#might link to the reptilian revelation post at some point. might not.

[mrm-pachypoda]

Funny silly door man!!!! Made before the Reptillian Revelation™️

#art tag #my art #tma #tma fanart #the magnus archives #the magnus archive fanart #Magnus jagnus #michael distortion #tma michael #tma micheal distortion #tma micheal shelly #michael shelley #michael mcfuckhands #woagh that’s a lot of tags #you need a door! #might link to the reptilian revelation post at some point. might not. #anyway the silly is about to get way funkier!! #eye strain

[thiswomanshouldbewriting]

A Tale of Magic - Chapter 5 (Quiet Minds)

After way too many days of procrastinating out of fear of getting this chapter wrong, I finally found the courage to post it. infinite thanks to @galactic-pirates, my wonderful beta, who was even more patient than usual with me. 

In this chapter we learn how Rumplestiltskin was brought back from the dead, and what that meant for him. In present-day Storybrooke, Belle has a very emotional day. Zelena makes everybody miserable.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Ao3 link. 

The Enchanted Forest, five months ago.

The man trembled before Zelena, his hands clenching nervously around the old key. 

“So I just need to open that vault?” he asked, made suspicious by the apparent simplicity of the task. 

“Yes. I believe even a monkey like you should be able to do that. Or should I give you a little incentive? Four children, three children… it doesn’t make much difference, does it?” Zelena threatened.

All color drained from the man’s face. 

“No, please, you said you wouldn’t harm them,” he begged.

“I said I’d spare them if you did as you were told. If you really want to keep them safe, stop asking stupid questions, and do what I say,” Zelena remarked.

He nodded nervously, then turned around and walked to the center of the clearing. It was a warm day, but the metal circle that marked the entrance to the vault was ice cold. He knelt beside the lock, brushing the dirt off of the opening, then took a deep breath and pushed the key inside. 

The key seemed to catch fire, turning incandescent against his hand as the air filled with the stench of burned skin. He screamed, falling back as he let the key go, the pain so intense that at first he didn’t even notice the black, gooey substance coming out of the vault. 

“What’s going on?” he asked, terror rising in him as he realized how difficult it was becoming to form words.

“Don’t you know that all magic comes at a price? I needed to bring someone back from the dead, so someone else needed to die. I promised your family would be safe, I never said anything about you,” Zelena cackled.

He collapsed to the ground, his vision blurring. The last thing he was aware of was the shape of a man emerging from the goo. 

Zelena watched in awe as her old mentor was forcefully brought back from limbo as the peasant’s life force was transferred to him. Centuries before, an ambitious king had tethered the Dark One’s soul to this vault, so that not even death could ever free him of the king’s control. The spell he had crafted to bring the Dark One back had never been tested before, but Zelena had never doubted that she would succeed. She was surprised by Rumplestiltskin’s appearance once the spell was completed: he looked human now, but there was no doubt that he was still the Dark One: the dagger in his hands still bore his name. Just as Zelena had expected, he was barely conscious once the spell was completed; being brought back from the dead was bound to leave him weakened for some time. He collapsed to the ground and barely even flinched when she took the dagger from his trembling fingers.

“Zelena… no…” he murmured, but not even panic could give him the strength to fight back. He was completely at her mercy. 

“Save you breath, dearie,” she said, kneeling down so that her face was mere inches from his. “You’re going to need all of your strength very soon.”

**********

Storybrooke, present. 

Belle had been in the shop all day. Ever since they’d come back to Storybrooke she’d been checking the inventory to see if anything had gone missing or if something new had made its way to the shop. She had found nothing relevant so far, but the pawnshop was so filled with trinkets that it would take her several more days to finish the job. She didn’t mind though; she enjoyed the cozy quiet of the shop, and being surrounded by Rumplestiltskin’s things made her feel closer to him. Sometimes she could almost imagine he was fixing something in the back, and that at any moment he’d walk past the curtain and ask her if she wanted a cup of tea. It was a bittersweet thought, one that sometimes warmed her from the inside and at others left her in tears.

Today had been a bit of a rollercoaster. First the news about the cloaked figure in the woods, then the ripple of magic as the curse was broken, and not long after that Neal had walked in, telling her of his encounter with his father. Rumplestiltskin was clearly in some sort of confused state, but after a while he had recognized his son. Belle was determined to see it as good news: if Rumplestiltskin had improved slightly after such a short time with Neal, whatever had been done to him was probably reversible. It had to be.

When her cellphone rang, Belle took a deep breath before answering, readying herself for the latest crisis. 

“Hi Belle,” Emma said, her voice frustratingly neutral, carrying no hint of whether she was the bearer of bad or good news. “Are you sitting right now?”

Belle understood that Emma was just concerned for her and her baby, but even this short delay was hell on her nerves.

“Yes, now please just tell me what’s going on,” she all but begged. 

“David and I just stopped a flying monkey from attacking Gold. The monster was chasing him through the woods, but while we dealt with the monkey Gold ran away from us too. He was confused, but he seemed to recognize me, or at least to remember that I’m on his side. He looked as though he was trying to say something but couldn’t bring himself to focus on it,” Emma explained. “We’re trying to track him down again, but I thought you needed to know immediately. The monkeys follow Zelena’s orders, they shouldn’t be attacking him. Either she lost control of them, or she lost control of Rumplestiltskin. Maybe he managed to get his hands on his dagger and escape. And if he did…”

“He’ll come to me,” Belle concluded for her, a smile forming on her lips. Her Rumple was coming back. He was coming home. “I’ll keep my eyes open, and I’ll be ready to face any flying monkey that might be chasing him. There’s more than enough magic in here to deal with them.”

“Still, I told Neal to join you at the shop. He has already been through enough today, and Gold will want to see him as well. If anyone can bring him back to his senses, it’s you two,” Emma said, her tone turning softer. She truly hoped things would turn out alright for them. She remembered what it was like, to be pregnant and scared, and she wouldn’t have wished that on her worst enemy, let alone Belle. 

After hanging up the phone, Emma resumed her search with even more determination. She was the Savior, it was her duty to bring back the happy endings, and that now included Rumplestiltskin’s as well. She’d reunite him with his family, then they’d defeat Zelena together and Henry would be safe. That’s what she kept telling herself. It was a good mantra, but it didn’t stop the doubts from creeping up inside her, a dark thought she was completely unable to push back. Safe, sure, her fear whispered, but for how long? 

**********

The Enchanted Forest, after Rumplestiltskin’s resurrection. 

Rumplestiltskin was going mad. He had no memories of what being dead felt like, but he was sure not even hell could be this bad. Zelena had confined him to a small cage in the great hall of his own castle, forbidding him from doing any magic, and laying helplessly in the dirt day after day was quickly chipping away at his sanity. Zelena had total control over his life; she could starve him for days just as she could force feed him, all while taunting him and mocking him for his weakness. His immortality prevented him from suffering any lasting damage, so he couldn’t even hope death would put an end to his misery.

Even the solace of sleep was eluding him. Dark Ones didn’t need to sleep, and the constant fear and frustration he was living with guaranteed to keep him awake at all times. Dark magic was simmering in his veins, begging to be released, not accustomed to being trapped for so long. Every day he found himself spending more and more time picturing Zelena’s death, the images becoming increasingly gruesome as the darkness inside of him mounted. Soon enough, his skin started to show the change, gradually going back to its old reptilian appearance. 

“We’re the same, you and I,” Zelena commented one day, pointing at his now completely scaly skin. “Our skin reflects who we really are on the inside. No matter how much you try to fight me, how much you want to tell yourself that you’ve changed, the truth is that you’re every bit as dark as I am. We both revel in darkness, and you were a fool to push me away.”

A wave of the dagger sent him to his knees as Zelena entered the cage and sat on the stool in front of him. This was the part of his imprisonment that he hated the most. He tried to keep his breathing under control as Zelena put her fingers on his temples and started reading his mind. Under any other circumstances, he could have stopped her; searching someone’s memories and thoughts was a delicate process, requiring both the expertise of the reader and complete compliance of the subject. Zelena’s magic was strong enough to grant her access to his mind, but she took no care in making the process any less painful for him. Every time it felt as though his head was about to explode, but he was forbidden to fight back, and the witch only seemed to take pleasure in the whimpers that sometimes escaped his lips.

He collapsed to the floor once she left him alone, fighting to hold back the tears and retain what little was left of his dignity. As always, he tried to make sense of all the memories that had flashed through his mind as Zelena read them; there had to be a pattern, something she was looking for, and if he could figure it out then maybe he could find some leverage against her. It worried him to no end that she seemed particularly interested in his family; she was digging for information about Belle, Bae, Henry and Emma, and he dreaded to know why. If he couldn’t get free, he had to at least find a way to warn them. One day Zelena would make a mistake, no matter how tiny, and he’d make sure that was her downfall. 

**********

Storybrooke, present day. 

Belle had never been good at waiting. She wasn’t one to sit around and wait for something to happen, or for someone else to solve the problem, yet waiting was the only thing she could do right now. Considering how nervous she was, she had given up on taking inventory - lest she accidentally spill a potion or break some rare item- and tried to distract herself with a book, but it was the tenth time she had read the same page, and she still had no idea of what it said. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Neal looking worriedly at her, but there was nothing he could do to help.

The sound of the front door banging open made her jump in her seat. Rumplestiltskin stumbled over the threshold, crumpling to the floor. Belle rushed around the counter, kneeling with some difficulty by his side. 

“Rumple? Rumple can you hear me?” Her voice choked with emotion as she caressed his face. His eyes were closed, and she could already feel herself panicking when she heard Neal’s voice. 

“He’s breathing. He just fainted. He’ll be alright,” he told her, laying a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 

She didn’t want to leave Rumplestiltskin on the floor, but with her belly making her even clumsier than usual there was no way she could carry him to the cot, even with Neal’s help.

They had to wait until Regina arrived and used her magic to move him. Thankfully she was prompt and soon Rumplestiltskin was resting comfortably on the cot in the back. Belle sat by his side, taking one of his hands in hers. There was dirt under his nails and over his suit, and he had lost weight since the last time she saw him. Still, he was alive and with her, and that was the only thing that mattered. 

She held her breath when he finally stirred. She knew he wasn’t quite himself, but she had to see it with her own eyes. She needed to see how bad the situation was before she could attempt to improve it somehow. Rumplestiltskin looked around confused, clearly trying to make sense of his surroundings.

“Hey, Rumple… do you recognize me?” Belle asked, gently squeezing his hand. 

Rumplestiltskin stared at their entwined hands for what felt like a lifetime.

“Light,” he said eventually, looking up to meet Belle’s gaze.

In that moment, Belle knew that they’d be alright. Rumplestiltskin might not have said her name, but he knew that she and Bae were his guiding lights. Rumplestiltskin was trying to come back to them, and now she had proof of it.

“It’s alright, Rumple. You’re safe now,” she said reassuringly. 

Apparently, those were the wrong words. Rumplestiltskin immediately became nervous, sitting up and slipping his hand from her grasp. 

“Not safe, never safe,” he protested. “I must… warn you. Danger… Zelena… she’s coming for our baby.”

Every word seemed to cost Rumplestiltskin energy, and he took his head in his hands, on the verge of tears. The world was spinning around him, clearer than before and yet still so confused. He could feel cold sweat trickling down his neck, and he was starting to feel dizzy. The feeling of a warm, soft hand carding through his hair cut through his panic, anchoring him back to reality. 

“Hey, hey it’s okay. You already warned us. You were incredibly brave, and without you we would have already lost,” the woman in front of him murmured, her voice soothing his fears just as much as Zelena’s presence fostered them. Light, that was the first word that came to his mind when he looked at her, but he knew she had a name, one that was close to his heart, a name that he should remember. How could he had forgotten it? Forget… forget… an accent you wouldn’t soon forget. Brown hair. Beautiful blue eyes. Her name is…

“Belle,” he breathed out in relief, in joy, in recognition. Another piece of the puzzle was in place, and he felt peace like he hadn’t in weeks, maybe months. 

“Yes, it’s me, I’m here, and our baby is safe,” she said, smiling brightly as she took one of his hands and placed it on her belly. 

That contact seemed to light another spark of recognition in his brain. More and more memories came to his mind as the world once again started to make sense. 

“Bae, where is Bae?” he asked. He needed his family to be complete, he needed them all to clear the fog away. 

“I’m here Papa,” Neal said immediately, taking Rumplestiltskin’s free hand. 

Memories flooded Rumplestiltskin’s mind as he held hands with those he loved the most. Separations and reunions, fights and tender moments, all characterized by the love that had guided him and shaped him into the person he was now. 

Even if Belle hadn’t felt the tingle of magic go through her fingers, she could have pinpointed the exact moment in which Rumplestiltskin remembered by the look in his eyes.

“Belle… Bae,” he called their names again, emotional and disbelieving, then pulled them into a hug. 

Rumplestiltskin was finally home. 

**********

Regina’s palace, three months ago. 

“I have a surprise for you,” Snow told Belle one day. “If you want, I can tell you if you’ll be having a boy or a girl. I’ve finally found Ruth’s locket, and I can guarantee it works.”

Belle was fascinated by the locket, and gladly took the offer. She wasn’t hoping for a boy or a girl in particular, but it would be nice to know in advance, and she watched with bated breath as the necklace dangled over her palm. 

“North to South,” Snow observed, “It means it’s a boy. Congratulations.”

Belle smiled thankfully at her, as the image of a little boy with Rumple’s eyes formed in her mind. Snow had been extremely supportive of her during the past several months, and they had grown a lot closer. Belle was incredibly thankful for her and her other friends; thanks to them, she had found new happiness in her life, and the thought of Rumplestiltskin was starting to bring more melancholy than despair. She still cried herself to sleep sometimes, and she doubted she would ever be over him, but her life had to go on, for her sake just as much as for her child’s. 

The sound of the large windows bursting open made everyone in the room startle. Zelena flew through the open window and dismounted her broom, and then beside her appeared…

“Rumple,” the name left Belle’s lips in a choked whisper. After months of believing him dead, her True Love was in front of her. He was real, he was alive, and his dagger was in Zelena’s hands. David drew his sword, and a fireball formed in Regina’s hand, but before any of them could take action they were all frozen in place by a spell.

“Belle,” Rumple called to her, his voice full of despair. Then his gaze moved to her belly, and his eyes widened in surprise and horror. “You… you’re…”

“Yes, your little maid is pregnant with your child, why are you so surprised? Oh, I must have forgotten to tell you; I’ve known for months,” Zelena taunted him, and Belle felt white, hot rage course through her veins.

“Shush now, we didn’t come here for a family reunion. We came here to deliver a message,” Zelena went on, and Belle could see how Rumplestiltskin’s body tensed with her command, how abruptly his jaw slammed shut. Belle wasn’t sure if she had ever felt such fury before. She didn’t just want to get the dagger back from Zelena; she wanted to hurt her, and that wasn’t a sensation she was familiar with. All thoughts of revenge left her mind, however, when Zelena strode directly towards her and laid one hand on her belly. Trapped and unable to react, Belle could hardly hear Zelena’s words over the desperate, terrified beating of her heart. 

 “You see, I have a spell in mind, and your child is exactly what I need for it. So take care of it for me, because I’ll be back for your happy day,” Zelena gloated, her lips spreading in a smile that made Belle feel sick. She wanted to scream and run away, to get rid of Zelena and wrap her arms around Rumple, but all she could do was stare at the witch with wide eyes, unable to hide the utter terror in them. 

Zelena and Rumplestiltskin vanished, the spell was lifted, and Belle staggered forward, her legs threatening to give out. She had just found out that her True Love was alive, but that joy had turned to ash in front of her eyes. Fear was drowning out all of her thoughts: if she didn’t do something, she was going to lose her child. 

**********

Storybrooke, present day. 

“I’ve dreamt of this moment for so long,” Belle breathed, eventually pulling back from their family hug.

Neal, feeling suddenly awkward, decided to join Regina in the front of the shop. He had come a long way with his father, but he was definitely not ready to see him be all sappy with his girlfriend; and he was one-hundred percent sure that his father was the sappiest, most foolishly romantic man in the world. 

“I knew that our love could beat Zelena. That you could,” Belle went on as Neal left the room. 

“Your unwavering faith constantly astounds me,” Rumplestiltskin replied, his voice breaking with emotion. There were tears in both his and Belle’s eyes, and after so long apart he simply couldn’t get enough of her. He wanted to hold her close and never let go, to bury his nose in her hair and forget the world. They both leaned forward at the same time, desperate for the kiss that they had been denied for too long. When their lips were only a breath apart, however, Rumplestiltskin abruptly pushed her back. 

“Run,” he said in a whisper, his voice suddenly panicked. 

“What?” Belle asked, confused. It didn’t make sense, everything was going so well. 

“Run!”

Rumplestiltskin screamed this time, but Belle barely managed to get to her feet before Zelena appeared beside Rumplestiltskin, the dagger held firmly in one hand, her cruel laughter sending chills down Belle’s spine. 

“Don’t mind me. I was just enjoying the show,” Zelena taunted, roughly grabbing a fistful of Rumplestiltskin’s hair and forcing him to look at her. “I’m sorry to ruin such a sickeningly sweet reunion, but I’m afraid Rumple and I have a lot of things to do. Thank you for bringing him back to sanity, by the way.”

“You knew. You set this all up. You set him free knowing that Bae and I could heal him,” Belle accused her, realization hitting her with the force of a truck. She could hardly believe how stupid she had been; with Zelena holding the dagger, it was ridiculous to think that Rumple could have escaped, but she had been so blinded by her own feelings that she had failed to notice all the red flags, and she had played right into Zelena’s hands. 

“You heroes are so predictable; all I had to do was set him free and make him forget about it,” Zelena gloated. 

“You made a huge mistake,” Rumplestiltskin growled. “Now that my mind is clear, it’s only a matter of time before I get that dagger back and run it through your chest.”

“You know you can't hurt me, but you're more than welcome to try. I do so enjoy watching futility wreck a man's will. Now be a good little Dark One, and get back to your cage,” Zelena said, pressing the dagger against Rumplestiltskin’s face. 

Belle could see him tense at the contact, and saw the struggle in his eyes, how strongly he tried to fight the command, but to no avail. After one last, desperate glance at Belle, Rumplestiltskin disappeared in a puff of smoke. Zelena followed, and a beat later Neal and Regina barged in from the other room.

“She caught us by surprise and paralyzed us. What happened here, where is my father?” Neal asked immediately, kneeling beside Belle, who had collapsed into the nearest chair. 

She wanted to tell him, but the more she tried the harder it was to form words past the lump in her throat. It hurt. It hurt to be this helpless. It hurt to think of the despair in Rumplestiltskin’s eyes, and how she hadn’t been able to do anything for him. It hurt to know that, despite all her efforts, she could never make things right. She wanted to be a hero, but the truth was that she was more of a liability. Her sobs grew louder and louder as the weight of what had just happened came crashing down on her, until a sudden pain in her low abdomen turned her despair into shocked horror. 

“Belle? Belle, what’s wrong?” Neal asked frantically, worried by the sudden change in her expression.

Belle’s voice came out hoarse and feeble, each word dripping with fear.

“I think I’m going into labor.” 

#Rumbelle #Rumbelle fic #Rumplestiltskin #Belle Gold #Belle French #Belle French-Gold #A Tale of Magic #Sara talks #Sara writes

[hpoelzig]

Four Reviews—Kong: Skull Island, Sausage Party, Wonder Woman, Shin Godzilla

KONG: SKULL ISLAND

Legendary’s Monsterverse series gets its second installment, following Gareth Edwards’ somber and successful resurrection of GODZILLA (2014). Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts blends sensibilities from the original KING KONG (1933) with APOCALYPSE NOW and some sly nods to the Conrad novel HEART OF DARKNESS that inspired that indelible war film to skillfully craft an action-packed tour of Kong’s homeland. Here, in a hidden island surrounded by perpetual storms which serves as a graveyard of lost ships, serene, mute indigenous people revere the massive ape as a protector deity. And rightly so, as this adolescent fellow primate lost his parents to the ravening reptilian Skull Crawlers who emerge from the underground world—likely be a plot point for future films in this series.

MONARCH (the secretive government research agency) scientists and military men invade on helicopters and drop bombs to perform seismic surveys, but this rouses Kong to swat them from the sky and provokes the arrival of the devils from below. Not the typical “beauty and the beast” tale told in the best two prior Kong films—the Cooper original and the Jackson 2005 loving homage to it—this one brings mankind up against creatures whose god-like size and strength question the dominion of our species of this planet, which in the Monsterverse mythology has long been the territory of ancient Daijkaiju.

In an homage to Boorman’s HELL IN THE PACIFIC, the film begins in 1944 with an American and a Japanese pilot crashing on the island. They continue their aerial battle hand to hand, but are halted by the arrival of Kong, who is less a giant gorilla and more an evolutionary step between gorilla and human. John C. Reilly as Lieutenant Hank Marlow steals the film as the aged pilot who has survived almost three decades on that dangerous ground and thus plays a pivotal role in making certain some of the Monarch group can reach the rendezvous point to be rescued. The redoubtable Samuel L. Jackson as Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard puts on his Ahab boots to avenge his fellow soldiers who befell Kong’s wrath. You can guess how that plays out.

As you would want, there are many fascinating oversized beasts and the humans fare ill in some of their confrontations with them. There are dramatic encounters between Kong and the humans as well as his subterranean enemies and the film concludes with a sweet resolution for Hank, and, post credits, some revelations by the MONARCH survivors revealing the creature cast of the currently filming GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS directed by Michael Dougherty, due in 2019. Kong will clash with Godzilla in 2020 under the enthusiastic direction of Adam Wingard. I await both with much anticipation!

SAUSAGE PARTY

I was sent this animated film as a gift by a friend who said not a word as to why it had been selected for me. He has an earthy sense of humor and is a talented artist as well as keen observer of the human animal, so I was prepared for something that might embody those aspects to some degree. I was not disappointed! Seth Rogen and his cohorts have crafted a devastating critique of the human foolishness of believing that some form of supernatural entities have their well-being as a primary concern. The various anthropomorphic foodstuffs in the supermarket have faith that the humans who purchase them will be bringing them somewhere better, a “Great Beyond” transcending their current existence on the shelves. But of course in time they learn the truth that being eaten awaits them and that their “gods” are but shabby, shallow, self-absorbed consumers.

Humor is broadly derived from the various ethnic food products conjuring outrageous stereotypes, and no holds are barred in that department—harking back to how such products were once advertised, though without the foul language and sexual behavior included here, making for an R rating. Most amusing for me is the Woody Allen-esque bisexual bagel voiced with manic exuberance by Edward Norton. For secularists not infected by the virus of political correctness, SAUSAGE PARTY is a ribald, raunchy hilarious feast. SJW pantywaists afraid of being triggered might want to stay away, as they’ll not find a safe space here.

WONDER WOMAN

The origin tale of Diana Prince, daughter of Zeus, is told with the proper amount of spectacle, humor, and gravity by Patty Jenkins and the eponymous character portayed with elegance and strength by Gal Gadot. Set during World War I, the visuals of the normal humans’ struggle are depicted in sepia tones shot through with fire, while Diana’s sheltered Themyscira is a lush, colorful island retreat with sophisticated art and architecture. There seemed to me a bit of a callback to Lucy Lawless’ Xena, Warrior Princess in the garb and martial techniques employed by the women of this hidden land.

What struck me as wonderfully Satanic is the philosophical outcome of this journey. Diana leaves her island as an idealist, holding love as a primary value and she has a rather simplistic view of her mission. In the course of her conflict with her brother Ares, who proclaims he is not the god of war, but of truth, he reveals to her the venality and mindless hatred of humanity in the global conflict he has cultivated. Diana witnesses horrors that are not simply conjured by Ares, but which are part of human nature. Yet the love she shares with Captain Steve Trevor—a charming Chris Pine—and his ultimate heroic sacrifice show her a broader range of human capabilities. Before dispatching Ares, as her father intended, Diana declares her embrace of humanity now with a full grasp of its spectrum of faults and glories—a third side perspective that we Satanists have proclaimed since Anton LaVey founded our philosophy in 1966. This is certainly one of the better DC films and should entertain those who enjoy these comic-derived larger-than-life beings as an embodiment of our propensity for embracing inspirational heroic mythology.

SHIN GOJIRA (SHIN GODZILLA / GODZILLA RESURGENCE)

While Edwards’ GODZILLA was in production, Toho hedged their bets by developing a live action GOJIRA film under the guidance of Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, both fans and skilled contributors to Japanese fantastic cinema. Legendary had contracted to do three Godzilla films, but apparently because they delayed the sequel to the 2014 film, ostensibly waiting for Edwards to complete ROGUE ONE, Toho completed and released their live-action film in 2016, SHIN GOJIRA. Much like Kaneko’s wonderful one-off 2001 film, GODZILLA, MOTHRA, KING GHIDORAH: DAIKAJI SOKOUGEKI, this is an original take on Gojira that has no links to the other films Toho produced in its three prior series.

Anno wrote and directed and he’s known for the high weirdness of NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, so with Higuchi handling the SPFX (he did masterful work for Kaneko’s 90s GAMERA trilogy) this duo has wrought a political satire depicting governmental hesitancy to deal with the threat of a constantly evolving giant monster rising from the sea to lay waste to Japan. For the Japanese who have in recent memory dealt with tidal waves, earthquakes and the Fukushima disaster, they fully grasp this mockery of their own government. 

Rather than being some form of prehistoric monster roused by H bomb detonations, this monstrosity is a new life form evolving from a deep sea creature, possibly kin to a frill shark, that consumed nuclear waste dumped on the ocean bottom by the American government. Shin Godzilla—the name loosely implies deity much as the American term for Gojira includes the word God—is first witnessed as a gigantic tail lashing about in Tokyo bay (the first form). When it comes inland via waterways as a slithering, rubbery google-eyed intruder, leaking red fluid from its gill slits (Kamata-kun), the Prime Minister and his cabinet and advisors are continually paralyzed through fear of committing errors that will end their political careers, taking endless, fruitless meetings in numerous governmental chambers. It takes the intervention of Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Rando Yaguchi, a maverick who wants to get things done, to assemble a crew of outsiders and misfits who seek to understand and find a way to defeat this threat arising from mutated nature.

Kamata-kun seizes-up at one point, falling to the ground, but rouses to shift itsself into a red-hued, upright standing 50 meter beast (Shinagawa-kun) whose roar is the same as that of the original Gojira, and he’s accompanied by Ifukube’s score for that 1954 film. With glowing red patches surrounding his dorsal fins indicating some sort of overheating, Shinagawa-kun smashes through buildings and dives back into the bay. The hovering military ‘copters had yet to attack, hindered by the Prime Minister’s fear of harming civilians. Yaguchi’s team gathers and analyzes info, aided by a Japanese American beauty who shares secret data from the US authorities whom she represents. And then the full-sized bizarre golem Shin Gojira arises and begins a rampage.

As is traditional, the Japanese military, aided by American stealth bombers, prove ineffectual against this particularly hideous incarnation of Gojira. With a profusion of snuggle-teeth, seemingly sightless eyes, stunted forearms and an insanely long tail, Anno’s vision of a nightmare monster with bizarre powers is well-realized by Higuchi and his team. For the first time Toho went with CGI (aided by some motion capture) to render the majority of the effects and they are primarily very effective. This Gojira is magma-black with glowing red patches from within, much like the Burning Godzilla of 1995. But his wildly overpowered breath weapon, which goes from firestorm to purple laser beam, accompanied by similar bursts from his dorsal plates and mangled tail end are unique to this rendition. The film uses classic Ifukube score excerpts and evocative new music by Shiro Sagisu and even employs sound effects from Toho’s stock library, most dating to the original Showa series of Gojira films (1954-1975).

Under the threat of the US deploying nuclear weapons, Yaguchi rallies his team and they find a means to immobilize Gojira, aided by waves of US drones meant to distract it while attacks by explosive-laden train cars and finally tanker trucks filled with freezing chemicals ultimately cause Gojira to become a colossal statue as part of the Tokyo skyline. The last shot shows us that Gojira was willing forth a fifth form, as humanoid Godzillian beings had begun to emerge from the tip of its tail. This film was immensely successful both critically and financially in Japan, though a possible sequel cannot be released until after Legendary’s films emerge. However, Toho is currently producing an animated sci-fi trilogy set in the far future, GODZILLA: MONSTER PLANET, and the first of these will screen for US audiences on Netflix at the end of 2017, with the next two installments to be released in 2018. There’s a coming wealth of Godzilla to enjoy!

We are in a golden age of giant monsters which I’m celebrating in the third installment of the book and exhibition series I curate for HOWL gallery titled THE DEVILS REIGN: DAIKAIJU, to be released towards the end of this year.

—Magus Peter H. Gilmore

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