The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast

Hakaba Kitarō (2008)

Byrd, Lux, Tom and Kevin take a look at another entry in the prolific yokai franchise, GeGeGe No Kitaro franchise.  This time we talk about 2008's Hakaba Kitaro, which was a darker take on the material.  This changes Kitaro from a good natured yokai ambassador to a mischievous anti hero starring in downbeat morality tales.  How did we feel it compared to other versions of Kitaro?  Listen and find out!

Gill-men Attack! Humanoids From the Deep (1980), Dragon Blue, (1996) and Monster Island (aka Orang Ikan-2024))

We kick off another spooky October at KT with Byrd, Kevin, Tom and Lux having a discussion of several films featuring murderous gill-men.  Ever since 1954's classic Creature From The Black Lagoon, the trope of a murderous half man/half fish has been entertaining filmgoers on a semi regular basis.  We take the opportunity to discuss three such films; Roger Corman's schlockfest Humanoids From The Deep, the Japanese b-movie obscurity Dragon Blue, and the recent Japanese/American/Singaporean/British/German co-production Monster Island (aka Orang Ikan).  We talk the Corman legacy, the muddled production of Humanoids (which ties into its eligibility for this podcast), Doug McClure, horny fish monsters, fish-woman harems, and more!  Relax and enjoy the conversation!

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (2025)

Byrd, Matt, Kevin and Lux come together again to talk about the recent anime film Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League.  The sequel to 2018's Batman Ninja sees the Caped Crusader and his allies in an another dimension in which Japan is ruled by a Yakuza consisting of evil versions of his Justice League allies.  The film sees director Junpei Mizusaki return, with new co-director Shinji Takagi (Ranma 1/2, Japan Sinks 2020) and returning screenwriter Kazuki Nakashima (Gekiranger, Kamen Rider W, Kill la Kill).  So how does it compare to its predecessor?  Listen and find out!

G-Fest 2025 Recap

Another year, another G-Fest in the books.  Byrd, Kevin and returning guest Connor recount their experience at this years G-Fest convention.  G-Fest XXX (!) was the thirtieth in the convention's long running history and as always we talk about the panels, the guests, and our overall opinions of how the show fared this year. We also touch on the film festival lineup including the recent Ishiro Honda documentary, Hot Springs Shark Attack, and a whole slew of short films.  Relax and enjoy the conversation!

Godzilla vs. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers II (Comic Book- 2024)

Byrd, Matt and Kevin discuss and review the recent comic book crossover Godzilla vs. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers II (written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Baldemar Rivas).  The follow up to IDW and Boom!'s 2022 crossover once again sees the Power Rangers in a multiversal adventure as they once again cross paths with Godzilla and other Toho monsters as they go up against Rita Repulsa as she threatens to destroy rangers in all dimensions.  This time we also get Ranger and zord/kaiju hybrids.  How did this sequel hold up?  Listen and find out!

Writing Godzilla's Biography with Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski (Live at G-Fest 2025)

Live from G-Fest 2025, Byrd moderates this in depth discussion with authors Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski (Ishiro Honda: A Life In Film) to discuss the stories behind the researching, writing, and publishing of their new book Godzilla: The First 70 Years: The Official Illustrated History of the Japanese Productions, a brand new Toho commissioned book dedicated to the history of the King of the Monsters.

Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)

After a Spring hiatus, Byrd and Matt come back to discuss Jurassic World Rebirth, the newest entry in the Jurassic Park franchise directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla 2014, Monsters, Star Wars: Rogue One).  This entry follows a group of mercenaries (led by Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali) tasked with gathering dino DNA for medical research by going to an island used for genetic experimentation.  Along the way they meet up with a family they save during a Mosasaur attack.  We discuss an endless amount of dinosaur chase sequences, the rushed production of the film, Snickers wrappers, Lays potato chips, and the death of the "director as auteur" in blockbuster film making.  So how does this one compare to the last few entries?  Listen and find out!  

Takashi Miike Toku Heroes: Zebraman, Zebraman 2, and Yatterman + Godzilla Pop-Up Book Review

Byrd, Tom, Kevin and Trev discuss a trio of tokusatsu superhero films from acclaimed director Takashi Miike (Great Yokai War, Ultraman Max, Audition, Ichi the Killer).  First we have 2004's Zebraman, a parody of Japanese superhero shows that sees a father in a mid life crisis take up the mantle of the titular character to fight crime and fend off an alien invasion.  We then move onto 2010's gonzo sequel set in a dystopian future where Zebraman must face off against a power hungry pop singer.  We cap things off by discussing his 2009 adaptation of the popular anime series Yatterman, about a pair of superheroes and their giant robot dog who thwart the evil plans of the Donboro gang.  But first, Byrd reviews the recent official Godzilla Pop Up Book from Simon and Schuster Publishing.  Relax and join the discussion!

Bullet Train Explosion (2025)

Byrd, Matt, Lux and Kevin discuss Shinji Higuchi's recent Netflix film Bullet Train Explosion.  Higuchi's latest revamp of an old tokusatsu IP is a remake/sequel to Toei's 1975 classic disaster film The Bullet Train.  Like its predecessor, the story revolves around a bomb on a bullet train, which will explode if the train slows down under 100kph.  Show how does Higuchi's latest fare in comparison to the original film and his other recent tokusatsu reboots?  Listen and find out!

Chinese Kongsploitation!

Byrd, Lux and Matt reach back down into the bottom of the barrell to discuss three obscure recent King Kong knock-offs from China, made to cash in on the recent Monsterverse films.  In recent years, China has been churning out dozens and dozens of low budget straight to TV/streaming cheapie creature features.  For this episode we'll discuss 2021's Monster Island, 2023's King Kong vs Giant Serpent (aka Battle of Snakes), and 2024's KingKong is Coming Back.  In addition to offering our thoughts on the films, we also talk about China's recent b-movie boom.  Relax and enjoy the discussion!