Trick & Treat for October 10th:

GODZILLA (1972; with Raymond Burr; directed by Ishiro Honda)

“A bull in a china shop” might be an apt but understated description of this classic and genuinely frightening monster movie. Released in Japan in 1954 as Gojira, the great-grandfather of all Asian giant lizard films came out two years later in the U.S. with the Americanized addition of Raymond Burr. Burr is reporter Steve Martin, broadcasting the story not of King Tut but of the newly-crowned “King of the Monsters”–the 40-story, fire-breathing, upright-walking and ungraceful Godzilla himself. The big-footed, oversized reptile–a victim of post-war a-bomb testing–emits a horrifying growl as he runs amok on his periodic strolls through Tokyo, seeking revenge on whatever person, place or thing strikes his fancy at the moment. The huge success of the film sent Toho Studios on a relentless Godzilla rampage over the years, as countless sequels stomped their way through movie theaters. In each of them, you can count on at least a few of Godzilla’s patented, crispy rice crunches, as he tours, and tears, his way through his beloved Japan. Get in the spirit of things, and imagine yourself to be King of the Monsters as your powerful jaws bite that helpless Crunch bar. 

Who wants to wait until the 31st to wallow in Halloween indulgences and scary movies?! Home Projectionist doesn’t! And so we’ll have pairings of 31 Frights and 31 Bites every one of October’s 31 nights: a scary, snack size movie “trick”, and a delicious “treat” to go along with it.