Yakuza 3 video game talk

Norris Poster Boundaries Talk Yakuza

I’ll be giving a talk at the University of Tasmania on the debate around the localisation of Yakuza 3. SHould be an interesting talk, please come along if you’re able.

Further details in PDF attached.

Daikaiju in Shibuya

The next Godzilla screening at Waseda Uni will be a double-bill of the original Mothra movie (1961) and then Godzilla vs Megaguirus (2000). Both these movies were chosen because they feature key scenes of destruction centred around Shibuya. The 1961 Shibuya is unrecognisable to me compared to the modern Shibuya depicted in Megaguirus (even including ganguro!).
I’m looking forward to this screening because it will be the first double bill of kaiju films that we’ve done which attempts to foreground the history of place we might see in Godzilla, and how their modeling of these places represents important presences and absences of the image of Tokyo. I’m also keen to see how consumerism can be read through these two movies as they both centre around aspects of decadent consumption (Megaguirus) and capitalism (Mothra).
Should be a great night of cup ramen and Asahi draft beer this coming monday.

Godzilla screenings at Waseda Uni

As i’ve posted on the Toho Kingdom forums, I’m putting together a Godzilla movie schedule for Waseda University. This is part of the research project I’m conducting while I’m over in Japan.
It’s been a most enjoyable process to put together a list a films that will stimulate discussion between a small group of scholars around ideas of Godzilla’s symbolism as an expression of power, destruction, mythology of Japanese identity, nostalgia of youthful play, and virtual map of Japan as seen through the modelers and narrative of the films.
I’ve been keeping my eyes open for stimulating reading mater on the Godzilla space at 2nd hand bookstores and have aquired a small, but growing collection of Children’s movie picture books and general encyclopedias of the Godzilla phenomenon. These provide vivid images and text into the Godzilla mythology, and some enjoyablebed-time reading with my 3 yr old son.

Godzilla books for the young and excitable