Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Uncategorized Big Man Japan tackles giant monsters, audience expectations
Posted by Curt Holman @Curt_Holman on Wed, Jun 24, 2009 at 12:00 PM
In 2008, the A.V. Club, the A&E wing of the satiric website the Onion, lit the fuse on “The New Cult Canon.” Inspired by the cults that arose from films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight screenings and repertory theaters, the Onion’s weekly feature considers more recent movies from the video/DVD era such as Office Space and Team America: World Police and argues for their inclusion alongside the cinematic curios of earlier generations.
“The New Cult Canon” should reserve an extra-large pedestal for Big Man Japan, Hitoshi Matsumoto’s compellingly crazy film that’s already cultivating a fan base. Matsumoto offers a post-modern riff on Godzilla-style Japanese monsters, or “kaiju,” specifically the subgenre of space-age heroes like Ultraman who fight the marauders in rubber suits. Big Man Japan’s visionary creativity mostly succeeds, but exists on such a peculiar wavelength that mainstream audiences will find it utterly baffling.
Continue reading "Big Man Japan tackles giant monsters, audience expectations"
(Photo courtesy Magnet Releasing)
Latest in Fresh Loaf
-
CL named AAN Award finalist in two categories 2
Carmichael recognized for columns; Davis, Chambers, English nominated for photography
-
'The Atlanta Way' documentary filmmaker discovers why 'gentrification' is a four-letter word 1
Full-length documentary debuts this fall on Atlanta's controversial 20-year effort to purge the city of its low-income housing projects
-
White House recognizes State Rep. Simone Bell as a 'Harvey Milk Champion of Change'
'When I first ran for office I couldn't bring myself to watch the Harvey Milk Story'
- More »
More by Curt Holman
-
Top Shelf Productions finds 'Nemo's' literary adventures
The latest 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' graphic novel rejoices in its literary references.
-
Which summer movie is right for you? 2
Our critic has made a flowchart to help you decide
- More »
Search Fresh Loaf
Top Commenters
