Table of Contents
Welcome back to Creepy Catalog’s daily horror digest! For today’s movie of the day, I thought I’d share a brief story about an older movie that I love, and that I was recently able to see in a way I never had before.
Movie of the Day
Today’s movie of the day isn’t new, but I did just see in theaters recently. The movie is Shin Godzilla, and my most recent viewing is the second time I’ve seen it on the big screen. The time between those viewings is about nine years, and the distance between the theaters I’ve seen the movie in is over 6,000 miles.
I’ve been a big fan of Godzilla for decades. So, when I was in Japan during 2016 and realized a new Godzilla movie was coming out in theaters, I knew I had to see it. The problem was, I was only just beginning my Japanese language classes. I probably could have looked around for a screening with English subtitles, but I didn’t bother. My understanding of Japanese was still basic, but I understood enough to get by in daily life in Tokyo. So why not just watch Shin Godzilla in Japanese? It’s a Godzilla movie, how much of the dialogue do I really need to understand the plot.
If you’ve seen Shin Godzilla, then you’ll know just how much dialogue there is. A lot. So there I am, in a Japanese theater, watching scene after scene of meeting after meeting as bureaucrats discuss what to do about this monster that is evolving and destroying their city as they speak. Did I get all of the intricacies of the dialogue? No I did not. But did I still understand the movie? Yes I did, and that’s a testament to how great Shin Godzilla is.
The inspiration for the movie was clear to me. Godzilla was essentially the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster all rolled into one kaiju. The meetings and constant discussions? Those are unsubtle portrayals of the Japanese government and the layers of bureaucracy that led to its delayed response. I love that even though I was missing most of the dialogue, Shin Godzilla is directed so well that I still understood the plot as it unfolded. Plus, whenever Godzilla reaches its full evolution, it’s amazing. Those are some of my favorite scenes in any Godzilla movie.
Jump forward nine years. I’m back living in the United States, and GKids re-releases Shin Godzilla in theaters. I’d seen the movie on Blu-ray with subtitles in the interim between my two screenings, but seeing it in a theater with full subtitles for the first time was like a whole new experience. I got excited about it all over again, and it was just as good as the first time back in Tokyo. It brought back some good memories, and solidified some new ones. Godzilla really is the best.
And you know, I might go see it again. GKids has announced that they’re doing yet another release of Shin Godzilla, this time in black and white. Titled Shin Godzilla: ORTHOchromatic, it will be in limited theaters beginning August 31st. Will I go see it for a third time in a theater? Yeah, probably.
Birthdays
Tim Burton was born on August 25th, 1958. You probably already know all of his best movies: Beetlejuice (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Batman (1989), Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), etc. Did you know he also directed an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents? Despite Hitchcock passing away in 1980, the show was revived in the mid-1980s. Tim Burton directed an episode titled “The Jar” which aired in 1986. The story is based on a story by Ray Bradbury, and it’s about a strange jar that leads to people becoming violent. Danny Elfman and Steve Bartek did the music for the episode.
Tom Skerritt was also born on August 25th, in 1933. Tom’s most famous appearance in a horror movie is as Captain Arthur Dallas in Alien (1979). He also appeared in episodes of three famous horror-related TV shows, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1963), Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974), and The Twilight Zone (1986). He also starred in Poltergeist III (1988) with Nancy Allen, Zelda Rubinstein, and Heather O’Rourke.
Events on This Day
The Lucio Fulci classic Zombi 2 was first released in Italy on August 25th, 1979. This is my favorite of director Lucio Fulci’s movies, though he has a few that rank right up there with it. The film is known as Zombie in the United States and as Zombie Flesh Eaters in the United Kingdom. It was originally written as a standalone movie titled Zombie Island, but it was slightly reworked and retitled Zombi 2 to take advantage of the popularity of Dawn of the Dead (1978) which was titled Zombi in Italy. Zombi 2 is streaming on Shudder.
Blacula opened in a limited number of theaters on August 25th, 1972. If you’ve never seen Blacula, do yourself a favor and check it out. It’s about an African prince named Mamuwalde who is turned into a vampire by Dracula in the year 1780. He’s trapped inside a coffin for nearly two centuries, waking up in Los Angeles in 1972. William Marshall is superb as Mauwalde aka Blacula, and the movie was directed by William Crain who also directed the very good Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1976). Blacula is streaming on Tubi.
Thank you for reading!
