The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast

The Asylum's Monster Island (2019) + HBO's Chernobyl and News Roundup!

Byrd, Matt and guest host Trev (Days of Future Podcast: Examining the X-Men) discuss Monster Island, the newest giant monster film from the prolific b-movie studio, The Asylum.  Created to cash in on the newest Godzilla film, how does this micro-budget creature feature fare?  We'll tell you!  We also have a mini review of HBO's acclaimed mini-series Chernobyl, including how future Godzilla/kaiju films could benefit from the show's influence.  But first we also have a news roundup, including Godzilla: King of the Monsters box office news, and news on Universal Studios Japan's new Godzilla vs. Evangelion 4D ride.  Kick back and enjoy!

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) Jumbo Sized Spoiler Review!

Byrd and Matt are joined by guest reviewers Tom and Trev to take a deep dive into Legendary Pictures brand new film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters!  We discuss the highly anticipated blockbuster from top to bottom.  We give our thoughts on the writing, directing, effects, characters, monsters, and the themes of the film.  We also talk about the fandom's reactions to the film and the recent divide between fans and critics.  Does the movie live up to its expectations?  Did it honor the traditions of the Godzilla franchise?  What are our predictions for Godzilla vs. Kong?  This was a SUPER exhaustive dissection of the film, and we have LOTS of thoughts on this one, so strap in for the haul!

Monsters (2010) & Monsters: Dark Continent (2014)

Byrd and Matt discuss director Gareth Edwards' pre-Godzilla indie hit, Monsters and its sequel, Monsters: Dark Continent.  Monsters was made on a shoestring budget with a crew of less than ten people and was released to critical acclaim.  The largely improvised film put a relationship drama against the backdrop of a world ravaged by an invasion by giant monsters from space.  Its sequel, Dark Continent was released four years later to a much more mixed reception.  We will take you behind the scenes and discuss our thoughts on both films.  Kick back and enjoy!

Troll Hunter (2010)

Byrd and Matt discuss the Norwegian giant creature feature Troll Hunter, from director André Øvredal.  This found footage chiller was released in 2010 with a lot of buzz and critical success.  It follows a student film crew as they join a professional troll hunter to take down a variety of gigantic trolls in the Norwegian countryside.  How does this film hold up nearly a decade later?  Listen and find out!

Q: The Winged Serpent (1982)

Byrd and Matt are joined by the Goat (of the Movie Graveyard Podcast) to discuss the 1982 cult classic, Q: The Winged Serpent, directed by b-movie legend Larry Cohen.  With Cohen's recent passing, we felt now would be as good a time as any to revisit his unique entry in the giant monster genre.  Q combined the giant monster, gangster and occult horror genres into this quirky and original flick.  Listen as we give our review of the film, as well as give our thoughts on Cohen's legacy and lasting influence.  Enjoy!

Zone Fighter (1973): TV Series Review

 

Byrd and Matt are joined again by Kevin Derendorf (author of Kaiju For Hipsters, Maser Patrol blog) to review Toho’s kaiju/hero series Zone Fighter! With Japanese cinema nearly dead and the rise of Ultraman and Kamen Rider on TV, Toho of course got into tokusatsu hero game in the early 70s. For Zone Fighter, they enlisted some of their top talent, including directors Ishiro Honda and Jun Fukuda and special effects directors Teruyoshi Nakano and Koichi Kawakita, and suit maker Keizo Murase, among others. Although the series is known for its guest appearances by Godzilla, Gigan and King Ghidorah, the entire 26 episode run has lots more to offer than appearances of iconic Toho kaiju. We watched the entire series and are here to tell you all about it! Enjoy the conversation!

Kaiju Pop Songs!

Byrd and Matt are joined by Trev (Days of Future Podcast: Examining the X-Men) to discuss kaiju in the world of pop music.  We have an eclectic list of songs that we will play samples from and give our thoughts on.  We have popular and obscure tracks from artists in genres such as pop, heavy metal, punk, hip-hop, and more!  We have something for everyone with this diverse track list, so relax and enjoy the show!

Song list:

Blue Oyster Cult – “Godzilla” 

ABBA – “King Kong Song”

Flaming Lips “Godzilla Flick” 

Ke$ha – “Godzilla” 

Green Day-  “Brain Stew (Godzilla Remix)

Frasier Theme (Godzilla remix)

Tom Waits -“King Kong”

The Creatures- “Godzilla”

Michale Graves- “Godzilla”

Barbarellas- “Giant Godzilla”

Damon Alexander & the Ten Cent Rentals- “X from Outer Space”

Fishbone – “V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F”

Sepultura “Biotech is Godzilla”

Carnal Forge – “Godzilla is Coming Thru”

Anvil – “Mothra”

MOD- “Godzula”

Raven- “Destroy All Monsters”

Devo- “The Words Get Stuck in my Throat”

The 5.6.7.8’s- “Mothra”

Sepultura- “Ultraseven No Uta”

 

King Geedorah “Fazers”

King Cesar – “Put it on Smash”

Bobby Pickett & Peter Ferrara – “King Kong (Your Song)”

Jimmy Castor Bunch- “King Kong”

Jimmy Castor- “Godzilla”

Jad & David Fair- “Rodan”

Jad & David Fair- “Godzilla”

The Towels- “Godzilla Christmas”

Those Darn Accordions- “Mothra”

Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom- "NoZilla"

Daigoro vs. Goliath (1972)

Byrd and Matt discuss Tsuburaya Productions' kiddie kaiju romp Daigoro vs. Goliath, which was distributed by Toho as part of their theatrical Champion Matsuri package in 1972.  In addition to our review, we debunk some common myths about the film as well as discuss Toho's still ambiguous part in the production, how it was the offspring of the infamous aborted Godzilla vs. Redmoon project, and more!  But first we have some news on the release dates for Godzilla: King of the Monsters and the upcoming Ultraman anime on Netflix.  Enjoy the show!

Toho in the 80's: Sayonara Jupiter (1984) & Gunhed (1989)

We are joined again by Kevin Derendorf (Maser Patrol blog, Kaiju For Hipsters) to discuss two futuristic sci-fi spectacles that Toho produced in the 1980s.  The first is Sayonara Jupiter, a futuristic space opera/disaster movie combo.  The second is the 1989 dystopian mech film, Gunhed.  We get into Sayonara Jupiter's long and troubled production history, Gunhed's genesis as a Godzilla script, manga adaptations and more!  These films bolstered huge budgets and international casts, but they've earned a reputation as two of the worst Toho science fiction films of all time.  Did we find that these movies lived up to their reputation?  Listen and find out!

The Mysterians (1957) and Battle In Outer Space (1959)

Byrd, Matt, and Chris discuss Toho's alien invasion films of the 1950s, the Mysterians and Battle In Outer Space.  This pair of films show a huge growth period for Toho's genre films in the early days.  They've gone on to become influential classics of the time period.  How do these films hold up after 50 years?  We will dig into the history, the subtext, the good and the bad of both films.  We'll talk about why Battle In Outer Space is actually NOT a sequel to the Mysterians.  We'll also talk about the impact that these films had and their lasting influence.  Enjoy!