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Join hosts Byrd and Matt as they discuss all things giant monsters, tokusatsu, and Japanese fantasy films. Come here for a regular dose of everything Godzilla, Gamera, King Kong, Ultraman and everything in between!
Episodes
Sunday Apr 17, 2022
Sunday Apr 17, 2022
We are joined again by guest host Trev (Days of Future Podcast, Failure to Franchise) to discuss the recent micro budgeted Zillafoot. This backyard indie about a giant lizard/ape hybrid was originally released in 2019, but was re-released in 2021 after adding crowd sourced scenes from podcasters, YouTubers, and others in the kaiju fandom. We also discuss the nature of modern b-movie film making and what it means to make a low budget film without being cynical. There's references to numerous kaiju films, Ultraman, and more, but does Zillafoot overcome its ultra low budget limitations? Listen and find out. But first, we talk about Toho's baffling relationship with fans on social media including their bizarre Godzilla twitter account and their recent crowd funding attempt for a new Gigan suit. Check it out!
Sunday Apr 03, 2022
Sunday Apr 03, 2022
Matt, Byrd and Tom pay tribute to the prolific actor Akira Takarada, who passed away recently at the age of 87. We discuss Takarada's vast career in acting, voiceover, and activism. Our main topic is two spy spoofs Takarada starred in, 1965's Ironfinger (aka 100 Shot, 100 Killed), and 1967's Golden Eyes (aka Booted Babe, Busted Boss). Directed by Jun Fukuda, these action comedies are stacked with many of the major Toho actors of the time and also have strong ties to the Godzilla franchise (especially Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster). Both films are streaming on the Criterion Channel in the United States. Are these underseen movies worth tracking down? Listen and find out! But first, we have a news roundup with our predictions on possible upcoming Godzilla and King Kong movies.
Sunday Feb 20, 2022
Sunday Feb 20, 2022
Byrd, Matt and Tom discuss the divisive kaiju satire from popular Japanese comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto. This mockumentary follows a washed up Japanese super hero as he fights giant monsters, deals with his estranged family, and ponders his place in the world. All the while, the film asks questions about modern Japanese cultural identity and what it means to be Japanese. Released in 2007, this cynical character study was widely reviled by kaiju fans, yet was embraced by cinephiles and has since become a cult classic. What side of the fence did we fall? Listen and find out!
Sunday Feb 06, 2022
Sunday Feb 06, 2022
We are joined once again by Tom (Final Forum podcast) and Kevin (Maser Patrol) to discuss the new film Nezura 1964! From 3Y Films (The Great Buddha Arrival), this low budget indie is a dramatized retelling of the making (and cancelation) of Giant Horde Beast Nezura, Daiei's pre-Gamera kaiju film about giant rats. In addition to reviewing the movie, we also talk about the actual events that inspired it. As an added bonus, we also review the low budget indie horror film Nezulla the Rat Monster (2002), which is often (falsely) said to be inspired by the canceled Daiei project. But first we discuss the announcement of Legendary and Apple TV+'s upcoming Godzilla series and the future of the MonsterVerse.
Relax and enjoy the show!
Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
Ring in the holidays with this special episode, as we are joined by Kevin Derendorf (Maser Patrol, Kaiju For Hipsters) and Tom Gueli (Final Forum: A Dragonball Podcast) to talk about the children's holiday dinosaur film, Rex: A Dinosaur's Story. In 1993, Kadokawa decided to cash in on the Jurassic Park craze by making this oddity about a little girl who befriends a baby T-Rex and aids in the dinosaur's escape from greedy commercial producers. The film (directed by Kadokawa's president at the time) also features magical Ainu, a dinosaur wearing a Santa hat, KFC, snowmobile chases, food fights, and other madcap madness. We'll discuss those things, as well as the movie's connection to cocaine smuggling (for real), special effects legend Carlo Rambaldi's dinosaurs made for the film, the dinosaur craze of the early 90s, the suspicious similarities to Toho's Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla (1993) and more! So sit down with some egg nog and join the fun!
Tuesday Nov 23, 2021
Tuesday Nov 23, 2021
Byrd, Matt and Kevin discuss the cult anime series The Big O. This series combined inspirations from kaiju/tokusatsu, mecha, Batman, and film noir to create a series about a negotiator who pilots a giant robot in a city full of people without memories. As he tries to solve the city's mysteries, he has to use his robot Big O to handle the other giant robots and monsters that get in his way. So sit back and listen to us discuss the robots, mystery, monsters, and philosophy of this abstract cult classic show. It's showtime!
Sunday Oct 31, 2021
Sunday Oct 31, 2021
We're joined by frequent guest hosts Tom and Kevin to talk about Macoto Tezuka's Yokai-centric Monster Heaven films. Monster Heaven (1986) is an anthology film of several different Yokai stories. Monster Heaven: Ghost Hero (1990) is a single story about a resurrected samurai demon slashing his way through a metropolitan workplace. They feature recognizable faces such as Misatoh Eve, Osamu Tezuka, Kazuo Umezu, and Hideyo Amamoto, and creature effects by the great Tomoo Haraguchi. So are these lost gems that deserve to be rediscovered? Listen and find out!
Monday Oct 25, 2021
Monday Oct 25, 2021
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Sunday Oct 17, 2021
Sunday Oct 17, 2021
We're back with more spooky thrills as we look at two horror outings starring the late, great Sonny Chiba. First we have Toei's campy Japanese/American co-production Terror from Beneath the Sea (1966) about fish people trying to take over the world. We follow that up with Kinji Fukasaku's 1981's jidaigeki fantasy/horror mashup, Samurai Reincarnation where Chiba plays famous samurai Yagyu Jubei going up against Japanese historical figures resurrected as demons. Kick back and join the conversation!
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
Our October horror-thon continues as Byrd, Matt and Tom discuss Toei and MGM's cult classic The Green Slime, directed by the legendary Kinji Fukasaku. Starring an all English cast, this Japanese/American co-production tells the story of a space station overrun with tentacled slime monsters. We'll discuss its origin as an Italian co-production, its rockin theme song, its star studded cast, its alleged Vietnam allegory, the longevity of cult films, and the positivity of film camp and cheese. Relax and enjoy the show!