The Monster Island Film Vault

Bonus Episode #4: Interview with Ben Chaffins

Hello, kaiju lovers!

As a special Fifth Wednesday Bonus Episode (which will become a regular feature of the show), I interviewed SciFi Japan writer Ben Chaffins about his new book, Discovering Tokusatsu. In it he chronicles his many quests to get interviews with high-profile people working in tokusatsu filmmaking. You’ll hear about how Ben got his gig at SciFi Japan, why he wrote the book, and how much of a “stan” he is for Ultraman: The Next and Ultraman Nexus (whose special effects director he interviewed for an exclusive chapter in this book).

Oh, and by the way, Ben’s Twitter profile pic is Ultraman Nexus with sunglasses. Deal with it!  Follow Ben on Twitter and Instagram.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our Patreon patrons Travis Alexander and Michael Hamilton (cohosts of Kaiju Weekly); Danny DiManna (Godzilla Novelization Project); elizilla13; and Chris Cooke (host of One Cross Radio)! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can support us on Patreon!

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

Podcast Social Media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy
Follow the Monster Island Board of Directors on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD

#JimmyFromNASALives
#MonsterIslandFilmVault

© 2020 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

The post Bonus Episode #4: Interview with Ben Chaffins appeared first on The Monster Island Film Vault.

Episode 21: ‘Matango’ (Mini-Analysis)

Hello, kaiju lovers!

An artsy Japanese horror film about mushrooms based on a British short story?

That’s sounds insane enough to work!

Despite getting slapped with the schlocky English title, “Attack of the Mushroom People,” Matango ranks as one of director Ishiro Honda’s greatest achievements in tokustasu filmmaking. Screenwriter Takeshi Kimura considered it to be his magnum opus. It’s a story replete with subtlety and symbolism, an indictment of Japan’s newfound opulence and decadence in the early 1960s, and it’s as relevant now for any audience as it was back then. It’s such an important film, Nathan and his intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA, interview the only scientist on Monster Island’s who’s brave and/or crazy enough to study the Matango—with frightening results! 

Featuring Daniel DiManna as the voice of Dr. Dante Dourif.

Episode image created by Michael Hamilton. Check out his podcast, The Kaiju Groupie.

This is meant to supplement this episode of Kaijuvision Radio: Episode 45: Matango (Attack of the Mushroom People) (1963) (Westernization and Globalization)

We’d like to give a shout-out to our Patreon patrons Travis Alexander and Michael Hamilton (cohosts of Kaiju Weekly); Danny DiManna (Godzilla Novelization Project); elizilla13; and Chris Cooke (host of One Cross Radio)! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can support us on Patreon!

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

Podcast Social Media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy
Follow the Monster Island Board of Directors on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault

© 2020 Nathan Marchand & Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

• “Attack of the Mushroom People: Ishiro Honda’s Matango William Hope Hodgson’s ‘The Voice in the Night’” by Anthony Camara (Monsters and Monstrosity from the Fin de Siécle to the Millennium, edited by Sharla Hutchinson and Rebecca A. Brown)
• “The history and current state of drug abuse in Japan” by Kiyoshi Wada (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Jan 2011, vol. 1216, no. 1, p 62-72)
• Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godzisewski
• “Ishiro Honda-thon Ep. 5: Matango (1963) Review” by Adam Noyes (AN Productions) (YouTube)
• Kaijuvision Radio, “Episode 8: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)”
• “Methamphetamine Solution: Drugs and the Reconstruction of Nation in Postwar Japan” by Miriam Kingsburg (The Journal of Asian Studies, Feb. 2013, vol. 72, no. 1, p. 141-162)
• Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda by Peter H. Brothers

The post Episode 21: ‘Matango’ (Mini-Analysis) appeared first on The Monster Island Film Vault.

Episode 20: Bex vs. ‘Rebirth of Mothra III’

Hello, kaiju lovers!

Twelve-centimeter girls, tiny robot dragons, and redemption—and we’re not talking about the movie!

After some shenanigans with Jimmy From NASA’s teleporter, Nathan and resident “Mothrian” Bex (Redeemed Otaku podcast) finish the “Summer of Mothra” with the surprisingly good Rebirth of Mothra III. Although, maybe they’re just riding high on Bex’s hyperbolic enthusiasm over this movie. But it isn’t hard to improve on the empty, fluffy whimsy of the second one. There’s a lot of meat (bubble) to chew on thematically. Not to mention it also features one of the best-looking King Ghidorahs ever, time travel, and dinosaur puppets. However, Bex gets so carried away with her newfound faith in Mothra, she gets a visit from Monster Island’s chaplain, Rev. Mifune! Uh-oh….

For the first time, we’re covering not one but two Toku Topics: the hikikimori and Aokigahara (Aoki Forest). The child hero, Shota, is likely a member of the former, and much of the movie is set in that infamous forest.

It’s an episode that spans the emotional gamut, that’s for sure!

BE SURE TO LISTEN UNTIL AFTER THE CREDITS!

Here are the Redeemed Otaku episodes Nathan (and his friend Eric Anderson) appeared on to discuss the Godzilla Anime Trilogy:

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters
Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle
Godzilla: The Planet Eater

We’d like to give a shout-out to our Patreon patrons Travis Alexander (host of Kaiju Weekly), Danny DiManna (Godzilla Novelization Project), elizilla13, and Joejira! Thanks for your support! (And also to Michael “The Kaiju Groupie” Hamilton, who joined just before this episode was posted).

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode.

Timestamps:
Prologue: 0:00-2:20
Intro: 2:20-6:25
Entertaining Info Dump: 6:25-12:57
Toku Talk: 12:57-1:24:26
Promo: 1:24:26-1:25:16
Toku Topic: 1:25:16-2:10:53
Outro: 2:10:53-2:19:46
Epilogue: 2:19:46-end

MIFV Social Media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Patreon

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

#JimmyFromNASALives

© 2020 Moonlighting Ninjas Media (and Becky “Bex” Smith)

Bibliography/Further Reading:

• “Aokigahara” (Wikipedia)
• “Aokigahara Forest” (http://www.aokigaharaforest.com/)
• The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies Volume 1: 1954-1982 by John LeMay
• “Hikikimori” (search on The Japan Times)
• “Inside Japan’s ‘suicide forest’” by Michael Nedelman
• Japan’s Green Monsters: Environmental Commentary in Kaiju Cinema by Sean Rhodes and Brooke McCorkle
• “Lifetime Prevalence, Psychiatric Comorbidity and Demographic Correlates of ‘Hikikomori’ in a Community Population in Japan” by Asuka Koyama, Yuko Miyake, Norito Kawakami, Masao Tsuchiya, Hisateru Tachimori, Tadashi Takeshima, World Mental Health Japan Survey Group
• “Reclusive Shut-Ins: Are Hikikimori Predominantly a Japanese Problem?” Alexander Krieg (Iafor)
• “Retired Japanese government official ‘admits stabbing son to death’” by Mari Yamaguchi (Independent)
• “The Truth about Japan’s Hikikomori (shut-ins)” by Nobita from Japan (YouTube)
• “What is Aokigahara? All About The Most Haunted Forest in Japan” by Yuki Ling (www.tsunagujapan.com)
• “Worrying plight of the young and unemployed” by Robert J. Samuelson (The Japan Times)
• Writing Giant Monsters by John LeMay

The post Episode 20: Bex vs. ‘Rebirth of Mothra III’ appeared first on The Monster Island Film Vault.

KAIJU CON-LINE 2020 Promo

From the event’s official website:

MARK YOUR CALENDARS, MONSTER KIDS!
ON THE WEEKEND OF JULY 11 & 12, THE MONSTERS ARE IN REVOLT AS KAIJU CON-LINE TAKES OVER THE INTERNET!

WHAT IS KAIJU CON-LINE?
WITH THE CANCELATION OF THE ANNUAL GATHERING OF KAIJU FANS, A FEW MOTIVATED MONSTER MANIACS ARE REPLICATING A SMALL PORTION OF THE FUN WITH THEIR FELLOW FANS ON THAT SAME WEEKEND, LIKE A VIRTUAL CONVENTION.

OVER THE WEEKEND, A MYRIAD OF ONLINE ACTIVITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR KAIJU FANS AROUND THE GLOBE TO ENJOY – ALL FOR FREE.

YES, KAIJU CON-LINE IS A FREE EVENT! WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE THIS SHOW AS AWESOME AS POSSIBLE AND REACHING OUT TO MEMBERS OF OUR KAIJU COMMUNITY TO HELP IN A NUMBER OF WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE. WE HOPE YOU HAVE A MONSTROUS TIME AT KAIJU CON-LINE FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME!

(END)

Join Nathan Marchand and Danny DiManna (author and creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project) for their panel, “The Original MCU: Connecting Showa Era Continuity” Sunday at 2pm EST. They will connect the dots in the often loose continuity of Toho’s Showa era tokusatsu films.

This is all only some of the great programming being offered this weekend! Check it out!

Special thanks to Henry the Host of the “It Came from a Monster Movie!” podcast for this promo.

The post KAIJU CON-LINE 2020 Promo appeared first on The Monster Island Film Vault.

Episode 19: ‘Gorath’ (feat. Jack “GMan” Hudgens)

Hello, kaiju lovers!

Before Armageddon, before Star Trek: The Motion Picture, there was Gorath. Nathan is joined by the most loved and hated film critic in the kaiju community, Jack “GMan” Hudgens, to discuss this Toho classic that has been described as the lovechild of Mothra (1961) and The Last War. While it isn’t the most exciting film, Nathan and GMan explore how its theme of unity is a timeless message, and one that people need to hear now more than ever. Along the way, they compare this to Star Trek and H.P. Lovecraft stories and discuss how Maguma the giant walrus has done nothing but get shoehorned into stories he didn’t need to be in. Also, GMan gets into a bar fight with Jimmy From NASA. Yep.

This is meant to supplement this episode of Kaijuvision Radio: Episode 44: Gorath (1962) (Near Earth Objects/Science of Gorath).

I’d like to give a shout-out to our Patreon patrons Travis Alexander (host of Kaiju Weekly), Danny DiManna, elizilla13 and Joejira! Thanks for your support! (Forgive me for forgetting to say this on the air! I’ll make it up to you next time!)

You, too, can support us on Patreon!

Follow GMan on Twitter. Check out The Drift Space.

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode.

Podcast Social Media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

#JimmyFromNASALives

© 2020 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

• The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies Volume 1: 1954-1982 by John LeMay
• “Intergalactic star” (Wikipedia)
• “Hubble Finds Intergalactic Stars” (Hubblesite)
• Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godzisewski
• Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: A Critical Analysis and Filmography of 103 Features Released in the United States 1950-1992 by Stuart Galbraith IV
• “Lost in Space: Half of All Stars Are Rogues Between Galaxies” by Charles Q. Choi (Space.com)
• Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda by Peter H. Brothers
• “Star unlike any found in the Milky Way appears to be an intergalactic intruder” by Michael Irving (New Atlas)

The post Episode 19: ‘Gorath’ (feat. Jack “GMan” Hudgens) appeared first on The Monster Island Film Vault.

Episode 18: Bex vs. ‘Rebirth of Mothra II’

Hello, kaiju lovers!

The “Summer of Mothra” continues with Rebirth of Mothra II—the valley between two short mountains in the ‘90s Mothra trilogy. Once again Nathan is joined by Bex from the Redeemed Otaku podcast, and they try their hardest to do a deep dive on a shallow movie. While the first movie had an obvious environmental theme, this one barely gives 20 seconds of screen time to anything substantial. Even Belvera and Elias aren’t as exciting this time around. Then there’s Ghogo/Gogo/Go-Go (aka “Japanese Furby”), the “token cute thing” whose plushy Bex has no interest in buying because, well, magic urine. Yeah….

But nothing can prepare you for the Shyamalan twist at the end of this episode. Nathan and his intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA, never saw it coming.

Also, Jimmy introduces his new garage assistant, who’s either popular or infamous, depending on who you talk to.

Here’s the Kaijuvision Radio episode Nathan mentioned: Episode 19: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) (The Reversion of Okinawa: History and Culture).

Here are the Redeemed Otaku episodes Nathan (and his friend Eric Anderson) appeared on to discuss the Godzilla Anime Trilogy:

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters
Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle
Godzilla: The Planet Eater

We’d like to give a shout-out to our Patreon patrons Travis Alexander (host of Kaiju Weekly), Danny DiManna, elizilla13, and Joejira! Thanks for your support! (Sorry we didn’t mention you on the air, Joejira. You signed up after the initial broadcast).

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode.

Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00-3:57
Entertaining Info Dump: 3:57-8:44
Toku Talk: 8:44-1:17:00
Toku Topic: 1:17:00-1:40:01
Outro: 1:40:01-end

MIFV Social Media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Patreon

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

#JimmyFromNASALives

© 2020 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

• The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies Volume 2: 1984-2017 by John LeMay
• Japan’s Green Monsters: Environmental Commentary in Kaiju Cinema by Sean Rhodes and Brooke McCorkle
• “Marine Pollution” (National Geographic)
• “Marine pollution” (Wikipedia)
• “Ocean Pollution” (NOAA)
• “Ocean Pollution: 11 Facts You Need to Know” (Conservation International)
• “Up From The Depths Reviews | Rebirth of Mothra II (1997)”
• Wiki Articles on Rebirth of Mothra II:
  • IMDB
  • Gojipedia
  • Toho Kingdom
  • Wikipedia
  • Wikizilla

The post Episode 18: Bex vs. ‘Rebirth of Mothra II’ appeared first on The Monster Island Film Vault.

Episode 17: ‘The Last War’ (Mini-Analysis)

Hello, kaiju lovers!

Except today’s episode isn’t about giant monsters. Heck, it’s barely about tokusatsu. Nathan is analyzing the criminally underseen 1961 antiwar drama The Last War. While most of the creative team behind the camera aren’t the ones usually followed by kaiju/toku fans, there are several familiar faces in front of the camera: Frankie Sakai (Mothra), Yuriko Hoshi (Mothra vs. Godzilla, etc.), and Akira Takarada (too many to list). This film depicts a middle class Japanese family navigating everyday life interspersed with Japanese government officials and foreign soldiers trying to avoid World War III. It is a perfect snapshot of the Japanese national spirit at that moment in time and, Nathan argues, is the precursor to 1984’s The Return of Godzilla. As part of his analysis, Nathan reads the Bible passage quoted in the film (plus the following two verses that would’ve offered some hope) and a John Bradley poem that would’ve been perfect for the end of the film.

All this plus Nathan opens the mailbag to answer some listener feedback!

This is meant to supplement this episode of Kaijuvision Radio, which featured the fantastic Danny DiManna: Episode 43: The Last War (1961) (NATO) (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

I’d like to give a shout-out to our Patreon patrons Travis Alexander (host of Kaiju Weekly), Danny DiManna, and elizilla13! Thanks for your support!

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode.

Please donate to David Marshall and his family on GoFundMe.

Podcast Social Media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Patreon

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

#JimmyFromNASALives

© 2020 Nathan Marchand & Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

• “Explaining Japanese Antimilitarism: Normative and Realist Constraints on Japan’s Security Policy” by Yasuhiro Izumikawa (International Security, Vol. 35, No. 2 (FALL 2010), pp. 123-160)
• “The Last War” (Wikizilla)
• “Little Prayer on Hiroshima Day” (from Erotica Atomica by John Bradley)
• “Long live pacifism! Narrative power and Japan’s pacifist model” by Karl Gustafsson, Linus Hagström & Ulv Hanssen (Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 32:4, 502-520)
• “A Pacifist Japan Starts to Embrace the Military” by Motoko Rich (The New York Times)
• Terror of the Lost Tokusatsu Films!: From the Files of the Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies by John Lemay
• “Three Non-Nuclear Principles” (Wikipedia)
• “Yoshida Doctrine” (Wikipedia)

The post Episode 17: ‘The Last War’ (Mini-Analysis) appeared first on The Monster Island Film Vault.

KAIJU QUARANTINE 2: TRASH MOUNTAIN (Trailer)

Kaiju Quarantine is back, baby! Join your favorite giant monster podcasters as they climb Trash Mountain and riff ten of the most awesomely awful movies in the kaiju genre! But what mystery movie awaits us at the peak of Trash Mountain? Only Evil Rob knows! Spend an epic and hilarious Memorial Day weekend on the Kaiju Quarantine Discord server. Space is limited! Reserve now! Kaiju Quarantine: Come together right now over kaiju!

The post KAIJU QUARANTINE 2: TRASH MOUNTAIN (Trailer) appeared first on The Monster Island Film Vault.

Episode 16: Bex vs. ‘Rebirth of Mothra’

Hello, kaiju lovers!

Today we’re giving you something you perhaps didn’t know you wanted—a deep dive into Rebirth of Mothra, the first of a trilogy produced by Toho after retiring Godzilla (again). Depending on how you feel about this movie, you may love or hate this episode. What you will love, though, is the Tourist joining Nathan this week is none other than Bex from Redeemed Otaku. Since Nathan appeared on her podcast to discuss the Godzilla Anime Trilogy, he’s having her on three episodes as part of the “Summer of Mothra” while we all await the release of Godzilla vs. Kong (yes, much to anime-loving Bex’s chagrin, she’s filler). Their spirited discussion references and compares this film to a multitude of unrelated media, including The Lion King, Power Rangers, The Neverending Story, Sentinels of the Multiverse (a card game), and Panzer Dragoon(a video game). It’s quite meme-tastic with catchphrases like, “lightning and lasers,” and Nathan’s favorite, “Deus ex Mothrica” (he has issues with the movie’s ending). The Toku Topic is deforestation in Japan. While that may not sound exciting, it has deep connections to the movie and the Japanese national spirit. All this plus some Jimmy From NASA antics and more in the latest episode of MIFV!

Here are the Redeemed Otaku episodes Nathan (and his friend Eric Anderson) appeared on to discuss the Godzilla Anime Trilogy:

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters
Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle
Godzilla: The Planet Eater

ANNOUNCEMENT: We now have a Patreon! If you’re able to support the show in these crazy times, please do. There are three levels, each with its own perks. Here’s a link. Shout out to our first Patron, Travis Alexander (co-host of Kaiju Weekly), who pledged at the Day Pass Tourist level! Thanks, man!

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode.

Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00-5:11
Entertaining Info Dump: 5:11-11:55
Toku Talk: 11:55-1:29:31
Toku Topic: 1:29:31-2:09:11
Outro: 2:09:11-end

MIFV Social Media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives

© 2020 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

• “Afforestation in Japan” (Wikipedia)
• “Japan – How Japan Saved its Forests: The Birth of Silviculture and Community Forest Management” by Gerry Marten (The EcoTipping Points Project)
• “Japan’s Forests: From Lumber Source to Beloved Resource” by Ishi Hiroyuki
• Japan’s Green Monsters: Environmental Commentary in Kaiju Cinema by Sean Rhodes and Brooke McCorkle
• Kaijuvision Radio Episodes:
  • Episode 3: Gojira (1954) (The Occupation of Japan Part 1: Castle Bravo Test, Cold War, Democracy)
  • Episode 4: Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (US) (1956) (Occupation of Japan Part 2: Tokyo Tribunal)
  • Episode 7: Mothra (1961) (Renewal of the US-Japan Security Treaty in 1960)
• “Learning from the Past: Japan’s Tree-Planting Efforts Provide Lessons for Other Countries” by Nithin Coca (Ensia)
• Wiki Articles on Rebirth of Mothra:
  • IMDB
  • Gojipedia
  • Toho Kingdom
  • Wikipedia
  • Wikizilla

The post Episode 16: Bex vs. ‘Rebirth of Mothra’ appeared first on The Monster Island Film Vault.

Bonus Episode #3: An Excerpt from ‘Destroyer’

Hello, kaiju lovers!

For the final bonus episode of April to help you all survive quarantine, Nathan is reading a chapter from his kaiju novella, Destroyer, which he co-wrote with Natasha Hayden, Nick Hayden, and Timothy Deal (two of whom you’ve heard on the podcast). Specifically, it’s “Chapter 6: Berserk” (a detail he forgot to mention in the episode). You’ll also hear how this book was written as part of a year-long group project that started in a little place called—no joke—Story, Indiana. It was also inspired by a Godzilla film. Which one? Listen to find out!

(Also, forgive Nathan for having a German accent that sounds more like a Russian accent.  ).

Nathan also posted this chapter on the podcast website a few months back.

Buy the book on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

This episode features the song “Mechagodzilla Theme (Remade Akira Ifukube Score)” by Phillip Anderson, which is a remake of “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II Main Titles” by Akira Ifukube.

Cover art by Tyler Sowles.

MIFV Social Media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives

© 2020 Nathan Marchand and Moonlighting Ninjas Media

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