Tag: year of the kaiju

Bonus Episode #16: ‘Space Monster Wangmagwi’ | Ft. Daniel DiManna

Published April 4, 2024

In yet another impromptu “bonus” episode, Nate is joined by Daniel DiManna (Godzilla Novelization Project) to discuss a film that was finally unleashed upon the world by SRS Cinema: Space Monster Wangmagwi. As you can see, this one actually fits the season theme of The Monster Island World Tour. As mentioned in the Yongary episode, this was also released in the “Year of the Kaiju,” 1967, beating Yongary by a few months. But like many South Korean kaiju films, the story around this one exceeds its artistic merits. In its case, it was a “holy grail” of a lost film for kaiju fans; a thing of legend that few ever saw. But thanks to the dogged efforts of Ron Bonk, it’s now readily available. Just prepare yourself for a “rantmaster” about Squirrel (not “Spider”), King of the Kennys!

Read “Jimmy’s Notes” on this episode!

Additional music:

“What I Want to Say” by Vylent, TSori feat. Spy Girls
“Here We Go” by Chris Classic

Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org.

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip.

Buy Wangmagwi from SRS Cinema on blu-ray (https://tinyurl.com/yr5p55mc) and DVD (https://tinyurl.com/58ekad6d).

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, Edwin Gonzalez, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Robert Kidd, 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.

Timestamps:

Introduction: 0:00-6:13
Synopsis and Background: 6:13-45:31
Main Discussion: 45:31-2:04:56
Outro: 2:04:56-2:18:07
Credits: 2:18:07-end

Podcast Social Media:

MIFV Linktree: https://linktr.ee/monsterislandfilmvault
Nate’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nathan_marchand
MIFV is a member of PodNation (https://podnation.tv/)
MIFV is one of Feedspot’s top 10 tokusatsu podcasts! (https://blog.feedspot.com/tokusatsu_podcasts/)

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives #MonsterIslandFilmVault #SRSCinema #Wangmagwi #SpaceMonsterWangmagwi

Bibliography/Further Reading:

Derendorf, Kevin. “Old-school Special Effects with S(e)oul.” Maser Patrol. 1 April 2021. https://maserpatrol.wordpress.com/2021/04/01/old-school-special-effects-with-seoul/.
LeMay, John. Kong Unmade: The Lost Films of Skull Island (2^nd Editions). Bicep Books.
Space Monster Wangmagwi blu-ray special features (by SRS Cinema)
- Bonk, Ron. “Acquiring the Monster.”
- Commentary by Sueng-hoon Jeong and John Goodrich
- Giammarco, Tom. “Wangmagwi and Me.” (Under the “The Fans Speak” section).
“Space Monster Wangmagwi.” IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0466505/.
“Space Monster Wangmagwi.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Monster_Wangmagwi.
“Space Monster Wangmagwi (1967).” Wikizilla. https://wikizilla.org/wiki/Space_Monster_Wangmagwi.
“Space Monster Wangmagwi (found South Korean kaiju film; 1967).” Lost Media Wiki. https://lostmediawiki.com/Space_Monster_Wangmagwi_(found_South_Korean_kaiju_film;_1967).

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Episode 87: ‘Yongary, Monster from the Deep’ vs. Neil Riebe

Published March 22, 2024

Hello, Kaiju Lovers! The South Korea leg of the Monster Island World Tour begins with arguably the first true Korean kaiju film: Yongary, Monster from the Deep. Author Neil Riebe, who might very well be this film’s biggest fan, pays yet another visit to MIFV’s mobile studio in Uber-Moguera to enlighten us with his copious research on the movie. Released in the “Year of the Kaiju,” 1967, it borrows some from Showa Godzilla films but way more from Showa Gamera—complete with a Korean Kenny! Ironically, only the dubbed version of the movie survives. It was once the most expensive film ever made in South Korea (until that record was broken by its remake) and is considered one of the country’s most important films, but does it have the artistic merit to warrant such acclaim, or is it truly just MST3K fodder? Since the film had Japanese technicians from Toei and X Productions working on it, our Toku Topic is Japan-Korea relations.

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode on the MIFV website.

Additional Music:

“Kuwanga Banga” by PirateCrab
“Here We Go” by Chris Classic

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip.

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.

Timestamps:

Introduction: 0:00-7:24
Entertaining Info Dump: 7:24-15:52
Toku Talk: 15:52-1:26:59
Ad (Toku Toy Town): 1:26:59-1:28:22
Toku Topic (Korea-Japan relations): 1:28:22-1:57:52
Outro: 1:57:52-2:23:35
Credits: 2:23:35-end

Podcast Social Media:

MIFV Linktree: https://linktr.ee/monsterislandfilmvault
Nate’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nathan_marchand
MIFV is a member of PodNation (https://podnation.tv/)
MIFV is one of Feedspot’s top 10 tokusatsu podcasts! (https://blog.feedspot.com/tokusatsu_podcasts/)

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives #MonsterIslandFilmVault #MonsterIslandWorldTour #YongaryMonsterfromtheDeep

Bibliography/Further Reading:

Note: This list does not include Neil’s sources.

Commentary by Steve Ryfle and Kim Song-Ho. Yongary, Monster from the Deep blu-ray. Kino Lorber.
“Great Monster Yonggari: Artist Shin Dong-Woo’s…” Pennyway. 17 Jan. 2019. https://pennyway.net/2291.
“History of Japan–Korea relations.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Japan–Korea_relations.
“History of South Korea.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_Korea#.
“Korea under Japanese rule.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea_under_Japanese_rule.
LeMay, John. The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies, Vol. 1: 1954-1982.
Riebe, Neil. “Yongary: A Critique of His Critics.” Kaiju Ramen Magazine, no. 6, pp. 10-16. Jan. 2023.
Riebe, Neil. “Yongary, back from the Deep.” The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies: The Lost Films (Mutated Edition) by John LeMay. Bicep Books, pp. 92-95. 2019.
Sneider, Daniel. “Different Wartime Memories Keep Japan and South Korea Apart.” United States Institute of Peace. 24 Aug. 2022. https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/08/different-wartime-memories-keep-japan-and-south-korea-apart.
“South Korea and Japan’s feud explained.” BBC. 2 Dec. 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49330531.
“Yongary, Monster from the Deep.” IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061549/.
“Yongary, Monster from the Deep.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongary,_Monster_from_the_Deep.
“Yonggari.” Namu Wiki. https://namu.wiki/w/%EC%9A%A9%EA%B0%80%EB%A6%AC.

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Episode 36: The MSTies vs. ‘Gamera vs. Gyaos’ (feat. Michael Hamilton and Damon Noyes)

Published March 10, 2021

Hello, kaiju lovers!

Nate and his guests, MIFV MAX members Michael Hamilton (co-host of Kaiju Weekly and The Kaiju Groupie) and Damon Noyes, reach the peak of the Showa Gamera series—which isn’t as high as Nate wants it to be. (Or does he just want to get high?) Once again as part of the Board-mandated “Year of Gamera,” the Tourists get to watch the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode featuring this film while Nate must view the original Japanese version to compare notes. Even so, Nate riffs his way through the episode so the Stockholm syndrome doesn’t set in. Michael sighs almost as much as he talks with all the jokes Nate and Damon drop about “gassy Gyaos nipples” and “plane murder.” You’d almost think Nate was enjoying himself. It’s a great act.

The Toku Topic for this episode is the Sanrizuka Struggle, which was a movement against the construction of Narita Airport. It inspired a key plot element in this movie and helped Nate prove to Michael and Damon that there was a social commentary in the film. It’s also the last social commentary in a Gamera movie for years, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Before the broadcast, Nate tries to tell his intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA, how he plans to be a small thorn in the Board’s side only to be interrupted by Raymund Martin, the head of the Monster Island Legal Action Team, who promptly tells Nate why he can’t do that.

Raymund Martin was created and voiced by Damon Noyes.

Prologue written by Nathan Marchand with Damon Noyes.

Music:
-“Perry Mason Theme” by Buddy Morrow
-“Phoenix Wright – Pursuit Cornered | Epic Rock Cover” by Friedrich Habetler
-“Here We Go” by Chris Classic

Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Travis Alexander and Michael Hamilton (co-hosts of Kaiju Weekly); Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Eli Harris (elizilla13); Chris Cooke (host of One Cross Radio); Bex from Redeemed Otaku; and Damon Noyes! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month!

Check out Michael podcast, The Kaiju Groupie, and Damon’s puppetry work on AllThingsZ.

This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors.

Timestamps:
Prologue: 0:00-4:45
Intro: 4:45-13:04
Entertaining Info Dump: 13:04-22:03
Toku Talk: 22:03-1:13:10
Ad: 1:13:10-1:14:09
Toku Topic: 1:14:09-1:47:19
Housekeeping & Outro: 1:47:19-end

Podcast Social Media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy
Follow the Monster Island Board of Directors on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD
Follow the Raymund Martin and the MIFV Legal Team on Twitter: @MIFV_LegalTeam
Follow Crystal Lady Jessica on Twitter: @CystalLadyJes1

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives #MonsterIslandFilmVault

Bibliography/Further Reading:

Austin. Art by Aya Francisco. “Narita Airport’s Troubles Past” (Tofugu).
Brasor, Philip. “Fight or flight: Narita’s history of conflict” (The Japan Times).
Flower, James. “A Guide to English Language Gamera” (Arrow Video Gamera: The Complete Collection).
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.
Gamera: The Complete Collection, Disc Two Special Features.
Gamera vs. Gyaos Commentary by Stuart Galbraith IV (Arrow Video’s Gamera: The Complete Collection).
Hayward, Justin. “The Sanrizuka Struggle: Why Farmland Exists In The Middle Of Tokyo Narita Airport” (Simple Flying).
Kaijuvision Radio, Episode 14: Destroy All Monsters (1968) (Student Demonstrations of 1968, Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands)
LeMay, John. The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies Volume 1: 1954-1982.
Macias, Patrick. “A History of Gamera: Gamera vs. Gyaos” (Arrow Video’s Gamera: The Complete Collection).
Milner, David. “Interview with Noriaki Yuasa” (Arrow Video’s Gamera: The Complete Collection).
“Sanrizuka Struggle” (Wikipedia).
Wiki Articles on Gamera vs. Gyaos:
- IMDB
- Gojipedia
- Wikipedia
- Wikizilla

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