Welcome back, fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs! Back in the late 1980s, I saw the 1988 version of The Blob – let’s refer to it as The Blob (1988) – on home video and it turned out to be a fine mix of thrills, scares and science fiction concepts that ultimately became fun to watch. Being young at a time when Internet connection and online research were not yet available, I was not even aware that The Blob (1988) was a remake of the 1958 original Blob movie that starred Steve McQueen.
If you who love the late 1980s Blob movie and if you have been looking to add something to your home entertainment collection of Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray movies, be aware that the Collector’s Edition 4K Blu-ray of The Blob (1988) is now available in the market and you can order it online right now and have it delivered to your home. The new release by Shout Factory! is loaded with features and it has native 4K visuals.
The Blob (1988) 4K Blu-ray cover.
To put things in perspective, posted below are the technical specs from The Blob (1988) 4K Blu-ray page at Blu-ray.com. The said website highly recommended it in its review.
Video Codec: HEVC / H.265 (84.99 Mbps) Resolution: Native 4K (2160p) HDR: HDR10 Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Discs – 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray Disc, Two-disc set (1 BD-100, 1 BD-50)
Packaging – Slipcover in original pressing, Reversible cover
Playback – 4K Blu-ray: Region free, 2K Blu-ray: Region A
Having seen both the 1958 and 1988 versions of The Blob, I can say to the newcomers and movie buffs reading this that you can’t go wrong with either version. I enjoyed both movies and I can say that each film has distinctive attractions for viewing. The Blob of 1958 is more sci-fi and has very little horror elements.
However, if you want thrills, the 1980s culture, stronger horror elements, stronger sci-fi elements, the creative approach done by director Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont on reimagining The Blob‘s concept, and the great-looking practical effects (note: the blob effects were made with physical stuff and a lot of man-made work without computers), then The Blob (1988) is the definitive choice. Take note I mentioned thrills as the movie has some fast-paced scenes that happen from time to time as you watch it. Considering its use of sci-fi concepts mixed with action, The Blob (1988) really stood out among the many horror movies released by Hollywood throughout the 1980s. I should also state that the remake has Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Jeffrey DeMunn, Joe Seneca, Candy Clark and Donovan Leitch Jr. in its cast.
As a 4K Blu-ray collector, I plan to acquire a copy of The Blob (1988) 4K Blu-ray in due time. I was already aware of the Blu-ray release from 2019 but I waited for the 4K version to be made.
If you want the best enjoyment possible from watching The Blob (1988) Collector’s Edition 4K Blu-ray, I highly recommend you avoid watching movie reaction videos and the spoileriffic retro movie reviews posted by YouTubers.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s to explore another notable chapter of Jim Lee’s WildC.A.T.S.: Covert Action Teams during the creator’s time with Image Comics.
For any fan, witnessing a change of creative direction can either be alienating or engaging to follow. As clearly done in the WildC.A.T.S.-Huntsman storyline done by Chris Claremont and Lee, there was a serious change of direction of the team as it involved in-depth redevelopment of Zealot, the introduction of Claremont’s creation (Huntsman), the introduction of new characters and moving certain WildC.A.T.S. members into the background. Read my retro reviews by clicking here, here, here and here.
After the publication of Erik Larsen’s creative handling of WildC.A.T.S.: Covert Action Teams with issue #14, a new creative team came into the picture with several new stories and the further redevelopment of the titular team in mind.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at WildC.A.T.S.: Covert Action Teams #15, published in 1994 by Image Comics with a story written by James Robinson and drawn by Travis Charest.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins at Jacob Marlowe’s high-end place in Aspen, Colorado. In presence of Spartan, Grifter, Void, Zealot, Voodoo, Maul and Warblade, Marlowe tells them he has important matters to attend to as he, along with other heads of corporations, has been asked by the new government to run an energy commission. The said commission is part of the government’s plan to repair the damage that was done by the possessed US Vice President Dan Quayle.
Suddenly a heavily armed helicopter arrives out of nowhere and fires at them causing a lot of damage. During the attack, Voodoo gets hit and suffers a serious injury. Grifter fires a barrage of bullets at the helicopter which causes it to explode and crash. With Voodoo out of commission, the team just lost its advantage to spot Daemonites.
The next day at the headquarters of IO (International Operations), the team Black Razors hold a meeting as their member Ben Santini has been elevated as their new leader. He leads the briefing and informs the members of the assassination attempts on the members of the commission…
Quality
Meet Ben Santini (left), the new leader of the Black Razors. At right are the members.
When I first read this story way back in 1994, I was alienated a bit by the creative team’s approach to emphasize the Black Razors at the expense of the titular team. And yet, I was pleasantly surprised by the Robinson-Charest creative direction as the Black Razors turned out to be a sensible and strong parallel team to the WildC.A.T.S. without becoming another force of evil. While it is clear that the Daemonite threat is strong with several of the aliens hidden among members of human populations, there clearly had to be another force of opposition for the titular team to face-off with and the Black Razors (which serve IO) clearly fit in well with the concept.
Any dedicated fan of this franchise will realize that the Black Razors first appeared in the original 1992 mini-series but it was only in this issue when Ben Santini (who was shot on the knee by Jacob Marlowe) was realized as a character.
Ben Santini’s introduction here was engaging and his motivations to lead the team were made clear while other Black Razor members had their own small slices of the spotlight. Santini is not exactly evil but he has a clearly defined goal in serving his superiors at IO. This means he intends to make an impact as he struggles with the responsibilities of leading the team even as the other members are not so trusting towards him.
While the paramilitary influence within the WildC.A.T.S. series has often been present, it was noticeably revived strongly by the Robinson-Charest duo in this comic book. The story also served as a creative update of IO for readers to absorb complete with elements of espionage and geo-political developments. In some ways, this comic book made the series more grounded with reality while still maintaining some fantasy concepts to keep readers entertained.
Conclusion
Grifter successfully defeated the armed helicopter but Voodoo remained seriously injured from the attack.
I can say out loud that WildC.A.T.S.: Covert Action Teams #15 (1994) is still great to read and the debut of James Robinson and Travis Charest as handlers of the comic book series remains rock solid in terms of quality and creativity. While the titular team and fan-favorite characters had a very limited presence in this comic book, the introduction of Ben Santini and the stronger emphasis on the Black Razors as a group of trained members (as opposed to being faceless during their appearance in the mini-series) more than made up for it. In fact, the build-up of the Black Razors has a lot of variety and nice quality work by Robinson and Charest. Ultimately, I was entertained with this comic book and it proved effective to make me look forward to the next issue.
Overall, WildC.A.T.S.: Covert Action Teams #15 (1994)is highly recommended!
Ever since it was first announced, the stakeholders behind the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal worth almost $70 billion went through lots of hurdles that include opposition by Sony’s PlayStation division, a trial with America’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a rejection by the United Kingdom’s regulator Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The obstacles are over as the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal recently closed and already the Activision side of the business has officially started integrating into Microsoft. This deal is many times larger than the Xbox-Bethesda acquisition of a few years ago. Watch the related video by Team Xbox below…
Xbox chief Phil Spencer issued a statement related to the newly closed deal. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from his statement published through Xbox.com. Some parts in boldface…
We love gaming. We play games, create games, and know first-hand how much gaming means to all of us as individuals and collectively, as a community. And today, we officially welcome Activision Blizzard and their teams to Xbox. They are the publishers of some of the most played and most beloved franchises in gaming history across console, PC and mobile. From Pitfall to Call of Duty, World of Warcraft to Overwatch, Candy Crush Saga to Farm Heroes Saga, their studios have pushed the boundaries of gaming for players around the world.
I’ve long admired the work of Activision, Blizzard, and King, and the impact they’ve had on gaming, entertainment, and pop culture. Whether it was late nights spent playing the Diablo IV campaign with friends from start to finish, gathering the entire family in the rec room for our weekly Guitar Hero night, or going on an epic streak in Candy Crush, some of my most memorable gaming moments came from experiences their studios have created. It is incredible to welcome such legendary teams to Xbox.
As one team, we’ll learn, innovate, and continue to deliver on our promise to bring the joy and community of gaming to more people. We’ll do this in a culture that strives to empower everyone to do their best work, where all people are welcome, and is centered on our ongoing commitment of Gaming for Everyone. We are intentional about inclusion in everything we do at Xbox – from our team to the products we make and the stories we tell, to the way our players interact and engage as a wider gaming community.
Together, we’ll create new worlds and stories, bring your favorite games to more places so more players can join in, and we’ll engage with and delight players in new, innovative ways in the places they love to play including mobile, cloud streaming and more.
Players have always been at the center of everything we do. And as we grow, we’ll continue to keep players at the heart of it all. We’ll continue to listen to your feedback, build a community where you can be yourself, where developers can do their best work, and continue to make really fun games. As promised, we will also continue to make more games available in more places – and that begins now by enabling cloud streaming providers and players to stream Activision Blizzard games in the European Economic Area, a commitment made to the European Commission. Today we start the work to bring beloved Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms. We’ll share more about when you can expect to play in the coming months. We know you’re excited – and we are too.
For the millions of fans who love Activision, Blizzard, and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play. You are the heart and soul of these franchises, and we are honored to have you as part of our community. Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here – and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favorite franchise. Because when everyone plays, we all win.
For their part, Activision Blizzard issued its own statement related to the biggest deal in video gaming with Microsoft. They are looking forward to the future of gaming with Team Xbox. Posted below is an excerpt from their statement with some parts in boldface…
It’s a big day for us at Activision Blizzard. For more than four decades, our players have inspired us to push the boundaries of imagination with iconic universes including Call of Duty, Candy Crush Saga, Crash Bandicoot, Diablo, Overwatch, and Warcraft.
Today we begin a new chapter as we officially become a part of the Microsoft family, uniting with the amazing Xbox team and co-creating the future of gaming together.
In our earliest days we were a modest collective of designers who raided rivers, commanded choppers, and avoided pitfalls. Now as part of Xbox, we will continue our mission to deliver the world’s most epic interactive entertainment experiences to more people, more platforms, and across more worlds than ever before.
All of our history and success leading to this moment is because of you, our incredible gaming community.
Unsurprisingly, the approved Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal made tremendous waves through social media and through YouTube. Watch and learn from the videos below starting with an interview with Activision Blizzard’s Bobby Kotick (note: pay close attention to his words)…
The Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal is not just another multi-billion Dollar business breakthrough…it is a tremendous boost for the credibility of Xbox as a video gaming, PC gaming, cloud gaming and mobile gaming entity.
While it is made clear that Microsoft-controlled ABK will still release games on multiple platforms, the new owners can make the new and upcoming games Xbox-exclusive (meaning released only on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC plus cloud and mobile devices which collectively are more numerous than Nintendo and PlayStation consoles). For insights about potential Xbox-exclusive Activision Blizzard games, watch Colteastwood’s video below…
More on exclusivity that include games, DLC releases and other matters, it is clear that the pre-existing contracts between PlayStation and Activision will never be renewed (read: PlayStation is no longer the home of Call of Duty). PlayStation, whose leader Jim Ryan has been so arrogant and dishonest when opposing the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal, will have a lot to worry about on the gaming subscription side of business once Activision Blizzard games get added into the Xbox Game Pass (XGP) service some time in 2024. As much as Team Xbox and Microsoft are benefiting from this mega deal, gamers across different platforms will eventually benefit as well in various ways. Expect new customer-oriented choices to be made through the games under Xbox’s banner.
As of this writing, Xbox fans are rejoicing over the closed Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal while PlayStation fanboys cannot help but agonize with anger and jealousy. All you have to do to see the PS fanboys’ anguish is search for them on social media over their collective negative reactions. The “Xbox has no games” zealots are looking and feeling bad nowadays. Indeed, things are working in Team Xbox’s favor and I personally cannot wait to see the benefits of the ABK deal get realized in my gaming experience. Also there is nothing like seeing ABK’s established franchises like Call of Duty, StarCraft, Warcraft and many others listed with Xbox’s own franchises such as Halo, Forza Motorsport, The Elder Scrolls, Starfield, Fallout and others.
Personally, I look forward to playing Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot (a game property that started on PlayStation) other Activision titles on my Xbox Series X console through my Xbox Game Pass subscription in the near future.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1970s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1974 to examine a highly significant tale from Marvel Comics’ shared universe – the first appearance of the Punisher and his first-ever encounter with Spider-Man.
To put things in perspective, Punisher’s literary debut was told within the Amazing Spider-Man comic book series and it happened not too long after the legendary tragedy of Gwen Stacey. During the 1970s, Hollywood made and released several action movies and crime thrillers that were violent, gritty and highlighted vigilantes and assassins. Some of that influence somehow made it into Marvel’s shared universe which was symbolized creatively through the Punisher who debuted as an assassin.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Amazing Spider-Man #129, published in 1974 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Gerry Conway and drawn by Ross Andru (the same creative duo behind Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man crossover).
The cover.
Early story
The story begins inside a private facility an assassin wearing black with a huge skull on his upper body heavily damages a solid statue of Spider-Man using a powerful rifle. This impresses the hideous villain called the Jackal who tells him that if he does well with the real Spider-Man, he would have performed a great service for the world. Knowing he impressed the Jackal, the Punisher states that he will only kill those who deserve killing and he expresses his belief that the webslinger deserves to die.
Elsewhere, Spider-Man swings into action and successfully stops an armed robbery from happening. Along the way he managed to capture photographs, changes into his civilian clothes and enters the Daily Bugle’s office ready to submit the roll of film as Peter Parker. Unfortunately, his superior J. Jonah Jameson disregards Parker’s submission and points out that the Punisher made waves with New York’s readers via the Bugle’s competitor The New York Star. For Jameson, the Punisher is only the most newsworthy thing to happen to New York and tells Parker he wants photos of the assassin…
Quality
This is a scene from the first of two encounters between Spider-Man and the Punisher who was introduced as an assassin.
To make things very clear about storytelling without spoiling plot details, this is a tale about intrigue and the darker side of society that involves vigilantes and murdering. The Punisher here did not debut as a crime-busting vigilante but rather an assassin who accepts assignments from clients as long as the jobs fall in line with his personal philosophy that focuses on taking the lives of those who deserved to be killed. That being said, it is clear that Hollywood’s vigilante flicks of the 1970s influenced the presentation and I can say that whenever the story focuses on the Punisher, there definitely is a grim tone which contradicts the tone of Spider-Man’s scenes.
Spider-Man here continues to struggle somewhat with his personal life having recently lost Gwen Stacey while remaining disturbed about the identity of the Green Goblin. The webslinger also has to live with the heavy situation in which a lot of people in New York were convinced that he killed Norman Osborne which was the result of his own boss’ handling of the Daily Bugle. These elements along with his civilian involvement with his newspaper creatively added to the build-up of Spider-Man’s eventual encounters with the Punisher. The build-up was structured nicely and the pay-off was worth it.
There was also the introduction of Jackal. While he has a hideous appearance, his participation was more about scheming than action which contrasted him with the Punisher. For the newcomers reading this, Jackal is actually Miles Warren in a more monstrous form. From this comic book, it was clear that Jackal was created to be a recurring super villain for Spider-Man and this was strongly executed in the first Clone Saga of 1975 and the controversial Clone Saga of the 1990s.
Going back to the Punisher, he symbolically uses guns with designs that were more grounded in reality (inspired by real-life guns in looks) instead of taking influence from science fiction. As an assassin living with a strong code, the Punisher is truly determined to eliminate Spider-Man whom he even referred to as a murderer. The perception of Spider-Man as a criminal on the part of the Punisher clearly reflected the defamation caused by the Daily Bugle on the webslinger. Gerry Conway established the assassin to be a strong believer in fighting evil by using violence and killing.
The build-up of the Punisher is very solid and the pay-off in the form of battles with Spider-Man is tremendous and very satisfying to read. There is a lot of action to enjoy here and most notably Gerry Conway maintained a strong narrative throughout.
Conclusion
Have you ever worked in a newspaper before?
I can say out loud that Amazing Spider-Man #129 (1974) is truly a great read and a true illustrated literary classic of Marvel Comics. This tale alone added a touch of darkness and grit (in the form of vigilante and assassins cultures) into the Spider-Man legacy. Apart from its status as a comic book classic, this one paved the way for the rise of the Punisher in terms of more comic book appearances and the publishing of new comic book series featuring him. While the Punisher’s legacy as a killer is obviously not something worth believing in, Marvel Comics took the risk of having him as one of their primary characters in the decades that followed. This particular story is so significant, Marvel Comics revisited it with What If #58 (1994). Check out my other Punisher-related retro reviews by clicking here, here, here, here and here.
Overall, Amazing Spider-Man #129 (1974) is highly recommended!
For decades now, I have been living in Alabang and I witnessed how much Muntinlupa City modernized along the way. Bordering Barangay Ayala Alabang is Filinvest City (formerly called Filinvest Corporate City) which itself is home to several business or facilities such as the Filinvest Tent, Commercenter, Acacia Hotel Manila, Crimson Hotel, Westgate and, of course, the wildly popular place to be in – Festival Mall.
For the newcomers reading this, Festival Mall opened in May 1998 with its initial name Festival Supermall. Way back then, out of pure curiosity, I entered the mall for the first-time ever during its soft opening on May 1, 1998 (Labor Day here in the Philippines) as I was already looking for a new place and new discoveries at a time when I got tired of Alabang Town Center (ATC).
Being very new back then, Festival Mall’s presence of retailers or tenants was not yet dynamic as there were still businesses inside that could not open in time for the mall’s opening. I do remember walking down seeing lots of vacant retail spots covered with signs such as “opening soon”, “coming soon” and the like. Back in those days, the Philippine economy and society itself were dampened by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.
As the months passed by, more businesses opened and Festival Mall’s early attractions include the X-Site Amusement Center (which already had the indoor roller coaster) and, of course, the brand new cinemas which had several screens operating at a very spacious area on the top floor. I still remember seeing lots of people lining up for tickets and seats to watch Armageddon which ended up as the highest grossing movie of the world in 1998.
Indeed, for more than a decade, Festival Mall’s original cinemas became a favorite destination of mine to watch movies in Alabang and I definitely was not alone. I also remember the times when the said cinemas attracted a whole lot of moviegoers when the annual Metro Manila Film Festival’s (MMFF) opening day (every December 25) happened resulting in long lines. Watch the YouTube videos below…
As you can see in the above videos, Festival Mall’s original cinemas was a hot spot for moviegoers. It should be noted that the mall is strategically located in close proximity to the Alabang Viaduct and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) which ensures visibility to motorists and accessibility to commuters on a daily basis. The old cinemas were also a hot spot for a variety of small businesses selling different kinds of food and drinks to moviegoers and others who just passed by.
Festival Mall at 25
This past May, Festival Mall turned 25 and its anniversary was highlighted with special events as well and publicity through the media. There were these Festival Mall 25th anniversary feature articles that got published in different newspapers almost simultaneously. In the commemorative article that got published in the Manila Bulletin, President and CEO of Filinvest Development Corporation Josephine Gotianun Yap was quoted which goes as follows in the excerpt below. Some parts in boldface…
“We would not be where we are today without the unwavering support of our customers, merchants, suppliers, and employees who have journeyed with us through the years. It is humbling to think that when we first opened the mall, we only had 30 stores and no anchor supermarket. But thousands of visitors came on our first day, attracted by our amusement centers, cinemas, and food court. And now the mall has 800 tenants and eight leading anchor stores. We value our collaboration with major retailers, which has enabled us to bring together SaveMore, Ace Hardware, Robinson’s Department Store, Handyman, Shopwise, H&M, Decathlon, and Landmark all under one roof. As we build on its strong foundations for the future, we see Festival Mall continuing to serve as a place where time stops for making memories with family and friends,”
As seen above, the Filinvest Development Corporation executive clearly referred to the original cinemas which was one of the early attractions of Festival Mall way back in 1998. As mentioned earlier, Festival Mall today has more modern cinemas located at the expanded area on the same floor but several meters away from the original cinemas. So how does Festival Mall’s original cinemas look like nowadays? Watch the video below…
Yes, indeed the mall’s original cinemas have turned depressing. There are much less customers who pass by the area and many of the businesses that operated within have closed down! As I personally found out, Festival Mall is still using a few screens at the old cinemas for moviegoers while leaving the many others closed and left in the dark. If you think about it carefully, what does the mall management have in mind with regards to all of those cinema seats, sound systems, projectors, screens and other pieces of equipment inside each and every closed screen of the original cinemas?
A closed screen at one end of the original cinemas of Festival Mall. Just imagine what is left of all the hardware (examples: projectors and speakers) and seats inside.
This was a premium place to watch movies at. It had more comfortable seats and better equipment that made the cinematic experience more immersive. It was here where I saw 2001’s Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.
This is where I used to buy movie tickets for many years. For some time now, the selling of movie tickets here has stopped. To buy tickets, you have to go to the modern cinemas of the mall several meters away by foot at the same floor.
Apart from seeing more of the screens of the original cinemas closed down, the number of small-time businesses that sold different kinds of food and drinks are also gone which is depressing. Those businesses offered moviegoers different choices of what to eat or drink apart from the usual popcorn and drinks sold by the cinema’s concessionaires. I do remember a certain business joint that sold really good coffee (both hot and cold) that is also affordable.
There used to be different kinds of small business joints that sold a variety of food and drinks located on the floor spots at the original cinemas area. Those businesses have since closed down and left.
I remember the times I bought popcorn and drinks at this place before watching a movie. Now there are no food, no drinks and no people selling to customers anymore.
With the way things are right now, walking through the original cinemas area of Festival Mall is lonely and depressing to do. The area is almost lifeless and it easily is the saddest place inside the mall which itself has become a major attraction for shoppers and families. I can only wonder if Festival Mall’s management has any plan to revive the original cinemas area. Will they someday renovate at least a few of the screens and install brand new seats and other equipment to accommodate more moviegoers? Do they plan to attract new businesses to occupy the vacant commercial spaces and floor spaces near the old cinemas?
It would be nice to know if Festival Mall’s management or Filinvest itself has any plan to revive commerce at the original cinemas area which is now the saddest and loneliest part of the mall.
To be very clear with you all reading this, I never worked for a shopping mall nor have I ever worked in the movie theater business. I am a long-time resident of Alabang who often visits Festival Mall for purchasing needed items, dining and availing of services. Watching movies at Festival Mall used to be a big reason for me to spend time at the mall. I know for a fact that operating movie theaters is difficult and attracting people to watch movies on the big screen is tougher because of streaming. It does not help that the COVID-19 pandemic convinced people that watching new movies at home via streaming is the new standard which also made them think that movie theaters are unnecessary.
As a movie enthusiast, I can say out loud that watching a movie inside the cinema is still the best and most definitive way to enjoy watching. The movie theater experience can never be matched by streaming nor could the biggest HDTV at home could ever come close to the size and visual impact of a cinema screen. That being said, I can only hope that Festival Mall could someday revive the movie experience and commerce at their original cinemas area. They already have the modern cinemas at the expanded area but those are only 4 screens.
If you are living here in South Metro Manila and you have been to Festival Mall several times before, what do you think the mall management should do about their old cinemas? Is Festival Mall your favorite place to watch movies in? Do you think that hosting multiple film festivals – both foreign and domestic – each year would justify renovating the old cinemas of the mall?
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1970s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1977 when Marvel Comics had the license to publish comic books about Japan’s iconic monster Godzilla (Gojira in Japanese) and even integrated him into their shared comic books universe.
The mid-1970s saw a decline of Godzilla’s popularity in Japan as reflected in the commercial disappointment of the movie Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). The company Toho decided to put on-hold the production of its monster movies without permanently ending the Godzilla film franchise. The next Godzilla movie released was The Return of Godzilla (1984) which proved to be a solid rebound of the Japanese film franchise.
Sometime between the mentioned movies, there was interaction between Toho officials and Marvel Comics – including the late Stan Lee – when the Japanese company screened the movie Godzilla vs. Gigan (titled in America as Monster Island) to the comic guys in relation to the film’s American theatrical release. It turns out Stan Lee enjoyed the movie a lot and seated next to him was writer Doug Moench (the eventual writer for the Godzilla comic book series).
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Godzilla: King of the Monsters #1, published in 1977 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Doug Moench and drawn by Herb Trimpe.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins in Alaska when a huge iceberg suddenly deteriorates unleashing a gigantic monster with sharp teeth, dorsal fins and immense strength – Godzilla. After instantly crushing a supply ship, the monster moves onto the land destroying structures and disrupting the lives of every person nearby.
In response to Godzilla’s rampage in Alaska, S.H.I.E.L.D. dispatches its agents to the site of destruction to take on the monster. Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. director Col. Nick Fury is transporting with him three Japanese individuals deemed important (with clearances from the Pentagon and the White House)…
Quality
Dum Dum Dugan, Col. Nick Fury and the Japanese characters.
To get straight to the point, this comic book not only marked the literary debut of Japan’s iconic monster under Marvel Comics’ banner but also his integration into the shared universe of the time. That being said, the story written by Doug Mench was pretty much a functional build-up of Godzilla’s presence within the realm of Marvel which includes a strategic choice of having S.H.I.E.L.D. and its characters encountering the monster. In short, the creative team decided not to literally pull out Marvel’s biggest guns (the more popular superheroes and teams) as such a move would have lessened the impact of Godzilla’s debut.
For the most part, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Nick Fury and Dum Dum Dugan had lively portrayals and the way they reacted to the rampage of Godzilla was believable. The introductions of the Japanese characters (who could provide breakthroughs on dealing with the giant monster) were clearly inspired by the Japanese scientists who were crucial in the plot of the original 1954 movie Gojira.
Going further, Doug Mench went on to efficiently establish Godzilla’s origin which creatively is a sensible reinterpretation of what was established in the 1954 movie. The giant monster’s rise as a result of humanity’s testing of powerful weapons on Earth is definitely here.
As expected, Godzilla is the unrestrained force of destruction but as this comic book was released in the 1970s, the destruction scenes lacked impact as they were creatively sanitized with deliberate moves of showing no casualties no matter what happened. This limitation on the part of Marvel Comics showed they were not willing to emulate the approach on destruction and death that was clearly emphasized in the first Godzilla movie of 1954.
As for Godzilla himself, Herb Trimpe’s visual approach is not really good. While Trimpe implemented the guy-in-a-suit shape on the giant monster’s form, he made Godzilla his own (took no inspiration from Godzilla’s cinematic designs) which resulted in making the icon look unrecognizable. There were inconsistencies on Godzilla’s head as well. In certain shots, Godzilla looked terrifying but in other shots, he looked weird or cartoony. The use of the color green did not make Godzilla look reptilian but rather comical.
Conclusion
I can only imagine the SJWs and the climate change extremists enjoying these images of an unrecognizable Godzilla wreaking havoc to the oil supply. Are there lots of people in your local community who were brainwashed to hate oil and gas?
Godzilla: King of the Monsters #1 (1977) is a serviceable approach on debuting the iconic monster within the fantasy realm of Marvel Comics and sparking a new wave of crossovers. There were uneven levels of quality here and there, and Herb Trimpe’s visual approach on Godzilla was alienating to say the least. Honestly, I did not really see Godzilla in this comic book but rather a green-colored dinosaur-like creature that was mislabeled as Godzilla. What works here is the writing by Doug Mench which proved to be entertaining enough.
Overall, Godzilla: King of the Monsters #1 (1977) is satisfactory.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the late 1980s to examine an alternate universe portrayal of Wolverine and S.H.I.E.L.D. told through an issue of the 2ndWhat If comic book series.
While Wolverine has always been identified with the X-Men, the famous mutant spent time with the Canadian team Alpha Flight and his early encounter with the Hulk remains a highly significant chapter of Marvel Comics’ superhero universe.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at What If #7 published in 1989 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Joe Valentino and drawn by Rob Liefeld.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with the Watcher looking back at Wolverine’s encounter with not only the Hulk but also the Wendigo (as recorded in Incredible Hulk #180 and #181). A short time later, Wolverine is alone in the forest and gets visited by Nick Fury (S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Hudson (Alpha Flight) who arrived by helicopter.
Hudson tells Logan that an agreement has been made to loan him to the United States which prompts a response – Wolverine claims he is nobody’s property and tells Fury to reveal the details.
As it turns out, Wolverine joined Fury at the helicarrier of S.H.I.E.L.D. for a briefing. Fury reveals to him that the internal security of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been breached by an advanced model of Hydra LMDs (life model decoys) and their sensors cannot even detect them. An agent with top security clearance was recently caught trying to transmit classified data. The said agent blew up…
Quality
Wolverine, Nick Fury, Black Widow and some S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel take on Hydra!
I can say that I am very impressed and entertained with what Valentino and Liefeld came up with in this comic book. The story has a pretty strong structure designed to engage readers, pull off some surprises here and there, while also emphasizing the legacy of conflict between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra with efficiency.
With regards to this comic book’s subject matter, Valentino succeeded in exploring the concept of Wolverine becoming an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. complete with great interactions between the characters. While Wolverine has his ideological differences with Nick Fury, the story went on to show great chemistry between them when S.H.I.E.L.D. operates (with the clawed mutant involved). Wolverine and Black Widow make a solid duo in action and the writer managed to dramatize the conflict between Fury and Baron Strucker (Hydra). For the newcomers reading this, Baron Strucker is Marvel’s super villain with a Nazi heritage and he first appeared in the 1964 comic book Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #5. Strucker here is very intimidating and powerful and Hydra’s use of LMDs symbolically reflect his ruthlessness.
When it comes to the visuals, Rob Liefeld’s art here is really great to look at and it truly is one of the best looking Marvel comics I have read with his artwork as well as the most distinctive looking What If story. Great not only because of his stylized take on the established characters (note: the Hulk and Wendigo looked very visceral) but also because Liefeld truly brought Valentino’s solid script into life from start to finish. The action scenes drawn were excellent, the facial expressions were lively and detailed to look at (note: Wolverine’s got some very visceral faces here) and most of all, Liefeld managed to make the established characters look recognizable.
Conclusion
Really nice action of Wolverine and Black Widow against many drawn by Rob Liefeld.
Thanks to Jim Valentino and Rob Liefeld’s combined works, What If #7 (1989) is a great comic book and easily one of the best tales of the 2nd volume of What If that I have ever read. The way it emphasized Wolverine as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. was highly imaginative, compelling and fun to read from start to finish. There is so much enjoyable stuff here that should appeal strongly to fans Wolverine, Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. In retrospect, this comic book was published just a few years before Valentino and Liefeld left Marvel Comics to establish Image Comics and right here you will see the great creativity from their younger days. Lastly, I can say that this What If tale has a strong conclusion which should compel you to read specific Marvel comic books to realize the connections
Recently here in the Philippines, GMA Network made waves to boost their sports coverage by unveiling their artificial intelligence (AI) sportscasters named Maia and Marco which drew varied reactions from Filipinos online. Check out the official video unveiling of the AI sportscasters from GMA Integrated News’ YouTube channel below…
If you look at Maia and Marco’s unveiling, you probably would have been impressed with how photo-realistic they look and how almost human they sounded (including being able to speak Tagalog). They were made to look like Filipinos convincingly You might be saying to yourself that this is a shining example of Filipino achievement in the world of technology and be totally accepting of it. But make no mistake as Maia and Marco are indeed not real people (fake Filipinos) and most notably, they have no souls at all.
This bring me to the fact that AI has no soul and we humans must take action to prevent artificial intelligence from overwhelming us. Overseas, the development of AI is moving at a rapid face and the competing tech giants (which invested heavily on AI) involved are so focused on outmaneuvering and outdoing each other, they don’t seem to care about the possibilities that AI could turn into a rebellious force that could harm people around the world in multiple ways. Already, artificial intelligence and robotics are emerging as threats to humanity. To put things in perspective, watch the CBN News YouTube videos below…
With AI and robots left unchecked, a new form of religion that has nothing to do with God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit is emerging already. There are those who pulled themselves away from the Lord to dedicate themselves to intelligent robots, human-like AI-driven characters and other aspects of technology. I would not be surprised if I find out that GMA’s Maia and Marco are being idolized by some people right now (note: idolatry is both foolish and unholy).
In the world of entertainment, AI is already being used as a tool for visuals (combined with computer-generated imaging or CGI) which includes the process of recreating the likenesses of actors (both the living and the dead) to make characters on-screen look as real as possible. In relation, the digital ways of resurrecting dead actors to portray their respective characters is morally disturbing to say the very least. It should also be stated that AI itself is being used to make articles, essays and even scripts – literary pieces that were not composed by the human user himself/herself. Has it occurred to you that the movie or streaming show you watched used a script that was partially made with AI because the screenwriter took shortcuts when working? Learn from the YouTube videos of Dave Cullen below…
Going back to GMA Network and its AI sportscasters, a lot of Filipinos have been questioning how artificial intelligence will affect not only journalism but also Philippine sports broadcasting (a lively sector) and job opportunities (which millions nationwide need badly). No matter how life-like and charismatic they look on-screen, Maia and Marco are still fake Filipinos created with AI and CGI. They are characters, not human beings. Did GMA Network even try to search for talented and charismatic prospects for their sports broadcasting needs among the many living and breathing Filipinos present in the country? The Philippines has a population of over 100 million people and that includes many young adults and adults who can be employed.
Way back in 1992, in a response to Marvel Comics’ expression that creative people (their employees) are secondary to their comic book characters, Image Comics co-founder Rob Liefeld emphasized the need for a living and breathing work force to keep the company and the business moving.
“Without your creative people, there would be no Batman, there would be no Spider-Man, there would be no Hulk. That’s short-sighted as far as I am concerned. You will need warm bodies, warm creative bodies to create properties to keep your company going,” said Liefeld.
While he specifically did not talk about AI at all, what Liefeld said long ago is still highly relevant which companies and organizations here in the Philippines can learn from before going all-in with artificial intelligence (which will deprive job seekers the opportunities). At least in my view, AI is unnecessary with sports broadcasting. There is nothing like watching a live sports event happen in which the human broadcaster makes powerful or exciting verbal expressions whenever a fun moment happens during the game. That being said, do you seriously think an AI sportscaster can pull off such human reactions in natural and believable fashion for the millions of viewers watching? In case you did not notice, Maia and Marco of GMA still have that robotic tone with the ways they talked – undeniable proof that AI has no soul. Humans who work have souls.
In fairness, GMA Network is aware of the public’s concerns about AI with regards to ethics, human labor, journalism and more. Watch the GMA YouTube news video (mostly in Tagalog) below…
Regardless of how AI develops and make impact on Filipinos, what is clear to me is that measures must be taken to ensure that humans will always have an advantage over artificial intelligence. I am talking about the need for kill switches covering all AI applications and projects to ensure that human users will have the edge in the event that AI turns rogue against humanity. That being said, I encourage you readers to contact your congressional representative and tell him or her to make laws that will make kill switches on AI a requirement all over the Philippines, and that includes requiring all AI providers/makers (including the foreign entities) to comply. Users of AI should be prioritized always! Do you want ChatGPT to control you or destroy you and your family? Do you want robots with AI to be a major part of your household and your lifestyle? I don’t think so.
Once again, AI has no soul. If you want to cook, do it yourself. If you want to write a letter or an article, do it yourself. If you want to compose a teaching module or a new prayer for a bible-focused session in your local church, push AI out of the way to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and then proceed with the Lord’s command. By the way, artificial intelligence and technology could never understand the Holy Spirit and you definitely should never let them be part of your Christianity. No matter how many people around you worshipAI, robots, science and technology, you should never let them pull you away from the Lord.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this latest development? Do you think GMA Network has set a bad example with their AI sportscasters Maia and Marco with regards to Philippine sports coverage and journalism in general? Why do you think the network wanted their AI sportscaster to look human? Do you think the technology of artificial intelligence will be abused by those who possess it here in the Philippines? Do you think Philippine Congress should come up with a new law requiring kill switches on all AI projects and applications within the country to ensure that users will still have an advantage in case AI goes rogue? Do you think a rogue AI can bring down the security and economy of the Philippines?
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from watching the movie and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back, readers and movie enthusiasts! Chances are you must have heard about the controversy and debates over Sound of Freedom, a movie about the child trafficking which was made years ago but only got released this year after overcoming many hurdles. The film starring Jim Caviezel as real-life hero Tim Ballard and directed by Alejandro Monteverde, was released at a time when wokeness in Hollywood got so feverish a lot of movies were no longer interesting for me.
In case you missed the news, the low budget Sound of Freedom performed beyond expectations in the American box office and has since been making waves gradually in cinemas around the world. The film opened officially here in the Philippines on September 20 and I finally saw it in the local theater.
With regards to the controversy about Sound of Freedom, I urge you to reject the Leftists’ constant ranting against it and make the effort to see it yourselves. If you take into account the conceptualization of the movie, it is almost a decade old now and efforts to write the script happened years before QAnon even started (for context, watch Midnight’s Edge video by clicking here). Blatant accusations of QAnon conspiracy theory against this film are simply false and officially denied by Tim Ballard. Communist-filled Hollywood (Commiewood) and the woke mob are simply lying to stop people from seeing the movie.
With those details laid down, here is my review of Sound of Freedom.
The official movie poster.
Early story
The story begins in Honduras when a pretty lady visits the home of a father who has one young daughter and one young son, and convinces him to have them audition into modeling. The audition happened in a different location (filled with the man’s two kids and many others) and as the father was not allowed to be present, he was asked to return in the evening. By the time he returned, the place was empty and the children were kidnapped. They secretly shipped to another country.
In America, Tim Ballard and his time successfully apprehended a man for possessing and distributing child pornography. Tim’s teammate points out to him that although they have arrested many child predators, they could not even save a single child from exploitation and abuse…
Quality
I will start first by saying that this movie was not made to entertain viewers but to emphasize the real-life problems of child trafficking, kidnapping, the abuse of minors, sex trafficking and why slavery today still has many millions of victims (including minors).
This movie closely examines the struggles that come with fighting the syndicates (that kidnapped children and sell them) and the customers (who paid to illegally acquire children for their wicked desires) as told through the eyes of Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel) who is clearly feeling the heavy stress of his US Homeland Security job (which takes a lot of strength, sacrifice and sheer will to do). Ballard himself has many kids with his faithful and supportive wife (Mira Sorvino) and therefore he can easily relate with the parents whose children got kidnapped and sold in other countries.
Caviezel is mostly subtle with expressing Ballard’s emotions as well as his verbal expressions with the other people he interacted with. This is not to say that Caviezel’s act is wooden, rather he is straightforward with portraying a man who feels disturbed by the collective stress of his duty (but still far away from the breaking low-point). Even though he is getting worn down, Ballard’s sheer determination to save a specific kidnapped-and-abused daughter for a Honduras-based father is nicely captured by Caviezel.
The efforts of fighting the criminals who pounced on children involves a lot of hurdles to overcome. I’m not just talking about Homeland Security agents taking down people in America who engaged in child pornography but also going after the very criminals overseas who kidnapped children, shipped them from one nation to another and sell them as “models” to pedophiles. As such, Ballard’s efforts involves spending time overseas (away from his family), making local connections and secretly working his way into different locations where the risks of getting killed are high.
Again, this tale is not about entertaining viewers as it works on emphasizing to them how extremely difficult it is to bring down the criminals in real-life. The good news is that this film is nicely directed by Monteverde whose cinematic style is simplistic and yet engaging to watch. There is a clear subtle approach on showing what little violence the film has. As for scenes of child abuse, there is nothing graphic to see (left ambiguous) nor was there anything intense about them. While I am certain that some parts of the story involved liberties in order to establish a functional cinematic narrative, this movie strives hard with realism while also avoiding becoming preachy with its message (expressed in subtle fashion) about human trafficking, child slavery and the business involving pedophiles and kidnappers.
Conclusion
Sound of Freedom was clearly made to inform the world that children are still being kidnapped, used for illegal transactions, transported around the world and sold to the predators. This real-world problem continues to happen somewhere every single day and there are simply not enough law enforcers who could fight the criminals and rescue the kidnapped minors. Nor do the law enforcers have the resources to stage major rescue operations while facing off with armed criminals and their bodyguards.
While it is told through Tim Ballard, this movie is not about him and his profession. It is about the extreme difficulties that law enforcers – both domestic and overseas – have to go through to save the very young victims. The story was told with consistent realism and subtlety which make it very believable to watch. Jim Caviezel is indeed a solid performer and his portrayal of Tim Ballard will easily remind you that true heroes are the ones who bravely face tremendous odds to achieve their goals (for good) while still maintaining their sanity no matter how hopeless the situations appeared.
Sound of Freedom is a cinematic call to action to make others aware about the ongoing menaces of sex trafficking, kidnapping, abuse of minors and the cartels (demonic people) that profited from their evil trade. Like Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, this film was made for reflective viewing and not for amusement. Indeed, God’s children are not for sale and this is the truth that the bashers of this movie do not want you to realize. There is also the biblical truth to the popular quote from the film. Read the holy scripture below…
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
1 John 3:1-10 (NKJV)
To put things politically, you must be wondering why the Satanic Left – Democrats, Communists, socialists, Marxists, liberals, the SJWs and the woke extremists – keep on bashing and hating Sound of Freedom. Here is why…because the Leftists are themselves pro-crime (example: “Defund the police.”) and they have made efforts to weaken law enforcement which emboldened the criminals such as robbers, murderers, kidnappers, smugglers, rapists, terrorists, molesters, illegal immigrants and, of course, the pedophiles. The Leftists are clearly wicked and they are lots of them present not only in government but also in showbiz, the mainstream media and other sectors of societies. The Leftists care less about the children and nuclear family, and this is why they want more drag queens and homosexuals to go after the children without law enforcers blocking them. The Leftists are okay with children getting kidnapped, abused and raped. In short, those in the Left are okay with being evil and doing what Satan wants.
I saw Sound of Freedom at the local cinema.
The Leftists are very afraid of Sound of Freedom and remember that it is the one notable movie that almost never got released. That being said, you must watch the movie whenever you have chance to do so.
Welcome back, fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs from around the world! If you are an enthusiast of giant monster movies and if you have gotten tired with what Hollywood has been releasing, there is a brand new Godzilla (Gojira in Japanese) movie from Japan’s Toho which will be released in cinemas before the year ends…Godzilla Minus One (Japanese title: Gojira Mainasu Wan).
The official movie poster for the Japanese market.
To get started about this new Japanese Godzilla movie, I encourage you to watch the official trailer (English subtitles included) below…
The way the details and visuals were presented in the movie trailer, the filmmakers showed Godzilla as a terrifying giant whose presence brings certain death and destruction to those near it. The trailer made Godzilla looking like it intends to kill people. What I find interesting about the core concept of this upcoming movie is that the iconic monster wreaks havoc in Japan a short time after the end of World War II. This emphasizes that Japan is economically weak and struggling to recover from the tremendous losses suffered from the said war. Also spotted were efforts by the filmmakers to replicate the look of post-WWII Japan.
If you know your world history, you should be aware of the facts that America dropped atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 which compelled Japan (then a major military force with the Axis powers) to surrender unconditionally. Putting that historical context into the realm of fantasy by Toho, Godzilla Minus One shows what would happen had the giant monster invaded Japan while it was still in a very weakened state.
This is a terrifying image of people running away from Godzilla whose steps were causing destruction.
Considering the post-World War II background, it is not yet clear to me if this movie will serve as a prequel to the original Gojira movie of 1954. What is clear is that the filmmakers are daringly making something new with Japan’s icon and their creative approach looks radically different from Toho’s previous Godzilla release in 2016 (note: read my retro review of Shin Godzilla).
Considering the many Godzilla movies released – including those from Hollywood studios – being original with telling a story about the monster is indeed very hard to do. That being said, I am interested to see how the post-World War II setting, the new story and characters, and the giant monster itself will be executed on-screen. If the trailer indicates anything, it looks like Godzilla Minus One could turn out as a dramatic disaster movie (than a monster movie) and could come close to what the 1954 original movie presented.
As of this writing, there are not too many international markets for cinematic releases listed in Godzilla Minus One‘s IMDB page. Being based here in the Philippines, I can only hope that the Japan-made movie will be released in local cinemas which could be a bit tricky given the fact that Shin Godzilla had a limited release here in 2016. I really want to watch this upcoming movie in the local cinema, especially IMAX, but that would depend on how the distribution here in the Philippines will be executed. At the same time, watching a Japanese-made Godzilla movie would be a nice break from the MonsterVerse Godzilla that has been around for years now. Honestly, I’m getting tired of Hollywood’s current version of Japan’s icon.
A very menacing Gojira image from Toho promoting Godzilla Minus One. If you look very closely, you can see some of the giant monster’s teeth red with blood.
If Godzilla Minus One does not get screened locally for some reason, its potential Blu-ray (and possibly 4K Blu-ray) release in the future would be the next option to watch it. Regardless, watch out for this new movie in cinemas in a few months’ time.
