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Episode 13: ‘The Three Treasures’ (Mini-Analysis)

Published March 25, 2020

Hello, kaiju lovers!

The unintentional “epic films month” continues with 1959’s The Three Treasures (aka The Birth of Japan), but thankfully this episode doesn’t cross the “Kurosawa threshold.” This is a religious epic in the vein of Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments except it’s about Shinto. It tells the tale of Prince Yamato Takeru (played by the always awesome Toshiro Mifune), the legendary 13th emperor of Japan (who’s being covered in our 13th episode…oh boy…). Interspersed throughout the film are vignettes depicting stories from Japanese mythology that parallel the prince’s life. Nathan zeroes in on several of the film’s story elements, including the Japanese creation myth, the Imperial Regalia of Japan, and Yamata no Orochi the eight-headed dragon. There’s so much that could be said about this film, Nathan may have to do a follow-up with Rev. Mifune (no relation to Toshiro Mifune) or the guys at The Kaiju Apostle.

Nathan then reads yet more feedback clarifying the Batman Meets Godzilla story treatment—or rather, the Twitter war that almost broke out over it.

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/or 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 March 25 to March 31 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 41: The Three Treasures a.k.a. Nippon tanjo (The Birth of Japan) (1959) (Shinto)

This episode featured the songs “‘BATMAN’ [OG Theme Song Remix!]” by Remix Maniacs & “ULTRAMAN” by Nobuko Toda and Kazuma Jinnouchi.

Join the Kaiju Quarantine Discord server!

Here are Jimmy’s, er, Nathan’s Notes on this episode.

© 2020 Nathan Marchand & Moonlighting Ninjas Media

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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

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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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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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Episode 9: ‘The Mysterians’ (Mini-Analysis)

Published January 22, 2020

Hello, kaiju lovers!

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.

Here’s the KVR episode: Episode 39: The Mysterians (1957) (Normalization of Japan-USSR Relations)

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

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode.

(c) 2020 Nathan Marchand & Moonlighting Ninjas Media

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Episode 8: Ben Avery vs. ‘King Kong’ (1976)

Published January 8, 2020

Hello, kaiju lovers!

We’re kicking off 2020 with the Eighth Wonder’s return to Hollywood in a film brought about by Italian producer Dino de Laurentiis. Writer/podcaster Ben Avery joins Nathan to discuss the 1976 remake of King Kong starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange, which is firmly entrenched in its time and was touted as “the most exciting original motion picture event of all time.” What’s interesting is it straddles the gritty cynicism of early ‘70s films like Dirty Harry and the more hopeful films of the late ‘70s like Star Wars (because no MIFV episode is complete without mentioning that franchise). This was the first time Nathan had seen Kong ‘76 in years, and while he didn’t like it as a teen, he softens to it thanks in part to Ben’s love of it. Their discussion also touches upon the weird love triangle between Dwan, Jack, and Kong; the great but sometimes wonky special effects; and how modern audiences may feel about the film’s climax on the World Trade Center post-9/11. The Toku Topic is the 1973 Energy Crisis since it directly influenced the filmmakers’ decision to have the characters’ expedition be about finding untapped oil reservoirs.

Here’s to the big one!

Check out all of Ben’s podcasts:
–Strangers and Aliens
–Welcome to Level 7
–The Comic Book Time Machine
–Supersonic Pod Comics

Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00-3:33
Entertaining Info Dump: 3:33-11:10
Toku Talk: 11:10-1:16:53
Toku Topic: 1:16:53-1:47:11
Outro: 1:47:11-end

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode when you finish it.

© 2020 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

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Episode 7: ‘Half Human’ (Mini-Analysis)

Published December 25, 2019

Merry Christmas, kaiju lovers!

As part of Nathan’s continuing series on films covered in his absence on Kaijuvision Radio, this mini-sode examines Ishiro Honda’s 1955 film Half Human, which is infamous for being banned by Toho. Heck, it was stashed so far back in the Island’s film vault, it took Goji-kun and Bro Kong (the podcast mascots and possibly Godzilla and Kong’s “little” brothers) a long time to find it for Nathan to watch. Strange as it may sound, it’s serendipitous that this episode was released on Christmas Day because the film takes place partly on New Year’s Day. It follows a group of scientists and students investigating the appearance of the Abominable Snowman in the Japanese Alps, where they encounter a savage tribe who worships the Snowman. Nathan’s analysis focuses on the natives, their parallels to the Ainu (Japan’s indigenous people), and how this portrayal got the film banned. He argues that, despite possible insensitivities, Half Human is unfairly censored and deserves to be viewed by a wider audience.

All this plus our first listener feedback letters and the Monster Island Christmas party—wherein Nathan learns that kaiju can sing Christmas carols (or so his intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA, tells him even though he hasn’t fixed the ORCA yet).

Here’s the Kaijuvision Radio episode on the film: Episode 38: Half Human (1955) (Genetic Origin of the Ainu People).

Here’s the blog with the rules for the Destroyer novella giveaway.

This episode featured “We Three Kings” by Jay Man (OurMusicBox on YouTube).

See you in 2020, listeners!

#JimmyFromNASALives

© 2019 Nathan Marchand & Moonlighting Ninjas Media

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Episode 6: Nick Hayden vs. ‘King Kong Escapes’

Published December 11, 2019

Hello, kaiju lovers!

In the latest episode of the “Kong Quest” (which is finally mentioned by name on the air!), Nathan is joined once again by author and “Golden Ticket Tourist” Nick Hayden of the Derailed Trains of Thought podcast to discuss the wacky but fun King Kong Escapes. Like with the 1933 film, this is Nick’s first time seeing this 1967 Toho classic, which was the second (and sadly last) of Toho’s Kong films, as it was made in the last year they held the rights to the Eighth Wonder. This is a first for the show as it’s the first tokusatsu film directed by the great Ishiro Honda covered on the podcast. It’s a crazy nexus of ideas borrowed from other productions and some that seemed to anticipate others. For one thing, its villain, Dr. Who, is both a derivation and a precursor to the famous British TV series! Nathan and Nick also note some funny connections to Rankin-Bass’ classic holiday special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer given that they collaborated with Toho on this live-action cartoon.

The Toku Topic is how Toho’s Japanese-American co-productions paralleled Japan-America relations.

Stay tuned after the credits for a Marvel-style stinger and an important announcement.

Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00-3:25
Entertaining Info Dump: 3:25-11:25
Toku Talk: 11:25-52:57
Toku Topic: 52:57-1:19:25
Outro: 1:19:25-1:24:50
Stinger:  1:24:50-end

© 2019 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

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Episode 5: John LeMay Presents ‘King Kong vs. Frankenstein’ & ‘Continuation: King Kong vs. Godzilla’

Published November 27, 2019

(FYI: This was recorded before the news that 2020’s Godzilla vs. Kong would be delayed).

Hello, kaiju lovers!

In this special “side Kong Quest” ( 😛 ), Nathan is joined by author John LeMay (who is a gentleman and a scholar) to talk about two unmade King Kong films with connections to King Kong vs. Godzilla. The first was “King Kong vs. Frankenstein,” a project that special effects legend Willis O’Brien tried to get made in the late 1950s before it ended up at Toho. Then Godzilla and Kong almost had their rematch in the 1960s with Shinichi Sekizawa’s “Continuation: King Kong vs. Godzilla,” where the Eighth Wonder becomes a surrogate parent to a Japanese baby! Hear all about them in this episode! These and many other lost Kong films are covered in great detail in John’s book Kong Unmade: The Lost Films of Skull Island, which is part of Monster Island’s library and one of Nathan’s go-to resources for the podcast.

Jimmy From NASA is absent for most of this episode because Kong and Godzilla were upset that Nathan skipped their 1962 monster mash movie, so Jimmy left to calm them down with the ORCA. The thing is, Nathan covered that film on his previous podcast, Kaijuvision Radio. Here’s a link if you want to listen to it before the next episode:

Episode 8: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) (The Japanese Economic Miracle (The Golden 60s))

Also, Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here on Monster Island!

Read Jimmy’s Notes for corrections, riffs, and more info on this episode!

© 2019 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

#JimmyFromNASALives

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