11.15.2021
On Sunday, the battle of the Alamo was not in Texas but at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Brooklyn, New York, where Godzilla took on Japan in Godzilla Returns (1984) and he battled a plant mutation of himself in Godzilla vs Biollante (1989). A double feature worth saddling up for and traveling to New York for a great afternoon for films, food and friends. And that’s just what happened.
To get us ready for the featured movies, Alamo put together Godzilla trailers, commercials and a short summary of Godzilla’s history. There were great retro commercials that included Mattel’s Godzilla Gang released during Godzilla toy boom of the late 70s. And then, there were some clips from Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla (1974) and Godzilla vs Megalon (1973) that we had never seen before. Research is required.
Then it was time for the main events that did not disappoint. The film and sound quality were great for both films. The more I watch these films, the more I love them. This was the first time the uncut Japanese versions of both films have been shown in the U.S. While watching, I was struck over and over again by the parallels and similarities between them. Godzilla (1954), Godzilla (1984) and Shin Godzilla (2016) begin with tragedies involving boats. The films 1954, 1984, 1989 and 2016 demonstrate the futility of the Japanese Defense Force apart from the lives, life work, and loss of scientists and those who think more deeply about the nature of Godzilla.
The Alamo experience was wonderful. I can’t wait until I can do it again. The service and food were great. As their website says, Alamo “is passionate about creating awesome experience.” The Alamo is a celebration of cinema reflected in its decor and design. In Brooklyn, there is an awesome recreation of the top of the Empire State Building surrounded by airplanes where moviegoers can stand upon for photos. The movie album and posters hanging on the walls are great conversation starters. The Alamo Drafthouse was founded in 1977 in Austin, Texas. Today Alamo cinemas can be found around the country from Texas to LA to New York.
The best part of the day was hanging out with friends, Michael (TheVampireRobots.com), John (Robo7.com) and Tom (RetroRooney) and Jacob who is new to the northeast. A special thanks to Michael for making it all happen.
