The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast

The Whale God (1962) + News Roundup

Byrd and Matt discuss Daiei's 1962 period monster movie, The Whale God (aka The Killer Whale).  Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka (Zatoichi series), with a script written by Kaneto Shindo (Onibaba, Kuroneko) based on the novel by Koichiro Uno, it tells the story of a whaling village in the early Meiji period being terrorized by a gigantic whale.  Two men, Shaki (Kojiro Hongo of the Gamera films) and Kishu (Shintaro Katsu of the Zatoichi films) to compete to be the one to kill the whale.  For decades, this film was obscure to American audiences, but it just saw its first blu-ray release stateside.  We'll give our review, as well as talk about whaling in Japanese culture, the awesome Akira Ifukube score, the themes of forgiveness and obsession, the influence of Moby Dick, and more!  But first we have a news roundup with our thoughts on the new Godzilla x Kong trailer, Godzilla Minus One's Oscar nomination, and the passing of suit actor Ken Satsuma.  Relax and enjoy the show!

Translating the Original Godzilla Novels with Jeffrey Angles!

Byrd, Kevin and Justin interview poet and Japanese literary translator Jeffrey Angles about his recent translations of Shigeru Kayama's 1955 novelizations of Godzilla '54 and Godzilla Raids Again (now available for the first time in English via University of Minnesota Press).  We talk about Angles' interest in Japanese literature, his love of Edogawa Ranpo, the tightrope of maintaining an author's voice while translating, the life and career of Godzilla author Shigeru Kayama, Kayama's long-overlooked contributions to the creation of Godzilla, releasing a Godzilla book without needing Toho's permission, differences between the films and the novels, and more!  Relax and join the conversation!

Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters (Season 1- 2023-2024)

Byrd, Matt and Tom discuss Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the recent MonsterVerse spin-off series on Apple TV+.  The story flashes between the 1950s and the 2010s as it follows the founding of the Monarch organization (introduced in 2014's Godzilla reboot) and two siblings trying to untie their family's mysterious history with it.  Join us as we discuss the shows pros and cons, the charm of Kurt and Wyatt Russell, Legendary's lofty ambitions, the MonsterVerse's continuity problem, the current state of streaming television, what we would want from a second season, and more!  What did we think of the show?  Listen and find out!

Rogue Stars! Gorath (1962) and Warning From Space (1956)

Byrd and Lux ring in the new year by talking about two Showa-era "colliding worlds" epics.  First is Daiei's Warning From Space, the first Japanese science fiction film made in color.  It tells of a race of cyclops starfish aliens who warn humanity that a planet called Planet R is on a collision course with the earth.  After that we discuss 1962's Gorath (technically a New Years movie!), Ishiro Honda's classic that tells of the titular star on a collision course with earth and the scientists tasked to prevent it with very little time.  We also talk about the history of "worlds colliding" films, the weird post-film history of Gorath's walrus kaiju, Magma, and we determine which of these golden age classics holds up better.  Relax and join the conversation!

Godzilla Minus One (2023)- Kaiju Sized Roundtable Discussion

Byrd, Matt, Kevin, Lux, Trev, and Tom assemble for a sprawling mega-sized, in depth review of Godzilla Minus One. Toho's latest entry in the franchise is a reboot taking place in the 1940s, as Japan rebuilds after World War 2.  It follows Koichi, a former kamikaze pilot with survivor's guilt and PTSD as he struggles to find his lot in life and confront his trauma, as the H-Bomb mutated dinosaur called Godzilla emerges and devastates Japan.  Our kaiju-sized crew of hosts discuss their feelings on every aspect of the film, as well as our varied interpretations of the subtext and themes within it.  So what did we think?  Relax and find out!  But first we also give our thoughts on the new trailer for the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire!

The Fantasy Films of Takashi Yamazaki + Godzilla Day 2023

In our lead up to Godzilla: Minus One, Byrd, Lux, Tom and Kevin examine more science fiction and fantasy films from director Takashi Yamazaki (Parasyte, Ghost Book, The Eternal Zero).  Yamazaki made his first feature in 2000 and has been a consistent hit maker since, making some of the most successful Japanese films of recent years.  For this episode, we discuss and review his debut coming of age/time travel feature, Juvenile (2000), the time travel action fest Returner (2002), and the whimsical yokai fantasy Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura (2017).  We also give a crash course in Yamazaki's career, discussing the recurring themes of his work and the evolution of his career over the years.  But first, we have our thoughts on Toho’s recent Godzilla Day shorts, and Kevin gives us a recap of his recent trip to Japan, including attending Godzilla Day and visits to the current Takashi Yamazaki exhibit and a tokusatsu museum!  

So before checking out Godzilla Minus One, hang out with us and learn about its revered director!

Ghost Book (aka Yokaipedia) (2022)

If you think Halloween came and went too soon, Byrd, Tom, Lux and Kevin are here to help soothe your Halloween Hangover with some more yokai-centric madness, with Toho's 2022 fantasy film Ghost Book (aka Yokaipedia).  Directed by Takashi Yamazaki (Godzilla Minus One, Eternal Zero, Parasyte 1 & 2), this adaptation of the "Ghost Book Obakezukan" picture books tells the story of a group of children who share a wish that can only be granted if they accept a series of challenges given to them by a magical and otherworldly Ghost Book.  The children are tasked with finding and defeating various yokai creatures (who join their quest once defeated).  We'll give our thoughts on the film, Yamazaki's brand of family friendly fantasy, our hopes for Godzilla Minus One, and more.  Relax and enjoy the conversation!

The Tetsuo Trilogy

Our October horror series continues as Byrd, Tom, Lux and Kevin discuss Shinya Tsukamoto's cult classic Tetsuo trilogy!  Tsukamoto burst onto the Japanese indie scene with the first film in 1989, cementing him as a master of surrealist outsider cinema, putting his name alongside directors like Sogo Ishii, David Lynch, and David Cronenberg, and also becoming an icon of the emerging Japanese cyberpunk scene.  Tetsuo The Iron Man told the story of a Japanese salaryman slowly transforming into a mass of flesh, steel and raging libido.  1992's The Body Hammer took a less surrealistic approach to the material with a more straightforward narrative about a Japanese man who is tricked into murdering his son and his rage manifests in the form of guns and metal.  2009's The Bullet Man was an attempt to appeal to an American audience, with an English speaking cast and delving into the lore of the Tetsuo cyborg monster.  Although Tsukamoto's films are NOT for the faint of heart, they've managed to be extremely influential on genre cinema the world over.  In addition to the movies, we also discuss Tsukamoto's career, the definition of "cyberpunk," some of his famous fans and collaborators (including Martin Scorsese, Takashi Miike, Nine Inch Nails, and Quentin Tarantino), and how Tsukamoto's themes of destruction, sexuality, and man's merging with technology continue to be thought provoking years after his debut.  Sit back and enjoy the show!  Together, we can turn this world into rust!

Intro To GeGeGe No Kitaro

Byrd, Tom, Kevin, and Lux are back to give a crash course on Japan's biggest yokai franchise, GeGeGe No Kitaro.  The franchise, created by famous mangaka Shigeru Mizuki launched Japan's yokai folk creatures into the mainstream, where they have been ever since.  GeGeGe No Kitaro is about a yokai boy named Kitaro and his friends often trying to resolve a conflict between the human world and the yokai world.  For this podcast, we looked at a sampler of Kitaro anime adaptations from over the years: 1968's Daikaiju (loosely based on a 1958 Godzilla manga written by Mizuki) in which our protagonist turns into a giant whale monster.  Next we have the 1986 movie version of The Great Yokai War (which Daiei would take inspiration from for several of their yokai films), in which Kitaro and friends go up against Dracula, the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster and the wicked witch.  We follow that with 1997's Yokai Express: Phantom Train film, which combines the Great Yokai War storyline with the Ghost Train storyline, this time seeing the classic Western monsters hijack a train from hell.  We close things off with two choice episodes of the recent 2018 Kitaro anime.  We'll get into the history of Kitaro, the career of Shigeru Mizuki, and give our thoughts on the various adaptations.  Relax and enjoy the show!

The Manster (1959) & The Revenge of Dr. X (aka The Venus Flytrap) (1968)

Byrd, Tom, Kevin and Lux pair up two independent horror films made in Japan by American filmmakers, with a mix of American and Japanese cast and crew.  First up we have the Manster, an early body horror film directed by Kenneth G Crane (the American version of Half Human) and starring Peter Dynely (Thunderbirds), Terri Zimmern Jerry Ito (Mothra), and Tetsu Nakamura (Mothra, Latitude Zero).  It is about an American journalist in Japan who becomes the subject of an evolution experiment that causes a monstrous creature to grow out of his shoulder and commit murders across Tokyo.  Then we have the Revenge of Dr. X (actually titled Venus Flytrap), a film written by Ed Wood (yes, that Ed Wood) and shot in Japan by bored military personnel stationed there (we get into that insane story).  It tells the story of a cantankerous NASA scientist who goes to Japan to "relax" and (for reasons left unclear) starts splicing plant DNA to create a violent plant-man.  There's unhinged gas station attendants, pearl divers, mute hunchbacks and more.  How do these compare to other b-movies of the times?  Why did some guys in the military decide to buy an Ed Wood script and shoot it in Japan?  Why is SO MUCH of the information out there about Dr. X false?  Which of these movies nearly drove us to madness? We have the answers, so relax and enjoy the conversation!