Looks like Episode 46 should’ve been called, “Jimmy From NASA: Silent but Deadly.” Except the “deadly” part was before the broadcast and the “silent” part was during it.
I spent many hours filling out paperwork with Raymund Martin at the office of the Monster Island Legal Action Team because of this. Thankfully, with the help of Mr. Martin’s paralegal, Gary Steward, I’m happy to say that a court case won’t happen. Danny was too happy with his new toy to press charges or file lawsuits, anyway.
So…Gamera: Super Monster. I think Nate needed my banter to keep him from losing more of his mind, but Danny deprived him (and you, listeners) of it. That was easily the most unhinged he’s ever gotten on the air. I should’ve brought him some Jack Daniels.
Now for the part you came to read: my notes on the episode. I had plenty of time to jot them down since I was under Danny’s vow of silence.
- In my defense, I figured Danny would love riding the pteronadon-bot again, and he’s surprisingly resilient given he survived the fall into the ocean. Maybe Nate was unintentionally right about him being Superman with a Beta Capsule?
- Should my job feel threatened that Nate handled himself remarkably well without my help? No, because he needs someone to push his figurative and literal buttons. Plus, our viewership would drop because sometimes I get more love than him. 😛
- I can’t find what karate level Mach Fumiake achieved (story has it she got a blackbelt, but that was after she made this movie), but she did become a champion pro-wrestler in AJW. I even found one of her matches on YouTube!
- That RX7 was beautiful. Mazdas are gorgeous. I had a 1980 Mazda RX7 back in the day. That’s why I was pissed when Zanon destroyed the one in the movie.
- What can I say? I’m a sucker for women who know martial arts and can kick my @$$.
- If you were any other man, Danny, I would’ve killed you for mocking Nick Adams! My laser pistol is kept in a secret drawer in my producer booth.
- Exploiting my past trauma…how very Sun Tzu of you, Marchand.
- It’s “Gamera: Super Monster,” Marchand, not “Super Monster Gamera.” (But I doubt anyone cares).
- I let Danny win. I knew he was faking. I just enjoyed taking a mini-vacation. 😉 Besides, like I said, I have giant robots I built myself in my garage.
Here are Nate’s leftover notes:
The Movie
- Nine planets: eight now, apparently. (There are NINE planets. You can’t convince me otherwise. –Jimmy)
- “Resistance is futile.” Good grief, I hope TNG didn’t get that from this! (At least the Borg did it better than Zanon. Small comfort? –Jimmy)
- I thought about splicing in clips of all the previous episodes I’d done for the Year of Gamera, but I decided not to because it was easier—maybe?—to just broadcast about it. (I could’ve done it if I wasn’t so busy in my garage off the clock. –Jimmy)
- Oh my gosh, Kenny! You play better than you sing!
- How is it that only one guy saw the Spacewoman transform and teleport? (I got nothing. –Jimmy)
- This “Gamera March” gets old quick. (That’s because it’s not from my movie. 😛 –Jimmy)
- The time of day transforms with the Spacewomen. (Beautiful women can do that, especially when they’re henshin heroines. –Jimmy)
- Don’t you hate it when your henshin attack gets interrupted by villains too smart to let you do it? (All the time. 😛 –Jimmy)
- I don’t feel any stakes in this stock footage. I barely feel any stakes in the new footage!
- When your ringtone sounds like an oily spring. (It might’ve been recorded in my garage…. –Jimmy)
- Keiichi is stupidly trusting of strangers.
- Giruge, high heels on a beach doesn’t sound like a good idea. (For once, I have to agree with you, Nate. –Jimmy)
- If this is actually in the same universe as the previous movies, Gamera is having a lot of déjà vu. “History repeating.” And Zanon can resurrect and control kaiju. How is he having this much trouble conquering Earth?! (You’re complaining, why? –Jimmy)
- Kilara conveniently opens a portal to Keiichi.
- “One more chance” is never “one more chance” with Zanon—because he doesn’t understand the concept of numbers. (He went to the “gooder” schools. –Jimmy)
- This movie is basically several episodes of a henshin hero show spliced together with spit and glue into a compilation movie with Gamera stock footage. (You might want to have it on Henshin Men, Nate. 😛 –Jimmy)
- This movie just does whatever it wants without explanation. (Like me. 😛 –Jimmy)
- So. Much. Padding!
- Gamera jazz hands.
Commentary by Richard Pusateri
- Says he likes Gamera more because of studying this movie?! (Some universities offer degrees in it. –Jimmy)
- Likens tokusatsu to bonsai gardening: they know it isn’t real but appreciate the artistry of it and don’t see it as deceptive or trickery.
- Argues that a movie doesn’t have to be good as long as it’s entertaining. (paraphrase)
- “Space Macarana.” 😛
- Toho = MGM, Toei = Warner Bros. Daiei = Universal
- Could see this as a coda in a symphony or as a greatest hits album.
- The wormhole recalls Godzilla’s Revenge.
- The music in the “Dodzilla” scene might be emulating the theme from Son of Godzilla.
- Jokes that Jackie Chan was Giruge’s stunt double.
- Gamera vs. Barugon to the Shaft theme.
- Jokes that Keiichi begging Gamera not to go to Shane.
Intro by August Ragone
- “Previously on Gamera…”
- A musical?
Galbraith
- Claims the Dozilla clip was cut from the US version.
LeMay
- Yuasa went on to direct episodes of Ultraman 80 after this.
- This was sort of the inspiration for the 1995 Playdia video game Gamera: The Time Adventure.
Toku Topic: The Rise and Fall of Daiei Film (aka the Japanese Film Crash of 1970)
- The Japanese Film Crash of 1970:
- Films had to be leaner and more commercial, appealing to broader audiences. Genres like yakuza and “youth pictures” died. By 1970-1971, franchises like The Crazy Cats, Young Guy, Station Front, and the Boss were gone.
- Genre films were being screened more at drive-ins and lowbrow theaters. Toho went from dealing with studios like Columbia and AIP to struggling “fly-by-night” companies.
- There were several other trends that contributed to this:
- People moved from the cities to the suburbs. This brought theater attendance down. Industrialization. Many theaters were closed because of this.
- Foreign films started eating up ticket sales, and by 1975, they outsold domestic releases. It was hard to compete with big-budget Hollywood productions.
We did it! It’s uphill from here!
Since Nate survived (barely), Godzilla Redux continues next week with 1956’s Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, We’ll be joined by “the littlest gatekeeper,” Elijah Thomas of the Kaiju Conversation podcast. He’ll tell you who the “tru phans” are. Then, much to Nate’s excitement, he’s having the original Tourists return to start their journey through the Heisei Gamera trilogy with 1995’s Gamera: Guardian of the Universe.
Huzzah!
Social media:
- Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy
- Follow MIBOD on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD
- Follow Raymund Martin (The Monster Island Legal Team) on Twitter: @MIFV_LegalTeam
- Follow Crystal Lady Jessica on Twitter: @CrystalLadyJes1
#JimmyFromNASALives #WeShallOvercome
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