Franchises before franchises.

There were days when I was trying to watch first shared universes films. From multiple reasons to see a curiosity was in a historical learning. Through my memory and survived notes, I restore my impressions.

Calling now «Universal Monsters» launched with adaptation of famous horror novels: Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and original idea The Mummy (inspired on discovered tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922.) in first half of 30s, where every main character had a dead end. Heading Universal Studios Carl Laemmle Jr. look on films from money position. Preview screenings of Frankenstein was a reason for correction of ending, where monster’s creator survives. In sequels appeared various relatives of titular monsters, what little bit later stopped for three years after firing of studio creator Carl Laemmle Sr. and his son Carl Laemmle Jr. or just “Junior”, who was a reason there, because he was spending a lot of money for films productions, which didn’t earn back and for that he gave it’s nickname. In 1941 was introduced a new character – The Wolf Man. Of course, Werewolf was before in Werewolf of London (1935), but a part of franchise became a character in performance of Lon Chaney Jr. Idea of crossover between personages appeared occasionally. Franchise writer Curt Ciodmak had a lunch with a producer George Wagner. The author of the Wolf Man made a joke about a title for the next film “Frankenstein Wolfs the Meat Man”. It wasn’t a jest for the producer. Ciodmak gave a job to write a screenplay calls “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man”. After it appeared a couple more crossovers. Than in franchise came comedians Abbott and Costello, which were until the end of shared universe in the middle of 50s.

I didn’t watch adaptations of novels except The Invisible Man because didn’t read original books and I couldn’t watch crossovers, because as author, I don’t like when your story uses for own purposes. My choice limited in The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933) and The Wolf Man (1941). I like The Mummy due spirit of time, mystery ambience and without doubt acting of Boris Karloff. I have admiration to The Wolf Man for the excellent story, where I have compassionate to the main character. Everybody did the great in own part of telling: director, cinematographer, actors and I so much like a monster’s make-up. I fiercely negative to adaptation of The Invisible Man and define as «Blockbuster of 1933». That’s abuse on H.G. Wells’s book from which made an amusement movie, where the only liked original move was a derail of train. In the novel, the main character stopped in the hotel, because he was looking for a place for his science activity, when in the film, the wandering of the Invisible Man hadn’t a reason due a laboratory possibility before, where he could stay. Introduction of love line ruins a conception of the main personage Griffin. When I recall the book, I often imagine a reprisal scene. Makers of the film, I suppose, didn’t risk to implement it and chose a losing variant by just one revolver shot.

Japanese became good in film (and then videogame.) franchise making and long time before surpassed Americans in producing of shared universes and in one and few films per year models. The first film of Godzilla series appeared in 1954 and still ongoing in the third reboot. On the moment, when I’ve tried to watch all of them, were twenty-eight films.

Godzilla (1954) is a great movie filmed in time of actuality of danger by a nuclear weapon, what is more meaningful for Japanese. Days of strikes of Nagasaki and Hiroshima weren’t far then. Atmosphere of unknown, standoff against of monster and line of scientist, who invented more devastated weapon. In continued flicks of «Showa era», what is a name for original series, I couldn’t watch further of the fourth Mothra vs Godzilla (1964). Degradation started from a sequel Godzilla Raids Again (1955), where is taken a commercial goal, what means a soulless and losing of screenplay commonsense. Tanks demonstrated useless against the monster in the first film, but Japanese militaries launch them again in the second and so on. A frozen Godzilla in the ice will left in this stance until the next part. Nobody have in plans to explore the monster. Battles between Godzilla and beast of the film, where their confrontation destroys Japan, despite on acceptable of scale models by modern eye, I was getting impression from a technical work and staging of these scenes. The most liked is a titular fight between of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), which is first in color in these series. Nothing else more about good. The fourth film is crossover with a character, who had own solo film – Mothra (and the only in «Showa era».) from where also arrived another personages - two twin eight inch fairytales. That fantasy line is addition to the screenplay, which came to burial of savvy mind. I out from «Showa era».

In the first and the second reboots, which calls «Heisei era» and «Millennium era» and every of them begins as sequel of Godzilla (1954), what doesn’t mean, I can write about interesting of series is that watch of changing of Japan through years by look on building, transport, technologies and et cetera. New beginnings are same merciless in senseless about story writing. First movie of every era was the last. I was amused in The Return of Godzilla (1984), where on the conference presents leaders of the USA, the Soviet Union and Japan. First and second state’s heads argue between each other in hot. Prime minister of Japan demonstrates silent patience in debates. He opens a mouth later, where through a likeness of man of wisdom he brings a peace to sides and gives a solution in action on Godzilla. Clear narcissism. I’ve remember before my try to watch whole Godzilla, I saw a conclusion of Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) in 2006. The final battle can describe – a Japanese film. Overdramatized beyond commonsense. Identical I saw in the story of Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999). Perhaps, that’s a special feature of «Millennium era».

Godzilla contains a huge quantity crossover lines, but watched films were enough for me.

Another successful Japanese series is Zatoichi, which released twenty-five films from 1962 to 1973, between 1974-1979 appeared TV series with hundred episodes in overall and ten years later the one more movie part with unchangeable Shintaro Katsu in performance of the lead character. The stories are spinning around of Zatoich – a blind, who presents himself as massager, but also hides inside an incredible talent of katana wielding. Watched first to fifth films were filmed between 1962 and 1963. There are no special effects in flicks and it is not necessary to spend with the same intensity as was done Godzilla, which was releasing a film per year. Zatoichi does mass bloodless slaughters without any explosions. A wandering hero over the years has gained a bad reputation. Either gets into showdown between local Yakuza clans or some group of people wanted to kill him because promised a good reward. Despite on politeness, he manages to piss off many people who show a desire to slay him. Wherever Zatoichi doesn't go, everyone wants his death, even though he hasn't touched them. Hordes of enemy with naked katana cannot cope with the main character, as they prefer to attack one at a time. I'm not picky about this stereotype – in action movies of the eighties it's also symbolic, but if film well, when in Zatoichi that’s striking even though the hero isn’t so invincible. Plots of all seen films aren’t so attractive and look stretched, as well as the fact that as his main rivals were: the showed up older brother, the man who taught him fencing and a samurai, who killed a woman, which appeared in the first and the second parts, where between her and Zatoichi had a place for love passion. That’s right, the main character quite often (for five films there were three times.) becomes the object of sighs and wasn’t indifferent himself, but marriage would have stopped his wanderings and so he explains that a man with such a bad past (he was a bandit.) can’t has this life. For curiosity, I continued to watch. The sixth film about Zatoichi I started to fast-forward at the end, the seventh and the eighth were watching selectively in scenes. More demonstration of far-fetch in plots; blood appears in some scenes; preposterious comedy moments are added mainly due of the main character, who can go pathos; a scene before the initial credits quite often becomes a demonstration of Zatoichi's abilities when he cuts a certain horde of his life accusers or demonstratively chops into pieces flies or candles. Sometimes there is diversity in battles and there are interesting discoveries from a cinematographer's point of view. It is an interesting idea, but not ideal, in a scene where Zatoichi cuts candles (although he cuts the candle itself, not at the fire.) and plunges the whole room into darkness, particularly putting enemies in own situation. However, everything is same. Everybody wants to kill him all the time wherever he goes. Totally accidental (which is quite common.) or by some foolish case, but Zatoichi has gotten to everyone for some reason. The protagonist always in everything gets by chance. He will accidentally run into a person asking for a massage, and Zatoichi will do to the person from whom hears an important conversation or inadvertently gets into any trouble, as again will wrongly accused. He is constantly lucky in dice, and each time due that, all either trying to deceive to take the money and then kill or immediately proceed to a second phase. For all watched movies, he’s made so much money that it is amazing that his mentions on humbles in money. From film to film, battles are constantly shown through the one frozen camera. Later, as I watched, Zatoichi will meet with the One-Armed Swordsman - the hero of the Chinese film trilogy and Yojimbo - the character of Akira Kurosawa's diology, which were played by same actors. I didn't continue watch in chronological order and move to the seventeenth film Zatoichi: Challenged (1967), whose choice (the third film of that year.) I made because it is a basis for the American adaptation about the blind warrior, which calls Blind Fury (1989), where the leading character played Rutger Hauer. In Zatoichi: Challenged, as always, everyone only gets to the blind masseur to do a personal favor, but usually it happens on deathbed. In the series, a remarkable detail is that the dying characters willn’t let a soul go (even the night will pass, as in this movie.) until tell to the main character a necessary information. In comparison with Blind Fury, any seen Ichi film loses, as also to the remake with Takeshi Kitano, which has a stunning direction, more beautifully filmed battles and philosophy presence, when it absents in original flicks. Rutger Hauer and Takeshi Kitano outperform Shintaro Katsu in acting, when the last doesn’t impresses despite on charisma. The plot difference between the Japanese and the American versions of the story is distinctive, but Blind Fury makes a smooth victory on main details. A moment where Hauer’s character Nick Parker explains to boy that his mother died and how demonstrated their further relationships are succeed in telling due perfect-written screenplay, acting performance and skillful directing of Phillip Noyce. I saw a developed affection between them and, sorry for plot revealing, in the scene of the parting I was also could to let go a tear. In Zatoichi: Challenged, as in every watched series film, events quickly jumps and about some things learn from characters' words. The death of boy's mother was said in this way and there was no such explanation as in Blind Fury. In the story if have to go - so let's go! Already in battles can see negligence. The sword passes over enemy's head and he is dead now. The final standoff, for sake of which snow began to fall from the sky, stirred the common absurdity of the plot, words and staging of the swordfight. I’ve finished watching Zatoichi with this movie, where I note that for Samurai movie, I would prefer Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), which based on same name manga (1970-1976) and released six movies between 1972 and 1974 and left unfinished due appearance of TV series, what didn’t like main role performer Tomisaburo Wakayama. He put a stipulate that will continue acting if show disappear. It didn’t happen. These films remarkable in uninterrupted bloodshed (which see it to unlike Zatoichi!). Despite on constant sword using (and not just it, as well as various types of firearms!), films have interesting stories and enough space for Japanese worldview. Although the sixth movie exaggerated in massacres to absurdity and plot became weaker, but that’s one of my regrets about absence of next parts.

What is important I can write about franchise movies? Never joke to producer.