New Year, New City-Smashing Opportunities!

- UPDATE on Tokyo Shock's GODZILLA VS. MEGALON dvd release - apparently this has been put on indefinite hold until all the kinks can be worked out of the licensing deal betwix Toho and Media Blasters. Sucks, I know. Just be patient, kids Word on the street is that certain people are considering both G'85 and GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE for release

- Criterion's GODZILLA release is just around the corner! January 24th! Preliminary word on the release has been very positive, despite the odd presence of Kiryu-Goji in the interior of the packaging. Some criticism is being levied against David Kalat's commentary, but I personally loved his Ghidorah commentary, if not for its relevance than for its general entertainment value.
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- GODZILLA: LEGENDS is in full swing - issue 2 was met with some disappointment, mostly due to the oddly written script, but it was still a fun read, in my most humble of opinions. Definitely did NOT see that ending coming! Issue 3 is getting rave reviews, thanks to it being deliberately paced and featuring a unique story, even though fans are screaming to have a part 2 Issues 4 and 5 are looking to be rip-roaring good times!

- GODZILLA: KINGDOM OF MONSTERS is "ending" with issue 12, though IDW has repeatedly hinted at "something new" on the horizon. We'll see, cuz' I ain't talkin'!

- The Gamera Blu-Ray Triple Feature was met with elation when released...then dismay when viewers reached the special features and subtitles on the 3rd disc. The subtitles on the GAMERA 3 disc are packed with woeful errors and timing problems. Mill Creek may release a revised edition if there's enough fan demand, so head to their Facebook page and demand a proper release for one of the best monster movies ever made!
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- ULTRAMAN SAGA is hitting Japanese theaters March 24th, and is receiving a lot of attention thanks to the inclusion of several members of the pop group AKB-48 as a fighting force called "Team U" in the film. Several other Ultra stars are returning, and the production is looking pretty high-profile. Let's hope it fairs better at the box office than ULTRAMAN ZERO THE MOVIE.
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- Speaking of Ultraman, there's this kooky story being published in Dengeki Hobby called "Another Genesis" which I'm...unsure if I've mentioned before - the story, from what I've gathered, is kickstarted when the Land of Light, the home planet of the Ultras, EXPLODES, and spreads shards of irradiated material across the galaxy. Ultraman sets out to find the shards and right that which is wrong, whereas Ultra Seven is more content to step back and watch what happens. Meanwhile a human (?) soldier is hit by one of the shards and becomes an Ultra-human-hybrid. Named "Blast," he sets out across the universe to do...stuff.
The story has hit its 6th chapter and already has featured dramatic new versions of Antlar, Icarus-seijin, King Joe and Jeanbot.
Believe it or not, those three god-like being are, left-to-right, Ultraman Jack, Ultraman Ace and Ultraman Taro. Ace in particular is food for thought, as his power originally came from the union of a man (Hokuto) and a woman (Minami), so presenting Ace as an angelic figure in the Judeo-Christian tradition, makes a weird sort of sense.
OH, and that glowing blue giant and screaming monster towards the bottom of the post? Cosmos and Chaos. Ultra-fans will get the reference
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- David Kalat, aforementioned commentator on the Godzilla Blu-Ray, has made a series of posts from the material he unfortunately had to cut from his audio track. Check 'em out!
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That's it for now! I'll post more later!