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Episode 5: John LeMay Presents ‘King Kong vs. Frankenstein’ & ‘Continuation: King Kong vs. Godzilla’

Published November 27, 2019

(FYI: This was recorded before the news that 2020’s Godzilla vs. Kong would be delayed).

Hello, kaiju lovers!

In this special “side Kong Quest” ( 😛 ), Nathan is joined by author John LeMay (who is a gentleman and a scholar) to talk about two unmade King Kong films with connections to King Kong vs. Godzilla. The first was “King Kong vs. Frankenstein,” a project that special effects legend Willis O’Brien tried to get made in the late 1950s before it ended up at Toho. Then Godzilla and Kong almost had their rematch in the 1960s with Shinichi Sekizawa’s “Continuation: King Kong vs. Godzilla,” where the Eighth Wonder becomes a surrogate parent to a Japanese baby! Hear all about them in this episode! These and many other lost Kong films are covered in great detail in John’s book Kong Unmade: The Lost Films of Skull Island, which is part of Monster Island’s library and one of Nathan’s go-to resources for the podcast.

Jimmy From NASA is absent for most of this episode because Kong and Godzilla were upset that Nathan skipped their 1962 monster mash movie, so Jimmy left to calm them down with the ORCA. The thing is, Nathan covered that film on his previous podcast, Kaijuvision Radio. Here’s a link if you want to listen to it before the next episode:

Episode 8: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) (The Japanese Economic Miracle (The Golden 60s))

Also, Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here on Monster Island!

Read Jimmy’s Notes for corrections, riffs, and more info on this episode!

© 2019 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

#JimmyFromNASALives

Bibliography/Further Reading:

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 4: Timothy Deal vs. Son of Kong’

Published November 20, 2019

So, with the episode on Son of Kong, I was surprised to hear Nathan and Tim telling me what to do with my notes. It’s my blog, dangit, and I’ll not be told what to include! Then I discovered that, unbeknownst to Nathan (supposedly), I’m contractually obligated to include whatever he tells me to research.

(sigh) I was a NASA engineer once….

Anyway, here are my notes:

Kiko already has a gif, Tim! It’s one of several.
  • There hasn’t been an incident where any of the monsters on the Island ate any children. That was just a joke by Nathan and Tim. I assure you, Monster Island has an excellent safety record…so long as alien disco nuns aren’t involved.
  • If we go by authorized publications, there were actually two book sequels and one prequel to Gone with the Wind, although none of them were written by Margaret Mitchell. Tim was probably thinking of Scarlet by Alexandra Ripley (no relation to Ellen) published in 1991, which was made into a TV miniseries featuring Timothy Dalton in 1994. There was also Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCaig in 2008 and Ruth’s Journey (also by McCaig) in 2014.
  • Tim calls it the island in the film “Skull Island”…again. And Nathan didn’t correct him. What the heck?
  • They got the dates for the Universal horror sequels pretty accurate.
  • Merian C. Cooper pitched a sequel to RKO in March 1933 and principal photography started April 4. Yeah, it was that fast!
  • I reached out to one of Nathan’s grad school professors, Dr. Kaufmann, about 1930s film credits, and he pretty much agrees with Nathan and Tim: “I wouldn’t call it common, but it certainly was done at times.  I couldn’t say when or where it originated, but I haven’t seen it in film for a while now except as a joke.  It seemed more like a TV thing back in the day (70s and 80s).”
  • Sadly, Noble Johnson isn’t in the opening credits of this film.
  • I can’t believe I researched this, but “the finger” (“flipping the bird” or whatnot) actually dates back to ancient Greece and ancient Rome and had essentially the same meaning as it does now. The first usage of it in the U.S. was in the 1890s when it was brought to the country via Italian immigrants, although the first documented use of it in the U.S. was in 1886 when a baseball player was photographed making it. In other words, it was a thing in the 1930s. Read all about it here.
  • Tim says, “Anna,” when he meant, “Ann.” I guess the lost “A” from MPAA moved to her name. 😛
  • Do Kiko and Kong get along? Well, Kiko is now a kaiju clown. He entertains the kids who visit Monster Island, which disappoints Kong a little. Thankfully, he forages his own make-up from plants growing on the Island, so the Board doesn’t have to allocate any of their budget to his shenanigans.
  • According to John LeMay’s new book, Kong Unmade, the “midquel” Kong film would’ve been titled The New Adventures of King Kong. Nathan said it would’ve been set in Africa when it actually would’ve been the Malay Archipelago. I don’t recommend he audition for Where in the World is Carman Sandiego?
  • The Wizard of Oz was and wasn’t set in the 1930s. It’s weird. According to this thread, the Kansas scenes seem likely to be in 1900 (when the novel was written), but the Oz scenes use what was then modern technology (which is odd if it was all Dorothy’s dream). So, it’s strangely (and brilliantly) ambiguous.
  • The 1932 film I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang was actually based on a book published the same year titled I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang! by Robert Elliott Burns. So, the book at least is set in Georgia, not Alabama. The book is about the author’s time in a chain gang in the 1920s, but the film has a fictional protagonist. Burns was still in prison in New Jersey when the film was released. He and many other chain gang prisoners were able to appeal and be released in January 1933 as a result of the social outcry from the film. So Tim got some of the details between the film and book mixed up (but then again, so does Wikipedia, which at one point lists Burns as the film’s protagonist when it was James Allen. Got to love crowdsourcing).
  • The MPAA was actually started under a different name in 1922 and had its name changed in 1945 (and now they’ve dropped the second “A”). You missed that date by a lifetime, guys. 😛
  • On a related note, the Hays Code wasn’t a government mandated thing. It was an industry standard adopted by the MPAA under its first name while Will H. Hays was its president (1922-1945).
  • Notorious was released in 1946. I’m surprised the Criterion crowd hasn’t sent Nathan any hate mail for getting this wrong…yet.
  • There was one other sequel to the original King Kong, and it supplants Son of Kong. It was a short story written by science fiction author Philip Jose Farmer titled, “After King Kong Fell.” I showed Nathan a video on it from the Omni Viewer, and he now wants to read it. It’s noteworthy for cameos by Doc Savage, the Shadow, and the Shadow’s girlfriend Margot Lane.

With these out of the way, here are Nathan’s leftover notes from the episode. Most of these are excerpts from his sources.

  • “Escapism” (Wikipedia)
    • “Escapism is the avoidance of unpleasant, boring, arduous, scary, or banal aspects of daily life.[2] It can also be used as a term to define the actions people take to help relieve persistent feelings of depression or general sadness.”
    • “The word ‘escapism’ often carries a negative connotation, suggesting that escapists are unhappy, with an inability or unwillingness to connect meaningfully with the world and to take necessary action.[5] Indeed, the Oxford English Dictionary defined escapism as ‘The tendency to seek, or the practice of seeking, distraction from what normally has to be endured.’[6]”
    • “However, many challenge the idea that escapism is fundamentally and exclusively negative. C. S. Lewis was fond of humorously remarking that the usual enemies of escape were jailers;[7][8] and considered that used in moderation escapism could serve both to refresh and to expand the imaginative powers.[9] Similarly J. R. R. Tolkien argued for escapism in fantasy literature as the creative expression of reality within a secondary (imaginative) world, (but also emphasized that they required an element of horror in them, if they were not to be “mere escapism”).[10][11] Terry Pratchett considered that the twentieth century had seen the development over time of a more positive view of escapist literature.[12] Apart from literature, music has been seen and valued as an artistic medium of escape, too.[13]”
    • “Freud considers a quota of escapist fantasy a necessary element in the life of humans: ‘[T]hey cannot subsist on the scanty satisfaction they can extort from reality.  “We simply cannot do without auxiliary constructions”, Theodor Fontane once said’.[14] His followers saw rest and wish fulfilment (in small measures) as useful tools in adjusting to traumatic upset;[15] while later psychologists have highlighted the role of vicarious distractions in shifting unwanted moods, especially anger and sadness.[16][17]”
  • “Escapism and Leisure Time 1929-1941” (Encyclopedia.com)
    • “In 1938 social science researchers hypothesized that unemployment leads to emotional instability. These studies seemed to indicate that the longer a person was unemployed, the more likely his or her personality would become fatalistic and distressed. In an attempt to escape from this psychological state, it was speculated that people were turning to popular forms of entertainment such as the movies, radio, or reading. Such speculation is not unreasonable given studies that show children will play even during the worst of times. The fact that very few popular culture forms dealt with the realities of the Great Depression in any explicit way further supports popular culture as a vehicle of escape. Using pop culture to escape emotional stress can also be supported through the generally accepted psychological idea of ‘flow.’”
    • “Flow is that point within any activity when you lose your sense of self and become one with whatever you are doing. With the complete absorption in an activity, time disappears, along with the sense of self and all that it might have been feeling prior to absorption. It is plausible that becoming absorbed in an off the wall comedy, a radio adventure, melodramatic pulps, or dancing to the Lindy Hop would provide relief from the uncertainties associated with everyday life.”
    • “Nine years into the Great Depression the National Recreation Association completed a study of five thousand people asking them to name the recreational activities in which they participated the most. Among the most frequently mentioned activities were reading newspapers, magazines, and books; listening to the radio; going to the movies; visiting or entertaining; motoring; swimming; writing letters; conversation; card parties; picnicking; going to the theater; attending parties and socials; hiking; family parties; tennis; and serious study.”
    • “A more positive legacy of the period may be that popular culture allowed the United States to become a more integrated society. For example, the enormous popularity of swing allowed for more interactive relations between black American and European American communities. At least one scholar has argued that American popular culture is far more pluralistic, dynamic, and tolerant than United States legal and political culture. The Great Depression also was an era in which folk music became popularized as large numbers of people simultaneously learned of its ability to communicate the hardships of daily life and as a musical form able to contain a political purpose. This legacy was first fully realized during the protests by young people during the 1960s.”
  • “How the Great Depression inspired Hollywood’s golden age”
    • “Even in the depths of the Great Depression, between 60 and 80 million Americans went to the movies once a week or more, and back in those days they really got value for money. In the early 1930s, an American movie ticket would buy you a cartoon, a newsreel, a B-feature and the main film, which amounted to something like four hours’ entertainment for a nickel, the price back then of a gallon of petrol or a packet of cigarettes.”
    • “How bitterly audiences must have laughed when, in Duck Soup, Groucho’s Rufus T Firefly sang ‘If you think this country’s bad off now, just wait till I get through with it!’”
    • “Though the studios rode out the first few years of the Depression comfortably enough, by 1933 their massive debts were catching up with them. All had borrowed heavily to finance the mass purchase of movie theatres and their conversion to sound, leaving them with combined debts of over $400m.”
    • “And by 1933, as mass unemployment took hold of America, cinema attendances began to fall — in that year by a massive 40pc. Attendances would not recover until the late 1930s, and by that time Hollywood had to cope with the strictures of the newly formed League of Decency, which had raised a formidable political lobby and attacked films for their immoral content. From that point on, Hollywood would have to start selling America instead of attacking it.”

That’s all the important stuff.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other things to research. Like auditory theories related to space kaiju.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

#JimmyFromNASALives

#WeShallOvercome

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Episode 4: Timothy Deal vs. ‘Son of Kong’

Published November 13, 2019

Hello, kaiju lovers!

After Jimmy From NASA flies him back to Indiana to get his microphone, Timothy Deal of the Derailed Trains of Thought podcast returns to Monster Island to continue the “Kong Quest” with Son of Kong, the almost forgotten sequel to King Kong. If the 1933 masterpiece is a grand myth, the sequel is a pleasant bedtime story. Screenwriter Ruth Rose, when talking about writing this film, said, “If you can’t go bigger, go funnier,” which is an apt statement about this film and sequels in general. Nathan and Tim’s lively discussion connects Son of Kong to the Russian film Battleship Potemkin, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day—and gives Jimmy a lot of work for “Jimmy’s Notes.” They also theorize about what happened to “Mrs. Kong”/Kiko’s mother, which actually puts this and the first film into perspective…sorta. The Toku Topic builds off of the previous one with a philosophical discussion of how 1930s filmmakers addressed the Depression in their movies, touching on themes like escapism and collective rage.

Here’s the Kaijuvision Radio episode on King Kong vs. Godzilla for you to listen to as part of MIFV’s Kong coverage: Episode 8: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) (The Japanese Economic Miracle (The Golden 60s))

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode here.

Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00-3:49
Entertaining Info Dump: 3:49-9:43
Toku Talk: 9:43-56:24
Toku Topic: 56:24-1:19:44
Outro: 1:19:44-end

© 2019 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading
“Culture and Politics in the Great Depression” by Alan Brinkley

“Escapism” (Wikipedia)

“Escapism and Leisure Time 1929-1941” (Enclopedia.com)

“How the Great Depression inspired Hollywood’s golden age” by Paul Whitington

Kaijuvision Radio, Episode 2: Godzilla Origins – King Kong (1933) and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

King Kong: History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson by Ray Morton

Kong Unbound: The Cultural Impact, Pop Mythos, and Scientific Plausibility of a Cinematic Legend (edited by Karen Haber)

Kong Unmade: The Lost Films of Skull Island by John LeMay

Son of Kong Wiki Articles
–Gojipedia
–Wikizilla
–Wikipedia

Son Of Kong (1933) Review – Kong-A-Thon Episode 2 (DMan1954)

Tracking King Kong: A Hollywood Icon in World Culture (2nd edition) by Cynthia Erb

The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim (pg. 45-60)

“Why Fantasy Matters Too Much” by Jack Zipes

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NOVELLA EXCERPT – ‘Destroyer,’ Chapter 6: Berserk

Published November 6, 2019
Cover art by Tyler Sowles.

Author’s Note: As promised, here’s a chapter from Destroyer, a novella I co-wrote some years ago with Monster Island Tourists Timothy Deal, Nick Hayden, and Nick’s wife, Natasha. It was part of what we called “the pulp fiction project,” where we took turns stories that would be in old pulp magazines or dime store novels. I chose monster story, to which one of my friends said, “That means you could do everything from Frankenstein to Godzilla.” So,I did both. The cyborg dragon, Rex-1, is created to end a future war between the American Alliance and the Russo-Chinese Coalition by famed scientist Dr. Steiner. In this chapter, the cyber-monster has destroyed a Russian military base, but the gung-ho general commanding the operation has ordered it to attack Moscow. Can you guess which Godzilla film inspired this story? Comment below or send me feedback via feedback@monsterislandfilmvault.com. The book is available in paperback and ebook on Amazon.

Rex-1 took flight. The wind from its wings fanned the flames consuming the base. The Nighthawk followed the cyber-monster to stay in the TP helmet’s range. Thousands of Muscovites scurried in panic below them as Rex-1’s shadow passed over them. Streets were clogged with traffic. Police car drones scrambled through the crowds trying to maintain a semblance of order. They were failing. Automated firetrucks hurried to burning buildings to snuff the fires, but panicked crowds either hampered them or started more fires. Chaos reigned supreme.

The Kremlin quickly approached.

“Yamamoto, land Rex-1 in Red Square,” ordered Gunn.

With a thought, Tomo relayed the commands. Rex-1 swooped down and grinded to a halt, leaving a 50-foot scrape on the Square. The pilots made the Nighthawk circle around the Square, always keeping Rex-1 in view.

Dr. Steiner expelled a long sigh and wiped sweat from his forehead.

The Kremlin seemed empty. Tomo had Rex-1 make an infrared scan of the building. Rainbow-colored blips could be seen throughout it. They were the Coalition’s European delegates, all trapped inside. The suddenness of the attack, the panic in the streets, and Rex-1’s arrival on the Square likely prevented them from retreating.

“Target acquired,” reported Tomo.

Eva never looked up.

“Terminate,” commanded Gunn.

Tomo closed his eyes to relay the order.

Rex-1’s mouth opened.

BOOM!

A screaming missile exploded against Rex-1’s back, pieces of burning skin flying in all directions. The cyborg roared in pain and Tomo cursed in surprise. Everyone grabbed their armrests for dear life. A second missile was blocked when the cyber-dragon’s energy shields activated. The pilots started evasive maneuvers as low-flying fighter planes roared over them.

“What was that?” Gunn demanded to know.

“Neo-MIG Shadows,” said O’Brian. “They’re stealth fighters!”

“I don’t care if they’re Santa’s reindeer! Take them out!” barked Gunn.

“I’m working on it!” shouted Tomo.

The Shadows—all twelve of them—circled around for another strike.

Rex-1’s horns glowed, its eyes flared.

The Shadows fired missiles. They all crashed into the cyborg’s shields. Cloaked in smoke, Rex-1 roared in defiance and blasted lasers. The Shadows scattered like frightened bees, but not before three exploded.

Rex-1’s gaze followed the planes to acquire a new target lock. But without warning, plasma shells buffeted its shield from below. It spun and saw a battle group of Coalition Supertanks emerging from a huge underground bunker near the Kremlin. No doubt it was the leaders’ personal defense force. Rex-1 growled as its eyes glowed again and fired. The lasers sliced two tanks in half while the others scattered.

A salvo of missiles exploded on Rex-1’s back. It looked over its shoulder and roared at the Shadows, only to be interrupted but a barrage of plasma shells from the Supertanks below. It roared even louder, enraged.

“You’re pissing me off!” shouted Tomo. He grimaced as he sent more telepathic commands to Rex-1.

Eva grabbed Dr. Steiner’s shoulders. “Dad!”

He turned to her. “What is it?”

“There was a huge spike in autonomous brain activity when Rex-1 was hit by the missiles when its shield was down.”

Dr. Steiner’s fear melted into confusion. “How’s that possible? Our tests said that would be dormant except for essential functions.”

This was a bad time for problems. How could they convince Gunn to call off a key mission for a random anomaly? No, it’d have to wait.

They watched as Rex-1 lunged at the Supertanks with a gaping mouth. It clutched one—twice the size of a normal tank—in its jaws. Its teeth dug into the thick titanium armor, crushing it like a can. Rex-1 thrashed it around a few times, then released its grip. The compacted tank flew into a building half-a-mile away. Rex-1 squatted, grabbing another tank with its teeth and clutched one in each hand. It clapped those two like an angry child breaking its toys. Then it tossed what was left of all three on the remaining tanks.

Just then, a red light flashed on Eva’s monitor. “Dad! There’s another spike! And the shield collapsed!”

There was no time to ask why. Dr. Steiner swiveled his chair to see Gunn. “Get Rex-1 out of there!”

Too late. Before Gunn could argue, they heard Rex-1 bellow in pain on their monitors. They redirected their attentions.

Neo-MIGs flew over Rex-1 as missiles exploded against its back. More skin flew off in flaming clumps. Three surviving Supertanks seized the opportunity, and fired. Plasma shells smashed into the cyborg’s chest, ripping into its grafted flesh. Rex-1’s eyes and horns glowed as it prepared to retaliate, but it was interrupted by another salvo of missiles fired by the Shadows. Finally, Rex-1 threw back its head and arms, and bellowed a primal scream.

A warning screen flashed on Eva’s computer and a siren-like alarm blared. Her eyes widened in terror. “Readings have spiked through the roof!”

Dr. Steiner jumped to his feet, but before he could yell “Abort,” Tomo was screaming.

Lightning-like electricity danced down the wires connecting the TP helmet to the Nighthawk computers. The flyboy’s eyes were wide and white, his facial muscles contorted into the face of a terrified banshee as the power surge electrified him. A white aura enveloped him.

“Get the helmet off before it fries his brain!” yelled Dr. Steiner, pointing at Tomo.

Daniels jumped from his chair, fighting turbulence, and grabbed the helmet. Even with gloves on, his hands burned. He grated a cry through his teeth, and ripped the helmet off Tomo’s head. They both collapsed on the floor. Smoke emanated from the helmet as it dangled from the wires.

Dr. Steiner immediately looked out the windshield.

More missiles and plasma shells hit Rex-1. Screaming in agony, the cyborg’s legs buckled, and it fell against the Kremlin. The building crumbled, burying the cyber-beast under tons of rubble. A thick black cloud of dust flew into the air.

Silence.

Dr. Steiner’s jaw dropped. No! It can’t be…

Suddenly, two red lights flared in the dust cloud, glaring at the Nighthawk. Laser beams fired.

Instantly, the Nighthawk spiraled out of control. The screams of sirens and crewmembers mingled in Dr. Steiner’s ears as inertia and vertigo slammed him against the wall. He forced his eyes open and watched through the windshield as the Moscow streets rushed up to them. There was an ear-shattering crash.

Everything went black.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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VIDEO: Unboxing Criterion’s ‘Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films’ Blu-Ray Set

Published November 3, 2019

In celebration of Godzilla’s 65th anniversary/birthday, I purchased the new Criterion Blu-Ray box set for the Showa Series films. I got them half off thanks to Barnes and Noble’s Criterion sale, which was one heck of a bargain. Watch as I unbox this beautiful (but weird) set!

Godzilla will be throwing one heck of a birthday party!

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 3: The Godzilla Anime Trilogy (Mini-Analysis)’

Published October 30, 2019

Most of this blog on Nathan’s overlong, contract-breaking “minisode” on the Godzilla anime trilogy will be notes he took while bingeing it in the screening room while I was monitoring Godzilla Earth on the beta site. (Nathan still owes me for helping him on the air with the board of directors). I’ll also be sharing some messages from listener Kyoei Toshi (who’s as good at nitpicking as I am), concerning some Japanese language and culture items.

Here we go.

Additional Notes: Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters

  • Opens with a desperate, almost nihilistic scene. Sending old people to a planet to die to conserve resources. They accept it. Ship explodes. Haruo is against it. Relates to Exifs’ nihilistic religion. Essentially euthanasia.
  • Alien Refugees. Ties into current events?
  • Metphies offers confession (catholic priest). Will take false confession too. Foreshadows his falsity.
  • Meant to be a Netflix miniseries; theatrical releases just warm-up; placeholder while Legendary makes films; meant to help them, brand maintenance.
  • Return to Earth is hopeful, wonder-filled. Respite.
  • Admittedly, the aliens don’t look too different from humans, even by Star Trek standards. Exif have pointy ears (elves). Bilusaludo are dwarves (Klingons?) (beards and slicked back hair and dark skin).
  • “As you all know….” x3 Ugh! (A bad writing mistake).
  • The animation does look like a cel-shaded video game. Weird given its made by same studio as Clone Wars, which is more dynamic. Money? (Polygon Studios).
  • Other Exif priest prays over soldiers. Are they followers? Or is it just comfort?
  • Metphies: “As long as we have the hero to guide them.” Haruo. “The one true path to glory can only be opened by devotion.” True?
  • Metphies manipulates Leland’s retreat plan so he gives up after attack and goes with Haruo’s plan.
  • This trilogy (at least in part 1) tries to have some pretty hardcore science. Gets crazier as it goes.
  • Metphies says the Exif have seen countless civilizations fall in their wanderings; says it was by similar creatures to Godzilla (lie?). “He is the vengeful hammer for the arrogant. Those species who pronounce themselves as lords of creation will be struck down by his divine fury.”
  • The vehicles in this trilogy are pretty cool. The flying speeder bikes and flying mech suits are my faves. Spider-tanks.
  • Yuko calls Hauro “senpei” in Japanese.
  • Most of the last third of part 1 is action. Why did people complain?
  • “Life is a process of change. Even decay and ruin.” Godzilla continued to evolve.
  • Godzilla Earth designed to look like an aged tree. Ancient. Powerful. Long-living. (Plantlike)
  • In true Marvel fashion, each film has a stinger. This one sets up part 2 nicely. New character, new mystery.

Additional Notes: Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle

  • Exif opposed to abandoning survivors. Irony.
  • “Powder-like substance on their skin.” Mothra reference. Keeps them safe.
  • Bilusaludo want to exterminate Houtua because they see them as degenerates.
  • The twins speak in broken words but articulately in telepathy. Not used to speaking. Use odd naturalistic metaphors.
  • Now people are questioning Haruo’s authority and plans and desire to fight Godzilla. His authority is coming undone, his hubris showing. Yet he still insists on his way. But he’s also questioning if he’s doing the right thing. Thinks of Metphies. (I’m seeing more depth even in part 1 than I did before).
  • “As you know….” x1
  • “Earth chose Godzilla as its lord of creation.” Terminology comes back.
  • The controversial Mechagodzilla City. Fans hated this because they wanted a “proper” MG. I can understand why. Misled by promotions and toys. But it makes sense. The AI would evolve like this, especially against a foe as huge as Godzilla. It would’ve been cool to have it transform like Trypticon, but I went with it.
  • The Houtua call nanometal “poison.” Appropriate.
  • 41:50: Tron/Daft Punk music. I love it!
  • MG’s body destroyed by Godzilla, but head kept fighting and evolving. Fits with Bilusaludo idea of discarding inefficient body.
  • Some complain that the climax of part 2 is the same as the first, only bigger. That makes sense, though. They’re trying to use a plan that worked before. But this one is spearheaded by the Bilusaludo.
  • Metphies manipulates even the Bilusaludo to use their tech in his scheme.
  • “Those who are lost possess intelligence. However, if you remain lost and arrive at God’s gate, you shall not ever pass through.” -Metphies
  • “They’d make a competent unit.” –Galu-gu (or Belu-be?) Dehumanization.
  • Haruo and Yuko have a scene where Yuko says the terrible beginning gave them hope, pushed them to go home. Tries to redeem the tragedy.
  • “Everything is destiny.” The entropy they see coming. Metphies claims his race are missionaries.
  • Bilusaludo thinking is too robotic. Logic. Metphies doesn’t like it. Neither does Houtua. Says they want to become one with monsters. Ironic statement. Exif believe words have tremendous power.
  • When Metphies whispers in Haruo’s ear, it looks like he’s gonna kiss him. Interesting timing. Yuko kisses him in the next scene. Shocks the twins. Jealousy?
  • “Machines and humans aren’t the same.”-Haruo.
  • Faith is discussed. Haruo and humans have to put faith in something. Part 1: themselves. Part 2: nanometal tech. Part 3: Exif cult.
  • Admittedly, there’s a lot of characters describing what’s happening during action scenes.
  • Galu-gu: “Haruo…I want to believe you’re different.” “Relax and surrender yourself.” “After the fusion, we’ll be brothers.”
  • Metphies convinces Haruo to destroy MG City by speaking of dignity and warning against nanometal propagation. Competing interests.
  • The battle ends with Burning Godzilla on steroids.
  • Now Haruo faces the consequences of his actions. Just like Capt. Ahab. Unlike him, he’s actually affected by them. He holds Yuko in a wat similar to “Pieta” sculpture.
  • This post-credit is weird. Almost no new footage. Just shows previous scene from new perspective to namedrop Ghidorah.

Additional Notes: Godzilla: The Planet Eater

  • Opens with a speech by Metphies. Says they’ve been watching humans for centuries, intervening toward their goal. Confirms humanism. Says they wouldn’t listen to the words of a god but will listen to a human.  Hence why a human is needed to reveal a God’s will. They desire heroes who embody the thoughts of the era.
  • Martin nihilistically theorizes that humanity existed only to make Godzilla.
  • A soldier suggests the Bilusaludo were punished by God, and Yuko with them. Haruo was saved to help them.
  • Metphies lets humans think they survived nanometal because of a miracle, but it’s actually because of the Houtua powder.
  • Metphies tells Haruo his hate for Godzilla will overcome his doubt of God, and he will defeat Godzilla. Says he’s more noble and proud than anyone. Again, imperial Japan.
  • Just as humans resist Bilusaludo after defeat and are undone, so they do the same with the Exif.
  • Martin says this a great opportunity for a missionary to win converts after the destruction of MG City. “They can only escape despair by clinging to God.” A common atheist argument.
  • Metphies’ blessing gesture looks like a karate chop to the neck. Symbolic?
  • “What causes Godzilla to be Godzilla is your undying hatred.” -Metphies in Haruo’s dream
  • I hate that the dub changes “golden death” to “golden demise.” It sounds dumb.
  • Earth is a seed. Humanity a flower. Godzilla a fruit. Ghidorah’s day of harvest. An offering to Ghidorah. The Exif offered themselves to Ghidorah while a select few priests were spared to spread his “blessing” around the universe.
  • Metphies holds Haruo in a manner like the “Pieta” sculpture. 
  • The end of this film becomes a battle of philosophies. Metphies makes him confront Leland and Yuko, who died. Metphies says humanity crossed the threshold of their potential when they created monsters with atom bombs. Depicts the atomic bombings and is on a flying fortress. This is the first and only Godzilla film to depict the bombings, which is bold. Death is a natural conclusion, and so all beings must accept the destruction of their worlds and the peace in their deaths. Godzilla was punishment on mankind for arrogance and their desire for more. Haruo must end it to purify mankind’s souls. “A monster becomes a monster because of fear. A person becomes a hero because of hatred. Therefore, a god will become a god because of a hero’s prayer” (Metphies). Haruo can do this because he chose not to become a monster because of his hate. Now he must offer himself to Ghidorah to complete everything.
  • Metphies warns (curses?) Haruo will always have Ghidroah watching him because his hatred “burns so bright, it’s blinding.”

Nathan’s Miscellaneous Notes

  • Tony Davies acknowledges that, after the horrific experiences of the wars of the 20th century, “it should no longer be possible to formulate phrases like ‘the destiny of man’ or the ‘triumph of human reason’ without an instant consciousness of the folly and brutality they drag behind them.” For “it is almost impossible to think of a crime that has not been committed in the name of human reason.” Yet, he continues, “it would be unwise to simply abandon the ground occupied by the historical humanisms. For one thing humanism remains on many occasions the only available alternative to bigotry and persecution. The freedom to speak and write, to organise and campaign in defence of individual or collective interests, to protest and disobey: all these can only be articulated in humanist terms” (Wikipedia).
  • “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him” (Voltaire).

Kyoei Toshi’s Messages:

Message #1: Hi, the base word used is ‘Jii/じい’. It’s used to denote men in their 60’s or beyond as opposed to men in the 40’s/50’s ‘Ji/じ’. The simple ‘ji’ basically means ‘uncle’ but in Japan it’s used to address any man in that age group that’s older than you are. ‘Jii’ means ‘grandfather’ and likewise is used to refer to any man in that age group (again, that’s older than you are). Jii would be someone you know well, with Ojii, Ojiisan, Ojiichan being used for someone you know but are not quite as close to. A real grandpa would be usually be referred to as ‘Sofu/Osofu’ formally or ‘Jii/Jiisan’ informally. Sofu is usually written in kanji as ‘祖父’ and Jii in kana ‘じい’ although they are the same word (most Japanese kanji/compounds have at least two different pronunciations, the onyomi (Chinese) and kunyomi (Japanese, can be more than a dozen of these).

Anyway, in the first film Haruo uses ‘Jisan’ which would imply a very close relationship since it lacks an ‘O’ at the beginning. It’s vaguely possible that it’s not even his real grandfather, since he doesn’t use ‘sofu’. But given he was surprised when he used it and they were shown together in the preface when Godzilla attacked the airport, it’s almost certain he is. Yuko on the other hand uses ‘Ojiichan’ which is the polite way of referring to SOMEONE ELSE’S grandfather. This holds true with mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, etc. When you refer to yours, you just use the base word. When you refer to someone else’s parents, you add on an ‘O’ at the beginning and ‘san’ at the end as an honorific. For sisters and brothers, just add the ‘san’ at the end. And even though they use the same base word they will be pronounced differently (like father is chichi for real father, otousan for someone else’s father). So by Haruo using ‘Jii’ and Yuko using ‘Ojiichan’ it shows that they’re not almost certainly not cousins and that ‘grandpa’ is just used as a term of respect/endearment by Yuko. Hope I didn’t lose you there, the correct form of address/correct level of respect is much more complex in Japan than in the USA.

(Her second message regards something I would’ve pointed out, too. Nice work!)

Message #2: Hi, I think you might have gotten the Mothra twins a bit mixed up in Planet Eater. Here’s a message I sent someone a few months back–it’s really easy to get confused, the movie doesn’t make things clear.

In Planet Eater, it’s Miana (the extroverted twin with the better Japanese language skills) that is turned down by Haruo. She leaves and notices something is wrong, and goes off to investigate (eventually confronting and being captured by Metphies). It’s Maina (the introverted one with the poor Japanese skills…Haruo called her ‘mean eyes’ in the last movie) that connects with Haruo (that’s the point of him mentioning which twin would know how to unlock his space suit-that it was Maina who gave him medical treatment at the end of the first film). So both of the twins made a play for Haruo, they did so because they could tell he was suicidal and wanted him to ‘connect with life’ again.

Conclusion

Wow, this “Jimmy Notes” is as overlong as the episode. Thankfully, there isn’t a clause in the contract regarding the length of my blogs (which is weird, honestly).

I don’t have much to say myself on this episode. It’s easier for Nathan to script his research for solo episodes.

The Son of Kong episode will be a different story. 😛

Follow me on Twitter.

#JimmyFromNASALives

#WeShallOvercome

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Episode 3: The Godzilla Anime Trilogy (Mini-Analysis)

Published October 23, 2019

Hello, kaiju lovers!

Welcome to our first minisode! (Well, our second, according to my intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA). This is the first of a series of episodes where I’ll be analyzing films I was unable to cover on my previous podcast. In this one, I’m discussing the divisive Godzilla Anime Trilogy. Fans either love it or hate it. Me? I like it—a lot. I debunk some of the unfair criticisms of the trilogy, but the meat of my analysis is focused on how each of the four races in the trilogy—the Humans, the Bilusaludo, the Exif, and the Houtua—each exemplify different philosophies and how most of them take their worldviews to the extreme.

There’s a lot of material here—so much that Monster Island’s Board of Directors calls to say I violated my contract! Listen as Jimmy acts as my agent to keep me from being shot into space (he deserves a bonus for practically being my agent).

Here are the podcast episodes I mentioned in the episode. I recommend listening to them—especially the Redeemed Otaku episodes—if you want to hear a review of this trilogy from me.

Read Jimmy’s Notes for corrections, riffs, and more info on this episode!

#JimmyFromNASALives

(c) 2019 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Kaijuvision Radio Episodes

Episode 47 (1/3): Godzilla Anime Trilogy (2017-18) – General Reflections
Episode 47 (2/3): Godzilla Anime Trilogy (2017-18) – Main Discussion
Episode 47 (3/3): Godzilla Anime Trilogy (2017-18) – Bigger Than Human Existence

Redeemed Otaku Episodes

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters
Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle
Godzilla: The Planet Eater

Bibliography/Further Reading

American Humanist Association: “Definitions of Humanism”

“Godzilla back as anime has human drama, fewer monsters” by Associated Press

Humanity +: “Philosophy”
–“Max More – Transhumanism and the Singularity” (YouTube)

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: “Nihilism”

“There is no sharp distinction between cult and regular religion” by Tara Isabella Burton (Aeon Magazine)

“Transhumanist Values” by Nick Bostrom

“Updated Charts: Screen Time, First Appearance, Attendance” by Joker Cluster

“What is a Cult?” by James M. Rochford

“What is Transhumanism?”

Wikipedia Articles:
–Aum Shinrikyo
–Clarke’s three laws
–Humanism
–Jonestown
–Mass suicide
–Transhumanism

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 2: The Tourists vs. King Kong (1933)’

Published October 16, 2019

Welcome to the first entry of Jimmy’s Notes! My blog series will feature nitpicks supplements on each episode of The Monster Island Film Vault. Nathan does lots of research and works hard at editing every episode, but he and the Tourists don’t always get stuff right (unlike his intrepid producer) and can’t include everything. I will correct any errors and feature additional information not in the episode–and take the opportunity to riff everyone and get away with it. 😛

So, let’s get started.

Corrections
-Okay, this first one is on me since I write the Entertaining Info Dump. I wrote that King Kong paved the way for Godzilla and the kaiju genre “three decades later” when it was actually two decades later. Apparently, I forgot how to math there for a second. My friends at NASA would be disappointed.

-I also forgot to mention the IMDB score for the film in the Info Dump (oops). It’s 7.9.

-Nathan said “TMC” when he meant “TCM”—twice. Once I can understand, but twice? Was he thinking of the tabloid TMZ and not Turner Classic Movies? I feel insulted for TCM. On a related note, he said it was TCM who added the overture to King Kong in 2005 when it was actually Warner Bros.

-Both Nick and Tim mispronounced “Denham” as “Dunham.” I guess they buy a lot of sporting goods.

-Nathan said the name “Skull Island” is in the novelization of King Kong. It’s not. It was used in RKO’s promotional materials. In the film it’s called “Skull Mountain Island.” I don’t think the name was spoken in a film until either the 2005 remake or Kong: Skull Island. I’ll ask around. I’m sure one of the scientists studying the kaiju will know.

-Nathan calls Kong a monkey when he’s an ape. Even the Tourists corrected him on that during the recording by saying even VeggieTales knows the difference! I should’ve thrown a (Bob the) tomato at him for that.

-Everyone said there was a brontosaurus in this film, but some say the brontosaurus is actually an Apatosaurus. Since most sources say the former, I can’t hold that against them.

-Joe incorrectly said it was the “Monster Island Resort” when it’s the “Monsterland Resort.” An easy mistake, although the Island’s Board of Directors is very particular about keeping the branding straight (which makes me think they should’ve made the name a bit more different, but hey, I just work here).

-Nathan said Son of Kong was released six months after the original when it was actually nine months. He must’ve gotten that cash-grab sequel confused with the other cash-grab sequel starring another famous resident on the Island. ::cough-cough:: Godzilla. ::cough-cough::

Additional Notes: The Film
Now for some things from Nathan’s notebook that weren’t mentioned in the episode. This isn’t all of his notes, but they’re the ones I thought were the most important of what he omitted:

-“Are the natives depicted in a racist fashion? It is weird that a South Seas island has black people on it. I read an essay that went into great detail about this. The chief is played by Noble Johnson, who actually gets listed in the opening credits and is portrayed as a strong man. A black man getting listed like this was unheard of back then.”

-“How convenient for the native warriors that Ann was right there so they didn’t have to go on the ship. They must’ve read the script. :P”

-“Charlie the cook is considered ‘racist’ now, but he is played by Chinese actor and is treated well by everyone. He speaks broken English.”

-“The missing ‘spider pit’ sequence. In script but may or may not have been filmed. Some claim to have seen it. Cut by Cooper because it wrecked the pacing. Recreated by Jackson and WETA. Had a triceratops-like dino. That’s why one sailor looks back while running and why sailors don’t run back on log. I gotta say, if some of them survived, they’re tough hombres!”

-“Schoedsack and Cooper are piloting the plane that kills Kong.”

-“Kong’s origins are ambiguous; the line between science and myth blurred. Part of the appeal. Harry Harrison has a crazy ‘alternate universe’ origin story. Not surprising given he writes alternate history.” (Jimmy here: If I remember correctly, this involved a man being cursed to take the form of a gorilla by island gods).

-“Esther M. Friesner compared the King Kong story to that of Enkidu in The Epic of Gilgamesh and Samson in the Bible because they are strong men undone by beautiful women.”

-“In China, ‘kong’ means ‘strong.’”

Additional Notes: The Depression
-“Optimism persisted despite the crash. John D. Rockefeller said, ‘These are days when many are discouraged. In the 93 years of my life, depressions have come and gone. Prosperity has always returned and will again.’” (Wikipedia)

-“Birthrates for 14 major countries fell 12% from 19.3 births per thousand population in 1930, to 17.0 in 1935. Families wanted to avoid having children until they achieved more financial stability. In Canada, half of Catholic women defied Church teachings and used contraception.” (Wikipedia)

Conclusion
Now that I’ve gotten my first Note out of the way, I need to get back to writing the Entertaining Info Dump for Son of Kong if for no other reason than to remind Nathan of his contractual obligations. 😛

Follow me on Twitter.

#JimmyFromNASALives

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Episode 2: The Tourists vs. ‘King Kong’ (1933)

Published October 9, 2019

Hello, kaiju lovers!

Our “Kong Quest” begins! 😛 Nathan is joined by his core group of Monster Island Tourists—Nick Hayden & Timothy Deal of the Derailed Trains of Thought podcast and Joe & Joy Metter—to discuss one of the greatest movies ever made: 1933’s King Kong. What’s interesting is none of these Tourists had seen this classic film before coming to the Island, so you’ll hear their fresh reactions, opinions, and analyses to the Eighth Wonder’s first and greatest outing. Listen as each of them compete for best (or worst?) joke of the podcast (“No monkeying around!” says Nick). Along the way Jimmy From NASA gets sassy with the Tourists and has to corral a dog dubbed “Teddy Kong,” who keeps trying to make a cameo during the Toku Talk. The Toku Topic for this episode is the Great Depression since the film was made and released at the height of that period and indirectly mentions it several times.

Be sure to check out the latest episode of Nick and Tim’s podcast, Derailed Trains of Thought, where they visited Monster Island to discuss destruction as a story element with Nathan as a guest host. Their podcast is marvelous, and Nathan has appeared on multiple episodes.

Timestamps
Intro: 0:00-4:42
Entertaining Info Dump: 4:42-12:06
Toku Talk: 12:06-1:21:27
Toku Topic: 1:21:27-1:54:52
Outro: 1:54:52-end

Read Jimmy’s Notes for corrections, riffs, and more info on this episode!

#JimmyFromNASALives

© 2019 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading

“Depression, You Say? Check Those Safety Nets” by Charles Duhigg (The New York Times)

King Kong Wiki Articles:
            –Wikipedia
            –Gojipedia
            –Wikizilla

Kaijuvision Radio, Episode 2: Godzilla Origins – King Kong (1933) and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

King Kong (1933) Review – Kong-A-Thon Episode 1 (D Man1954)

King Kong: History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson by Ray Morton

Kong Unbound: The Cultural Impact, Pop Mythos, and Scientific Plausibility of a Cinematic Legend (edited by Karen Haber)

Kong Unmade: The Lost Films of Skull Island by John LeMay

“Prostitution – The Great Depression”

Tracking King Kong: A Hollywood Icon in World Culture (2nd edition) by Cynthia Erb

Wikipedia Articles:
            –Great Depression
            –Gold Standard
            –Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act
            –New Deal
            –Reflation
            –Roaring Twenties
            –Timeline of the Great Depression

“What Sex was Like During the Great Depression” by Melissa Sartone

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