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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 14 – Dallas Mora vs. Kong: Skull Island’

Published April 15, 2020

Having spent a few weeks bandaging my bruised ego after the Island’s Board of Directors bamboozled me, I’ve decided to channel my inner Joel Robinson by riffing Nathan and Dallas’ discussion of Kong: Skull Island. That always cheers me up. (That and Baby Yoda).

Here we go!

  • Dallas meant to say “Goji-Kong” and not “Goji-kun.” He gave our mascots/resident gremlins that “duo name” before the broadcast but misspoke on the air.
  • The actor from Godzilla (2014) and Avengers: Age of Ultron Nathan couldn’t remember was Aaron Taylor-Johnson. You lost some serious nerd points there, Marchand. (Also, he was the star of Kick-Ass).
  • IMDB does claim that James Conrad was likely named after author Joseph Conrad. It also mentions that Marlow was named after the protagonist in the author’s most famous novel, heart of Darkness. But this is IMDB we’re talking about here, so it may require a kaiju-sized grain of salt.
  • The Legendary Godzilla actually appeared throughout history and inspired mythologies, but this was between long naps. He was awakened by nuclear submarine on accident in 1954, which led to the Castle Bravo test meant to kill him.
  • Nathan neglected to mention that the town of Brookings, Oregon, has a 400-year-old samurai sword from a Japanese fighter pilot on display. Read about it here.
  • It was five months after the Cubs won (October 2016-March 2017). Nathan, you never were good at math-ing.
  • The name of Marlow’s Japanese friend was Gunpei Ikari. You lost some more nerd points there, Nathan.
  • The name of the Chinese actress was Jing Tian. Her role was originally larger, but it was reduced through cuts to the movie. Interestingly, in Chinese her role is described as “hua ping” which refers to a vase. As in an insignificant role.
  • The actor who played young Marlow and Marlow’s son was Will Britain.
  • No, I will not share the vacation photo I slipped into the slideshow briefing. The Internet couldn’t handle it.
  • It’s called a dump button, Nathan. “Drop button.” Sheesh!
  • Oldboy is no longer on Netflix, at least in the U.S.
  • Dallas, you said “literally” when you meant “figuratively”! I’m surprised Nathan didn’t chew you out for that. I would’ve said something, but it wasn’t that important.
  • Actually, from what I can tell, U.S. troop deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq are comparable to the Vietnam War. There’ve been 775,000 troops deployed at least once to Afghanistan. Mind you, those weren’t all at once. There were 340,000 U.S. troops stationed in and around Iraq when Baghdad fell in 2005, with 235,000 engaged in the war.
  • “Eight month hiatus” for the “Kong Quest” (ba-dun-ching)? More like seven months, Nathan (April-November). Again, you’ve never been good with numbers. 😛

And now to fulfill my contractual obligations, here are Nathan’s leftover notes:

The Film

  • Starts in WWII. Conflict between American and Japanese fighter pilot. Foreshadows Kong and Godzilla? The Japanese pilot is never seen after the opening, which is disappointing.
  • Young Marlow is a terrible shot.
  • “Skull Island: The land where God did not finish creation.” Interesting. “A place where myth and science meet.” Describes the MonsterVerse.
  • It’s implied that Hiddleston is also a disgraced soldier hardened by the war and the public.
  • Larson gives a much better performance here than in Captain Marvel. I actually like her here. She isn’t a block of wood.
  • This briefing scene is similar to one from Kong ’76. The island is also obscured by a perpetual storm, which is like the fog of ’76, but a little crazy.
  • How many helicopters are there? The number seems to shift.
  • I can’t help but think the close-ups of the Nixon bobblehead during Jackson’s Icarus speech and whatnot are meant to be commentaries on the war and foolhardiness. 
  • Once they reach the island in 27 minutes, it really starts to feel like Apocalypse Now. That’s interesting because this film was largely shot in Vietnam. Director Vogt-Roberts became very fond of the country.
  • Kong’s anti-copter tree attack returns from King Kong Escapes!
  • This version of Skull Island has the most diverse wildlife. The giant buffalo is one of the most interesting.
  • The hollow Earth theory is brought up here for the first time.
  • I’ve been told the soldier being impaled by the bamboo spider was inspired by a film I never want to see: Cannibal Holocaust.
  • In this film we see Kong hunt.
  • The natives here are a bit odd. They have no crime or personal property (“beyond all that”). They don’t speak much. They have hallowed ground dedicated to Kong and will cut off people’s hands if they touch the wrong thing.
  • Kong is the god of the island, but the devils live below. “Kong is king around here.” Said like that because of copyright? This breaks the tradition of “King” not being given to him until he’s taken to civilization.
  • There’s still a wall like in most Kong films.
  • I feel sorry for this young guy. He wanders around alone for a long time and dies alone.
  • “The dangerous places are the most beautiful.” -Conrad
  • Like in 2005, Kong is lonely and the last of his kind, but he doesn’t seek companionship from a specific human. The closest is the tribe, which he protects.
  • The scientist getting dismembered by the lizard birds is…gruesome. Visceral.
  • “I’ve taken enough photos of mass graves to recognize one.” I don’t think this quite qualifies.
  • John Goodman gets killed off too soon, although he does help set up a cool set piece. He reminds me of the professor from Jurassic Park.
  • Man, that katana is sharp! It slices through lizard bird like paper!
  • There’s a lot of respect shown to the military and soldiers in this film.
  • In some ways, this film is an overcompensation for the perceived “problems” of G2014. The daylight complaint I’m tired of hearing. Some say it’s because it’s easier to hide SFX problems at night, but in this film, the characters aren’t brightly colored or have colorful attacks, so daylight makes sense.
  • FPS shots!
  • Kong is angry not only because his family is dead and he’s the last of his kind, but also because humans and Skullcrawlers keep invading his home. He attacks and kills humans intentionally because of this (unlike Godzilla). (Omni Viewer).
  • Packard dies just before Jackson can say his “famous line.”
  • 1:37:00: Vertigo shot!
  • Once again Kong is caught in chains that he breaks. In this case, it wasn’t chains of captivity. Strength overcoming hardship. He then uses them and the boat rotors as weapons.
  • Kong saves Mason and golds her in his hand, but that’s the closest we get to classic Kong. Miraculously, she isn’t crushed in his hand when the Big One swallows Kong’s hand. Good thing she was unconscious.
  • Kong kills the Big One, it’s implied, out of gratitude for the protagonists helping him with Packard.
  • Director Vogt-Roberts wanted Kong to move like a mech, which is weird.
  • Vogt-Roberts went on a Twitter rant when CinemaSins released their video on the film.
  • Vogt-Roberts says he was reinventing the story not as man vs. nature but as man vs. god. Didn’t want to retell the beauty and the beast story.
  • Vogt-Roberts says in the 1970s, people were actively destroying myth, but these characters go where it still exists.
  • Kong needs to be huge to small his grandiosity, humans in the shadow of the colossus.
  • Vogt-Roberts says he loves flawed characters because that makes them interesting.
  • Vogt-Roberts did hope that people walked away wondering what role myth and nature play in their lives.
  • Early concepts were more gorilla-like, but Vogt-Roberts wanted him to be more movie monster, more Neanderthal-like.
  • ILM used komodo dragons, deer, and buffalo for reference for the Skullcrawlers. Looked at how deer and buffalo thrust their heads getting up.
  • Those working on the film say every Kong film brings with it technical innovation.
  • Most Americans know Vietnam through the war, and those photos were from the siuth. The north has completely different landscape. “Like a matte paiting.” –Vogt-Roberts
  • Brie Larson worked with real photographer and war correspondents. Her camera was real. She took photos on set. On blu-ray. Some used in film, some not.
  • Symbols painted on Iwi skin and woven into their clothing as form of communication and camouflage. They’re not indigenous. Collection of people who were stranded on island.
  • Post-credit scene wasn’t always in film. Vogt-Roberts believed in it, but it took a new technician who hadn’t seen the film before to say it should be included.

The Toku Topic

  • Soldiers grew more restless and doubted their purpose for being there and the government’s reasoning for doing so. Many suffered from PTSD and turned to vices like drugs. “On the collapse of U.S. morale, historian Shelby Stanton wrote: ‘In the last years of the Army’s retreat, its remaining forces were relegated to static security. The American Army’s decline was readily apparent in this final stage. Racial incidents, drug abuse, combat disobedience, and crime reflected growing idleness, resentment, and frustration… the fatal handicaps of faulty campaign strategy, incomplete wartime preparation, and the tardy, superficial attempts at Vietnamization. An entire American army was sacrificed on the battlefield of Vietnam.’” (Wikipedia)
  • ROTC enrollment dropped drastically from 191,749 in 1966 to 72,459 by 1971, and reached an all-time low of 33,220 in 1974,” depriving the military of much-needed leadership. (Wikipedia)
  • “In 1970, a joint U.S-South Vietnamese operation invaded Cambodia, hoping to wipe out DRV supply bases there. The South Vietnamese then led their own invasion of Laos, which was pushed back by North Vietnam. … The invasion of these countries, in violation of international law, sparked a new wave of protests on college campuses across America. During one, on May 4, 1970, at Kent State University in Ohio, National Guardsmen shot and killed four students. At another protest 10 days later, two students at Jackson State University in Mississippi were killed by police.” (History.com)
  • There was much insubordination among the ranks as the war went on (which sounds like the film when Packard’s men turn on him). “Ron Milam has questioned the severity of the ‘breakdown’ of the U.S. armed forces, especially among combat troops, as reflecting the opinions of ‘angry colonels’ (can you say Packard?) who deplored the erosion of traditional military values during the Vietnam War. Although acknowledging serious problems, he questions the alleged ‘near mutinous’ conduct of junior officers and enlisted men in combat. Investigating one combat refusal incident, a journalist declared, ‘A certain sense of independence, a reluctance to behave according to the military’s insistence on obedience, like pawns or puppets…The grunts [infantrymen] were determined to survive…they insisted of having something to say about the making of decisions that determined whether they might live or die.’ The morale and discipline problems and resistance to conscription were important factors leading to the creation of an all-volunteer military force by the United States and the termination of conscription. The last conscript was inducted into the army in 1973. The all-volunteer military moderated some of the coercive methods of discipline previously used to maintain order in military ranks.”
  • “President Ronald Reagan coined the term ‘Vietnam Syndrome’ to describe the reluctance of the American public and politicians to support further military interventions abroad after Vietnam. In the same speech, he voiced support for the war and its veterans, saying, “It is time we recognized that ours was, in truth, a noble cause. A small country newly free from colonial rule sought our help in establishing self-rule and the means of self-defense against a totalitarian neighbor bent on conquest. We dishonor the memory of 50,000 young Americans who died in that cause when we give way to feelings of guilt as if we were doing something shameful, and we have been shabby in our treatment of those who returned. They fought as well and as bravely as any Americans have ever fought in any war. They deserve our gratitude, our respect, and our continuing concern.”
  • “The Vietnam War POW/MIA issue, concerning the fate of U.S. service personnel listed as missing in action, persisted for many years after the war’s conclusion. The costs of the war loom large in American popular consciousness; a 1990 poll showed that the public incorrectly believed that more Americans lost their lives in Vietnam than in World War II.” (Wikipedia)

That’s everything for this week. My apologies for posting it late. With us pumping out bonus episodes to entertain and enlighten everyone in quarantine thanks to COVID-19, the episode took precedence over my blog.

Regardless, next week you’ll hear Nathan’s discussion of Battle in Outer Space—the second entry in Toho’s “pseudo-trilogy”—with Luke Jaconetti from the Earth Destruction Directive podcast. Then for the first episode in May, Nathan starts what could be called the “Summer of Mothra” with a discussion of Rebirth of Mothra with Bex from the Redeemed Otaku podcast.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

#JimmyFromNASALives
#WeShallOvercome

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Nathan’s Notes on ‘Episode 13: The Three Treasures (Mini-Analysis)’

Published April 1, 2020

I thought the number 13 being unlucky was just a superstition.

Until now.

Much like Yamato Takeru from The Three Treasures, I’ve been beset by misfortune after posting episode 13 of the podcast. During my livestream of Override: Mech City Brawl, Jimmy From NASA started a betting pool with the Island’s Board of Directors, the science team, and pretty much everyone else who worked here. It was based on my performance in the game—and he bet against me. And I played the game on hard mode. Jimmy made out like a bandit. He even cleaned out the Board. So much so, he used that money to buy Metageckon (the mech I used in the game) on eBay. That’s not the unfortunate part. He used his newfound leverage with the Board to make himself the host of MIFV! Now I’m his producer. This means I have to do the follow-up blog to last week’s episode on The Three Treasures and every episode after this.Jimmy was kind enough to give me his notes from the episode, which wasn’t much, so this blog will be relatively short. That’s probably good since the blog on episode 12 was as long as Peter Jackson’s King Kong!

Here’s all that Jimmy had on the episode:

  • There is some debate over whether Toshiro Mifune was a Christian. This Wikipedia discussion board questions it because he has a traditional Buddhist gravestone. He was the son of Japanese Christian missionaries who worked in China, and he had a traditional Methodist wedding, though. This Reddit thread (so take it with a grain of salt) says there was a rumor that he was part of something called the “Ikeda cult,” but that just seems to be the cult trying to claim a celebrity as a member to find legitimacy. (The post references the potentially inaccurate Wikipedia article, mind you).
  • What? I was tired from working in my garage all day! Of course I’d fall asleep watching a three-hour movie! I’m a busy man.
  • Nathan mispronounced the name of the eight-headed dragoon. It’s “Yamata no Orochi” not “Yamato.” I don’t think the dragon is part of the royal family. (But I could be speaking in ignorance. Weirder things have happened. I should know. I lived them).

My Leftover Notes from Watching the Film:

  • Credits over an eclipsed sun? “Land of the rising sun”?
  • “In the beginning…” Opening narration sounds biblical and mythical. Old woman.
  • These village scenes are reminding me of The Ten Commandments with the enslaved Israelites.
  • “Old stories are full of beautiful life.” -Old woman storyteller
  • The set design is incredible. Very DeMille.
  • A lot of court drama and intrigue.
  • Are the prince and Otomachibana meant to parallel the god and goddess from the beginning?
  • Day for night scene at river!
  • Torii gate is entrance to temple grounds. Like Hebrew temple or tabernacle.
  • This is a response to another numbered religious epic: The Ten Commandments ~ The Three Treasures.
  • Is that Hirata? I almost don’t recognize him.
  • Those fire effects were a little awkward.
  • A woman be stoned for loving a man from a different clan. Very ancient.
  • These people look Mongolian?
  • Kumaso (Takashi Shimura) is undone by his lust. Even checked for a man before this.
  • Kumaso tells the prince to kill him. He hesitates, then takes the prince’s sword and slits his own throat. Seppouku?
  • There are flashbacks to the gods as told by an old woman storyteller. Oral tradition.
  • What do they mean by “nag”?
  • I thought the prince and the gods would interact.
  • Criterion should release this.
  • “Laugh festival”? “Festival of laughter”?
  • While this festival seems like revelry, it is meant to bring the sun goddess (and light) back to the world.
  • The rooster’s crow when light and the goddess return.
  • Is there an intermission? Was it removed?
  • Yes. These myths are meant to parallel the prince. Susan-o = the prince. Susan-o’s tears drained all the world’s water. The prince’s mother says he must not be like him.
  • The flashbacks/stories increase as the film progresses.
  • “Orochi” just gets translated as “dragon.”
  • Last daughter transformed by Susan-o into hair braid for safety.
  • Orochi’s approach blows out torch. Nice!
  • Proto-Ghidorah! The heads do kinda flop around. They just appear to be heads. No body. In water. The glowing eyes are cool. Looks better fighting Susan-o. Nevermind. It has a body. He must have a magic sword or its heart or brain in in its tail. He pulls a sword from the dragon, which is now used to defend Japan. The prince now has it.
  • Just as Susan-o became a hero, so does the prince.
  • Mt. Fuji is active in this. Village elder says it protects them. The prince says the smoke reminds him of the evil in men’s hearts.
  • The location scenes are gorgeous.
  • Spectacular fire scene where the prince uses the flint from the bag given him as a gift to change the wind.
  • The smoke from Mt. Fuji turns red. Passion? Rage?
  • Like Susan-o, the prince is unloved by his father.
  • Yamato is a region.
  • A storm happens when the prince decides to return as a plebian to marry Otomochibani against his father’s orders. Wrath of the gods? Otomochibani says it is her fault for breaking her vow and angering the sea god. She throws herself overboard to placate him. Reminds me of Jonah and the big fish. A green light appears in the sea after she jumps. Her kimono floats up. The storm clears. Taken by the gods? “The princess has become my sacrifice.” Most supernatural thing that’s happened in the “present.”
  • This ambush is the film’s big climax. It’s spectacular. Nobody makes movies like this anymore. It isn’t quite Ten Commandments huge, but it’s still great. Cuts between on location shooting and sets.
  • The prince is killed and his soul rises in the form of a white crane. Mt. Fuji erupts. Even in death he is victorious. His wrath is poured out on his enemies. Symbolizes Japan. This was foreshadowed earlier. The effects for this are great. The compositing and everything. This is also like The Ten Commandments when the unrighteous Israelites are swallowed by the earth. And now he uses water from a lake to cause a flood and drown other enemies.
  • Oh, man…death by lava. Horrible.
  • I’m pretty sure lava is more viscous than that, but we’ll go with it.
  • The crane flies toward a rainbow, symbolizing how the prince enters the realm of the gods. The people follow the bird.

Yamato Takeru

  • In the original legends, Otomachibana was his wife and not a fiancé, but she did sacrifice herself to placate the sea god. Her comb washed ashore seven days later, and her tomb was built around it. He did later marry Miyazu.

I didn’t take notes from all my sources, so I recommend referencing my bibliography for the episode if you want to learn more. (I’m gonna miss writing those).

Time to settle into my new job on Monster Island, I guess.

Follow me on Twitter: @NathanMarchand7

My author website: www.NathanJSMarchand.com.

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 12: Daniel DiManna vs. King Kong (2005)’

Published March 18, 2020

All right, this blog, like last week’s episode on King Kong 2005, wants to be as long as that film. Thanks to contractual obligations, I have to include all of Marchand’s unused notes, which he split between his computer and a legal pad for whatever reason this time. I am suddenly more appreciative of the glorious invention that is copy and paste.

Let’s get this over with, shall we?

My Notes:

  • Yes, I borrowed Dr. Aoki’s pteronadon bot without permission. I don’t think he’s missed it yet. So, unless he gets transfer to Monster Island, I don’t think it’ll be a problem. As for flying Danny here on it, well, I couldn’t resist taking it for a test flight. I now know how to improve on the thing’s admittedly goofy design.
  • I dare you to tell me you don’t like sand, DiManna!
  • I am fine with Daniel calling me “Jimbo”…for now. (Yes, I’m being flippant).
  • Nice job catching me before I corrected you, Marchand.
  • Actually, Danny, the dinosaur Kong fights in the original isn’t a Rex. It’s closer to an Allosaurus. It’s just called a “meat-eater” in the novelization.
  • Actually, Danny, I don’t think gorillas—even Kong—qualify as predators. At least in this film. Normal gorillas are vegetarians, but some do eat insects. Kong in this film was never seen eating meat. Therefore, he doesn’t qualify as a predator.
  • Jackson himself didn’t say he treated this like filming on Skull Island itself in the 1930s. That was a crewmember. Watch that $5 blu-ray again.
  • Mothra’s not a butterfly, Daniel! Her species is obvious! (Or was that a joke? I’ll forgive a joke. 😛 ).
  • I can neither confirm nor deny that I am the Jimmy in this film. And yes, like the Doctor, I will explain later. Maybe.
  • There were more than just the two crewmembers who survived in the 1933 King Kong, Daniel.
  • King Kong (1976) is two hours and 14 minutes long. Over one hour shorter.
  • “I had saw it on the big screen”? Verb tenses, Danny! I expect better from a writer. 😛
  • Here’s the Roger Ebert review Nathan brought up (and yes, you misremembered what he said). Here’s the video review.
  • They aren’t T-Rexes, Nathan. They’re V-Rexes. Both of you got it wrong!
  • “PJ’s version”? Danny is on initials terms with Peter Jackson? I doubt it. 😛
  • It wasn’t trailers but one of Peter Jackson’s video diaries on www.kongisking.net where he announced back-to-back sequels to the film. They were Son of Kong and King Kong: Into the Wolf’s Lair. And I agree: they would’ve been amazing! You can watch it here with a fan edit trailer. Sadly, it includes a stupid clip from the stupid Date Movie. Ugh!
  • You got your Bugs Bunny cartoons mixed up, Danny. The one you were thinking of was “What’s Up Doc?” not “Show Biz Bugs” (which you called “Show Biz Bunny”). The latter is about a jealous Daffy Duck trying to upstage Bugs on stage.
  • My whole backstory will be in my tell-all book, War in Space: The Jimmy From NASA Story. 😛
  • My international man of mystery Schick gets me more luck the ladies more than you have, Marchand! 😛
  • I’m happy to say, as promised in this episode, I am now one of Danny’s patrons on Patreon—and I used Nathan’s debit card to do it! 😛
  • The sexist essay Nathan was referring to (and forgot to include in the show notes) was “The Myth Goes Downward: The Infantilization, Electrification, Mechanization, and General Diminishment of King Kong” by Paul Di Filippo. It’s from the book Kong Unbound: The Cultural Impact, Pop Mythos, and Scientific Plausibility of a Cinematic Legend.

Nathan’s Unused Notes – Blu-Ray Special Features:

  • Jackson saw King Kong 1933 as a kid in 1970. It inspired his love of science fiction and fantasy and his desire to be a filmmaker. He made super 8 films and stop motion. There’s lots of SFX in his films because he was a “frustrated special effects guy.” Solitary. (-Sounds like me, except I work on robots and mecha. –Jimmy)
  • Universal approached him in 1995 to remake either Kong or The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
  • The first script was closer in tone to The Mummy (1999).
  • Work was done in 1996 by Weta using lots of practical effects.
  • Jackson and his crew visited the Empire State Building, and he signed his name on the peak.
  • The film wasn’t storyboarded. It was all pre-viz. No finished script at the time it started.
  • It had more miniatures than The Lord of the Rings.
  • Started with T-Rex fight like the original film as proof of concept.
  • Naomi Watts had to learn how to dance. Jamie Bell (Jimmy) had danced since age 6. (So…I can neither confirm nor deny that I, too, can dance. –Jimmy)
  • Jack Black tapped into his inner-Denham by using an old camera to make short films. Boxer and criminal.
  • First shot filmed was when Ann arrives at dock.
  • The boat bought for the production had fish in it that had to be shipped out.
  • Jackson got seasick, so he shot on sets.
  • Jackson says the natives aren’t based on a particular civilization but are an amalgam of several from that time. They use their hair to make clothing. The actors came from Polynesia, Cambodia, etc.
  • The dinosaurs weren’t paleontologically accurate but stylized and more evolved. The V-Rexes were a family (mother, father, juvenile). Some like the Wetasaur were made up.
  • They used a massive computer system to from LOTR to make CGI extras. They don’t fight like Orcs but walk like New Yorkers—any differences? jokes Jackson.
  • Weta wrote a new program called Building Bot to create missing buildings in NYC cityscape.
  • The real Empire State Building took 14 months to construct. The digital version took 18 months. Irony. (Digital construction is harder than real construction. I should know. I worked at NASA. –Jimmy)
  • Peter Jackson, Rick Baker, Frank Darabont, and other famous people attached to Kong flew the airplanes that attacked Kong as a nod to Schoedsack and Cooper doing that in the 1933 original. Jackson even shaved his trademark beard! (I’m not even sure that was Jackson. Like Jonathan Frakes as Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, he looks like a completely different person. Maybe he was dubbed over by the real Jackson? 😛 –Jimmy)
  • Kong is a misunderstood monster. Weta watched Charles Laughton in The Hunchback of Notre Dame for inspiration.
  • They made him a punch-drunk boxer and mountain man. They used an albino gorilla at a zoo for inspiration. (Can you say, “Kiko”? –Jimmy). His broken jaw was modeled after an inbred pug named Monster. It was toned down later (as you’ll notice in the first trailer). He was redesigned after the first trailer.
  • The final reference used for Kong was Umagami the ape from an IMAX film. The filmmakers ultimately decided he should look like a real gorilla.
  • Gorillas beat chests with open cupped hands while movie gorillas use fists. They compromised by having hands between open and clenched.
  • Some mocap was dropped, but Serkis was used as reference.
  • Jackson said this was always the film he wanted to make.

Nathan’s Unused Notes – The Film:

  • The opening credits are like original.
  • Opens with apes and monkeys in zoo next to a Hooverville. Then we go to Vaudeville clips. Cuts between that and images of Depression. Alcohol bottles smashed. Prohibition.
  • Naomi Watts’ costume looks just like Fay Wray’s.
  • I never knew there were that many nicknames for breasts in the ‘30s.
  • “Universal is desperate for stock footage!” (4th wall)
  • Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I like that Jack Driscoll is a playwright in this. “If you really loved it, you would’ve jumped” (Denham to Jack).
  • Jimmy?! Is that my producer?! Stowed away. Found in hold 4 years ago. Arm broken in two places. Wouldn’t say where he came from. He’s a prankster. Defaces Baxter’s posters. Jimmy can dance!
  • Live animals in cage sign on Jack’s cage. Symbolic?
  • Was it necessary to have the typing of Skull Island be in slo-mo?
  • Ann and Jack’s relationship gets more development in this than original. All the characters get more development. Helps that it’s 3 hours long!
  • Sure, hold the important map over the edge of the ship! Yep! There it goes!
  • Is it just me or did the rock the Venture bumps into at 51 minutes look like a huge face? One definitely does later.
  • Of course there are skulls on Skull Island.
  • Jackson is a little overly fond of scary slo-mo in this film.
  • Ann screams and then Kong roars. Appropriate.
  • The wall and natives definitely remind me of LOTR. There’s a chasm as well as a wall. That helps explain how the creatures are kept out.
  • Triceratops’ twitching tail homage to original?
  • I love that Lumpy tries to kill a bug with a frying pan. Then he shoots them.
  • “There’s only one creature capable of leaving a footprint that size…and that’s me!” (Lumpy)
  • “Nobody’s gonna think these are fake”(4th wall).
  • These raptors are crazy. Going after prey that huge?!
  • Wilhelm scream!
  • Preston looks like he’s heard this speech many times.
  • “I’m just an actor with a gun who’s lost his motivation” (4th wall).
  • We see Kong eating plants like a real gorilla.
  • Kong blocks Ann’s way like in ’76.
  • Running around barefoot in a jungle must be tearing up her feet.
  • Water scorpions? Man, everything on this island is crazy aggressive.
  • And Denham becomes a snuff filmmaker.
  • Not all CGI. Some practical creature effects.
  • Kong does pick up a man: Hayes.
  • The iconic log scene recreated. Tries to account for surviving fall by having it get caught on vines.
  • It’s hard not to invite Jurassic Park comparisons.
  • Quietest. V-Rex. Ever!
  • I love that Kong stands with one foot on V-Rex when he beats his chest.
  • The shot of Jack and Ann running through the jungle looks just like ’33.
  • The Broadway sign looks just like ’33.
  • “The Beast”: a working title for ’33.
  • “Kong’s unfailing ability to destroy the things he loves.”
  • Kong starts grabbing every blonde he sees. From the real jungle to the urban/concrete jungle.
  • The trolley attack references the train attack in ’33.
  • The military attacking Kong makes me think of a Japanese kaiju film.
  • Wow. The biplanes deploy without anyone talking about it. Dang!
  • I wonder which cameos were in the planes Kong destroyed?
  • Now the pilots see Ann. They only almost killed her once.
  • The soldiers pose and smile over Kong’s corpse. Sensationalize.

Nathan’s Unused Notes – King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon by Ray Morton:

  • Robert Zemeckis would’ve been the executive on Jackson’s 1997 script for Kong if it was filmed.
  • The Frighteners poor performance shook Universal’s confidence in Jackson.
  • Jack Driscoll was modeled after Arthur Miller (All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, A View from the Bridge).
  • Jackson sought to combine elements of Cooper’s beastly Kong with de Laurentiis’s more romantic Kong. Saw him as a battle-hardened silverback. He told the Los Angles times he saw Kong as “a very old gorilla [that has] never felt a single bit of empathy for another living creature during his long…brutal life.” Kong intended to kill Ann, “and then he slowly moves away from that and it comes full circle.”

Nathan’s Unused Notes – “King Kong’s Melancholly” by Cynthia Erb:

  • Jackson called Universal’s cancelation of his original Kong script “the blackest day in my entire career.”
  • Argues that Jackson’s Kong is melancholy and shifts the emphasis from horror to mood and tears because Watts’ Ann cries more than she screams.
  • Argues that the extended cut frames Kong as an invader and presents the U.S. as “a bullying global entity at a stage of late empire” a la Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.
  • Says Jackson’s Kong reframes history through a modern lens (9/11 allegory).
  • Uses the “Depression” to set a mood of “depression.” Focused on objects, which leads to melancholy. Watts’ Ann is earthy, hungry.
  • This Ann is less afraid of predatory men than of being put into a “standardized role.” An indication of modernity. She gets up to leave when Denham wonders if she’d fit in a size four dress.
  • Says Black’s manic Denham makes him a character type called an intriguer or schemer, which also characterized Shakespeare’s Iago in Othello. This forms a “dyadic relationship” with the depressive Kong.
  • Argues that Jackson’s Kong is driven not by a sex drive but by a “death drive.” Jacqueline Rose: “The death drive is identified by Freud in the moment when the child seeks to master absence by staging the recall of the lost object, but finds it can only do so by first making the object disappear. This allows the child to achieve its aim only by repeating the very moment it is designed to avoid.” Compares Kong to Norman Bates in Psycho. Compulsive repetition.  
  • The Manhattanites and Islanders are paralleled in that both are shown to survivors in a harsh environment.
  • Argues that the overzealous soldiers attacking Kong in Central Park, seeing him as an invader and New York as “sacred ground,” is an allegory for 9/11. Argues that this goes further with the skeletal Empire State Building in the morning, which parallels Art Spiegelman’s 9/11 memoir In the Shadow of No Towers. Kong seemingly mouthing “beautiful” on top of the structure recalls how American towers were seen as “utopian gestures…transcendental, sky-catching, awesome” (Mark Kingwell).
https://gfycat.com/flatwhichaustralianfurseal

Well, I’m glad that’s done. If you read the whole thing, congrats!

Join us next week for a (hopefully) much shorter episode on another epic: the 1959 Toho classic The Three Treasures, starring Toshiro Mifune. Then the “Kong Quest” enters the MonsterVerse with Kong: Skull Island in April with Dallas Mora of Geek Devotions as the guest host.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy
#JimmyFromNASALives
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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 11: Varan the Unbelievable’ (Mini-Analysis)

Published March 4, 2020

Hello again! It is time once again for another installment of “Jimmy riffs Nathan and publishes his unused notes.” Better known as Jimmy’s Notes.

Last week Nathan covered the nearly forgotten kaiju film Varan the Unbelievable.(He also talked about it on Geek Devotions, using it to discuss how faith and science are not incompatible, which I enjoyed filming). I will just be sharing his unused notes from when he re-watched the film as part of his grad school independent study on Ishiro Honda. He did highlight portions of his sources for that paper, but since he included them in the shownotes, I will not post them. (Besides, my previous Jimmy’s Notes blog was huge, and I already know my next one on Peter Jackson’s King Kong will be as long as that film).

So, without further ado….

Nathan’s Notes on the Film:

  • One of the highlights of this lackluster film is [Akira] Ifukube’s score. It’s quite good and would be recycled later. Music after credits reminds me of destroying the controller in Destroy All Monster. (That control device is on display in a small museum here on the Island, by the way. –Jimmy)
  • Talks about spaceflight but says there are still mysteries on earth; “most mysterious story ever told.” Hyperbole. (I have been to Venus. The mysteries there are far more interesting—like how it is somehow still there despite, you know, exploding during the War in Space. –Jimmy)
  • Villagers think the outsiders are monsters. Ignore them.
  • “It’s too early for monsters.” Did you forget you’re in a Toho movie? (To paraphrase a once-popular meme about video games: “Kaiju are common and frequently fight in public.” –Jimmy)
  • Varan’s intro is actually pretty good. Jaws-like.
  • Yuriko is surprisingly calm considering her brother died. Bold girl reporter. Sekizawa trademark.
  • Bus driver says no one goes to the village. (Probably because Varan kills people over butterflies. You should see how he reacts to other kaiju pestering Mothra. It is not pretty, but the tourists get a kick out of the occasional fights. –Jimmy)
  • Similar to Ainu; Ifukube infuses Ainu music in this score.
  • Dog is named Chibee. Japanese word for small. (Except it is actually spelled “chibi” and is Japanese slang. –Jimmy)
  • These first three characters are entertaining and funny and actually have some vim. Then they disappear halfway in.
  • Varan appears 21 minutes in. (Nathan has clocked the monster’s first appearance in all of these movies since fans complained about Godzilla not showing up for 45 minutes in the 2014 film. He argues this was done in the Japanese films, he seems to be right. Wow. I said something nice. I am losing my touch. –Jimmy)
  • This film has lots of issues, but suit/creature design isn’t one of them. Varan is quite impressive. Too bad he never came back. (Except in Destroy All Monsters, or did you forget that? And he almost came back, along with Anguirus, in GMK. –Jimmy)
  • When they return to the village, the priest is waving branch and chanting by fence as if that will stop Varan. Varan kills him while he chants “Forgive them! Forgive them!”
  • Varan’s rampage through the village is a highlight. Great suit, great destruction. [Haruo] Nakajima being awesome.
  • Another all-knowing dinosaur scientist.
  • “It’s big. You better get yourself a wide-angle lens.” Sekizawa humor.
  • After the village destruction, it starts to feel more padded as it goes. It gets really bad after they leave the village. A little too much detail with military.
  • The gas bomb mortars going into the water do look good. Classic Tsuburaya effects.
  • 34:00: “That’s a lot of fish.” (And all of our readers/listeners groan. –Jimmy)
  • The three best characters get steadily less screen time as film progresses.
  • Professor wastes no time saying to kill monster. The Anti-Yamane.
  • These soldiers have the aim of Stormtroopers. (The Messiah 13 Aliens were not much better from what my War in Space buddies tell me. –Jimmy)
  • Varan coming out of water at 35:00 or so looks quite good.
  • Wind accompanies Varan. Supernatural? Godzilla 2014 with tsunami?
  • The first half of this movie feels unique. Godzilla meets Half Human or Rodan. Second half is run-of-the-mill monster stuff.
  • Varan’s roar is just a remixed Godzilla roar.
  • “Varan is indestructible!” No, you just have bad aim!
  • I see where Son of Godzilla got it with Kumonga getting in cave. Effective scene.
  • Professor just knows that Varan will respond to light. It’s what animals do, apparently. (The scientists here on the Island use some weird stuff—like bird calls—to maneuver the monsters around. –Jimmy)
  • Varan can fly! Cut from US version. Well, he glides. How does he sound like a jet?
  • 47 minutes in, and it gets a heck of a lot less interesting.
  • [Akihiko] Hirata is in this! Barely.
  • This professor just exists to spout exposition and say you can’t kill Varan.
  • 51:00: Varan approaching fishermen is very Jaws-like. The music especially.
  • 55:00: Why would you fly that low and that close?! (A common problem when fighting kaiju. It seems soldiers forget basic tactics when fighting monsters. My military buddies cannot figure it out, either. –Jimmy)
  • Second half is largely action. Feels like a completely different movie. The music is still good.
  • 63:00: Are they playing a miniatures game with a Varan figure? (You would buy that game in heartbeat, Nathan. You already have a few stuffed in your closet. –Jimmy)
  • 65:00: Expertly edited home movies.
  • Super-bomb is weird. How does it explode better inside something? Makes no sense. (I was on a ship that inexplicably had a planet-busting bomb on it. All that to say, I do not get it, either. –Jimmy)
  • Climax is at Haneda Airport. Sky background is lacking. Can see strings pulling tanks. Not meant to be scrutinized. (Or seen in high-def, as you mentioned. –Jimmy)
  • Interesting how soldiers chicken out saying it’s beyond the call of duty, so Kenji the reporter has to drive the bomb to Varan. Sekizawa commentary?
  • Wow, that wasn’t suspenseful. He jogs away unharmed. (This is more common than many people realize. –Jimmy)
  • Rare time Nakajima got hurt on set when bomb explodes under Varan. (#firecrotch –Jimmy)
  • Sometimes Varan stands and sometimes he’s on all fours. Poor editing.
  • Now the military has good aim. 😛 (Varan lost his plot-armor. That is more durable than adamantium! –Jimmy)
  • Varan: “Stop attacking me with stock footage!” (Stock footage is the worst. The Messiah 13 Aliens’ attack on New York looked like The Last War and…my…family…died…).
  • This movie has such truncated time. Bomb explodes in 30 minutes but 15 have already passed.
  • 84:00: Varan becomes Godzilla for a second! (To quote MST3K, “Space is warped and time is bendable!” –Jimmy)
  • What a horrible way to die: exploded from the inside after swallowing bombs. Varan retreats to water. Ambiguous? (Well, he was brought to Monster Island in 1999, so he survived…somehow. I just work here, people! –Jimmy)
  • Announcer declares that mankind has won. (For now…. 😛 –Jimmy)

There you have it!

And now for the moment you have all been waiting for! The winner of the Batman Meets Godzilla T-shirt is Celeste Mora!

Congratulations!

The “Kong Quest” continues in the next episode when Nathan is joined by the creator/author of The Godzilla Novelization Project, Daniel DiManna to discuss the epic 2005 remake of King Kong.

Our next mini-sode will cover another epic: 1959’s The Three Treasures.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

#JimmyFromNASALives
#WeShallOvercome

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 10: John LeMay vs. King Kong Lives’

Published February 19, 2020

Last week’s episode on King Kong Lives was certainly an interesting one. It was both informative and entertaining. Nathan “survived” in true Mystery Science Theatre 3000 fashion while John LeMay made a valiant defense of the movie. I did not pipe in as much because, as listeners will remember, John and I had a spat when I refused to show him my garage. I did not get a chance to explain it was because I needed to make sure it was clean and safe for visitors. That was all.

Anyway, here are my notes on the episode:

  • I did not want to disappoint you on the air, John, but I am actually a natural brunette. I dye my hair red. In other words, I still have a soul. Or did I lose it when I dyed my hair?
  • Here’s the Siskel and Ebert review of King Kong Lives.
  • About those so-called “magic artificial hearts”: The Island’s Board of Directors acquired Dr. Amy Franklin’s design and attempted to improve upon it. I can neither confirm nor deny that experiments may have been conducted on kaiju that aren’t as big a draw for Tourists….
  • Here are two articles with great info on artificial hearts: “7 Things You Should Know about Artificial Hearts” and the Wikipedia entry on them.
  • Baby Kong was played by seven-year-old Benjamin Kechley. And yes, I think he should have bragging rights for life.
  • Surprisingly, Nathan was wrong about the Superman film John was talking about. (He is as obsessed with superheroes as he is kaiju. God help me when he takes a deep dive into Ultraman…). It was Superman II from 1980 that had the Eiffel Tower scene, which did involve terrorists with hostages and a bomb. You can watch it here and here.
  • I have a plenty of material to do a War in Space panel at G-Fest, John. I mean, I lived it. And miraculously survived it. But like Nathan said, someone has to take care of the studio while he is gone, and we are more or less a two-man operation. Maybe I will get some time off when the film’s 45th anniversary rolls around….
  • Here’s a link to the Godziban playlist on the official Toho Godzilla YouTube channel. It is the show Nathan and John mention briefly where Godzilla Junior and Minya get along. I cannot vouch for its accuracy.
  • John is both right and wrong about the dinosaur fights in the Lovelace novelization. Kong does fight a triceratops—several, in fact—but he later he also fights a “meat-eater” dinosaur, which may or may not have been a T-Rex. There is some debate over it.
  • It’s “Monsterverse” not “Godzilla universe,” John. 😛
  • Here’s the Subway commercial that was mentioned by John.
  • The confusing things about Kong: King of Skull Island is there appears to be two of them. Maybe? Here is this on Amazon (and Wikizilla), but there’s also a Kickstarter for an illustrated version in 2018. I am guessing the latter is what sparked the lawsuit they mention.
  • The person John could not remember who pitched Skull Island: Blood of the Kong with Neil Marshall was Simon Uttley.
  • The Kong Netflix series is Kong: King of the Apes. It is a children’s series and currently has two seasons. Here is a link to its official page.

Here are the many notes Nathan did not get to during the episode. Admittedly, some of them are riffs that require context not given in the note. Basically, watch the film chronologically (if you dare!) and you may be able to find what he is talking about. So, buckle up because there is a lot.

  • They edited in different roars for the flashback. Not as good.
  • I wonder how much Bridges and Lange were paid for that stock footage?
  • Music courtesy of John Williams’ leftovers.
  • How is Kong not a furry mound of jelly?
  • Admittedly, this continuous opening shot for the credits isn’t bad.
  • We see Lady Kong in less than 8 minutes. (Kong meets a female of his species and suddenly forgets about blondes?) (Mrs. Kong theory from episode 4).
  • “Can you hear me now?” Verizon, anyone?
  • “I’m in love with a gorilla!”
  • Disneyland? Why not Universal Studios?
  • “The only living ape.” Because all the normal-sized ones have died out in ten years?
  • “I left a trail of bananas.” Don’t make fun of yourself, movie. That’s my job!
  • As usual, Kong breaks his chains of captivity.
  • Did those apes just have a love at first sight moment?
  • Yeah, the dozers will stop him.
  • “They’ll need a doctor after they get a whiff of this gas.” I never should’ve eaten that breakfast burrito!
  • The action hero trope: the big bad male hero can take a beating and not flinch, but he winces when a woman tends his wounds. Nice job, Kong.
  • Are those natives on Kong’s Island burnt out drunks like Jack said? Would they let outsiders build a reserve then?
  • Welcome to Movie Land, where people fall in love and make out at the drop of a hat. Justification: This is what primates do.
  • Oh no! The flamethrowers return! How is Kong not PTSD-ing right now?
  • There’s a torrential downpour, but the sun is out.
  • There are a lot of pop culture references in this. Indiana Jones. Deliverance. Juicy Fruit.
  • You’re telling me none of the doctors the military brought in figured out Lady Kong was pregnant?
  • There are points this feels more like a post-1976 King Kong knockoff than an actual Kong film.
  • Don’t you guys know that Kong hates flashbulbs?
  • “Well, Kong, you’ve killed now. Nothing will stop them from killing you now.” Did you miss the first movie?
  • Kong is a tactician. He throws pocket sand at the military before attacking. 😛 (“Pocket sand!” -Dale from King of the Hill).

These are Nathan’s leftover notes from King Kong: History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson by Ray Morton:

  • De Laurentiis wanted to do a sequel from get-go. At one point even discussed a Frankenstein-like idea with Semple.
  • Sequel never manifested because De Laurentiis was either disappointed it didn’t out-gross Jaws or because he didn’t want to have to deal with Universal.
  • In the ensuing years, he bought Embassy Pictures and made it into his own studio, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG).
  • John Guillermin returned as director. Both he and De Laurentiis had lost sons in the intervening years, so their relationship had mellowed.
  • Carlo Rambaldi was brought back on for the special effects. He’d won several Oscars for his work since 1976.
  • Despite not liking the script, Brian Kerwin took the role because he was offered lots and money and he was the lead. He said later that monkey was the lead and he was set dressing. He also wanted to be picked up by Kong.
  • New suit actors were brought in, both male. Kong’s hair was Icelandic yak fur.
  • They tried to make Kong ’86 look like Kong ’76, but it didn’t quite work. The former is brown and the latter black. Face was different with more expressive mask.
  • Kong’s biological heart is a replica of a real gorilla heart. The artificial heart is a fantasy creation. Kerwin considered making it into a coffee table.
  • Ran into budget problems because DEG was hit hard by new tax laws. Some sequences were trimmed or eliminated. It wasn’t filmed in Brazil and Jamaica and instead was filmed in Tennessee and Wilmington.
  • All the fake blood in the Kong transplant scene made an extra pass out.
  • Kerwin read all 22 Travis McGee novels in his downtime. One actor directed community theatre!
  • Kerwin said de Laurentiis was “braggadocious and stingy.”
  • Guillermin was mellower but often still intense.
  • Hamilton was in a bad mood all the time according to Kerwin.
  • Baker refused to come back due to unreasonable conditions and the Oscars dustup, so it went to Peter Elliott, an acrobat and veteran costume performer. He did ape choreography in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan. His friend George Yiasomi played Lady Kong, but a “Greek guy” was brought in to do the close-ups of her eyes.
  • The actors played the apes like animals around each other and more human-like around humans. Elliot based his performance on James Dean! (Indiana connection!)
  • The courtship scene was over-the-top but Elliott based their actions on real apes but performed it in a tongue-in-cheek manner.
  • No Oscars noms, but Rambaldi was nominated for a Razzie for worst visual effects.
  • De Laurentiis thought the film was a mistake.

Here are the livetweets from Nathan’s author Twitter that he did not mention:

  • “You’ve got Indiana Jones.” Now there’s a crossover I’d love to see! Now there is a crossover I’d watch in a heartbeat! Pun intended. #KingKong #KingKongLives
  • “Lady Kong”? Is it because “Queen Kong” was taken in a slightly better movie?
  • These doctors are performing surgery with giant egg beaters? #KingKong #KingKongLives
  • Let’s spend millions of dollars to resurrect the rampaging monster who killed dozens of people and cost millions and property damage. This can only ending [in] good. #KingKong #KingKongLives
  • That’s not an artificial hard—it’s a submarine! Makes me wish this was a crossover between #KingKong and Fantastic Voyage. #KingKongLives
  • “#KingKong, you just came back from the dead! What are you going to do next?“ “Get laid.” That must’ve been one heck of a wet dream he was having for 10 years.
  • You know your sequel is in trouble when the flashback to the mediocre remake has the best special-effects.#KingKong #KingKongLives
  • “The other monkeys going ape $&@#!” [L]eave the bad puns to me, movie.#KingKong #KingKongLives
  • #KingKong and Lady Kong: Still a better love story than #Twilight. #KingKongLives
  • Lady Kong is scared of (normal-sized) snakes. Of course. #KingKong #KingKongLives
  • If all it took to get a girlfriend was dying and being resurrected, I have tried it a long time ago. #KingKong #KingKongLives
  • “Bring in the Big Bird!” Hey, it’s not yellow and teaching me to count! #KingKong #KingKongLives
  • It was a lack of protein killed the beast. And no wonder: he keeps eating rubber gators.
  • When you howl at the moon, sometimes the moon howls back.#KingKong #KingKongLives
  • Please, sir, I want some more stomach blows. #KingKong #KingKongLives
  • #KingKong almost became a slasher movie villain by killing some horny teenagers. All he was missing was a knife and a huge hockey mask. Yet another amusing crossover: King Kong and Friday the 13th. #KingKongLives
  • #KingKong: Defeated by rednecks. I was an icon once. #KingKongLives
  • “My dad’s gonna kill me! We didn’t switch to Geico and add giant monkey insurance!“ #KingKong #KingKongLives
  • Lt. Cola? Is that soda for soldiers? I guess if #Godzilla endorses Dr. Pepper, Kong should get something. #KingKong #KingKongLives (Lt. Col. A. Nevitt). Haha!
  • Kong: I ate red(neck) meat! I’m not afraid to eat white (guy) meat! #KingKong #KingKongLives
  • #KingKong just crashed a hoedown. Now I’ve seen everything. #KingKongLives
  • Is this general play[ed] by our young Don Frye? Is he Captain Gordon’s grandpa? #KingKong #KingKongLives
  • So what if #KingKong is dead. Just cure him with another artificial heart. #KingKongLives
  • From the World Trade Center to a barn in redneck country. Talk about coming down in life. #KingKong #KingKongLives

Finally, here are some unused notes about the convoluted King Kong copyright:

  • Supposedly Eisner also discussed the idea with Sidney Sheinberg, chief operating officer of MCA (Universal), which was hot off the positive early reviews for Jaws and wanted another marauding animal film. Negotiations started around the same time as De Laurentis. Agreed to pay same amount up front but balked at sharing the gross. Lots of studio politics involved. Word has it that the Universal offer was preferred. Attorney Arnold Shane thought Universal won the rights, and Stromberg hired Oscar-winning screenwriter Bo Goldman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Melviun and Howard) to write a script. Meanwhile, De Laurentis’ offer was accepted. Universal protested saying that despite not signing a written contract, they took Daniel O’Shea’s supposed comment as a binding verbal agreement. Universal sued for $25 million in damages in June 1975 accusing RKO-General of “breach of contract” and “fraud” and De Laurentis of international interference with advantageous business relations” and “unfair competition.” De Laurentis was surprised by Universal’s claim but thought it was invalid because he had a signed contract, so he pressed on confidently.
  • Sept. 1975: Superior Court of LA dismissed Universal’s claim, saying the verbal agreement was “tissue-paper thin.” Universal then filed a second claim having learned the novelization of Kong, which had some different material, had fallen into the public domain in 1960 thanks to the Copyright Law of 1909 that set the copyright to 28 years. The studio claimed they weren’t infringing on RKO’s films—the “new” material—while the “old material” was in public domain. They announced their new film would be based on the novel, and told Bo Goldman to revise his script to conform to the novel. Joseph Sargent (Colossus: The Forbin Project, The Taking Pelham 123) was hired to direct. De Laurentis said he would start casting in December for his film. Unsure if the name King Kong was owned by RKO, they changed their film’s title to The Legend of King Kong to be safe.  De Laurentis responded by changing his to King Kong: The Legend Reborn.
  • RKO filed a countersuit November 20 against Universal in Federal District Court for $5 million for copyright infringement and asked for an injunction for the studio to stop promoting the film. De Laurentis filed his own suit December 4 for $90 million in damages caused by “copyright infringement and unfair competition.” He also filed an injunction against Universal. Universal forced the issue by saying they’d start filming Jan. 5, which was a bluff.  The market would only support one remake, and whoever started shooting first would likely win. De Laurentis moved production up, hastily starting Jan. 15 and having the crew work 16-hour days. This required money he didn’t have, but he was determined.
  • Universal allegedly approached De Laurentis about settling after he announced when they’d begin filming. They discussed a joint production, but De Laurentis didn’t like Universal’s demands. They wanted their script to be used and merchandising and sequel rights.   Barry Diller and Paramount threatened to pull out if he didn’t settle, so he started talking with Universal.
  • De Laurentis and Ubniversial announced Jan. 28, 1976, that they’d reached agreement. Universal got 8% or 11% percent of De Laurentis’ profits, certain merchandising rights and profits, and veto power on sequels by agreeing to cancel their film.  They could also start their own film so long as it was 18 months after the release of De Laurentis’ film. If it was hit, there would be no need, and if it was a flop, there would no interest in one. Silly move. Universal didn’t get to make their own until 2005 with Peter Jackson. The lawsuit was settled in September.

Oh man. This might be my longest Jimmy’s Notes yet. This is what happens when you are a producer on a podcast with a host who over-prepares. My contractual obligation to post all of these in my blog does not help. You win that front, Marchand!

Anyway, join us next week when Daniel DiManna of the Godzilla Novelization Project joins us to discuss Peter Jackson’s epic 2005 remake of King Kong.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

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All About the Entertaining Info Dump

Published February 5, 2020

By Nathan Marchand (with Jimmy From NASA)

With there being five Wednesdays in January (for which I’m grateful because it gives me an extra week to edit the next episode), I thought I’d give all of you a bonus blog. I toyed with several ideas, but it was my intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA, who suggested a blog on his Entertaining Info Dump. Normally, I’d have only done it because of those darn contractual obligations, but it’s also been a part of the podcast that listeners have appreciated, so it’s worth giving a peek behind the curtain to explain it.

Believe it or not, Jimmy based it on the “film descriptions” Brian Scherschel and I developed on my previous podcast, Kaijuvision Radio. Apparently, Jimmy was a fan of the show before I left it. As he said on the first episode of MIFV, this was a great way to get preliminary information out of the way before diving into the film discussion. It’s also more interesting to listen to than a simple plot synopsis and, well, info dump. You can get all of that from a wiki page. Several of them, actually. They also make it possible to compare these films to each other.

There are different subheadings for these essays, although they’re never mentioned. Those subheadings are:

  • The (primary) kaiju plot line and characteristics/goals
  • Other kaiju plot lines and characteristics/goals
  • The human plot line
  • Human and kaiju plot intermix level
  • Attempts to solve the issue at hand
  • How the issue is resolved
  • Story complexity
  • Production quality
  • Light/Dark Tone, gravity/seriousness, and fantasy/reality
  • Experimentation level
  • Reinforcement vs. Expansion of Style
  • Movie purpose and demographics
  • Success Level
  • Difference between original version of that film and the other versions
  • The forces at play
  • The theme(s)

Most of these are self-explanatory. The first half or so summarizes the most important facets of the film’s story. All but the last two give production and background information on each movie. The last two focus on thematic elements.

However, there are two that Jimmy insists I highlight because one is unique and the other could be confused with it. That being the “expansion vs. reinforcement of style” and “experimentation level.”

What do we mean by expansion and reinforcement of style? With long-running franchises and series like King Kong (or Godzilla), some entries introduce new story types, tropes, or other elements that are emulated in later ones. They’re the films that break the mold, the firsts of their kind. This is admittedly a little subjective, especially since some films have a mix of both, but these elements can be objectively identified. For example, Son of Kong was an expansion of style for the Kong films because it introduced the idea of a Kong offspring and was the first “Son/Daughter of…” type film to come out in any film series. However, King Kong Escapes, while primarily a reinforcement of the styles of King Kong (1933) and The King Kong Show, did make one expansion by having a “love interest” who sympathized with Kong.

Experimentation level, on the other hand, would have to involve risk-taking. It isn’t simply adding new things to a film. They have to be elements that are so different from the previous films in the series that it might disappoint the audience or disinterest them. For example, it was a risky move for Dino de Laurentiis to set his 1976 remake in (then) present day because the original was firmly set in 1933. It’s a rare to see a film that is both an expansion of style and experimental. It doesn’t always make it good, but it’s always interesting. Honestly, with the films we’ve covered so far in the “Kong Quest” ( 😛 ), the only one that truly qualifies as both is the 1933 original (although, that’ll change next week).

If you’d like to learn more about the Entertaining Info Dump, I recommend listening to the bonus feature Mr. Scherschel and I did on the film descriptions for KVR.

Until then, get ready for the next week’s episode on the worst film covered on MIFV so far: King Kong Lives!

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 9: The Mysterians (Mini-Analysis)’

Published January 29, 2020

I’m just as excited to write this blog on last week’s episode on The Mysterians as I was recording it. As Nathan said on the podcast, it’s one of my favorite tokusatsu films. He was able to use most of his research in the episode, although most of his notes on the film itself did not make it in. His script was originally part of a 42-page paper he wrote on six Ishiro Honda films as part of an independent study in grad school.

Anyway, let’s get to this. Like with my blog on the previous mini-sode, I didn’t hear anything that needed fact-checked, so I’ll just be sharing Nathan’s leftover notes, although with a handful of comments.

Afterward, I’ll announce the winner of the Batman Meets Godzilla T-shirt.

The Film:

  • This was the first Toho tokusatsu film in TohoScope.
  • The satellite dish (and tsunami) get recycled as stock footage in the US version of King Kong vs. Godzilla. Some military footage recycled later in 1970s G-films.
  • The festival at the beginning is Bon Festival (also called an Obon), which is a Japanese Buddhist-Confucian custom to honor the spirits of ancestors. Due to the use of several different calendars, there are usually three time periods these festivals will be celebrated between July and September. The dance seen at the festival in the film is a traditional dance called the Bon Odori. You can learn about it here. (Nathan wants to go to one. Maybe we can have one on the Island? –Jimmy)
  • Starts with a bang—or rather a forest fire. Exciting. Spectacular effects. Burning from the roots. Foreshadowing.
  • Takashi Shimura plays another scientist.
  • Lots of science enters. Mysteroid. Astronomy. (Which is one reason I love this film! –Jimmy)
  • That looks more like a sinkhole than a landslide. May have been deliberate. Because radioactive. Or not.
  • The JSDF vehicles and personnel are actual military. Made in cooperation.
  • Dead fish in river. More foreshadowing.
  • Hot radioactive ground. Burns tires. Melts mountain.
  • Moguera appears 14 minutes in.
  • Honda’s naturalism with disasters: Etsuko in bath as Moguera attacks.
  • The flamethrower is real—but I don’t know how it could reach that far or get that big against Moguera.
  • Scientists are presented as foremost authorities and absolutely trustworthy. Mysterians want to meet with them and not politicians.
  • The character plot at beginning is dropped as invasion plots takes over.
  • Not Toho’s first tokusatsu film in color (that was Rodan), but the colors are more spectacular.
  • Takashi Shimura dresses like Colonel Sanders.
  • 29:30: We’re off to see the wizard.
  • “Please put on your cape.” Not to keep warm, but because it looks cool.
  • Yoshio Tsuchiya insisted on playing Mysterian Leader. Liked playing weirdos.
  • “There are no boundaries in science.” Says “these people” (military) will cause war.
  •  “Selling land on Mars” line ab-libbed by Tsuchiya.
  • The humans waste no time kowtowing.
  • Almost 38:00: U.N. scientists mentioned as coming to discuss the matter.
  • Japan behind America in science. Mysterians even more advanced. Shiriashi.
  • Mysterians originally want 2 miles of land. It keeps increasing. Goes to 75. All intruders would be evicted by force. Inspired by America?
  • Shiraishi says scientists, not military, should stop attack.
  • The Mysterian dome looks amazing.
  • Nakajima played Moguera. Nearly killed him. Hot suit, hot studio lights. Over 100 degrees. Staff in underwear.
  • Sometimes editing of special effects shots is jumpy.
  • Cool POV shot of plane over dome.
  • Mysterian ships reused in Battle in Outer Space. Almost sequel. (The second entry in the “pseudo-trilogy.” It’ll be covered in a later episode. –Jimmy)
  • 46 mins: POV shot from tank on dome.
  • Figure ejects from model tank as it sinks. Cool.
  • Japanese earthquake of 1923 mentioned.
  • Mysterians say they don’t like war but will fight if attacked. They want peace on Earth. Weird way of doing it. America again? Want to end atomic wars. Mankind will perish in 20 years. Fearmongering? Mankind has ruled animals with science. Mysterians see humans as animals.
  • World comes together, but this is mostly a Japanese problem.
  • Japan calls for international meeting. “Japan’s trouble today will be theirs tomorrow.” Adachi somehow knows they won’t stop with the land.
  • 51:45: Shiriashi starts doubt if he chose the right side when they mention taking over eastern Japan.
  • America launches satellite from Arizona against Mysterians. (When was their first satellite?) (America’s first satellite was Explorer 1, which was launched January 31, 1958, just one month after this film was released in Japan. –Jimmy)
  • “Defense Force of the Earth.” Human unity. Many flags in background of conference scene. Japanese officer addresses UN council with plan. Translator present. Reps visible: USSR, USA, India, China, Vietnam, Thailand. Two resps from each. Three of 5 members of Security Council.
  • I love how the interpreter’s words aren’t exactly the same as the subtitles.
  • “A war has already begun. A quiet war…. There are no canons, aircraft, or tanks.” 57:15.
  • Alpha and Beta look awkward, but I don’t care. Part of the charm. VTOL tech, though.
  • Complaints about the female characters: useless damsels in distress. “Women often fainted back then” (Koichi Kawakita in his commentary).
  • Mysterians don’t use subterfuge, but they do increase their demands. Somewhat arrogant.
  • US Air Force planes seen landing. Speaks to alliance between America and Japan.
  • I love the satellite dish weapons in these movies.
  • Tsuchiya’s gestures as Mysterian Leader are great. Sharp and commanding.
  • Mysterians don’t like heat. Opposite of Kilaaks. (Let’s not talk about the disco space nuns. Okay, Marchand? –Jimmy)
  • Mysterian suits inspired Super Sentai/Power Rangers. (Maybe. –Jimmy)
  • 74:00: How did they not see him? (He means Shiraishi. –Jimmy)
  • Wanting women sounds incredibly sensationalistic, but it isn’t talked about much.
  • Mysterian science is advanced but can’t fix their genes.
  • The acting from the westerners is…underwhelming.
  • Mysterian dome does have what look like drill ends.
  • Mysterians try to negotiate saying they will retaliate is humans don’t stop (weren’t you already?). Humans tell them to leave Earth. Were the Mysterians bluffing? Afraid? They do retaliate with a massive flood.
  • I’m sure much of the stuff in these sets did anything, but they look cool.
  • Shiraishi says he was “tricked.” Was he? (Sadly, probably not. He seems quite complaisant with them. –Jimmy)
  • The tragedy of the Mysterians is a lesson to us. Don’t misuse science. Don’t repeat the tragedy! –Shiraishi
  • A second Moguera appears! For five seconds. (Still less useless than the Heisei incarnation. Extra spare parts for me to rebuild Mechani-Kong! –Jimmy)
  • Shiraishi has chance to shoot Mysterians but doesn’t. Mercy.
  • Like Godzilla, Shimura ends the film with an admonition.
  • Satellite is launched in the end to watch for Mysterians.

This is a footnote from Nathan’s grad school paper that did not make it into the episode:

Yet despite all of this involvement, Japan has not been allowed to join as a permanent member of the UNSC. Most of the opposition has come from South Korea and China, who believe Japan must still atone for the war. On the other hand, three members of the UNSC—the U.S., the UK, and France—support Japan becoming a permanent member. The U.N. at large possibly thinks that since Japan’s military is unable to contribute significantly to the safety of the world, they do not deserve a seat at the UNSC table (“Episode 6: Rodan” 00:44:20-00:45:31). Even if that were to change, China continually exerts its veto power on the council to block Japan’s admission because “[f]ar beyond the unwanted symbolism of a fully rehabilitated and ‘normal’ Japan on the UN Security Council, the very real powers that permanent membership would afford Tokyo are simply anathema to Beijing’s interests.”

Ambassador Motohide Yoshikawa, who served as the Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations from 2013 to 2016, argues that “there is still a strong consensus among all members that the Security Council has to be reformed.” It reflected the political reality of 1945, but it is “no longer valid” and has “become obsolete.” New emerging powers, such as those countries who were defeated in the war, should be admitted. Not only is Japan advocating for reform, but so are the other G4 countries (which also include India, Germany, and Brazil). In 2005 they made a proposal that would change the criteria for who could become permanent and non-permanent members, but it was never put to a vote. The momentum has stalled since then.

Finally, these are unused excerpts from several articles Nathan cited in the episode, which are listed with links in its show notes.

“Japan and the United Nations” – Wikipedia

  • “After the late 1950s, Japan participated actively in the social and economic activities of the UN’s various specialized agencies and other international organizations concerned with social, cultural, and economic improvement. During the 1970s, as it attained the status of an economic powerhouse, Japan was called on to play an increasingly large role in the UN. As Japan’s role and its contributions increased so did sentiment, expressed as early as 1973, that Japan should be given a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) with the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France, and China.”
  • “As of 2005, Japan is again a strong advocate of a UNSC reform, in a joint campaign with Germany, India, and Brazil. All four nations strive to gain a permanent seat in the chamber. While the United Kingdom and France,[1] and the United States back Japan’s candidacy, it faces strong opposition from its two closest neighbors, China and South Korea.”

“An Argument for Japan’s Becoming Permanent Member” – MOFA

  • “Since Japan joined the United Nations in 1956, cooperation with the United Nations has been a cornerstone of its foreign policy. Japan has the world’s second largest economy, and based on this national strength, it has the capacity to assume ever greater global responsibilities through various contributions to the efforts of the United Nations and particularly the Security Council.”
  • “Japan is committed to promoting international disarmament and non-proliferation while firmly maintaining its Three Non-Nuclear Principles of not possessing, not producing and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons into its territory. Since 1994 Japan has submitted draft resolutions on nuclear disarmament at the UN General Assembly, which have been adopted with overwhelming support. Japan actively contributed to the success of the 2000 NPT Review Conference, and has been taking the initiative in facilitating the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.”
  • “Moreover, Japan has been playing a leading role in disarmament of conventional arms, including small arms and landmines. It has provided substantial financial assistance for this purpose, and in 2000 established the Small Arms Fund within the United Nations.”

“Chapter 3: Japan’s Foreign Policy to Promote National and Worldwide Interests” – MOFA

  • “In addition, Japan also places great importance on strengthening its initiatives as a member of the G4 (Japan, India, Germany, and Brazil), a group that cooperates on promoting the reform of the UN Security Council. The Ministerial Meeting of the G4 Countries was held in September. During the Meeting, the countries agreed on building further momentum for the UN Security Council reform and continuing to work towards a comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council.”
  • “In addition, the Group of Friends on Security Council Reform was established in July. Comprising diverse groups such as the G4 as well as Africa, the Caribbean, the UK, France, and Northern Europe, all of which seek the reform of the UN Security Council. At the High-Level Meeting held in September, the Group members shared the recognition that the reform of the UN Security Council is an urgent issue, and affirmed their commitment to cooperate to realize a meaningful reform of the UN Security Council in an expeditious manner.”
  • “In response to the nuclear tests and the launch of ballistic missile by North Korea, as a member of the UN Security Council, Japan took a leading role in discussions at the UN Security Council, working closely with the relevant countries including the United States and the Republic of Korea. As a result, the UN Security Council Resolutions 2270 and 2321 were adopted, strengthening sanctions against North Korea, and putting greater emphasis on the importance of human rights and humanitarian issues including the abduction issue. The adoption of these resolutions demonstrated the attitude of the international community as a whole in taking decisive action against North Korea. In addition, Japan has been actively taking part in the work of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 1718 and encouraging the relevant countries to fully and strictly implement the UN Security Council resolutions.”

 “Why Japan will Never Be a Permanent Meber of the UN Security Council” by Peter Harris

  • “Although the objective of permanent membership is longstanding, Abe’s diplomatic push ahead of October 2015 inevitably will be seen abroad in the same light as his other foreign policies, several of which have been criticized as hawkish by neighboring governments—not least of all the Chinese, which bitterly opposes the Japanese bid.  Far beyond the unwanted symbolism of a fully rehabilitated and “normal” Japan on the UN Security Council, the very real powers that permanent membership would afford Tokyo are simply anathema to Beijing’s interests.”

And now for the moment you have all been waiting for! The winner of the Batman Meets Godzilla T-shirt is Jim Hayes!

Congratulations!

The “Kong Quest” continues in the next episode with the infamous King Kong Lives. Nathan will be joined once again by kaiju author/scholar John LeMay (the only person we know of who genuinely likes that movie).

Our next mini-sode will cover the almost forgotten 1958 kaiju film Varan the Unbelievable.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

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#WeShallOvercome

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 8: Ben Avery vs. King Kong (1976)’

Published January 15, 2020

Our big year started with a big film when Nathan was joined by Ben Avery to discuss Dino de Laurentiis’ 1976 remake of King Kong. I have a lot to add and Nathan had plenty of leftover notes from re-watching the film. So, let’s started.

  • Nathan informed me after the fact that I forgot to mention that the film has a 5.9 score on IMDB with 28,249 ratings as of today. Oops. Okay, Nathan, you get one point on me. Don’t expect that to happen often!
  • The books Ben mentioned—as pointed out by a listener on Twitter—were the Crestwood Monster Series Books. Yes, they do go for a pretty penny now, although you can find them for reasonable prices if you search on eBay. (Weirdly enough, the King Kong book is on Amazon for only $15 in hardback!)
  • “Funnest,” Ben? I’d expect a professional writer like yourself to know that isn’t the proper superlative for that adjective (although I’m surprised it isn’t). The Law of Common Usage may make you right eventually, though.
  • I think it was more De Laurentiis making this film than Paramount, but, you know, details. 😛
  • Gorillas are apes, not monkeys, Ben! (see VeggieTales).
  • Actually, Ben, I do think you get a few decent close-ups of the “gorilla chief,” especially during the sacrifice scene where he’s dancing around like a male stripper on crack!
  • Wow, Ben, you outdid me. I couldn’t find those deleted/alternate scenes you mentioned were on YouTube. However, some of the scenes shown on the extended NBC TV version can be found on it.
  • It’s pronounced “kra-kn” not “krei-kn,” Ben.
  • Tim would be disappointed that Nathan forgot Charles Grodin was in The Great Muppet Caper. Shame. 😛
  • “Petra” is Greek for “rock,” so I assume it was used as the source word for Petrox (not to take away from the clever pun).
  • Nathan and I watched a POV video of the original Kong ride, “Kongfrontation,” at Universal Studios. He was doubly jealous when I told him I rode it back when it opened in 1977. 😛 Yes, there were Smellitzers” installed in the animatronic Kong’s mouth that emitted “banana breath.” (The scientists here on the Island tell me the real Kong’s breath is…well, in need of some kaiju-sized mouthwash).
  • Ben correctly identified the documentary as Man on Wire. It tells the true story of Phillippe Petit, who walked across a tightrope between the World Trade Center Towers in 1974. (This was illegal, by the way). Nathan wants to see it now.
  • According to Newsweek, there were gas stations owners who faced prosecution in 2001 for price gouging.
  • Your closing is cute, Ben, but I’m actually a Sagittarius. 😛 (Not that I believe in horoscopes. I am a man of science who knows what stars actually do: burn and gravitate). J

Now on to Nathan’s rather exhaustive notes from the film. He went through all his stuff for the 1973 oil crisis, but as Ben said, there is much to talk about with this film.

Nathan notes:

  • “Here’s to the big one.” Foreshadowing. (Hence why Nathan referenced it at the beginning of the episode. –Jimmy)
  • James Creelman, Ruth Rose, Merian C. Cooper, and Edgar Wallace are all credited as inspiration. Wow. (Probably for legal reasons. 😛 –Jimmy)
  • How do sailors deal with everything on a table moving during a stormy sea? It’s even worse when you’re drunk.
  • The island does appear to be shaped like a skull, although they never call it that.
  • It’s implied that Kong may be at least 400 years old (1605). Or he is the latest member of the species? At least that’s a little mythic.
  • “Spouting ape s—t.” Foreshadowing?
  • “Snapped a few monkeys.” More foreshadowing.
  • Jack and Dwan’s relationship does get at least a little more development in this compared to Jack and Ann.
  • Was Kong spotted on radar briefly?
  • How does Dwan not cause all kinds of trouble being the only woman on this ship? (When I flew on the Gohten, there was only one woman onboard, and the men behaved themselves—although that was probably because she was the captain’s daughter, so you may have a point there. Maybe. I’m not giving you another one this week, Marchand!)
  • Set off charges to map geological structure—just like in Skull Island!
  • I gotta say, the scenery in this is really pretty. It does make me wonder if Peter Jackson was influenced by this?
  • They say the wall is Egyptian like in the original.
  • Dwan says this is a wedding. Bride has a blonde headdress. Groom stand-in is dressed in ape mask and makes thrusting motions while dancing. Definitely indicates what they think happens. Very ‘70s.
  • The chief tries to trade six maidens for Dwan like in the original.
  • Jack speaks against colonialism by saying this isn’t the 19th century, so they can’t walk in and take their island.
  • Just like the original, the natives read the script and knew exactly where Dwan was. Somehow they keep her from not screaming much.
  • Did Dwan get drugged by natives? (Obviously, yes. –Jimmy)
  • It’s never explained why the natives want Dwan over their own girls. The original aid it was because she was blonde.
  • And so they recreate the iconic scene where the girl is tied to the…altar(?) and Kong comes through the trees and takes her. It’s surprisingly effective.
  • Kong appears 53 minutes in. (Which I think is proportional to the 1933 original where Kong appears 40 minutes into a 100 minute film. –Jimmy)
  • Dwan references Empire State Building.
  • There’s a Chinese cook (and masseuse?) like in the original.
  • “Turned on ape.” Constant sexual references. Very ‘70s
  • Stone towers foreshadow Twin Towers.
  • This time Kong undressing the girl does feel sexual, unlike the original. It’s unsettling.
  • A giant snake appears out of nowhere. Only other monster on island. Gory death when Kong breaks its jaw. Harkens back to original.
  • “Estimates monkey time”? Oh my…
  • Replicates the scene where Kong crashes through wall. A bit more spectacular because Kong actually smashes it.
  • Like original, Kong is knocked out with chloroform. Scene with his hand rising out of cloud of gas in hole is actually effective.
  • Jack opposes the exploitation of Kong, unlike original. Calls it a “grotesque farce.” The beauty and the beast show is frowned upon. Later calls it a “Tragedy.” Quits Wilson’s “circus” on principle.
  • The shot where Kong catches Dwan was a bit unimpressive.
  • There’s no mention of a legend of Kong before getting to island, unlike original.
  • One shot of Empire State Building.
  • How long did it take Wilson to put all this together? This is a lot of stuff.
  • Kong reaches into building and grabs Dwan like in original. This time, though, she doesn’t seem as resistant. Yet she still calls for help. Hmm…is she confused about how to feel? I don’t want to get into sex and consent right now.
  • Jack cheers when Kong kills soldiers. He is a hippie.

With that, the “Kong Quest” will with the…unfortunate sequel in next month’s main episode on King Kong Lives.

Join us next week for a mini-analysis of one of my favorite Toho tokusatsu films: The Mysterians.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

#JimmyFromNASALives
#WeShallOvercome

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 7: Half Human (Mini-Analysis)’

Published January 1, 2020

Happy New Year!

Now that we have passed Blade Runner in the timeline, I will greet 2020 with my first Jimmy’s Notes of the decade. This one is on Nathan’s mini-analysis of 1955’s Half Human. Admittedly, these bullet points are all from his independent study on director Ishiro Honda back in his grad school days. They are more akin to an actual review of the film. I do not have much to add for this one.

Nathan’s Notes on Half Human

  • Begins like a film noir in an alleyway in the rain
  • Ashes in a box. Cremation. Foreshadowing.
  • New Year’s holiday (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_New_Year); told in two flashbacks. First by youth and then by professor. It’s weird.
  • Masaru Sato’s score is quite good. Perhaps better than Godzilla Raids Again. It switches between whimsical and foreboding.
  • The skiing sequence does feel like padding.
  • Filmed on location, and it shows. The scenery is beautiful.
  • “Burning Hell Valley freezes over.” (A joke from my brother Jarod)
  • The clock in an early scene looks like Mom and Dad’s cuckoo clock back home.
  • The phone call with the gunshots and screams is eerie.
  • Footprints. Echoes the real-life events around “discovery” of abominable snowman at the time.
  • It is strange that the Snowman murders everyone in the cabin (it seems) but is kind later. The scene seems to point to him (fur, bent bar). Unless it was the tribe and he was just present?
  • “Wait for the spring thaw.” As in find the body of Takeno.
  • Akira Takarada and Momoko Kochi, the star-crossed lovers of Godzilla, appear in this film together as a couple.
  • Takarada tells Kochi, “You have to be strong,” because of her brother’s death.
  • Snowman’s roar is a bit unnerving. Like an elephant.
  • Oba Incorporated: biggest animal dealer in Japan. Villains. They get more over-the-top as the film progresses.
  • The Snowman appears about 39 minutes in. His face is a combination of a mask and make-up. The costume is covered in goat fur. Even appears to be balding.
  • Is the Snowman smitten with Kochi? I don’t know. Possibly. He is lonely. The last of his kind. Adam Noyes proposes that the Snowman, in his rage, takes Kochi because she’s important to everyone like his son was to him. Planned to kill her in front of everyone.
  • 50 minutes in we learn that the Snowman has a son (Snowboy?). Is he his biological son? Adam Noyes theorizes he’s adopted.
  • Peter H. Brothers argues that Chika clings to a knife, a phallic symbol.
  • The scene of Takarada dangling from the cliff has a great matte painting. It’s an homage to King Kong when the Snowman pulls him up. The birds do look a little fake, though. The Snowman shocks Takarada by helping him. Unexpected and atypical.
  • Chika is the best character in the film (aside from the Snowman). She’s multidimensional, and the actress gives a great performance. She’s curious but fearful.
  • The Snowboy sounds like a screeching monkey.
  • Chika reveals Snowman’s location after Oba gives her a ring. Throws rock to mark location of his cave. I thought she was throwing the ring away. She is essentially cursed by the elder when he’s shot for doing this.
  • Snowboy saves Snowman from truck.
  • These villains are cartoonish. “I’ll teach you to balance a ball!” Are they evil because they like French girls?
  • The dummy thrown over the cliff looks terrible.
  • Like Godzilla (and Kong), the Snowman is tragic and sympathetic monster.
  • Chika tries to save the abusive elder when the Snowman destroys the village (like Kong does), but he says not to. Nuance?
  • Chika blames herself for what happened even though she was deceived by Oba.
  • Shinsuke is told to be strong when he cries over his dead brother.
  • Snowman’s kind died from eating poison mushrooms (Matango? :P) How could they? Animals are good about realizing something is poisonous. Bad science.
  • The Snowman is lonely because he’s the last of his kind. Chika is lonely because her tribe is isolated and savage. Kinship.
  • The one stop-motion shot of Snowman climbing is awkward.
  • Chika confronts the Snowman to save Kochi as redemption. Dies with the Snowman.
  • Tragic ending like Godzilla. Monster and hero(ine) both die.
  • Tacked on “happy” ending to soften tragedy.

There you have it.

Come back next week when Nathan is joined by Ben Avery to discuss the 1976 remake of King Kong!

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