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Tag: Nathan Marchand

Nathan’s Notes on ‘Episode 13: The Three Treasures (Mini-Analysis)’

Published April 1, 2020

I thought the number 13 being unlucky was just a superstition.

Until now.

Much like Yamato Takeru from The Three Treasures, I’ve been beset by misfortune after posting episode 13 of the podcast. During my livestream of Override: Mech City Brawl, Jimmy From NASA started a betting pool with the Island’s Board of Directors, the science team, and pretty much everyone else who worked here. It was based on my performance in the game—and he bet against me. And I played the game on hard mode. Jimmy made out like a bandit. He even cleaned out the Board. So much so, he used that money to buy Metageckon (the mech I used in the game) on eBay. That’s not the unfortunate part. He used his newfound leverage with the Board to make himself the host of MIFV! Now I’m his producer. This means I have to do the follow-up blog to last week’s episode on The Three Treasures and every episode after this.Jimmy was kind enough to give me his notes from the episode, which wasn’t much, so this blog will be relatively short. That’s probably good since the blog on episode 12 was as long as Peter Jackson’s King Kong!

Here’s all that Jimmy had on the episode:

  • There is some debate over whether Toshiro Mifune was a Christian. This Wikipedia discussion board questions it because he has a traditional Buddhist gravestone. He was the son of Japanese Christian missionaries who worked in China, and he had a traditional Methodist wedding, though. This Reddit thread (so take it with a grain of salt) says there was a rumor that he was part of something called the “Ikeda cult,” but that just seems to be the cult trying to claim a celebrity as a member to find legitimacy. (The post references the potentially inaccurate Wikipedia article, mind you).
  • What? I was tired from working in my garage all day! Of course I’d fall asleep watching a three-hour movie! I’m a busy man.
  • Nathan mispronounced the name of the eight-headed dragoon. It’s “Yamata no Orochi” not “Yamato.” I don’t think the dragon is part of the royal family. (But I could be speaking in ignorance. Weirder things have happened. I should know. I lived them).

My Leftover Notes from Watching the Film:

  • Credits over an eclipsed sun? “Land of the rising sun”?
  • “In the beginning…” Opening narration sounds biblical and mythical. Old woman.
  • These village scenes are reminding me of The Ten Commandments with the enslaved Israelites.
  • “Old stories are full of beautiful life.” -Old woman storyteller
  • The set design is incredible. Very DeMille.
  • A lot of court drama and intrigue.
  • Are the prince and Otomachibana meant to parallel the god and goddess from the beginning?
  • Day for night scene at river!
  • Torii gate is entrance to temple grounds. Like Hebrew temple or tabernacle.
  • This is a response to another numbered religious epic: The Ten Commandments ~ The Three Treasures.
  • Is that Hirata? I almost don’t recognize him.
  • Those fire effects were a little awkward.
  • A woman be stoned for loving a man from a different clan. Very ancient.
  • These people look Mongolian?
  • Kumaso (Takashi Shimura) is undone by his lust. Even checked for a man before this.
  • Kumaso tells the prince to kill him. He hesitates, then takes the prince’s sword and slits his own throat. Seppouku?
  • There are flashbacks to the gods as told by an old woman storyteller. Oral tradition.
  • What do they mean by “nag”?
  • I thought the prince and the gods would interact.
  • Criterion should release this.
  • “Laugh festival”? “Festival of laughter”?
  • While this festival seems like revelry, it is meant to bring the sun goddess (and light) back to the world.
  • The rooster’s crow when light and the goddess return.
  • Is there an intermission? Was it removed?
  • Yes. These myths are meant to parallel the prince. Susan-o = the prince. Susan-o’s tears drained all the world’s water. The prince’s mother says he must not be like him.
  • The flashbacks/stories increase as the film progresses.
  • “Orochi” just gets translated as “dragon.”
  • Last daughter transformed by Susan-o into hair braid for safety.
  • Orochi’s approach blows out torch. Nice!
  • Proto-Ghidorah! The heads do kinda flop around. They just appear to be heads. No body. In water. The glowing eyes are cool. Looks better fighting Susan-o. Nevermind. It has a body. He must have a magic sword or its heart or brain in in its tail. He pulls a sword from the dragon, which is now used to defend Japan. The prince now has it.
  • Just as Susan-o became a hero, so does the prince.
  • Mt. Fuji is active in this. Village elder says it protects them. The prince says the smoke reminds him of the evil in men’s hearts.
  • The location scenes are gorgeous.
  • Spectacular fire scene where the prince uses the flint from the bag given him as a gift to change the wind.
  • The smoke from Mt. Fuji turns red. Passion? Rage?
  • Like Susan-o, the prince is unloved by his father.
  • Yamato is a region.
  • A storm happens when the prince decides to return as a plebian to marry Otomochibani against his father’s orders. Wrath of the gods? Otomochibani says it is her fault for breaking her vow and angering the sea god. She throws herself overboard to placate him. Reminds me of Jonah and the big fish. A green light appears in the sea after she jumps. Her kimono floats up. The storm clears. Taken by the gods? “The princess has become my sacrifice.” Most supernatural thing that’s happened in the “present.”
  • This ambush is the film’s big climax. It’s spectacular. Nobody makes movies like this anymore. It isn’t quite Ten Commandments huge, but it’s still great. Cuts between on location shooting and sets.
  • The prince is killed and his soul rises in the form of a white crane. Mt. Fuji erupts. Even in death he is victorious. His wrath is poured out on his enemies. Symbolizes Japan. This was foreshadowed earlier. The effects for this are great. The compositing and everything. This is also like The Ten Commandments when the unrighteous Israelites are swallowed by the earth. And now he uses water from a lake to cause a flood and drown other enemies.
  • Oh, man…death by lava. Horrible.
  • I’m pretty sure lava is more viscous than that, but we’ll go with it.
  • The crane flies toward a rainbow, symbolizing how the prince enters the realm of the gods. The people follow the bird.

Yamato Takeru

  • In the original legends, Otomachibana was his wife and not a fiancé, but she did sacrifice herself to placate the sea god. Her comb washed ashore seven days later, and her tomb was built around it. He did later marry Miyazu.

I didn’t take notes from all my sources, so I recommend referencing my bibliography for the episode if you want to learn more. (I’m gonna miss writing those).

Time to settle into my new job on Monster Island, I guess.

Follow me on Twitter: @NathanMarchand7

My author website: www.NathanJSMarchand.com.

#MonsterIslandFilmVault

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Monster Island Gaming | Override: Mech City Brawl (Stream)

Published March 28, 2020

If you missed my stream from last night (or want to see it again), here’s the video. The microphone wasn’t the issue so much as the audio for the game, Override: Mech City Brawl, was a bit too high. Next time I’ll turn it down.

I was surprised that I was joined by my intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA, in the live chat (as well as Golden Ticket Tourist Joe Metter). Jimmy started betting pools with Monster Island personel on my performance–and he constantly bet against me! He fleeced everyone because I foolishly decided to play the game on hard mode. ::sigh::

Anyway, here’s the video:

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KAIJU QUARANTINE | Trailer #2

Published March 27, 2020

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!

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Episode 12: Daniel DiManna vs. ‘King Kong’ (2005)

Published March 11, 2020

Hello, kaiju lovers!

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

© 2020 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

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Episode 11: ‘Varan the Unbelievable’ (Mini-Analysis)

Published February 26, 2020

Hello, kaiju lovers!

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.

Here’s the KVR episode: Episode 40: Varan (1958) (Hisabetsu-Buraku) (Discriminated Communities)

This episode featured the song “‘BATMAN’ [OG Theme Song Remix!]” by Remix Maniacs.

Be sure to read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode.

(c) 2020 Nathan Marchand & Moonlighting Ninjas Media

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 10: John LeMay vs. King Kong Lives’

Published February 19, 2020

Last week’s episode on King Kong Lives was 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?
  • Here’s the Siskel and Ebert review of King Kong Lives.
  • 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….
  • Here are two articles with great info on artificial hearts: “7 Things You Should Know about Artificial Hearts” and the Wikipedia entry on them.
  • 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. 😛
  • Here’s the Subway commercial that was mentioned by 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.
  • De Laurentiis thought the film was a mistake.

Here are the livetweets from Nathan’s author Twitter that he did not mention:

  • “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.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

#JimmyFromNASALives
#WeShallOvercome

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Episode 10: John LeMay vs. ‘King Kong Lives’

Published February 12, 2020

Hello, kaiju lovers!

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.

Check out Jimmy’s Notes on this episode!

Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00-3:28
Entertaining Info Dump: 3:28-9:29
Toku Talk: 9:29-1:04:18
Toku Topic: 1:04:18-1:31:04
Outro: 1:31:04-end

© 2020 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

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All About the Entertaining Info Dump

Published February 5, 2020

By Nathan Marchand (with Jimmy From NASA)

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!

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 9: The Mysterians (Mini-Analysis)’

Published January 29, 2020

I’m just as excited to write this blog on last week’s episode on The Mysterians as 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.

Afterward, I’ll announce the winner of the Batman Meets Godzilla T-shirt.

The Film:

  • 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.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

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#WeShallOvercome

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