Friday, December 21, 2012

A View of the Apocalypse

Well given the fact that I'm posting and the fact that you're reading, the Mayan Apocalypse did not happen.  Oh well, I guess I didn't get to put any of the advice from my post last night into effect.  However that doesn't preclude me from having a bit of fun with it.
 I suppose a harbinger of the apocalypse could be a giant radioactive breathing monster like say Godzilla.  Godzilla (or Gojira) is a giant monster that first appeared on the scene in the 1954 Ishiro Honda film Godzilla.  He has since appeared in 28 films produced by the Toho Company (we wont count that abomination called Godzilla that was released in 1998).
 He has pretty much stayed the same through the years.  There have been some minor variations in the costume over the years but for the most part it remains an actor in a rubber suit that is far more expressive than many CGI special effects that are made these days.
 This may be a little blurry because of the exposure times.  The original movie was making a statement against nuclear weapon testing because that is what awoke the monster.  If you ever get a chance to see the original Japanese version, do so because it is pretty good.
 For this picture, I shook the camera a little bit to get the effect of either motion or the fact that if I were really taking a picture of Godzilla, I don't think I would be taking all that much time to steady the camera.
 Yes, the special effects of the Godzilla movies aren't great but sometimes a movie is more than just special effects.
 Godzilla is by far my favorite movie monster though.
 And here he takes on the M-1 Abrams that populate my desk.
As I said in my other post from last night, my vision of the apocalypse would probably involve some sort of nuclear war.  Despite the peace between us and the Russians, it is still the most likely scenario.  And nothing is a better symbol of that than the venerable B-52 Stratofortress.

I don't think they use the B-52 in a nuclear role anymore but it has carried nuclear bombs for so long that it can still remain a symbol.  It's hard to hard to believe that this is a design that has lasted over 60 years.  Even the current planes have been in service for 50 years.  I've read that there are stories of kids flying their father's plane (the same plane no less).  That is amazing.

I hope you enjoyed my bit of fun.

1 comment:

Pater said...

Oh man there is nothing like watching a B52 fly by. Moreover, I, for one, is glad the Mayans were wrong because to have the world end on a Friday is totally wrong. I think Monday morning is more appropriate even though it is Christmas eve.