Godzilla returns to save humanity in serious summer spectacle

Godzilla returns to save humanity in serious summer spectacle

Here in the west, there is a good reason we tend to regard the Japanese kaiju (giant monster) movie with tongue in cheek. The genre was permeated with silliness in the 1960s and '70s with an ever-increasing cast of goofy giant creatures. Remember the Smog Monster? Remember Mechagodzilla? Remember the moth monster Mothra with its two tiny fairy servants?

It is important to remember that the granddaddy of all Japanese kaiju movies, Gojira, was dead serious. Released in 1954, just nine years after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it was a film upfront about its sombre inspiration. Born of nuclear radiation, the monster was a sledgehammer metaphor for the destructive power of nuclear weaponry. Gojira (retitled Godzilla for American audiences) not only devastated cities, it left radiation-burned victims in its radioactive wake.

In claiming Godzilla for its own, Hollywood inevitably got it wrong in its first attempt. Roland Emmerich's 1998 movie Godzilla hit the ground in a state of giddy idiocy. (Remember Mayor Ebert and his assistant Gene?) But, stupid as it was, the movie was actually a box-office hit, yet it was so critically reviled, sequel plans were eventually scrubbed. It's safe to say Emmerich's heart certainly wasn't in it.

This new Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards, at least tries to return the monster to its serious roots. Edwards demonstrated his love of the genre his first time out with his 2010 movie Monsters. It was an indie kaiju movie, of all things, for which the Brit served not only as writer-director, but visual-effects artist.

Thirteen accused in gun, drug trafficking network in rural Manitoba

RCMP and Winkler police have arrested more than a dozen people allegedly connected to a drug-and-gun trafficking network that operated in rural Manitoba.

The joint investigation began in December 2024, when officers from the Winkler Police Service asked the Mounties for help after learning kilograms of cocaine were being imported to a Winkler-area truck repair business, said RCMP Supt. Jeff Asmundson, who oversees the force’s Manitoba integrated law enforcement team.

Mounties and Winkler police gathered evidence for 19 months and expanded the probe, dubbed Project Dolor, as investigators learned other types of illicit substances and firearms were being trafficked by the network in a number of southern Manitoba communities, said Asmundson, whose team investigates serious and organized crime.

“It started as a cocaine trafficking investigation, and obviously, as we move along in a project or a file, evidence is gathered and an opportunity arose and we wanted to ensure public safety,” he told reporters Tuesday. “We were able to secure some firearms.”

What’s up: Deep Purple, Sarper Güven, and Taste of Manitoba, Maryland Music, Must Be Nice Indigenous Comedy and Corn and Apple fests

Must Be Nice Indigenous Comedy FestivalDevil May Care Brewing Company, 155-A Fort St.Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m.Tickets $23 at EventbriteTreaty 1 comedians Jeff Gobeil and Kaitlynn Brightnose have had big, busy summers.

Gobeil, a member of Poplar River First Nation, is fresh off performing The Crown Witness Is a Stand-Up Comedian? at this year’s Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival. The hour-long solo show, which earned four stars from the Free Press, details how he reported his childhood sexual abuser to police and served as the Crown witness during the man’s trial, “with Gobeil striking a breathtaking balance between his harrowing life story and the comedic observations that have resulted,” according to our review.

He and Brightnose, who grew up between Pukatawagan and Cranberry Portage and is a regular at the Bannock Bums showcases at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, also performed at the Indigenous Comedy Showcase before headliner Jim Gaffigan’s set at the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival in July, along with fellow comedian Noah Robinson.

On Friday, they’ll headline the first night of Must Be Nice Indigenous Comedy Festival, a two-night showcase featuring Indigenous comedians from across Treaty territories. Robinson will also perform at the fest, along with a slate of other comics including Stephan Meechas, Sherry McKay, Issa Kixen and others. Single-night and weekend passes are available at Eventbrite.

New Skyline: revolving restaurant to reopen atop Fort Garry Place

Come fall, people will once again have the chance to dine more than two dozen storeys above Winnipeg’s downtown.

Alfonso Maury, former owner of Corrientes Argentine Pizzeria, is preparing to reopen the revolving restaurant on the 30th floor of Fort Garry Place. The venue, which has sat empty for the past six years, offers a panoramic view of the city.

Maury is aiming to open Dos Pampas Skyline Restaurant at the beginning of October. He plans to hire around 20 employees, who will prepare and serve an Argentinian-inspired menu he is currently putting together with head chef Norm Pastorin.

Dos Pampas will include seating for 120 customers, Maury said. Additionally, the restaurant will feature a lounge with couches and short tables where guests who have finished their meal but who aren’t ready to leave can enjoy dessert or another drink.

Try these veggie burger options around Winnipeg

This summer, a quest to discover Winnipeg’s finest veggie burgers unveiled a surprising array of creative and delicious options. From the structural integrity of buns to thoughtful toppings, the article explores standout local eateries, each offering unique takes on plant-based patties that are as flavorful as they are engaging.