The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast

Kamen Rider: Black Sun (2022)

Byrd, Matt, Kevin and first time guest host Lux Edwards (tokusatsu fan and vocalist for the metal bands Wraithstorm and Soulmass) have a lengthy discussion on the recent Amazon Prime mini series, Kamen Rider: Black Sun!  Conceived to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the original Kamen Rider Black (1987), this big budget, adult-oriented reboot has proven divisive for its unsubtle allusions to real social problems such as government corruption, minority oppression, and social prejudices.  The series tells the story of a society in which human/monster hybrids called kaijin, who are fighting for their rights in a prejudice society.  As civil rights activists and government entities clash, a young girl finds herself befriending kaijin superheroes Black Sun and Shadow Moon, who end up with different ideas on how to fight for coexistence.  The show had a who's who of remarkable talent in front of and behind the camera, such as director Kazuya Shiraishi (The Devil's Path), effects director Kiyotaka Taguchi (Ultraman series), designer Shinji Higuchi (Gamera Trilogy, Evangelion, Shin Godzilla), and stars Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car) and Tomoya Nakamura (Like Father, Like Son).  We'll discuss the show as well as give some history on the real life social issues it is addressing.  So what side of this divisive series did we all on?  Listen and find out!

The Career of Willis O’Brien + King Kong at 90 Art Exhibit at Eastern Michigan University with Gregory Kulon!

We welcome film historian and Willis O'Brien biographer Gregory Kulon to the show!  We discuss O'Brien's life and career, including his lost projects and personal tragedies, and we even debunk some common myths about the man.  Gregory also discusses the upcoming exhibit, "King Kong at 90: Visualization in the Art of Stop-Motion Animation," which he helped organize at Eastern Michigan University.  The exhibit will focus on Kong and the history of stop motion and the evolution of special effects.  It will run at EMU's University Gallery from January 23-February 23, 2023 and include original art from O'Brien, as well as Ray Harryhausen, Charles Knight, Byron Crabbe, Tim Burton, Bernie Wrighston, and many more!  There will also be film screenings, guest speakers and more.  We have the full rundown here!  Relax and enjoy the show!

Keep checking emugalleries.org for news, schedules, and other updates on the Kong at 90 Exhibit.

Iké Boys (2021/2022)

For our (kind of) Christmas episode, Byrd, Matt and Kevin gather around the Yule log to discuss the indie fantasy film, Iké Boys!  This homage to tokusatsu and anime follows two high school students who find themselves with super powers after watching a bootleg of a lost anime.  They have to use their new mecha and kaiju forms to thwart a doomsday cult, all the while dealing with the usual teenage coming of age struggles like bullies, girl problems, etc. The film features familiar faces in front of and behind the screen, such as actors Billy Zane, Yumiko Shaku, and Ben Browder, as well as art direction and effects work from Daisuke Sato (Howl From Beyond The Fog), Keizo Murase (Showa/Heisei Godzilla), and the Chiodo Bros (Killer Klowns from Outer Space).  Sit down with some egg nog and enjoy the discussion!

What To Do With The Dead Kaiju (2022)

We're back again with Kevin (Maser Patrol) to talk about the recent kaiju satire film, What To Do With The Dead Kaiju.  This Toei/Shochiku co-production tells the story of Japan's  government and scientists trying to figure out how to dispose of a rotting kaiju carcass.  But first, we talk a bit about the passing of Power Rangers actor Jason David Frank.

Nope (2022)

On another Halloween hangover episode, we are joined by Tom (Final Forum Dragon Ball Podcast) and returning guest Justin Mullis to discuss comedian turned horror maestro Jordan Peele's recent sci-fi/horror adventure, Nope!  Now if you've seen the film, you will know why we're covering it on this show.  If you haven't seen it, well... you should.  The film follows two siblings who run a Hollywood horse training ranch who find that something sinister in the skies above them is taking their horses, while the owner of a nearby amusement park is exploiting the situation for profit.  The less said here, the better, since this episode is VERY spoiler heavy.  In addition to our review, we will peel back all the layers of the movie to discuss its many themes.  Along the way, we discuss the real life incidents that inspired the film, the history of UFOs as (spoiler redacted) in ufology, showbiz chimps turning violent, black joy, animal exploitation, the nature of spectacle, biblically accurate angels and more!  But first, we discuss the recent passing of director Kazuki Omori, and the announcement of the upcoming Gamera: Rebirth anime.  There's a lot to unpack with this one, so relax and enjoy the conversation!

The Great Yokai War: Guardians (2021) + New Godzilla vs. Gigan Shorts + Godzilla Day ’22 Recap

We're joined again by Tom and Kevin to talk about Kadokawa's most recent entry in their Yokai Monsters series, Great Yokai War: Guardians!  With Takashi Miike (2005's Great Yokai War) back in the director chair, it features a myriad of yokai, as well as a special guest appearance from Daimajin!  Along the way, we learn about brotherhood, pacifism, and the folly of war.  So how did this long awaited sequel fare?  We'll get there, but first, we have all the news from Godzilla Day, including the long awaited confirmation of Takashi Yamazaki's upcoming G film and reviews of the two Godzilla vs. Gigan short films.  Kick back and enjoy the discussion!

Psycho Goreman (2020/2021)

Happy Halloween!  This time, we're joined by Tom and Trev to talk about the Canadian sci-fi/horror/comedy Psycho Goreman!  Directed by Steven Kostanski (of the cult film collective Astron-6), and inspired by 80s fantasy, Japanese superhero shows and 90s family films, it tells the story of Psycho Goreman (aka PG), an alien warlord who falls to Earth and becomes controlled by a sociopathic little girl.  While PG is playing dodgeball and turning kids into tentacled brain creatures, he has to fend off a rogues gallery of tokusatsu inspired monsters and learn the power of love along the way.  We'll also talk about the history of Canadian filmmaking collective Astron 6.  How does this gore soaked genre mashup fare?  Listen and find out!

Toho’s Haunted School

Byrd, Kevin and Tom discuss the Gakkou No Kaidan (aka Haunted School aka School Ghost Stories aka Ghost Stories) franchise with the main point of discussion being Toho's four live action films from the 1990s.  Haunted School is a multi-media franchise that started as a book of short stories written by a teacher who got ideas for children's horror stories from his students.  It has since gotten film, television, anime, and feature film adaptations, as well as video games, toys, etc.  The Japanese TV specials largely paved the way for the J-Horror boom, including a spinoff series, Ju-On (aka The Grudge), which itself has become a global pop culture phenomenon.  Toho's films were released between 1995 and 1999 with three entries being directed by Hideyuki Hirayama (Samurai Resurrection 2003) and one by Shusuke Kaneko (GMK, Gamera Trilogy) and were met with box office success in Japan but still remain elusive internationally.  So how do these movies hold up?  And how does this franchise tie into Toho's Bloodthirsty trilogy?  Listen and find out!

Deep Rising (1998)

We're joined by Trev (Failure to Franchise/Days of Future Podcast) and Tom (Final Forum Dragonball Podcast) to discuss the 1998 aquatic monster movie, Deep Rising!  The film tells the story of a group of hijackers and a small transport boat crew who make their way onto a luxury cruise ship that has been grabbed by a giant creature, whose tentacles are killing everybody on board.  A critically reviled box office failure, the film has gone on to become a cult classic in recent years.  We talk about its complicated production, as well as how it holds up now.  We also do some mythbusting along the way.  And does King Kong have anything to do with all this?  Listen and find out!

BONUS: All Monsters Attack 2022 Convention Recap (feat. The Children of KT)

For this bonus episode we bring in Byrd's daughter Julia and Matt's son Landon to give a recap of the first ever All Monsters Attack convention, held this past from Sept 9-11th in Indianapolis, Indiana.  AMA is a new tokusatsu themed convention organized by Days of the Dead and had a stacked lineup of guests from both Japan and the United States.  So how was the new con on the block?  What were the highlights of the show?  What did the kids think?  Listen and find out!