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| Gojira Viewing in Public Schools | |
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| Topic Started: Sep 12 2008, 07:39 PM (696 Views) | |
| G2Kmaster | Apr 4 2009, 05:53 PM Post #91 |
BIGGEST GODZILLA NERD HERE!-Monster Island Hall Of Famer
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That is why I am requesting that teachers keep control of their classes at an all time high. They will be compelled and they will talk to their friends, among other things. And that is an interesting question you bring up. Originaly, I started OPERATION GOJIRA by ways in which to get THE DAY AFTER TOMMAROW replaced, But since then, I wanted to get the film approved to be shown period. Things have gotten bigger. And I am succeeding. ====================================== Operation Gojira Part 2: Success or Failure? Back in and around December 2008, I wrote and published an article on my quest: having Gojira shown at my school. What became a mere thing which I wanted to substitute my school showing THE DAY AFTER TOMMAROW became a goal in which I wanted the film shown. The operation, success or failure, has helped me to grow up in a lot of ways. One is that it taught me how to get stuff done, as in how you go by getting a film shown by an organization and it has also taught me more about the film in general. Operation Gojira also taught me more stuff: Godzilla’s image in the minds of some pretty diverse groups of people and how I can be stronger when I am presenting something to some people. All of that is great, if you count Operation Gojira among that of an independent study of sorts. The big problem with me still remained: I wanted the first film to be shown. Through the lessons I have learned through out my past two attempts, my third attempt was easily my best one and the one which may succeed. Here is the history among my third attempt at getting my school into showing the classic monster film, Gojira. This whole third attempt thing was really not planned by me from the start. It was just something which came to me by nature. I was talking to an administrator of my school and I mentioned that, “You are missing a great opportunity not showing the film”. Of course, the administrator which was my principle, knew what I was referring too. And that is how it happened. So I decided to go full frontal: I pushed the film at them. I do not know as to weather this can be counted as pushed at them for the first time I tried to get the film shown I was just doing it the day before the film I wanted replaced was going to be shown and the second time I think did not really matter since my counselor, who was not really a counselor of anything accept academics, was just a person who once talked to the administration of the school involved her own personal opinions to cloud the initial first appearance of this film and what it could do. So I pushed the film. I gave the film to my principal in a most quick situation which caught my principle between a rock and a hard spot: when he was greeting the temporary new counselor in the morning first thing. After that came the first of two periods of wait. Occasionally, about twice a week, I would ask them as too if they have seen the movie. I would get an indefinite answer and I would be on my way. In the mean time, I calculated the variables. The variables in this stage of part three of the operation was that I had to find screening dates for the film. And thiese were the ones which I had kept in mind. In part of this is that there was an AR (Accelerated Reader programs schools use nation wide) contest between the grades. The second variable was a little school project called the “penny wars” in which all the grades tried to see who would have the most pennies at the end of the grading period. The third variable was that the film had to be shown either way due to educational opportunity. So I waited. I waited till one afternoon. The assistant principal was in the main hallway. He shouted out, in a respectful manner, “Oh look, radioactive lizards and a book lover.” Of course, I had to but in and in what I called my Kitamura mood said, “Radioactive lizards with educational value.” The principle just happened to be walking up to me, my brother, and the assistant principle. Of course, more small talk occurred till I told them about the major bomb which successfully did what I hoped for the operation: I mentioned William Tsutsui. For those of you who are reading and do not know who he is, he is the Professor of Japanese Arts and History at the University of Kansas, who has published two books; In Godzilla’s Footsteps and Godzilla In My Mind, among other works not pertaining to daikaiju eigia. Youtube has been an host of the University of California, in which UCLA has their own channel and posts quite frequently videos, one of them being an one hour lecture by William Tsutsui on the symbolism and allegorical context of Gojira. This was done in terms in which would be educational, and so I e-mailed both the principal and the assistant principal the video along with more text by me. Then another wait went on, with my Gojira DVD still not returned to me (I wanted this to happen though). So I started a chain of experiments to help me past the two weeks in which I waited. One was the heavy distribution of Operation Gojira on more kaiju related forums/message boards and on you tube. I cried out to people to read the paper I had written and e-mail my principle and my assistant principal to help urge them to accept the film and have it shown. In the mean time, I asked students questions like if they would mind watching a subtitled film. And of course, I needed to know how much they know about Godzilla, the character themselves. So I brought the smallest Godzilla toy I own. It was my Hyper 1999 Godzilla 1954 from the box set and not the separately released ones. I carried it, mostly for the experiment and as my muse. I wanted it as a muse because I have talked to Steve Ryfle before and he gave me the advice that I should be good in Language Arts. Although too bad that he would be disappointed. But I was more lukewarm about the reception of Godzilla. Most people called it a dinosaur, which many true fans know this is not true since Godzilla is no mere dinosaur. With the ones who did recognize it as Godzilla, they were excited as little children who either brought up stereotypes of the character and one person even said this, “I would kill for this when I was in the fourth grade.” Really lukewarm. I also had an encounter with a girl who said that Godzilla was a dinosaur and she is as dumb as anyone on the subject of Godzilla in my school. Making another move, I decided to show my Language Arts teacher and the administration my paper on the first two times I tried to execute Operation Gojira. My Language Arts teacher said it was “in depth” but that my “call was unheard”. This makes me think, as to if she thought through the paper I was trying to get her help or if she could understand the paper and my quest. She, rather instead of reviewing the paper like what I originally wanted, just edited it. I then gave it to the administration, in which read it and I heard no immediate feedback. I then decided to go ahead and tell them about the internet hype over my Operation Gojira. I had received no real feedback. So I waited for two weeks. I also decided to show a friend of mine the DVD and I was rather thrilled that he found it as, “interesting.” I also repeatedly watched the William Tsutsui video, just thinking of where the main punches of the video were, as in when Mr. Tsutsui says, “what a man in a rubber suit could teach us about World War II”. This just blew me away. I was very excited. I also kept taking pointless video diaries, which have since been deleted by my own self. This marked the end of the third month of part three of Operation Gojira, which started in January 2009. However, once March 30th came by, I was given a shock. I said to myself, “This is it, I am done waiting for this bullshit to happen, especially since the variables in which the movie could be shown in” since most of thiese were contest-oriented which was difficult enough to control in a school environment. So I requested to have a meeting with the Principal, since I have been for the past two weeks to have a meeting and on that fateful day of March 29, I was called into his office. Of course, he seemed happy as always, but tried to keep things in a 10 minute time period. He also tried to get off topic as to asking me about certainty films which he could not remember and about MST3K. But he also kept on talking, with me taking notes in my head and on some sticky notes, about that the film he felt was more social then scientific (he based this on a talk with a science experienced school system head, which did not watch the film first hand meaning that the “telephone game“ was going on). He also mentioned that the film may be a little dark for middle schoolers - one reason as to why people have said to me to wait till high school to carry out Operation Gojira. I think it also scarred my principal, since he gave off a vibe that he was more experienced with 70’s protagonist Godzilla and not early, 80’s and 00’s antagonist Godzilla. But I was happy that I got the film approved. This was good but I also intended to use this as a weapon along with the DVD, my paper, and the William Tsutsui video. But I had the film approved. This was a great achievement in which I thought would have been a failure. The fallowing morning, I came to him in the same hallway in which I mentioned earlier and I asked about some paperwork in which I laid out when I left his office when I found out the film had been approved. He said no he had not, but when I asked about his assistance on the project, he said one thing, “I want you to spear head this project. Since you are so passionate about it, you would do best with it.” I took thiese words to heart and I went on asking teachers, mainly three, about showing Gojira. |
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| packmule | Apr 7 2009, 07:33 AM Post #92 |
Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
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Thread drift: Godzilla & Friends IV, May 1-2 in Topeka, Kansas The fourth Godzilla & Friends event is coming up next month in Topeka, Kansas. All G-fans in the area should attend! The event is free, with screenings of several movies, and guest speakers Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski. Here is the official press release: GODZILLA ROARS AGAIN AT WU GODZILLA & FRIENDS IV Once again the world is in peril and giant monsters are invading our major cities….Washington, New York, San Francisco, Tokyo and……. Topeka, Kansas? Yes, they’re striking at Washburn University again! For the past three years, Godzilla (that mythic monster from the depths of the ocean off the coast of Japan) has risen up and stomped through the Henderson building on campus. In the past, he has been accompanied by a variety of other South Korean, British, Japanese and American creatures including Gamera, the fantastic, flying turtle! The Godzilla & Friends Festival celebrates the cultural history behind these giant creatures in all of its bizarre diversity. This new edition of the Festival will be presented on Friday evening, May 1st from 7 to 10 pm and Saturday – May 2nd from 10am to 10 pm (approximately) with breaks for lunch and dinner between films. The event will be presented in Room 112 of the Henderson building on the Washburn University campus and it’s a free event. Author and KU professor William Tsutsui will return for the Festival’s fourth year to introduce more of the films. His excellent book - GODZILLA ON MY MIND – discusses the impact of Godzilla and his prolonged effect on Japanese culture. Friday night - May 1st, we’ll host the Midwest premiere of GAMERA THE BRAVE, the newest film to feature the giant flying tortoise. Gamera has always been Godzilla's main competition (created by a rival studio). This 2006 film was only released in Japan (but is dubbed in English here). Previews of other Gamera films will be featured and several items relating to the big turtle will be given away to the audience. Then on Saturday morning, one of the most famous Godzilla films will be shown along with a variety of previews for newly available Godzilla videos. The film to be shown is KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1963), which features the titanic battle between America’s biggest (and most lovable) giant gorilla and Japan’s biggest (and no less loved) giant prehistoric monster. In case you couldn’t guess from the title, this is the third entry in the Godzilla (GOJIRA) series and it’s also the most financially successful film in the entire Godzilla franchise. Critics and fans point out that it’s also the film that introduced considerable humor and goofiness to the series. Saturday afternoon offers a unique and special treat – Godzilla authorities Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski will do a presentation on Godzilla (and his kin). Featuring highlights from their recent documentary film project, BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE, Steve and Ed have both participated in the commentary tracks for many of the recent Godzilla Special Edition DVDs. These DVDs include GOJIRA (the original Godzilla film for which Ryfle also contributed the text for the souvenir DVD booklet), GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN and GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA. The full documentary appears in the recently released RODAN / WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS DVD set. Ryfle is the author of the book, Japan’s Favorite Mon-Star and Godziszewski edits the excellent fanzine, Japanese Giants. Copies of both items will be on sale at the event. The duo is currently co-writing a biography of Japanese director Ishiro Honda (the director of the vast majority of Japan’s Science-Fiction / Godzilla films). In the afternoon, we’ll also take time for our annual Godzilla roar contest and offer the Godzilla coloring and drawing contest for young fans. Then Washburn History Professor Mark Peterson will present the Japanese Science Fiction gem, ATRAGON (1965) which reveals a long missing super submarine (scraped after World War II) that flies and contains a drill nose cone. It’s also our only hope when the earth is invaded by aliens from the Mu Empire who intend to control the world from their undersea domain. We’ll also be looking at a selection of Japanese and American previews for other great monster flicks. Finally, Professor Bob Beatty, Bill Tsutsui and our guests (Steve and Ed) will host a panel discussion and field questions from the audience about all things Godzilla followed by our surprise feature presentation. It will be a slam-bang finish for our fourth Godzilla & Friends Festival. As with previous years, there will be prize drawings throughout the event. To top all of this off, KTWU (your public television station and our media sponsor) will be showing their own giant monster movie late Saturday evening - YONGARY, MONSTER FROM THE DEEP – starting at 10:30pm on Saturday night – May 2nd, 2009 to climax the Godzilla Festival. This oddball offering is a ‘Godzilla’ knock-off from South Korea, made at the end of the giant monster craze in the 1960’s. Various experiments have caused serious tremors that awaken a giant horned monster with laser breath, who then lays waste to Seoul, Korea (or a miniature Seoul, Korea). Don’t miss this rare gem Saturday night on KTWU. This program is free and open to the public. Seating may be limited so come early. The program is subject to change so please bear with us. This free Godzilla & Friends Festival is co-sponsored by the Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs (WU), the Center for Diversity Studies (WU) and the Center for East Asian Studies (KU). |
 Packmule's Pen Latitude Zero(1969) The Relic(1997) | |
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| G2Kmaster | Apr 7 2009, 11:44 AM Post #93 |
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BIGGEST GODZILLA NERD HERE!-Monster Island Hall Of Famer
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Steve Ryfle, Ed Godziszewski, and William Tsutsui under one roof! I wish I could go... |
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| packmule | Apr 7 2009, 06:43 PM Post #94 |
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Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
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 Where were you in this video? In a cave? There doesn't appear to be any lighting in the background. |
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Packmule's Pen Latitude Zero(1969) The Relic(1997) | |
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| G2Kmaster | Apr 8 2009, 01:11 AM Post #95 |
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BIGGEST GODZILLA NERD HERE!-Monster Island Hall Of Famer
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Nope, just my lights off. |
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| G2Kmaster | Apr 14 2009, 12:26 AM Post #96 |
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BIGGEST GODZILLA NERD HERE!-Monster Island Hall Of Famer
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I have decided to go back to the roots of this project and well, in this rough draft of a paper I am writing just flaming THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW(2004), the Houston Country Board of Education IS ABOUT TO GET THEIR ASSES WHOOPED. As you can tell I am very passionate about this. ========================================== It is now a well known fact that the film The Day After Tomorrow is at least in the Houston County Board System to be thought of as having "scientific value". Originally, I noticed that innacuracy and I tried to get the film - which is highly ridiculed by college professors and critics alike - replaced by the film Gojira (Godzilla, 1954), which is a film which both professors and critics love. But I am not going to make this another paper for "Operation Gojira" (though if one wants to monitor my efforts, this paper is to be mentioned), rather a paper just dismissing the film "The Day After Tomorrow altogether since it is an abomination. First, I would like to mention all of the scientists and college professors who did not seem to be content with the film and just said a thing or two on the film. Here is a couple of quotes: "...a great movie with lousy science." -Environmental Activist and writer for the Guardian, George Monbiot "...propaganda. As a scientist, I bristle when lies dressed up as 'science' are used to influence political discourse." -Research Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia, Patrick J. Michaels "...a cheap thrill ride, which many weak minded people will jump on and stay on for the rest of their lives." -former NASA Office of Inspector General, Senior Special Agent and College Instructor, Joseph Gutheinz This is an interesting demographic of people to work with on this. We got a journalist, a former NASA worker, Professor of the University of Virginia, a lot of people with years of experience in this field. I am not shocked at all at this reception of the film. I would expect nothing more from a person who dared to slander Godzilla's name in a cheap 1998 rip off. Second to mention is the noteworthy work of paleo-climatologist Dan Schrag of Harvard University. While not work, I can analyze his comments more efficiently. He said, "On the one hand, I'm glad that there's a big-budget movie about something as critical as climate chance. On the other, I'm concerned that people will see these over-the-top special effects and think the whole things is a joke... We are indeed experimenting with the Earth in a way that hasn't been done for millions of years. But you're not going to see another ice age...at least not like that." This, while not as aggressively, embodies my take on the film. This actually makes me think for such things as "how accurately did the film portray scientific fact and theory"? Even under the conditions the film shows things under, there has to be a line in which the film crossed. As NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Meteorologist Marshall Shepherd said, "I'd give it a D- or an F." Unlike my prouder work, I am not going to problem myself with this paper. I have bought up professionals with years of studying and becoming a professional in the field. I have proven my point. Go Gojira. *Edited by admin for numerous spelling errors.* Edited by packmule, Apr 14 2009, 05:53 AM.
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| packmule | Apr 14 2009, 06:00 AM Post #97 |
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Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
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Will you be using a two by four, baseball bat or your bare hands in order to carry out this sentiment? I have come away with the impression, from having repeatedly read about the internal squabbling and other personnel issues involving school boards, that these groups of people aren't the brightest of light bulbs. Assuming what you say is true, that is, this school board you mention does find scientific merit with this particular film, then I would suggest these folks are not only intellectually challenged but also possibly under the influence of drugs or booze. 
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| G2Kmaster | Apr 14 2009, 09:12 PM Post #98 |
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BIGGEST GODZILLA NERD HERE!-Monster Island Hall Of Famer
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Your whole post made me smile. First time all day. Thanks... |
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6:47 PM Nov 23
