Livestreamed September 25, 2024, Nathan is joined by MIFV MAX member/“executive producer” Damon Noyes for fun and prizes to celebrate five years of podcast excellence on The Monster Island Film Vault. Festivities included MIFV trivia, MIFV fun facts, and a live reaction to episode 1. Let’s just say Nathan has come a long way as a podcaster.
We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Leon Campbell, Michael Watson, and Sam Allred! Thanks for your support!
Hello, Kaiju Lovers! In the longest MIFV episode ever (of all time), Nate is joined by Daniel DiManna of the Godzilla Novelization Project (no surprise why it’s long) to discuss the most underestimated of G-films: Godzilla vs. Gigan (aka Godzilla on Monster Island). They discuss every possible aspect of this film, from its under-funded production to its quirky yet iconic dub and everything in between—and we do mean everything. But the most surprising part of this epic episode is Nate and Danny’s discussion of the historical context in which it was made—a time of market penetration by foreign corporations and the explosion of the popularity of theme parks—the fascinating unmade drafts of its script written by both Shinichi Sekizawa and Takeshi Kimura, and the brilliant meta commentary it makes on Godzilla as a pop culture icon. “There’s something funny going on” in today’s episode of MIFV!
We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Leon Campbell, and Michael Watson! Thanks for your support!
Galbraith IV, Stuart. Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: A Critical Analysis and Filmography of 103 Features Released in the United States, 1950-1992. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. 1994.
Nathan interviews Dr. Jeffrey Angles, who translated the original novelizations of Godzilla (1954) and Godzilla Raids Again by Shigeru Kayama and got them published outside of Japan. These gave G-fans new insights into the production of these films and Japanese genre fiction. He’s currently working to get The Luminous Fairies and Mothra translated and published. This was a book commissioned by Toho that became the film Mothra in 1961. Dr. Angles even reads an excerpt from his translation (an MIFV exclusive!).
We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Leon Campbell, and Michael Watson! Thanks for your support!
While Nathan catches up on his podcast production (watch for updates), join him as he launches yet another subseries by interviewing his friend and fellow podcaster, Elijah Thomas (Kaiju Conversation), who is also an aspiring filmmaker. They discuss Elijah’s new short film, Edo Kami no Gyakushu, which premiered at G-Fest XXIX. They’ll also discuss the perils and perks of indie filmmaking, especially in the kaiju/toku sphere.
We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Leon Campbell, and Michael Watson! Thanks for your support!
Nathan is joined by the CEO of Starlight Runner Entertainment, Jeff Gomez, an “ultra-fan” who presides over the website Ultraman Connection, to discuss Netflix’s new animated Ultraman movie. Is it truly one of the best animated films of the year? We get into that and more!
Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip.Henshin Power V3 coming July 10, 2024 (Ultraman Day)!
We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Brad “Batman” Eddleman, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Robert Kidd, Leon Campbell, and Michael Watson! Thanks for your support!
Did Marchand think the mobile studio was a TARDIS? Nah, it was more like a clown car with all those goofballs stuffed in there for Episode 93 on Godzilla vs. Hedorah. At least…that’s what I remember. Because seriously, there shouldn’t have been enough room in there for that many guests; let alone ones with their own soundboard. Not to mention, I haven’t seen any call logs for when we contacted Ben Avery. I’m also feeling weirdly drowsy right now. And Kaguya’s been sleeping for a while. What in the actual Christian hell?! Okay, before I lose my mind (again), let’s get into my notes.
GMBS does have crazy fans. You should’ve seen the letters we were getting after they helped us quell Godzilla and Kong’s fight after episode 31. The loudest one was named “ET.” He wasn’t an alien, as far as I could tell.
I have a restrictive spam folder. It’s like the shield around Death Star II, only it isn’t being projected from an outside source.
I’m talking with Raymund about my stolen personal data. And the slander. What I said wasn’t that bad! I won’t stand for this! I’ll sit!
Cat wrangling: it’s only slightly easier than kaiju wrangling. Trust me, I know. My mecha has the scars to prove it despite Sir Lexington’s efforts.
Ken is, in fact, a street magician now. And he’s being called to the Island for testing to see if he is a descendent of the Venusians. (PTSD…triggered…)
Nate missed the pun he made? He’s going “nuts” and losing his touch.
I can confirm Ken spent some years in therapy. In fact, he saw a psychologist who worked extensively with us Kenny’s. It’s why most of us turned out mostly sane. Except that Squirrel kid. He’s still a looney.
I called Takashi Miike. He denies being the baby in the mud—mostly because he wants to avoid embarrassing G-Fest appearances like with Hiroyuki Kawase.
For the life of me, I couldn’t find the name of the animator Banno supposedly originally wanted to hire. Did Nate “Mandela effect” that? Did I…?
Regardless, Danny has informed me that the name of the actual animator on the film was Hisashi Yasui.
I was shocked having two soundboards didn’t lead to more shenanigans. Nate has a reputation for overusing his on the air.
I submitted “buses” as unit of measurements to the Island’s scientists, but it was rejected due to the sizes of buses varying between different types. Clearly, no one remembers the “pirate-ninjas” from The Martian.
Godzilla did jump over Zigra once, from what the Island’s scientists have told me. In fact, Godzilla was practicing his flying technique again. Zigra tried to bite a chunk out of him by jumping out of the water and narrowly missed. That probably saved his life.
Yes, I do have…government contracts… (smile and nod, just smile and nod…).
Next up, we have a bonus episode on War of the God Monsters (aka The Flying Monster), a weird South Korean kaiju film that stole its monster footage from Ultraman shows. It’ll be a solo episode. Then we nervously venture north to capture Pulgasari. Tomi Trembath of Giant-Sized Violence joins us for that one…remotely. Then the Cel Cast claims their annual Patreon episode, and I’m looking forward to this one…sorta. Nate calls it “The Zillo Beast Saga.” They’re covering the two episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the three episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch that featured that titular monster. I’m notorious for hating the Prequel Trilogy, and I’m a bit torn on these shows. Why? #SaveItForTheShow
Hello, Kaiju Lovers! It’s a full house (“full mecha”?) in today’s Godzilla Redux episode on the infamous but now-popular-to-like G-film, Godzilla vs. Hedorah (aka Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster). Daniel DiManna (Godzilla Novelization Project), Ben Avery (Strangers and Aliens; Welcome to Level 7), and Matt and Gratton of Giant Monster BS all return to discuss the strangest yet arguably most auteur film in the franchise. To say it kicked off the ‘70s G-films with a strange bang would be an understatement. It’s trippy imagery, bizarre monster, and psychedelic pop music all came from the mind of one Yoshimitsu Banno, who despite being rumored for years to have been told he ruined Godzilla, went on to help launch the MonsterVerse. Our panelists unpack that, the film’s subtle-as-a-sledgehammer messages, its co-screenwriter Kaoru Mabuchi/Takeshi Kimura, and much, much more!
We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Brad “Batman” Eddleman, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Robert Kidd, Leon Campbell, and Michael Watson! Thanks for your support!
Barr, Jason. The Kaiju Film: A Critical Study of Cinema’s Biggest Monsters.
Galbraith, Stuart IV. Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: A Critical Analysis and Filmography of 103 Features Released in the United States 1950-1992.
Kalat, David. A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series, 2nd Edition.
Lees, J.D. and Marc Cerasini. The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. 1998.
LeMay, John. The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies, Vol. 1: 1954-1982.
Rhodes, Sean, and Brooke McCorkle. “Chapter 8: “Smog, Sludge, and Hippies: Godzilla vs. Hedorah.” Japan’s Green Monsters: Environmental Commentary in Kaiju Cinema.
Skipper, Graham. Godzilla: The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters.
For once, Mr. LeMay came on the show and we didn’t get into a flame war. But maybe that’s why he left early: he knew he couldn’t win. Regardless, I only took a few notes during this episode, and most of them had to do with Neil Riebe. Nate is right in saying Neil’s been on so much, he may as well be his new co-host. Him or Danny DiManna. Nate, we need to talk about letting other members of your Tourist roster on the show more often! Anyway, for Episode 91: ‘All Monsters Attack’ (aka Godzilla’s Revenge), I wrote:
“Traveling intrepid producer.” That has a nice ring to it. I’ll be updating my business cards immediately!
Ryder Sound Services in Hollywood recorded the dub for AIP. It was supervised by Riley Jackson.
I love how John bails right when Nate asks him a difficult question…about theme songs. Music is an important subject, but really?
I checked the Classic Media DVD for the film, which is what Nate was referencing in his original notes, and Ichiro said, “But I’ll be okay by myself.”
That was a delicious bone you threw at this “Kenny,” Nate. But yes, Masao and I are the best “Kennys” in Gamera’s history, hands down. But…
The hell, Neil! How could you forget I’m the best “Kenny”!
The “plant monster” in the film is officially named “Maneater” and isn’t on the Island since it’s a figment of Ichiro’s imagination. That one, anyway. Hence why Dr. Dourif didn’t appear. I’m sure he was disappointed.
You mean Godzilla vs. Megalon is a lot like those 1970s toku TV shows, Neil.
Join MIFV MAX on Patreon to see Nate’s full research notes, including what he didn’t use on the show.
Next up, Nate is joined by a not-time-displaced Omni Viewer (and Snazzy Chapeau) to discuss what many would call “peak Korean Kaiju cinema” for The Monster Island World Tour, Bong Joon-Ho’s The Host. Then we enter the 1970s era of the Showa Godzilla series with the bizarre and suddenly popular Godzilla vs. Hedorah (aka Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster)—and it was the most-requested guest host episode of MIFV ever! The list was finalized to Daniel DiManna, Ben Avery, and Matt and Gratton from Giant Monster BS. Finally, with five Wednesdays in May this year, Nate will do a solo bonus episode on War of the God Monsters (aka The Flying Monster), a South Korean kaiju movie that barely qualifies for coverage because it stole its monster footage from Ultraman (among others). It’s a full month!
Hello, Kaiju Lovers! This film was popular to hate and now it’s popular to “reevaluate” it: All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla’s Revenge). Nate is joined by not one but two fellow kaiju authors to unpack this grossly misunderstood G-film: Neil Riebe (who’s practically Nate’s new co-host) and the most-cited man on MIFV, John LeMay. They get into the cultural contexts that birthed this strange kids’ movie (starring the first Godzilla “Kenny”) set in the “real world” and not the “Showa-verse,” including urbanization, industrialization, and latchkey kids, among other things. To say the dub did this film no favors would be an understatement. Unfortunately, John had to leave early during the episode, but fortunately Neil reads a 2005 e-mail he got from a 19-year-old John for a special listener feedback segment. Prepare to have your mind changed about this film!
We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Brad “Batman” Eddleman, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Robert Kidd, Leon Campbell, and Michael Watson! Thanks for your support!
Barr, Jason. The Kaiju Film: A Critical Study of Cinema’s Biggest Monsters.
Brothers, Peter H. Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda.
Commentary by Richard A. Pusateri. All Monsters Attack Classic Media DVD. Published by Sony.
Galbraith, Stuart IV. Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: A Critical Analysis and Filmography of 103 Features Released in the United States 1950-1992.
Kalat, David. A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series, 2nd Edition.
LeMay, John. The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies, Vol. 1: 1954-1982.
LeMay, John. Writing Giant Monsters.
Osbourne, Randall E. (Ph.D.). “Godzilla as a Parenting Tool.” The Official Godzilla Compendium by J.D. Lees and Marc Cerasini. Random House. 1998.
Rhodes, Sean, and Brooke McCorkle. “Chapter 8: “Smog, Sludge, and Hippies: Godzilla vs. Hedorah.” Japan’s Green Monsters: Environmental Commentary in Kaiju Cinema.
Ryfle, Steve, and Ed Godziszewski. Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa.
Skipper, Graham. Godzilla: The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters.
Episode 97: ‘Godzilla vs. Gigan’ | Ft. Daniel DiManna | Godzilla Redux
Hello, Kaiju Lovers! In the longest MIFV episode ever (of all time), Nate is joined by Daniel DiManna of the Godzilla Novelization Project (no surprise why it’s long) to discuss the most underestimated of G-films: Godzilla vs. Gigan (aka Godzilla on Monster Island). They discuss every possible aspect of this film, from its under-funded production to its quirky yet iconic dub and everything in between—and we do mean everything. But the most surprising part of this epic episode is Nate and Danny’s discussion of the historical context in which it was made—a time of market penetration by foreign corporations and the explosion of the popularity of theme parks—the fascinating unmade drafts of its script written by both Shinichi Sekizawa and Takeshi Kimura, and the brilliant meta commentary it makes on Godzilla as a pop culture icon. “There’s something funny going on” in today’s episode of MIFV!
Here’s the Sekizawa and Kimura panel Danny and I hosted at G-Fest 2019: https://youtu.be/D3fROnC-Sso?si=SJjlQ5kie_XYuDRA.
Jimmy’s Notes on this episode COMING SOON!
Additional Music:
Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip, and Henshin Power V3!
We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Leon Campbell, and Michael Watson! Thanks for your support!
You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)
Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE!
This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors.
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