The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast

Byrd, Tom, Lux and Kevin discuss Brush of the God, the first and only film directed by late kaiju suit maker Keizo Murase.  The semi-biographical film tells of a recently deceased tokusatsu suit maker whose granddaughter is sucked into a fantasy world of fantastical creatures and has to fend off the fearsome Yamata no Orochi, all while learning more about her departed grandfather.  Originally conceived by Murase in the 70s for the Shaw Brothers in Hong Kong, the project had a long road to the screen after a lot of false starts and stops before coming together as an indie kaiju film and released in 2024.  We'll discuss that, as well as give our thoughts on the film.  Come hang out and enjoy the conversation!

Byrd, Matt and Trev discuss the recent dinosaur film The End of Oak Street from writer/director David Robert Mitchell (It Follows).  The film stars Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor as parents who have to protect their family from rampaging dinosaurs when their suburban neighborhood is inexplicably transported into the prehistoric age.  We give our spoiler review of the movie (including unpacking the polarizing ending), how it compares to other post-Jurassic Park dinosaur films, what we hope it does for the genre, and more!  But first, we pay tribute to the late Screaming Mad George, RJ Kizer, and Reggie Bannister.  Relax and enjoy the conversation!

Byrd, Tom and Kevin discuss their experience at this past month's G-Fest convention.  We discuss the guests, the panels, cosplay, the film festival (including our thoughts on Yoshikazu Ishii's new kaiju film Gladio).  As always, we talk about our highlights from the weekend, some of the new things G-Fest introduced this year, and more!  Relax and join the discussion!

Byrd, Kevin and Lux return to discuss the recent Netflix mini series, Human Vapor, a reimagining of Toho's classic 1960 "mutant" film from director Shinzo Katayama (Gannibal, Missing) and writer/producer/showrunner Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan, Parasyte: The Grey).  This version opts for a brand new story, although it still follows a man who has gained the ability to transform into gas and uses his powers to carry out a murder spree.  We follow detective Kenji and reporter Kyoko as they uncover secrets involving unethical science, classism, yakuza, and really bad parents.  How did we feel about this radical reinterpretation?  Listen and find out!  But first, we give our tributes to the late Sam Neil and Kaylee Hottle.  Relax and enjoy the conversation!

Byrd, Kevin and Lux discuss Toho's live action adaptation of 20th Century Boys, the beloved manga by Naoki Urasawa (Monster, Pluto).  It tells a story over several decades of a group of childhood friends that reunite when they realize a doomsday cult led by a masked leader named Friend is using elements from a story they wrote as children to carry out mass murder and position himself as a false savior of humanity.  Throughout the trilogy, as Friend gains power and influence in the world, our heroes try to learn his true identity and stop him from world domination.  There's giant robots, airborne viruses, underground freedom fighters, plenty of kaiju and tokusatsu references, and more!  We'll talk about how the trilogy compares to the manga, the challenges of adapting such a sprawling story into film, and some of the real life events and cultural shifts that influenced the story. But first we discuss the recent passings of author Koji Suzuki, actor Kenji Ohba, and director/effects artist Yoshihiro Nishimura.  Relax and enjoy the show!