Stubs - Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color

Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color (aka G-1.0/C) (2024) Starring Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, Kuranosuke Sasaki. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Screenplay by Takashi Yamazaki Produced by Minami Ichikawa, Shūji Abe, Kenji Yamada, Kazuaki Kishida, Gō Abe, Keiichirō Moriya Run time: 125 minutes. Black and White. Japan. Epic, Kaiju, Monster.

Godzilla is one of the most shopworn monster characters, having appeared in 39 films in 70 years since its first appearance, Gojira (1954). Usually, the films are cheap numbers with similar plots with Godzilla, obviously a man in a suit. More often that not, Godzilla has had to share the bill with a litany of other monsters, Mothra, Hedora, Biolantte and/or King Kong. Godzilla has become big budget in recent years with Hollywood productions and once again teaming the dinosaur-like monster with the giant ape. The emphasis is almost always on the monsters and not the people it terrorizes.

That changed, and for the better, with the November 3, 2023 release in Japan of Takashi Yamazaki's Gojira Mainasu Wan. A film with a relatively low budget, $10-15 million, it would come to the US on December 1, 2023 and win rave reviews, becoming the first Godzilla film to be nominated for an Academy Award, for Best Visual Effects, also supervised by Yamazaki. Eventually, the film would cross $100 million in worldwide boxoffice.

A black-and-white version, Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color, premiered in Japan on January 12, 2024, and was distributed in the United States by Toho International on January 26 and that is the film we're reviewing here. We regrettably missed out on seeing the original color version of the film. Both are Japanese with English subtitltes.

The Boy and the Heron

I don’t think I need to explain who Hayao Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli are. For decades, Miyazaki has built up a reputation as one of Japan’s greatest anime film directors, starting all the way back in 1979 with The Castle of Cagliostro and continuing through Studio Ghibli with such classics as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service and the Academy Award-winning Spirited Away (also the highest-grossing Japanese film ever made until Mugen Train), to name a few. Following The Wind Rises in 2013, Miyazaki would announce his retirement from producing feature films due to his age, though this would be short-lived, as only three years later, after creating the short Boro the Caterpillar, he started work on his twelfth film, The Boy and the Heron (JP: Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka, lit. How Do You Live?). Notably, the film took seven years to produce and didn’t have a robust marketing campaign ahead of its Japanese premiere, opting instead for a single poster image.

The poster in question.

While I wouldn’t consider myself a hardcore Miyazaki fan, as I haven’t seen all of his films yet, I have seen enough that I understand his talent as a director and why his works are so beloved to this day. In fact, what grabbed our attention with seeing The Boy and the Heron while we could still catch it in a theater was that it received animation awards despite competing against the boundary-pushing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like The Boy and the Heron, considering the director’s track record, I found it lacking where it mattered most: the story.

The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom (PS4)

Note: This review contains spoilers for The Last Kids on Earth.

Over the last year or so, I’ve become a big fan of The Last Kids on Earth (TLKOE), a Middle Grade series by Max Brallier that provides a lighthearted take on the zombie apocalypse and elements of cosmic horror. Thanks to my local library, I got hooked on the book series, which gave me a greater interest in watching the animated Netflix adaptation (through the DVDs, since I don’t have a Netflix account). During my journey through TLKOE, I also learned that the animated series, which Netflix sadly canceled after three seasons and a special, received a tie-in video game, The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom (Staff of Doom), developed by Stage Clear Studios and published by Outright Games in 2021.

While I would love to give more meta information about the game here, I unfortunately cannot. There are no articles about it apart from press releases, a handful of reviews or whatever is available on the publisher’s website. All I know for sure is that the developer’s games have received positive reviews on Steam, though I can’t personally vouch for the quality, that Outright Games has a track record of publishing at least somewhat decent licensed games and that Staff of Doom has a rather mixed reception from what few user reviews I saw before diving in. The only other thing I can say for sure is that I sure am glad I only paid $9 for a used copy instead of the full $30 for a new one.

The Last Kids on Earth - Book One (Film)

It’s not often that we discuss television series on this blog, although we usually justify doing so when part of it is presented as a feature film. Such is the case with “Book One” of The Last Kids on Earth, an animated Netflix series based on Max Brallier’s book series of the same name, of which I have recently become a fan (to the point I signed up for the official fan club). While Book One is technically the first season, it’s only an hour-long feature, as opposed to the two ten-episode seasons that followed. As such, since I’ve enjoyed the books, I felt like I could weigh in on how well it works not only as an adaptation, but as a film on its own merits. Fortunately, I can say that Book One succeeds on both fronts.

Stubs - Illicit

Illicit (1931) Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, James Rennie, Ricardo Cortez, Natalie Moorhead. Directed by Archie Mayo. Screenplay by Harvey Thew. Based on a play by Edith Fitzgerald and Robert Riskin (copyrighted 1 Jul 1930). Produced by Darryl F. Zanuck Run time: 82 minutes. USA Black and White Pre-Code, Drama.

So much has changed since the day that Illicit was originally released on February 14, 1931. Back then, the film was condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency and enraged women’s groups. What had once been scandalous is now rated TV-G when it recently aired on TCM.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

For the longest time, I had never read any literature aimed at girls, as I had grown up towards the end of an era where boys rigidly consumed media aimed at their demographic, at least out in the open (before the “Brony” phenomenon challenged this idea in the 2010s). As an adult, I would finally do so as part of an exploration of middle grade material, which would include Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., Judy Blume’s 1970 novel famous for its frank discussion of female puberty and religious topics, after learning of its 2023 film adaptation of the same name. Despite reading it as a grown man, I found the novel engaging and understood its cultural significance, which made me more curious about the film, although I sadly didn’t get the opportunity to see it during its original theatrical run. Nevertheless, I did finally get the chance near the end of the year and found that on top of its high quality, it did the source material proper justice and it’s a shame that not enough people saw it.

2023 - The Highlights (EHeroFlareNeos)

Although the world has pretty much opened back up, even with COVID-19 still floating around, the pandemic’s effect on film releases has remained irreversibly altered. In turn, we’ve since adopted a practice where we only go to a theater if it’s a film that we’d actually pay money to see and otherwise waiting until something hits its respective streaming platform (or, in the case of something like Five Nights at Freddy’s, watching it theatrically or waiting for home video if it would go to a service that we don’t have access to). As usual, only films we’ve seen or games we’ve played have a chance to end up on this list.

Top Movies of 2023

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Video game films have seen an upswing in quality over the years and The Super Mario Bros. Movie represents a great next step forward. Despite the hit and miss pedigree of animation studio Illumination, Nintendo’s heavy involvement ensured that Mario’s second crack at the big screen featured very faithful writing and animation, as well as a surprisingly fitting and talented voice cast and a trove of Easter eggs. While not completely perfect, as it could have used with another five minutes or so to better let certain scenes breathe, the future looks a lot more hopeful.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had a long string of duds as of late, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 proved itself the lone exception from this year thanks to its strong, emotional writing and a very well-acted villain. Even if you didn’t care about any of the MCU films after Avengers: Endgame, this is still one worth watching, especially if you already liked the titular Guardians of the Galaxy.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

This isn’t the first tabletop game adaptation, nor is it the first Dungeons & Dragons adaptation, but Honor Among Thieves is sure to steal your heart. Though based more directly on the game’s world and rules, it's written in a very accessible way with engaging and likeable characters, coupled with a plot that even complete newcomers can easily follow. If you didn’t have any knowledge of D&D going in, you may also find yourself curious on the way out.

Oppenheimer

Although I’m not normally attracted to this kind of film, and one that’s three hours long no less, I still found myself completely engaged with the Oppenheimer half of the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. The strong acting really carries the story and J. Robert Oppenheimer comes off as a very complex individual, a truly brilliant man with a strong scientific drive, but also very complex with his morality. Even though most of the film features people talking in a room, the incredible recreation of the New Mexico atomic bomb test alone makes it worth watching in the highest possible quality.

Gran Turismo

As with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Gran Turismo represents a good step forward for video game adaptations, this time in the realm of live-action. Rather than create a story whole cloth for a series that historically doesn’t have one, this film instead adapts the story of real-life racer Jann Mardenborough, who went from playing the games to actually competing as a professional racer. While the timeline of his career isn’t 100% accurate, the emotionally gripping story works very well regardless and the strong performances help keep it engaging throughout. As an added bonus, you can enjoy it even if you’re like us and have never played a single Gran Turismo game in your life.

Rohan at the Louvre

Rohan at the Louvre may have its roots in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, but you won’t need any knowledge of its parent series or the spinoff Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe one-shots. Indeed, this film completely divorces itself from the source material and lets the strength of its story speak for itself, with only a brief introduction of who Rohan Kishibe is and what makes him unique as a manga artist. Its strong cast, carried over from the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan TV drama, does a remarkable job here, especially Issey Takahashi and Marie Iitoyo in the lead roles, and the cinematic camera angles help bring out the beauty of the Louvre in all its glory. A can’t-miss, including for foreign film lovers looking for something new.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Based on the famous 1970 Judy Blume novel of the same name, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is a fantastic film that does the source material justice. Its frank depictions of the realities of female puberty, including the physical and emotional changes that come with it, remain universal for its target demographic, but even male viewers can still relate to Margaret Simon’s struggles with finding herself, trying to fit in and adapting to changing circumstances beyond her control.

Top Games of 2023

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach – Ruin

Due to varying circumstances, I didn’t play very many video games from this year. However, I did want to highlight the Ruin DLC for Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach as an example of what happens when a developer really plays to their strengths and somehow delivers an experience better and more focused than the base game. It’s not necessarily the same level as something like Minerva’s Den from BioShock 2 (another instance of DLC offering a better experience than the base game), but it does show a level of polish that offers a glimmer of hope for Steel Wool’s further ventures into FNAF, even if not completely bug-free.

Resident Evil 4 (2023)

Capcom’s trend of remaking the Resident Evil series inevitably led to a remake of the highly regarded Resident Evil 4 (2005) and while Resident Evil 4 (2023) has a much more grounded and serious tone, you can really feel the passion put into the project. Just about any and all blemishes I had noticed while playing the original were handled masterfully here, including deeper characterizations, more natural story beats and, rather importantly, the ability to move and shoot at the same time. Although some fans would understandably prefer the tone and style of the original game, which Capcom has graciously made available on all the same platforms as the new version (including at least one HD remaster), the remake is still a fantastic game in its own right and I would highly recommend it.

Resident Evil 4 – Separate Ways

Four months after Resident Evil 4 (2023), Capcom released the Separate Ways DLC, which remakes the campaign of the same name from the original 2005 version, but in a way that feels developed alongside the new game rather than after it. Although rather linear, its story provides a perfect capstone to the main campaign, with a proper sense of closure that also hints at a remake of Resident Evil 5. Though I didn’t really like that Capcom put this DLC behind a $10 paywall when the original version came with its base game for free (at least from the PS2 version onwards), it’s still a must-play for those who have already beaten the new RE4.

Top Disappointments of 2023

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Where the original Shazam! was easily one of the best DCEU films thanks to its fun atmosphere, Fury of the Gods is unfortunately a letdown. An unfocused story, forced jokes (including a plot-critical Skittles product placement) and an overreliance on CGI hold this sequel back from greatness. Though its unknown if a third film will surface, we can only hope that if one does, they learn form the mistakes of this one.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

There’s no getting around the fact that Quantumania is easily the worst of the Ant-Man trilogy. Terrible pacing, a muddied storyline, including the near lack of personal stakes on Scott Lang’s end, and subpar CG plague every aspect of this film. Add to that the cherry on top of expecting the audience to have seen Loki, a TV series locked behind the paywall of Disney+. The only neat thing that came from this film’s time theft is that Scott’s in-universe memoir, Look Out For The Little Guy!, was made into a real book.

Bluey: The Videogame

As a big fan of Bluey, I really wanted to like this game for real life, but I unfortunately found myself let down. Although it perfectly captures the spirit of the show audibly and visually and does a good job at making itself accessible to younger players, the experience is riddled with glitches even a month after launch, the animations are janky (with a very noticeable contrast between the 2D models and 3D objects) and the voice acting isn't quite the same level as the show itself. Worst of all, there are only four short and awkwardly-paced levels, meaning you can beat the entire game in only an hour, maybe three if you go for all of the collectables (I got the Platinum Trophy in under two). The only saving grace was that I didn't pay the steep $40 asking price and got it at a discount very shortly after launch (and so should you).