Hello, Kaiju Lovers! This year for Godzilla Day (Nov. 3), Toho celebrated the 50th anniversary of Godzilla vs. Megalon with the release of the short film, “Operation: Jet Jaguar.” In it, everyone’s favorite smiley superhero robot (and Jimmy From NASA’s “sidekick”) battles Godzilla in epic fan service at its best. But it’s more than just that. Nate waxes philosophical about it in this special mini-sode as part of Ryan “The Omni Viewer” Collins’ Minus One Monstrous Moment series on YouTube.
We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Travis Alexander; Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Brad “Batman” Eddleman, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Jake Hambrick, Edwin Gonzalez, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), and Jonathan Courtright! Thanks for your support!
In true Amalgam Comics fashion, The Monster Island Film Vault and Kaiju Weekly have fused to form a super-show (“Kaiju Film Vault Weekly”?) to discuss 2021’s next big tent-pole kaiju release, the Netflix anime Godzilla: Singular Point. Nate, Travis, Michael, and even Jimmy From NASA get into just about everything about this 13-episode series released worldwide June 24, from the characters to the monsters to quantum physics. This series proved to be somewhat divisive in the Godzilla fanbase as it aired weekly in Japan starting in March, and your intrepid hosts were just as divided. Who liked it and who loved it? Listen to learn the answer!
Nate was unable to share his research on quantum mechanics because this broadcast went long, so Jimmy posted it as a bonus Jimmy’s Notes on the MIFV website as a supplement to this episode. Hopefully, it enhances your appreciation of this experimental Godzilla anime.
Nate and his guests, MIFV MAX members Michael Hamilton (co-host of Kaiju Weekly and The Kaiju Groupie) and Damon Noyes, reach the peak of the Showa Gamera series—which isn’t as high as Nate wants it to be. (Or does he just want to get high?) Once again as part of the Board-mandated “Year of Gamera,” the Tourists get to watch the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode featuring this film while Nate must view the original Japanese version to compare notes. Even so, Nate riffs his way through the episode so the Stockholm syndrome doesn’t set in. Michael sighs almost as much as he talks with all the jokes Nate and Damon drop about “gassy Gyaos nipples” and “plane murder.” You’d almost think Nate was enjoying himself. It’s a great act.
The Toku Topic for this episode is the Sanrizuka Struggle, which was a movement against the construction of Narita Airport. It inspired a key plot element in this movie and helped Nate prove to Michael and Damon that there was a social commentary in the film. It’s also the last social commentary in a Gamera movie for years, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Before the broadcast, Nate tries to tell his intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA, how he plans to be a small thorn in the Board’s side only to be interrupted by Raymund Martin, the head of the Monster Island Legal Action Team, who promptly tells Nate why he can’t do that.
Raymund Martin was created and voiced by Damon Noyes.
Prologue written by Nathan Marchand with Damon Noyes.
Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy Follow the Monster Island Board of Directors on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD Follow the Raymund Martin and the MIFV Legal Team on Twitter: @MIFV_LegalTeam Follow Crystal Lady Jessica on Twitter: @CystalLadyJes1
Flower, James. “A Guide to English Language Gamera” (Arrow Video Gamera: The Complete Collection).
Galbraith IV, Stuart. Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: A Critical Analysis and Filmography of 103 Features Released in the United States 1950-1992.
Gamera: The Complete Collection, Disc Two Special Features.
Gamera vs. Gyaos Commentary by Stuart Galbraith IV (Arrow Video’s Gamera: The Complete Collection).
The Year of Gamera continues. (Yay?) Nate is joined by his friends Joe and Joy Metter to discuss the outlier of the Showa Gamera series, Gamera vs. Barugon. It’s the one that was actually aimed at an adult audience—and it flopped. As usual, the Tourists get to see the MST3K episode—which has Nate’s favorite line of those episodes—while Nate has to watch the original Japanese version. Even with Joel and the Bots’ riffs, Joe and Joy say they would’ve preferred to watch it subtitled! Thanks to a combination of a “monster mic” and the ORCA, Jimmy was able to get Barugon himself to interrupt a few times, but Nate thinks the ORCA’s translations were dubious, at best. The Toku Topic is the New Guinea Campaign because several characters in the film fought during that and the film takes place partly on that island.
Beforehand, Nate, Jimmy, and Jet Jaguar are visited by William H. George III, Esquire, the special envoy to the Monster Island Board of Directors (MIBOD). It is he, and not Ms. Perkins, who brings the Board’s latest press release for Nate to read on the air. He also makes it abundantly clear the Board didn’t appreciate Nate’s “shenanigans” at the Gamera: King of the Monsters Banquet a few weeks ago.
Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy Follow the Monster Island Board of Directors on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD Follow the Raymund Martin and the MIFV Legal Team on Twitter: @MIFV_LegalTeam Follow Crystal Lady Jessica on Twitter: @CystalLadyJes1
Flower, James. “A Guide to English Language Gamera.” (Arrow Video Gamera: The Complete Collection)
Galbraith IV, Stuart. Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: A Critical Analysis and Filmography of 103 Features Released in the United States 1950-1992.
Gamera: The Complete Collection, Disc Two Special Features.
Gamera vs. Barugon Commentary by August Ragone and Jason Varney (Arrow Video’s Gamera: The Complete Collection)
LeMay, John. The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies Volume 1: 1954-1982.
LeMay, John. The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies: The Lost Films (Mutated Edition).
LeMay, John. Writing Giant Monsters.
Macias, Patrick. “A History of Gamera: Gamera vs. Barugon” (Arrow Video’s Gamera: The Complete Collection).
Milner, David. “Interview with Noriaki Yuasa” (Arrow Video’s Gamera: The Complete Collection).
In this episode, Nathan is joined by Sci-Fi Japan writer Ben Chaffins to discuss what is, honestly, an overrated classic: War of the Gargantuas. This “pseudo-sequel” to Frankenstein Conquers the World outdoes its predecessor in only one way: the kaiju. Sanda and Gaira are the best characters in the movie, which is sad given that it stars Toho staples Kumi Mizuno, Kenji Sahara, and Nobuo Nakamura. Unfortunately, it also features a belligerently apathetic Russ Tamblyn walking around like a disinterested robot—on purpose. You’ll hear Ben and I discuss the farfetched but interesting interpretations of what, no joke, is apparently Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino’s favorite monster movie, and those interpretations include connections to Cain & Abel, “The Sea Boy and the Mountain Boy,” the Vietnam War, and Japan’s national identity. Also, Jimmy was on “paid leave,” so everyone’s favorite superhero robot, Jet Jaguar, filled in for him in the producer booth this episode.
Check out the Shin Godzilla and GMK article by Jack “GMan” Hudgens that Ben and Nathan mentioned here.
Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godzisewski
Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: A Critical Analysis and Filmography of 103 Features Released in the United States 1950-1992 by Stuart Galbraith IV
The Kaiju Film: A Critical Study of Cinema’s Biggest Monsters by Jason Barr
The “Daimajin Days” come to a close with Joe and Joy Metter returning to discuss Daimajin Strikes Again. The final film of the Daimajin trilogy, while it has the same basic set-up with an evil lord oppressing the people, focuses on four boys who set out to rescue their commoner fathers and brothers from slavery. The Metters’ dogs Teddy Kong and Bitzilla make more cameos as they and Nathan make frequent comparisons between this film and Lord of the Rings, Naruto, and even X-Men! All the while MIFV’s intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA, continues to antagonize Joy—which comes to a head in an epic post-credit scene!
Today’s Toku Topic builds on the previous one by discussing kami (Japanese spirits and gods).
You, too, can support us on Patreon and get perks like this starting at only $3 a month!
This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors.
Episode epilogue written by Nathan Marchand with Joe and Joy Metter.
Episode image created by Michael Hamilton.
This episode features the following music tracks: -“Daimajin’s Ferocity” by Akira Ifukube -“Kozasa’s Prayer” by Akira Ifukube -“Jet Jaguar” by Heavy Melody Music
Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: A Critical Analysis and Filmography of 103 Features Released in the United States 1950-1992 by Stuart Galbraith IV
The Kaiju Film: A Critical Study of Cinema’s Biggest Monsters by Jason Barr
