Godzilla: King of the Monsters - Monster Mash

The MonsterVerse continues.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters arrives August 27. It’s on 4K UHD Combo-Pack, Blu-Ray Combo Pack and DVD. The Digital format appeared early on August 6.

UNIVERSE

Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures rebooted Godzilla back in 2014. This starts the MonsterVerse. Kong: Skull Island, another reboot for King Kong, followed in 2017.

Many called King of the Monsters a disappointment within the Summer 2019 slate of films. While the Godzilla 2014 version had a strong buzz, King of the Monsters appears to have stumbled.

It only garnered a 46% on Rotten Tomatoes and over $385 million worldwide. The result is the lowest of the MonsterVerse.

But plans are already in the works for more. Godzilla and King Kong are to meet in Godzilla vs. Kong in 2020. (Which gets teased during this credits sequence.)

Godzilla may get the title but there are humans as well. Like Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga and Millie Bobby Brown, in her feature film debut. (Millie, of course, is familiar with tv in Stranger Things. )

The cast is rounded out with Bradley Whitford. Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Oscar nominee David Strathairn, Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe and Golden Globe nominee Ziyi Zhang.

The film is directed by Michael Dougherty. He wrote the script with Zach Shields with the story by Max Borenstein and Shields. Based on the characters of Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Mothra and Rodan, owned and created by Toho Co, Ltd.

TAKE

Would I buy this film? Make it a rainy day selection.

This is a sequel. So, if you’ve never seen Godzilla or Skull Island, well, King of the Monsters may be an odd choice to start. But if you like Godzilla or monster movies in general, I would say it is worth a look.

(I’m not one to say I am a Godzilla expert as the history stretches back in 1954. Bigger fans may just love this.)

Do you have to be familiar with those other MonsterVerse movies? Not really. The only connective thread is a few supporting characters from the 2014 Godzilla. And the organization called Monarch.

Godzilla haunts the family of Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga and Millie Bobby Brown.

Godzilla has disappeared for five years. But Monarch has been on the search and studying these other creatures known as Titans. If there is one like Godzilla - there must be more to find, right?

The movie opens with trying to keep one of these Titans contained named Mothra. A group of eco-terrorists attack though. Mothra escapes but Farmiga’s and Bobby Brown’s characters are captured.

As these monsters rise from Rodan and the three-headed Ghidorah. Humanity’s very existence is hanging in the balance. As it always tends to be for humanity.

It is a monster movie. So, it’s over-the-top. There is plenty of action/destruction, too. The last 25-30 minutes of the film is focused around a Godzilla fight.

You may shake your head at some of what the humans do when monsters are around, too.

The visual effects are quite impressive.

Was it a great film? Not really.

Was it terrible? Not really.

It’s passable entertainment. Good for a rainy day.

Will I be watching Godzilla vs. Kong? Most likely.

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

How much there was to find here was surprising.

Monsters 101 (5 minutes, 43 seconds.)

Godzilla: Nature’s Fearsome Guardian

Mothra: Queen of the Monsters

King Ghidorah: The Living Extinction Machine

Rodan: Airborne God of Fire

- A closer look at the monsters in the film, sizes, special powers etc. But nothing earth-shattering.

Evolution of Titans (27 minutes, 24 seconds.)

Godzilla 2.0

Making Morthra

Creating Ghidorah

Reimagining Rodan

A deeper look at the monsters. Topics include the slight physical changes to Godzilla. There's talk how Ghindorah used motion-capture performance to create the three heads. And how vultures and even crane sounds are used for Rodan. Some of it’s interesting for how much thought goes into the design of the monster.

Monarch in Action (32 minutes, 56 seconds.)

The Yunnan Temple

Castle Bravo

The Antarctic base

The Isla de Mara Volcano

The Undersea Lair

More about the organization of Monarch. This section is more sets and locations that are used within the film.

Millie Bobby Brown: Force of Nature (4 minutes, 7 seconds.)

- What a lot of the cast thought of Millie Bobby Brown. I never saw Stranger Things, so there might be more of an appeal for that fanbase. She’s only 13 when she filmed the movie.

Monster Tech: Monarch Joins the Fight (8 minutes, 34 seconds.)

- There’s a different kind of technology featured in the movie because of Monarch. They discuss it here.

Monsters are Real (14 minutes, 10 seconds.)

- I found this more interesting. It shifts more away from the movie aspects and the real-life aspects. What is it about monsters? Some may say it’s humans. What about dragons? They are featured in basically every culture. Komodo dragons?

Those Kraken legends have some truth, too.

Welcome to the Monsterverse (3 minutes, 42 seconds.)

- Doesn’t offer up anything new. But clips from Godzilla and Kong to highlight what’s to come. And teases the question - who might be the king after all?

Deleted Scenes (5 minutes, 1 second.)

- One deleted scene and one alternative scene.

I always find the alternative scene interesting. It shows what changes were made and tweaked to what shows up in the completed film.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment

The Curse of La Llorona: She Weeps

It's a real legend.

The Curse of La Llorona arrived August 6. It’s on Blu-Ray Combo Pack and DVD. The Digital format appeared early on July 16.

UNIVERSE

From New Line Cinema and James Wan, The Conjuring Universe continues to expand. There are now two Conjurings, three Annabelles and The Nun.

The Curse of La Llorona shows the Conjuring formula may not always draw a crowd. It’s the lowest box office draw of the Universe at $122 million worldwide. And only fared out with a 30% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It did fare slightly better than The Nun on the critic front, which ended up with 26%.   

The Curse of La Llorona is the feature directorial debut of Michael Chaves. It was written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis. 

The film stars Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz and Patricia Velasquez. Supporting cast is Marisol Ramirez, Sean Patrick Thomas, Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen and newcomer Roman Christou.

TAKE

Would I buy this film? A rainy day selection.

If you are a horror fan or like The Conjuring movies, it’s probably worth the look.

If you are hoping for a major Conjuring connection though, you might be disappointed. There is an appearance of Father Perez (Tony Amendola.) He only pops up in a couple of scenes. But, Conjuring viewers may recall his encounter with a mysterious doll named Annabelle.

One thing the Conjuring universe seems to manage is a good creepy atmosphere and a few decent suspenseful scenes. I think, anyway. This continues here for the R-rated movie.    

It’s a 1973 setting. Linda Cardellini is solid. She is Anna Tate-Garcia, a social worker, recently widowed, struggling to raise her two children. Played by Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen and Roman Christou. I couldn’t help but shake my head at some of their actions and also root for them. Anna’s intervention on the child welfare of the sons of Patricia Alvarez (Patricia Velasquez.) This will soon unleash La Lorona. - ‘The Weeping Woman’ - on Anna’s family and home.

With the encounter from Rafael Olvera (Raymond Cruz), a curandero - a traditional healer - Anna and her kids have some help in the battle with the supernatural.

It was interesting the La Llorona curse is a real legend/myth as the special features reveal. La Llorona is played by a real lady Marisol Ramirez - obviously, with some special effects help.

Thinking back on the 93 minutes - the La Llorona scares do get repetitive. She tends to do a lot of screams. But still makes her creepy.

James Wan was so impressed with Michael Chaves, the director. Chaves will be taking over directing duties for The Conjuring 3. Which is officially scheduled for 2020. (Wan directed the first two Conjurings and will remain a producer. And more recently, directed Aquaman.) 

The Conjuring Universe seems to be mixing up their formula for The Conjuring 3, too. A shift from the creepy-things-going-on-in-houses. (Annabelle Comes Home is the third Annabelle and a summer theatre release.)

Reports say the story is based on a real court case with the defendant using possessions as the defence.      

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

The Myth of La Llorona (2 minutes, 29 seconds.)

- Some of the actors discuss being familiar with the tale of La Llorona. But mostly just rehash the story that was already told in the movie.

Behind the Curse (9 minutes, 43 seconds.)

- The talk of legend, the Conjuring connection and the director talks working with James Wan.

The Making of a Movie Monster (5 minutes, 53 seconds.)

- Marisol Ramirez talks about the process of becoming La Llorona. It’s about three hours for the makeup to be put on.

Deleted Scenes (11 minutes, 10 seconds.)

- Most are extensions of existing scenes. But there are a couple of alternate versions, which I always find more interesting.

Storyboards (17 minutes, 32 seconds.)

- Rewatch sequences from the movie and what compare to how they are storyboard. 

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment 

Pokémon - Detective Pikachu: Pika. Pika.

Pika. Pika.

Pokémon - Detective Pikachu arrived August 6. It’s on everything from the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, the Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD. The Digital format appeared early on July 23.

DETECTIVE

The brand of Pokémon launched in 1996. It covers animated films, books, manga comics, music, toys, merchandise and apps.

Detective Pikachu is the first-ever Pokémon movie to have live-action people in the story. The ‘Detective Pikachu’ video game by Creatures Inc. inspired the film.  

As it stands - Detective Pikachu is the most successful movie based on a video game…ever. It grossed over $431 million worldwide. It nudges just past the 2018 release of Rampage starring Dwayne Johnson.   

Detective Pikachu is also (currently) the best-reviewed video game adaptation with critics. It tallied 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. Rampage and Tomb Raider (2018) marked 52% as a comparison.

While the stats say positive signs. It was also competing against Avengers: Endgame when it released in theaters. Which feels like Pikachu got lost in the Marvel buzz.

Rob Letterman directs this story. Tim Goldman (Justice Smith) arrives in Ryme City. He received news his estranged father, Detective Harry Goldman is dead. Tim eventually meets Harry’s Pokémon partner - Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds.) Which, somehow, they can talk to each other. They quickly discover Tim’s father was part of a bigger mystery, which they set out to solve.

The cast is rounded off with Kathryn Newton as Lucy. The supporting cast includes Suki Waterhouse, Omar Chaparro, Chris Geere, Rita Ora, Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe and Nill Nighy.  

The story is by Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit and Nicole Perlman with the screenplay by Hernandez, Samit, Letterman and Derek Connolly. 

TAKE

Would I buy this film? A rainy day selection.

But if you are a Pokémon fan, probably worth the bigger look. 

I wasn’t big on Pokémon in my younger days, so it felt like a weird little movie.

An entire city was created so people and Pokémon can live side-by-side in peace. No battles are allowed. So, it's different from traditional Pokémon in the past.

On top of that is this noir-style which pops up, like it was trying to be a mystery movie from the 1940s. Pikachu even says ‘dame’ at one point.

What what I found made it worthwhile is the voice of Ryan Reynolds. It’s about 20 minutes into the 104 minutes film before Pikachu appears though.

And then there’s Justice Smith. When the realization hits that the majority of Justice’s acting is against nothing. Thought he should get some points for that.      

Ryan has a few good quips, too, that I couldn’t help but laugh. Plus he really makes Pikachu feel like a character. 

But true to the mystery-style, there were a few twists and turns which I did not see coming.

So, while I have never been one for spoilers. Tim arriving in Ryme City is where the movie starts to kick in. The Pokémon make for a colourful and slightly oddball addition. 

Want to find out more of the mystery? You’ll have to watch.

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

The Detective Mode is only found on Blu-Ray. And for a limited time, there is even a Pokémon trading card with a Blu-Ray, 4k UHD and DVD buy.

Detective Mode

- It’s best to see the movie before even trying Detective Mode.

This is a neat twist on commentary. There’s pop-up Pokémon trivia and facts, behind-the-scenes footage, trivia and talk of Easter Eggs.

(Easter Egg example - a clip of a detective movie originates from Home Alone.)

Alternate Opening (1 minute, 41 seconds.) 

- A different version of Tim’s introduction at work. But think what’s in the movie is better.

My Pokémon Adventure ( 2 minutes, 13 seconds.)

- Justice Smith tells his love for Pokémon. 

Creating the World of Detective Pikachu reel covers a lot of different ground. There’s the talk of creating the city from the mixture of London and Tokyo plans. There’s the creation of the Pokémon there are about 60 different ones in the entire movie. There’s the talk of the stunts and how Justice acted against nothing. Ryan as Pikachu and what the director wanted to achieve.  

Creating the World of Detective Pikachu: Welcome to Ryme City (2 minutes, 57 seconds.)

Creating the World of Detective Pikachu: Uncovering: Uncovering the Magic (4 minutes, 4 seconds.)

Creating the World of Detective Pikachu: Action (4 minutes, 7 seconds.)

Creating the World of Detective Pikachu: Colourful Characters (6 minutes, 48 seconds.)

Creating the World of Detective Pikachu: Bringing Pokémon to Life (3 minutes and 23 seconds.)

-

Mr. Mime’s Audio Commentary (3 minutes.)

- Mr. Mime. Audio. There might be a joke here.

Ryan Reynolds - Outside the Actor’s Studio (1 minute, 32 seconds.)

- The clip was online. Ryan talks about how he took the deep dive of acting as Pikachu.

- Carry On by Rita Ora and Kygo (Music Video) (3 minutes, 51 seconds.) 

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.

SHAZAM!: Lighter Superhero fare

Just say the word.

SHAZAM! arrived July 16. It’s on everything from the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, the Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD. The Digital format appeared early on July 2.

HERO

Shazam! is set within the DC Extended Universe of the 2017’s Justice League. Aquaman, Superman, Batman, Flash and Wonder Women, all exist in this world.

Shazam! also marked the lowest box office of the bunch with over $364 million worldwide. But, on that Tomatometer, it earned a quite impressive 91%.

A very easy ‘Certified Fresh.’

(For comparison - Aquaman - hitting the Billion dollar mark worldwide - is only 65% on Rotten Tomatoes.)

David F. Sandberg directs this new origin story. Teenager Billy Baston (Asher Angel) only needs one word. He can turn into an adult superhero, Shazam! (Zachary Levi.)

These powers are courtesy of an ancient wizard. Of course, that’s usually how it works.

Billy/Shazam will have to figure out his powers though because of the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong.) Who is pretty good at being menacing.  

Jack Dylan Grazer - if he looks familiar he battled Pennywise the Clown in IT. Grazer plays Billy’s best friend, Freddy. Djimon Hounsou, an Oscar nominee, is that Wizard. The cast rounds out with Faithe Herman, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews.

The screenplay is by Henry Gayden and the story is by Gayden and Darren Lemke, based on characters from DC. Shazam! was created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck.

TAKE

Would I buy this film? Yes.

SHAZAM! Is yet another origin superhero movie in a long list of them.

(SHAZAM! was initially called Captain Marvel in the comics, but that’s another story.)

Yet, it feels a little different than some of the last few DC movies. The visual effects get scaled back for a smaller size movie. There are a few dark moments - it is PG-13 after all. There is some coarse language and some quips about a strip club.

The first part of the movie may be a little slow as it sets up the characters. Like Dr. Sivana, the Wizard, Billy Batson and his issues, plus the friends he meets.

It’s about 35 minutes into the 132-minute film when Zachary Levi (Chuck!) appears as SHAZAM! And I can’t picture anyone else in the role after seeing this.

Levi does act like a 14-year-old stuck in an adult body.  

He is awkward at times and funny as he struggles with his newly gifted powers. When he first meets Dr. Sivana, he’s not ready for it.

Freddy - Grazer - gets the most screen time out of the cast of kids. Freddy struggles with his disability and is a big fan of Superman. When Billy reveals his powers to Freddy, there’s a wide range of emotions for him to deal with. I thought Grazer was good in the role.

But overall, the story feels a lot lighter and funnier than the darkness of Justice League or Man of Steel. It may not be the best superhero movie around but feels like a nice change of pace.

SHAZAM! is set during the Christmas season too, which I did not expect. Santa even has a rough time with the action.   

And yes, viewers there are two credits scenes. One appears to set up a potential sequel. The other is a joke scene towards another DC hero, which I found amusing.

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

Shazam Exclusive Motion Comic (4 minutes, 5 seconds.)

A mini-story set after the movie but told through moving comic pages. It’s neat to look at. Zachary Levi does voice SHAZAM! A few bubbles have to be read.

The Magical World of Shazam (27 minutes, 9 seconds)

The behind-the-scenes reel. Like Zachary didn’t audition for SHAZAM! - he was going do a different role. The majority of the movie was shot in Toronto and how cold it was. And what happened to film in Philadelphia. Among other topics like the lighting bolt design on SHAZAM!  

Super Fun Zac (3 minutes, 19 seconds)

How fun is Zachary Levi? Apparently a lot.

Carnival Scene Study, Shazamily Values (10 minutes, 23 seconds)

The end of the movie is centred around a Winter Carnival. The actors discuss the stunt work like blowing up a ride. And the visual effects involved in making the sequence.

Shazamily Values (6 minutes, 6 seconds)

Highlights the various kids in the movie.

Who is Shazam? (5 minutes, 42 seconds)

This talks about Shazam and comics history. Like the Captain Marvel name and the old tv shows and comics. And how Shazam seems to have lasted all these years.

Deleted and Alternate Scenes (Over 20 minutes)

You can watch the scenes or included an introduction from the director. I find the alternate scenes the most intriguing. There’s a different beginning, a sequence was shot mostly in one-take, to a different ending.

Gag Reel (3 minutes, 16 seconds)

A gag reel. Silliness here.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment 

A Star Is Born: Special Encore Edition

Ready for an Encore?

A Star Is Born Encore arrived June 4. It will be on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital. The Blu-Ray and DVD will also have the theatrical version.

ENCORE

A Star is Born Encore offers almost 12 extra minutes to the movie. 

Do the 12 minutes change anything drastic? 
My take - No. 

Most of the additions go towards longer performances and some never-before-seen footage.

- The opening song 'Black Eyes' is longer and so is the song 'Alibi.'
- When Ally sings 'Shallow' for the first time in a parking lot, it lasts a few more seconds. 
- The wedding sequence includes the song, "Is That Alright,' which was only featured on the soundtrack. There was no performance in the theatrical version.  
- Other never-seen song snippets. (These are all within a minute length.) - Jack and Ally writing a new song called 'Clover.' Jackson in the studio singing 'Too Far Gone' and Jackson and Ally have a jam session for 'Midnight Special.'

There are also a few extended and never-before-heard dialogue.
 - Jackson's and Noodles (Dave Chappelle) first conversation has a few extra words. 
- There is a brief zipline scene with Jackson and Ally.
- During the Roy Orbison Tribute, it shows Jackson and the singer, Marlon Williams, having more of a conversation. 

TAKE

Would I buy it? Yes. If I had never seen the movie. 

A Star is Born is still my contender for the best movie that I have watched in 2019. I still like the music, too.

But casual viewers may not even notice the difference with the Encore version. (I actually had to search the Internet for some of the scene additions.) 

For my viewing experience though, the extra music is cool. I didn't really feel like I missed out on the extended dialogue scenes. 

The hardcore fans, who want a little bit more of Jackson and Ally, may find the 12 minutes to be exciting and worthwhile.

The Special Features only have Musical Moments.

Below is my February Movie Take, when I saw the film for the initial Blu-Ray and DVD release.

STAR

A Star Is Born is essentially the fourth time this story is being told. There is the 1976 version with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. The 1954 movie with Judy Garland and James Mason. And the original goes back to a 1937 film with stars Janet Gaynor and Fredric March - but it had nothing to do with music. Gaynor played an actress with a big dream.

All have the same title - A Star Is Born.    

Bradley Cooper decided he wanted to take on the task of this new version. He went all in, too. He earned his acting, directing, writing and producing credits.

He cast Lady Gaga, in her first leading role. She played the struggling singer, Ally, whose star may be on the rise. There is also Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle and Sam Elliott to round out the cast. Rami Gavron and Anthony Ramos also have roles.

Cooper and Gaga wrote original songs for the movie. This also includes a handful of artists, like Lukas Nelson (Willie Nelson’s son), Jason Isbell and Mark Ronson.

All songs were recorded live during filming, too. No lip-syncing, nothing recorded beforehand.   

Most critics and audiences seem to agree that the movie was worth a look. It has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It made over $209 million in North America and $421 million worldwide.

A Star Is Born brought the acclaim and countless award nominations. Won Best Original Song - Shallow - at the Golden Globes. (The official music video has nearly 300 million views on YouTube. Plus countless covers which most recently includes Kelly Clarkson.)

The movie won three acting awards at the National Board of Review. This is for Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga and Sam Elliott. It also won two Grammys including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.  

The movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards. This includes Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing and Best Original Song.

The movie only took home a single Oscar. But it was for the one that a lot people figured would be the obvious category win - Best Original Song for Shallow. The award went to Gaga and co-writers Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt and Anthony Rossomando.

So, yes, Lady Gaga is now an Oscar winner. Gaga's performance of the song with Cooper at the Oscars managed to be one of the more talked-about moments of the night.

TAKE

Would I buy this film? Yes.

It’s so well-done, it may just be one of the best movies I’ve watched in 2019.

But it’s safe to say it’s not a family-friendly movie with an R rating. There’s plenty of language through 136 minutes, and the story is not always an easy watch. There are issues like love, heartbreak, substance abuse/addiction and mental health/illness to deal with.

I can’t say I was ever really a Lady Gaga fan. I don’t mind some of her songs, but I never got excited to listen to them.

But I think A Star Is Born made me appreciate her musical talents a little bit more. There is no doubt, the Lady can sing.   

There is a scene in a parking lot with Cooper. She sings a small part of Shallow with no music. She sounds impressive.

It a little bit surprising how good Cooper is as the musician, Jackson Maine. A man whose music career isn’t exactly going smoothly. Rocket Raccoon is pretty cool from Guardians of the Galaxy, but I think this is Cooper's best work since American Sniper. (2014.)    

For original music, they really aren’t bad songs. You may even want to listen to some of them a second time. (I have already.)

Will the movie be for everybody? Probably not. But you may just find something to like. I think the award nominations feel earned and deserved.

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

Jam Sessions and Rarities

- Baby What You Want Me To Do

- Midnight Special

- Is That Alright

It hits a little bit below 10 minutes. ‘Baby What You Want Me To Do’ and ‘Midnight Special,’ you get a behind-the-scenes look of singing. It's blended in with footage that appears to be cut from the movie. ‘Is That Alright’ is a music-video which may be wedding song material for some people.

The Road to Stardom: Making A Star is Born

Roughly 30 minutes. The first 5 minutes is standard behind-the-scenes stuff. But things get more interesting as Bradley and Lady Gaga discuss musical ideas with Lukas Nelson and Mark Ronson. Acting with Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay and Anthony Ramos. Cooper also tells of his directing choices and how that went.    

Music Videos and Musical Moments

There are the music videos for Shallow, Always Remember Us This Way and Look What I Found, I’ll Never Love Again. You can also pick specific music moments from the movie to watch again.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment