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The Monster Island Film Vault Posts

Bonus Episode #10 – Meet the New Boss: An Interview with Cameron Winter

Published December 29, 2021

Hello, kaiju lovers! In an MIFV exclusive, Nate interviews Solstice Technologies CEO (and the envy of Elon Musk), Cameron Winter, who recently purchased the majority shares of Monster Island. Winter discusses several changes that he will make to the day-to-day operations on the Island and how he plans to revitalize the struggling scientific facility and resort in light of the ousting of the Board. It’s the biggest interview Nate has ever scored!

This episode was written by Nathan Marchand with Michael Hamilton and Jack “GMan” Hudgens.

Guest stars:

  • Michael Hamilton as William H. George III
  • Jack “GMan” Hudgens as Cameron Winter

Additional music:

  • “Son of Chaos” by Xaleph

Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org.

Listen to Nathan Marchand and Travis Alexander’s spinoff podcast, The Henshin Men, on Redcircle.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Travis Alexander and Michael Hamilton (co-hosts of Kaiju Weekly); Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Eli Harris (elizilla13); Chris Cooke (host of One Cross Radio); Bex from Redeemed Otaku; Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, and Ted Williams! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month!

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic!

This episode is approved by Cameron Winter and the Monster Island Board of Directors.

Podcast Social Media:

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault

© 2021 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

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Episode 55 – ‘Yeti: Giant of the 20th Century’ (feat. Travis Alexander and Daniel DiManna)

Published December 23, 2021

Welcome to MIFV’s season finale, kaiju lovers—it wasn’t what it was supposed to be! No, after the Board’s envoy, William H. George III, stunguns the ever-intrepid Jimmy From NASA, he takes over as producer and forces Nate, Travis Alexander (co-host of Kaiju Weekly and Henshin Men), and Daniel DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project) to watch the infamous 1977 Canadian-but-actually-Italian kaiju movie, Yeti: Giant of the 20th Century. Though Nate survived watching it during Kaiju Quarantine, he’s still unprepared for inflatable abominable snowman nipples and deadly “toe-fu.” The riffs and jokes abound amidst actual research as WHG3 gets drunker—and more Scottish?!—as the episode progresses. God(zilla) help Nate!

This episode’s prologue, “The Board’s Revenge,” was written by Nathan Marchand with Travis Alexander, Michael Hamilton, and Daniel DiManna.

Guest stars:

  • Michael Hamilton as William H. George III

Additional music:

  • “Opening the Way” by Pablo Coma

Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org and Toho foley.

Listen to Nathan Marchand and Travis Alexander’s spinoff podcast, The Henshin Men, on Redcircle.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Travis Alexander and Michael Hamilton (co-hosts of Kaiju Weekly); Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Eli Harris (elizilla13); Chris Cooke (host of One Cross Radio); Bex from Redeemed Otaku; Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Elijah Thomas, and Eric Anderson! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month!

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic!

This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors…maybe.

Timestamps:

  • Prologue: 0:00-5:15
  • Intro: 5:15-11:28
  • Main Discussion: 11:28-1:39:36
  • Housekeeping & Outro: 1:39:36-1:52:25
  • Epilogue: 1:52:25-end

Podcast Social Media:

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault

© 2021 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

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Jimmy’s Notes on Episode 54: Bex vs. ‘Gamera the Brave’

Published December 14, 2021

“The Year of Gamera” is officially over. As a Gamera kid—a “Kenny,” if you will—I’m going to miss it. Mostly because I was entertained by Nate’s cringing as he watched those movies. Well, until he got to the good ones, anyway. He may rant about the Heisei Trilogy and The Brave, but nothing compares to the dramatization of me and Masao helping Gamera save the world from that dastardly bastard Viras. Regardless, here are my notes from episode 54 on Gamera the Brave.

  • You’d be surprised who I know, Nate. The organizers for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are just a few. I’ve lived a storied life and met many storied people. I have quite the network.
  • I’m clueless on Pokémon gens. Mostly because I was way too old to get into it. (I know, I know—“Okay, boomer,” right?)
  • I started a tradition. Hot damn! I’m still going to insist that Nate reading my Entertaining Info Dumps be kept in his contract. Speaking of which, both his and mine are coming up for renewal soon.
  • The Leotard Ladies are playing the Denham Theater on Monster Island next spring. 😛
  • You kept mixing up Toru and Toto, Nate. It’s easy to confuse them, I know, but still, one is a kid and one is a cutesy turtle.
  • Here’s that “proof of concept” Gamera film Nate mentioned:
  • I’ll see what I can do about instant-instant ramen. That will probably require consultation with physicists, engineers, and cooks. But we would give humanity one of its greatest gifts.
  • Bangiku (Late Chrysanthemums) was directed by Mikio Naruse and released in the U.K. with two more of his films. Criterion doesn’t have it.
  • It turns out there are two versions of Oodles the ramen cup Funko Pop: regular and “spicy.”
  • I tried to build a lead zeppelin once. Jimmy Page saw it and started a band based on it.

Now, to fulfill my contractual obligations (or keep with MIFV tradition?), here are Nate’s leftover notes with my riff-tastic annotations.

  • It says Kadokawa and not Daei.
  • SFX director: Isao Kaneko. Any relation? (Given that no relation was mentioned in the film’s commentary, I’m guessing, no. –Jimmy)
  • Talk of the Monster Council is similar to the Heisei Trilogy. Pays lip service to government response but is focused on Toru. (They’re still around and quite busy. But this is Japan, after all. –Jimmy)
  •  I thought Toto would bite Toru’s finger to wake him up. (I pet-sitted a lizard one time that did that. I dumped that girl the next day. –Jimmy)
  • I love how little Toto likes to sit on Toru’s head. “Kawaii!” (Nate…you sure you didn’t turn into a certain magical girl? –Jimmy)
  • The scene with the sailor getting pulled under and killed—with the sea turning red with blood—is effectively eerie, especially since it has no dialogue or music. Let that be a lesson to horror filmmakers.
  • I wonder if the disbanding of the Monster Council was a bit of a commentary on the kaiju genre/fandom?
  • There’s also a weird Ultra Q episode about a boy and a flying turtle.
  • This works very well as a self-contained story.
  • The animatronics for “adult” Toto are quite good. The CGI for little Toto is good, too.
  • The red stone reminds me of the opal egg from Gamera vs. Barugon.
  •  The kids wear lots of English-language shirts.
  • I love the shot of Toto poking his head out of his shell while in a house. Lots of detail.
  • Toru connects with Toto, but it’s earned and makes sense. (And my connection to Gamera wasn’t?! –Jimmy)
  • Poor Toto gets stabbed in the hand like any good Gamera.
  • The glow of the stone was added in post.
  • The kids stand against the adults to protect Toto. Again, it feels earned. The innocence and faith of children.

COMMENTARY BY KEITH AIKEN AND BOB JOHNSON

  • A novelization called Friends: Gamera the Brave was released as a tie-in. Gyaos blew off Gamera’s jaw. Other Showa Gamera kaiju were present in it but didn’t make it due to budget constraints.
  • The executive producer wanted to make an original monster for kids, but the studio insisted on a Gamera film.
  • The actor playing Toru’s father was also in Masked Rider: The First and Shin Godzilla.
  • The actress playing Toru’s mother (Megumi Kobayashi) was Moll in Rebirth of Mothra.
  • Kadokawa did try to make a Godzilla vs. Gamera film before this.
  • They had 13 different turtles on this, including a real turtle: an African spur tortoise. They also used a vinyl turtle for the stunt scenes. When he gets big, Toto is based on a loggerhead turtle, which is native to Japan and the only turtles that have teeth. The real turtle didn’t listen to direction.
  • This film had a tie-in with the Ministry of the Environment, who told people not to abandon their pets. They used Toto as an example. (But what if your pet is a kaiju? –Jimmy)
  • “Why did the turtle cross the road?”
  • The special effects director—Kaneko—was a former animator and assistant director.
  • They were wrong about Spock’s blood color. They said it was blue, but it was green! (Nice call there, Nate! You get 50 nerd points. –Jimmy)
  • Kadokawa wanted to make another Daimajin movie, but they scrapped it and made a TV show instead after this movie flopped.
  • The commentarors played the old Showa music during the relay, and it ruined it! (Agreed—except, you know, my life story. –Jimmy)

ARROW VIDEO SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Director Tasaki has a lecture as a special feature where he explains the filmmaking process by comparing it to cooking and restaurants. This also has interviews with the unsung heroes from departments like lighting, cinematography, and the physical effects. I recommend watching it.
  • They interviewed the kid actors, and the boy was surprisingly thoughtful. Kaho even said it was different because she doesn’t have a kid brother.
  • The full-size Toto puppet was operated by a technician with a hand up its rear, it looks.
  • The director says they portray Toto’s feelings toward Toru ambiguously, but he does say Toru is special to him. (Duh? I’m a bit confused by this. Does he care or not? –Jimmy)
  • It was unusual to film a kaiju movie mostly in the day.
  • Some audiences thought the film was “too cute.” This was compared to kids being too scared of the Heisei films.
  • They at first couldn’t get cooperation from the JSDF, so they had to put limitations on them to avoid discrepancies.

ARROW BOOKLET

MACIAS

  • Daiei changed ownership again in 2002 when Kadokawa bought them. The trilogy’s creative team had moved on to other projects, so they brought in a new one to do what hadn’t been done since 1980: a Gamera film for children.
  • Magical realism of the trilogy with kids’ POV of Showa series.

FLOWERS

  • The first editions of the Media Blasters dub had an error that misaligned the music and sound effects. That was corrected by Arrow.

OTHER SOURCES

LEMAY – Big Book Vol. 2

  • The concept of a child raising Gamera may have come from a 1993 Ito script that had a group of children do it.

Toku Topic: Japanese Ramen Culture

  •  “Although ramen is now an iconic Japanese dish, it’s actually an immigrant, and the names originally used for it made that perfectly clear. Chūka soba and Shina soba both basically mean “Chinese noodles” but have very different connotations. Chūka soba became the most-used term after World War II and is having something of a revival. It replaced shina soba as the political connotations of “shina” became controversial, since it was the word used for China when Japan was an imperialist power in Asia. But there’s no dish in China that closely resembles today’s Japanese ramen, so the story is much more complicated than a simple borrowing.” (Fransisco)
  • “Ramen soup began gaining its huge popularity in the 1920s and the 1930s due to the great demand for food that is both hearty and quickly cooked. The industrialization encouraged thousands of Japanese people to work in the cities and have no time for preparing food. Eating outside became more common, and nutritious food was needed to give enough strength to the workers. Ramen soup became a successful solution as it was widely served all over the country and had more calories than traditional Japanese meals did. Therefore, ramen became an essential part of urban culture.” (IvyPanda)
  • Jordan: “Nearby in Yokohama is the Cupnoodles Museum. This location is similar, but focuses on Nissin Foods and their inventions of Instant Ramen and Cup Ramen. Here, you also have the opportunity to try ramen from around Japan, as well as customize your own Cup Noodles (both the exterior cup and the flavors of the ramen inside)! Lastly, if you’re lucky enough to be in Tokyo around late October through early November, you’re in time for one of my favorite food festivals, the Tokyo Ramen Show! In 2020, the event will host 18 ramen vendors for the first 6 days, and a completely different set of 18 ramen vendors for the last 5 days! That’s 36 different ramen shops to try! Entry into the park’s grounds is free, and a ticket for a delicious bowl of ramen is only ¥800!”

There you go. More information about than you ever wanted to know about the food we all ate in college because we couldn’t afford anything else. Do you feel enlightened or entertained?

The next episode is the season two finale—and I don’t know what it is. All I know is it’s courtesy of Michael Hamilton on MIFV MAX (Patreon). That should theoretically make it more exciting—assuming I let Michael come here. Then again, he’s one of the many guests attending Nate’s Board-funded Kaiju Podcasters Banquet, so I guess I can’t stop that. Oh well. Michael just needs to stay out of my garage. Then in January, we begin season three—Ameri-kaiju!

Social media:

#JimmyFromNASALives       #WeShallOvercome

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Episode 54: Bex vs. ‘Gamera the Brave’

Published December 9, 2021

Hello, kaiju lovers! With this episode, we reach the end of the “Year of Gamera.” Depending on who you talk to (like Nate), it’s a bittersweet occasion because, on one hand, many bad movies were endured, but on the other hand, today’s subject is 2006’s Gamera the Brave. Becky “Bex” Smith from the Redeemed Otaku podcast and YouTube channel joins Nate to discuss what is, as of now, the last Gamera film. It is sadly overshadowed by everything that came before it. It’s a shame because this is a Showa Gamera movie—except good! Think of it as a Gamera film made by Pixar. So, it’s emotionally honest and will make you cry. Even Nate had to summon all of his manly discipline to keep control. Bex, on the other hand, did not. The Toku Topic, since much of the movie takes place at a restaurant, is Japanese ramen culture.

Before the broadcast, Nate was…graced with the return of his pseudo-sister, Jessica. Unfortunately, he didn’t appreciate her bone-crunching glomp and told her off. That got him a lecture from Jessica’s bestie, Bex. Afterward, Nate is all but forced to indulge Jessica and let her sing a karaoke of a popular anime theme song. You can probably guess which one.

Check out the Redeemed Otaku podcast and YouTube channel.

This episode’s prologue and epilogue, “Jessica Returns,” was written by Nathan Marchand with Becky Smith.

Guest stars:

  • Sarah Marchand as Jessica Shaw

Additional music:

Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org.

Listen to Nathan Marchand and Travis Alexander’s spinoff podcast, The Henshin Men, on Redcircle.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Travis Alexander and Michael Hamilton (co-hosts of Kaiju Weekly); Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Eli Harris (elizilla13); Chris Cooke (host of One Cross Radio); Bex from Redeemed Otaku; Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Elijah Thomas, and Eric Anderson! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month!

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic!

This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors…maybe.

Timestamps:

  • Prologue, “Jessica Returns (Part 1)”: 0:00-5:10
  • Intro: 5:10-16:15
  • Entertaining Info Dump: 16:15-23:19
  • Toku Talk: 23:19-1:25:32
  • Ad: 1:25:32-1:26:58
  • Toku Topic: 1:26:58-2:10:30
  • Housekeeping, Epilogue (“Jessica Returns, Part 2”), & Outro: 2:10:30-end

Podcast Social Media:

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault

© 2021 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

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Jimmy’s Notes on Episode 53: ‘Godzilla Raids Again’ (feat. Michael Hamilton)

Published December 3, 2021

I’ll be damned. Michael Hamilton and I managed to get through an entire episode without threatening each other or stealing each other’s stuff. In fact, I think he spent more time ragging on Nate in Episode 53 on Godzilla Raids Again than he did me. Nate took it in stride, though. I’ve trained him well. Ha! Anyway, I took fair amount of notes that riff the both of them. Let’s dive in.

  • I was busy when Michael e-mailed me. You wouldn’t believe how much the Board has flooded my inbox. Michael’s message got buried. And let me tell you, Viras’s e-mails are the worst. They’re almost indecipherable because his tentacles are basically fat fingers on a keyboard. His chances of accidentally writing Shakespeare are only marginally better than a drunk monkey’s.
  • That hazmat suit was for my passenger’s protection because I radiate awesomeness. Or it was a stupid Board mandate. Take your pick.
  • I look good in yellow. I look good in anything. Even my birthday suit. (Yeah, I said it!)
  • It’s “TCM,” Michael, not “TMC.” Nate made that mistake once, too.
  • I’m calling (giant monster) BS on Michael’s claim that this film was on MonsterVision in 1994. I found a video compilation of all the ads, and there’s no Godzilla (or Gigantis) to be found.
  • I might’ve left you with Kong, Michael, but I didn’t need you to get outsmarted by an ape with a bigger brain.
  • You were trying to remember Bob Johnson, Nate.
  • “Militarism” isn’t the right word, Michael. Look it up.
  • I couldn’t find the title of the educational film the “documentary on unintelligent design” was from, but the dinosaur footage was from Unknown Island, a 1948 adventure film that had an invalid copyright filed, putting it in public domain upon release.
  • Godzilla did have wings once…in a fan comic…that got canceled….
  • It was Hidemi, Nate.
  • I never drink and fly, Michael. I learned that the hard way on one unfortunate training mission at NASA. Glen and I partied a little too much the night before and flew P-1 into orbit while hungover. Okay…we may have snuck onboard while drunk….

As per my…supposedly still active contract (did Raymund figure that out yet?), here are Nate’s leftover notes.

  • A shorter film (78 minutes) compared to Gojira, probably because it was rushed out.
  • Excellent black and white photography.
  • It does feel padded at points, especially at the beginning. There are long sequences with no dialogue or music and not much happens. This could be another symptom of it being rushed.
  • Godzilla (and Anguirus) appear 9 minutes in.
  • Dinosaur encyclopedia like in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.
  • Continuity: Dr. Yamane returns in a cameo; the only time a character returns in a subsequent film in the Showa era.
  • The score at points seems to emulate Ifukube and at times seems to want to be more western. I felt like I was watching an American sci-fi film from that era at points. In fact, it feels more like an American film in general. The tone is lighter, the heroes are young, the romance is more blatant, and the pacing is faster.
  • The SFX aren’t as polished this time. That’s to be expected since the film was made and released in six months. The Godzilla suit fits Nakajima better and is less bulky for the physically demanding fight scenes. The kaiju battles themselves don’t seem to have been slowed down compared to the other kaiju scenes in this and the previous film. In order to create the illusion of bulk and size, Tsuburaya had the kaiju actors move fast and then slowed the footage down. There are points Godzilla and Anguirus move way too fast. Regardless, the miniatures are solid and the battles are brutal. Tsuburaya makes the fights seem like wrestling, which in some ways harkens back to Son of Kong with Kiko’s fights. There’s use of puppets for distance shots of the monsters battling. (Godzilla’s ray seems ineffectual at points. Why?)
  • The aftermath of the monsters’ attack does show some Gojira-esque devastation. The emphasis is more on the destruction than it is on death, though. Whereas Gojira showed the suffering of the people as well as property damage, this film shows far fewer people dying and few, if any, suffering wounded. Some might see this as the franchise first step toward “sanitized violence.” (Barr) A major difference is that the characters joke with each other in the aftermath to provide levity for the audience and, I suspect, for themselves. Regardless, despite Osaka’s destruction, they simply go on with life and continue their pre-wedding celebrations, which Godzilla delays. There’s a statement that the flames that scared off Godzilla attracted Anguirus, showing how solving one problem leads to another.
  • It’s interesting to note that with Japanese young people practicing dating more than arranged marriage at this time, was the engagement party a continuation of a Japanese tradition, or something new? It’s much like the western practice of the bachelor/bachelorette party. Kobayashi later asks the girl the age-old question, “What do girls want?” She lists superficial things like handbags. This is yet another indication of the cultural change taking place in Japan. Courtship practices were becoming more westernized.
  • Subplot with prisoner escape. Only one cop in back of truck, which seems dumb. While at first it seems like padding, it does contribute somewhat to the plot. I believe Kalat talked about this, saying that it was evidence of how Godzilla brought the worst out in people. They do get their comeuppance in a subway flood, so they don’t escape Godzilla’s wrath.
  • I do like the different ways the action is filmed.
  • There’s an emphasis on fishing in this film, which isn’t surprising considering it’s a major industry in Japan and fish is a large part of their diet.
  • The opening theme of the film is reused a lot over the course of this film. Yet another indication of its rushed production, most likely.
  • The climax, interestingly, reminds me somewhat of the beginning of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, which also took place in the arctic.

Other Sources

  • Galbraith
    • Most of Sato’s score was replaced by stock music from Kronos and The Deerslayer.
  • LeMay – Big Book 1
    • This film had the first tie-in merch for the franchise: A gun and target game for kids.
  • Classic Media commentary
    • That as real ice at the end. You can even see frost on the neck of the suit where Nakajima could see out.

Related Topic: The JSDF

  • In 2015, the Diet enacted legislation that would allow for the SDF to be deployed overseas to defend ally nations in case war is declared on them. They believed that not doing so would endanger Japan. (Japan enacts major changes to its self-defense laws September 18, 2015)
  • The JSDF can’t act according to international law due to Article 9. (Wikipedia)
  • Including active members and reservists, Japan has approximately 300,000 military personnel, which is the lowest ratio in terms of population of any member of NATO. (Wikipedia)
  • Women were originally recruited only for the nursing services, but as time has gone on, more opportunities were opened to them. By 1991, over 6,000 women are in the JSDF in 80% of service areas, except those involving direct combat. (Wikipedia) This is reflected in the Heisei and Millennial Godzilla films as more women are seen in military roles, albeit often in combat situations.
  • The JSDF has continued to garner favor with the Japanese people since the 1980s. A survey in 1988 showed that 76% of those surveyed were favorably impressed. 77% of respondents cited disaster relief as the most useful function of the JSDF (more so than national security at 63%), and so the JSDF has been increasing its disaster relief operations since. (Wikipedia)

I’d normally sneak in some snarky commentary, but this blog has been delayed long enough.

Next week you’ll hear the finale of “The Year of Gamera” when Bex from Redeemed Otaku returns—along with Nate’s “sister,” Jessica—to discuss Gamera the Brave, a film that if you hate, you’re dead inside. (Yeah, I said it). Speaking of finales, after that it’s the secret season finale thanks to my (former) nemesis and MIFV MAX member, Michael Hamilton. It’s like Mystery Date, except its kaiju/toku media. (That didn’t show my age at all).

See you later!

Social media:

#JimmyFromNASALives       #WeShallOvercome

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TRAILER – The Power Trip: A Journey through the Power Rangers Franchise

Published November 30, 2021

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Power Rangers with Michael Hamilton (Kaiju Weekly, The Kaiju Groupie Podcast) and Nathan Marchand (The Monster Island Film Vault, Henshin Men) as they embark on a quest through every season of this morphenomenal franchise. Coming January 4, 2022, to a podcatcher near you! IT’S MORPHIN’ TIME!

Follow The Power Trips on Twitter: @ThePowerTripPod.
Join the podcast’s official Facebook group: Power Rangers Legacy.

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Episode 53: ‘Godzilla Raids Again’ | Feat. Michael ‘The Kaiju Groupie’ Hamilton | Godzilla Redux

Published November 24, 2021

Hello, kaiju lovers! Nate gets back to his new subseries, “Godzilla Redux,” with the first of the many sequels to Godzilla (1954), Godzilla Raids Again. Strangely, it was the first G-film his guest, Kaiju Weekly co-host Michael “The Kaiju Groupie” Hamilton, ever saw. This somewhat forgotten 1955 cash-grab sequel, which was produced and released within six months, isn’t much to write home about—except it features the first appearance of fan-favorite kaiju Anguirus and the first ever kaiju fight in a Godzilla film. Nate and Michael discuss these as well as the hilarious dubbed version, “Gigantis, the Fire Monster,” and the JSDF (Japanese Self-Defense Forces)—all while dodging Jimmy’s badgering of his “former” nemesis.

Before the broadcast, Nate and Jimmy get an unexpected visit from a “not-quite-dead-yet” man—Gary! After months of hiding since his near-fatal encounter with an escaped Gyaos, he’s decided to reveal himself to Nate and share his harrowing story of survival. After the broadcast, Raymund Martin arrives with legal papers for a class action lawsuit against the Board for Nate and Jimmy to sign and has a happy reunion with his long-thought-consumed paralegal.

Listen to Nathan Marchand and Travis Alexander’s spinoff podcast, The Henshin Men, on Redcircle.

This episode’s prologue and epilogue, “The Exaggerated Reports of My Death,” was written by Nathan Marchand.

Guest stars:

  • Damon Noyes as Raymund Martin & Gary

Additional music:

Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Travis Alexander and Michael Hamilton (co-hosts of Kaiju Weekly); Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Eli Harris (elizilla13); Chris Cooke (host of One Cross Radio); Bex from Redeemed Otaku; Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Elijah Thomas, and Eric Anderson! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month!

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic!

This episode is NOT approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors.

Timestamps:

  • Prologue – “The Exaggerated Reports of My Death, Part 1”: 0:00-5:31
  • Intro: 5:31-17:07
  • Main Discussion: 17:07-1:31:00
  • Listener Feedback, Housekeeping, & Outro: 1:31:00-1:55:02
  • Epilogue – The Exaggerated Reports of My Death, Part 2”: 1:55:02-end

Podcast Social Media:

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault

© 2021 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Jimmy’s Notes on Episode 52: Kaiju Kim vs. ‘Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris’

Published November 17, 2021

Finally…Jimmy has caught up…with his blogs! And it only took two weeks…I think. I would’ve posted this sooner, but I kept getting harassed by Dr. Dourif on Twitter. (The weirdo can’t even spell his name right). Anyway, here are my notes from Kaiju Kim’s visit in episode 52 (Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris).

  • This movie is old enough to drink in the U.S. Fun fact: the drinking age in Japan is 20.
  • “Stumped.” (insert It meme “haha!”)
  • Torii gates were discussed in Episode 24.
  • Link to Gamera 4 clips.
  • I’m not so sure I like Amazon using my drones. Mostly because disgruntled customers have shot them.
  • Given what I know is coming up for the show, Nate, saying, “No,” to Clifford would be questionable. But I don’t want to talk about it.

Now for the ridiculous pile of notes Marchand didn’t get to. Good grief, how many research rabbit holes did he fall into? Alice in Wonderland is looking at him and thinking, knock it off! Anyway, prepare over for a data overload! (You’ve been warned!)

  • The award-winning Nagamine is back!
  • Gyaos comes back, and it’s dead. Sets the tone and shows a greater threat is upon us.
  • Sub = “Kaiko.” Meaning? (I looked it up, and it’s interesting. –Jimmy)
  • The subtitles say, “Dead Gameras.” I liked the English line (dub?) that said, “Gamera graveyard.” It deepens the mythology and builds on the hubris theme from Guardian. These are dead saviors.
  • The credits roll over black-and-white stock footage from Guardian. Stylistic. Moody. Then we get a flashback.
  • Chinese divided the cosmos into 28 houses. 7 in each quadrant.
  • We get a proper Gyaos about 22 minutes in. Gamera in 24.
  • Hirasaka named the creature Iris after her cat. It’s endearing and ironic given how dangerous the monster is.
  • Man on street says US can’t fight Gamera for them. Japan should fight its own battles.
  • In a way, this is not unlike the atomic bomb. He causes damage but ends up saving the world in the end. Is it worth it? Tough question.
  • Asagi’s last name is significant. Kusanagi was the name of a sword used to slay Orochi in mythology (see episode 13 of MIFV on The Three Treasures).
  • This baby Iris puppet is incredibly expressive and lifelike.
  • The news reports tell us that the Gyaos are a worldwide problem. It also seems like kaiju are bit more of a normal thing. (Aren’t they usually? –Jimmy)
  • “Beer hasn’t tasted this good in a long time” –Osako. A nice callback to the past films (especially Gamera 2).
  • There’s some horror elements in this, but when the dead body drops from the ceiling. (Better than G84).
  • Interestingly, Nagamine, the woman of science, prays for the corpse.
  • Asagi looks quite grown up in this.
  • The shot of Iris rising above the clouds with the moon in the background does look cool despite the CGI.
  • Unlike Gamera’s previous opponents, Iris’s lasers can cut through Gamera’s shell.
  • The shot of the fire transition from Gamera to Iris to Ayana is brilliant.
  • The integration of the tokusatsu effects and the live action…it’s so good! There are movies with 10, 20, 30 times the budget that don’t look this good!
  • At this point in the film, Ayana only says Iris’s name.
  • Ayana wakes up in the rain. Water = life. Also, Gamera roars.
  • Ayana in the end whispers Gamera’s name like she did Iris’s.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Commentary by Ryfle and Godzizsewski

  • They started with the idea of making a trilogy.
  • It had a long production schedule. Kaneko said in an interview that while money is s blessing, having more time produces better films. This had a budget of $8.5 million.
  • They argue that Kaneko’s approach to filming is straightforward, but he does sometimes have some visual flare.
  • Kaneko said that using fantasy elements helps explain plot devices that would normally be difficult to explain absurd concepts.
  • Shibuya is one of the busiest places in Tokyo.
  • The news reports feature real journalists, a tradition going back to old Toho.
  • Kaneko’s wife makes a cameo during the “man-on-the street” interviews.
  • In Guardian, they felt like Godzilla was their competition. In Gamera 2, they felt Guardian was their competition. In this, they felt it was Ultraman Gaia because they had lots of composite photography.
  • Gamera saves Ayana when she cries out. She’s a damaged child.
  • Ayana could be seen as symbolic of children orphaned by wars and natural disasters.
  • Ryfle wonders if this film was inspired by Frankenstein Conquers the World and War of the Gargantuas.
  • The ending is ambiguous because people weren’t sure if the world would end at the time.
  • Otani said that writing the music for the ending was so stressful, it gave him stomach problems.
  • It grossed $15 million at the box office and was screened at the Toronto Film Festival.

ARROW BOOKLET

Macias

  • Kaneko: “In the past, Gamera was always the children’s hero, and the president (of the studio) always wanted to keep it that way, but I was kind of sick of that.”
  • Ito went on to work on the .hack series.

England

  • Claims the budget was 15 billion yen ($11 million), but producer Miyuki Nanri says it would cost $50 million to make in the U.S. He went on to say it has no ego-stroking or frivolity like a Hollywood film. The budget is the budget, so they can’t play games.

One of these days I should find out which of my blogs is the longest thanks to Marchand.

Anyway, next week you’ll hear Nate’s broadcast with my former nemesis, Michael Hamilton, from Kaiju Weekly. They discuss Godzilla Raids Again, which was Michael’s first Godzilla film. What a bunch of banana oil! Then the “Year of Gamera” concludes with guest Bex from Redeemed Otaku and Gamera the Brave. If you don’t like that film, you’re dead inside. Trust me.

See you next week! I have to tune up my mechs in my garage.

Social media:

#JimmyFromNASALives       #WeShallOvercome

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Announcing MIFV Season 3!

Published November 15, 2021

I already told MIFV MAX members on Patreon what would be the theme and films covered in The Monster Island Film Vault next season in 2022, but now I’m announcing it to the world! Not only that, but the list has been updated and I’m also revealing my (tentative) guest list!

MIFV’s season three theme will be…

Ameri-kaiju!

Yes, that’s right—American-made giant monster movies! Well, at least ones that aren’t the King Kong franchise, the MonsterVerse, or The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, all of which I’ve already covered. And no, we won’t be spending all year in the 1950s discussing B-movies! (Sorry not sorry. 😛 ).

What’s on the docket? Here’s the list:

  • The Lost World (1925)
  • Mighty Joe Young (1949)
  • THEM!
  • The “Cameron Winter Trilogy” on Godzilla: The Series (Fifth Wednesday Bonus)
  • The Blob (1958)
  • 20 Million Miles to Earth
  • The Giant Claw
  • Beware! The Blob (aka Son of Blob) (Fifth Wednesday Bonus)
  • Cloverfield
  • Pacific Rim
  • Pacific Rim: Uprising (Fifth Wednesday Bonus)
  • Colossal
  • Power Rangers (2017)
  • Rampage (2018)
  • Jurassic Park
  • Monster Island (The Asylum)

Both Godzilla Redux and Patreon-sponsored episodes courtesy of you generous fans on MIFV MAX will continue. While this list is a bit in flux, it will include:

  • Rodan (1956)
  • Mothra (1961)
  • King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
  • Mothra vs. Godzilla
  • Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
  • Invasion of Astro-Monster (aka Monster Zero)
  • Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (aka Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster)
  • Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers – “Green with Evil” (feat. Michael Hamilton) (Patreon)
  • Little Shop of Horrors (1986) (feat. Damon Noyes) (Patreon)
  • Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie (feat. The Cel Cast) (Patreon)
  • Q4 Patreon Slot Available!

What else will be covered? YOU DECIDE!

Season three and 2022 will also mark the first of a new subseries for the podcast: an annual crossover with Elijah Thomas from Kaiju Conversation where we discuss a movie from Ray Harryhausen’s filmography since the both of us share a birthday with the man (June 29). It will be released on said birthday each year. The working title for this subseries is “Monster Conversation: Harryhausen Annual.” Elijah and I are currently thinking we may be weird and work backwards, starting with Harryhausen’s final film, Clash of the Titans (1981). These episodes will probably be simultaneous releases on both of our podcast feeds.

While my guest list may change, my co-hosts next season will include many returning favorites and a few new friends, including:

  • Ryan “The Omni Viewer” Collins
  • Kaiju Kim
  • The Tourists (Nick Hayden, Timothy Deal, Joe Metter, Joy Metter)
  • Becky “Bex” Smith
  • John LeMay
  • Michael “The Kaiju Groupie” Hamilton
  • Travis Alexander
  • Eric Anderson
  • Damon Noyes
  • Elijah Thomas
  • Luke and Jason Jaconetti
  • The Drifters from The Drift Space (G, J.R., Reb, and Dave)
  • The Cel Cast
  • Chris Cooke
  • Alex McCumbers
  • Danny DiManna
  • And more!

I have a few “dream guests” I’m going to endeavor to get for the show, which I will announce if and when I confirm they’re visiting Monster Island. Stay tuned!

As for season three’s storyline, I’ll save that for a future blog. But let’s just say there’s a hint in this post. Did you find it? You can expect to see and hear old friends—and foes—come next season, as well as some new heroes and villains.

It’s going to be exciting, kaiju lovers!

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