#notzilla

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Weeks in Review (September 10-30, 2023)

I adore Godzilla Final Wars, but it's a movie with an identity crisis, unsure whether it wants to be headlining a Toho Champion Festival or mesmerizing American teenagers at a mid-aughts multiplex. @spacehunter-m's Final Wars 2004: The Year We Make Corn-Tack gives it a strong tug in the first direction, whittling the runtime down to 77 minutes and replacing most of the music and sound effects. She was inspired by Space Warriors 2000, of all things; as she put it, both films are "largely comprised of nonstop, monotonous action." As in that bizarro Ultraman compilation film, the kaiju trash-talk each other. It makes you wonder why Ryuhei Kitamura didn't at least bring back the speech bubbles from Godzilla vs. Gigan. Kaiju fan edits are rare, and this is in a class all by itself. Download it here.

Shigeru Kayama's novelizations of Godzilla (1954) and Godzilla Raids Again are out—hopefully the first of many to come. My copy only arrived on Saturday, so I haven't had the chance to read the whole thing yet, but I've made it through Godzilla. It's interesting to see Kayama, who wrote the initial treatment, take another swing at the story after the film was finished. He puts back moments like Godzilla eating a cow and attacking a lighthouse, and is also more overt with the wartime allusions. There's an incredible moment where Dr. Yamane muses that studying Godzilla and learning his secrets could be Japan's way of redeeming itself after "caus[ing] a great deal of trouble to people throughout the world." Note that these are novella-length, so much less in-depth than the novelizations of American Godzilla films you might be used to (Godzilla Raids Again is less than 80 pages). The book ends with an afterword by translator Jeffrey Angles contextualizing the tales.

Godzilla: War for Humanity continues to be a standout IDW miniseries. There's a new and very weird monster in the second issue, plus a no-nonsense Mothra (she tries to recruit Godzilla to fight Zoospora by shooting him in the back of the head and dragging him into the ocean in front of Minilla).

I've also got to mention the solicitation for another Godzilla Rivals installment, due December 20. Nola Pfau is writing, Megan Huang is illustrating.

Jen Onça is not excited to start her new, fast-paced fast-food career at Minilla Burger, but she'd much prefer a mundane day to the sudden return of Megalon! The monster brings destruction, trapping Jen in a forgotten lab deep beneath the restaurant with only the half-built form of Jet Jaguar to help her get out! She must repair the robotic defender to save herself and the city, but first she needs to escape the rubble trapping her in this tense adventure!

Yuzo the Biggest Battle in Tokyo, Yoshikazu Ishii's follow-up to Attack of the Giant Teacher, has also been picked up by SRS Cinema. No release details yet. I can't really speak to the film either, since it screened at the same time as Yumiko Shaku's panel at G-Fest, but as you can see from the poster, it's set during the pandemic.

The GAMERA -Rebirth- Gyaos has joined Godzilla Battle Line as an unusual sort of swarm unit. Your first summon of the match calls forth two sub-adults, and by the fifth summon you're sending out two sub-adults and three adults, still for four energy. They're probably the best swarm in the game, though still highly vulnerable to AOE units like Godzilla '01. I'm having fun with them in the Challenge Battles.

Notzilla, one of the sharpest kaiju comedies out there, is unexpectedly getting the graphic novel treatment. Mitch Teemley is adapting his own screenplay, with art by Zumart Putra. The comic is already finished, although I'm not clear on how folks who didn't back the Kickstarter (which wrapped on September 11) will get it. Useless trivia: the terrific cover above (one of four) is by Ben Dunn, who wrote the How to Draw Manga book I poured over in middle school.

After Troll shattered Netflix streaming records (according to Netflix), it's not super surprising that the company wants a sequel. Priority one: coming up with a title that's not Troll 2. Screenwriter Espen Aukan and director Roar Uthaug will both return.

Toy highlights of the past few weeks:

After confusing everyone by teasing its silhouette the day before April Fools', Tamashii has fully unveiled an S.H.Monsterarts Godzilla '72, a rare Showa figure from the line. It comes with two heads, one of them bloodied (see above). Due at the end of February.

After finally running out of ways to repaint their mold of Hedorah's Perfect Stage, Bandai is making a Movie Monster Series figure of the kaiju's Landing Stage. A Godzilla Store exclusive, it'll be released October 25.

After over two years, Funko is releasing a trio of Godzilla Singular Point Pops. Hopefully they go all-out with this show—it's not like there's any other plausible way for a Satomi Kanahara figure to exist.

[doublezeroday]

[iamthekaijuking]

Gigabash character overview: RAWA

While Passion Republic Games primarily took inspiration from Ultraman when making Gigabash, it would be remiss to make a kaiju setting without its own Godzilla, and indeed no kaiju setting is worth its salt without one. And brother, Passion Republic Games delivered.

The song used is Area 51 S-class, which would become one of my favorite songs ever. Also if you haven’t already listen to the Gigabash soundtrack, it’s great and funky.

My favorite character in the roster and my main. In comparison to Thundatross, Rawa is the lightning bruiser of the roster. His attacks are slow but hard hitting and he has decent combo potential. Rawa has a powerful charge attack, a breath attack that can extend his time in the air, and an “atomic pulse” with superarmor for sticky situations. This attack in particular can be charged, but be careful with this as the charged version sacrifices one of your health bars.

Design

Being the Notzilla and destruction deity of the setting, Rawa takes obvious inspiration from godzilla, but also some Ultraman reference as to be expected of PRG. Ultraman Belial was a surprising source of inspiration. Rawa also reminds me of Natsunomeryu, although this might not be intentional.

The biggest source of inspiration though was the Phaya Naga, a dragon in southeastern Asian mythology and religion. Different countries and cultures have different versions of the Naga ranging from a snake person, to a multi headed cobra, to a more traditional looking eastern dragon. Rawa specifically takes inspiration from the Malaysian and Thai versions, and it’s pretty obvious given his giant horn, golden plating, and large canines. One of Rawa’s skins is named after the country Napal, and I actually have a coworker who grew up there. It was pretty fun talking to him about his country’s version of the Naga in preparation for this overview! I learned that in Napal, Naga are worshiped as god-like figures, and that to disrespect them or even dirty their shrine can bring bad luck and bodily injury such as swelling and rashes.

Just like his inspiration, Rawa is worshipped and treated with reverence. His worshipers even fashioned him gold rings to wear on his canines!

Here’s some concept art.

Rawa also kinda reminds me of the notzillas made by many people on deviantart back in the early 2010’s when people were starved for kaiju content and were making their own.

Lore

As you figured out by now, Rawa is the infamous “dragon king” mentioned in Skorak and Rohanna’s overviews, and so I think it’s time I paint a complete picture of what happened on Tarabak island.

Long ago the natives of Tarabak island lived in fear. They were constantly under threat of kaiju, until one day a great serpentine dragon appeared and defeated every monster with his overwhelming might and burned them away with his ethereal flames (which aren’t actually composed of fire or generate heat, Rawa’s flames are made of Giga Energy and instead of burning things they rip stuff apart on a molecular level). Under his protection they were safe, and were finally able to settle down and create a grand city.

However, Rawa’s protection came at a cost. He demanded to be treated lavishly and have access to Giga Energy 24/7, so his worshippers had to make giant pyramids in his image that channeled Giga Energy and stored it (that’s why the pyramids in one of the Tarabak arenas sometimes make giant Giga Energy orbs). This wasn’t enough though, and so every year the citizens of Tarabak would gather to provide offerings called “Violet Elixirs”. These were a drink made using Giga Crystals, and people had to mine deep within the earth to harvest them. Years of exposure often left people with purple ring marks on their skin (this is the only side effect of contact with Giga Energy on humans that we know of, and it’s unknown if this is actually a medical condition that needs treatment or if this just means people have tie-dye hands). If this elixir was made in poor quality or if Rawa didn’t like it, then he would burn you alive. If he did like it though then you were allowed to take one of the golden scales Rawa shed.

The most ardent of Rawa’s followers didn’t mind that and viewed death as a gift, but others were obviously not jazzed about the prospect of being killed every year because a big garish lizard didn’t like your radioactive grape juice. What was worse is that the aristocrats started weaponizing Rawa against anyone they didn’t like, so any form of protest was flattened underfoot. This reached a breaking point and almost a century after the founding of the civilization of Tarabak, the people who would eventually become the Eyes of Skorak performed their dark ritual that summoned the eggs of the parasitoid slug. They then put the eggs into their Violet Elixirs, fed them to Rawa, and eventually Skorak ate him from the inside out and took his skull as a shell.

Some people decided to follow this new kaiju and became the Eyes of Skorak, while others fled into Rohanna’s territory and came to worship her. But a third group of people stayed. Unflinchingly loyal to the dragon, they gathered his horn, dead body, and as much Violet Elixir as they could and revived Rawa. This and the fact that flesh still clings to his skull and can still generate ethereal flames after all this time on Skorak’s back indicates that in the universe of Gigabash, kaiju can eventually regenerate from mortal wounds and their cells can potentially live independently and indefinitely so long as they have access to Giga Energy.

Rawa’s new revived form isn’t long and serpentine like it used to be and is now stumpy and sorta dinosaurian, and he’s still trying to gain enough power to reach his original form. This technically also makes Rawa a dracolich.

In the in universe book The Lost World of Tarabak, Petyr’s crew comes across the followers of Rawa last before leaving the island. They still roughly maintain their habitats from their fallen civilization, even keeping their legislative system. They wear gold and some of them even spoke English. Doug, being a member of the Eyes of Skorak, became a slave working in the mines digging for Giga Crystals, the rest of Petyr’s crew were free to leave the island on the condition that they spread word of the return of Rawa, which worked out pretty well since Petyr recorded everything that happened in his book. The captain of their ship never left with them though as he stole a gold trinket, and so he was forced to give Rawa a Violet Elixir before being burnt away. The followers of Rawa know that the dragon hates dishonesty.

To wrap this up: I love Rawa. Rawa is my favorite, and I like talking about him. In fact this entire series of overviews was partly an excuse to talk about him. If you ever face me playing as Rawa then you better beg for mercy.

[jeremydday]

DVD/Blu-Ray Films: Battle of the Dragons, Notzilla and Tammy & the T Rex...

[don-lichterman]

NOTZILLA Trailer (2020) Godzilla Spoof

NOTZILLA Trailer (2020) Godzilla Spoof

NOTZILLA Trailer (2020) Godzilla Spoof PLOT: When a scientist from Japan smuggles a monster’s egg into the United States, what could possibly go wrong when it actually hatches—and alcohol makes it grow taller than a skyscraper? The race is on as the monster drinks beer and wreaks havoc, the Japanese scientist tries to shrink it, and a crazed weapons physicist tries to nuke the monster—and…

[thefortressofsqualitude]

When two of my favorite things meet!

[namesisfortombstones]

The end credits of Godzilla: Singular Point should have been the show... not... whatever the hell it was.

[weltraumbesty]

Some quick phone shots from the just-released AGON blu-ray. Cropping / detail / color aren't entirely accurate, but should give an idea of what to expect. Disc is 1080i, but in the correct aspect ratio (pillar-boxed 4:3). Looks perfectly fine to my eyes, and arguably miles in advance of what this weird little monster miniseries deserves.

[movieweb]

Notzilla Spoofs Godzilla, Drinks Beer and Wreaks Havoc [Exclusive]

Available to stream today, Notzilla is here to smash the entire city of Cincinnati to smithereens and we've got an exclusive clip to prove it.

https://movieweb.com/notzilla-movie-preview/

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

At long last, Notzilla has a trailer, which does a good job of showcasing the movie’s charms without spoiling all the best jokes.

[ryo-maybe]

wyrmmaster ha risposto al tuo post “Like this isn’t me going “U G H ME NOT LIKE THE NEW WAIF”, it’s legit...”

It's her eyes. I ain't seen shit but a couple screencaps and those eyes pierced my soul and made me want to draw. Look at all the fanarts' eyes

Can’t see them with all the hip meat covering the screen, unfortunately

[yamaylander]

does anyone remember Notzilla, that one film where a Godzilla knockoff gets bigger by drinking alcohol i think

[tyrantisterror]

What three movies are those?

Notzilla

Howl from Beyond the Fog

The Lake Michigan Monster

[thefortressofsqualitude]

Based on the 1988-1992 TV Series (which I should re-watch someday) here is another case of Kal-El in Japan fighting Kaiju!

[namesisfortombstones]

Tim Burton did Godzilla better than Toho has since 2004.

[tokupedia]

A film festival spoof of cinema’s most famous monster is coming to home video. 

Premise: Cincinnati, Ohio falls under attack from a monster powered by...beer?