The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast

Jellyfish Eyes (2013)

Byrd, Matt, and Kevin are joined by Jared Foust (Xenofauna on Twitter/Instagram) to discuss modern artist Takashi Murakami's 2013, film debut, Jellyfish Eyes.  Mostly known for his artwork and design work (including for artists such as Billie Eilish and Kanye West), Murakami decided to try his hand at making a children's film that would combine his aesthetic with other inspirations from kaiju/tokusatsu and video games to tell a story about kids and their monster pets (called FRIENDS) in a post-Fukushima Japan (complete with a rampaging kaiju).  We discuss Murakami's career, why most of the film's practical tokusastsu effects were scrapped, the recently canceled sequels, religious cults in Japan, the film's Criterion release, and more!

Notzilla (2020)

Byrd, Matt and Tom discuss the recent indie kaiju spoof, Notzilla.  After circling Hollywood and going through different hands for years, director Mitch Teemley decided to make his affectionate kaiju parody independently with a tiny budget in Cincinnati, OH.  What happens when kaiju and 50s American b-movie tropes combine with parody?  Join us as we review the film and discuss its origins and the state of the spoof genre.

Kitamura Kraziness!

If you're still not over the end of October, Byrd, Tom and Kevin are here to help with your Halloween hangover by talking about the horror-action mashups of director Ryuhei Kitamura.  Before directing Godzilla: Final Wars, Kitamura had humble beginnings making low budget genre films.  We discuss his early efforts, including the zombie/yakuza film Versus, the sci-fi/horror manga adaptation Alive, and the samurai/yokai battle Aragami.  We also discuss some of his short films as well.  But first, we talk about Kitamura's transition from the world of low budget horror films to Godzilla to mainstream Hollywood films, as well as whether or not he deserves his maligned reputation among Godzilla fans.

Horror of the Wolf (Guy) (Toho, Toei, and Anime OVA)

For this October horror episode, we get into some werewolf shenanigans by talking about screen adaptations of manga legend Kazumasa Hirai's strange Wolf Guy franchise.  First up, we have Toho's 1973 film, Horror of the Wolf, directed by Masashi Matsumoto and co-written by Godzilla veteran Jun Fukuda.  Next up, we discuss Toei's 1975 Wolf Guy, starring Sonny Chiba as an older version of the character.  Then we follow it up with JC Staff's six part anime series.  The world of Wolf Guy a bonkers one full of murder, rape, gore, martial arts, questionable romances, and overall sleazy exploitation.   But first we discuss the first trailer for Godzilla: Singular Point and our first look at Pacific Rim: The Black. Tune in and join the conversation!

Horrors of Malformed Men (1969) and Blind Woman's Curse (1970)

For our first October horror episode of 2020, Byrd, Matt, and Tom are joined by Trev (Failure To Franchise, Days of Future Podcast) to discuss two shockers from exploitation maestro, Teruo Ishii.  First, we discuss Toei's controversial mad scientist tale, Horrors of Malformed Men, which was pulled from theaters and languished for decades under a studio imposed ban.  Then we discuss the Nikkatsu yakuza/horror/action mashup, Blind Woman's Curse, starring the iconic Meiko Kaji.  In addition to our movie reviews, we also discuss Teruo Ishii's tokusatsu beginnings, atomic age anxiety, Butoh dance, Japanese societal taboos, Edogawa Rampo, pink cinema, the badassness of Meiko Kaji, ghost cats, and more!  But first, we have news about SRS' upcoming blu-ray release of the Korean oddity, the Flying Monster, Takashi Miike's Yokai sequel, and our reactions to the Monster Hunter trailer.

Neo Ultra Q (2013)

Byrd, Matt, Tom and resident Ultra superfan Connor discuss 2013's series Neo Ultra Q.  This 12 episode update of the series brings a diverse and more heady science fiction spin on Ultra Q, with some of the best genre talents behind the camera.  Listen as we discuss each of the 12 episodes and our favorite moments from the series!  But first, we deliver some news on the next Godzilla project and a thank you to everyone who tuned in for the Kaiju Masterclass online convention!

Ultra Q The Movie: Legend of the Stars (1990)

Byrd and Matt are joined by frequent guest Kevin Derendorf (Kaiju For Hipsters), as well as first time guests Jared Foust (Xenofauna) and translator Amanda Whalen to discuss 1990's Ultra Q the Movie: Legend of the Stars!  This film update of the classic 60s television series has languished in obscurity for decades.  Frustrated with the lack of a translation, this group of friends threw in money to have the film translated so this lesser discussed piece of Ultra history could finally be seen in the West.  We discuss our efforts to get the film subtitled, and our overall impressions of the film itself.  We'll also give our usual history, trivia and more!  Relax and enjoy the discussion!

Kaiju Masterclass: Online Convention Announcement!

In April of 2020, author Steve Ryfle approached us about being involved in organizing an online tokusatsu convention he wanted to hold in the wake of the pandemic.  Of course we said yes, and joined the rest of the team, which also includes Patrick Galvan, John DeSentis, Erik Homenick, and Kyle Gilmore.  Here we have the whole team (minus Kyle Gilmore) discussing who we are, what this convention is, our amazing guest lineup, and what to expect!  Kaiju Masterclass will be a free online convention that will be held on October 2-4th, 2020. 

The iDol (2006)

Byrd, Matt and Tom review Norman England's 2006 science fiction film, the iDol!  This film features a lot of tokusatsu veterans both in front of and behind the camera.  The film follows Ken, a toy collector who quite literally ends up being controlled by his hobby.  We'll get into the film's commentary on collector culture in fandom, the new blu-ray release from SRS Cinema and more!

Notzilla- Interview with Director Mitch Teemley!

Byrd and Matt welcome writer/director Mitch Teemley to the show to discuss his new kaiju comedy, Notzilla!  This loving send up of classic kaiju films had a rocky path to being made.  We discuss the original script, how it had interest from Hollywood studios and stars, and the decision to rework the film and complete it as an independent feature years later.  We also get into the special effects techniques and challenges, filming in Matt's town of Cincinnati, what makes a good spoof movie, how the fandom has received the film, and Ohio chili preferences!  Tune in and enjoy.