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Jimmy’s Notes on Episode 36: The MSTies vs. ‘Gamera vs. Gyaos’

Published March 16, 2021

Michael, Michael, Michael. Now you’ve gone and done it. You have supplanted John LeMay as my new nemesis. You haven’t surpassed Commander Hell—the self-proclaimed “emperor of the universe” during the War in Space—but that’s hard to do since he’s an evil overlord. But, well, I may wait a little a little longer to retrieve you next time you take a tour of Monster Island’s jungle. You need a bit more excitement in your life, anyway.

Besides that, here are my other notes from last week’s episode on Gamera vs. Gyaos:

  • You should know better than to eat food in a cockpit around sensitive equipment, Michael! Serpentera Mk. 3 is a delicate machine!
  • Can’t tell, Michael? Nate, are we sure about his loyalty? #justsaying
  • I regret not reminding Nate to let Damon talk at the beginning about how he got to the Island, especially when it involved Giant Robo and Johnny Socko (he’s a friend of mine). Of course, Michael kept butting in.
  • The full name of Eiichi’s little actor is Naoyuki Abe.
  • In 1967, $1,000 was 360,000 yen, and the film’s budget was 60 million yen. Now I, too, want to know how many times Gyaos used that ray!
  • Haneda airport is nice. Japanese customs sucks, though. They never let me keep my laser pistol. I have a permit, damnit!
  • Good grief, did Damon and Michael go on and on and on at the end of the episode. Nate wisely chopped 20 minutes out. I feel sorry for the listeners here on the Island who had to hear it all.

Now for Nate’s leftover notes. He actually used all his Toku Topic notes again. Good work.

  • We’re quickly introduced to Gamera and his “Kenny,” Eiichi. Gamera eats some fire from the erupting Mt. Fuji. Reporter asks if he’s storing flames for energy or burnt to a crisp. Of course he’s still alive! He’s in the title!
  • Kojiro Hongo returns from the previous film.
  • Of course there are bats in the vampiric Gyaos’s cave!
  • Gamera is supposed to be holding Eiichi, but his hands are clearly open in the next shot. Also, he either stretches his arm like Mr. Fantastic or is crazy flexible because he’s able to place Eiichi on his back at an impossible angle. (Well, he was in space for a while, so maybe he found some cosmic rays? –Jimmy)
  • “Gyaos” is how he sounds? Okay. (Sounds like me when I cough. –Jimmy)
  • I see why Gyaos was brought back in the Heisei trilogy. He’s the easiest one to reboot.
  • There are gags like the car slicing in this. And Gyaos having a rock fall on his newly grown toe.
  • HEADSHOT on Gamera. Gyaos shoots off his own toes—but Gamera shoots off his own hand.
  • Gyaos looks constipated while re-growing his toes. (We’ve all made that face at some point, Nate. –Jimmy)
  • I want Gyaos to speak like Bela Lugosi.
  • “Exactly like our blood!” Because it’s pink? Cotton candy?
  • There’s a bit character named Toku. Okay. (Does that mean we talk about him in every episode? –Jimmy)
  • It never occurs to Gamera the THREE TIMES Gyaos drops him from midair to start flying?
  • “Put a rock in it!” (I’ll remember this the next time I want you to shut up, Marchand! –Jimmy)
  • Gyaos is barely in the volcano before the village leader says the road construction can continue.

From my books:

  • The rivalry between Godzilla and Gamera at this time was likened to The Beatles and the Rolling Stones by Patrick Macias.
  • Kichijiro Ueda, who plays the village mayor, told Yuasa, “I will defeat Gamera in performance!”
  • The humans’ efforts against Gyaos were inspired by Mission: Impossible, according to the producers.

The Commentary by Stuart Galbraith IV

  • It was decided by all to make this a children’s film. The kids would play on the floor or go buy popcorn during scenes in first two films with adults. This was made like a children’s storybook. Everything moves briskly.
    • They used a lot of real locations/offices instead of sets. One scene was Daiei’s dubbing studio.
    • This is the same Gamera suit from the previous film, but the eyes were made bigger and friendlier.
    • Daiei liked having expressive eyes on their kaiju. Detailed and brightly lit.
    • Yuasa said kaiju should all be night creatures to hide the defects of the special effects and because it’s dramatic. (Take that, day battlers!) 😛
    • The fat villagers, that actor committed suicide a few months after this movie released at age 31 because his career wasn’t going anywhere after some big success in TV.
    • Yuasa saw giant monsters and illogical, so scientists have much less screen time and no solutions. He wanted the kid audience to join Eiichi in coming up with solutions. (And yet we have an entire science lab dedicated to the kaiju here on the Island…. –Jimmy)
    • This year saw more foreign films out-grossing Japanese films.
    • Gyaos gave a press conference to promote the film, which angered some reporters. (Maybe he should be the next president’s press secretary. –Jimmy)

There you go.

The “Year of Gamera” takes a brief hiatus as we prepare for the long-awaited release of Godzilla vs. Kong, which will have a special premiere on Monster Island. Next week you’ll hear when Nate was joined by the biggest guests to be on the show (so far): Ryan “The Omni Viewer” Collins and Brandon Jacobs, the host of Up From the Depths on YouTube. Ryan’s sidekick, Snazzy, hung out with me and Jet Jaguar in the producer booth. And pushed random buttons. Before I put him in a headlock.

Until then, remember: #WeShallOvercome

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

Follow MIBOD on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD
Follow Raymund Martin (The MIFV Legal Team) on Twitter: @MIFV_LegalTeam
Follow Crystal Lady Jessica on Twitter: @CrystalLadyJes1

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 35: Prophecies of Nostradamus (feat. John LeMay)

Published March 2, 2021

I’m happy to report that episode 35 got off without incident between myself and my former flame war nemesis, John LeMay. Not only is it difficult to fight a flame war when you’re on two different social media platforms, but Mr. LeMay is such a chill guy, flame wars don’t last long. That being said, I do have notes:

  • Mr. LeMay, you have no Twitter because of me? Have you seen what happens on Twitter? I practically have to fight a new War in Space every day!
  • Nate, you said, “Prophecies of Japan,” when you meant, “Submersion of Japan.” I don’t think you want to combine these movies. I shudder to think of it.
  • I do know who killed JFK:
  • Yes, I fixed Venus, and let me tell you, fixing a planet isn’t easy. It’ll be a whole chapter in my autobiography.
  • The Walking Dead comic started in 2003 and the show started in 2010 (on Halloween, I might add), which puts 2007—the supposed date of Nostradamus’ zombie apocalypse—right in the middle. Maybe he was off by a few years? That seems to be a common excuse believers in his prophecies give.
  • According to Gojipedia: “The Soft-Bodied Humans get their name due to how they are described as looking like ‘humans with peeled back skin’ following the events of a devastating nuclear war.”
  • I let John win on finding the Soft-Bodied Humans’ designer. I didn’t want to bruise his ego…again.
  • Maybe I want you to get shot into space, Marchand. Then I could take over the show for real. 😛

And now for Nate’s leftover notes (with my commentary, of course):

  • There was going to be a sequel, but it never materialized. A sequel to the novel it was based on was released in 1991, though.
  • Leonard Maltin’s reviewers jokingly said it was “presented, perhaps, by the National Enquirer.”
  • The scene with the slugs is one of the few with “kaiju.” It reminds me of a classic Doctor Who story, “Doctor Who and the Silurians.” (And funny enough, that predates this film by four years! –Jimmy)
  • They talked about overpopulation in Japan when it has dropped drastically. Argues that large population centers lead to stress and death. Arguing against civilization? (Sounds like something Alan Jonah would say. These people aren’t eco-terrorists, are they?  –Jimmy)
  • The young guy’s father wants to give up on life because the fish are all dying so he offers himself to the sea. The scene that follows is a bit like Submersion of Japan with the daughter and the boyfriend discussing how the sea is full of death but there’s still hope. They make love on a boat but aren’t interrupted by disaster.
  • Now we get to deformed children being born. One in three in Kysushu. Tamura’s colleague has a dead grandchild. He described it as if it was a thing and not a child.
  • The little girl wants to be an actress when she grows up but she’s acting now! (#Irony. –Jimmy)
  • A rare Japanese Christian who brings up Revelation. (Rev. Mifune would be proud. –Jimmy)
  • Does Tamura realize how crazy he sounds? Proposing that all but essential factories be closed, population kept in check, the old and weak dying, strict diets. It feels like COVID-land.
  • So, there’s snow in Egypt and the Hawaiian islands are freezing.
  • This does take the disasters happening only to Japan and applies them to the whole world.
  • Those seriously look like the same radiation suits from Mothra (1961).
  • It’s Audrey II! (Or Three? –Jimmy)
  • These bat props have the advantage of quick cuts. The editing helps them. If you look at them too long, they look terrible.
  • Of course everything goes wrong as soon as they take their helmets off. (Did these people not see Prometheus? –Jimmy)
  • The English acting is terrible. Even by English speakers. (Again, #irony. –Jimmy)
  • How do they even know if any of the people in the cave are alive? They looked pretty dead to me. And yet this is supposed to be horrific that they shoot all of them.
  • Like in The Last War, the Bible is quoted. In this case, Psalm 23 during a funeral.
  • Over an hour in and we finally get some tokusatsu model work.
  • Mississippi River flooding. The worst ever. That happened in the ‘90s.
  • Why connect Nostradamus to the apocalyptic environmentalism? It seems like it was inevitable. Was it a warning? Could it be prevented?
  • The mother tells her daughter that she must care for the child no matter how bad things get. I appreciate the pro-life stance. (Me too. –Jimmy)
  • This highway scene looks cool, but it’s absurd. How could one exploding car make all of them go up? (Uh…action movie logic? –Jimmy)
  • There’s a sense of hopelessness as opposed to dread.
  • This uses stock footage from The Last War and Submersion of Japan. No wonder it looked familiar.
  • The PM says Japan must set an example. Japan-centric. He also says the government has little to no power without the support of the people.
  • Suddenly I’m wondering if any of this movie was “real.” There’s hope for future generations if people act, but wasn’t there already a bunch of apocalyptic things? Was it all an illustration of Tamura’s speech?
  • Story has it that (Nostradamus) bowed to Franciscan monk, referring to him as “His Holiness,” who in 1585—years after Nostradamus’s death—was by the College of Cardinals as Pope Sixtus V.
  • (Nostradamus’) practice thrived in large part because he saw his patients as friends and treated them as such.

I predict that Mr. LeMay—whose episodes are all in MIFV’s top ten most popular on iTunes right now—will return next season…because moments after this broadcast, Nate invited him back. For what movie? Wait and see!

Next week Nate welcomes MIFV MAX members Damon Noyes and Michael “My Other Former Nemesis” Hamilton to continue the Year of Gamera with Gamera vs. Gyaos. Buckle up for that one, kaiju lovers! Then to get everyone hyped for Godzilla vs. Kong, we’ll be joined by the biggest guests we’ve had on the show (so far): Ryan “The Omni Viewer” Collins and Brandon Jacobs, the host of Up From the Depths on YouTube. Ryan is bringing his sidekick, Snazzy, who will hang out with me in the producer booth. With Jet Jaguar in there, it’s going to be crowded!

Until then, remember: #WeShallOvercome

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

Follow MIBOD on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD
Follow Raymund Martin (The MIFV Legal Team) on Twitter: @MIFV_LegalTeam
Follow Crystal Lady Jessica on Twitter: @CrystalLadyJes1

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Jimmy’s Notes on Episode 34: The MSTies vs. ‘Gamera vs. Barugon’

Published February 17, 2021

I know I’m late posting this week. Again. But that’s what happens when someone lets Barugon out of the kaiju zone on Monster Island and MIBOD (the Board) tasks you with recovering him and installing a new fail-safe in the security system. Mechani-Kong Mk. 2 and I have been busy. Sadly, Jet Jaguar is going through a weird retro phase and was too busy modding himself in my garage to help. However, I’ve finally found some downtime to get this blog written and posted.

My notes/corrections/riffs for episode 34 on, conveniently (hmm…), Gamera vs. Barugon are:

  • I’ve yet to test the shielding against the wrathful lightning of otakus. We have new shielding coming in next month, supplied by Solstice Technologies. I’ve been assured that it can withstand even Godzilla’s atomic breath.
  • Executive produced by Gamera? While I know none of his own movies were produced by him, there are rumors he might be an uncredited producer on Godzilla vs. Kong, but that might only be so he can rub his new “king of the monsters” title in those two’s faces.
  • I may or may not be on the “feed to Barugon list”? Ever seen the post-credits scene in Pacific Rim? I did that before Hannibal Chau. Long story.
  • How to say, “I pity the fool!” in Japanese. (Mic drop).
  • Beriberi is a thiamine (or vitamin B1) deficiency. It doesn’t sound pleasant.
  • The psychiatric admission during the War in Space wasn’t as high as the New Guinea Campaign, but it was potent. Lovecraftian fear of the void is real. Trust me, I know. I may have met an elder god once in my travels in space.
  • It’s Chris “Cook” not “cookie,” Joe. Also, “otaku” isn’t part of his name. However, I lay this goof on Nate because he gave you a poorly written note. I’m sure Chris loves cookies, though, and might even start a second podcast about cookies.

Now, for Nate’s leftover notes:

The Movie

  • Awkward jump cut in early scene because a prop fell down.
  • The color in this does look nice.
  • Here’s a horrific death for the kids. Not really. But it’s the fastest five minutes ever. (This is why I don’t like time travel. –Jimmy)
  • Grenades with fuses instead of pins? Okay. Never seen anything like that. (Actually, old grenades—as in Civil War era—did have fuses. –Jimmy)
  • I just realized this guy has a farmer’s tan. Nice detail. (You’d notice because you have one, Nate. You need a little more time on the Monsterland beaches. –Jimmy)
  • Barugon’s birth is actually pretty effective. It’s weird and creepy and even a bit gross. Yuasa said it was one of his favorite scenes.
  • Barugon appears about 41 minutes in.
  • The random narrator didn’t need to explain what was happening on screen.
  • “We have to strike the monster out of range of its tongue attack.” (Horrible paraphrase).
  • Gamera finally returns almost 53 minutes in!
  • I think Gamera is getting high on Barugon’s breath. (The scientists on the Island tested that theory. Barugon’s breath isn’t a narcotic, thankfully. –Jimmy) 
  • Here’s a science lesson for you! (What science lesson was that? That kaiju like shiny things? –Jimmy)
  • Did everyone forget about Gamera this whole time? (You definitely can’t now! –Jimmy)
  • I can see the wires as Barugon dies. (I could use those wires now! –Jimmy)
  • Commentary:
    • The flashback wasn’t in the film originally. Added for those who didn’t see it.
    • The screenplay originally had the meteor change the capsule’s course and it re-entered the atmosphere.
    • Kurobe Dam is 610 feet tall and Japan’s largest.
    • The koto is the national instrument of Japan. (I took some lessons for it as a kid while living in Japan for a while. –Jimmy)
    • Gamera originally appeared before Barugon was born. Onodera saw the turtle flying, dropped the opal, and it fell under a lamp.
    • The reverence for the war dead’s bones is because not returning them is believed to break family lines and bring bad luck.
    • The Sandy Frank dub mistranslated the line about Barugon’s weakness to water. In the Japanese dialogue, it’s stated he can’t live long in water. (It’s still dubious. –Jimmy)
    • Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan.
  • Other factoids
    • Director Noriaki Yuasa was replaced with Shigeo Tanaka, one of Daiei’s top directors who helmed the prestige picture, The Great Wall (and WWII propaganda films for Daiei). Yuasa became special effects director.
    • It was released on double bill with Daimajin in 1966 during Japan’s “Golden Week” and was considered a major event.

Nate continues to improve his skills at sharing his notes on the Toku Topics. He got through all of them in this episode.

Next week we cover a very different film with the banned Prophecies of Nostradamus, which will feature the return of my former social media nemesis, John LeMay. That film was buried deep in the back of the Vault right next to Half-Human. Then the “Year of Gamera” continues with what might be the most famous (not “infamous”—that’s later) entry in the Titanic Terrapin’s classic movie series: Gamera vs. Gyaos. Nate will be joined by my other (former?) nemesis, Michael Hamilton, and mailman by day, actor by night, Damon Noyes (no relation to Adam).

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a huge ice-breathing reptile to catch with my giant robot ape.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

Follow MIBOD on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD
Follow Raymund Martin (The MIFV Legal Team) on Twitter: @MIFV_LegalTeam
Follow Crystal Lady Jessica on Twitter: @CrystalLadyJes1

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#WeShallOvercome

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 32: The MSTies vs. Gamera the Giant Monster’

Published January 18, 2021

Welcome to 2021—which has been a lot like 2020 so far. (Long story I’m not at liberty to tell).

Regardless, here’s my first “Jimmy’s Notes” blog for season two and the Year of Gamera. While the movie was “freakishly mediocre,” as Nate said, the episode itself was good…despite some all-too-convenient Board mandates. That being said, I did make a few notes, as I always do.

  • The Mysterian invasion was in 1957, not 1956, Nate.
  • I’m happy to report that Toshio “Kenny” Sakurai is still alive. In fact, he was a guest of honor, along with Asagi Kusanagi, at the recently-held Gamera: King of the Monsters Banquet here on the Island.
  • According to Wikipedia, “Chibi is derived from the verb 禿びる (chibiru), which means ‘to wear out and become shorter’ (the tip of something). Chibi-debu (ちびデブ or チビデブ) is used to describe something or someone that is both short and chubby. Chibi can be translated as ‘little’ (e.g. Chibi Maruko-chan, which means Little Miss Maruko), but it is not used the same way as chiisana [小さな] and chiisai [小さい] (‘tiny’, ‘small’, ‘little’ in Japanese), but rather ‘cute.’”
  • Michiko Sugata, who played “Kenny’s” sister, was actually 20 when she was in this movie, so it wasn’t unreasonable to pass her off as a teenager.
  • “Precocious adult,” am I? I guess that’s how you get labeled when you’ve been in the U.S. Air Force and NASA and built two giant robots. Don’t be hatin’! 😛
  • Oh, that kid who teamed with Gamera to pull pranks on the other kaiju was annoying! I think his name was Kevin.
  • Actually, yes, turtles and tortoises can flip themselves off their backs without using inexplicable jets in their shells. Read here.
  • I did a little digging and consulted John LeMay, but I can’t find anything anywhere that says “Commander Curly” and the other American soldiers were played by real U.S. servicemen stationed in Japan. That was sometimes done by Toho, though.
  • Nate, we only yell at each other every other workday. 😛
  • According to my sources, the “freeze bombs” were cadmium, which isn’t quite the same. Sorta.
  • But freeze bombs are cool!

And now for Nate’s first batch of leftover notes in 2021:

The Movie

  • Director Noriaki Yuasa was rotund, jolly, and “cuddly” and relatively untested. (Throw a beard on him, and he could be Santa Claus. –Jimmy)
  • Starts in North Pole like Beast (from 20,000 Fathoms). Nuclear test awakens monster like Beast. The difference is there are natives (Eskimos), which was a common trope in kaiju films, and the bombing came from Cold War issues. Implicitly Soviet bomb.
  • I can see the wires on the planes quite easily. (The drawbacks of hi-def. –Jimmy)
  • They waste no time and have Gamea show up in five minutes.
  • I don’t understand why the Eskimos speak English. Interestingly, the chief is wearing a crucifix. Implied Catholic?
  • The kids run when Gamera is mentioned. Not bad. “We’re being jammed!’ says the radio operator. By who? Gamera? Soviets? Aliens? (All of the above? –Jimmy)
  • The foreign newspapers all say, “Gamela.” (Japanese swaps L’s and R’s. –Jimmy)
  • Old drunk says Gamera is a “will-o-wisp.” His scene is too dark (lighting).
  • Gamera is a ninja. He magically disappears for a second. (He is the true fifth Ninja Turtle. But is he a teenager? Maybe that’s why he never got in. That and not being named after a Renaissance artist. –Jimmy)
  • Don’t worry, Toshio, you won’t get cancer from the radioactive turtle! (Actually, he didn’t! –Jimmy)
  • Toshio built Chibi a little rock house. And pseudo-beach music plays. Oh yeah. Chibi is totally a mutant turtle now. Yep. (Nope. The scientists have confirmed Gamera isn’t Chibi. -Jimmy).
  • The airplane pilot has radio trouble. Is this one of Gamera’s superpowers? Radio interference?
  • “By boring.” Describes the movie.
  • That’s great. Shoot the big turtle in his shell. Definitely his weak spot.
  • What a wonderful name for a hot springs resort: Hell’s Rock. Is it run by a Mr. Morningstar? (As in the comic book character? –Jimmy)
  • Oh, Tokyo Tower. A kaiju’s favorite target.
  • Toshio says Gamera attacks because he’s lonely and has no friends. So, he’s the goth kid in high school? (More like the nerd in high school. I should know. –Jimmy)
  • So, Gamera was eating radiation before it was cool. Take that, Godzilla?
  • Gamera says, “I’m crashing your party! No fun for you!” (Now he’s a party animal! –Jimmy)
  • “Gamera, don’t do anything bad!” Kid, he already has! Toshio bought a lot of stock in an Egyptian river.
  • Oh, yeah. These reporter characters are still here. I forgot about them because the movie forgot about them.
  • How is this kid getting access to this military operation? (This happened a few times when I was in the Air Force. It was part of a short-lived “kid consultant” program inspired by Gamera kids. I may or may not have played a part in forming it. –Jimmy)
  • Gamera is going to smash those bath toys.
  • “Yummy fire!”
  • Toshio may have gotten Gamera to leave. Then the crazy reporter starts lighting up buildings to get Gamera to come back. Then everyone goes full-tilt arsonist!
  • A countdown in English. Like Luke said, it must be a thing in Japan.

Toku Topic: Energy Consumption in Japan

Energy use and energy independence in Japan

  • Currently, Japan gets 10% of its energy from renewables, with the Fourth Strategic Energy Plan setting the goal of increasing that to 24% by 2030. Japan intends to invest over $700 billion in renewables over the next decade or so. Their primary renewable is hydroelectricity, with 1,198 small hydropower plants supplying 6.6% of the total hydropower. Unfortunately, these small plants are expensive to operate.
  • In addition, Japan has also explored wind power and waste/biomass energy mas well as experimental tidal and wave power plants in coastal regions.
  • Interestingly, unlike most industrial countries, Japan has two national grids instead a unified grid. One in the east and one in the west.

There were fewer leftover notes from the Toku Topic section than I expected. Nate is getting better about not overdoing it.

Join us next week for as Nate continues his series on Toho classics with a very different film (well, compared to what we normally cover): Submersion of Japan (aka Japan Sinks) from 1973. He was joined by Adam Noyes (pronounced like “noise”) of AN Productions, who jumped at the chance to talk about this film, which was a massive hit in Japan but is largely overlooked in the States. Then the Year of Gamera continues next month with Gamera vs. Barugon. Nate’s friends Joe and Joy Metter are returning—and once again Nate won’t get the chance to watch the MST3K episode of a Gamera movie. He has my sympathies.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 31: Space Amoeba (feat. Giant Monster BS)’

Published January 5, 2021

Well, that was one hell of an adventure! With shipping being delayed by the pandemic and the holidays (and shady Chinese mech part sellers on eBay…), it took forever for me to get everything I needed to complete Mechani-Kong Mk. 2. But I am not one to waste anything—especially expensive alien and future tech—which is why I used the leftovers to make Uber-Moguera. It was challenging enough making the parts I salvaged from the Mysterian and G-Force models compatible my rebuilt mechanical monkey. I studied Dr. Who’s original blueprints (no thanks to Michael Hamilton for stealing my annotated Godzilla Compendium…) and consulted with some of the Jaeger builders at the Shatterdome. I was surprised to learn that Jet Jaguar, in addition to his size-changing and other abilities, did have some robotics knowledge in his massive cerebral hard drive. He was the best assistant I could’ve asked for.

Sadly, as Nathan, er, Nate and the Giant Monster BS boys learned, Uber-Moguera has some…issues that need ironed out. As in he needs to be finished. Combining Mysterian and pseudo-Futurian tech has proven to be more difficult than I expected. I’ll get it done, though. Having a pair of mechas on the Island for work and defense will come in handy. I’m sure the Board is planning…something to do with them.

Anyway, concerning episode 31:

Here are my notes on the discussion of Space Amoeba:

  • They forgot to mention that the English-language title for this movie was Yog, Monster from Space. I’m guessing “Yog” is the name for the collective of non-corporeal aliens and not the kaiju. I’m not sure which one would have that name.
  • Why didn’t I remind you, Nate, about the hotel aspect of the plot? Sometimes you have to let people fail to learn the best lesson.
  • “Jimothy”? I’ve been called worse. Not “Jimbo,” though. I’m okay with that. Sorta.
  • I have a pile of tires from maser cannons. I was able to get one to fit the Weedmobile.
  • The lobster fighting game is not “Battle Crab.” It’s Fight Crab.
  • As Rev. Mifune would say, “When I was a child, I reasoned like a child, and when I became an adult, I put away childish things.” I now think space is even more preferable to Earth. I mean, have you been on Twitter lately? 😛

These are Nate’s leftover notes on the film:

Space Amoeba Notes:

  • Released in 1970, the year…Kurosawa attempted suicide.
  • This is not to be confused with “The Immunity Syndrome.” (Yes, the Star Trek episode that has a literal giant amoeba in space. –Jimmy)
  • The rocket is clearly a model.
  • Helois 7 is going to Jupiter because we got to the moon. (Jupiter has the famous Great Red Spot, but I can tell you from experience Venus is more fun and safe to visit. –Jimmy)
  • Tsuburaya would’ve been happy because he’d make another octopus-style monster. (Except this one he can’t eat. –Jimmy)
  • Straw hats and cigarettes. There’s a band name for you. (I’ll add it to the list of bands performing at the Island’s next music festival. –Jimmy)
  • He thought the matamata turtle was a monster. Take that, Gamera! (Do not insult the king! –Jimmy)
  • The mark on Rico’s body looks like frostbite…or a hickey. (No kink-shaming. 😛 –Jimmy)
  • Here we go again: eye candy native girl. It’s a staple of these island films. (It’s a trope I can get behind. 😛 –Jimmy)
  • Seriously, what does this guy think he’s gonna do to Gezora with a knife? (I fought a giant squid with a knife once. –Jimmy)
  • Catch it and put it in a show. He sounds like Clark Nelson now.
  • The animated tentacle looks goofy.
  • Gamine and Kamoebas are better-looking suits, but they aren’t as “popular” as Gezora. Kamoebas appeared later as a dead body in Tokyo SOS.
  • Kudo shoots Ganime in more ways than one (gun and camera). (Haha. –Jimmy)
  • Obata is going around burning lots of bats.
  • A man of science says humans have souls. Hot dang! Obata’s soul is fighting the aliens.
  • The bats are circling Ganime and Kamoeba like vultures. Okay.
  • Did they just use the same panning shot of the characters again? (Probably. –Jimmy)

Honda Biography

  • It was originally written in 1966 as part of the deal between Toho and UPA. It was a global story on the scale of Gorath with monsters invading from space and submerging entire continents. When it was revived three years later, it was scaled back to the South Seas. The filmmakers hoped to recapture the old magic, so the film became like a “best of reel.” Tanaka, who was too busy to produce it, thought it was too much of a retread.
  • There was constant pressure to stay on budget. Honda wanted to film on Guam, but that was canceled and he filmed on Hachijo Island, the “Hawaii of Japan,” 170 miles south of Tokyo.
  • The experience on this film was unmemorable for those involved. They spoke and wrote little of it. Regardless, it was the last Toho sci-fi film made on the old studio system.
  • “My nightmares are almost always about war—wandering the streets, searching for something that’s lost forever. But it’s possible for me to will myself to have pleasant dreams. For me, the most wonderful fragrance in the world is new film. You open the canister for the first time and breathe deeply. That night, the same wonderful fragrance fills your dreams. It’s grand.” –Honda, 1992

LeMay – Big Book

  • Originally, Yoshio Tsuchiya was to play Obata, but he let Sahara have the role.

Brothers

  • Possible theme of the destruction of natural beauty but not developed.

And so ends season one of MIFV (not counting the bonus episode, of course).

We just did the live broadcast of the season two premiere, and it was…interesting, to say the least. You’ll hear it next week when “The Year of Gamera” begins with a discussion of 1965’s Gamera the Giant Monster. Then for the first mini-sode of 2021, Nate is joined by podcaster/YouTuber/amateur filmmaker Adam Noyes of AN Productions to discuss the rare but excellent Submersion of Japan from 1973.

Despite everything that happened in 2020, I truly believe we shall overcome!

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 30: Latitude Zero (Mini-Analysis)’

Published December 16, 2020

So…this episode. There’s much I want to say…but I’m not at liberty to do so. There were some…top secret items discussed off the air. Very top secret. That’s all I can say for the moment. Our meeting with Ms. Perkins was quite informative. Eye-opening, even. She made Nathan, er, Nate and me privy to some information that will change how we do the show, and we only announced a little bit of it. Let’s just say next season we’ll be helping you all find a better way forward.

As for my notes, I don’t have many bullet points of my own this time around. Mostly, I’m just going to comment on some things that were said.

I was wrong about the Godzilla vs. Kong premiere. That’s not easy to admit. As the “intrepid” producer of MIFV, it’s my responsibility to fact check Nate, but I should’ve fact checked myself. I got caught up in the excitement of a world premiere on the Island six months before its scheduled release (which would’ve been even better given Warner Bros.’s controversial decision to send it to theaters and HBO Max on the same day). Nate had every right to say, “I don’t you so.”

I am happy to report that there will still be a premiere here on Monster Island in May, barring any other unforeseen shenanigans. (Latitude Zero’s COVID-19 vaccine can’t get distributed fast enough).

By the way, if you’re interested in learning more about the Latitude Zero Resort in Indonesia (not that I’d endorse anyone who might be competition for the Island), here’s their website.

And now for Nate’s leftover notes from the film…which is most of them since he focused on utopias.

Latitude Zero notes:

  • I watched the “original Japanese version” for this episode. Dubious because this was made for the US market and filmed in English. I watched the US version before. (Good thing I picked up some Japanese when my family lived in Japan for a few years. I’ll tell you more about that when we get to a certain Gamera film. –Jimmy)
  • Of course the largest ocean liner is named Fuji. (If it was an American ship, it’d be the Denali. Hmm. Not as cool-sounding, I guess. –Jimmy)
  • Nick Hayden joked (in episode 28) that Dr. Elson would smoke in sub, and Masson tries to here!
  • “20 fathoms”? Try 20,000! (It’s like Scotty on Star Trek: always multiplying his estimates by a thousand. –Jimmy)
  • Did Takarada dub himself back into Japanese? It’d be weird if he didn’t. (That seems likely since Wikizilla only lists dub actors for the American cast members. –Jimmy)
  • This explosion at the beginning looks amazing! Probably done using classic technique or pouring colored liquids into water and flipping the film and superimposing it.
  • This is much like The Green Slime in that it feels more like an American production that just happened to be made by Japanese people.
  • Dr. Ann Barton looks like she came straight off the set of Star Trek. Only there could a lady scientist have a backless top, miniskirt, and go-go boots. One guy even says she doesn’t “look” like a doctor. “What’s a doctor supposed to look like?” (I’m not complaining. –Jimmy)
  • The plaque says, “The Alpha. Launched June 21, 1805. Stornaway Harbour, Hebrides.” Scotland.
  • “Frank speed?” Sounds like a comic book character.
  • Ah, Dr. Malik. Played the unconquerable Caesar Romero. He’s one of the few true supervillains in Toho’s Showa films. Could he be a Sentai villain? Home base. Minions. A general. Makes monsters. Super vehicles. Blood Rock on an island. “Malik” means murderer (probably derived from “malice.”) (I wonder if he invested in the Island? –Jimmy)
  • This submarine chase looks pretty good. I wish could say the same for all the effects that follow. This feels like a Star Trek battle, complete with shaking camera. McKenzie eludes the Black Shark using superior and clever tactics.
  • You know, I could almost see this being an episode of Star Trek with some tweaks. (Me too. –Jimmy)
  • 11,000 fathoms? 9,000 more and you’ll find THE BEAST! (THE BEAST! THE BEAST!FROM 20,000 FATHOM! I couldn’t resist.  –Jimmy)
  • Great matte paintings. Reminds me of an episode of TNG set on idyllic planet where the only penalty is death. (I remember that for other reasons. –Jimmy)
  • Gold is harvested from seawater (okay…) and used for clothing because it’s cheap and plentiful. Diamonds are only used as cutting tools.
  • Lawton says there’s no moon or stars there, so you can’t have everything. He says everyone Mackenzie mentioned was there supposedly died. Tashiro even jokes that it might be Heaven (Paradise). Lawton theorizes McKenzie kidnapped those people and brainwashed them. Or drugs that induced hallucinations.
  • Those models on the map are props in the special effects department (Leave the riffing to me, Nate. –Jimmy)
  • Dr. Odaka has made a serum that immunizes against radiation and naturally everyone wants it. (Yeah, that’s one they should’ve shared with the world. –Jimmy)
  • Oh, the “Bat Men.” Do they fight Kamen Rider later? Nakajima is one of them. They don’t look great.
  • All the Asian people are subservient to the foreigners. Cleat mark of American story.
  • Caesar Romero’s scenes veer closer to Batman ’66.
  • They’re bathing in Ecto-Cooler (in the Bath of Immunity).
  • What if the bath didn’t work and you shot them? (Sounds like a debate question. –Jimmy)
  • That lion looks horribly fake. (You look horribly fake! 😛 –Jimmy)
  • Malic is a fiend! He didn’t anesthetize the lion. He just stabbed it in the head. (He must’ve been a dentist before he was a mad scientist. –Jimmy)
  • Does he have explosives planted everywhere on the island just in case of intruders? (I think the Board did the same thing on Monster Island because Malik did it first. Be careful on your next nature walk. –Jimmy)
  • The ROUS! You can see the zipper on them.
  • What’s attacking them? Tiny seagulls?
  • “FINGER LASERS!” (No one else gets that reference, Nate. –Jimmy)
  • The disintegration effects are really good. And kinda freaky.
  • Jimmy loves the Alpha. It’s Atragon II. Or the forerunner to the Gohten. (All true. –Jimmy)
  • Apparently, the Black Shark can’t fly. Malik must be jealous.
  • In the end, none of Lawton’s photos turn out and the bag of diamonds is dirt. The Capt. McKenzie on the boat says he comes from a long line. There’s also an officer who looks like Dr. Tashiro. There’s also a Lt., Hastings who looks like Malik. However, the New York bank did get the diamonds to hold for safekeeping until McKenzie arrived. (Talk about confusing! No wonder Nate doesn’t think LZ exists! –Jimmy)

Next week for our season finale, the guys from “Giant Monster BS” are joining us to discuss Space Amoeba (aka Yog, Monster from Space). I know how they are, so I’m having Jet Jaguar in the producer booth with me to act as my dump button. Also, Nate recorded a two-part bonus episode with Chris Cooke from “One Cross Radio” on the finale of Power Rangers In Space. It was mandated by Ms. Perkins, for some reason. Part one will be on Chris’s show and part two will be in the MIFV feeds. Then in January we start “The Year of Gamera.” Exciting (and hopefully less “interesting”) times are ahead!

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 29: War of the Gargantuas (feat. Ben Chaffins)’

Published December 2, 2020

As I mentioned on Twitter today in my latest “tweet duel” with Marchand, I’m blaming this blog’s tardiness on tryptophan. Thanksgiving was a week ago, but whoever cooked that turkey must’ve added more of that stuff to it. (I can neither confirm nor deny that it may have been a kaiju turkey). Suffice it to say, the American personnel on Monster Island had a good time.

Strangely, I only wrote a few notes while listening to the live broadcast of the episode on War of the Gargantuas:

  • I think Marchand is on crack. I can’t find a different version of “The Words Get Stuck in My Throat” from the dubbed version of the movie. I did find out that DEVO covered it in 1979. They make it bearable.
  • Speaking of the song…why, Marchand, why?! Why did you say the Board would play that song in the elevators?! You know they’ll do it!
  • Kipp Hamilton died in 1981, so she won’t be able to sing for us on the Island. But like I said, DEVO cover.

Here are Nathan’s leftover notes with my annotations:

  • Starts with the Oodako (giant octopus). Tsuburaya had a thing for them. They show up in his movies and TV series often. It gets a beating from Kong and Gaira.
  • Gaira appears in four minutes.
  • These subtitles are a bit confused. First they say, “Frankenstein” (which the actor does say), but then they say, “Gargantua,” like the dub. And it comes out of nowhere.
  • Again, G98 parallels with the wrecked boats on shore with skin on it.
  • “Call 110!” (I’m guessing this is the Japanese version of 911. –Jimmy)
  • “Operation L,” huh? (Operation Luigi? Lorax? Lumpy? Oh, no! Not the Holiday Special! –Jimmy)
  • Gaira sorta goes after pigs in a barn like Baragon does a horse.
  • The protagonists hardly do anything. There’s a lot of military procedurals with nondescript soldiers.
  • Suddenly Gaira can handle sunlight better after Sanda saves him. And Sanda isn’t bothered by light.
  • Thankfully, the Gargantua suits look much better when wet than Kong.
  • Tamblyn and Mizuno talk about how the young people go out during times of trouble, which the same in evert country. They go hiking when kaiju are around. Youth filled cafes and theatres when Nazis occupied Paris. It’s a bit of thematic weight, anyway.
  • You’d think the whole plotline with any bits of flesh growing into other Gargnatuas would be a bigger deal in this. (The scientists here monitor them and Frankie closely because of this. –Jimmy)
  • Several clips from this film are used as part of the closing ceremonies at G-Fest. (One of these days I should attend. –Jimmy)
  • There is brief conflict between the scientists and soldiers over if the Gargantauas—or at least Sanda—should be kept alive for study. (This debate happens daily here on the Island. Just kidding. S.C.A.L.E. would sue us into oblivion if we hurt any of the kaiju. –Jimmy)
  • The fights have choreography more like wrestling matches because the monsters are humanoid. Brutal. (I may have been in a few Japanese wrestling matches…. –Jimmy)
  • Using a sweet-smelling flower to revive a woman? Clever. (I’ve tried it a few times. It works very well, if you know what I mean. –Jimmy)
  • It isn’t explained, but the helicopter’s bombing is what causes the volcanic eruption that swallows the Gargantuas.
  • It ends abruptly and on a bit of a dour note.

Honda Biography:

  • Since the monsters were smaller, the miniatures were larger and more detailed. This pleased Honda because the Toho art department had been cut from 32 to 14.
  • The Americanized script required nine scenes to be filmed two different ways.

Peter H. Brothers

  • Kimura’s script based on treatment by Reuben Bercovitch.
  • Nick Adams was unavailable because he was filming The Killing Bottle. Also, due to him trying to propose to Kumi Mizuno, there may have been tension between the two of them. (No excuse. –Jimmy)
  • He argues Tamblyn’s poor performance is can be blamed partially on Honda because he was easygoing and didn’t usually micro-manage actors.
  • This could be the saddest ending of any Honda film not because of character or monster death but the death of Akemi’s optimism in the final scenes.

Again, it’s short and sweet today.

You’ll be happy to know I made a glorious return to the producer booth for next week’s episode, which had Nathan going solo for a mini-analysis of Latitude Zero, which stars the Joker himself, Caesar Romero. We were also joined by Ms. Perkins, who had…important things to tell us. I am not at liberty to say more. After that is our season finale with Matt and Gratton from the Giant Monster BS podcast to discuss Space Amoeba. It’s hard to believe one chapter about to end and another one begin. “Poor Marchand,” is all I can say. For those who didn’t hear the live broadcast, you’ll understand next week.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 28: Nick Hayden vs. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms’

Published November 18, 2020

As Aerosmith once sang, “I’m back in the saddle again!”

It was nice getting some time off work and spending it in my garage with Jet Jaguar working on Mechani-Kong Mk. 2 (who’s almost done). I’ve only used about half of the parts I salvaged from both Mogueras. I should do something with the rest of them. Hmm….

I heard the initial broadcast for episode 29 while on my Board-mandated vacation, and I admit that Nathan did a good job without me and Jet did fine as my sub. But all of you will have wait until next week to hear it.

Anyway, on to my notes from episode 28:

  • It’s “transpacific flight” not “transatlantic flight,” Nathan. Wrong ocean.
  • Nick, from what the Island’s scientists have told me, there were more dinosaur and kaiju fossils up there in the Arctic than what you found. Possibly. Maybe. … I can neither confirm nor deny.
  • Oops. I wrote “Harryhausen” when I meant “Bradbury” in the info dump. And yet Nathan still read it that way. Thankfully, he fixed it in post, as obvious as it is.
  • A Life Day card and present? Seriously, Marchand? I reserve the right not to accept it. Even if that damn holiday is canon now. Also, I’m saving the “chill pills” for you, you hyperactive goof!
  • “Red” will eat anything, regardless of “deliciousness” or lack thereof.
  • Yes, I do have a Disco Space Nun flying saucer in my garage. I still haven’t gotten it opened, though. Personally, I’d rather find and examine a Xilien saucer. I’ve heard rumors there might be one of two that survived the invasion of 196X. I’ll keep you posted.
  • Hmm. A music festival on the Island? Maybe I should get my band back together….
  • So, funny story about how I found that orbital manhole cover: It was during the final test flight for the Gohten just before the War in Space. We were testing the Space Fighter launcher—you know, the brilliantly designed giant magnum revolver—to make sure it didn’t accidentally switch to laser cannon mode. I volunteered for the test. The launch system worked, but as I flew out, something splattered on my Space Fighter’s windshield. I thought it was a Space Bug (nasty things), but when I returned to the Gohten, I discovered that it was a fragment of that infamous manhole cover. It’d gotten stuck to my windshield thanks to some gum. I’ve no idea how it got there (what was that sewer worker chewing?!) or how it survived atmospheric entry (seriously, what was he chewing?!), and it did need to be removed with my laserknife (tough stuff). I wear it proudly as a pin, as you heard.
  • It’s “Manhattan Project,” Nathan, not “Project Manhattan.” Was that what the Dutch colonists who founded the city called their endeavor?
  • I do love pun times. Keep it up, Nick!
  • Here’s a link to the Godzilla zip line in mainland Japan. I think there’s a proposal to build one here on the Island, although I don’t know which Godzilla design will be used.
  • Nathan was wrong—Ray Bradbury did not write for The Outer Limits. In fact, he didn’t write for any TV series. However, his works were adapted by several TV series, including Tales of Tomorrow and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He did contribute several scripts to The Twilight Zone, as Nick alluded to, but only one was produced: “I Sing the Body Electric,” which was the 100th episode and later adapted into a short story. (Who’s the lit nerd now, Marchand?)
  • Yeah, a World Children’s Land on Monster Island would be interesting, but where would the Board even put it? We barely have room for all the kaiju.
  • I’m not sure when I’ll finish my memoir, but I could always use your connections in the publishing world, Nathan. As for why I didn’t have you be a beta reader…well, as you’ve said yourself, Nick is the better writer. Sorry not sorry.

Now on to Nathan’s leftover notes. He’s gotten better about not overdoing his research and presenting most of his findings. In fact, he got through all of his notes on the Toku Topics.

The Film

  • I thought this WB logo wasn’t until the ‘80s? (Perhaps it was added later? –Jimmy)
  • Swirling drain! (insert obvious joke here). Or is it the proto-Ultra Q?
  • Gamera the Giant Monster copied some of this beginning. (Much to Nathan’s chagrin. –Jimmy)
  • Rhedosaurus appears 9 minutes in.
  • These are impressive arctic sets. The snow is better than Daimajin Strikes Again. You really feel the cold.
  • Awkward jump cut at 32:00.
  • Tom knows French? Okay. Convenient.
  • 43 minutes in, we get the ‘adaptation” part of the film. The attack on the lighthouse. Unlike in the story, there’s no fog horn. I think the monster gets angry at the light.
  • Army/Navy game. College football, man.
  • Section 8 discharge. I can’t hear that without thinking of Klinger from M*A*S*H*.
  • Tom and Lee see a ballet together. Which is it? (Shout-out to Bex and Princess Tutu!) (Don’t you owe Bex video proof that you can do ballet positions? Tsk tsk. –Jimmy)
  • Interestingly, they use a radioactive isotope to kill the beast. This once again illustrates the different attitudes toward nuclear things between the U.S. and Japan. Although, it could be argued that nuclear solutions are used later (Godzilla is atomic, and his ray powers the device that kills Hedorah). Then there’s KOTM19….
  • The soldier is a dead shot. How about that, Jimmy? (At least he’s not a Stormtrooper. –Jimmy)

It’s short and sweet today.

As I already alluded to, next week Nathan is joined by Sci-Fi Japan writer Ben Chaffins, not for a bonus interview but to discuss the Toho classic War of the Gargantuas. Then Nathan does a mini-analysis of the semi-obscure—and quirky—Toho film, Latitude Zero. Expect lots of Batman jokes.

See you next week!

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy
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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 27: Frankenstein Conquers the World (feat. Travis Alexander)’

Published November 4, 2020

First, let me apologize to the Patrons because I didn’t get this finished in time for early access. You see, I was tasked by the Board of Directors with caretaking for the Matango while Dr. Douriff was on sabbatical for Halloween weekend, and I had…a weird experience that left me in the Monster Island Infirmary. Then, as announced by the Board on Twitter, I was given a clean bill of health but told to take a paid week off work. Normally, I’d probably come into the studio anyway, but I got used to spending the extra time in my garage working on Mechani-Kong Mk. 2 with Jet Jaguar. That knocked me out of my normal routine, so this didn’t get written in time for Patrons. That shouldn’t be an issue going forward.

As usual, with this being a shorter episode and derived from Nathan’s grad school research paper, I don’t have a lot in my notes. Regardless, let’s get into them.

My Notes:

  • Is it “Bar-a-gon” or “bare-a-gon,” Nathan? Pronunciations!
  • Nathan forgot to mention Frankenberry cereal when he said he would bring it up in an episode I don’t feel like talking about.
  • Was there a gremlin in Travis’s mic? It bugged out a few times. Did Goji-kun and Bro Kong return from fighting COVID-19 yet?
  • Actually, Frankenstein has been translated into Japanese six times, and two of those were before this film was released (1953 and 1959).
  • Can you blame me for crushing on Kumi Mizuno? I mean, look at her!
  • I might have to buy one of Travis’s T-shirts. Nathan already has one.
  • Yeah, I still don’t allow bearskin rugs into my apartment. And only recently did I let Chewbacca toys in. Because this thing.

Nathan’s Leftover Notes:

  • Un-subtitled German later. Indiana Jones-style map sequence. Japanese officers suggests the Germans are giving them Hitler. Implies he wasn’t dead but was hiding. (He’s dead. No boys from Brazil here. –Jimmy)
  • 15 years later, Dr. Bowen is working to treat radiation victims in Hiroshima. Treats dying child whose parents died in A-bomb. “The story of Hiroshima is too tragic. But it’s also a fact that is has given us the opportunity to study the cellular tissues of the human body. We must work to turn tragedy into eternal peace and happiness in the future.” (Nick Adams is awesome. –Jimmy)
  • Dr. Bowen: “…I came here after the war, because I was one of the people concerned about the A-bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. I wanted to spend my life rehabilitating mankind, not in destroying it. But the more research work I do, the more I am troubled by my doubts. So I’m thinking of returning to America to start all over again.” (Nick Adams is still awesome. –Jimmy)
  • Like in King Kong, the feminine presence calms the savage.
  • A reporter asks if the boy was born after the war, but Bowen dodges it. (Like a boss! –Jimmy)
  • Minor character says he wouldn’t be surprised if a boy like Frankenstein was born after thousands of people died in bombings.
  • Baragon teased 23 minutes or so in.
  • Frankenstein is violent but also curious. He smashes a TV but won’t hurt Sueko. Goes for her necklace when it seemed he would attack her.
  • Is Frankenstein human? Some say he isn’t because he was manmade or acts savage. Put him in a zoo. Cut off his limbs to test if he is because he’s not a human being. Like Hibakusha.
  • Why is he is growing gigantic now in a short time and not during the 15 years he was in the city? (Because reasons. –Jimmy)
  • Like King Kong, he’s set off by lights.
  • Interestingly, Frankenstein never eats people. (Unlike his “son.” –Jimmy)
  • Frankenstein isn’t filmed like kaiju. He lacks the illusion of size because his footage wasn’t slowed down.
  • It’s Thing! 😛 (Which “Thing”? There are several. –Jimmy)
  • How and why did the severed hand shrink?
  • Where does Frankenstein find clothes that fit him? (From Kaiju Weekly’s Tee Public store, of course! –Jimmy)
  • The miniature work is still pretty effective.
  • This is a road/travel movie with all of these locations! Another map sequence.
  • Dr. Bowen is somewhat like Dr. Yamane in saying Frankie shouldn’t be killed.
  • This story is like the Universal film in that Frankie is a misunderstood monster who is tragically killed.
  • Baragon finally appears 56 minutes in. He seems to initially be filmed like proper kaiju.
  • Kimura’s reporters don’t believe the story of an innocent Frankie and the evil dinosaur. Even seem callous. Laugh it off. Unlike Sekizawa’s reporters.
  • At least two pieces of music in this film were recycled in Godzilla vs. Gigan.
  • If you want to kill him, capture him and starve him of protein. The hand died. (For the record, he isn’t treated like this on Monster Island. –Jimmy)
  • The noise Frankenstein makes at the end—the sorta scream—is a bit annoying.
  • Now Baragon is moving too quickly. It’s like Godzilla Raids Again.
  • Frankie has some nasty fangs.
  • Sequel baits at the end. (Only in the alternate ending—which does kinda payoff.. –Jimmy)

That’s all for today.

Join us next week when Nathan is joined once again by his friend Nick Hayden. This time they discuss the first Ray Harryhausen film covered on MIFV, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Then later this month Nathan will be visited by Sci-Fi Japan writer Ben Chaffins to talk about this film’s pseudo-sequel, War of the Gargantuas.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, that robot monkey is calling.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

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