The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast

Big Man Japan (2007)

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!

Nezura 1964/Nezulla the Rat Monster

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!

Rex: A Dinosaur‘s Story (1993): A KT Holiday Special

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!

The Big O (1999-2000, 2003)

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!

Yokai Monster Heaven Duology

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!

Behind the Scenes of Kaiju Masterclass 2 (Online Convention, Nov 5-7, 2021)

We are joined by our fellow Kaiju Masterclass convention team members Steve Ryfle, Ed Godziszewski, Patrick Galvan, Erik Homenick, and Amanda Whalen and presenter Kevin Derendorf for a look behind the scenes of this year's virtual convention. This year's show will have a diverse guest roster, including director Kazuki Omori (Godzilla vs Biollante, Godzilla vs King Ghidorah), dub actress Tiffany Grant (Gamera Trilogy, Neon Genesis Evangelion), monster maker Fuyuki Shinada (GMK, Gamera Trilogy), suit actor Tom Kitagawa (Millennium Godzilla series, Super Sentai) and Godzilla 1984 composer Reijiro Koroku (in his first English language interview!) to talk about their craft and their creative process in creating our favorite kaiju and tokusatsu films. There will also be a host of guest presenters including authors John LeMay, Mike Bogue, and Norman England, among many more! Join us for a look behind the scenes of this year's convention and join us November 5th-7th on Youtube for a weekend of exclusive content and interviews.

 

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Sonny Chiba Goes Horror!

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!

The Green Slime (1968)

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!

Toku Terror in Hong Kong: The Seventh Curse (1986) and The Cat (1992)

For the first horror episode of October, we are joined by our three most frequent guest hosts (for the first time together), Trev, Kevin, and Tom to discuss movies so crazy we needed five people to make sense of them.  We look at a pair of Hong Kong horror films from director Lam Ngai Kai (of Riki-Oh fame) based on books from the Chinese "Wisely" series.  Not only do these films have future Hong Kong stars like Chow Yun Fat, Maggie Cheung and Gloria Yip, but they also feature special effects from Japanese monster veterans such as Keizo Murase, Shinichi Wakasa, Shinji Higuchi and more!  We'll discuss the history of these brain melters (including the obscure origin of the Cat) and see if we can talk about them without sounding insane.  Relax and enjoy the conversation!

Hanna Barbera‘s Godzilla: Interview With Writer/Developer Duane Poole

We are joined for a look behind the scenes of Hanna Barbera's Godzilla animated series with the show's writer/developer/story editor Duane Poole!  For over 40 years, Duane has written for TV, film and theater and has worked with iconic properties including  Scooby Doo, the Smurfs, Super-Friends, Love Boat, and our favorite King of the Monsters.  We chat with him about his prolific career, Hanna Barbera in the 70s, adapting Godzilla for TV, the changes made to Godzilla for the show, Scooby Doo, his transitions from animation to live action TV to film, his love of the theater, and more!  We even manage to dispel some common rumors along the way.  Relax and join the conversation!