There are many ways to screw up a sequel to a great film. Perhaps the most common is to simply rehash the previous film without adding anything to it, resulting in a stale and unsatisfying retread. Some sequels are follow ups to very singular movies, and struggle to bolt on a continuation of the narrative…
The success of Gojira (1954) resulted in Toho fast-tracking a sequel. And I do mean fast. Gojira was released in Japan on November 3rd, 1954. Godzilla Raids Again (1955) premiered in Japanese cinemas on April 24th, 1955, not even six months later. The rushed production schedule is occasionally evident in the final film, but the…
Probably the most unusual thing about Godzilla’s first film is that for several decades the majority of Western Godzilla fans had never seen it. The first film in question, of course, is Gojira, released in 1954 in Japan. What American audiences had seen instead was Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, a recut version of the…
Just a few [non-plot descriptor/spoiler] thoughts on the latest entry into the filmverse version of The Wolverine, the eponymous and latest installment in the X-Men’s lone spin-off franchise, and wielder of damn near all the good lines in the X-Men films (incidentally, is that just fortuitous script development, or the result of some contractual rider…
Just Ahead of the Curve 