Hello, kaiju lovers! YouTuber and aspiring filmmaker Kaiju Kim returns to Monster Island to discuss a nostalgic monster movie for her: Toho’s first kaiju movie in color, Rodan (1956). It may not have Big G in it, but Rodan debuted in this film and later became a staple of Toho’s flagship franchise. Amidst funny accents, cancelations (sorry not sorry, Jimmy), and talk of Meganula breakfast cereal, Kim and Nate discuss the film’s Japanese communist screenwriter, Takeshi Kimura, the infamous Mantell UFO incident that inspired the film, and the symbolism of the monsters. If ever there was an episode that exemplified our mantra, “Entertainment and enlightenment through tokusatsu,” it’s this one.
Before the broadcast, Nate visits the Monster Island Legal Action Team office to collect his new contract, and after getting an update from Gary, Raymund Martin bursts in and claims he was a Goranger back in the day. Let’s just say there isn’t enough salt in the ocean for Nate to take with Raymund’s story.
This episode’s prologue, “Go, Go, Goranger!” was written by Nathan Marchand with Damon Noyes.
Brothers, Peter H. Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda.
Galbraith, Stuart IV. Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: A Critical Analysis and Filmography of 103 Features Released in the United States 1950-1992.
Did I ever tell you about the time I visited the fabled dinosaur plateau Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about in his novel The Lost World? And how there was a “hot girl” involved? No? Good, because I’m saving that for my autobiography. Regardless, despite some sidekick shenanigans from that wannabe Muppet, Snazzy Chapeau, when Omni Viewer visited for MIFV’s season three premiere (episode 56), I managed to take a few good notes for my first Jimmy’s Notes blog of 2022. I may not be contractually obligated to do follow-ups for Nate, but someone has to fact-check this goofball. So, here you go:
William Rutherford wasn’t the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes; only Prof. Challenger. According to Wikipedia,
Conan Doyle repeatedly said that Holmes was inspired by the real-life figure of Joseph Bell, a surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, whom Conan Doyle met in 1877 and had worked for as a clerk. Like Holmes, Bell was noted for drawing broad conclusions from minute observations. However, he later wrote to Conan Doyle: “You are yourself Sherlock Holmes and well you know it”.[14] Sir Henry Littlejohn, Chair of Medical Jurisprudence at the University of Edinburgh Medical School, is also cited as an inspiration for Holmes. Littlejohn, who was also Police Surgeon and Medical Officer of Health in Edinburgh, provided Conan Doyle with a link between medical investigation and the detection of crime.
The Lost City of Z was a 2009 nonfiction book by David Gran. It was made into a movie starring Charlie Hunnam in 2016. As for whether it was found or not, Wikipedia says,
Researchers believe that Fawcett may have been influenced in his thinking by information obtained from indigenous people about the archaeological site of Kuhikugu, near the headwaters of the Xingu River. After Fawcett’s presumed death in the jungle, Kuhikugu was discovered by Westerners in 1925. The site contains the ruins of an estimated twenty towns and villages in which as many as 50,000 people might once have lived. The discovery of other large geometrical earthworks in interfluvial settings of southern Amazonia has since been recognised as supporting Fawcett’s theory.
I’m not sure this was the only time Willis O’Brien used a football bladder to simulate breathing in his creatures. Wikipedia claims this was also done in King Kong (1933), but a citation is needed.
I found the opening theme of the Lost World TV series mentioned by Omni, and Nate said he remembered seeing a bit of it when I show it to him.
All this prequel talk…I’m having flashbacks to sand…I can’t go to the beach now…and I live on an Island!
Mammoths and mastodons are, in fact, not the same. Similar, but not the same. Read more here.
I checked the film during the city rampage, and there wasn’t a full-sized head. However, there were some excellent close-ups of the stopmotion puppet.
I always do internet searches with safe mode turned off. It’s more…exciting that way.
“Jimmygon” has a nice ring to it. I’ll get the Island’s geneticists on that right now!
Actually, there are studies that show people with bigger brains are smarter. No wonder Nate is a genius: he has a big head. 😛
I am 110% behind a boxing Cope and Marsh skeletons sculpture. I’ll petition Winter and the Board immediately!
Now for the ever-important—and increasingly large—leftover notes from Nate’s research with my riffs commentary.
THE FILM
“Jocko” played by himself.
The plot moves briskly compared to novel. Characters introduced very quickly. Skips to lecture to introduce Challenger.
Gotta love the “overacting” and funny jump cuts mid-scene. (Reminds me of the show’s host. 😛 –Jimmy)
“Cock-and-bull story.” Ha! (Is this the “rule 34” version? –Jimmy)
In the Amazon. Just South America in novel?
Dead for 10 million years. More than that!
There wasn’t a Miss White in the novel, either. Not gonna lie: she’s pretty. Maple White’s daughter. Of course she’s the beautiful assistant. (No complaining here. –Jimmy)
Wait…is that Sherlock!? Or someone cosplaying him? (The first in-film Easter egg? –Jimmy)
Jocko the monkey wasn’t in the novel, either. Added for comic relief. (At least he isn’t a Gungan. –Jimmy)
I think Malone’s letters are text from the novel.
They’re introducing the ape-men already?! Proto-Chewbacca. (Does he rip arms out of socket? –Jimmy)
Pterodactyl was first in novel.
Okay, don’t tell us that Malone saved the bug.
The tree bridge. Another forerunner to Kong.
Really? Stop to catch the insect in middle of bridge? (I did that once…but I don’t want to talk about it. –Jimmy)
Brontosaurus takes out bridge—and squishes some spiders. (Ah. A spider pit joke. Hilarious. –Jimmy)
PSYCHO MONKEY?! WTF?!
The allosaurus vs. other dino fight is impressive if inferior to Kong. He picks his teeth? Arms too long.
Yes, he wiped out the last of a wood-tick species.
The trees have eyes.
Is that a torch or a giant cigarette? And it’s in color?! (That’s what wiped out the dinosaurs: smoking. –Jimmy)
The allosaurus vs. triceratops fight is one of the more famous scenes—and it’s gory! Trike wins. But then another allosaurus gets revenge for its mate. (“Dino Vengeance” is a B-movie waiting to happen. –Jimmy)
No one is paying attention to the dinosaur fights! The proto-kaiju fights!
The ape-man is very drooly.
Challenger is taking up pole dancing, and he sucks at it. 😛 (This is the “rule 34” version. –Jimmy)
They never call this place “Maple White Land.”
They play drums when he shoots the gun. Clever. “Mickey Mouse-ing.”
“Dam liar”? A liar about dams?
The colors fit the moods of the scenes very well. Red for eruption.
Does the allosaurus want to eat the bronto or hitch a ride during the eruption?!(“Rule 34” version…again? –Jimmy)
“Rock climbing monkey, Joel.” You just better hope he doesn’t fill and hang himself.
Jocko carried a rope ladder?!
I was waiting for the ape-man with the Joker smile to kidnap Paula. Because Kong.
Oh my gosh! Paula looks like Ann Darrow at the end! It’s very Kong.
Ten feet long? That’s WAY bigger!
Other Sources
Byrd (in LeMay)
As a teenage drifter, O’Brien was a guide for a fossil excavation for the University of Southern California.
The origins of the film are a complex feud between O’Brien and a fellow animator named Herbert Dawley. They were constantly fighting over the credit to O’Brien’s work in short films, particularly The Ghost of Slumber Mountain, and the legal shenanigans led to O’Brien working with producer Watterson Rothacker on this film. Dawley sued O’Brien over the animation process, citing patent violation, but this was settled out of court. There’s still debate over how much of Slumber Mountain was animated by either of them.
Over 50 dinosaurs were made for the film, and they included bladders to simulate breathing, saliva made with shellac and rubber cement, chocolate syrup to simulate blood.
Commentary by Nicolas Ciccone
The credits in this restoration was made for it.
There’s a missing scene that explains why the paper sends Malone to cover the story despite his clumsiness: basically, to get lawsuit money.
Wallace Beery (who played Challenger) was just like his character.
Many scholars theorize that Malone’s coming-of-age story arc was inspired by Doyle himself.
Bessie Love, who plays Paula, hated all the close-ups of her. (I didn’t. –Jimmy)
The attack by the cannibals explains why Zambo’s arm is broken later. Only stills remain of these scenes.
A 15-foot pterodactyl fossil was found in Brazil in the 1990s and named after Doyle.
Gomez, a “half-breed” character cut from the film, caused the tree bridge disaster. He’s a traitor.
The film doesn’t say how Maple White died, but the script has Roxton find a rifle bent in half. The implication was it was the ape-man.
The plateau is a bit too easy to find in the film.
The cast didn’t like working with Jocko. He bit and peed on everyone.
The romance is trite, but it could serve as a metaphor for the plateau: it’s a place of adventure and wonder we all wish we could visit.
A scene unfilmed from the script has Challenger and company on a ship with a caged bronto.
The end of the drunk’s scene, while not in the script, was described in a review as returning with a bottle of milk for a cat that grew huge.
Missed opportunity: Make Paula more adventurous.
“The Lost World: Secrets of the Restoration” by Serge Bromberg (and other essays in the booklet)
Many film historians link the decision to destroy prints of this film with the production of King Kong a few months later.
The first restoration by George Eastman House, used surviving 35mm Kodak nitrate negatives and a 35mm print found in the National Film Archive of the Czech Republic in 1992. It was an export copy that didn’t use the best angles (it was filmed with a second camera). The restoration was made for $80,000 given by the National Endowment for the Arts—and classic film buff Hugh Heffner(!).
The animated map sequence was in the trailer, and no one knows if it was a concept for the film or only the trailer.
It’s 76 minutes long and was published as an unlisted bonus feature on the DVD of the 1960 version.
David Shepherd Restoration (2000)
This used the same materials plus a few more. This big difference was the use of digital technology to upgrade the picture quality to standard-definition TV.
The promotional footage found by Doyle was found at this time in the Robert Youngson collection.
The original footage of Doyle at his writing table was lost but was replaced with footage of him sitting on a bench addressing the audience from a 1927 Movietone film.
This was edited at the Lobster Films studio in Paris.
Two scores were commissioned for the film, including one by Robert Israel that harkened back to ‘20s-era films. The other was more modern.
93 minutes long.
2016 Restoration
Several months after the release of the previous restoration, David Adamitis contacted Lobster Films and gave them several cans of film, including some A negatives for The Lost World. These included color tints and missing scenes.
This was put together frame-by-frame by a three-man team over the course of six months using 2k technology and several other newly-discovered elements. Robert Israel composed another score for this one.
The music Israel composed included a Brazilian lullaby about a bogeyman called “Tutu Maramba,” which is sung by mothers to children to ward off evil so they may sleep. He adapted it to strings for the native girl playing guitar.
Season three of my always-essential blogs is off to a great start. This is going to be fun.
Next time YouTuber and up-and-coming filmmaker Kaiju Kim returns to continue the “Godzilla Redux” subseries by discussing Rodan (1956), which was the only non-Godzilla kaiju she watched a lot as a child. Then we get back to “Ameri-kaiju” with (hopefully) the original Tourist crew (Nick Hayden, Timothy Deal, Joe and Joy Metter) for King Kong (1933)’s spiritual sequel, Mighty Joe Young (1949). Exciting times for patriotic Kaiju Lovers ahead!
Hello, Kaiju Lovers! And welcome to season three of The Monster Island Film Vault! We begin 2022 with a brand new series focusing on giant monster films from the U.S.A., “Ameri-kaiju.” To launch this special occasion, Nate is joined by returning guest/YouTuber/author Ryan “The Omni Viewer” Collins (and his kaiju-muppet-thing sidekick, Snazzy, who butts heads with Nate’s sidekick, the intrepid producer Jimmy From NASA) to discuss the prototypical kaiju film, The Lost World (1925). You’re about to hear one of the most MIFV of MIFV episodes: literary analysis, film appreciation, witty banter, hilarious puns, and wild history. What more could you want?
Before the broadcast, Nate meets Dr. Nick Tatopoulos, the leader of H.E.A.T., in the KIJU breakroom (and pronounces the man’s name correctly) while fighting with the coffeemaker. Nick talks about his hostile history with the Island’s new boss, Cameron Winter—and then the crooked tycoon calls them on Nate’s phone!
So, you might be wondering what I was doing after that Scottish scallywag George Three tased me during Episode 55 (Yeti: Giant of the 20th Century). It’s actually quite simple, you see. I was conscious the entire time, of course, just biding my time. I would’ve probably “Kirk chopped” him sooner, but I got a little distracted playing Candy Crush on my phone. Then my battery died, and I thought, “Well, I should probably kill this bastard.” So, there I was, sitting in the room, fearing for my life. And then I rose up behind him, you see. It’s a good thing I’m a Star Trek fan or else I wouldn’t have thought of this, but I snuck up behind him and raised my arm to exact right degree (I spent a lot of time staring at William Shatner—I realize that might’ve sounded strange), and brought it right down in the perfect spot on his trapezius muscle to temporarily stop the blood flow to his booze-addled brain and knock him out. (If you, too, would like to learn to fight like Captain James T. Kirk and yours truly, check out the Kirk Fu Manual. I got it for Nate as a Christmas gift, and he’s working toward his blackbelt).
But I was still doing my due diligence as MIFV’s intrepid producer. I took some notes right under WHG3’s drunk nose. So, without further ado, here’s my final Jimmy’s Notes of season two.
For the record, gentlemen, this…movie was 118 minutes long when released in Italy, 105 minutes when released in the U.S., and is 101 minutes on blu-ray (and, I assume, on streaming). Not sure why.
The Night of the Lepus episode, Travis. That was the Kaiju Weekly episode you were thinking of when discussing how you don’t like intentionally bad movies.
I’m not 100% sure what “moose kaiju” movie that drunk was talking about, but I think it might be Moose: The Movie.
Here’s a gif of “disco yeti.” Read more about him here.
Travis was kind enough to provide me with the “Georgia Bigfoot” story he brought up.
If you think WHG3’s drunk profanities are bad, you should hear me after I pound down a few bottles of Jack Daniels. I make sailors blush.
Now, for the last time in season two, Nate’s leftover notes. (Actually, they’re the notes provided by that Scottish booze hound, but who’s keeping track?)
Yeti: Giant of the 20th Century Notes
THE MOVIE
Opening shot: the polar icecaps are melting. What does this have to do with anything? (Answer: everything. Don’t you pay attention to Greta Thunberg? –Jimmy)
Title’s in two completely different fonts. (So? –Jimmy)
Is the opening music a classic opera theme we hear in everything?
Why are they thawing this thing in the wild? (Best not to ask this movie questions. It might strangle you with its toes. –Jimmy)
The crowd can be seen through some objects in the effects.
I’M AN ELEPHANT! And King Kong! That roar gets reused.
Watch it! He’s got a tree! (He stole that move from Kong –Jimmy)
They’re not in a well, Lassie!
What do you know about cannibals?! (That they are what they eat. 😛 –Jimmy)
Did he catch a mama fish with a baby fish?!
Freaking yeti is horny after sleeping for a million years.
Those little tufts of “fur” reminded the yeti of his mate and family?
How? Just…how could he mistake the tiny humans for his “family”? At least with Kong the implication is he’s lonely.
Did this thing inspire the Yeti brand tumblers? (No. –Jimmy)
“Slavery”? That’s for people! Not yetis! (You species-ist bastard! 😛 –Jimmy)
Niagara Falls, you say? I’ve been there. Insert stock footage?
Remind me what those shady dealings have to do with anything?
Good grief, this wants SO MUCH to be King Kong. (We all have dreams –Jimmy)
The windows are TV screens! (Sounds like my apartment. –Jimmy)
Oh yeah, he’s totally hiding. In plain daylight when he’s 50-feet tall!
Oh yeah, a lamb who smashes builds, rips up elevators like weeds, and nearly kills a 100 people! (A sheep kaiju? –Jimmy)
Hulk van to the rescue?
How’d they get a breathing apparatus that big? (Again, don’t ask questions. It’s dangerous. –Jimmy)
How did Yeti know which one didn’t have Herbie?
The matte lines are very prominent at points on Yeti.
Why are you rolling and not running? (The questions! –Jimmy)
It’s a yeti miracle, I guess.
Other Sources
LeMay – Kong Unmade (1st and 2nd editions)
Yeti takes a paternal interest in Jane’s brother. He’s angered by flashbulbs (very Kong-esque).
A healthy number of extras in some scenes.
Says it’d make for a great double feature with The Mighty Peking Man.
Research on Yeti Cryptid
Radford:
“In March 1986, Anthony Wooldridge, a hiker in the Himalayas, saw what he thought was a Yeti standing in the snow near a ridge about 500 feet (152 meters) away. It didn’t move or make noise, but Wooldridge saw odd tracks in the snow that seemed to lead toward the figure. He took two photographs of the creature, which were later analyzed and proven genuine.”
“Many in the Bigfoot community seized upon the photos as clear evidence of a Yeti, including John Napier, an anatomist and anthropologist who had served as the Smithsonian Institution’s director of primate biology. Many considered it unlikely Wooldridge could have made a mistake because of his extensive hiking experience in the region. The following year, researchers returned to where Wooldridge had taken the photos and discovered that he had simply seen a dark rock outcropping that looked vertical from his position. It was all a mistake — much to the embarrassment of some Yeti believers.”
Cryptid Wiki
“The Yeti was even mentioned in pre-Buddhist cultures, such as the Lecha people, who worshiped a “Glacier Giant.” Tibetan and Nepalese monasteries have collected several skulls and bones of the yetis, some which preside in the Smithsonian Museum today. Although one of their specimens was proven to be a human bone, others contained the museum are still in question.”
“In 1832, James Prinsep’s Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal published an account by B.H. Hodgson, a trekker in Northern Nepal, in which he describes spotting a large bipedal creature covered in long dark hair. Hodgson believed it was an orangutan.”
Wikipedia
Reports of footprints started in 1899.
The famous Eric Shipton footprint photos of 1950 and the 1972 Cronin-McNeely footprint photo were deemed to be bear tracks by Daniel C. Taylor in 2017.
With this, my long-overdue final Jimmy’s Notes for season two of the show is complete. It’s just as surreal for me to write that as it is for Nate to say it on the air. 2021 was a crazy year, and while I’m not completely sold on the new boss, it can only go up from here. Right?
Did I ever tell you about the one time I infiltrated Solstice Technologies HQ with Monique Dupre? No, because that story is reserved for my autobiography.
On to season three! We launch “Ameri-kaiju” with what’s sure to be a deep literary discussion between Nate and YouTube personality Ryan “The Omni Viewer” Collins and his sidekick, Snazzy, on The Lost World (1925). That…whatever-he-is keeps trying to compete with me for best sidekick. He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with, obviously. Then “Godzilla Redux” continues with a small diversion: Rodan (1956). We’ll be joined by another YouTuber and returning guest: Kaiju Kim.
Hello, kaiju lovers! New year, new season! In 2022, The Monster Island Film Vault will focus not on a franchise but on a country: ‘Merica! Join Nate, his intrepid producer Jimmy From NASA, and the colorful cast of characters (in more ways than one) at KIJU as they examine 12 of the best (and most infamous) giant monster films to come out of the U.S. of A with “Ameri-kaiju.” All the while trying to deal with their new boss, Cameron Winter. Oh boy….
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.
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!
“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!
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.
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!
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).
