The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast

Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018)- Spoiler Discussion

At long last, Netflix has released the third entry in Toho's Godzilla anime trilogy for worldwide viewing.  After the collapse of Mecha-Godzilla City, the evil Exif aliens use religious manipulation to summon Godzilla's arch-rival, King Ghidorah.  So how does Godzilla: The Planet Eater compare to the previous two entries?  We are joined by our frequent guest host Tom to take a dive into the latest Godzilla film and dig right into the good, the bad, and the ugly!  Kick back and enjoy the conversation!

The End of Evangelion (1997)

Byrd and Matt are once again joined by author/blogger Kevin Derendorf (Maser Patrol, Kaiju for Hipsters) for the second part in our look back at the original Neon Genesis Evangelion anime.  This time we dig into the 1997 conclusion film, The End of Evangelion.  When the original series ran out of funding, it forced the show to have an unconventional conclusion that drew the ire of many fans.  This film was made as a more proper conclusion to the original series, while retaining its ambiguity and surrealism.  Is the movie a more fitting end to the story?  Listen and find out!  We also have a discussion on the expanded universe of Evangelion in other media.  Enjoy!

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-1996)

Byrd and Matt are joined by author/blogger Kevin Derendorf (Maser Patrol, Kaiju for Hipsters) to take a deep dive into the original Neon Genesis Evangelion anime TV series.  Hideaki Anno's colossally popular series was an inversion on classic mecha and tokusatsu, twisting the tropes of these genres into an abstract and existential examination of mental illness.  At this point, the show's reputation as a groundbreaking classic proceeds it.  Do we find the show worthy of its immense popularity?  Listen and find out!  But first, we talk about the early careers of Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi and their cohorts and the birth of Gainax! 

The Giant Claw (1957) + Ishiro Honda on the CW!

On this special Thanksgiving episode of the podcast, Byrd and Matt take a look at the ultimate turkey of giant monster movies, 1957's The Giant Claw!  We'll get into the backstory of the movie and just why the titular creature looks so darn goofy.  But first we have a full review of the Thanksgiving episode of DC's Legends of Tomorrow on the CW!  This episode was a full blown homage to kaiju eiga as the superhero team went back in time and met with Ishiro Honda himself.  How did the episode pan out?  Is the Giant Claw really as stupid as everyone says it is?  Listen and find out!  Happy Thanksgiving!

King Kong on Broadway!

Byrd and Matt are joined by special guest Chris Oglio (Genesis 54 Inc.) to discuss the King Kong stage musical, now on Broadway!  While your gracious hosts were unable to attend, Chris is here to review the play for us!  Chris has a love of Broadway theater and went with a group of friends to check out the King of the Apes Broadway debut!  We talk about the history of the production, the cast, changes made to the original story, and of course, Kong himself.  The rest of Chris' group sent us their thoughts as well.  So what did Chris and his pals think?  Listen and find out!

Kaneko's House of Horrors!

For our Halloween special, Byrd, Matt and Tom discuss four horror films by kaiju-fan favorite director, Shusuke Kaneko.  On the chopping block today are the Toho vampire comedy My Soul Is Slashed (1991), the HP Lovecraft anthology Necronomicon (1993), Toho's sci-fi mutant film Pyrokinesis (2000), and the Kazuo Umezu manga adaptation God's Left Hand, The Devil's Right Hand (2006).  Kaneko is one of the few kaiju directors to have a vast and successful career outside of the genre, so we took a look at his horror output.  Can Kaneko be considered a master of horror?  Listen and find out!

When Horror Came to Shochiku!

Byrd, Matt and Tom are back with another October horror special.  This time we will be talking about three horror films from Shochiku Studios; Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell, The Living Skeleton and Genocide.  Normally a studio known for family dramas and art house films, Shochiku made a run of genre films (also including their kaiju opus The X From Outer Space) to try and produce a hit in a time when the Japanese film industry was on life support.  How did this brief experiment go for the desperate studio?  Listen and find out!

The Invisible Man: Daiei and Toho

Byrd, Matt and Tom are back with another October horror episode, this time talking about Japanese Invisible Man films!  We've discussed Japanese takes on Frankenstein and Dracula, so its time another classic Western monster gets the Japanese treatment.  We discuss two films from Daiei Studios, The Invisible Man Appears (1949) and Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly (1957).  Then we go to Toho for 1954's The Invisible Man (aka Invisible Avenger).  We talk about Eiji Tsuburaya's involvement in two of the films, the state of the studios at the time, and we even discuss our favorite Invisible Man films.  These films languished in obscurity for decades until finally making it onto the fansub circuit.  So how do these old school obscurities hold up?  Listen and find out!

Body Horror Double Feature (Gakidama & Henge)!

Byrd, Matt and Tom kick off KT's October horror series with a double feature of obscure Japanese body horror short films.  Up first, we have Tsuburaya Production's Gakidama, about an unfortunate man who gives birth to a small gremlin (created by Toho monster maker Shinichi Wakasa).  Then we have the indie short semi-feature Henge (aka Metamorphosis) about a man who slowly transforms into a grotesque beast and turns into a giant rampaging monster (with effects by Ultraman vet Kiyotaka Taguchi).  But first, we have talk on our Halloween viewing plans, news on Godzilla: The Planet Eater, and Toho's involvement with the upcoming Monster Hunter film from Sony!

Godzilla: The Series (1998-2000)

Byrd and Matt are joined by Kevin Derendorf of Maser Patrol to talk about the 1998 Godzilla animated series!  Serving as a sequel to the 1998 Tristar Godzilla movie, this animated television series upped the monster action and gave us a more familiar Godzilla.  But was it any good?  It seems as though the further we get from the 1998 film, the more this series falls into obscurity.  Is it best left there or is it an underappreciated gem?  Listen and find out what our take is!