The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast

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!

Parasyte- Parts 1 and 2 (2014/2015)

Byrd, Kevin, Tom and Lux are back with more Halloween chills and thrills to discuss Toho's two part live action Parasyte adaptation from director Takashi Yamazaki (Godzilla Minus One).  Based on the popular body horror manga of the same name, Parasyte is the story of alien body snatchers who have come to earth to prey on humanity.  A high school boy Shinichi has his hand possessed by one of the parasites and the two have to work together to take down the alien predators.  We'll discuss the films, how they compare to the anime and the original manga, and the stacked A list talent both in front of and behind the camera.  Listen and enjoy!

Kuroneko (1968)

With Matt on an extended hiatus, Byrd brings in Lux, Tom and Kevin to ring in our annual October horror series of podcasts by talking about Kaneto Shindo's folk-horror classic, Kuroneko!  Set in feudal Japan, it tells the story of a mother and her daughter in law who are raped and murdered by a troop of samurai.  The two come back as ferocious bakeneko (ghost cat) yokai by making a deal with the underworld to kill all samurai.  Things get complicated when the husband/son-in law of the pair returns home as a samurai.  Combining atmospheric black and white photography and influences from Japanese theater, Kuroneko has become one of the celebrated horror films of its time.  So how does it hold up?  Listen and find out!

Dragon Lizard Lord Super Monsters (1998-2000/2022) & Hammer of Draco: Wrath of Dragons (2017)

Byrd, Matt and Tom take a look at the completely baffling experience of the independent film Dragon Lizard Lord Super Monsters and the animated sequel, Hammer of Draco.  In 2022, director Omar Sayyah cobbled together a series of Godzilla fan films he made in the late 90s, removed references to Toho's monsters, and dubbed them over to make the bonkers Dragon Lizard Lord, a film that defies description, despite our best efforts.  Equally baffling is the animated sequel Hammer of Draco (which looks like it was made with Microsoft Paint).  Join us as we discuss the two bewildering films, the passion and sincerity of their enigmatic director, and more!  

Gamera Rebirth (2023)

Byrd, Matt, Kevin and Lux come together to talk about the long awaited return of everyone's favorite flying turtle, Gamera!  Gamera is back, this time on Netflix with the new anime mini-series, Gamera: Rebirth.  Directed by Hiroyuki Seshita (Polygon's Godzilla trilogy), the show follows a group of kids in the summer of 1989 as they get wrapped up in kaiju attacks, conspiracies, and other wacky hijinks as Gamera faces off against a rogues gallery of villain monsters.  How did the anticipated reboot fare?  Listen and find out!

Stop Mo-Dino Double! Dinosaurus (1960) and Planet of Dinosaurs (1977)

Byrd and Matt are joined again by author John LeMay  (The Lost Films, Kong Unmade, Lost Films of the Lost World) to discuss two nostalgic stop motion dinosaur films, Dinosaurus (1960) and Planet of Dinosaurs (1977).  1960's Dinosaurus was directed by Irvin Yeaworth (The Blob, the 4D Man) and tells of a construction crew that awakens a brontosaurus, a t-rex, and a caveman.  Planet of Dinosaurs is a low budget indie about a group of space explorers who become stranded on a planet infested with dangerous man eating dinosaurs.  It launched the careers of of effects artists such as Doug Beswick (Star Wars, Terminator, Blade) and Jim Aupperle (The Thing, Ghostbusters, Hellboy).  As usual, we have our reviews, as well as plenty of behind the scenes history to discuss.  These were favorites of ours growing up, but how do they hold up now?  Listen and find out!

Reptili-cast!

Byrd and Matt are joined by author John LeMay (The Lost Films, Kong Unmade, Lost Films of the Lost World) to discuss Denmark's entry in the giant monster genre, 1961's Reptilicus!  This co-production between Denmark's Saga Studios and America's AIP has a strange history, having filmed two versions with (mostly) the same cast for both countries.  We discuss both versions, trouble behind the scenes, and more!  We also talk about the canceled 2000's sequel, the novelization, the comic book (which was later rebranded as "Reptisaurus"), and the 2008 Reptisaurus film.  Relax and enjoy the conversation!

The Valley of Gwangi (1969)

Byrd and Matt talk about Ray Harryhausen's classic dinosaur Western, the Valley of Gwangi!  It tells the story of some showmen and a scientist who go on an expedition into a valley in Mexico to find a prehistoric miniature horse.  What they also find is a flesh craving Allosaurus.  They bring it back to put it on display for the public and well... things don't go so well.  We'll discuss the history of the film, dating back to Willis O'Brien's failed attempts to get it made in the 1940s, the differences between O'Brien's version and Harryhausen's completed film, the lasting influence of Gwangi, the stop motion effects, and whether or not we think it holds up.  Relax and join the conversation!

Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

Byrd, Matt and returning guest host Trev take the dive into the trench to talk about Meg 2!  In this sequel, we not only have a giant Megalodon, but also a bunch of other hungry prehistoric beasties trying to eat Jason Statham and friends.  It is also the first big blockbuster from British indie horror darling Ben Wheatley.  We'll give our thoughts on the film, the career of Ben Wheatley, the tepid critical response, and the state of the modern creature feature.  How does Meg 2: The Trench compare to the first movie?  Listen and find out!