Undoubtedly one of the best of the Shōwa period of Godzilla films, Mothra vs. Godzilla features the return of the Shobijin along with Mothra herself. Akira Ifukube's scoring is tremendous and vivid, and Emi and Yumi Itō sing this melancholic, gentle tune he composed for the film. Although far eclipsed by the popularity of the... Continue Reading →
Throwback Thursday: Mothra’s Song (1961), by Yūji Koseki, Sung by Emi and Yumi Itō
Although Godzilla will always be my favorite giant Japanese monster, Mothra is a close second and a very different sort of character. Whereas Godzilla has alternatively played the roles of villain, antihero, hero, and “a force of nature”, Mothra has been pretty consistently depicted as a benign and protective heroine. She’s worshiped as a goddess,... Continue Reading →
Throwback Thursday: Windmill Scene from Army of Darkness (1992)
I first learned of movie director Sam Raimi and his Evil Dead series thanks to The Incredibly Strange Film Show in the early 90s. I am particularly fond of Evil Dead 2 and the third film in the series, Army of Darkness, released in 1993 during my senior year of high school. Both Evil Dead... Continue Reading →
Throwback Thursday: Aliens – Motion Picture Score, by James Horner (1986)
I’ve mentioned that I’m a fan of the film Aliens before, and that it was a major cornerstone of my late childhood. Even to this day, it’s a go-to and common ground movie between myself and many peers. So it shouldn’t be surprising that it gets a couple nods in my novel Vivian’s Last Cigarette,... Continue Reading →
Throwback Thursday: Arcane Summons, by Keith Parkinson (Circa 1989)
The late Keith Parkinson (1958 – 2005) is a well known name among the many talented fantasy and sci-fi artists of the 1980s and 90s. He did work for Dungeons & Dragons products and many other role-playing games in addition to a prestigious career as a book cover illustrator. This gem was used as the... Continue Reading →
Throwback Thursday: ‘Barbarian’, by Daniel R. Horne (1988)
This fantastic piece by Daniel R. Horne graced the cover of Dragon Magazine 133, released in May of 1988. I’ve loved the classic sword and sorcery feel of Horne’s work here since retrieving that issue from my old mailbox and removing the brown paper wrapper it was shipped in. I became a fan of Conan... Continue Reading →
Throwback Thursday: Godzilla vs. Biollante, by Noriyoshi Ohrai (1989)
Noriyoshi Ohrai (1935-2015) was a Japanese illustrator best known for his popular movie posters crafted for films such as The Goonies and The Empire Strikes Back. Among the posters he created, he crafted all of the Japanese theatrical posters for the seven Godzilla films collectively known as the Heisei period. Released between 1984 and 1995,... Continue Reading →
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