Free Sunday Japanese Cinema! Destroy All Monsters! The Cinema of Ishiro Honda...

Ishiro Honda was the guy, depending on who you talk to, that destroyed Japanese cinema or made Japanese cinema world famous...

I think he helped make Japanese cinema crappy, but then again, when I was a kid, I liked Mothra and Godzilla movies (the early ones that Ishiro Honda directed). I remember watching the classic, "Destroy all Monsters" and being terrified at the scary woman who wanted to take over the earth! 


I also recognize that without Ishiro Honda, Japanese pop culture most probably wouldn't be what it is today. 

No matter what you think - good or bad - I do believe that there is an evolutionary line between Honda's work and, say, today's more fantastic Japanese anime or even Hatsune Miku. Honda was definitely influential on Japanese pop culture.

A book about Honda came out a while back celebrating his life and works. The book is called "Mushrooms Clouds and Mushroom Men - The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda."

The press release reads: 

For the first time in America, a book has been published on Japan's foremost director of Fantasy Films: MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN – The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda.

Known primarily for directing such classic Japanese monster movies as Rodan, Mothra, Attack of the Mushroom People and the original Godzilla, Honda has been a much-overlooked figure in mainstream international cinema.

MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN is the first book to cover in English print Honda’s life as well comprehensively evaluates all 25 of his fantasy films.  It is also gives objective and critical analysis of Honda's filmmaking methods, themes and relationships with actors and technicians.

The book looks like an interesting read if you want to know who to blame, or thank, for today's Japanese "camp" or Anime.


And for your viewing pleasure, here's the trailer from the 1968 "Destroy All Monsters"

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KEYWORDS: Ishiro Honda, Mike Rogers, Godzilla, Hatsune Miku, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, Japanese cinema, Japanese anime, Mothra, Destroy all Monsters, Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men, Peter H. Brothers, Marketing Japan, Japan, Tokyo

Free Matinee: Godzilla Original 1956 Film. Uncut and Free! No signup!

Merry Christmas! (Well, for you folks in the USA!) Here's a Christmas present!

Free Matinee: Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (1956) Starring Raymond Burr.

Need to burn some time yet do not want to spend any money? Yep. I can relate to that. Grab a bag of potato chips and a drink. Uncut, and unedited and in full length. Quality is great too.

When American reporter Steve Martin investigates a series of mysterious disasters off the coast of Japan, he comes face to face with an ancient creature so powerful and so terrifying, it can reduce Tokyo to a smoldering graveyard. Nuclear weapon testing resurrected this relic from the Jurassic age, and now it's rampaging across Japan. At night, Godzilla wades through Tokyo leaving death and destruction in his wake, disappearing into Tokyo Bay when his rage subsides. Coventional weapons are useless against him; but renowned scientist Dr. Serizawa has discovered a weapon that could destroy all life in the bay -- including Godzilla. But which disaster is worse, Godzilla's fury, or the death of Tokyo Bay?

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Godzilla is Coming Out From Fukushima! More on Mass Media Sensationalism

Worried about Fukushima? You need to watch/read this.

Diego.a sends this wonderful message concerning my last post about sensationalism:

Kirk Sorensen: mechanical/aerospace engineer and studying nuclear engineering, shows you how the media can create Godzilla out of Fukushima... with low probability events and fear: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=lG1YjDdI_c8#t=5509s

Tweet from Neil deGrasse Tyson. Deaths so far from Fukushima radiation? Zero.

Some nice quotations that overlap with everything you guys have said:

"It just seems to me that when it's a subject I know a little about and I watch how the news covers it I get frustrated really quickly."

"I just think every media outlet I've seen is just drumming up fear. From the NYTimes to the Huffington Post to Fox News."

"Our media is not built around effectively and accurately disseminating information to the public. Our media is built around putting your eyeballs on their print or websites and keeping them there. And the best way to keep them there is to scare you to death." 

.... But! But! They've detected radiation in milk! "Of course, there's radiation in all milk."

Read more here

Watch the entire film here (from about 1:31:30 the talk about the mass media false reporting and sensationalism begins):

Tokyo: Giant Radioactive Mutant Bed Bugs Spawned From Fukushima Disaster! Bed-Bugs Discovered the Size of Rats!

"Fleas the size of rats sucked on rats the size of cats" - "Future Legend" by David Bowie 

"Giant Mutant Bed Bugs!?" Ewww! I was shocked as I read the headlines... I think one of the most absolutely disgusting things in the world are Bed Bugs. Huge ones!? That's just sickening and makes my skin crawl... 

"Tokyo: Giant Radioactive Mutant Bed Bugs Spawned From Fukushima Disaster! Bed-Bugs Discovered the Size of Rats!" Scary... And misleading... This sort of headline is fitting for Japanese 1950s Science Fiction movies ala Mothra versus Godzilla or a Gigantor cartoon. And why not? The Fukushima disaster is a real disaster and it's certainly capturing the imaginations of people all around the world including advertising agencies, survival goods suppliers, political organizations and, of course, said science fiction writers.


Some of those science fiction writers - whether for publications, mass media or retailers - are doing all they can in cashing in on Fukushima... They are cashing in on it to sell their sensationalist scribblings, video reports or just plain to peddle goods.


That's what this post is about: Selling goods using misleading headlines... What used to be called "False Advertising." One of the most dispicable things about the world of advertising is misleading headlines; the old "bait and switch." 


This post has it all! It is about misleading headlines, bait and switch and disgusting Bed Bugs. 


This morning, over my coffee, I found one advertiser that has really gone too far. There is an ad on Yahoo that, in my book, insinuates something sinister going on related to Fukushima but it is nothing of the sort. Take a lookie at this ad:

This is the ad. Now, you tell me, with all the news about Fukushima, what does this image and the text suggest to you?

Some advertisers will stoop to any level in order cash in on other peoples misery and troubles and use scare tactics to sell product... Unfortunately, most people are too brain dead from too much TV that they fail to see it for what it is.


This advertiser has really gone too far. I've said many times that things are bad enough at Fukushima for those poor folks but recently, the shrill voices of terror, gloom and doom have really gotten out of control with their reporting of "worse case scenarios" as being signed, sealed and delivered finished deals. I wrote about that in Sensationalism, Scare-Mongering and the Nanny State.


The sensationalism really has dropped to tabloid level. Just like something you'd see at the check out like at your local super market, this madness has stooped to new lows. Here's a new bait and switch that gets folks in Tokyo and the world over who are panicking about Fukushima to click their banner because it looks like it portends to news about radiation...


On the top page of Yahoo Finance, the bait and switch ad appears on the right. It says, "New Plague in Tokyo. If you live in Tokyo, you'd better read this..."

In fact, these guys are really going for it, I see where their ad is a revoling ad along with a credit card company and also appears with a different image as this, "New Bug in Tokyo. If you live in Tokyo, you'd better read this..." 

The ads are by a probable fly-by-night company named Guru Media. This poor excuse for an advertising agency claims:


Guru Media International was founded by a team of marketing and advertising professional who understand that today’s world requires a customized suite of solutions to help companies succeed. (sic)


Bwa! Ha! Ha! Terrible! "...founded by a team of marketing and advertising professional"!? Really? Guys, there's supposed to be an "s" at the end of professional, as in "professionals."


Maybe professionals at marketing and advertising but not professionals at spelling, copy-writing or editing... And these clowns are getting contracts from someone? 


Wow! A lead in suggesting Fukushima radiation problems in Tokyo that take me to an ad for Bed Bug remedies in Minnesota? There really must be a sucker born every minute! (Pun intended!)


Anyway, back to the misleading banner ad. I live in Tokyo and when I saw it this morning, I clicked it. I clicked it because I thought, "What kind of nonsense is this now? Another company selling fear and survival gear?" But no! It's worse than that! I clicked the link and found... A full page ad selling products to fight Bed Bug infestations in the United States!


This ad has zero to do with Japan! It is an ad for products to fight the Bed Bug infestation that is spreading across the United States today. There's not one single mention of anything that has to do with Japan excepting the byline at the start that claims this "news" is from Tokyo (probably an algorythm that helps the advertisers decide where the results are best). When you click the banner, it takes you to this paid advertisement. Here's the ad at the top of the page:

It reads: 

Tokyo: Remember when "sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite" was just a cute bedtime expression that didn't mean anything? Well, those days are over. After 6 decades of living largely bed bug-free, the US is facing a national infestation.

In fact, the incidence of bed bug infestation has risen 500% in the last few years alone, and they're not just in dirty hotels - they're at the 5-star ones as well and swarming the public places you visit every day. Bed bugs are shutting down businesses and being found at your local movie theaters and clothing stores as they inch closer and closer to your home..

Nothing to dow with Japan at all... Now, that's some mighty fine bait and switch there! I'll bet they catch some pretty good sized fish with that too! Maybe this works for people nowadays. Maybe people are so drugged out or have such a problem with ADD or short attention spans that they've become like pigeons. You know, 1.5 seconds later they can't remember what they were doing.


What's the point of my rant? Well, I think it's pretty obvious that sensationalism sells. It sells newspapers and advertisers for TV and radio... Heck, selling by using fear and sensationalism isn't even hidden anymore. It is blatant and they have no reservations about using dishonest methods to make a buck.


You'd have hoped that, after all the lies of the mass media concerning Saddam Hussein, SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, Global Warming, ad nauseum, that people advertising on the internet would be a bit more sophisticated along with the audience...


I guess I hope for too much. Alas....

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Now, I often complain in this blog and sometimes people take me to task for only complaining and not offering solutions. I stand guilty as charged! But not today! Today, I am going to put my money where my mouth is. Today I am going to show you just how a company can be honest and still do a great business. We don't need misleading sensationalism to sell a product where a need actually exists... Where a need does not exist, sensationalism is a good way to take advantage of suckers.


So, without further ado, may I show you folks a good way on how to sell product against Bed Bugs? First off, find a person with a need (Read: someone with Bed Bugs). Secondly, have them watch the following video. This is a 6 minute long Emmy Award winning documentary called,

WHEN BED BUGS ATTACK! 

Ewwwww!!!!! This gives me the chills every time I see it. Is that creepy, or what? Can there be anything more horrible than something that bites you will you're sleeping? The vampire Bed Bugs!... That there's an infestation of these creepies all over America just gives me one more good reason why I'm staying here in Japan all safe and snug as a bug in a rug in Tokyo...


Fukushima radiation? Compared to these bed bugs, I'll stay here and take my chances.

Godzilla Lawyers? Meet Middle-Finger Zilla

The lawyers for Godzilla seem to claim that any sort of dinosaur image usage or use of the word "Zilla" is an infringement upon their rights for the Godzilla character. I think I can show you today where they are wrong.


Just recently, they got into it with Apple lawyers over Finger-zilla.


A while back they threatened a mom and pop barbecue restaurant.


Well, I am now convinced that these Godzilla lawyers couldn't really win in court. Why? Well dinosaur characters can't be copy-written unless they are totally unique and a T-Rex is not totally unique. And the next part: Zilla is the name of an ancient plant species that grows in the Saharan desert.


Since it is ancient, I'd guess it came before a 1950's B-Grade horror flick.


Now, to blow them thar lawyers out of the water, here's Gigantis! (Not to be confused with Godzilla...)


Wait a minute! Gigantis looks like Godzilla's anemic little sister! How could those lawyers claim that Godzilla is unique?


The name isn't and the character certainly isn't!


If Godzilla lawyers send anyone a cease and desist order, show them this. Those Godzilla lawyers are bluffing!

Japan's Future and Nuclear Power?

Since the March 11 disaster involving the earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear accident at Fukushima, I have been consistently stressing at least two important points concerning the nuclear situation in Japan.

First, when dealing with news about Fukushima, we can only deal with the facts and must resist the temptation to be prodded into panic by sensationalist and hyper-reactive "reporting" that is actually nothing but conjecture. And, two, the worst thing that could ever happen to Japan is for us to lose a cheap and clean source of energy. (For an example of wild conjecture, read this. For a great example of factual reporting see here.)


Interestingly, The Diplomat has a story that echoes my exact words:

Last month, thousands of Japanese took to the streets to demand an end to nuclear power in their country. For more than half a century, Japan had been in the uncomfortable situation of being both the only nation that has suffered an atomic attack, but also one of the countries that are most reliant on atomic energy. The disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, though, has made it impossible to ignore this seeming paradox any longer. The Japanese people, known more for their restraint and willingness to endure than for their propensity to express outrage and challenge the status quo, appear to have found their voice. 

A newly empowered public voice would surely be a positive in a country whose democratically elected leaders have waffled with impressive ambivalence through Japan’s troubles over the last decade. However, if this public voice portends a new reality for Japan, Japanese political leadership will need to find the sophistication and fortitude to respect the difference between democratic leadership and popular capitulation. Notwithstanding the immediate task of bringing relief to hundreds of thousands of tsunami victims, perhaps the most important and imminent test for Japan’s leadership in this new era must be to defy the people’s demands and work immediately to ensure Japan’s nuclear energy supply. 

You can read more at the Diplomat.

From reading the above I flatter myself and imagine that this writer is a regular reader of this blog as I have made the exact same points for months, most recently in mid-June. But most probably not. It is common sense that Japan, a country that has little or no natural resources, as well as an aging society and massive debt to GDP; a country that is one of the most over crowded nations on earth; a country that went to war over resources just 55 years ago, needs nuclear power to survive.


What other choices are there except reverting back to the way things were 45 years ago with Japan's energy needs by burning fossils fuels and pollution? That would be a terrible and completely impractical choice. 

We must find a way to make nuclear power safe as well as economical or the land of the rising sun is a country of the setting sun. Japan is supposed to be a leader of the world in technology. We have no choice but to pursue the creation of safe and controllable nuclear power... Even if it means risking a Godzilla type creature rising up from Tokyo Bay (of course, I am joking!) 


If Japan does not pursue creating the technology and will to create safe nuclear power then Japan's time in the sun has passed.

You Need a Laugh

Sunday morning in Japan. It's going to be an excellent day.


Here's a short from the movie "One Crazy Summer" that should give you a chuckle.

If the movie doesn't play, go watch it here. It's pretty funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4wJMvw_ra4

Thanks to Steve "Poots" Candidus.


Steve also always sends along these great quotes to ponder:


"...In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him
to be semi-human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility
of becoming partly a dog..."   -   Edward Hoagland

"...Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and
your dog would go in..."  -   Mark Twain

American Godzilla!? Not Again!!!

In 1956, an American movie company took the original Godzilla movie and reedited it, put in Raymond Burr, and a bunch of Caucasians to make the crappy version of "Western" Godzilla. (Watch that turkey here.)


Wasn't that enough damage? As the English speaking representative of the Nipponjin nation, I warn you whitey's to stay away for your own good!


Huuurmph! Now, where was I?.....


Now, it has been announced that Godzilla will be remade (like the rest of these crap Hollywood movies over these last 20 years).... Dear God, please deliver us from evil and horrid cinema.


Godzilla is a Japanese thing and needs to stay that way!


As Topless Robot reports:


​First the good news: Legendary Pictures has announced that Gareth Edwards, the guy who directed the low-budget but well-received alien monster flick Monsters, has been hired to direct the new American Godzilla movie. 


(Monsters Trailer):



I haven't seenMonsters yet, but given how excited everyone seems to be about this, I assume it's pretty good. At least he'll probably have some reverence for the source material, and not turn his Godzilla movie into a shitty Jurassic Park rip-off for the entire second act (or have a giant monster "hide" cunningly behind skyscrapers. God that movie f**king sucked).

Die! Die! Die! Go back to your Cameron Diaz movies and leave us alone!

Now the bad news, although it may be bad only to me -- apparently someone's making another American Godzilla movie. Am I the only who thinks this is a horrible idea? Godzilla is Japan's thing, and we don't need to co-opt it. They've been doing just fine with Godzilla movies on their own for more than 50 years. And the one time we did try it, we shat on their beloved icon and looked like assholes. So I don't really care who directs it. I don't want it. I don't think anyone needs it. And even if it's good, I think we're going to look like a**holes again. Am I alone on this?


No, dude. You're not alone. These Godzilla movies are campy and crappy enough as they are without Hollyweird coming in and making them even worse. 


Death to Rocky and Sylvester Stallone!


(Warning to westerners and white people all over the world! We do not need you to f*ck up our monster movies with your Richard Gere and white teethed Hollywood stars! Death to all Gaijins!)* 

*This message was approved by this blogger! Yet does not necessarily represent the political views of this blog.


**As an aside... I remember the last time a Japanese girl said to me, "Konna Oki no?" (Chuckle)......


Awright! This is quality cinema... Not like that crappy "Armageddon Day" with Aerosmith singing that shitty theme song! "Mo-su-ra! Mos-su-ra!" Shit! They don't write kick butt lyrics like that anymore! E-T phone home! Elvis Presley answer your phone!!!!!


Stay away you stinking foreigners!!!! This is your last warning! We know where you live!

King Kong and Godzilla in Love

This proves what I said about Japan being a weird place full of people who have weird imaginations but  it is not as weird as what westerners imagine it to be.

Exhibit one is the artwork below sent in by Randall Myers, an alert reader, who found this on the Cheese Grater UK:

Randall asks, "Mike, is this from Japan? What does the Japanese say?"

Sorry, Randall, my friend. This is definitely another piece that is a figment of some westerners twisted (but kinda funny) imagination. While that looks like Japanese Katakana on the left, it is not. It doesn't say anything as far a I can tell.

It just "looks" Japanese.

Thanks to Randall Myers for sending this. I do appreciate it.

Marketing Japan: Godzilla Lawyers Sue Maine Restaurant! True!

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

Well, the way this has been going recently in the last few days, you'd think that this blog was about Japanese monster movies or pop culture instead of marketing.

Well, here's one for you that is absolutely true and I have the links to prove it:

Think Godzilla is scary? Meet his lawyers! 

Click this for other adventures of Godzilla in Court!

Lawyer's for Toho Cinema, representing Godzilla, are threatening a restaurant in Maine with civil suit. The name of the restaurant is "Grill Zilla BBQ" and it is located in Damariscotta in Maine in the USA.

The restaurant has a mascot that looks like a your average cartoon dinosaur (T-Rex) wearing an apron and the motto is: "BBQ so good, it is scary!"

Owners of Grill Zilla BBQ stand next to their cool sign

I, for one, don't see any problems here with the mascot. But the mascot with "Zilla" is sure to set off a lawyer. But, of course, when you get a roomful of anal-retentive lawyers involved they've just got to sue somebody about something!

Read this from the original article stating the plantiff demands:

Either way, the lawyers for Toho Co. Ltd., a Japanese entertainment conglomerate that owns the rights to the 56-year-old movie icon Godzilla, recently took a long look at Grill Zilla BBQ and saw trademark infringement.

"Toho is concerned that your use of this character along with a name and mark which incorporate a portion of our client's famous GODZILLA mark will cause consumers to believe that there is some association with, authorization by or sponsorship by our client," wrote Jill A. Jacobs, an attorney with the Los Angeles firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP, in a letter to Swett and Burnham last March.

She was just warming up.

Jacobs wet on to request that Swett and Burnham not only deep-six their green mascot, but also stop using the name Grill Zilla "in connection with any 'lizard-like' or 'reptile-like' monsters or other monster designs or references to monsters or with any imagery or character depicted in a manner similar to the way in which Toho has depicted the GODZILLA character in its films."

Had enough? Sorry, there's more.

Lest Grill Zilla's owners not quite grasp what she's talking about, Jacobs went on the explain that Toho doesn't want to look halfway around the world to the coast of Maine and see "a colossal character; in a cityscape with the character crushing or stomping on the city, buildings, cars, people, etc.; in any other setting where the character destroys cities, villages, or mountains; where the character breathes atomic fire; or where the character emerges from the ocean, water, etc."

There is one part of the article that is amusing:. It's the restaurant owners comments on the long winded letter from the lawyer:  

Noted Swett as he reviewed the letter for the umpteenth time Friday, "She's probably getting paid by the word."

Now, you might think that Toho would be embarrassed by all this. But not so. This is not the first time they got all huffy about Godzilla...

Cool merchandise!

Remember Japanese baseball star Hideki Matsui who played for the New York Yankees and had the nikname "Godzilla"? Yep. Toho couldn't get people to stop using the nickname, but they were successful in stopping all sales of any items related to Matsui that had any sort of resemblance to any dinosaurs. Now those Matsui bobbleheads with godzillas body are quite expensive on E-bay! Maybe the Grill Zilla T-Shirts and goods will be the same!

So, I guess the barbeque restaurant might have to change their name... I can't see where Toho has a leg to stand on with the restaurant using a cartoon dinosaur as a mascot, but the name Grill Zilla might be construed as too close to Godzilla.... 

How about Zill Gorilla? Or Grill Gorilla? And use a giant ape like King Kong?


At least it is good to see the owners of the restaurant using this as the great promotion that it is for their establishment's benefit!


See Grill Zilla homepage here. http://www.grillzillabbq.com/

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Keywords: Marketing Japan, Mike Rogers, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, Toho, Godzilla, Japan, Barbeque, BBQ,