Join your favorite kaiju podcasts–including The Monster Island Film Vault–for Kaiju Quarantine, an epic watch party that will lift everyone’s spirits in these troubled times! They’ll provide informative and humorous commentary during this two-day movie marathon April 4-5. We’ll watch kaiju classics old and new, popular and obscure, good and…not-so-good. Join the Discord server while space is still available! Listen to hear more about the event.
(Click here to hear trailer #1 at the end of our latest episode).
Kaiju Quarantine: Come together right now…over kaiju!
It’s an epic episode for
an epic movie! No, not that stupid
parody film. Nathan is joined by Daniel DiManna, the creator and author of The Godzilla
Novelization Project, to discuss Peter Jackson HUGE 2005 remake of King Kong. (Although, Danny had to
survive a harrowing trip to Monster Island with the podcast’s intrepid
producer, Jimmy From NASA, and a
certain robot dinosaur to do so). Only Peter Jackson, who was fresh off of The Lord of the Rings, could’ve made a
three hour film about a giant monkey, er, ape. Nathan and Danny do a deep dive
into the film’s characters, themes, and story while struggling not to get Jack
Driscoll and Jack Black confused. They freely admit this is the one giant
monster movie that makes them cry. They also learn that the young man named
Jimmy in this film may or may not be the podcast’s producer. (Confused? Join
the club). The Toku Topic is vaudeville since Ann Darrow in this film is a
vaudeville performer before getting work on Carl Denham’s movie.
Nathan promises to not
make a habit of producing episodes that cross what Danny calls “the Kurosawa
threshold.” 😛
Timestamps: Intro: 0:00-6:08
Entertaining Info Dump: 6:08-15:29
Toku Talk: 15:29-1:55:52
Toku Topic: 1:55:52-2:29:43
Outro: 2:29:43-end
King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray
to Peter Jackson by Ray Morton
“King Kong’s
Melancholy: A Reading of Peter Jackson’s King
Kong” by Cynthia Erb (from Tracking
King Kong: A Hollywood Icon in World Culture, 2nd Edition)
Kong Unmade: The Lost Films of Skull Island by John LeMay
A Night in Vaudeville (King Kong Blu-Ray)
Recreating the Eighth Wonder: The Making of King Kong (King
Kong Blu-Ray)
In Nathan’s continuing
series of mini-sodes on films covered by Bran Scherschel on Kaijuvision Radio
after Nathan left the show, he examines Ishiro Honda’s overlooked 1958 kaiju
film Varan the Unbelievable (or Daikaiju Baran). While Honda didn’t
think much of it (especially after its tumultuous production when the American
TV network co-producing it pulled out), it was the first kaiju film written for
Toho by the fabled Shinichi Sekizawa. The second half is a by-the-numbers
monster movie, but the first half is intriguing because it touches on then contemporary
issues with the burakumin, a
discriminated social class in Japan. Their name means “village people” (no, not
the disco band!), and they were essentially the “untouchables” of Japanese
culture for centuries. When seen through that lens, this film offers more than
a cool kaiju.
After that, Nathan reads
some listener feedback, including a letter from someone who offers some
clarification on the (in)famous Batman
Meets Godzilla script.
Speaking of which, Batman Meets Godzilla,
one of the craziest yet most intriguing lost projects made famous by John
LeMay’s book, The Big Book of Japanese
Giant Monster Movies: The Lost Films (which now has a new “mutated”
edition), is being adapted into a fan-made comic book miniseries!
T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY:
Everyone who shares the Facebook and Twitter posts for this episode (or tags
the show when they share it themselves) will be entered for a drawing for a Batman Meets Godzilla T-shirt. (One
entry per person per social media). Entries will be taken from February 26 to March
4 at 11:59pm (EST). The winner must then send Nathan his/her shirt size, shirt
color, and mailing address to be forwarded to the team at Batman Meets Godzilla. Here’s a link to the Tee Public site with this
epic shirt.
Last week’s episode on King Kong Liveswas certainly an interesting one. It was both informative and entertaining. Nathan “survived” in true Mystery Science Theatre 3000 fashion while John LeMay made a valiant defense of the movie. I did not pipe in as much because, as listeners will remember, John and I had a spat when I refused to show him my garage. I did not get a chance to explain it was because I needed to make sure it was clean and safe for visitors. That was all.
Anyway, here are my notes
on the episode:
I did not want to disappoint you on the air, John, but I am actually a natural brunette. I dye my hair red. In other words, I still have a soul. Or did I lose it when I dyed my hair?
About those so-called “magic artificial hearts”: The Island’s Board of Directors acquired Dr. Amy Franklin’s design and attempted to improve upon it. I can neither confirm nor deny that experiments may have been conducted on kaiju that aren’t as big a draw for Tourists….
Baby Kong was played by seven-year-old Benjamin Kechley. And yes, I think he should have bragging rights for life.
Surprisingly, Nathan was wrong about the Superman film John was talking about. (He is as obsessed with superheroes as he is kaiju. God help me when he takes a deep dive into Ultraman…). It was Superman II from 1980 that had the Eiffel Tower scene, which did involve terrorists with hostages and a bomb. You can watch it here and here.
I have a plenty of material to do a War in Space panel at G-Fest, John. I mean, I lived it. And miraculously survived it. But like Nathan said, someone has to take care of the studio while he is gone, and we are more or less a two-man operation. Maybe I will get some time off when the film’s 45th anniversary rolls around….
Here’s a link to the Godziban playlist on the official Toho Godzilla YouTube channel. It is the show Nathan and John mention briefly where Godzilla Junior and Minya get along. I cannot vouch for its accuracy.
John is both right and wrong about the dinosaur fights in the Lovelace novelization. Kong does fight a triceratops—several, in fact—but he later he also fights a “meat-eater” dinosaur, which may or may not have been a T-Rex. There is some debate over it.
It’s “Monsterverse” not “Godzilla universe,” John. 😛
The confusing things about Kong: King of Skull Island is there appears to be two of them. Maybe? Here is this on Amazon (and Wikizilla), but there’s also a Kickstarter for an illustrated version in 2018. I am guessing the latter is what sparked the lawsuit they mention.
The person John could not remember who pitched Skull Island: Blood of the Kong with Neil Marshall was Simon Uttley.
The Kong Netflix series is Kong: King of the Apes. It is a children’s series and currently has two seasons. Here is a link to its official page.
Here
are the many notes Nathan did not get to during the episode. Admittedly, some
of them are riffs that require context not given in the note. Basically, watch
the film chronologically (if you dare!) and you may be able to find what he is
talking about. So, buckle up because there is a lot.
They edited in different roars for the flashback. Not as good.
I wonder how much Bridges and Lange were paid for that stock footage?
Music courtesy of John Williams’ leftovers.
How is Kong not a furry mound of jelly?
Admittedly, this continuous opening shot for the credits isn’t bad.
We see Lady Kong in less than 8 minutes. (Kong meets a female of his species and suddenly forgets about blondes?) (Mrs. Kong theory from episode 4).
“Can you hear me now?” Verizon, anyone?
“I’m in love with a gorilla!”
Disneyland? Why not Universal Studios?
“The only living ape.” Because all the normal-sized ones have died out in ten years?
“I left a trail of bananas.” Don’t make fun of yourself, movie. That’s my job!
As usual, Kong breaks his chains of captivity.
Did those apes just have a love at first sight moment?
Yeah, the dozers will stop him.
“They’ll need a doctor after they get a whiff of this gas.” I never should’ve eaten that breakfast burrito!
The action hero trope: the big bad male hero can take a beating and not flinch, but he winces when a woman tends his wounds. Nice job, Kong.
Are those natives on Kong’s Island burnt out drunks like Jack said? Would they let outsiders build a reserve then?
Welcome to Movie Land, where people fall in love and make out at the drop of a hat. Justification: This is what primates do.
Oh no! The flamethrowers return! How is Kong not PTSD-ing right now?
There’s a torrential downpour, but the sun is out.
There are a lot of pop culture references in this. Indiana Jones. Deliverance. Juicy Fruit.
You’re telling me none of the doctors the military brought in figured out Lady Kong was pregnant?
There are points this feels more like a post-1976 King Kong knockoff than an actual Kong film.
Don’t you guys know that Kong hates flashbulbs?
“Well, Kong, you’ve killed now. Nothing will stop them from killing you now.” Did you miss the first movie?
Kong is a tactician. He throws pocket sand at the military before attacking. 😛 (“Pocket sand!” -Dale from King of the Hill).
These are Nathan’s
leftover notes from King Kong: History of
a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson by Ray Morton:
De Laurentiis
wanted to do a sequel from get-go. At one point even discussed a
Frankenstein-like idea with Semple.
Sequel never
manifested because De Laurentiis was either disappointed it didn’t out-gross Jaws or because he didn’t want to have
to deal with Universal.
In the ensuing
years, he bought Embassy Pictures and made it into his own studio, De
Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG).
John Guillermin
returned as director. Both he and De Laurentiis had lost sons in the
intervening years, so their relationship had mellowed.
Carlo Rambaldi was
brought back on for the special effects. He’d won several Oscars for his work
since 1976.
Despite not liking
the script, Brian Kerwin took the role because he was offered lots and money
and he was the lead. He said later that monkey was the lead and he was set
dressing. He also wanted to be picked up by Kong.
New suit actors were
brought in, both male. Kong’s hair was Icelandic yak fur.
They tried to make
Kong ’86 look like Kong ’76, but it didn’t quite work. The former is brown and
the latter black. Face was different with more expressive mask.
Kong’s biological
heart is a replica of a real gorilla heart. The artificial heart is a fantasy
creation. Kerwin considered making it into a coffee table.
Ran into budget
problems because DEG was hit hard by new tax laws. Some sequences were trimmed
or eliminated. It wasn’t filmed in Brazil and Jamaica and instead was filmed in
Tennessee and Wilmington.
All the fake blood
in the Kong transplant scene made an extra pass out.
Kerwin read all 22
Travis McGee novels in his downtime. One actor directed community theatre!
Kerwin said de
Laurentiis was “braggadocious and stingy.”
Guillermin was
mellower but often still intense.
Hamilton was in a
bad mood all the time according to Kerwin.
Baker refused to come
back due to unreasonable conditions and the Oscars dustup, so it went to Peter
Elliott, an acrobat and veteran costume performer. He did ape choreography in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan. His
friend George Yiasomi played Lady Kong, but a “Greek guy” was brought in to do
the close-ups of her eyes.
The actors played
the apes like animals around each other and more human-like around humans.
Elliot based his performance on James Dean! (Indiana connection!)
The courtship
scene was over-the-top but Elliott based their actions on real apes but
performed it in a tongue-in-cheek manner.
No Oscars noms,
but Rambaldi was nominated for a Razzie for worst visual effects.
“You’ve got
Indiana Jones.” Now there’s a crossover I’d love to see! Now there is a crossover
I’d watch in a heartbeat! Pun intended. #KingKong #KingKongLives
“Lady Kong”? Is it
because “Queen Kong” was taken in a slightly better movie?
These doctors are
performing surgery with giant egg beaters? #KingKong #KingKongLives
Let’s spend
millions of dollars to resurrect the rampaging monster who killed dozens of
people and cost millions and property damage. This can only ending [in] good.
#KingKong #KingKongLives
That’s not an
artificial hard—it’s a submarine! Makes me wish this was a crossover between
#KingKong and Fantastic Voyage. #KingKongLives
“#KingKong, you
just came back from the dead! What are you going to do next?“ “Get laid.” That
must’ve been one heck of a wet dream he was having for 10 years.
You know your
sequel is in trouble when the flashback to the mediocre remake has the best
special-effects.#KingKong #KingKongLives
“The other monkeys
going ape $&@#!” [L]eave the bad puns to me, movie.#KingKong #KingKongLives
#KingKong and Lady
Kong: Still a better love story than #Twilight. #KingKongLives
Lady Kong is
scared of (normal-sized) snakes. Of course. #KingKong #KingKongLives
If all it took to
get a girlfriend was dying and being resurrected, I have tried it a long time
ago. #KingKong #KingKongLives
“Bring in the Big
Bird!” Hey, it’s not yellow and teaching me to count! #KingKong #KingKongLives
It was a lack of
protein killed the beast. And no wonder: he keeps eating rubber gators.
When you howl at
the moon, sometimes the moon howls back.#KingKong #KingKongLives
Please, sir, I
want some more stomach blows. #KingKong #KingKongLives
#KingKong almost
became a slasher movie villain by killing some horny teenagers. All he was
missing was a knife and a huge hockey mask. Yet another amusing crossover: King
Kong and Friday the 13th. #KingKongLives
#KingKong:
Defeated by rednecks. I was an icon once. #KingKongLives
“My dad’s gonna
kill me! We didn’t switch to Geico and add giant monkey insurance!“ #KingKong
#KingKongLives
Lt. Cola? Is that
soda for soldiers? I guess if #Godzilla endorses Dr. Pepper, Kong should get
something. #KingKong #KingKongLives (Lt. Col. A. Nevitt). Haha!
Kong: I ate
red(neck) meat! I’m not afraid to eat white (guy) meat! #KingKong
#KingKongLives
#KingKong just
crashed a hoedown. Now I’ve seen everything. #KingKongLives
Is this general
play[ed] by our young Don Frye? Is he Captain Gordon’s grandpa? #KingKong
#KingKongLives
So what if
#KingKong is dead. Just cure him with another artificial heart. #KingKongLives
From the World
Trade Center to a barn in redneck country. Talk about coming down in life.
#KingKong #KingKongLives
Finally, here are some
unused notes about the convoluted King Kong copyright:
Supposedly Eisner
also discussed the idea with Sidney Sheinberg, chief operating officer of MCA
(Universal), which was hot off the positive early reviews for Jaws and wanted
another marauding animal film. Negotiations started around the same time as De
Laurentis. Agreed to pay same amount up front but balked at sharing the gross.
Lots of studio politics involved. Word has it that the Universal offer was
preferred. Attorney Arnold Shane thought Universal won the rights, and
Stromberg hired Oscar-winning screenwriter Bo Goldman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest, Melviun and Howard) to write a script. Meanwhile, De Laurentis’ offer was
accepted. Universal protested saying that despite not signing a written
contract, they took Daniel O’Shea’s supposed comment as a binding verbal
agreement. Universal sued for $25 million in damages in June 1975 accusing
RKO-General of “breach of contract” and “fraud” and De Laurentis of
international interference with advantageous business relations” and “unfair
competition.” De Laurentis was surprised by Universal’s claim but thought it
was invalid because he had a signed contract, so he pressed on confidently.
Sept. 1975:
Superior Court of LA dismissed Universal’s claim, saying the verbal agreement
was “tissue-paper thin.” Universal then filed a second claim having learned the
novelization of Kong, which had some different material, had fallen into the
public domain in 1960 thanks to the Copyright Law of 1909 that set the
copyright to 28 years. The studio claimed they weren’t infringing on RKO’s
films—the “new” material—while the “old material” was in public domain. They
announced their new film would be based on the novel, and told Bo Goldman to
revise his script to conform to the novel. Joseph Sargent (Colossus: The Forbin
Project, The Taking Pelham 123) was hired to direct. De Laurentis said he would
start casting in December for his film. Unsure if the name King Kong was owned
by RKO, they changed their film’s title to The Legend of King Kong to be
safe. De Laurentis responded by changing
his to King Kong: The Legend Reborn.
RKO filed a
countersuit November 20 against Universal in Federal District Court for $5
million for copyright infringement and asked for an injunction for the studio
to stop promoting the film. De Laurentis filed his own suit December 4 for $90
million in damages caused by “copyright infringement and unfair competition.”
He also filed an injunction against Universal. Universal forced the issue by
saying they’d start filming Jan. 5, which was a bluff. The market would only support one remake, and
whoever started shooting first would likely win. De Laurentis moved production
up, hastily starting Jan. 15 and having the crew work 16-hour days. This
required money he didn’t have, but he was determined.
Universal
allegedly approached De Laurentis about settling after he announced when they’d
begin filming. They discussed a joint production, but De Laurentis didn’t like
Universal’s demands. They wanted their script to be used and merchandising and
sequel rights. Barry Diller and
Paramount threatened to pull out if he didn’t settle, so he started talking
with Universal.
De Laurentis and
Ubniversial announced Jan. 28, 1976, that they’d reached agreement. Universal
got 8% or 11% percent of De Laurentis’ profits, certain merchandising rights
and profits, and veto power on sequels by agreeing to cancel their film. They could also start their own film so long
as it was 18 months after the release of De Laurentis’ film. If it was hit,
there would be no need, and if it was a flop, there would no interest in one.
Silly move. Universal didn’t get to make their own until 2005 with Peter
Jackson. The lawsuit was settled in September.
Oh man. This might be my longest Jimmy’s Notes yet. This is what happens when you are a producer on a podcast with a host who over-prepares. My contractual obligation to post all of these in my blog does not help. You win that front, Marchand!
Anyway, join us next week
when Daniel DiManna of the Godzilla Novelization
Project joins us to discuss Peter Jackson’s epic 2005 remake of King Kong.
Despite a slight delay thanks to MIFV mascots Goji-kun and Bro Kong hiding Nathan’s laptop, the unavoidable has happened: King Kong Lives. John LeMay, author of Kong Unmade and other kaiju books, returns to Monster Island to discuss the Godzilla vs. Megalon of the Kong series—and John un-ironically likes it! This ill-fated sequel to Dino de Laurentiis’s 1976 remake stars Linda Hamilton, fresh off of her star-making role in The Terminator, as a scientist who resurrects King Kong with an artificial heart…because that cures falling off of a building. Not only that, he “falls in love” with Lady Kong, a female giant gorilla, which leads to most of the Kong film tropes getting turned on their ears. Also, King Kong eats rednecks. Yep. Nathan goes full-tilt MST3K with this movie, but he riffs because he loves. That is, when he isn’t mediating a conflict between John and the show’s intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA. The Toku Topic is the convoluted King Kong copyright, which came to a head twice when Universal tried to sue Dino de Laurentiis in the 1970s and Nintendo in the early 1980s. Hear all about it in the newest episode of The Monster Island Film Vault!
You can buy the hardcover of John’s book Kong Unmade on Amazon.
With there being five
Wednesdays in January (for which I’m grateful because it gives me an extra week
to edit the next episode), I thought I’d give all of you a bonus blog. I toyed
with several ideas, but it was my intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA, who suggested a blog
on his Entertaining Info Dump. Normally, I’d have only done it because of those
darn contractual obligations, but it’s also been a part of the podcast that
listeners have appreciated, so it’s worth giving a peek behind the curtain to
explain it.
Believe it or not, Jimmy based it on the “film descriptions” Brian Scherschel and I developed on my previous podcast, Kaijuvision Radio. Apparently, Jimmy was a fan of the show before I left it. As he said on the first episode of MIFV, this was a great way to get preliminary information out of the way before diving into the film discussion. It’s also more interesting to listen to than a simple plot synopsis and, well, info dump. You can get all of that from a wiki page. Several of them, actually. They also make it possible to compare these films to each other.
There are different
subheadings for these essays, although they’re never mentioned. Those
subheadings are:
The (primary)
kaiju plot line and characteristics/goals
Other kaiju plot
lines and characteristics/goals
The human plot
line
Human and kaiju
plot intermix level
Attempts to solve
the issue at hand
How the issue is
resolved
Story complexity
Production quality
Light/Dark Tone,
gravity/seriousness, and fantasy/reality
Experimentation
level
Reinforcement vs.
Expansion of Style
Movie purpose and
demographics
Success Level
Difference between
original version of that film and the other versions
The forces at play
The theme(s)
Most of these are
self-explanatory. The first half or so summarizes the most important facets of
the film’s story. All but the last two give production and background information
on each movie. The last two focus on thematic elements.
However, there are two
that Jimmy insists I highlight because one is unique and the other could be
confused with it. That being the “expansion vs. reinforcement of style” and “experimentation
level.”
What do we mean by expansion
and reinforcement of style? With long-running franchises and series like King Kong
(or Godzilla), some entries introduce new story types, tropes, or other elements
that are emulated in later ones. They’re the films that break the mold, the
firsts of their kind. This is admittedly a little subjective, especially since
some films have a mix of both, but these elements can be objectively identified.
For example, Son of Kong was an
expansion of style for the Kong films because it introduced the idea of a Kong offspring
and was the first “Son/Daughter of…” type film to come out in any film series.
However, King Kong Escapes, while
primarily a reinforcement of the styles of King
Kong (1933) and The King Kong Show,
did make one expansion by having a “love interest” who sympathized with Kong.
Experimentation level, on
the other hand, would have to involve risk-taking. It isn’t simply adding new
things to a film. They have to be elements that are so different from the
previous films in the series that it might disappoint the audience or
disinterest them. For example, it was a risky move for Dino de Laurentiis to
set his 1976 remake in (then) present day because the original was firmly set
in 1933. It’s a rare to see a film that is both an expansion of style and
experimental. It doesn’t always make it good, but it’s always interesting.
Honestly, with the films we’ve covered so far in the “Kong Quest” ( 😛 ), the
only one that truly qualifies as both is the 1933 original (although, that’ll
change next week).
If you’d like to learn
more about the Entertaining Info Dump, I recommend listening to the bonus
feature Mr. Scherschel and I did on the film descriptions for KVR.
Until then, get ready for
the next week’s episode on the worst film covered on MIFV so far: King Kong Lives!
I’m just as excited to write this blog on last week’s episode on The Mysteriansas I was recording it. As Nathan said on the podcast, it’s one of my favorite tokusatsu films. He was able to use most of his research in the episode, although most of his notes on the film itself did not make it in. His script was originally part of a 42-page paper he wrote on six Ishiro Honda films as part of an independent study in grad school.
Anyway, let’s get to
this. Like with my blog on the previous mini-sode, I didn’t hear anything that
needed fact-checked, so I’ll just be sharing Nathan’s leftover notes, although
with a handful of comments.
This was the first
Toho tokusatsu film in TohoScope.
The satellite dish
(and tsunami) get recycled as stock footage in the US version of King Kong vs. Godzilla. Some military
footage recycled later in 1970s G-films.
The festival at
the beginning is Bon Festival (also
called an Obon), which is a Japanese
Buddhist-Confucian custom to honor the spirits of ancestors. Due to the use of
several different calendars, there are usually three time periods these
festivals will be celebrated between July and September. The dance seen at the
festival in the film is a traditional dance called the Bon Odori. You can learn about it here. (Nathan wants to go to one. Maybe we can
have one on the Island? –Jimmy)
Starts with a
bang—or rather a forest fire. Exciting. Spectacular effects. Burning from the
roots. Foreshadowing.
Takashi Shimura
plays another scientist.
Lots of science
enters. Mysteroid. Astronomy. (Which is
one reason I love this film! –Jimmy)
That looks more
like a sinkhole than a landslide. May have been deliberate. Because
radioactive. Or not.
The JSDF vehicles
and personnel are actual military. Made in cooperation.
Dead fish in
river. More foreshadowing.
Hot radioactive
ground. Burns tires. Melts mountain.
Moguera appears 14
minutes in.
Honda’s naturalism
with disasters: Etsuko in bath as Moguera attacks.
The flamethrower
is real—but I don’t know how it could reach that far or get that big against
Moguera.
Scientists are
presented as foremost authorities and absolutely trustworthy. Mysterians want
to meet with them and not politicians.
The character plot
at beginning is dropped as invasion plots takes over.
Not Toho’s first
tokusatsu film in color (that was Rodan),
but the colors are more spectacular.
Takashi Shimura
dresses like Colonel Sanders.
29:30: We’re off
to see the wizard.
“Please put on
your cape.” Not to keep warm, but because it looks cool.
Yoshio Tsuchiya
insisted on playing Mysterian Leader. Liked playing weirdos.
“There are no
boundaries in science.” Says “these people” (military) will cause war.
“Selling land on Mars” line ab-libbed by
Tsuchiya.
The humans waste
no time kowtowing.
Almost 38:00: U.N.
scientists mentioned as coming to discuss the matter.
Japan behind
America in science. Mysterians even more advanced. Shiriashi.
Mysterians
originally want 2 miles of land. It keeps increasing. Goes to 75. All intruders
would be evicted by force. Inspired by America?
Shiraishi says
scientists, not military, should stop attack.
The Mysterian dome
looks amazing.
Nakajima played
Moguera. Nearly killed him. Hot suit, hot studio lights. Over 100 degrees.
Staff in underwear.
Sometimes editing
of special effects shots is jumpy.
Cool POV shot of
plane over dome.
Mysterian ships
reused in Battle in Outer Space.
Almost sequel. (The second entry in the
“pseudo-trilogy.” It’ll be covered in a later episode. –Jimmy)
46 mins: POV shot
from tank on dome.
Figure ejects from
model tank as it sinks. Cool.
Japanese
earthquake of 1923 mentioned.
Mysterians say
they don’t like war but will fight if attacked. They want peace on Earth. Weird
way of doing it. America again? Want to end atomic wars. Mankind will perish in
20 years. Fearmongering? Mankind has ruled animals with science. Mysterians see
humans as animals.
World comes
together, but this is mostly a Japanese problem.
Japan calls for
international meeting. “Japan’s trouble today will be theirs tomorrow.” Adachi
somehow knows they won’t stop with the land.
51:45: Shiriashi
starts doubt if he chose the right side when they mention taking over eastern
Japan.
America launches
satellite from Arizona against Mysterians. (When was their first satellite?) (America’s first satellite was Explorer
1, which was launched January 31, 1958,
just one month after this film was released in Japan. –Jimmy)
“Defense Force of
the Earth.” Human unity. Many flags in background of conference scene. Japanese
officer addresses UN council with plan. Translator present. Reps visible: USSR,
USA, India, China, Vietnam, Thailand. Two resps from each. Three of 5 members
of Security Council.
I love how the interpreter’s
words aren’t exactly the same as the subtitles.
“A war has already
begun. A quiet war…. There are no canons, aircraft, or tanks.” 57:15.
Alpha and Beta
look awkward, but I don’t care. Part of the charm. VTOL tech, though.
Complaints about
the female characters: useless damsels in distress. “Women often fainted back
then” (Koichi Kawakita in his commentary).
Mysterians don’t
use subterfuge, but they do increase their demands. Somewhat arrogant.
US Air Force
planes seen landing. Speaks to alliance between America and Japan.
I love the
satellite dish weapons in these movies.
Tsuchiya’s gestures
as Mysterian Leader are great. Sharp and commanding.
Mysterians don’t
like heat. Opposite of Kilaaks. (Let’s
not talk about the disco space nuns. Okay, Marchand? –Jimmy)
Mysterian suits
inspired Super Sentai/Power Rangers. (Maybe.
–Jimmy)
74:00: How did
they not see him? (He means Shiraishi.
–Jimmy)
Wanting women
sounds incredibly sensationalistic, but it isn’t talked about much.
Mysterian science
is advanced but can’t fix their genes.
The acting from
the westerners is…underwhelming.
Mysterian dome
does have what look like drill ends.
Mysterians try to
negotiate saying they will retaliate is humans don’t stop (weren’t you
already?). Humans tell them to leave Earth. Were the Mysterians bluffing? Afraid?
They do retaliate with a massive flood.
I’m sure much of
the stuff in these sets did anything, but they look cool.
Shiraishi says he
was “tricked.” Was he? (Sadly, probably
not. He seems quite complaisant with them. –Jimmy)
The tragedy of the
Mysterians is a lesson to us. Don’t misuse science. Don’t repeat the tragedy!
–Shiraishi
A second Moguera
appears! For five seconds. (Still less
useless than the Heisei incarnation. Extra spare parts for me to rebuild
Mechani-Kong! –Jimmy)
Shiraishi has
chance to shoot Mysterians but doesn’t. Mercy.
Like Godzilla, Shimura ends the film with an
admonition.
Satellite is
launched in the end to watch for Mysterians.
This is a footnote from
Nathan’s grad school paper that did not make it into the episode:
Yet despite all of this involvement, Japan has not been allowed to join as a permanent member of the UNSC. Most of the opposition has come from South Korea and China, who believe Japan must still atone for the war. On the other hand, three members of the UNSC—the U.S., the UK, and France—support Japan becoming a permanent member. The U.N. at large possibly thinks that since Japan’s military is unable to contribute significantly to the safety of the world, they do not deserve a seat at the UNSC table (“Episode 6: Rodan” 00:44:20-00:45:31). Even if that were to change, China continually exerts its veto power on the council to block Japan’s admission because “[f]ar beyond the unwanted symbolism of a fully rehabilitated and ‘normal’ Japan on the UN Security Council, the very real powers that permanent membership would afford Tokyo are simply anathema to Beijing’s interests.”
Ambassador Motohide Yoshikawa, who served as the Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations from 2013 to 2016, argues that “there is still a strong consensus among all members that the Security Council has to be reformed.” It reflected the political reality of 1945, but it is “no longer valid” and has “become obsolete.” New emerging powers, such as those countries who were defeated in the war, should be admitted. Not only is Japan advocating for reform, but so are the other G4 countries (which also include India, Germany, and Brazil). In 2005 they made a proposal that would change the criteria for who could become permanent and non-permanent members, but it was never put to a vote. The momentum has stalled since then.
Finally, these are unused
excerpts from several articles Nathan cited in the episode, which are listed with
links in its show notes.
“Japan and the United
Nations” – Wikipedia
“After the late 1950s, Japan
participated actively in the social and economic activities of the UN’s various
specialized agencies and other international organizations concerned with
social, cultural, and economic improvement. During the 1970s, as it attained
the status of an economic powerhouse, Japan was called on to play an
increasingly large role in the UN. As Japan’s role and its contributions
increased so did sentiment, expressed as early as 1973, that Japan should be
given a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
with the United States, the Soviet Union,
the United Kingdom, France,
and China.”
“As of 2005, Japan is again a
strong advocate of a UNSC reform,
in a joint campaign with Germany, India,
and Brazil.
All four nations strive to gain a permanent seat in the chamber. While the
United Kingdom and France,[1] and
the United States back Japan’s candidacy, it faces strong opposition from its
two closest neighbors, China and South Korea.”
“An Argument for Japan’s Becoming Permanent Member” – MOFA
“Since Japan joined the United Nations in 1956, cooperation with the
United Nations has been a cornerstone of its foreign policy. Japan has the world’s
second largest economy, and based on this national strength, it has the
capacity to assume ever greater global responsibilities through various
contributions to the efforts of the United Nations and particularly the
Security Council.”
“Japan is committed to promoting international disarmament and non-proliferation
while firmly maintaining its Three Non-Nuclear Principles of not possessing,
not producing and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons into its
territory. Since 1994 Japan has submitted draft resolutions on nuclear
disarmament at the UN General Assembly, which have been adopted with
overwhelming support. Japan actively contributed to the success of the 2000 NPT
Review Conference, and has been taking the initiative in facilitating the entry
into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.”
“Moreover, Japan has been playing a leading role in disarmament of
conventional arms, including small arms and landmines. It has provided
substantial financial assistance for this purpose, and in 2000 established the
Small Arms Fund within the United Nations.”
“Chapter 3: Japan’s Foreign Policy to Promote National and Worldwide Interests” – MOFA
“In addition, Japan also places great importance on strengthening its
initiatives as a member of the G4 (Japan, India, Germany, and Brazil), a group
that cooperates on promoting the reform of the UN Security Council. The
Ministerial Meeting of the G4 Countries was held in September. During the
Meeting, the countries agreed on building further momentum for the UN Security
Council reform and continuing to work towards a comprehensive reform of the UN
Security Council.”
“In addition, the Group of Friends on Security Council Reform was
established in July. Comprising diverse groups such as the G4 as well as
Africa, the Caribbean, the UK, France, and Northern Europe, all of which seek
the reform of the UN Security Council. At the High-Level Meeting held in
September, the Group members shared the recognition that the reform of the UN
Security Council is an urgent issue, and affirmed their commitment to cooperate
to realize a meaningful reform of the UN Security Council in an expeditious
manner.”
“In response to the nuclear tests and the launch of ballistic missile by
North Korea, as a member of the UN Security Council, Japan took a leading role
in discussions at the UN Security Council, working closely with the relevant
countries including the United States and the Republic of Korea. As a result,
the UN Security Council Resolutions 2270 and 2321 were adopted, strengthening
sanctions against North Korea, and putting greater emphasis on the importance
of human rights and humanitarian issues including the abduction issue. The
adoption of these resolutions demonstrated the attitude of the international
community as a whole in taking decisive action against North Korea. In
addition, Japan has been actively taking part in the work of the Security Council
Committee pursuant to resolution 1718 and encouraging the relevant countries to
fully and strictly implement the UN Security Council resolutions.”
“Why Japan will Never Be a Permanent Meber of
the UN Security Council” by Peter Harris
“Although the objective of permanent membership is longstanding, Abe’s
diplomatic push ahead of October 2015 inevitably will be seen abroad in the
same light as his other foreign policies, several of which have been criticized
as hawkish by neighboring governments—not least of all the Chinese, which
bitterly opposes the Japanese bid. Far
beyond the unwanted symbolism of a fully rehabilitated and “normal” Japan on
the UN Security Council, the very real powers that permanent membership would
afford Tokyo are simply anathema to Beijing’s interests.”
And now for the moment
you have all been waiting for! The winner of the Batman Meets Godzilla T-shirt is Jim Hayes!
Congratulations!
The “Kong Quest”
continues in the next episode with the infamous King Kong Lives. Nathan will be joined once again by kaiju
author/scholar John LeMay (the only person we know of who genuinely likes that
movie).
Our next mini-sode will
cover the almost forgotten 1958 kaiju film Varan
the Unbelievable.
Nathan covers yet another
film discussed on his former podcast, Kaijuvision Radio, by Brian Scherschell: Ishiro
Honda’s 1957 tokusatsu classic, The
Mysterians. While Godzilla (1954)
singlehanded created the kaiju and tokusatsu genres, this film arguably ushered
in Toho’s “golden age,” which would last for a decade. While Nathan does touch
on Moguera, the special effects, and the film’s many influences, the bulk of his
analysis is focused on Japan’s relationship with the United Nations, which the
nation joined just a year before the film was released. The Mysterians expresses Japan’s—and Honda’s—postwar ideal of “proactive
pacifism,” which it saw in the U.N. Throw in a few snarky interruptions from
the podcast’s intrepid producer, Jimmy
From NASA, and a random cameo from a psycho-powered dictator,
and it’s a typical Wednesday at The Monster Island Film Vault.
After that, Nathan dumps
out the mailbag to read several iTunes reviews and e-mails from listeners.
Speaking of which, be
sure to check out the upcoming fan project, Batman Meets Godzilla,
one of the craziest yet most intriguing lost projects made famous by John LeMay’s
book, The Big Book of Japanese Giant
Monster Movies: The Lost Films (which now has a new “mutated”
edition).
T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY:
Everyone who shares the Facebook and Twitter posts for this episode from the
podcast’s pages will be entered for a drawing for a Batman Meets Godzilla T-shirt. (One entry per person per social
media). Entries will be taken from January 22 to January 28 at 11:59pm (EST).
The winner must then send Nathan his/her shirt size, shirt color, and mailing
address to be forwarded to the team at Batman
Meets Godzilla. Here’s a link to the Tee Public site with this epic shirt.
“Gendered Bodies
in Tokusatsu: Monsters and Aliens as
the Atomic Bomb Victims” by Yuki Miyamoto (The
Journal of Popular Culture, Oct. 2016, vol. 49, no. 5)
Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to
Kurosawa by Steve Ryfle and Ed
Godzisewski
Our big year started with
a big film when Nathan was joined by Ben Avery to discuss Dino de Laurentiis’
1976 remake of King Kong. I have a
lot to add and Nathan had plenty of leftover notes from re-watching the film.
So, let’s started.
Nathan informed me
after the fact that I forgot to mention that the film has a 5.9 score on IMDB
with 28,249 ratings as of today. Oops. Okay, Nathan, you get one point on me.
Don’t expect that to happen often!
The books Ben
mentioned—as pointed out by a listener on Twitter—were the Crestwood Monster
Series Books. Yes, they do go for a pretty penny now, although you can find
them for reasonable prices if you search on eBay. (Weirdly enough, the
King Kong book is on Amazon for only $15 in hardback!)
“Funnest,” Ben?
I’d expect a professional writer like yourself to know that isn’t the proper
superlative for that adjective (although I’m surprised it isn’t). The Law of Common
Usage may make you right eventually, though.
I think it was
more De Laurentiis making this film than Paramount, but, you know, details. 😛
Actually, Ben, I
do think you get a few decent close-ups of the “gorilla chief,” especially
during the sacrifice scene where he’s dancing around like a male stripper on
crack!
Wow, Ben, you
outdid me. I couldn’t find those deleted/alternate scenes you mentioned were on
YouTube. However, some of the scenes shown on the extended NBC TV version can
be found on it.
“Petra” is Greek
for “rock,” so I assume it was used as the source word for Petrox (not to take
away from the clever pun).
Nathan and I
watched a POV video of
the original Kong ride, “Kongfrontation,” at Universal Studios. He was doubly
jealous when I told him I rode it back when it opened in 1977. 😛 Yes, there
were Smellitzers” installed in the animatronic Kong’s mouth that emitted
“banana breath.” (The scientists here on the Island tell me the real Kong’s
breath is…well, in need of some kaiju-sized mouthwash).
Ben correctly
identified the documentary as Man on Wire.
It tells the true story of Phillippe Petit, who walked across a tightrope
between the World Trade Center Towers in 1974. (This was illegal, by the way).
Nathan wants to see it now.
Your closing is
cute, Ben, but I’m actually a Sagittarius. 😛 (Not that I believe in horoscopes.
I am a man of science who knows what stars actually do: burn and gravitate). J
Now on to Nathan’s rather
exhaustive notes from the film. He went through all his stuff for the 1973 oil
crisis, but as Ben said, there is much to talk about with this film.
Nathan notes:
“Here’s to the big
one.” Foreshadowing. (Hence why Nathan
referenced it at the beginning of the episode. –Jimmy)
James Creelman,
Ruth Rose, Merian C. Cooper, and Edgar Wallace are all credited as inspiration.
Wow. (Probably for legal reasons. 😛 –Jimmy)
How do sailors
deal with everything on a table moving during a stormy sea? It’s even worse
when you’re drunk.
The island does
appear to be shaped like a skull, although they never call it that.
It’s implied that
Kong may be at least 400 years old (1605). Or he is the latest member of the
species? At least that’s a little mythic.
“Spouting ape
s—t.” Foreshadowing?
“Snapped a few
monkeys.” More foreshadowing.
Jack and Dwan’s
relationship does get at least a little more development in this compared to
Jack and Ann.
Was Kong spotted
on radar briefly?
How does Dwan not
cause all kinds of trouble being the only woman on this ship? (When I flew on the Gohten, there was only
one woman onboard, and the men behaved themselves—although that was probably
because she was the captain’s daughter, so you may have a point there. Maybe. I’m
not giving you another one this week, Marchand!)
Set off charges to
map geological structure—just like in Skull
Island!
I gotta say, the
scenery in this is really pretty. It does make me wonder if Peter Jackson was
influenced by this?
They say the wall
is Egyptian like in the original.
Dwan says this is
a wedding. Bride has a blonde headdress. Groom stand-in is dressed in ape mask
and makes thrusting motions while dancing. Definitely indicates what they think
happens. Very ‘70s.
The chief tries to
trade six maidens for Dwan like in the original.
Jack speaks
against colonialism by saying this isn’t the 19th century, so they can’t walk
in and take their island.
Just like the
original, the natives read the script and knew exactly where Dwan was. Somehow
they keep her from not screaming much.
Did Dwan get
drugged by natives? (Obviously, yes. –Jimmy)
It’s never explained
why the natives want Dwan over their own girls. The original aid it was because
she was blonde.
And so they
recreate the iconic scene where the girl is tied to the…altar(?) and Kong comes
through the trees and takes her. It’s surprisingly effective.
Kong appears 53
minutes in. (Which I think is proportional
to the 1933 original where Kong appears 40 minutes into a 100 minute film. –Jimmy)
Dwan references
Empire State Building.
There’s a Chinese
cook (and masseuse?) like in the original.
“Turned on ape.”
Constant sexual references. Very ‘70s
Stone towers
foreshadow Twin Towers.
This time Kong
undressing the girl does feel sexual, unlike the original. It’s unsettling.
A giant snake
appears out of nowhere. Only other monster on island. Gory death when Kong
breaks its jaw. Harkens back to original.
“Estimates monkey
time”? Oh my…
Replicates the
scene where Kong crashes through wall. A bit more spectacular because Kong
actually smashes it.
Like original,
Kong is knocked out with chloroform. Scene with his hand rising out of cloud of
gas in hole is actually effective.
Jack opposes the
exploitation of Kong, unlike original. Calls it a “grotesque farce.” The beauty
and the beast show is frowned upon. Later calls it a “Tragedy.” Quits Wilson’s
“circus” on principle.
The shot where
Kong catches Dwan was a bit unimpressive.
There’s no mention
of a legend of Kong before getting to island, unlike original.
One shot of Empire
State Building.
How long did it
take Wilson to put all this together? This is a lot of stuff.
Kong reaches into
building and grabs Dwan like in original. This time, though, she doesn’t seem
as resistant. Yet she still calls for help. Hmm…is she confused about how to
feel? I don’t want to get into sex and consent right now.
Jack cheers when
Kong kills soldiers. He is a hippie.
With that, the “Kong
Quest” will with the…unfortunate sequel in next month’s main episode on King Kong Lives.
Join us next week for a
mini-analysis of one of my favorite Toho tokusatsu films: The Mysterians.
