Sunday, February 22, 2015

Diamond X-Plus Godzilla figures

Last year my hobby money was spent on a few of the X Plus Godzilla figures offered my Diamond Distributors in North America. I always see fantastic X Plus figures in Japan, but the prices are usually too much for me because the figures quickly sell out and the prices go up in the secondary market. So I jumped on these "reasonably" priced 30cm figures and wasn't disappointed. For my taste and price range, they are the best representation of Toho monsters suits obtainable. The sculpts and paint jobs are fantastic.

Godzilla 2001,'89, and '03 (left to right)

Hedorah aka Smog Monster


D'oh, need to dust........

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Favorite films of 2014 and a couple turds

Not that anyone cares, but here's some movies I really liked in 2014. Clearly, I'm a voting member of the Academy of Motion Pictures. 

The Raid 2

Grand Budapest Hotel


Snowpiecer

Why Don't You Play in Hell?



Jodorowsky's Dune


The Tale of Princess Kaguya-Goddamn Studio Ghibli, making me tear up again....


Dawn of the Planet of the Apes


The Babadook- Best annoying kid in a horror film since House by the Cemetery 

Fury


Here's some of the worst shit I saw:

I, Frankenstein. Are you fucking kidding me?

Why did I Redbox this turd? Amazing Spiderman 2








Saturday, February 7, 2015

Shaw Bros martial arts films on Hulu Plus

14 legit Celestial Shaw Bothers films popped up on Hulu Plus in HD with original English dubs. Some, like "Vengeance", haven't seen official North American DVD releases. While you'll never catch me watching an English dub of a Tsui Hark or post 1985 Hong Kong film, these dubs work for me on a nostalgic level along with letting my eyes take in all the glorious artifice of a Shaw Bros production in HD. These films look beautiful restored and it's kinda a shame classic kung fu films fell victim to faux-grindhouse and VHS fetishization in the conscience of so many viewers.

Watched The New Shaolin Boxers and enjoyed it quite a bit. The "good guy standing up to a gang" plot is tired, but the cast and kung fu are solid. Fu Sheng, Beardy, and Chang Cheh at the helm. I'm easily amused by these films and own a lot on disc. But there are so many, it seems there's always something I haven't gotten to yet.




Hulu Plus is worth the $8 just for the Criterion Collection titles they offer. While they don't offer every title that is out on disc, they do offer many that aren't on disc. Hell, it's worth the cash just to see Hanzo the Razor titles with the Criterion logo on them,