2014: An Evolution Of Commentary

Started putting together another writeup when it came rumbling back that there is indeed a need for discussion of visual media to become more interactive. It just seems like the online fan community is ready for something a little more direct than what tends to be currently possible. And this is moreso than the (already?) mere realm of blogging/posting/commenting model. As wonderful, freeing, and often gratifying a method this is, numerous discussions in real life have brought about thoughts regarding what is to become of this new culture of comment that has grown in the wake of the blogosphere. Even as social networks wrangle together the anarchy of online barbs and bland platitudes, there is much to be said about a greater awareness of how stories are made and then sold to us. The psychological and social implications of this nascent world we are now typing and sharing within might just herald a new, extended language of discussion between enthusiasts, and I would like to perhaps play with the possibilities as the new year takes shape.

And perhaps the way to do this, is to embrace the speed of communications, and bring the model back to its origin by way of real-time film discussion.

And while one might assume we are talking about something akin to live streaming, a part of me wishes it would be possible to do this without the need for cumbersome keyboards, and straining eyes fixed at a small screen. As exciting as the online realm has become with these activities, a lacking element seems to be a faith in half-formed ideas. The kind that allows for greater boughs of understanding; something that the speed of "posting" tends to cancel out, often to the propagation of static arguments when all one required was a little more time to iron out a thought. As fast and efficient commentary has become in such a brief few years, it is this element of discourse that often gets lost in the mix. Almost as if imaginary doors are closed after statements are left behind on a comment board, or beneath a YouTube window, these tend to grant evidence that few methods eclipse the speed/malleable interplay of human dialogue. And while livestreaming does sound like a good possibility for Cel Count Media in the near future, the urge to experiment with something more direct and live remains pretty strong.

Not too much unlike Cinema class, a local screening with outdoor seating, preceded by intro discussion, and closed by way of post-film thematic exchange just sounds super attractive(if a bit tricky in the logistics). Yes. The Kaijyu sees 2014 as the year matters took a new, slightly more ambitious tune with the Kaijyu. And it feels like the right time to begin adding new features beyond the normal internet footprinting that happens after a few years of writing. The screening and writing feel like organic beacons to what could eventually be something published on paper. Have really been feeling a wish to expand matters onto another format for some time, and as busy as 2014 is already shaping up to be, this feels like the most appropriate time. As posts become more and more theme-driven, and reviews begin mutating into more story, idea, and communication-based, it's natural that the Kaijyu take on something slightly more challenging. Considering that my favorite film of 2013 ended up being something not quantifiable on any mechanistic level, the Kaijyu is set to wander in ways never thought possible before.

Quite excited about the coming months. For updates, Twitter is still the very best way to see what I am up to. A podcast at Cel Count is under way today, and am eager to share more hidden, wondrous things with all of you, so stay connected, and be sure to keep up with the feedback. We'd love to hear your thoughts, so keep it coming!

The Throughline

After much of the extensive pausing that has graced the walls of this blog over the last year-plus, it has nagged me what it is that binds a majority of my writeups/reviews. Considering it as some mildly consistent body of work comprised of hours upon hours of grinding through whatever thoughts were found floating about in need of some manner of home, while discomforting in some respects, also deserves examination if even for a moment. Which is hopefully why these words are coming out in rapid succession this morning, at the beginning of the year of the Water Snake. Perhaps with some calm resolve, this could help clear up the fog of so many recent breaks. While real life has taken a significant point in matters, it hasn't been without thinking endlessly about what topics make for good editorial, be them here, or at AD, or any number of places. Daily schedules notwithstanding, it is also about finding something new to consider, even if the subject itself has been adequately written about elsewhere. So where does the Kaijyu seek out its own brand of thought?

Likely within an insufferable need to clear the air between fan behavior and an awareness of more grounded social context. And while none of it is entirely successful, it does feel very much like a common denominator that binds even the most gonzo peek at a bloody post-tokusatsu tribute. Which is also why the occasional darker than average piece of horror or doc comes my way and has to attain some manner of coverage here. Even the more obvious multiplex experience can carry with it some manner of social challenge that the average crowd might consider in between the opulent production value and explosive sound mix. One of the bigger things that film school helped me understand was that everything created is equally capable of coming through with something that is beyond the often extraordinary trappings we are sold into watching it for. Ostensibly it's just looking out for some semblance of the personal that could transcend the package. When novelty wears off, especially in a media climate such as now, one may find it important to seek out just what it is that draws them to certain works. What does one walk away from them with? What did it help us consider? What is it to be truly entertained?

And it these thoughts continue through at places like Anime Diet, where the occasional cartoon review, or look back at fandoms of days past reside. Attempting to sum up feelings about a medium that has meant so much to me since childhood remains a challenging and occasionally rewarding part of my online life. And its also hard to imagine a medium more telling of a culture and its social nuances than anime, so there is often a wealth to be mined by looking at the trajectory it has granted itself in half a century. And like anything else, it is riddled with a need to make a quick yen, but it also has within it, the power to encapsulate a time and attitude like few other forms of art. Its often visceral nature is not unlike varying types of rock music from folk to punk to sheer noise. And whether or not we acknowledge such a thing, it never ceases to raise an eyebrow or two, or jolt someone into a soap-box-stepping frenzy. And it cannot merely by a reflection of the fans themselves so much as the work that helped illuminate these feelings that were brewing under that surface in the first place. "Just look at that passion all over those walls" It's a visceral, occasionally beautiful kind of love that is hard for some to see the value in, but still deserves some much needed examining from the ground floor.

So what it all comes together as, perhaps is best summed up as a multi-tentacled means of figuring out where one goes after the flaming fanboy begins to cool down. Where one can truly roost, and still appreciate the past whilst looking heartily toward the future. It can just as easily be magical as it could be gritty, horrific as it could be gorgeous, honest as it is bugnuts crazy. It isn't nearly as tonally schizophrenic as one might have imagined. After all, it is imperative that a wanderer seek themselves whilst being lost. It isn't easy to chart a map without a north star, or a compass, but the work brought forth by the challenge makes it all worth while. We are all visitors, and it remains to be seen how many choose to remain as tourists. So there is indeed value in staking out all possible hidden paths. The magic is in knowing where these paths intersect.

State Of The Kaijyu : Tripping The Life Lulltastic?

Not going to make up any excuses as to my current status. As of this moment, Kaijyu's concentration lies heavily on new stuff I've been able to watch, read, or places I've been able to go. And since the flow of life has remained wildly busy in more than one manner, a big sporadic post here or there will have to suffice until further notice. To be completely blunt, I haven't been seeing much lately that has me charged up enough to write about them beyond the occasional Twitter post. But fear not. There are many new potential posts in the planning, along with reviews and write-ups that have already been submitted to their appropriate places. (Two of which are awaiting release at VCinema-one of which concerns a 1990s favorite that continues to inspire me in many ways.) Not to mention a recent, and very hopeful prognostication piece over at Anime Diet, where I offer thoughts on what excites me most about the coming year.

So for the time being, my Twitter feed will remain as busy as I can make it until time and material frees up. With some more than exciting changes on the roster within the next month, things might begin looking much busier around here, as well as at Cel Count Media. As a matter of fact; count on it. 

State Of The Kaijyu: Exceeding The Obvious

Was recently explaining to a podcast cohort my thoughts on film, and realized that in many ways it only felt proper to share them here as a sort of spiritual backbone to The Wandering Kaijyu as a whole. A means of helping illustrate where I stand with the kinds of works that comes out on a regular timeline, without having to crank out a review here and there for everything under the sun. I still see the blog itself as something of an experiment in seeking out the rare, along with just a taste of what the mainstream is eating. And while the last several years have been flushed with works tailor-made for cult enthusiasts, it does ring false notes all over, leading to me either watching them and having things to share (ala Scott Pilgrim last year like crazy), or watching it, and not feeling enough passion to write about it with the right kind of vigor necessary for a giant monster traveling the wild. This is an adventure blog, designed to not only shared what I've found, but to illustrate a deeper need to challenge via the visual arts. Particularly in the worlds of genre.

So here are my words regarding film, and what I often seek out..


It is important to see film as a wide realm, and like anything else, has a certain criteria to meet with the public at large. Anything deviating from either tried and true formulas, or common sense tends to fall into bad because they fail to connect on a deeper level than merely candy. A distraction. I give it more of a pass when it has a low budget simply because without the backing, it is imperative that a work maintains some kind of integrity and intent. The larger the budget, the less excuses it has because these productions have a great deal more support, and should strive to a higher caliber.

 My whole reasoning in a nutshell is closer to the idea that film can be more than a distraction, and that it can actually mean something to those who made it as well as the public. And one doesn't get this with most major studio productions. It clearly just looks like work.(IE-80% of Hollywood films in the 90s) Passion is clearly the objective here. And there are few places better to find this than in low-budget productions. One feels the pressure with this when the budget is low. One has to have passion to make it work then. It's very rare when a studio production has that same level of fanaticism & yet obvious care. Without it, much of this doesn't really matter at all.


With major studios now taking the idea of comic books as film material, it truly now feels as the inverse of my growing up has become the norm, which can only signal a need for the normal to again exceed the obvious. It all comes back to the concept of precedent, and a need to perpetuate motion beyond each new plateau. Otherwise it's all spinning wheels, idling simply for the fact that it pays the bills. And while the current climate can only hope to achieve this, it's also equally as important to continually inspire new generations of viewers with stories, no matter how wild, and unusual. Imagination and the ability to connect are of incredible importance, and is always in danger of being ignored in favor of what keeps the lights on for another month. 


And it can be a Japanese monster film, and anime, a horror piece, a science-fiction drama done on the cheap, or a foreign hybrid work. The point is that the Kaijyu is here to help that passion flow, even when it occasionally gets clogged by any number of random variables.