A podcast seeking entertainment and enlightenment through tokusatsu. Origin Story: After vacationing on the Monsterland Resort, professional writer/raging nerd Nathan Marchand got a job as the curator of the Vault containing the films about Monster Island’s many kaiju residents. Now he and his intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA (who miraculously survived the infamous War in Space), record a bi-weekly podcast critically and academically examining each of the films in the prestigious Vault with one to four guest hosts chosen from Monster Island’s many tourists. Philosophy: Kaiju and/or tokusatsu fans will tell you these genres are undeniably fun. What’s often missed, though, are the deeper meanings below the sensational surface. Meanings entrenched in the story’s original historical and cultural context. That’s why this podcast believes in film appreciation. What’s that? It’s studying a movie’s script, direction, cinematography, and other aspects of filmmaking. It’s learning how and why it was created since movies aren’t made in a vacuum. This is especially true with foreign films. Non-native audiences are separated by both time and culture with them...
https://monsterislandfilmvault.podbean.com
Episode 29: ‘War of the Gargantuas’ (feat. Ben Chaffins)
Hello, kaiju lovers!
In this episode, Nathan is joined by Sci-Fi Japan writer Ben Chaffins to discuss what is, honestly, an overrated classic: War of the Gargantuas. This “pseudo-sequel” to Frankenstein Conquers the World outdoes its predecessor in only one way: the kaiju. Sanda and Gaira are the best characters in the movie, which is sad given that it stars Toho staples Kumi Mizuno, Kenji Sahara, and Nobuo Nakamura. Unfortunately, it also features a belligerently apathetic Russ Tamblyn walking around like a disinterested robot—on purpose. You’ll hear Ben and I discuss the farfetched but interesting interpretations of what, no joke, is apparently Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino’s favorite monster movie, and those interpretations include connections to Cain & Abel, “The Sea Boy and the Mountain Boy,” the Vietnam War, and Japan’s national identity. Also, Jimmy was on “paid leave,” so everyone’s favorite superhero robot, Jet Jaguar, filled in for him in the producer booth this episode.
Check out the Shin Godzilla and GMK article by Jack “GMan” Hudgens that Ben and Nathan mentioned here.
Episode image created by Michael Hamilton.
We’d like to give a shout-out to our Patreon 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), and Bex from Redeemed Otaku! Thanks for your support!
You, too, can support us on Patreon and get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month!
This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors.
Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode.
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© 2020 Moonlighting Ninjas Media
Bibliography/Further Reading:
- The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies Volume 1: 1954-1982 by John LeMay
- “Cain and Abel” (Wikipedia)
- 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
- The Kaiju Film: A Critical Study of Cinema’s Biggest Monsters by Jason Barr
- Kaijuvision Radio – Episode 50: War of the Gargantuas (1966) (The Ascension of Emperor Naruhito)
- Kojiki – “Umihiko and Yamahiko (The Sea Boy and the Mountain Boy)”
- Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda by Peter H. Brothers
The post Episode 29: ‘War of the Gargantuas’ (feat. Ben Chaffins) appeared first on The Monster Island Film Vault.