Category: Announcement

MIFV Season 4 Delayed Until 2024

Published September 12, 2023

The Monster Island Film Vault (MIFV) will soon conclude its third season, “Ameri-kaiju,” but due to a combination of unforeseen circumstances and overextension, season four (“The Monster Island World Tour”) has been delayed until January 2024.

Host Nathan Marchand kicked off the third season in January 2022 with an episode featuring Ryan “The Omni Viewer” Collins in a discussion of the proto-kaiju film, The Lost World (1925), which featured stopmotion special effects by the legendary Willis O’Brien. Since then, Marchand has chronologically covered several examples of American-made kaiju films (outside of the King Kong franchise) from different eras of American cinema, including Mighty Joe Young (1949), The Giant Claw, and Pacific Rim, with various guest hosts, as is tradition on the podcast. However, during this time, Marchand expanded his ambitions with more elaborate story segments with a larger number actors, two other podcasts (Henshin Men and The Power Trip), and a staff writer/editor position on Kaiju Ramen Magazine. This workload proved to be more than Marchand could handle, causing frequent delays in episode production. Along with this, behind-the-scenes issues have plagued MIFV and Marchand’s other productions, requiring more of his attention to navigate them. He produced several bonus episodes, such as recordings of panel presentations he gave at conventions, in the interim.

While he initially planned to complete season three and then switch to a weekly schedule for season four to get the show back on track and has already pre-recorded almost half of the season four episodes in anticipation of this, such a schedule has proven to be untenable.

Instead, MIFV will resume its normal schedule—second and fourth Wednesdays with bonus episodes on fifth Wednesdays—starting in January 2024. This will allow time for postproduction to resume on the currently recorded episodes. In the meantime, Marchand will publish some bonus episodes, such as a Halloween special, a Christmas special, and a full episode on Godzilla: Minus One, among other things.

Marchand is grateful for his loyal and patient fans and listeners, and he looks forward to continuing to entertain and enlighten them through tokusatsu in 2024 and beyond.

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REAL TALK: I Can Do It All! (or, Why MIFV has been Delayed)

Published May 24, 2022

I never do anything half-hearted. It’s the strength and weakness of being an extroverted, Type-A, nerdy guy. MIFV (and my other podcasts, for that matter) are closer to a hobby than a “job,” but I treat them with the same level of professionalism I would as a teacher or a writer, which are my typical vocations. I’m huge on sticking to deadlines and giving my listeners consistent, high-quality content. I take that seriously.

Unfortunately, life, uh, found a way to make that consistency difficult the last few months. There are several reasons for that: my day job requiring more time than I expected and co-hosting two other shows, among other things. Through it all, I refused to ask for help. As Queen sang, “I want it all!” It was only as MIFV fell more and more behind and I got offers for assistance from friends that I started accepting it. By then, it was piling up. As it stands, I’ve hired a friend to edit the main portions of several episodes while I work on the next one–episode 62 on The Blob–and cut together the drama segments.

But after more than a month and a bit of money, I keep running into setbacks and moving the goalpost for my release schedule. I hate it. I hate it because I feel like I’m letting you, my listeners, down. I hate it because I don’t want to, as they say, “pod-fade” like I’ve seen others do. If I can get myself back on track and on schedule, I can ride the momentum that comes with that routine. Otherwise, I’m beyond frustrated. I’m sitting on some great material that is almost finished, and I desperately want to share it with all of you. MIFV has a reputation for scholarship, entertainment value, and high-quality audio. While I’ve never released an episode I would call “perfect,” I strive to maintain the standards I and my listeners have come to expect.

All of this to say, while the last few weeks have been more frustrating than fun in MIFV production, I’m not giving up. I’m too stubborn and determined to do that. You’ll be getting a steady deluge of backlogged episodes soon. Then we can get back to our regularly, well, scheduled exploits. I only ask that you be patient.

Also, if you’re the praying type, I could really use some of those as well. Thank you!

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Announcing MIFV Season 3!

Published November 15, 2021

I already told MIFV MAX members on Patreon what would be the theme and films covered in The Monster Island Film Vault next season in 2022, but now I’m announcing it to the world! Not only that, but the list has been updated and I’m also revealing my (tentative) guest list!

MIFV’s season three theme will be…

Ameri-kaiju!

Yes, that’s right—American-made giant monster movies! Well, at least ones that aren’t the King Kong franchise, the MonsterVerse, or The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, all of which I’ve already covered. And no, we won’t be spending all year in the 1950s discussing B-movies! (Sorry not sorry. 😛 ).

What’s on the docket? Here’s the list:

The Lost World (1925)
Mighty Joe Young (1949)
THEM!
The “Cameron Winter Trilogy” on Godzilla: The Series (Fifth Wednesday Bonus)
The Blob (1958)
20 Million Miles to Earth
The Giant Claw
Beware! The Blob (aka Son of Blob) (Fifth Wednesday Bonus)
Cloverfield
Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim: Uprising (Fifth Wednesday Bonus)
Colossal
Power Rangers (2017)
Rampage (2018)
Jurassic Park
Monster Island (The Asylum)

Both Godzilla Redux and Patreon-sponsored episodes courtesy of you generous fans on MIFV MAX will continue. While this list is a bit in flux, it will include:

Rodan (1956)
Mothra (1961)
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
Invasion of Astro-Monster (aka Monster Zero)
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (aka Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster)
Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers – “Green with Evil” (feat. Michael Hamilton) (Patreon)
Little Shop of Horrors (1986) (feat. Damon Noyes) (Patreon)
Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie (feat. The Cel Cast) (Patreon)
Q4 Patreon Slot Available!

What else will be covered? YOU DECIDE!

Season three and 2022 will also mark the first of a new subseries for the podcast: an annual crossover with Elijah Thomas from Kaiju Conversation where we discuss a movie from Ray Harryhausen’s filmography since the both of us share a birthday with the man (June 29). It will be released on said birthday each year. The working title for this subseries is “Monster Conversation: Harryhausen Annual.” Elijah and I are currently thinking we may be weird and work backwards, starting with Harryhausen’s final film, Clash of the Titans (1981). These episodes will probably be simultaneous releases on both of our podcast feeds.

While my guest list may change, my co-hosts next season will include many returning favorites and a few new friends, including:

Ryan “The Omni Viewer” Collins
Kaiju Kim
The Tourists (Nick Hayden, Timothy Deal, Joe Metter, Joy Metter)
Becky “Bex” Smith
John LeMay
Michael “The Kaiju Groupie” Hamilton
Travis Alexander
Eric Anderson
Damon Noyes
Elijah Thomas
Luke and Jason Jaconetti
The Drifters from The Drift Space (G, J.R., Reb, and Dave)
The Cel Cast
Chris Cooke
Alex McCumbers
Danny DiManna
And more!

I have a few “dream guests” I’m going to endeavor to get for the show, which I will announce if and when I confirm they’re visiting Monster Island. Stay tuned!

As for season three’s storyline, I’ll save that for a future blog. But let’s just say there’s a hint in this post. Did you find it? You can expect to see and hear old friends—and foes—come next season, as well as some new heroes and villains.

It’s going to be exciting, kaiju lovers!

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FROM THE DESK OF WILLIAM H. GEORGE III – ‘Zilla Jr. Threat Level Update / New Head of Security

Published August 2, 2020

DATE: 07-31-2020

TO: ALL EMPLOYEES

FROM: THE MONSTER ISLAND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SUBJECT: ‘ZILLA JR. THREAT LEVEL UPDATE / NEW HEAD OF SECURITY

Last week the Monster Island Board of Directors sent out an email stating that ‘Zilla Jr’s threat level was still under assessment. As of 8 am today the team has come back with its final evaluation on the creature.

The team has determined that ‘Zilla’s threat level stands at 8.5/10. A full readout of this assessment can be accessed through the employee portal. If you possess the proper clearances, you will be able to read that report, in full, as of 10 am tomorrow. We still strongly encourage any employee traveling to the NE quadrant of the island to use extreme caution. ‘Zilla will be released from his paddock later this week after some final blood testing and security tagging. An official public statement about the creature’s release will be made after Miss Perkins has a chance to review it.

Also, given that security on the island has been of great concern to all of us, The Monster Island Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Capt. Douglas Gordon will be joining the team as our NEW Head of Security. His role goes into effect immediately. We are currently in the process of gathering all necessary resources he and his team may need to do their job effectively and efficiently.

The Board has also instructed Capt. Gordon to do a full security assessment of any and all facilities here on the island. This includes but is not limited to:

ANY AND ALL guest services areas
Kaiju paddocks
The Monster Island Resort
ANY AND ALL garage and storage areas on the island
The recording studio and radio station
ANY AND ALL research facilities

Be advised, that inspections will be carried out at random. When Capt. Gordon and his team do come to your facility please treat them with respect and answer any and all questions clearly and concisely. This will allow the Captain and his team to work as efficiently as Earthly possible.

Once again, thank you all for helping us keep Monster Island one of the best places to work and thrive on Earth. It’s because of team members like you we can see a better way forward.

Sincerely,
The Monsters Island Board of Directors

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FROM THE DESK OF WILLIAM H. GEORGE III – New Uniforms/Jumpsuits

Published August 2, 2020

MEMORANDUM

DATE: July 21, 2020

TO: ALL EMPLOYEES

FROM: THE MONSTER ISLAND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SUBJECT: CHANGES TO THE EMPLOYEE & VOLUNTEER DRESS CODE

In an effort to bring the best experience possible to both our guests and employees, the Monster Island Board of Directors has chosen to implement a new color-coded uniform system for all staff and volunteers working on or around the Island.

Each department/facility will have its own, board-approved, uniform color-coding system. We believe this will be most beneficial to our guests. So that they know who to speak to when issues or general questions arise during their stay. The official uniform colors that coincide with their respected departments are listed as follows:

Executive Staff – Black or Charcoal Gray (with some flexibility)
Maintenance Crew – Orange
Sekizawa Library Staff / Volunteers – Turquoise
Garage Crew – Crimson
Monarch Outpost 83 – Neon Green
Monsterland Resort Staff – Gold
Halley’s Comics – Navy Blue
MI Chapel – White
Aviary – Desert Tan
Kaiju Handlers – Camo
Kaiju Court Staff/Volunteers – Purple
Denham Theater Staff – Silver
MI Screening Room Volunteers – Yellow
Beta Site – Hunter Green
Film Vault Crew/Volunteers – Olive Green
KIJU Radio Station – Bubblegum Pink

More details about the specifics of these changes will be released in a separate email to all employees. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to our Employee Advocates Office, and someone will get back to you at their earliest convenience.

Thank you all for helping us keep Monster Island, one of the best places to work and thrive on planet Earth. It’s because of team members like you that help us find a better way forward.

Sincerely, The Monster Island Board of Directors

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LIVE FROM PATREON!

Published May 11, 2020

You can now support us as a patron. We have three levels, each with cool bonuses. If you’re financially unable to do so, that’s fine. It’ll still be there when you’re ready. 🙂

Here’s our page.

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 5’ (and the Podcast’s New 2020 Schedule)

Published December 4, 2019

There isn’t much to add to the latest episode (although I heard most of it after it was recorded), but here are a few points I noted.

Mary Shelley’s original Frankenstein novel is in the public domain, but as John said, other incarnations like the Universal film versions aren’t. There have actually been several lawsuits related to Frankenstein copyrights, including way that arguably saved the VCR.
John calls the island in Son of Kong, “Skull Island,” when that name isn’t stated—but I’m not arguing with him because he’s John LeMay. 😛

Now, as Nathan said on the podcast’s Twitter last week, here’s a revamped (though tentative) 2020 schedule for the show. We’ll be returning to the original format—one full episode and one mini-sode each month—with Godzilla vs. Kong being delayed to November.

January
King Kong (1976)
The Mysterians (Mini-Analysis)

February
King Kong Lives
Varan the Unbelievable (Mini-Analysis)

March
King Kong (2005)
3 Treasures (Mini-Analysis)

April
Kong: Skull Island
Battle in Outer Space (Mini-Analysis)

May
Rebirth of Mothra
The Last War (Mini-Analysis)

June
Rebirth of Mothra II
Gorath (Mini-Analysis)

July
Rebirth of Mothra III
Matango (Mini-Analysis)

August
Daimagin
Atragon (Mini-Analysis)

September
Return of Daimagin
Space Monster Dogora (Mini-Analysis)

October
Daimagin Strikes Back
Frankenstein Conquers the World (Mini-Analysis)

November
Godzilla: King of the Monster (2019) (Mini-Analysis)
Godzilla vs. Kong

December
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
War of the Gargantuas (Mini-Analysis)

Hopefully, we won’t have to redo this again. (Got that, Legendary?)

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Meet the Tourists!

Published October 2, 2019

With the first big film discussion episode next week—which begins our chronological coverage of King Kong’s filmography with the 1933 classic—I thought now would be a good opportunity to introduce you all to the core group of Monster Island Tourists who will be guest-hosting with me on the podcast.

Ladies, gentlemen, and kaiju lovers of all ages, meet Nick, Tim, Joe, and Joy!

Nick Hayden and Timothy Deal are the co-hosts of Derailed Trains of Thought, the premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer. I’ve known both of them since my college days. Nick is an accomplished writer (and you should be reading everything he writes!), and Tim studied film in grad school. I’ve collaborated with them on several writing projects like Children of the Wells and, as I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been a frequent guest on their podcast. Be sure to check out the links to their sites!

Joe and Joy Metter are another pair of longtime friends of mine. I also met Joe back in my college days. Joe loves anime and Mystery Science Theatre 3000 (which is probably why we got along as well as we did), and Joy thinks she lives in a musical half the time and will randomly break out into song. The two of them just celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary.

These four will be on the show most often, but they won’t be the only ones. Here’s a tentative list of the other Tourists who will be joining me during the podcast’s extended first season:

Eric Anderson (founder of Nerd Chapel)
Ben Avery (writer and podcaster)
Dallas Mora (co-founder of Geek Devotions)
John LeMay (kaiju scholar and author)
Daniel DiManna (creator/author of the Godzilla Novelization Project)
Bex Smith (host of the Redeemed Otaku podcast)

There are a few other names on my back-up list and my season two list. It’ll never be boring on this show with this lively group of newcomers and veteran fans!

See you next week for King Kong (1933)!

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Goji-kun and Bro Kong Meet Binty Kong

Published September 19, 2019

With only a week to go before The Monster Island Film Vault premieres next week (Sept. 25), the podcast’s mascots, Goji-kun and Bro Kong, are welcoming some visitors—until this happens!

“Bro Kong, what does the chopper say about his power level?”

“What, 9,000?! There’s no way that can be right!”

“I came here for the podcast premiere, not to pick a fight!”

Boys, what have I told you about treating guests? Especially when it’s my brother Jarod’s friend Binty Kong! Don’t make me sick Jimmy From NASA on you! Ugh!

All right, kaiju lovers, while I sort this out, you listen to the trailer for the podcast.

The Monster Island Film Vault—a podcast seeking entertainment and enlightenment through tokusatsu—drops in your favorite podcatcher next Wednesday!

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