Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Kaiju Images: Snake King

Snake King; Today's Kaiju Images Honoree
There's a lot of wonderful, and equally obscure giant monsters in fiction, who deserve more attention online. And although I am not the pop culture historian that I often wish to be, I've come to the conclusion that simply mentioning these characters and subjects, even in the most simplistic of written articles, goes a long way in public awareness.

Especially after getting some much needed words of encouragement from Kevin P, the web-master of the wonderful cult movie blog Exploder Button, along with Darkrai Titanollante, one of the founders and overseers of Wikizilla.

So even if my future blog posts are lacking hard facts or extreme details (which I will openly admit to, whenever possible), the fact that I simply sharing these lesser known characters in the 'internet aether', is a worth wild endeavor all on its own.


'Jets? Where?!? I don't see any jets?'
Another, very supportive friend, fellow artist, and giant monster fanatic EarthBaragon has also been encouraging me to do more with this blog. And has even given me a wonderful variety of screen-captures from Kaiju-related television shows and films.

And like an idiot, I've yet to do anything with these valuable gifts of otherwise silly nerd trivia. Until now, that is.

The following will be the first of many Kaiju Image galleries, featuring EarthBaragon's awesome donations, along with much needed written information that he also helped write. Good thing too, because I really can't stand my own writing, as I keep finding typos whenever I revisit this site, and its past uploads. And sadly another reason I don't do more around here.

Take it away, EarthBaragon!


'Hail Cobra!'
Behold the villainous Snake King, from episode 29 of Tsuburaya Productions’ ”Mirrorman”, entitled ”Mirrorman Annihilated” (original broadcast date: June 4th, 1972)

The Invaders from Planet X (the main recurring fish-faced villains of ”Mirrorman”) send the monster Snake King into a city, to destroy the headquarters of the Monster Attack Force (MAF); the organization that helps the inter-dimensional superhero Mirrorman in his endeavors.

Snake King actually succeeds in destroying the building, and for a while, you the audience, believe that the MAF forces are all dead. Even the hero. But it turns out that they managed to get away, and have retreated to a secluded new base that is out in the middle of nowhere, really.





Realizing their mistakes, The Invaders capture Mirrorman in his human form of Kyotaro Kagami, and send Snake King to finish up the job it started.

While in their control, the aliens place a bomb inside Mirrorman, that will detonate if he is in his giant hero form for more than a few minutes. See, up until this point, Mirrorman didn't have a time limit, like most of the Tsuburaya Production heroes. The addition of this ‘Invader Bomb’ was a way for the producers add a little bit of suspense to the fights of future episodes. 

Needless to say, Kyotato Kagami escapes and transforms into Mirroman, to battle Snake King.

Unfortunately for him, another monster shows up; the hook-handed Harigojira! The two enemy beasts tag team on Mirroman, but MAF’s super jets intervene and allow the hero to kill off Snake King.



Harigorjira flees and tunnels away. Mirrorman was going to take chase, but remembering of the time limit, he is forced to let the monster run away.

EarthBaragon's Comment:

I just love the way Snake King looks! His hands are snake heads, with his feet also being snake heads! And he has eight other snake heads all long that flat body of his. The only thing that is not a snake head is his tail. And I love his coloring too. And as you can see, he can shoot fire or scalding hot gas from the snake heads on his hands, as well as his own normal head. And he can electrify people within his grasp.

More Images of Snake King Fighting Against Mirrorman:






Snake King's Saucer-Like Flying Form:





Snake King Attempting To Kill A Whole Lot of Scarecrows:





The Less Impressive, Remaining Images for Snake King:


'Damn It! My fly was open this whole time!'




In his spare time, Snake King is a peeping-tom!
Behold! The Glove-handles of Snake King!
Behold! The BIG BUTT of Snake King!

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Meet The Cinemologists

In addition to my regular posts on obscure giant monsters, and my own more obscurer artworks, I've decided to also use my not-so-regularly updated blog to showcase other creative people that I happen to like, and who deserves some much needed shout outs.

So let's start spreading the love with the following movie-minded gentlemen...After I've had a bit of a ranting tangent, via article intro.

Alex (on camera), Y2K (on microphone), and Joel (on table); The original founding members of The Cinemologists, along with their anime-style mascot heroine Sarah Grable.
The cult television series "Mystery Science Theater 3000" may have long since been cancelled. But its legacy and influence, that being the comedic riffing of films, are more than alive and well today.

Wither it be through the show's original creators going off to do worthy successors, like RiffTrax and Cinematic Titanic, or the virtual endless succession of internet 'Comedian Reviewers', who they themselves feel like the lost children of MST3K. All with varying degrees of execution and related success.

These of course include the likes of The Nostalgia Critic, The Cinema Snob, The Angry Video Game Nerd, Spoony, Honest Trailers, How It Should Have Ended, and way too many others to properly note, regardless if they were directly influenced by The Satellite of Love, or not.

The Satellite of Love being the fictional base of operations for MST3K, of course.

And although still fresh to the scene, this too includes my friend and art client Brandon Tenold, and his series "Brandon's Cult Movies Reviews". And whom I plan to feature more of at this very blog, alongside the humorous title cards that I've done for his video series.

But as fun as riffing on famous and lesser known films can be, I also fear that there's been a backlash to this aforementioned modern age, especially across the internet. And that's a lack of respect, or even willingness to give films a viewing chance, upon their own merits as individual films. Particularly in the overlooked fantasy and science fiction adventures decades passed.

In other words, that unfortunate mentality of 'everything is a guilty pleasure, ripe of mocking because it has no value'. Especially if any and all films were made well before the 1990's, if not, the new millennium.

Thankfully, there's still some true movie connoisseurs online who try to share and recommend movies, without resorting to the 'MST3K Methods'. Or far more insidious; the suggesting of alcohol and smoking weed to get through any and all entertainment (is that the real reason that Reality Television has become so popular these days?).

But the majority of these more serious-minded reviews are regulated to written articles, and not to extensive video series online.

Brandon Tenold for example, has a more straight-faced career as horror movie reviewer in written word (through horror movies sites that I cannot locate at this moment), though it's his more humorous videos that get's the most attention.

And a similar situation can even be said for the all the aforementioned Comedian Reviewers above.

ENTER THE CINEMOLOGISTS!



A small, but dedicated group of film buffs, who in addition to their more extensive written reviews and articles (their official web-site found HERE), have also started a fairy straight-faced, though no less entertaining series of video-based movie retrospectives.

And whose main focus are on the lesser known, or heavily overlooked special effects films of old. Or 'the terrifying wilderness years' before "Jurassic Park" and / or the current millennium of popular film-making began, as the young (or even the miserably unfair old) might call it.

And although they don't go overboard in the comedy and skits department (despite the video posted right below), they still have some fun and humor while revisiting said films.



Below are just three of The Cinemologists YouTube-based videos, showcasing motion pictures that I also happen to love, which I too feel they deserve a second look whenever possible. Beyond their immediate camp or 'riffing' value, of course.

Give these guys and their videos a watch. And if you really like what you see, than please support them in the links posted at the bottom of this article. OR simply spread the word about these guys, with friends and acquaintances a like (family too, I suppose).

"Starcrash" (1978) Review


"Mr. Arkadin" (1955) Review


"The War of the Worlds" (1953) Review



RELATED LINKS:

The Cinemologists Official Web-Site

The Cinemologists Facebook Page

The Cinemologists YouTube Account (more videos there!)

Thecollector1138 YouTube Account (Cinemologist Related)