Tag: Norway

Better than Streaming: Watch out for Godzilla Minus Zero in cinemas this November

Better than Streaming: Watch out for Godzilla Minus Zero in cinemas this November

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Welcome back fellow geeks and film buffs!

Great news for those who love giant monster movies and wild cinematic fantasies! The new movie Godzilla Minus Zero will be released in cinemas worldwide this November starting with Japan!

Godzilla Minus Zero is the sequel to the excellent Godzilla Minus One (2023) and Takashi Yamazaki is back as director, writer and head of visual effects. Key members of the cast from the 2023 movie are returning as well. Feeling excited? Watch the official trailer below and pay attention to the details.

The official description of Godzilla Minus Zero from Toho is as follows: Godzilla Minus Zero is the highly anticipated new film from director, screenwriter and with VFX by Takashi Yamazaki, who won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Godzilla Minus One.

The synopsis: War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it into minus. Two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery and finally reclaim its daily life.

Just as humanity managed to cling to a hard-won peace, a new threat strikes, crushing hope in an instant.

There is no third time. Everything ends here.

Promotional poster for 'Godzilla Minus Zero' featuring Godzilla amidst a stormy backdrop with lightning, announcing it is filmed for IMAX and releasing on November 6.
Godzilla Minus One will open in cinemas in more than twenty countries on November 6, 2026. (photo source – Toho)

With regards to the scheduled global cinematic release, Godzilla Minus Zero will play in cinemas on the following dates and nations:

November 3, 2026 – Japan

November 4, 2026 – Belgium, France, Indonesia, Laos, Luxembourg, Philippines, Thailand,  

November 5, 2026 – Albania, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia, Brazil, Brunei, Central America, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Switzerland, Uruguay, Venezuela,

November 6, 2026 – Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mozambique, Norway, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom (UK), United States of America, Vietnam, Zambia,

November 12, 2026 – Italy

November 20, 2026 – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,

A person holding a glass jar containing a preserved specimen resembling a small, spiky object, with a label visible. The text 'Fight fire with fire.' is displayed below.
Looks like a tiny piece of Godzilla was recovered somehow.

I am glad that my native Philippines will have Godzilla Minus Zero officially screened on the 4th of November. Godzilla Minus One’s screening in the Philippines was limited to a film festival and I had to import the 4K Blu-ray copy of it. To be clear, I enjoyed watching Godzilla Minus One and remember the very end of its footage, I am not surprised that Godzilla Minus Zero materialized. With the sequel coming out in a few months’ time, I am eager to find out what will happen next in the story about a struggling Japan and what will happen next to the core characters.

Already Toho confirmed that Godzilla Minus Zero was filmed for IMAX. That said, I will make an effort to see it in a local IMAX cinema here in the Philippines.

Right now, Godzilla Minus Zero is my most anticipated movie this year. Do you plan to watch it? Let me know in the comments below.

A large, monstrous creature with scales and spines stands amidst a devastated cityscape, roaring against a backdrop of dark, stormy clouds.
Japan’s Gojira really looks fierce!

If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, the cinematic trends, Blu-ray releases and more relevant stuff, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group by clicking https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Trump’s America To Launch Tariff Investigations On Several Countries

Trump’s America To Launch Tariff Investigations On Several Countries

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Even as the United States is busy working alongside Israel on the war against the Islamic terrorist state of Iran, the Trump administration announced that it will launch tariff investigations on several countries including trade partners like Japan, according to a news report by Kyodo News. The probes are meant to find out if unfair trading practices exist.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Kyodo News report. Some parts in boldface…

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration said Wednesday it will launch tariff investigations into what it sees as unfair practices by China, Japan and over a dozen other American trading partners.

According to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the move is intended to “uncover a variety of unfair trading practices related to excess capacity in production” in the manufacturing sector, and replace Trump’s sweeping tariff regime that was invalidated by the Supreme Court in February.

“Our view is that key trading partners have developed production capacity that is really untethered from the market incentives of domestic and global demand,” Greer told reporters.

The other trading partners facing the investigations, carried out under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, are the European Union, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, Greer said.

The statute, which allows the U.S. government to impose tariffs in response to a foreign country’s alleged unfair practices, was a favorite tool of Trump for justifying higher tariffs on Chinese imports when he started a trade war with Beijing during his first term as president.

After the U.S. top court on Feb. 20 struck down a large chunk of Trump’s far-reaching tariff agenda as imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, his administration introduced a new 10 percent global duty.

However, the new 10 percent surcharge, relying on a different legal framework, can only last 150 days unless Congress approves an extension.

Greer said the Trump administration seeks to complete the investigations as quickly as possible and prepare for new Section 301 tariffs within the 150-day period.

The statute requires consultations with the governments of the targeted trading partners before tariffs can be imposed.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the United States is doing the right thing with the multiple trade investigations? How do you think the Trump administration will adjust its tariff policy once the 150-day period expires?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Vietnam Attracts All-Time High 21.2 Million Foreign Tourist Arrivals In 2025

Vietnam Attracts All-Time High 21.2 Million Foreign Tourist Arrivals In 2025

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Vietnam, a nation ravaged by war decades ago, has emerged as a major tourism magnet in both Southeast Asia and Asia as a whole after successfully attracting more than twenty-one million foreign tourists in 2025, according to a VnExpress International news report. The figure is a new all-time high. What Vietnam achieved was more than 20% higher than its 2024 foreign tourist numbers. For 2026, Vietnam is aiming high with a target of 25 million foreign visitors.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…

Vietnam welcomed a record number of foreign tourists in 2025 with 21.2 million, up 20.4% from the previous year and the highest ever, according to General Statistics Office.

Mainland China was Vietnam’s biggest source of visitors last year with 5.2 million arrivals, up 41% year-on-year, followed by South Korea with 4.3 million and Taiwan with 1.23 million.

The U.S. ranked fourth with 848,000, followed by Japan with 814,000. The rest of the top 10 were India (746,000), Russia (689,000), Cambodia (687,000), Malaysia (573,000) and Australia (548,000).

Tourism industry insiders attributed Vietnam’s strong performance to visa reforms.

Foreign tourists welcomed in Vietnam. (photo credit: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism)

In March the government decided to extend visa exemptions until 2028 for citizens of 12 countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K.

In August it waived visa requirements for stays of up to 45 days for citizens of 12 more countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland.

This expanded the unilateral visa waiver list to 24 countries and the total number including bilateral waivers to 39.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Considering the strong international tourism momentum it has right now, do you think Vietnam will succeed in attracting 25 million foreign tourists this year? Do you think a lot more visitors from Europe will come to Vietnam this year?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Better than Streaming: John Carpenter’s The Thing 4K Blu-ray combo coming out on September 7, 2021

Better than Streaming: John Carpenter’s The Thing 4K Blu-ray combo coming out on September 7, 2021

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Calling all fans of director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell as well as Blu-ray collectors fond of science fiction and horror films!

Get ready because Carpenter’s classic sci-fi horror film The Thing (1982) will be released in 4K Blu-ray format (in a combo including the Blu-ray disc and digital code) on September 7, 2021. In addition, those who insist on having the best 4K visuals with the classic movie will be delighted over the early confirmation that The Thing has been rendered in native 4K.

The cover of The Thing 4K Blu-ray combo.

As of this writing, there is no suggested retail price yet. Still, here are the product descriptions and specs from Blu-ray.com’s articles about The Thing 4K Blu-ray. Some parts in boldface…

SPECS

Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)

HDR: HDR10

Aspect ratio: 2.35:1

Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio

English: DTS:X

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1

Subtitles

English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Discs

4K Ultra HD

Blu-ray Disc

Two-disc set (1 BD-100, 1 BD-50)

Digital

Digital 4K

Digital copy included

Playback

4K Blu-ray: Region free

2K Blu-ray: Region A

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

DISC ONE – 4K BLU-RAY

  • 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
  • HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
  • DTS:X AUDIO TRACK
  • Audio Commentary with Director John Carpenter and Kurt Russell
  • John Carpenter’s The Thing: Terror Takes Shape
  • Outtakes
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles for the main feature

DISC TWO – BLU-RAY

  • Main feature
  • Audio Commentary with Director John Carpenter and Kurt Russell
  • U-Control: Picture in Picture
  • Optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles for the main feature

For those who are not too aware about this old sci-fi horror movie, The Thing tells the story of an American research team stationed in Antarctica whose lives turn upside-down after a sled dog comes to them after being hunted by a helicopter from the Norwegian research team.

Historically speaking, The Thing was released in cinemas in the United States just two weeks after Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The Carpenter-directed space alien monster film was trashed by movie critics of the time and in the American box office, Spielberg’s movie about a friendly alien creature from outer space was simply unbeatable. As time passed by, The Thing found its audience on TV and home video and its critical reception turned from negative to positive overall. In the awards circuit, The Thing was nominated for Best Horror Film and Best Special Effects (credit to Rob Bottin who went on to work on effects for RoboCop and Total Recall) in the 10th annual Saturn Awards given by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. Fans of actor Keith David will want to see his performance in this particular film. David also went on to work again with John Carpenter years later.

To get to know more about John Carpenter’s The Thing through trivia, watch the video posted below from Minty Comedic Arts. Be warned of potential spoilers…

For more entries of my Better than Streaming series of articles, check out my pieces on The Beastmaster 4K Blu-ray, The Transformers: The Movie 4K Blu-ray, Mortal Kombat 2021 4K Blu-ray, Space Jam 4K Blu-ray and V: The Original Miniseries Blu-ray disc of Warner Archive (read my retro review).  

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com