The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast

Sonny Chiba Tribute Special

Byrd, Matt and Trev celebrate the legacy of Japanese action star Sonny Chiba, who recently passed away at the age of 82.  We talk about Chiba's humble beginnings as a star of low budget tokusatsu productions, becoming a global martial arts icon, and his impact on the Japanese film industry.  We also review four classic Chiba-starring tokusatsu films- the early superhero films Invasion of the Neptune Men and The Golden Bat, the 1975 disaster thriller The Bullet Train, and the samurai vs. soldiers showdown G.I. Samurai.  Sit back, relax and join us in celebrating the legacy of one of the most bad ass stars of all time!

Kaiju Fan Films!

Byrd and Matt are joined by Chris Marti (Cosmic Monster) and Jared Foust (Xenofauna) to discuss the rich history of kaiju fan films!  We discuss their recent short Ultraman Sorta vs. Godzilla (which Jared directed and Chris did sound design for) and then we get into the history of kaiju fan films, going way back to the 50s and forward all the way into the present.  Future trail blazers such as Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi, John Carpenter, Steve Wang, Nobuhiko Obayashi, Tom Woodruff, and others got their start making fan films, often featuring our favorite iconic giant monsters, including Godzilla, Gorgo, King Kong, Ultraman and more.  We discuss the fan films of Don Glut, Gainax, Steve Wang and others including well known titles such as Wolfman vs. Godzilla, Coming Out, Bambi Meets Godzilla, Godzilla: Battle Royale, and Toho's Gemstone contest entries, as well as obscurities like Godzilla vs. Mito Komon, and Godzilla vs. the Netherlands.   Relax and enjoy the show!

The Rebuild of Evangelion Giant Size Spectacular!

Byrd and Matt are joined by Maser Patrol's Kevin Derendorf and Josh Greilich to discuss the four-film retelling of Neon Genesis Evangelion.  With the long awaited fourth film, Thrice Upon a Time now out on Amazon Prime, we finally get a chance to unpack this reintroduction into the world of Evangelion that was 14 years in the making.  Along the way, we debunk some common myths around topics like Anno being a troll and Mari being a stand in for his wife.  We discuss the long, complicated production history of each film, as well as our reviews.  So how does this new take on Hideaki Anno's classic story hold up?  Listen and find out!

Konto 55: Grand Outer Space Adventure (1969)

Byrd, Matt and Tom discuss Jun Fukuda's obscure sci-fi comedy, Konto 55: Grand Outer Space Adventure.  The film stars the comedy duo Konto 55, as they and their mutual love interest are abducted by aliens in order to study earthlings' knack for violence.  An alien Bluebeard, Marilyn Monroe, Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Yang Gufei, and Ono no Komachi also appear.  It is as insane as it sounds.  So how does this daffy obscurity fare?  Listen and find out!

Godzillafest Returns with Bob Johnson!

SciFi Japan's Bob Johnson returns to discuss the return of Godzillafest, the largest Godzilla film festival in the country. We also talk about Bob's commentary track on Arrow's Gamera the Brave blu-ray, the complicated nature of the Godzilla series' home video rights in the United States, how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted movie screenings over the last year, starting the Planet 8 Podcast, the passing of iconic American anime producer Fred Ladd, and more! Relax and enjoy the conversation!

This year, Godzillafest will take place during the weekends of August 20-22 and August 27-29 at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco, CA. 
For more information, visit https://www.bayareafilmevents.com/godzillafest

The Planet 8 Podcast: https://planet8podcast.blogspot.com/

Shin Godzilla- A 5 Year Retrospective with The Human Instrumentality Podcast!

Get ready for a real "two plus two cooperation" as we are joined by Joseph Schafer and Ian Cory (of the Evangelion podcast, the Human Instrumentality Podcast) to take a deep dive into Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi's radical, yet beloved Godzilla reboot.  Now with five years since the film's release, we thought there would be nobody better to join us for this retrospective look back.  We discuss how Anno and Higuchi's previous work has been informed by the kaiju genre, the film's production history and unused concepts, political messaging and real life situations referenced in the film, and the impact the film has had on the Godzilla franchise.  How does the film fare five years later?  Join us and find out!

-Human Instrumentality Podcast- https://human-instrumentality.fireside.fm/

 

-Maser Patrol's Pop Culture References in Eva panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOW05Xpv0ww

 

-Shin Godzilla vs. Evangelion Theme Park Ride Footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uodPkOMMp_Y

 

Godzilla: Singular Point (2021)

Byrd and Matt are joined by guest hosts Tom and Kevin to discuss the divisive new Godzilla anime series on Netflix.  This co-production between Toho, Bones, and Studio Orange was a bold and different take on a Godzilla story, incorporating physics, trans-temporal theory, and wild new takes on classic characters.  We talk about the show's production history, kaiju concepts, and the split reaction from G-Fans, as well as give our own thoughts.  We also discuss how the series should impact the future of the franchise.  So how does the newest animated Godzilla adventure fare?  Listen and find out!

Dubbing Gamera, Evangelion and More with Voice Actress Tiffany Grant!

Byrd and Matt are joined by the prolific voice actress, Tiffany Grant!  Tiffany is one of the most prolific voice actresses in the dubbing world, having worked on titles such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, the Gamera trilogy, Vampire Hunter D, Super Atragon, Blue Seed and TONS more.   We discuss her beginnings doing dubs at ADV Films, her work dubbing Dr. Nagamine in the Gamera trilogy, her iconic performance as Asuka in Evangelion, her work adapting English scripts for dubbing, having to use studio mandated translations, the difference between animation and live action dubbing, and more!

The Legacy of Kong with Author Ray Morton!

Author, script consultant and film historian Ray Morton stops by the podcast to discuss all things King Kong!  Ray wrote History of a Movie Icon, the definitive book on the Kong franchise.  We discuss a wide range of Kong-centric topics including Ray's book, his audio commentary on the recent Kong '76 blu ray, the history of the Kong series, varying interpretations of the original film, common falsehoods about the "spider-pit" scene, the character's complicated legal rights, Kong's impact on pop culture, and more!  We also catch up with Ray and get his thoughts on the recent Kong films.  Sit back and join the conversation!

Ray's website- www.raymorton.com
Ray's twitter- https://twitter.com/raymorton1

The Final War (1960) aka World War III Breaks Out

Byrd and Matt discuss the rare Toei disaster drama, The Final War.  The film takes inspiration from the same story as Toho's more often seen The Last War from the following year and tells the stories of several groups of average Japanese citizens as the Cold War escalates into a nuclear apocalypse.  In addition to the film, we also talk about how it competed with The Last War and how they compare, Japan's Cold War anxiety, and more!  But first, we have a brief news roundup and discuss the recent Godzilla Boss Coffee commercial, the recent Godzilla ride at Seibuen Amusement Park, and the announcement of Hideaki Anno's Shin Kamen Rider.  Relax and enjoy the show!