Sony really overplayed their hand in 1998 with “Godzilla.” Not only did they overestimate the appeal of a Godzilla unlike Toho’s Godzilla, but they also accompanied the movie with a bunch of merchandise no one liked, and a series that lasted forty episodes total. So if you have fourteen hours to kill, you can check out what happened after the end of “Godzilla.” Whether you call him Zilla, Godzilla, Notzilla, or GONI (Godzilla In Name Only), the extension of the 1998 Roland Emmerich is given more mythos than it deserves, with its focus more on genetic monsters and underwater creatures than anything.
Category Archives: Collector’s Den
Mr. Jones (2013) [Blu-Ray]
I’m not about to call “Mr. Jones” a scary horror film. It didn’t garner any chills from me, and I never really found myself on edge during it, but director Karl Mueller is able to compensate by creating a real mind fuck of an atmospheric film. Granted, the film can never decide on what kind of format it is. Is it found footage? Is it a mock documentary? Is it a straight up narrative? Is it a meta narrative? “Mr. Jones” really doesn’t seek to stick to one format when it really sinks in to the crux of its narrative. It’s an amalgam of “Resolution” and “The Blair Witch Project,” and really has a blast throwing its audience in to a spiral of nonsense.
Marvel Knights: Wolverine Weapon X (DVD)
A sentient organization is sent in to the past to assassinate future heroes and revolutionaries through robotic drones, you say? No, it’s not “Terminator,” it’s actually “Tomorrow Dies Today,” save for minor tweaks here and there. “Tomorrow Dies Today” is based on the Weapon X comic series issues 11-16, where the new Deathlok is introduced in the form of a hive minded group of robotic zombie assassins, tasked with violently murdering everything from young couples, to newborn babies.
The History of WWE: 50 Years of Sports Entertainment [Blu-ray]
It’s surprising how “The History of WWE” feels less like a documentary and more like a press kit for the WWE organization. There’s only about two hours of a film here, and most of the more important facets of the organization are completely glossed over. I really would have loved to learn more about the WWF, why and when it became the WWE, and for the filmmakers to feature many more wrestlers in their profile. Surely, Hulk Hogan helped revive the popularity of the WWE for the eighties, but there were also folks like Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, and Stone Cold, all of whom really helped bring the WWE in to the new generation.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD UltraViolet)
It dawned upon me watching the opening of “The Desolation of Smaug”: Did we really need the first movie? The entirety of the first film is so based on propping up storylines that “The Desolation of Smaug” wastes no time and drops in to the action. We could have just featured thirty minutes establishing the journey and cut to the opening scene. In “The Desolation of Smaug,” the writers provide a prologue where Gandalf meets Thorin in a pub and asks him to lead the journey. They proclaim they need a “burglar,” and cut to Bilbo Baggins in action. So, what was the point of the first movie? The opening shot of Bilbo hiding in the rocks with his allies speaks sounds more than the entire director’s cut of “An Unexpected Journey” could.
Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 1 (2013) [Blu-Ray]
Director Lloyd Kaufman leaves no stone unturned with his return to Tromaville, as he revives his iconic “Nuke Em High” series, except for a modern age. Though it’s teeming with eighties flavor, including mutant punks that delight in mutilating unfortunate victims, Kaufman has a blast destroying most of society’s quirks and obnoxious qualities, including veganism, the obsession over social media, and how political movements are about being trendy and not actually caring. Despite many years to polish their films, and hone their craft, the return to Nuke ‘Em High is still an ugly and offensive film, but damned funny to boot.
The Dick Van Dyke Show: Classic Mary Tyler Moore Episodes (DVD)
In anticipation of the release of “The Dick Van Dyke Show: Classic Mary Tyler Moore Episodes” on DVD and Blu-Ray from Image Entertainment. In Stores today! Dick Van Dyke’s series is back with the complete third season of his iconic series. Van Dyke is as funny as ever, playing Rob Petrie, an average suburban dad who lives with his independent and fierce wife Laura, and their young son Richie. During the day, he works as a comedy writer for “The Alan Brady Show,” the most popular sketch comedy show on television. He doles out comedy and scripts for the celebrity with his writing staff and best friends, Buddy and Sally, two sarcastic and hilarious sidekicks with their own quirks that make Rob’s life difficult but fun.