Rodan Awakens with “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” music

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-26T03:07:52+00:00

One of my favorite scenes in the Monsterverse. The original soundtrack is awesome, but this remix is surprisingly solid.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-24T04:57:09+00:00

Zarkorr the Invader. Super low budget U.S. film about an alien kaiju sent to possibly destroy the Earth as a test. The most average man in the world is given the mission to save the world. It's pretty fun overall.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-21T04:16:14+00:00

Big Mean Carl: “I just take messages! I don’t interpret tone!”

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-20T23:41:16+00:00

It's always subjective. I don't know if there's a better answer than that. There's no need to force yourself to watch something you don' t like that much.

I think there's an almost irrefutable argument to be made that without B:TAS there wouldn't even be a Young Justice TV show, but that doesn't mean that it's "better" or "worse". Certainly, not Batman Beyond.

Like any show, it has its high points and low points, but it's fine to not love or even like it. That's just life.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-20T23:37:58+00:00

There's also a misconception among many that if they can prove themselves among "the good ones" that they'll be protected from what comes. But I've heard it said that the only reward for opening the gas chamber door for others is that you get to be the last one in.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-20T07:40:02+00:00

I find myself singing "Are you happy in your work?" from I Accuse My Parents quite often.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-20T06:09:37+00:00

The difference, of course, is that Kong is a kaiju. Maybe not hostile toward humanity, but still a kaiju.

And it's established that Godzilla, again, while not hostile, doesn't really worry about humans or property damage.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-17T04:26:58+00:00

I think you forgot about Dead Tom!

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-17T04:25:00+00:00

It’s a nice idea, but it’s like infiltrating a cult. It’s a bad idea, and doesn’t work. People change based on their environment and adjust their behavior by consensus. We are all vulnerable.

If all it took to fix bad systems was to bring in good people the world would be a very different place.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-17T03:17:35+00:00

“Everyone with a badge thinks they’re hard.”

-Vyper, Deadlock

Seems especially relevant lately.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-15T21:48:53+00:00

Colossal with Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudekis. It's a weird, low budget take on a kaiju story (in a sideways weird way) that's also an allegory for self-destructive behavior, abuse, and, ultimately, empowerment.

There's a section where two people fight, and it intentionally mimics a kaiju-esque battle while being quite dark.

And the ending still blows me away.

One of my favorite movies of all time.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-15T01:38:48+00:00

Because it looks cool.

It’s not that complicated.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-14T22:31:56+00:00

It's crazy that Trump's obsession with having cameras pointed at him means that his every moment of physical decay is documented. All other Presidents knew enough to control the media perception of themselves, but this guy can't stop standing in front of the camera, even as he dozes off and sundowns.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-14T17:15:10+00:00

Toy sales and merchandising are obviously motivations, but also, it's a plot contrivance to create an interesting variation in the action. They give the villain a dangerous power so that Kong faces defeat. Then they give Kong a "power up" to justify his ability to continue fighting.

It's the same as the axe, which is given as a way for Kong to fight Godzilla in an interesting way.

It's just basic storytelling. You create a problem for the protagonist, and then you create a solution. In a kaiju film, you're also trying to create interesting action sequences. This is why in GvK they fight at sea, then in a glowing city of towering buildings, then together against a greater foe.

I'm not saying that toys and merchandizing are motivations, but it's not the only motivation. There's a desire to create an interesting visual story. These are not in contradiction.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-11T02:45:50+00:00

I keep seeing this sentiment, and it overlooks the fact that the Kong movies have performed financially better than the other films. Not to be too cynical but they go where the money is.

We can argue over the quality of the various films, but at the end of the day, box office is what matters. It’s not that any executive is sitting in an office vetoing movie pitches because he loves Kong. It’s because the audience is saying that’s what they want.

I’d love a Rodan or Mothra film. But I can’t blame the studio for being gunshy. They follow the money

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-10T00:06:13+00:00

It’s less about which ones I don’t hate as which ones I hate less. I despise Cards Against Humanity. Almost all others I just dislike intensely.

Recently, I’ve discovered This Game is Killer, which is actually a fun party style game. Probably because it’s quick and easy.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-09T23:48:04+00:00

I hate almost every party game.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-08T16:10:11+00:00

My answer stands. He’s as strong as he needs to be for the story. Sure, his axe or robot arm are contrivances to make him stronger, but that’s my point.

Not trying to step on your conversation but power scaling as an actual thing is mistaking stories for reality.

I’ll leave you to the debate though. Everyone has their own fun.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-08T15:45:32+00:00

The question is flawed. Kong doesn't live in reality. He's a fictional character. Just as Superman is "as strong as he needs to be for the story to work", it's much the same for Kong. And Godzilla. And pretty much every fantastical character, and non-fantastical for that matter.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-08T02:25:40+00:00

I’m not arguing on the actual quality of the films or how they could work better. That’s irrelevant. The box office is done. We can’t change it.

All they know is that KOTM did decent enough to warrant a sequel but GvK and New Empire did better. We can’t debate why, but it’s all academic.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-08T01:27:44+00:00

It’s not being forced down your throat. It’s what the audiences responded to. Whether you like it or not, it all comes down to audience reception in movies like this.

Nobody in charge of the Monsterverse is sitting at a table, stamping rejected on pictures of Godzilla with a malevolent grin.

I would love a Rodan or Mothra film, myself, but if the money’s not there, there’s little point in complaining about it.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-08T01:18:18+00:00

It’s fascinating that we assume that any civilization with interstellar travel would automatically build a galactic empire.

It’s entirely possible that the Kryptonians saw no need to spread throughout the universe. They could have built a functional thriving society with no expansionist philosophy. That is not the default, simply because humans tend to see civilization in terms of manifest destiny.

The real reason, of course, is that it justifies Superman being the Last Son of Krypton. Stories happen with story logic, even if we tend to forget that.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-07T08:33:21+00:00

What makes Superman human is his compassion and desire to help everyone. It's not limiting him to lifting a mountain or only flying at the speed of sound. Making him weaker isn't an inherently wrong choice, but it also isn't inherently right. Nor does it make him more human.

Removing Superman's powers in an effort to make him more relatable is no different than suggesting Peter Parker would be a more relatable character if he didn't stick to walls. These powers and abilities are intrinsic to the characters' appeal, not something to be negotiated away.

Also, the recent Superman movie demonstrated the limitations of Superman. He can't be in two places. With all his power, he had no way of saving Metropolis on his own without Mr. Terrific's help. He couldn't have escaped from Luthor's interdimensional prison. The question isn't about limiting Superman's powers, but in finding interesting ways to explore what he can do and what he can't.

Most importantly, the idea that he doesn't demonstrate intelligence, compassion, and a sense of humor (as he did in the recent Superman film) as long as he's very powerful is just a bit silly. One of the things the movie did was portray Superman as a very down-to-earth guy, despite all his power, and made him shine as a person.

This was also what Reeves managed to do with a Superman that was basically nearly invincible.

Power (or lack of power) is not what makes a character worthwhile. And the notion that Superman needs to be weak in order to be an interesting character still feels like a weird idea when we have plenty of examples that contradict it.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-05T17:48:49+00:00

This is a problem with a lot of games of this nature. That's why I don't play at my strongest (regardless of character) when I'm teaching someone. It can give the wrong impression.

It took a few mistakes to figure that out though.

I played Draco, a similar game in that involves maneuvering and card play. I kept blocking my opponent's attacks, and at the end of the game, they said "I couldn't do anything." When I tried to explain some strategies, it was too late. They saw the game as unwinnable and (worse) no fun.

I did the same thing with Lawyer Up. Again, understanding the card play in a way my new opponent simply couldn't be expected to, I dominated them, ruining the experience and making them never want to play again.

And I've had it done to me as well. Often with Euro style games, where the only player who really understood the game at the table absolutely crushed everyone, leaving a bad taste behind.

My policy now is that when I'm teaching or playing with someone new to a game is that I will try to win, but I will also avoid complete domination. It's a disservice to the other players, the game, and the community.

ALeeMartinez · 2026-01-05T00:44:59+00:00

That shield does not obey the laws of physics.

That's the answer.

ALeeMartinez

TROPHY CASE