Camp Kaiju: Monster Movie Podcast

Linda Miller, star of King Kong Escapes, shares memories of working with Ishiro Honda, her friendship with Akira Takarada, and acting with Kong himself! Plus on-set shenanigans, her favorite Toho films, and livin' the convention life. And you know we've got plenty of Green Slime talk. Plus, author Thom Shubilla joins the party! It's a special episode with some special people. HUGE thanks to Linda...

Creepy kids worship an evil corn god. A little murder here, a little sacrifice there... a lot of corny puns. And look, Naomi's back! Turns out she's a Children of the Corn superfan and has the cred to prove it: she shares her experience at the Japanese premiere (truly), what K-I-N-G-O is all about, and more! Plus, how the 1979 Iranian Revolution inspired the movie (truly), the creepy kid genre, an...

Aliens possess the world's machines, sending a convoy of sentient trucks to terrorize a band of truck stop dumb dumbs. With music by AC/DC and direction by Stephen King, what could go wrong? Well... don't drink and drive, folks. We're getting under the hood to assess this 80s highway to hell: behind-the-scenes turmoil, lost eyes, substance abuse, and even George Romero's rumored shadow direction....

The Martians are here and they're out for blood. Or rather, your complete and utter vaporization from the face of the earth. Run to the hills as these invaders withstand everything from A-bombs to bibles. Is there nothing that can stop them? We discuss this and more: special effects wizardry, Cold War thematic underpinnings, its legacy ( Mars Attacks and Independence Day anyone?) and the legacy of...

Surprise! Kaiju events abound this summer and we want you to know about them! Camp faves Beth and Chris swing by to give the deets on Godzilla Weekend: Mothra Madness and our upcoming panels at GFest 2026. Then don't forget our special screening of Alligator (1980) in Minneapolis ! Plus, we're giving you a sneak peek into next week's episode all about The War of the Worlds . So get ready for 90 mi...

Chaos in Tokyo when two Gargantuas battle for the soul of a nation. Or at least dibs on dessert. Because that's right - the BAD Gargantua EATS people and the GOOD Gargantua tries to stop him. And guess what else? They're BROTHERS! AND they're technically mutated bits of Frankenstein DNA! AND... AND... you'll just have to see for yourself in this kaiju flick featuring the combined powers of Honda,...

Behold the first big-budget dinosaur flick! Before King Kong, these dinos romped and stomped their way into our stop-motion hearts. With adventure, romance, and comedy what's not to love? Ooohh, right, right right right right... the terribly-outdated-and-offensive-racial-depictions-of-a-century-old-movie. Right...well...um... it all makes for meaningful conversation! Plus, the miraculous restorati...

Giant scorpions erupt from the bowels of the earth to disembowel men, women, and children in this big bug B-movie from Willis O'Brien (*ahem* King Kong). You'll marvel at the special effects, laugh at the cheesy one-liners, and wish the annoying little kid would just get eaten already. Plus, more connections to King Kong, MST3K talk, love for Bruce Campbell, updates on GFEST, and an actual listene...

Coffin Joe's his name, pluckin' eyeball's his game. Brazil's first horror movie gives Freddy Kreuger a run for his money as a sadistic undertaker terrorizes the townspeople. But will Coffin Joe's evil plans succeed, or will he break a nail trying? We answer these questions and more! Plus, conversations on philosophy, cult horror, and the meaning of taste. Coffin Joe has some ideas. Yikes. So grab...

Kaiju be trollin' in this Nordic mockumentary that modernizes the fairytale troll with roaring action, humor, and shaky cameras. And yet, something's got our goat with this one... so grab the UV-light gun, slather yourself in troll urine, and blast the Christian rock as we track down all the reasons TROLL HUNTER both rocks and slides. Plus, conversations on fairytales, storytelling, Monty Python a...

All hell breaks loose when a young woman is possessed by a demon; with help from her lover and a hunchback, Alucarda takes on the Church and burns any nun who stands in her way. Sounds pretty good, right? And if you don't mind a little torture and full-frontal nudity, then we think you'll have a helluva time. But tbh, Alucarda offers much to consider: systemic oppression, the value of foreign film...

An African prince is cursed to eternal bloodsucking, cape-twirling, and sideburn upkeep in this groovy spin on the Dracula tale. With vampires galore and wicked special effects, there's plenty to sink your teeth into; and then... stereotypes creakier than an 18th century Transylvanian coffin. We explore this and more: the 1970s Black cinema movement - dubbed Blaxploitation - and its complicated le...

Surprise! Author Thom Shubilla swings by camp to discuss his new book! It details the colossal production of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), the involvement of Ishiro Honda, Tsuburaya, Forrest J. Ackerman, and Linda Miller (who worked with Honda on King Kong Escapes) and more. Full of insight, it's a love letter to both Kong and Godzilla - the most colossal beasts the world has ever known. Talk abo...

High in the Himalayas lurks the Yeti. But other threats await in these mountains of madness: paranoia, avalanches, mystic monks, and Peter Cushing's improv. So grab your bear traps, rifles, and spot of tea as we explore this underseen film in the Hammer Horror legacy. Plus, conversations on cryptozoology, classic British horror, left vs. right brained people and more! HUGE thanks to screenwriter,...

MechaG, Rodan, and Baby Godzilla get the hey-hey-Heisei treatment; Godzilla gets kicked in the butt brain; and Miki's up to her old psychic ways. It's a sci-fi feast for the eyes with an epic score from Akira Ifukube. Honestly, what more could you want from a Godzilla movie? A coherent human drama? Get off your high Pteranodon - this is a kaiju movie after all! Join us we discuss all the campy goo...

Peter Lorre has survived man-eating plant monsters, an existential crisis, and moving in with Vincent. Now he returns from his honeymoon with Lenore, with some ideas for the Picture Show. Will we listen to him, or lock him in a dungeon with more fishheads? Grab your Gamera Gong mallet and find out on the Poverty Row Picture Show! Bela Lugosi even makes an appearance! You can follow for more on pat...

Happy Hallo - no, wait - Happy Holidays! Ring in the new year with the ghosts of hosts past, as we play games, talk monster movies, and reveal the first 12 episodes of 2026! Please let us know what you're most excited for! Or, maybe most afraid of? Either way, THANK YOU for listening and supporting! You can follow for more on patreon.com/campkaiju , leave a rating and review, follow on Instagram,...

Get in the Jaeger, we're cancelin' the apocalypse with Guillermo del Toro's love letter to the mecha and kaiju genre. But is the film entirely drift compatible? Or are we easily impressed by practical effects, intricate cinematography, and big space swords? Joining this monster mash is Sean Childers (Big Mecha But Not Huge; Toku For Two), ready to swing an oil tanker at any kaiju that crosses his...

If any of the following makes you uncomfortable, be warned: blood, sex, Christopher Walken, philosophy, and more. But actually, this vampire film is rather serious and may challenge your sensibilities. We welcome Frank Olson back to help us take a bite out of it. Now grab your garlic and dust off your Nietzsche - we're going back to school. Vampire school. Thanks for listening, friends! Follow on...

You're caught in our web with this one! There's no other way to spin it. Spiders fall from space, get really big, and eat people. We're celebrating the movie's 50th anniversary and you should too! And who better to do it with than the director and producer himself, Bill Rebane. Now, as you'll hear, the monster movie gods didn't play nice with our recording... nevertheless, we've stitched something...

Ain't no monster like a triphibian monster. Baby Gappa is stolen from its island home, so mama and papa must destroy Japan to save the tyke. Kaiju films boomed in the 60s, but GAPPA is all-but-forgotten today, despite memorable effects. Oh. But wait. Could it be the blackface? It might be that... well... well... well, join us in that discussion along with the Gappa Family, Peter Lorre, and more! P...

A monster is taken from its homeland, promptly escapes, and climbs the nearest landmark. No, it's not King Kong, but a hungry space alien looking for a place to sleep. I mean, wouldn't you after 20 million miles? So heat up a bag of sulfur and put on your cowboy hat - we're doing as the Romans do in this 50s sci-fi fantasy. Along the way, we discuss the groundbreaking special effects of Ray Harryh...

Love can make a guy do funny things. Torture, abduction, mass murder... but hey, he's just misunderstood. Right? Grab your backstage pass as we visit a classic classic - Lon Chaney's iconic turn in the film that launched the Universal Monsters. But do words like "iconic" and "classic classic" still hold true for a silent film? Do we feel obligated to enjoy a 100 year old movie, or does it actually...

Ever feel like you're being watched by a lost soul? An interdimensional monster? Or even spooky ol' Bette Davis? What if... all of these were true? From deep within the vault comes Disney's scariest movie of all time. Or so they say. It's been buried so deep that few have actually seen it! But whether you have or not, we hope you enjoy this special episode about the state of Disney AND horror in t...

Can you outrun a giant mutant bear? As long as you're faster than the guy next to you! Prophecy puts the camp in Camp Kaiju, exploring serious themes in very schlocky ways. Good messaging, bad effects; good characters, bad casting; good guy with axe, bad guy with chainsaw. Not to mention giant tadpoles and killer sleeping bags. It's all here in this eco-horror cult classic that you gotta see to be...