Gojira!

[nsingman]

Last night, I went out on a date with my beauteous and oft-praised jungle_goddess to see the original 1954 uncut Japanese version of "Gojira." I'm not a film critic, but it was an enjoyable experience, and I did like it much better than the Raymond Burr version. The message against H-bombs was a bit thicker than it needed to be (I expected more subtlety), and

Comments

[allah_sulu]

You expected subtlety from Gojira?

[nsingman]

Well, relatively speaking, anyway. :-)

[allah_sulu]

I haven't seen the original in it's uncut splendor (yet), but a giant lizard wreaking havoc doesn't strike me as the subtlest of metaphors.

Still, it's not as blatant as Dune's worms, the largest phallic symbols in the known universe.

[thebaronofmspg]

Dates are nice, huh? :-)

[nsingman]

They certainly are. One of the benefits of kids who are old enough to take care of themselves as long as they have food. :-)

[docwebster]

Well, think about the times. This wasn't quite ten years since the slum clearance on downtown Tokyo (to quote the sage), so feelings were still running high about it and Tsuburaya-sensei not unwisely played to that.

[nsingman]

Oh, of course. But I'm a big fan of Japanese cinema, and I think the best films do manage to walk that fine line between outrageous, and even outré topics, and subtle, delicate stories and cinematography. Only nine years past Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I can understand the focus. And as I noted, this was a much better movie than the chopped Raymond Burrzilla film. Perhaps my expectations were a bit inflated, and I'm not a sufficiently subtle, discerning viewer (which, of course, I'm not). :-)

[allah_sulu]

Subtlety is overrated anyway.

[roguereflection]

Gez.. do you two live in a movie??
a Japanese restaurant on the corner of 8th Avenue and 45th Street. leisurely walk from there down to the Film Forum on West Houston. It sounds wonderful..

I've never been much of a city guy.. I like to go into the city once in a while.. there are certain places that are great on a warm night.. to stroll through.. outdoor cafes etc.. but I couldn't live there..

You make it sound so nice.. and romantic.. That's Awesome!!
Rogue

[allah_sulu]

I like living outside/near cities. Nice to visit, wouldn't want to live there.

[nsingman]

Cities have some nice features, and can be great to visit. But living in them presents interesting challenges, not least of which are the costs.

[nsingman]

We live in dull, boring West Orange, New Jersey. But I work in Manhattan (the best paying jobs for techies in financial services are there), and it is fun to visit the city regularly.

Maintaining our current lifestyle (three kids, with two in high school next year and one in college, and a wife who is a woman of leisure) in Manhattan would probably require me to earn at least twice, and probably three times, what I do. And I'm just too lazy for that. :-)

[sharkbait]

Not fair! I want to go on a date like that with Connie! :P

Oddly enough, its not showing in any of our local theaters.. go figger.. ;)

[nsingman]

You and Connie on a date?

*THUD*

I figured for sure it would be at the Ashland Film Forum, in the arts district. :-)

[humbleacolyte]

Hey, if Connie and Sharky are going on a date, I want to go, too!

*waits*

[nsingman]

The three of you? Together?

*THUD* *THUd* *THud* *Thud* *thud*

Thank goodness for my THUDTM helmet! :-)