also shows that the apocalypse can be fun. Characters race down the L.A. freeways, which are now completely empty. Samantha takes over the local radio station, turning herself into a make-shift D.J. She even admits that now no one has to worry about school, test, or cheer practice. Hector, the male hero of the film, swipes a flashy sports car and races around the city in it. Later on, a character notes that he has “about a hundred” fancy new cars. In this case, “Night of the Comet” plays like “The Omega Man” re-designed for teenage girls.

The film is quick to acknowledge that the apocalypse kind of sucks too. Everyone the characters know and love are dead and gone. Hector visits his family, finding no trace of them. The rape-y mall hooligans are certainly a negative. A whole movie probably could have been based around the teens surviving in the city. However, the film also throws in some asshole government scientists, which provides a plum role for a morally conflicted Mary Woronov. The last act is definitely the weakest part of the film. Trading an eerily empty L.A. for stale underground research lab was probably a budgetary choice but it lacks the same fun and tone. The climax is also a bit underwhelming, since it amounts to a few exploding cars and a wrestling match with a zombie.

I’ll admit, by the time “Night of the Comet” started, most every at the screening had baled. Even Mr. Lobo left before the movie started. I could tell the energy of the few remaining patrons – about ten by my count – was low. This film, with its slower pace and weak ending, probably wasn’t the best choice to end the night on. It’s still a good time and the film is propelled by some dynamite performances. [7/10]



Dismember the Alamo was the first time I've ever done an all-night horror marathon like this before. It was exhausting truthfully and my ass was ready to be out of the theater chairs by the time it was over. Yet a good time was still had by all. Hopefully, Mr. Lobo will be back at the Alamo next year. This would be a good yearly tradition.

Halloween 2014: October 24

Rebirth of Mothra II (1997)
Mosura 2 - Kaitei no daikessen

“Rebirth of Mothra” was successful, despite fans’ concerns that it was overly kid-friendly. Toho gave definitive proof that they do not care what fans think by making “Rebirth of Mothra II” even more kid-friendly and childish then the original. The sequel would go even further to alienate hardcore kaiju fans. In the first movie, Mothra Leo fought Desghidorah, the death metal version of an established kaiju super-villain King Ghidorah. In “Rebirth of Mothra II,” Mothra would fight a totally original monster. Along with a couple other factors, the second in the nineties “Mothra” series is usually considered the weakest of the trilogy.

The oceans around Okinawa are swarming with monsters called Barem, starfish-like critters that shoot an acidic slime. The plot resolves around Uranai, a little girl who doesn’t have many friends. She’s picked on by two kids in her class, the scrawny Yoji and the heavy-set Kohei. While wandering through the forest, Uranai discovers a strange little creature called Ghogo. The fairies Moll and Lora track Uranai and the other kids down, informing them that the Barem are the minions of a giant, evil monster called Dagahra. The three kids are given the mission of hunting down an ancient, underwater society and unlocking a treasure there that will help Mothra Leo defeat Dagahra. Meanwhile, Belvera, the wicked fairy sister, enlists a pair of greedy fisherman in helping her find the same treasure, which she’ll use to wipe out the human race. The kids do find the underwater kingdom, Mothra does tangle with Dagahra, and the secret treasure does wind up playing a big role, though not necessarily in the way you’d expect.

As with the first one, “Rebirth of Mothra II” comes preloaded with a heaping helping of kiddie bullshit. The film begins with the two bullies flinging a caterpillar into their teacher’s cleavage. A similar level of broad physical comedy characterizes the rest of the film. The two greedy fishermen are buffoons who frequently stumble around and act like idiots. The fat and thin little kids aren’t much better, goofing around when the situation should be treated more seriously. Beyond the annoying characters and obnoxious comedy, those damn fairies play large roles too. There’s another silly battle between Moll and Lora on Fairy Mothra and Belvera on Garugaru. Belvera’s presence is especially irritating, since she winds up contributing very little to the plot. (At least there’s only one pace-halting musical number this time.) Ghogo is a text book example of a cuddly, goofy character created to appeal to kids and to make plush toys of. He looks like a cross between a mogwai, a furby, and a tribble. Also, he pees magical healing water.

Just like last time, the whole unappealing sundae is topped off with an overdone ecological message. The film’s background mythology seems to owe a lot of credit to “Gamera: Guardian of the Universe.” Dagahla is the creation of an ancient, Atlantis-like civilization. The monster was made to feed off pollution but quickly grows out of control. This is very similar to the origin the latter movie cooked up for Gyaos. Dagahla reemerges because of an overabundance of pollution on the planet. He feeds off the stuff. Thus, he’s a form of punishment against mankind for our treatment of the world. However, unlike “Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster,” the film never shows any any sign of this horrible pollution, making it an abstract threat at best. The film ends with an extended monologue about how the children are the future and how they’ll treat the planet better then there parents. This is explained by the hologram of the underwater kingdom’s queen. Did I mention the hologram? Like every story that riffs on the Atlantis idea, the underwater kingdom is highly advanced and shit. It’s not very interesting.

The first “Rebirth of Mothra” had many of the same problems but it was saved by some bitchin’ monster battles. The same can not be said of “Rebirth of Mothra II.” Dagahla is not as intimidating a threat as Desghidorah. The suit is awkward. The creature is uninspired, looking like a mash-up of Anguirus and Gamera. The design is overly beefy, making it seem unlikely that he could fly through the air or swim with ease. (The Godzilla Neo redesign corrects this and is, in general, superior.) The monster does rampage through a city a little, which is a nice addition. Mothra has a smaller role too, spending most of the middle act incapacitated. There’s a fairly cool aerial fight between Mothra and Dagahla but far too much of the fight is composed of the creatures flying around and shooting energy beams at each other. Like an anime superhero, Mothra Leo transforms in to two separate forms. Rainbow Mothra is practically identical, save for some more colorful wings. Aqua Mothra, meanwhile, is an outlandish design. Is an underwater form something Mothra would have that much of a use for? Aqua Mothra trades the big bug’s usual gracefulness for the harsh straight lines of a robotic dragonfly. In addition to the uninspired suits and uneven battles, there’s some terrible CGI in the film. A lot of the shots of the kids diving around or running into things look awful.

Am I being too hard on a kid’s flick? Maybe. But it’s not like old school kaiju fans like me weren’t going to watch “Rebirth of Mothra II” too. The juvenile quality of the script might compensate for the broad comedy and simple characters. It doesn’t make up for the lame writing, uninspired monster action, or uneven special effects. [5/10]

One Dark Night (1983)

“One Dark Night” is a film I’ve heard about for years but have never had a chance to see before. While it’s frequently called an under appreciated gem by horror nerds, I’ve never heard anyone rave about the flick. I wanted to see it mostly based on two things. The film was the directorial debut of Tom McLaughlin, the same guy behind “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives!,” a high-light of that series. I was also told the movie was a horror film set on Halloween, something I’m always on the look-out for. Someone fibbed. “One Dark Night” isn’t actually set on Halloween. But I liked it anyway.

The film follows Julie Wells, a shy high school girl desperate to be part of the cool kids club, the Sisters. Obnoxious bitch Carol leads the Sisters, along with her two generals, the eccentric Kitty and the squeaky-voiced Leslie. The only reason Carol is even giving Julie the time of day is because Julie is currently dating Carol’s ex-boyfriend. In order to punish the girl, Carol intends to rope Julie into a cruel hazing ritual. They will drug the girl and lock her up in a spooky mausoleum for one night, planning to sneak in and frighten her repeatedly. Unfortunately for the girls, the mausoleum they picked has just had a new arrival. Raymar, a renowned occultist and psychic, has just died but his wicked powers live on through his corpse. Soon, all sorts of freaky shit is happening.

“One Dark Night” has a very slowly paced first half. The film takes its time setting up all the various plot lines. Before we even meet Julie, we see Raymar’s corpse and the effect his powers have. A lot of time is spent on Raymar’s daughter, who is very conflicted about her father’s abilities. She cries on her husband’s shoulders – an inexplicably cast Adam West – and talks to a creepy paranormal expert. The tapes that expert gives her provides some exposition, going on about psychic vampires and what a bad dude Raymar was. Most of this stuff is unnecessary. Developing the teenage characters is time better picked. Even then, “One Dark Night” probably could have used some editing. Did we need to see the four girls hanging out in a video arcade? Or Julie’s boyfriend getting hints from a stoned girl on the street?

However, once we get to the mausoleum, things pick up considerably. It’s a great setting, with the long hallways, all cast in stark black and white marble. (This makes the movie a good companion to the “Phantasm” movies I just watched.) There’s a lot of scenes of Julie hanging out in the mausoleum, slowly getting freaked out. Her so-called friends sneak in and perform some cruel pranks on her. A good moment has a rubber hand on a string being dragged in front of her, the good holding the string right behind her. Once the supernatural element kicks in, “One Dark Night” gets really good. Julie cowers in a chapel while the benches fly across the room. In another fantastic moment, the girl is so terrified that when her boyfriend comes to rescue, she mistakes him for another attacker. When the caskets start to slowly slide out of their cabinets, “One Dark Night” has built up a chilling atmosphere. The zombies don’t drag their feet. Instead, they float, still, eerily moving across the floor. It’s a simple effect but amazingly creepy. The movie takes the dead body thing all the way, burying its characters in corpses. “One Dark Night” executes its scares in a very effective manner.

The above-average cast helps too. Protagonist Meg Tilly is actually the weakest link. According to IMDb, Tilly was genuinely uncomfortable during filming. Her panic seems genuine. While that’s great, when she has to be a normal teenage girl, she’s not that captivating. Instead, the three bullies are more charismatic. Robin Evans as Carol, the queen bitch, is despicable. However, her meanness is rooted in a very human hurt. Kitty, played Leslie Speights, chews on a tooth brush throughout the whole film, which is a very real, interesting character quirk. E.G. Daily reminds me a lot of P. J. Soles as Linda in “Halloween.” Her peppy energy is infectious.

The subplot concerning Raymar’s daughter doesn’t build to a very satisfying conclusion. The sound design is a bit overdone. Too often the film cuts away to an orange light leaking out of a cracked casket. I was really surprised by how scary “One Dark Night” wound up being. The film generates some real chills and builds fantastically to an intense finale. Seek this one out. [8/10]

Halloween 2014: October 23

Rebirth of Mothra (1996)
Mosura

Toho cooked up big business with the nineties Godzilla series. The highest grossing film in the Heisei Era was “Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth.” Market research revealed that Mothra was the most popular kaiju among women. Obviously looking to cash in on the big bug’s popularity, after Godzilla bit the dust in 1995, Toho announced a new series of Mothra solo films. Despite Mothra having a wide appeal, the resulting “Rebirth of Mothra” films were all kid’s movies, meaning they aren't well-regarded in the kaiju fandom.

Nine year old Taiki has a difficult relationship with his younger sister, Wakaba. There mom has her hands full while their father is busy working for a land development company. That company is currently courting controversy for wanting to plow over an entire forest. After removing a strange seal from the ground, a dark fairy riding a small dragon enters their home. Named Belvera, the fairy desires the magical seal. A pair of good fairies, riding a chibi version of Mothra, appear to prevent Belvera from getting the seal. She does anyway and, with it, unleashes Desghidorah, a highly destructive kaiju. The good fairies call on the aging Mothra to save the day. Unfortunately, it’s not a enough and Mothra: Classic Variety dies. Just in time, Mothra Leo, the original Mothra’s son, hatches and heads off to save the world from Desghidorah.

“Rebirth of Mothra” is badly hampered by its kid-friendly focus. Taiki and Wakaba are not the most captivating protagonists. The two siblings snipe at each other, having yelling matches more then once. Taiki gets teased at school for caring about his sister at all. At one point, Wakaba says she hates her older brother. When the monster action begins, the film is constantly cutting away to the little kids, fleeing through the forest. One scene has them powering up the older Mothra by holding the magical seal and praying real hard. Another, real groan-worthy moment has Taiki telling his parents to believe in Mothra Leo, that the bug may seem small but he’s our only chance. Because this is a kid’s movie, there are no scenes of kaiju wrecking the city. Desghidorah’s rampage is kept exclusively to the forest. The military does not appear to challenge the monster. This is actually fine. However, was constantly focusing on a pair of bumbling news reporter the best substitute? The human subplot wraps up with a trite message about forgiving your siblings and how, even though brothers and sisters might fight, deep down they really love each other. There’s also a heavy-handed ecological message. After Desghidorah is defeated, the kids’ dad stares in sorrow at the destroyed forest. Instead of letting this somber message stand, Mothra Leo sprinkles fairy dust over the blast zone and everyone instantly regrows. Again, I know this is a kid’s film but that seems like a horrible cop-out.

“Rebirth of Mothra” also focuses heavily on the magical fairies. They appear early on and motivate the plot. Before the monsters even show up, the Elias sisters, Mola and Lora, are chattering about impending doom and unavoidable prophecies. Belvera is a fairly obnoxious villain. She’s never a real threat and treated widely as a joke. All three fairies have cutesy little steads. The good fairies ride around on Fairy Mothra. Meanwhile, Belvera rides on Garu Garu, a cute little dragon that is later revealed to be a robot, for some reason. Despite unleashing a monster that nearly destroys the Earth, Mola and Lora are very willing to forgive their bad sister. There’s a very long fight scene in the kids’ home, where the fairies fly around shooting lightening bolts at each other. It goes on forever. Since this is a “Mothra” flick, you’d expect the fairies to sing a song. However, were you expecting three songs? Each musical number stops the plot dead as the film seemingly becomes a music video.

What makes all of this all the more frustrating is that “Rebirth of Mothra” features some fantastic kaiju action. Desghidorah, continuing the tradition of cute kids’ entertainment with seriously threatening villains, is an intimidating creation. It’s huge, char-black, shoots actual fireballs of death, and cuts a very demonic figure. Mama Mothra looks fantastic as well, the puppet brought to life convincingly. When Mothra Leo, still as a larva, approaches the dragon, the good guy seems seriously out-matched. This holds true when Desghidorah picks the caterpillar up in its jaws, nearly tearing it apart. Mama Mothra has to die, of course. She carries her child out to sea, to safety, before expiring, and sinking beneath the waves. This scene actually got me a little misty-eyed, that’s how well its done. When Mothra Leo emerges as a moth, the action kicks into high gear. There’s a lot of laser beams being traded and some impressive explosions. Mothra’s finishing move, flying a circle around Desghidorah and firing a giant blast, is impressive.

The monster fight scenes are awesome. There’s no shortage of them either, as “Rebirth of Mothra” is action-packed. It’s also runs 108 minutes, which is way too long for a kid-centric kaiju flick. Nestled among the saccharine kiddie business and the goofy fairy scenes is some worthy kaiju battles. Whether or not they’re worth the wait is up to the viewer. [6/10]

Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)

Wax dummies are creepy. They saunter right into the uncanny valley, even more-so then ventriloquist dummies or dolls. Those objects usually exaggerate the human form. Wax mannequins, meanwhile, mean to duplicate it perfectly. This makes them creepy as fuck. So it’s no shock that numerous horror films have meant to capitalize on that creepiness. “House of Wax” is obviously the most well-known example but that film is actually a remake of an even earlier film. “Mystery of the Wax Museum” was thought to be lost for thirty years before a copy emerge in the sixties, so that new generations could enjoy the originator.

In 1920s France, a proud, genius wax sculptor shows off his museum to some very appreciative critics. The man has a deep personal relationship with his artwork, talking to his sculptures as if they were people. Immediately afterwards, the museum’s investor tells him they are loosing money. In order to regain the lost funds, he plans to burn down the museum and collect on the insurance. The sculptor is horrified by this and attempts to stop it. When he can’t, he stays behind inside the museum, watching his beloved creations burn. A decade later, a new wax museum opens in New York, operated by the same man, now calling himself Mr. Igor. Though confined to a wheelchair, and with horribly burnt hands, he still directs the wax museum. Meanwhile, bodies begin to disappear from the morgue. Hotshot reporter Florence Dempsey quickly suspects the two cases might be related.

“Mystery of the Wax Museum” has, undoubtedly, been overshadowed by its later remake. The remake follows the general outline of the original quite closely yet the two films are ultimately very different. As the title promises, “Mystery of the Wax Museum” is more of a mystery. “House of Wax” focused more on the story’s morbid aspect while “Mystery” is more about characters sleuthing around, investigating leads and trying to unravel what’s happening. “House of Wax” focuses more on the mad sculptor and the girl he intends to turn into his new Marine Antoinette. The main character of the original, meanwhile, is the hotshot lady reporter on the case’s tail. The only time “Mystery of the Wax Museum” is a full blown horror flick is the scenes in the morgue and the very end.

What truly keeps “Mystery of the Wax Museum” afloat and makes it so charming is its cast. Glenda Farrell plays Florence Dempsey, the fast-talking, quick-thinking reporter at the film’s center. Florence is friggin’ awesome. She’s brass, fearless, heads straight into danger, and always has a snappy one-liner up her sleeve. Farrell’s flapper-attitude might not be for everyone but I was absolutely charmed by her. Building the film around her was a wise decision since she steals the whole show. She’s certainly more interesting then Fay Wray as Charlotte, the movie’s damsel in distress. Charlotte stands around, being desired by the various men in the plot. Igor wants to encase her in wax while Jim, her fiancé, just wants to marry her. Wray at least gives her famous lungs a work-out. While Vincent Price was obviously more memorable in the remake, Lionel Atwill isn’t bad in the same part. His mad proclamations concerning his art are quite entertaining.

Uncharacteristic for the time period, “Mystery of the Wax Museum” was shot in color. Two-strip Technicolor to be exact. The color is washed-out and quite ugly by today’s standards, everything appearing in shades of sickly green or beige. As someone who loves the look and feel of horror films from 1930s, I still found a lot to like about the visual presentation. More then once, atmospheric shadows are thrown on the wall. There’s very little music, giving the entire picture an eerie, creaky feeling. I love the set of Igor’s laboratory, the winding staircase above the cauldron of wax or the harsh expressionistic angles of the room above. As the film was made in 1933, it predates the Production Code. So the film is saucier then you’d expect. Florance, at one point, asks a cop about his sex life. A minor character is identified as a junkie and bootlegging is a major plot point. All of this adds to the movie’s unique charm.

“House of Wax” is a smoother and better constructed then “Mystery of the Wax Museum.” Yet I’m a fan of the original and would put them on about equal footing. Mostly thanks to the unique feel early horror films have and the boundless charm of Glenda Farrell. [7/10]

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Trick or Treat

So here’s something I decided to watch totally on whim. After watching all the Ninja Turtles movies this summer, and binging on kaiju flicks this autumn, I wanted to give another childhood favorite a look. I completely understand anyone without a nostalgic connection to it finding the “Power Rangers” franchise completely tedious. It is really stupid and incredibly repetitive. In “Trick or Treat,” Kimberly becomes a contestant on a Halloween-themed game show, seemingly shot on the same juice bar set where half the show takes place. Resident idiot bullies Bulk and Skull are her competitor, which goes about as well as you’d expect. Anyway, that has nothing to do with the monster action of the week. Rita Repulsa sends down a creature called the Pumpkin Rapper, a pumpkin-headed monster who performs the cheesiest, worst raps you can imagine.

Like I said, “Power Rangers” can be hard to stomach from an adult perspective. The non-Ranger stuff in the juice bar is lowest common denominator, shitty kid’s stuff. Bulk and Skull are embarrassing creations. They’re supposed to be bullies but are so stupefyingly dumb, that I can’t imagine them being a threat to anyone. The non-action sequences have a cheesy moral about learning to loose with grace, which is as forced in as you’d expect. The conclusion, where Bulk and Skull loose the car they won, is mind-numbingly dumb. The Rangers sequences are a little easier to tolerate. You’ve got Japanese actors in goofy spandex beating up other goofballs in spandex. The Pumpkin Rapper is a really ridiculous creation. The suit looks pretty cool but the rap premise pushes it into true camp territory. Especially when the Rangers force the monster out by performing their own shitty rap. Disappointingly, there’s no Megazord action as the Rangers actually defeat the monsters with their guns and stuff. I have no idea how to rate “Trick or Treat.” If it wasn’t something I had a vague personal connection to, I’d probably find it totally insufferable. But then again… Jack o’Lantern monster! Shit, is this how my parents felt back in the day? [6/10]

Bangers n' Mash 41: Godzilla: The Heisei Age

I'm going to publish stuff other then "podcast" episodes this month, I swear. I've been busy with stuff, you know?

I've seen the new "Godzilla" movie and my review of that will be going up in probably a half-hour or so. Until then, here's the latest episode of the Bangers n' Mash Show, continuing our own Godzilla marathon. After covering the classic films last time, we continue on to the Heisei era, of which you probably know I'm already a big fan of. We also rag on the TriStar "Godzilla" a little too. Sorry, couldn't resist.



Anyway, there's only one more episode in our Godzilla series left, which has already been recorded and I'm currently editing. Meaning I'll finally be putting kaiju movies behind me. At least for a while anyway.

Series Report Card: Gamera (1999)

11. Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris
Gamera Surī: Jyashin Irisu Kakusei / 
Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys

After redefining the Gamera series, and some would say the entire kaiju genre, with the first two Heisei films, Shusuke Kaneko took a two year break from giant monsters. When the time came to produce a third and final Gamera film, Kaneko wrote a script that brought many of the plot points first raised in “Guardian of the Universe” full circle. The result was the darkest Gamera film ever made, one that attempts to weave a very personal human story in with the epic kaiju action while bringing the series to a satisfying conclusion.

Two years after Legion’s attack on Japan, the country is still recovering. A teenage girl named Ayana, whose parents died during Gamera’s battle with Gyaos in 1995, still holds a burning hatred for the kaiju. Now, a new race of even deadlier Gyaos has appeared, putting the entire world in peril, forcing Gamera back into action. Series protagonist Mayumi and Asagi attempt to aide Gamera in defending Earth and against a military that has dubbed him a threat. Meanwhile, Ayana discovers a strange new monster, a tentacled beast that feeds on human life force. Naming the creature Iris, she teaches it to hate Gamera as well. With some assist from a pair of anti-Gamera occultists, the two mighty monsters are put on a path of violence towards each other.

“Revenge of Iris” is widely regarded as the best Gamera film, if not the best kaiju film, ever made. While “Attack of the Legion” was most ambitious in its special effects, the third feature is more ambitious in story and character. Usually, in the daikaiju genre, the human story and the giant monster story co-exist, feeding into each other, while rarely fusing into one. “Gamera 3” builds upon the connection between humans and monsters the last two films featured. The young girls at the story’s center don’t just give the giants a last minute power boost. Instead, they are directly involved in the battle, motivating the creatures, driven by the same desires. Ayana’s desire for revenge powers Iris, the occultists project their own feelings on the monsters, while Asagi and Mayumi both believe Gamera will save the world.

All of that is well and good but the question has to be asked: Is “Revenge of Iris” truly a Gamera movie? The series’ investment in its own mythology has reached critical mass. Early on, we see a Gamera graveyard, the ocean floor littered with giant turtle bodies, failed prototypes made by the Atlantians. Much attention is paid to the concept of “mana,” the Earth’s life force. Gamera and Gyaos’ reemergence is directly tied to Earth’s “mana” levels being low. None of this has much to do with the classic conception of Gamera. While the last two films mostly went off on their own stories, they at least paid homage to the original series. “Revenge of Iris,” meanwhile, is more interested in its own ideas. Swap Gamera and Gyaos out for original monsters and the story would be completely unchanged.

Kaneko’s last two Gamera films explored the kaiju genre from a deconstructive angle. Yes, if two giant monsters fought in a packed city, people would get hurt, innocents would die. “Revenge of Iris” takes this further then ever before. The entire plot is motivated by collateral damage, human lives inadvertently lost during Gamera’s heroic battles. This comes into sharp focus during the first major battle. Gamera and a group of Gyaos touch down in Tokyo. The bird monster is bloodied, an eyeball dangling from its smashed socket. In the course of the fight, Gamera sets the entire city block on fire, visibly murdering people, claiming hundreds of lives. It’s a visceral, unsettling scene. The film is doing this intentionally, making you question if having the big turtle around is even worth it. Eventually, it does answer that question, proving that Gamera does care about humanity. However, the story can’t support a topic this heavy. It becomes difficult to root for Gamera when he has so much blood on his claws.

The script is uneven. Ayane’s storyline is interesting and loaded with potential. Ai Maeda gives a fine performance, showing a secret rage behind her calm eyes. At school, she meets a boy named Moribe. Moribe’s family has protected a near-by shrine for centuries. He knows something bad lurks inside but that doesn’t stop him from showing Ayane. The two youngsters have a romantic bound. Moribe is nervous about expressing his desire, realistically so. When Ayane is swept up by Iris, he saves her, running to her aide. When the monster attacks Kyoto, the girl caught in the crossfire, Moribe tries to help her. He is out of his element though. The magical knife the temple gave him to defeat monsters winds up being completely useless, in what is either sloppy writing or a hilariously subversive joke. Nozomi Ando is extremely good in the part.

However, the teens’ storyline has to compete for screen time with the film’s other concerns. Bringing Mayumi and Asagi back into the story was a sound idea. Neither character is given much to do though, mostly forced to discuss the plot with other people as the monsters rage off-screen. Mayumi’s plot is tied in with Inspector Osako, a minor character from the previous film. Osako has become homeless, Mayumi helping to reform the man. Osako’s story doesn’t go much of anywhere. The film’s human villains, Mito Asakura and Shin’ya Kurata, are also problematic. They mostly exist as plot devices, a way to get Ayane into Kyoto before the film’s last act. Both characters’ rant about the monsters’ purposes and their mystical origins. Tooru Teduka goes way over the top as Kurata, acting like a preening hipster. Senri Yamazaki as Asakura is mostly a non-entity. The film probably should have focused more on Ayane’s struggle instead of splitting time with these other plots.

Compared to the exciting, visceral kaiju action of the last two films, “Revenge of Iris” comes up short. Throughout the film, we hear about Gyaos attacking major cities around the world, Gamera fighting them off. Bafflingly, all of these battles are kept off-scene. CGI is heavily utilized during the fights. Gamera spins through the air, colliding with the flying Iris, missiles bursting around them. The computer graphics were, no doubt, cutting edge in 1999. However, they look incredibly dated by modern standards. The action direction is shaky, making it difficult to see what is going on at times. When Gamera and Iris finally reach the ground, their battle is disappointingly brief. Most of the fight takes place inside a cramped train station. The monsters impale and claw each other in close quarters. There’s little of the theatrical kaiju action fans crave. The fight concludes with a shrug, Gamera finishing Iris off with a mostly unexplained special move.

For all its faults, “Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris” works extremely well at times. Iris is a fantastically realized monster. The creature doesn’t look like any previous monster ever put to screen. The pointed head lacks a traditional mouth or eyes, producing a truly alien appearance. The natural armor, crystalline and jagged, is very memorable. The orange tentacles, topped off with clasping pinchers, are a highly dynamic weapon. Instead of flying with rockets or wings, Iris floats on the air using a clear membrane spread between his tentacles. The relationship between the monster and Ayane is interesting. As a cute baby-thing, she feeds it. When it starts to grow, Iris wraps Ayane with its tentacles, a moment dripping with Freudian implications. The kaiju also has a bad habit of sucking people’s life force, turning them into dried out mummies. When the corpses are discovered, it provides the movie with a horrific edge. Iris’ confrontation with the military, the giant monster easily finishing off the soldiers, is the movie’s sole moment of satisfying action.

“Gamera 3” works the best, not during its kaiju fights, but its quieter moments. The film’s emotional climax isn’t when Gamera banishes the evil monster. It is, instead, when Iris takes Ayane inside its skin. Falling through a psychedelic cascade of color, Ayane experiences Iris’ memories. She realizes her hatred has motivated the monster. She sees, firsthand, the creature decimating her village. For the first time, she questions her motivations. Despite doing nothing but hating him, Gamera rescues the girl, gorily pulling her free of Iris’ grasp. This moment makes it clear that the giant turtle fights for mankind, not just for the Earth. As Iris dies, Ayane is suddenly torn, the creature she’s devoted her life to hating being responsible for saving her. It’s a complex, fascinating moment, one the film needed more of.

In my review of “Gamera 2,” I suggested that the filmmakers had turned Gamera into a Christ figure. I was being sarcastic but “Revenge of Iris” continues in this vain. Gamera works in mysterious ways. Yeah, thousands of people wind up dead because of him but, ultimately, he wants to protect mankind. Even those that have abandoned him aren’t above his love. Ayane’s hatred might have unleashed a horrible new threat but Gamera doesn’t care. He forgives all. Just to make the subtext even more explicit, Gamera gets crucified. Iris stabs a huge hole through his chest, nearly killing the turtle. Not long after that, the giant turtle gets a massive spike hammered into the palm of his hand. Comparing a giant turtle that flies by farting fire to Jesus is pretty funny. The subtext might also be completely unintentional. Yet it’s hard to imagine Keneko didn’t know what he was doing. Framed in this context, “Revenge of Iris” becomes a story of faith tested and ultimately renewed.

“Gamera 3” ends on a deliberately ambiguous note. After defeating Iris, a swarm of Gyaos fly towards Tokyo. Gamera, despite being seriously wounded, with no guarantee he can win the fight, marches forward into battle. It’s tempting to say the film cuts off right before its most exciting moment. Yet that ending is film’s most definitively “Gamera”-like moment to me. The giant turtle’s primary characteristic over the years has been his undying tenacity. The suggestions that he might go down fighting, or even succeed against impossible odds, is in keeping with his character. The ending didn’t satisfy everyone, as enterprising fans later produced a fan-film called “Gamera 4: Truth,” wrapping up the storyline. I, personally, like the ambiguity.

I’m ultimately surprised a film as uneven as “Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris” is so beloved. The film’s script juggles more plot lines then it can handle. Its treatment of the monsters is uncertain and the movie holds back on the action. Yet there are some amazingly serene moments and an ultimately thoughtful heart behind the messy story and tone. If nothing else, the movie introduced an unforgettably odd monster to kaiju fans. “Gamera 3” wraps up the defiantly unique Heisei era in a defiantly unique way. [Grade: B]

Series Report Card: Gamera (1996)

10. Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion
Gamera Tsū: Region Shūrai / 
Gamera 2: Advent of Legion

After the critical and financial success of “Gamera: Guardian of the Universe,” there was no way a sequel wasn’t going to happen. Director Shusuke Kaneko and writer Kazunori Ito wisely stuck around. The sequel, rolled out a year later, has more action and a bigger, badder threat. Unlike the previous film, “Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion” would have the giant turtle facing off against a brand-new foe, created specifically for the film. Considering Toho’s attempts to do something similar with their Godzilla series hadn’t worked out for them, could Gamera make it against a brand new baddie?

A year after Gamera and Gyaos’ battle through Tokyo, the city is still recovering. The military watches the ocean, preparing for another monster to appear. Another monster does appear but not out of the ocean but rather from the sky. While out with her students, science teacher Honami spots a star falling from the sky. Soon afterwards, strange creatures begin to appear in the city, attacking humans and consuming glass. The insect-like monsters quickly multiple, building a giant flower in Sapporo. Feeling the world is threatened, Gamera reemerges from the ocean. The new threat, quickly dubbed Legion by the Japanese military, proves a difficult challenge for Gamera, doubly so when the creature’s massive queen appears. If Gamera can’t defeat the Legion, all of Japan could be in peril.

The previous Gamera film went out of its way to distance itself from the silly shenanigans of the Showa era. “Attack of the Legion” is no different in that regard. However, the film introduces a stalwart element of the classic series: Aliens! Legion isn’t a devious invader like Viras or Zigra. It doesn’t even arrive in a flying saucer. Instead, the kaiju is a thoroughly modern alien. They arrive in a meteor as microscopic organisms. Like ants, the Legion function as a hive, with hundreds of soldiers and builders reporting to a massive queen. Their form of mass transportation, building a giant, explosive flower, is also something you’d see in nature. The alien monsters have no concise plan. They function as a mindless virus, arriving on a planet, stripping it raw, and leaving for the next. They intentionally recall the xenomorphs of the “Alien” franchise or any other parasite-style sci-fi monsters.

The comparison to “Aliens” is apt. “Gamera 2” is the first Gamera movie since the original to actually feel like a horror film. Near the beginning, security guards at a beer warehouse are spooked by an ominous shadow and a strange giant eye. Passengers in a subway are attacked by the Legion drones, human blood splattered on glass. We’ve seen plenty of kaiju blood over the course of the Gamera series but never red human blood. That’s somewhat startling. An entire tunnel fills with the crawling, snapping monsters, looking like a cross between stag beetles and spiders. Once the giant monster fights start in earnest, the film abandons any attempt at horror. Yet the sudden harsher elements still come as a surprise.

The focus is squarely on the alien threat for the first half-hour of the film. These sequences are successful but they do leave the viewer wondering when Gamera is going to show up. Luckily, “Attack of the Legion” is very good at establishing continuity with the first film. The battle between Gamera and Gyaos has left a lasting effect on Japan. The two monsters are mentioned frequently. The debate continues to rage about whether or not Gamera is truly an ally of humanity. A clever visual cue is when we spot the Tokyo Tower, still broken in two, under construction. The best nod to is when Asagi, the inadvertent priestess of Gamera from the first film, comes back. Though mostly kept on the sideline, Asagi continues to be an important character, her tear-drop medallion providing a serious plot point. When kaiju films frequently have non-existent continuity between them, “Gamera 2” being a true sequel is much appreciated.

Something that was surprising about “Guardian of the Universe” was how captivating its human story was. “Attack of the Legion,” on the other hand, can’t live up to that precedence. Honami, as played by Miki Mizuno, is fine in the role. She’s even charming, the actress rightfully playing up the character’s quiet tenacity. The problem comes when the movie creates a romantic storyline between Honami and the film’s military hero, Colonel Watarase. Toshiyuki Nagashima gives a slightly bland performance as the young colonel. Furthermore, you never get a romantic vibe between him and Mizuno. The two seem more like casual friends then star crossed lovers. When the movie attempts to play up their relationship, like the two separating at an airport, it doesn’t work. The final act separates the love birds, Honami forced to watch the kaiju battle from the streets while Watarase waits tensely in a secured bunker. The human plot is not smoothly integrated with the monster action and the characters aren’t that captivating on their own.

Despite these issues, “Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion” is successful. Watching the movie as a monster fan, it might be one of the most ambitious, effects-heavy kaiju films ever made. Gamera is given a slight redesign. The ridge on his head is more prominent, his forearms spinier. When flying, his arms extend into aerodynamic fins, like a sea turtle, a slightly silly if interesting visuals. The titanic turtle is more fearsome then ever before. The CGI, though still primitive, is integrated smoothly with the live-action suits.

Perhaps the filmmakers were hedging their bets. If the enemy monster was going to be brand new, it had to be impressive. And, boy, is it ever. The mother Legion is massive and ornate. The design pushes the art of suitamation as far as it can go. Legion has multiple thin legs extending from its head and body, constantly thrashing back and forth. An additional set of legs extends from the monster's back, reminding me of a weta’s sharpened spurs. Legion’s head is topped with a pointed crest, his vertical jaw snapping left and right. Inside its chest, it even carries a nest of immature Legion drones. The huge insect is even taller then Gamera, towering over the hero. Never does the monster look like a man in a suit. Instead, it’s a living, breathing, bizarre creature, that carefully balances looking plausible, alien, and awesome. Even the monster’s energy weapons, blue bolts shot from its mouth or red laser whips extending from its head, are creative and convincing.

Having created an intimidating adversary, effects director Shinji Higuchi orchestrates some impressive monster battles. Once Gamera appears, his body is quite literally covered with Legion drones. Spinning through the air, he attempts to shake the bugs off. Having been wounded, he instead splatters his green blood over half the city, an unforgettable image. The Showa series focused on Gamera’s bleeding simply for the cool factor. Kaneko and Ito seem to be intentionally playing up the turtle’s vulnerability. During his first fight with the queen Legion, he is impaled twice with the bug’s massive spikes. Green blood floods from wounds. A chunk of his shell is blown off, his head is cracked, and holes are burned through his skin. The giant tortoise takes a beating.

As in “Guardian,” a particular focus is given to the damage the monsters reek on the city. Upon arriving in Sapporo, Gamera crashes through a building. We see his huge foot smashes through the roof, making a rough landing. The camera is constantly placed at ground level, puny humans fleeing from the battling giants. The military is uncertain to trust Gamera and, considering how much property damage he creates, maybe they shouldn’t. The second act turn comes when Gamera attempts to bring down the Legion flower in Sendai. Upon pulling the huge plant apart, a massive fireball consumes the city, leaving the metropolis a steaming crater. (Considering Sendai was devastated during the 2011 Miyagi earthquake, this scene plays very differently now then it did in 1996.) The last act is motivated by whether Gamera survived the blast and, if he didn’t, can the military defend Tokyo from the encroaching Legion without him.

Gamera, of course, does survive the explosion. The titanic tortoise always pulls through from whatever damage is inflicted on him at the movie’s half-way point. Always has, right from the beginning. However, “Attack of the Legion” adds a different layer to the familiar plot point. The villainous monster is named Legion by one of the soldiers, quoting Mark 5:9, the infamous “For we are many” line. This adds a religious element that was previously lacking from the kaiju genre. Where do you think I’m going with this? Gamera died for your sins. The Friend to All Children suffers an injury, is seemingly deceased, only to be resurrected by the beliefs of his followers. Reading too much in to it? Oh yeah, definitely. Yet I have to wonder if some of this was at least intentional.

For the final battle, the action moves to the outskirts of Tokyo. Gamera confronts Legion, extra-pissed off. He tears the monster’s legs and jaws off, wounding it. The two kaiju wrestle, clawing and biting at one another. Even with an assist from the Japanese military, who finally comes around to the big turtle, it’s a rough fight. It honestly seems like Legion might win, whipping the terrapin into submission with his laser weapons. At the last minute, Gamera seems to draw energy from the life force of the Earth it self. With this boost, he charges a special attack, something powerful enough to finish off the enemy monster with one shot. That’s right, guys, Gamera just threw a Spirit Bomb. The script’s biggest flaw is this last-minute Hail Mary move. Underneath his chest armor this whole time, Gamera was packing a super weapon. Why didn’t he just use that in the first place? It’s a fairly lazy move, one that is introduced with zero foreshadowing.

Even if Japan was left in ruins, Gamera leaves victorious, a hard-fought victory finally won. “Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion” ends with an interesting message. Monami delivers her belief that Gamera wasn’t fighting for mankind but rather for the earth itself. And, should we continue to mistreat the Earth, the Guardian of the Universe might turn on us. Nothing else in the film supports this eco-friendly message yet I like it anyway. The idea of kaiju as gods above humanity, indifferent to us, is a potent one. It also, in an odd way, brings the Christ metaphor full circle. In other words, guys, get your shit together or else Jesus is going to come back pissed. And this Christ-figure just happens to be a giant turtle that spits fireballs…

While not as strong as its predecessor, “Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion” remains a fantastically entertaining monster brawl. Kaneko’s direction and Koh Otani’s music remain interesting while the special effects are out of this world. For that reason alone, it’s required viewing for monster movie fans. [Grade: B+]