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Tag: MonsterVerse

Jimmy’s Notes on Episode 89 – ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ vs. Donny Winter vs. The Omni Viewer

Episode 89 (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire) is likely going to be our biggest episode of the year…and I took surprisingly few notes on it. I guess I was in a good mood during that broadcast. Or Nate and his guests, Donny and Omni (and Snazzy) had an “on day” that day (aside from Omni’s time displacement). Anyway, let’s get these over with so I can keep apologizing to, er, go on another date with Kaguya.

  • Belvera knows magic, but not tech. That’s why she asks me for help with enhancing Garugaru. But at this point, that little dragon is practically the Ship of Theseus. Poor thing.
  • This is why I make sure when I travel to the Hollow Earth that I calculate my coordinates exactly—freaking time travel! I hate it!
  • Nice job correcting yourself about GxK’s Japanese release date before I could, Nate. I’ve taught you well. (By the way, it releases April 26).
  • I can be a cantankerous pilot, too! “If ya die, do it outside my mecha!” I’m sure WHG3 would love my “dodgy” Scottish accent. Haha!
  • Again, Kong is an ape, not a monkey, Nate. I don’t even bother correcting you on the air about this now.
  • According to Wikizilla: “Suko’s name is likely derived from musuko (息子), the Japanese word for ‘son.’”
  • I remember the Great Flat Earth vs. Hollow Earth Battle. The Flat Earthers lost due to two-dimensional thinking.
  • Kurt Russell played R.J. MacReady in John Carpenter’s The Thing.
  • From wat I can tell, Estero, Florida, is doing well for itself. It became an incorporated village in 2014 and has a population of 36,000+. It’s home to the Hertz Arena, where the minor league hockey team Florida Everblades play.
  • Always listen to your producer, Nate! He knows what he’s talking about…when he wants to talk about it. 😛

Join MIFV MAX on Patreon to read Nate’s research notes, my script for the Entertaining Info Dump, and see the uncut original broadcast version of the episode.

Just like Nate, I’m also relieved that I don’t have a bunch of upcoming episodes I need to promote. Next week, we get back to The Monster Island World Tour with Elijah Thomas (Kaiju Conversation), who makes a heroic defense of the infamous Reptilian (aka Yonggary 2001). Then John LeMay and Neil Riebe join forces to do the same for All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla’s Revenge) as part of Godzilla Redux.

Until next time, remember…we shall overcome!

Social media:

#JimmyFromNASALives      #WeShallOvercome                #MonsterIslandFilmVault

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Episode 89 – ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ vs. Donny Winter vs. The Omni Viewer | “Godzilla Redux” x “Kong Quest”

Hello, Kaiju Lovers! It’s time to unpack the biggest kaiju release of 2024—Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire! For such a momentous occasion, Nate called upon YouTuber Donny Winter (Growing Up with Godzilla) and a “mystery guest”…who didn’t make it. Darn. So, he got the next best option: The Omni Viewer and his monster sidekick, Snazzy! They dive deep into the fifth entry of Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse series, unveiling its connections to classic pulp fiction and ‘80s pop culture—all without comparing it to Godzilla Minus One (for the most part) while also coining many memes. You’ll not find a more concentrated dose of positivity (and honesty) toward this escapist movie anywhere else. Since it’s set mostly in the Hollow Earth (and Nate almost researched this for Godzilla vs. Kong), the Toku Topic is Hollow Earth theory.

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode on the MIFV website!

Donny’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DonnyWinter

Omni’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@omniviewer2115

Check out our sponsor, The World of Nebulon, from TokUSA Studios on Kickstarter!

Additional Music:

  • “Here We Go” by Chris Classic
  • “Here We Go (Godzilla vs Kong) [Epic Version]” by Sh4d0wStrider
  • “Galaxy Quest (instrumental)” by HeavenWraith

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons 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, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Robert Kidd, Leon Campbell, and Michael Watson! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE!

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

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Timestamps:

  • Introduction: 0:00-10:23
  • Entertaining Info Dump: 10:23-21:30
  • Toku Talk: 21:30-2:35:05
  • Ad (World of Nebulon Kickstarter): 2:35-05-2:36:12
  • Toku Topic (Hollow Earth theory): 2:36:12-3:10:38
  • Outro: 3:10:38-3:27:52
  • Credits: 3:27:52-end

Podcast Social Media:

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault     #MonsterVerse            #GodzillaxKongTheNewEmpire        #Godzilla        #KingKong

© 2024 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

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“I Will Not Fight You” | ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ | One Monstrous Moment: Year of the Dragon Edition

With Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire upon us, friend of the podcast Ryan “The Omni Viewer” Collins is holding another “One Monstrous Moment” series, the “Year of the Dragon Edition.” I’m going about as “on brand” with it as you can with a discussion of the ending of Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). I was struck by it when I first saw it, and I’m struck by it now. It’s exemplifies pacifism, the so-called “sigma male,” and a proper understanding of meekness (strength under control). What say you?

Script by Nathan Marchand.

Additional music:

  • “For Her Soul” by RoeTaKa

Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org.

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons 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, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Edwin Gonzalez, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Robert Kidd, Leon Campbell, and Michael Watson! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE!

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

Podcast Social Media:

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault     #YearoftheDragonEdition            #kaiju  #OneMonstrousMoment        #Kong             #Godzilla        #KingKong

© 2024 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

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Special Report #6, Part 1 – Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (Eps. 1-6)

Hello, Kaiju Lovers! In the part one of a two-part compilation of weekly podcasts originally made for MIFV MAX members on Patreon, Nate breaks down and analyzes the first six episodes of AppleTV+’s MonsterVerse series, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. It starts off strong, but like many Americans, it gets squishy in the middle. The flashback storyline is definitely better than the “present day” (2015) story arc, but both Wyatt and Kurt Russell are impressive playing the same character in two time periods.

Continued in part 2: https://monsterislandfilmvault.com/?p=2097.

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons 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, Eli Harris, Bex from Redeemed Otaku; Jake Hambrick, Edwin Gonzalez, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), and Jonathan Courtright! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE!

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

Timestamps:

  • Intro/Episode 1, “Aftermath”: 0:00-38:02
  • Episode 2, “Departure”: 38:02-58:57
  • Episode 3, “Secrets and Lies”: 58:57-1:22:46
  • Episode 4, “Parallels and Interiors”: 1:22:46-1:41:40
  • Episode 5, “The Way Out”: 1:41:40-2:21:28
  • Episode 6, “Terrifying Miracles”: 2:21:28-2:56:36

Podcast Social Media:

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault    

© 2023, 2024 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

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Special Report #3: ‘Skull Island’ (Netflix “Anime,” 2023) | Ft. The Cel Cast

Hello, Kaiju Lovers! We interrupt our regular episode schedule for a “special report” on the Skull Island “anime” from Netflix and Powerhouse Animation. (Yes, the first “special report” was an experiment and the other a gag, but work with us). Obviously, Nate calls on his animation experts, Drew and Jacob of The Cel Cast, to discuss this, well, train wreck. SPOILER WARNING: It’s the worst thing in the MonsterVerse (although, its place in that shared universe is dubious). It has maybe 1.5 good episodes out of eight. But prepare yourselves, Kaiju Lovers, for Nate to “cross the podcast streams” for the most epic “rantmaster” ever on MIFV! (Take that, Little Orphan Annie!)

Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org.

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip.

Read Kaiju Ramen Magazine (https://kaijuramenmedia.com/).

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Travis Alexander; Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Eli Harris (elizilla13); Chris Cooke (host of One Cross Radio); Bex from Redeemed Otaku; Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Brad “Batman” Eddleman, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Jake Hambrick, Edwin Gonzalez, Matthew Walsh, and Jonathan Courtright! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop)

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

Timestamps:

  • Intro: 0:00-15:47
  • Main Discussion: 15:47-1:42:52
    • Plot: 15:47-32:20
    • Style: 32:20-51:39
    • Theme: 51:39-59:19
    • Characters: 59:19-1:42:52
  • Housekeeping & Outro: 1:42:52-end

Podcast Social Media:

  • Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheMonsterIsla1)
  • Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MonsterIslandFilmVault/)
  • Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/monsterislandfilmvault/)
  • Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy (https://twitter.com/nasajimmy?lang=en)
  • Follow the Monster Island Board of Directors on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD (https://twitter.com/MonsterIslaBOD)
  • Follow the Raymund Martin and the MIFV Legal Team on Twitter: @MIFV_LegalTeam
  • Follow Crystal Lady Jessica on Twitter: @CystalLadyJes1 (https://twitter.com/CrystalLadyJes1)
  • Follow Dr. Dourif on Twitter: @DrDorif (https://twitter.com/DrDoriff)

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault       #kaiju            #SkullIslandAnime     #kong  #kingkong       #netflix           #anime

© 2023 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

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The Monster Island Gatekeepers Podcast, Episode 2: The One Where Willie Weeps

While contemplating if raiding the Boardroom is a good idea, Nate stumbles across the second episode of the Monster Island Gatekeepers podcast, which was broadcast April 1, 2022. It features a half-drunk William H. George III attempting to discuss how, contrary to popular belief, loving the MonsterVerse makes one a true kaiju fan—with the Old Janitor. Hilarity ensues.

Listen to episode one here: https://tinyurl.com/MI-Gatekeepers-1.

Story by Nathan Marchand, Michael Hamilton, and Daniel DiManna. Written by Nathan Marchand.

Guest Cast

  • Michael Hamilton as William H. George III
  • Daniel DiManna as The Old Janitor

Additional music:

  • “Masterpiece Theatre Theme (Rondeau)” by Jean-Joseph Mouret, Eric Hammerstein, and London Promenade Orchestra

Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org, including those by InspectorJ.

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Travis Alexander; Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Eli Harris (elizilla13); Bex from Redeemed Otaku; Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Brad “Batman” Eddleman, Christopher Riner, and The Indiscrite One! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop)

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

Podcast Social Media:

  • Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheMonsterIsla1)
  • Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MonsterIslandFilmVault/)
  • Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/monsterislandfilmvault/)
  • Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy (https://twitter.com/nasajimmy?lang=en)
  • Follow the Monster Island Board of Directors on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD (https://twitter.com/MonsterIslaBOD)
  • Follow the Raymund Martin and the MIFV Legal Team on Twitter: @MIFV_LegalTeam
  • Follow Crystal Lady Jessica on Twitter: @CystalLadyJes1 (https://twitter.com/CrystalLadyJes1)
  • Follow Dr. Dourif on Twitter: @DrDorif (https://twitter.com/DrDoriff)

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault      #MonsterIslandGatekeepers            #kaiju  #MonsterVerse           #AprilFools

© 2023 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

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MIFV MAX #14: Netflix’s ‘Troll’ (2022) | Ft. Michael Hamilton and Daniel DiManna (abridged)

As a warm-up to MIFV season 4—“The Monster Island World Tour”—Nathan and his friends Michael Hamilton and Daniel DiManna discuss Netflix’s new Norwegian kaiju movie, Troll. Is this a secret MonsterVerse film? Is it pulling from the same lore as 2010’s Trollhunter? What do Norwegian fairytales say about trolls? All these questions and more are discussed and answered by Nathan and two trolls he calls “friends”!

To hear the uncut version, where Nathan interviews Michael and Danny about their voice acting work on MIFV, join MIFV MAX on Patreon using the link below.

Additional music:

  • “Legends of Warcraft” by PSK

Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org, including those by InspectorJ.

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip.

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

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop)

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

Podcast Social Media:

  • Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheMonsterIsla1)
  • Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MonsterIslandFilmVault/)
  • Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/monsterislandfilmvault/)
  • Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy (https://twitter.com/nasajimmy?lang=en)
  • Follow the Monster Island Board of Directors on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD (https://twitter.com/MonsterIslaBOD)
  • Follow the Raymund Martin and the MIFV Legal Team on Twitter: @MIFV_LegalTeam
  • Follow Crystal Lady Jessica on Twitter: @CystalLadyJes1 (https://twitter.com/CrystalLadyJes1)
  • Follow Dr. Dourif on Twitter: @DrDorif (https://twitter.com/DrDoriff)

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault      #Netflix          #Troll

© 2022 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

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Jimmy’s Notes on Episode 37 – ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ & Bonus Episode 7: ‘Gammera the Invincible’

You’re getting a twofer today. I’ve got notes on both episode 37 (which has proven to be one of our most popular episodes yet) and the bonus episode on Gammera the Invincible. For the latter, I didn’t take any notes, but Nate had some of his own left over. I’m just as surprised as you are.

Admittedly, much of my notes on the episode are rants about Snazzy, but they must be said.

  • Snazzy was a little bugger! He’s lucky he didn’t hit the emergency evacuation button and launch KIJU into space…or at least to the Japanese beach. Again. (Seriously, we’ve had two incidents where something or someone from the Island ended up on the Japanese coastline. Just ask Nate).
  • “Sidekick Central”? That sounds like some fifth-rate comic book company making a rip-off of the Teen Titans. Either that or a humor comic about all the kids who keep getting employed by Batman as sidekicks. (I hope Eric Elliott is reading this).
  • I have a lot of ironically-named buttons on my board. That way no one is quite sure how to properly use it, creating some job security for me. For example, I labeled the caller button “Bidi-Bidi,” the mute button “Mando,” and the volume control dial “Marchand.”
  • Those aren’t “mandibles,” Nate. They aren’t in Mothra’s mouth. Those are claws. Or as this image on mantis anatomy says, “double-spined murder clamps.”
  • Dante’s Inferno describes Satan as having three faces but not necessarily three heads. That’s close enough to Ghidorah, though.
  • “Boisters”? You meant “bolsters,” Brandon.
  • I will not be replaced by…whatever Snazzy is! My guess is he’s a “Whatever” like Gonzo.

Here are Nate’s leftover notes:

The Film

  • I like this movie. I always have. The problem I have is many of the others who also say they like this movie give the worst reasons for liking it. (i.e. “It’s supposed to be bad like the old movies!”) (Idiots making everyone look bad. –Jimmy)
  • The opening is very Gamera 3. Characters lose loved one during a kaiju attack but the kaiju meant no harm. (The whole MonsterVerse stole from the Gamera Heisei trilogy. –Jimmy)
  • Dougherty said in his commentary that he saw Mothra’s lifecycle as reincarnation. Each Mothra generation inherits the memories of the past ones. It adds a spiritual element and fits with what’s implied in the Japanese films. It’s also in keeping, as I’ve noted, with Shinto teachings.
  • I will admit not all of the film’s jokes work. “Ghidorah-gonorrhea” is the best example of a bad one. “Dude hates Titans,” is also a bit too on the nose to be funny. I know one podcast said they expected better jokes from Dougherty. (We’ve called Ghidorah worse around here, most of which isn’t fit to print. –Jimmy)
  • The “intimidation display” scene is one of the best in the film. It’s suspenseful and scary. I confess I jumped in the theater when I first saw it. It’s also a clever expansion.
  • The death of Dr. Graham is cited as an issue. It’s similar to how the elder Brody died about 45 minutes in. Jason Barr defended that by saying it shows that no characters are safe.
  • It is a little astonishing that Emma Russell has a Ted Talk prepared when she makes her villain speech. I’ve heard people call her crazy, but there are people who think like her. And if you think people won’t do crazy things because of grief, you’re mistaken. As for Mark saying it won’t bring their son back, it make sense because he was getting to the heart of the matter. She’s always conflicted throughout the film. Alan Jonah is the true believer.
  • Am I the only one who thought the climax taking place at Fenway with the “Green Monster” was intentionally ironic? (Maybe. As a Yankees fan, I enjoyed seeing it get destroyed. 😛 –Jimmy)
  • I’m really tired of the “day battles” people. Stuff like this and Pacific Rim is set at night—as someone on Twitter pointed out—because with their colorful attacks and abilities, they show up better. Kong: Skull Island is in the day because those earthy colors and less flashy creatures look better. It isn’t always some excuse to hide SFX flaws.

KOTM Spirituality

  • Godzilla is also similar to God in the OT, casting out humanity from Paradise after violating the natural order, or even the God who flooded the Earth to wipe it clean of humanity’s moral bankruptcy.
  • Rodan, to a certain extent, could be seen as Judas figure, bowing to whoever he sees as the strongest alpha. Unlike Judas, he survives his betrayal and, so it seems, is repentant.
  • Humanity must make peace with these “gods” and realize they are not the most powerful beings on Earth, even with all their weapons.
  • Godzilla, while born out of war, has evolved since then, taking on more significance while not losing his roots as an atomic allegory. “This art born of war, this new mythology, makes Godzilla and his fellow beasts of burden, like Mothra, Gamera and Rodan, not unlike the American superheroes who became a means for children and adults to process WWII and instill a sense of patriotism. And like those caped and costumed heroes, these giant monsters have seen their share of evolution and rebooting over the years in order to better reflect the society that relies on them.”
  • “There’s still that element of fear, fear of dying off, fear of destroying the world, but King of the Monsters suggests that fear doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Fear can drive our desire to reconnect with our earth and also our gods. Humanity’s fear in this context is a positive aspect as both a call to action and a reminder of a human need to be made aware of our modest scale and to feel in awe of something again. King of the Monsters is about relinquishing control.”

KOTM and The Nuclear Agenda

  • Tell us what you got from that long fortune cookie.
  • Radiation is used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)

Here’s what’s left from Gamera-Double-M:

  • I wasn’t allowed to watch the RiffTrax. (Too similar to MST3K, apparently. –Jimmy)
  • Arrow’s presentation is by far the best this has ever looked compared to the numerous cheap releases because it’s public domain. Ring in pig’s snout.
  • “Red alert.” I can’t hear that without thinking of Star Trek. This was before ST.
  • Newspapers in English.
  • “Papa-san”? (This line was odd. Like most of the movie. –Jimmy)
  • The dubbed dialogue actually says Gammera will starve in a month. (They underestimate that big turtle. It’d take at least two months. –Jimmy)
  • I don’t remember the establishing interior shots in the Plan Z facility. (But I love them! I took a tour of the place once. I almost wish I worked there. –Jimmy)
  • It says “Sayonara Gammera” and “The End” at the end. (A fitting place to finish my notes. –Jimmy)

With King of the Monsters out of the way, it’s time for the culmination of the “Kong Quest” with the long-overdue Godzilla vs. Kong. There was quite an eventful premiere for it on the Island. Trust me, I know because I tried to have a rematch with the big ape in Mechani-Kong Mk. 2. Yep. Nate was joined by his friend and collaborator, Eric Anderson, for that special broadcast. Then we return to the “Year of Gamera” with a film dramatizing one of the most exciting chapters of life, Gamera vs. Viras. We’ll be joined by two of the hosts from The Drift Space podcast, J.R. Villers and my barroom brawl opponent Jack “GMan” Hudgens (I’ll happily take a rematch).

Until then, remember: #WeShallOvercome

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

Follow MIBOD on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD
Follow Raymund Martin (The MIFV Legal Team) on Twitter: @MIFV_LegalTeam
Follow Crystal Lady Jessica on Twitter: @CrystalLadyJes1

#JimmyFromNASALives

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 14 – Dallas Mora vs. Kong: Skull Island’

Having spent a few weeks bandaging my bruised ego after the Island’s Board of Directors bamboozled me, I’ve decided to channel my inner Joel Robinson by riffing Nathan and Dallas’ discussion of Kong: Skull Island. That always cheers me up. (That and Baby Yoda).

Here we go!

  • Dallas meant to say “Goji-Kong” and not “Goji-kun.” He gave our mascots/resident gremlins that “duo name” before the broadcast but misspoke on the air.
  • The actor from Godzilla (2014) and Avengers: Age of Ultron Nathan couldn’t remember was Aaron Taylor-Johnson. You lost some serious nerd points there, Marchand. (Also, he was the star of Kick-Ass).
  • IMDB does claim that James Conrad was likely named after author Joseph Conrad. It also mentions that Marlow was named after the protagonist in the author’s most famous novel, heart of Darkness. But this is IMDB we’re talking about here, so it may require a kaiju-sized grain of salt.
  • The Legendary Godzilla actually appeared throughout history and inspired mythologies, but this was between long naps. He was awakened by nuclear submarine on accident in 1954, which led to the Castle Bravo test meant to kill him.
  • Nathan neglected to mention that the town of Brookings, Oregon, has a 400-year-old samurai sword from a Japanese fighter pilot on display. Read about it here.
  • It was five months after the Cubs won (October 2016-March 2017). Nathan, you never were good at math-ing.
  • The name of Marlow’s Japanese friend was Gunpei Ikari. You lost some more nerd points there, Nathan.
  • The name of the Chinese actress was Jing Tian. Her role was originally larger, but it was reduced through cuts to the movie. Interestingly, in Chinese her role is described as “hua ping” which refers to a vase. As in an insignificant role.
  • The actor who played young Marlow and Marlow’s son was Will Britain.
  • No, I will not share the vacation photo I slipped into the slideshow briefing. The Internet couldn’t handle it.
  • It’s called a dump button, Nathan. “Drop button.” Sheesh!
  • Oldboy is no longer on Netflix, at least in the U.S.
  • Dallas, you said “literally” when you meant “figuratively”! I’m surprised Nathan didn’t chew you out for that. I would’ve said something, but it wasn’t that important.
  • Actually, from what I can tell, U.S. troop deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq are comparable to the Vietnam War. There’ve been 775,000 troops deployed at least once to Afghanistan. Mind you, those weren’t all at once. There were 340,000 U.S. troops stationed in and around Iraq when Baghdad fell in 2005, with 235,000 engaged in the war.
  • “Eight month hiatus” for the “Kong Quest” (ba-dun-ching)? More like seven months, Nathan (April-November). Again, you’ve never been good with numbers. 😛

And now to fulfill my contractual obligations, here are Nathan’s leftover notes:

The Film

  • Starts in WWII. Conflict between American and Japanese fighter pilot. Foreshadows Kong and Godzilla? The Japanese pilot is never seen after the opening, which is disappointing.
  • Young Marlow is a terrible shot.
  • “Skull Island: The land where God did not finish creation.” Interesting. “A place where myth and science meet.” Describes the MonsterVerse.
  • It’s implied that Hiddleston is also a disgraced soldier hardened by the war and the public.
  • Larson gives a much better performance here than in Captain Marvel. I actually like her here. She isn’t a block of wood.
  • This briefing scene is similar to one from Kong ’76. The island is also obscured by a perpetual storm, which is like the fog of ’76, but a little crazy.
  • How many helicopters are there? The number seems to shift.
  • I can’t help but think the close-ups of the Nixon bobblehead during Jackson’s Icarus speech and whatnot are meant to be commentaries on the war and foolhardiness. 
  • Once they reach the island in 27 minutes, it really starts to feel like Apocalypse Now. That’s interesting because this film was largely shot in Vietnam. Director Vogt-Roberts became very fond of the country.
  • Kong’s anti-copter tree attack returns from King Kong Escapes!
  • This version of Skull Island has the most diverse wildlife. The giant buffalo is one of the most interesting.
  • The hollow Earth theory is brought up here for the first time.
  • I’ve been told the soldier being impaled by the bamboo spider was inspired by a film I never want to see: Cannibal Holocaust.
  • In this film we see Kong hunt.
  • The natives here are a bit odd. They have no crime or personal property (“beyond all that”). They don’t speak much. They have hallowed ground dedicated to Kong and will cut off people’s hands if they touch the wrong thing.
  • Kong is the god of the island, but the devils live below. “Kong is king around here.” Said like that because of copyright? This breaks the tradition of “King” not being given to him until he’s taken to civilization.
  • There’s still a wall like in most Kong films.
  • I feel sorry for this young guy. He wanders around alone for a long time and dies alone.
  • “The dangerous places are the most beautiful.” -Conrad
  • Like in 2005, Kong is lonely and the last of his kind, but he doesn’t seek companionship from a specific human. The closest is the tribe, which he protects.
  • The scientist getting dismembered by the lizard birds is…gruesome. Visceral.
  • “I’ve taken enough photos of mass graves to recognize one.” I don’t think this quite qualifies.
  • John Goodman gets killed off too soon, although he does help set up a cool set piece. He reminds me of the professor from Jurassic Park.
  • Man, that katana is sharp! It slices through lizard bird like paper!
  • There’s a lot of respect shown to the military and soldiers in this film.
  • In some ways, this film is an overcompensation for the perceived “problems” of G2014. The daylight complaint I’m tired of hearing. Some say it’s because it’s easier to hide SFX problems at night, but in this film, the characters aren’t brightly colored or have colorful attacks, so daylight makes sense.
  • FPS shots!
  • Kong is angry not only because his family is dead and he’s the last of his kind, but also because humans and Skullcrawlers keep invading his home. He attacks and kills humans intentionally because of this (unlike Godzilla). (Omni Viewer).
  • Packard dies just before Jackson can say his “famous line.”
  • 1:37:00: Vertigo shot!
  • Once again Kong is caught in chains that he breaks. In this case, it wasn’t chains of captivity. Strength overcoming hardship. He then uses them and the boat rotors as weapons.
  • Kong saves Mason and golds her in his hand, but that’s the closest we get to classic Kong. Miraculously, she isn’t crushed in his hand when the Big One swallows Kong’s hand. Good thing she was unconscious.
  • Kong kills the Big One, it’s implied, out of gratitude for the protagonists helping him with Packard.
  • Director Vogt-Roberts wanted Kong to move like a mech, which is weird.
  • Vogt-Roberts went on a Twitter rant when CinemaSins released their video on the film.
  • Vogt-Roberts says he was reinventing the story not as man vs. nature but as man vs. god. Didn’t want to retell the beauty and the beast story.
  • Vogt-Roberts says in the 1970s, people were actively destroying myth, but these characters go where it still exists.
  • Kong needs to be huge to small his grandiosity, humans in the shadow of the colossus.
  • Vogt-Roberts says he loves flawed characters because that makes them interesting.
  • Vogt-Roberts did hope that people walked away wondering what role myth and nature play in their lives.
  • Early concepts were more gorilla-like, but Vogt-Roberts wanted him to be more movie monster, more Neanderthal-like.
  • ILM used komodo dragons, deer, and buffalo for reference for the Skullcrawlers. Looked at how deer and buffalo thrust their heads getting up.
  • Those working on the film say every Kong film brings with it technical innovation.
  • Most Americans know Vietnam through the war, and those photos were from the siuth. The north has completely different landscape. “Like a matte paiting.” –Vogt-Roberts
  • Brie Larson worked with real photographer and war correspondents. Her camera was real. She took photos on set. On blu-ray. Some used in film, some not.
  • Symbols painted on Iwi skin and woven into their clothing as form of communication and camouflage. They’re not indigenous. Collection of people who were stranded on island.
  • Post-credit scene wasn’t always in film. Vogt-Roberts believed in it, but it took a new technician who hadn’t seen the film before to say it should be included.

The Toku Topic

  • Soldiers grew more restless and doubted their purpose for being there and the government’s reasoning for doing so. Many suffered from PTSD and turned to vices like drugs. “On the collapse of U.S. morale, historian Shelby Stanton wrote: ‘In the last years of the Army’s retreat, its remaining forces were relegated to static security. The American Army’s decline was readily apparent in this final stage. Racial incidents, drug abuse, combat disobedience, and crime reflected growing idleness, resentment, and frustration… the fatal handicaps of faulty campaign strategy, incomplete wartime preparation, and the tardy, superficial attempts at Vietnamization. An entire American army was sacrificed on the battlefield of Vietnam.’” (Wikipedia)
  • ROTC enrollment dropped drastically from 191,749 in 1966 to 72,459 by 1971, and reached an all-time low of 33,220 in 1974,” depriving the military of much-needed leadership. (Wikipedia)
  • “In 1970, a joint U.S-South Vietnamese operation invaded Cambodia, hoping to wipe out DRV supply bases there. The South Vietnamese then led their own invasion of Laos, which was pushed back by North Vietnam. … The invasion of these countries, in violation of international law, sparked a new wave of protests on college campuses across America. During one, on May 4, 1970, at Kent State University in Ohio, National Guardsmen shot and killed four students. At another protest 10 days later, two students at Jackson State University in Mississippi were killed by police.” (History.com)
  • There was much insubordination among the ranks as the war went on (which sounds like the film when Packard’s men turn on him). “Ron Milam has questioned the severity of the ‘breakdown’ of the U.S. armed forces, especially among combat troops, as reflecting the opinions of ‘angry colonels’ (can you say Packard?) who deplored the erosion of traditional military values during the Vietnam War. Although acknowledging serious problems, he questions the alleged ‘near mutinous’ conduct of junior officers and enlisted men in combat. Investigating one combat refusal incident, a journalist declared, ‘A certain sense of independence, a reluctance to behave according to the military’s insistence on obedience, like pawns or puppets…The grunts [infantrymen] were determined to survive…they insisted of having something to say about the making of decisions that determined whether they might live or die.’ The morale and discipline problems and resistance to conscription were important factors leading to the creation of an all-volunteer military force by the United States and the termination of conscription. The last conscript was inducted into the army in 1973. The all-volunteer military moderated some of the coercive methods of discipline previously used to maintain order in military ranks.”
  • “President Ronald Reagan coined the term ‘Vietnam Syndrome’ to describe the reluctance of the American public and politicians to support further military interventions abroad after Vietnam. In the same speech, he voiced support for the war and its veterans, saying, “It is time we recognized that ours was, in truth, a noble cause. A small country newly free from colonial rule sought our help in establishing self-rule and the means of self-defense against a totalitarian neighbor bent on conquest. We dishonor the memory of 50,000 young Americans who died in that cause when we give way to feelings of guilt as if we were doing something shameful, and we have been shabby in our treatment of those who returned. They fought as well and as bravely as any Americans have ever fought in any war. They deserve our gratitude, our respect, and our continuing concern.”
  • “The Vietnam War POW/MIA issue, concerning the fate of U.S. service personnel listed as missing in action, persisted for many years after the war’s conclusion. The costs of the war loom large in American popular consciousness; a 1990 poll showed that the public incorrectly believed that more Americans lost their lives in Vietnam than in World War II.” (Wikipedia)

That’s everything for this week. My apologies for posting it late. With us pumping out bonus episodes to entertain and enlighten everyone in quarantine thanks to COVID-19, the episode took precedence over my blog.

Regardless, next week you’ll hear Nathan’s discussion of Battle in Outer Space—the second entry in Toho’s “pseudo-trilogy”—with Luke Jaconetti from the Earth Destruction Directive podcast. Then for the first episode in May, Nathan starts what could be called the “Summer of Mothra” with a discussion of Rebirth of Mothra with Bex from the Redeemed Otaku podcast.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

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