A podcast seeking entertainment and enlightenment through tokusatsu.
Origin Story: After vacationing on the Monsterland Resort, professional writer/raging nerd Nathan Marchand got a job as the curator of the Vault containing the films about Monster Island’s many kaiju residents. Now he and his intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA (who miraculously survived the infamous War in Space), record a biweekly podcast academically and critically examining each of the films in the prestigious Vault.
Philosophy: Kaiju and/or tokusatsu fans will tell you these genres are undeniably fun. What’s often missed, though, are the deeper meanings below the sensational surface. Meanings entrenched in the story’s original historical and cultural contexts. That’s why we here at the Monster Island Film Vault believe in film appreciation. What’s that? It’s studying a movie’s script, direction, cinematography, and other aspects. It’s learning how and why it was created since movies aren’t made in a vacuum. This is especially true with classic and foreign films. Modern audiences are separated by time and/or culture with them. There are things that will go over their heads that the original audience intrinsically understood. This podcast aims to give listeners a greater appreciation of these films and the respective cultures that produced them.
Format: The Monster Island Film Vault alternates between full-length film discussions with one to four guest hosts (chosen from Monster Island’s best Tourists) and “mini-sodes.” Full episodes are divided into three segments: The Entertaining Info Dump (plot and production details), Toku Talk (film discussion with guest hosts), and Toku Topics (deeper analyses of issues related to the films). “Mini-sodes” include audio essays, comedy sketches, and interviews, among other things. Expect surprises!
Listen to the podcast promo here.