The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast

Sadako vs. Kayako (2016)

Byrd, Kevin, Tom, and Lux (with a cameo from Trev) follow up our Ju-On mega-pod with the film that pitted Kayako against J-Horror's other top star, the Ring's very own Sadako.  While the film was originally announced as an April Fool's joke, the online excitement over the possibility left Kadakawa-Daiei Studio no choice but to bring the monster fantasy match to life.  They recruited J-horror veteran Koji Shiraishi to write and direct.  So does this crossover do justice to the two iconic ghosts?  Listen and find out!

Ju-On (the Grudge): The First Four Films

If you just aren't ready for Halloween season to be over, join Byrd, Tom, Kevin, Lux, (and Trev, kind of) for a talk about one of Japan's biggest horror franchises, Ju-On (also known as the Grudge)! This introduced the vengeful ghost Kayako and her son Toshio to the horror world and they have since become some of Japan's biggest horror icons. The series by Takashi Shimizu originally started with two shorts as part of the School Ghost Stories tv specials, which later spun off into two full length direct to video films, Ju-On: The Curse and Ju-On: The Curse 2 in 2000. They were successful enough that a third film, Ju-On: The Grudge was made for theatrical release in 2002, which led to the series becoming a global phenomenon (leading to Shimizu's own American remake starting a Hollywood branch of the franchise). It was quickly followed by Ju-On: The Grudge 2 and many more sequels after. As we discuss the first four movies and the history of the franchise, we'll discuss haunted houses, ghost children, time loops, and more! Grab your leftover Halloween candy and enjoy the conversation!

Mad Monster Party? (1967)

Happy Halloween!  Byrd, Lux, Tom and Kevin get together to discuss Rankin-Bass' stop motion Halloween feature, Mad Monster Party.  Dr. Frankenstein (voiced by Boris Karloff) is about to retire and invites the classic monsters to his castle for a party where he will announce his successor.  Among the guests are the Frankenstein Monster and his bride, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Wolf Man, the Gillman, the Hunchback, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, and "It," a legally distinct stand-in for King Kong.  This cult favorite was directed by Jules Bass and animated by the legendary Tadahito Mochinaga.  We discuss the Rankin Bass holiday specials, enduring an annoying Phyllis Diller performance, the career of animator Tadahito Mochigana, whether the film could be considered anime and/or tokusatsu, and more!  Relax and enjoy the conversation.

Daiei Gothic! Ghost of Yotsuya (1959), Snow Woman (1968), Bride from Hades (1968)

Byrd, Tom and Lux discuss three classic horror films from Daiei Studios (recently released in the excellent Daiei Gothic blu-ray set from Radiance Films).  Ghost of Yotsuya, Snow Woman, and Bride From Hades are all based on famous folk horror stories that have been adapted many times over the years (and would influence much of the J-horror movement later on).  These three films take those stories and apply Daiei's iconic art direction and production value of the time to create three memorable versions of classic ghost tales.  What did we think?  Listen and find out!

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.