The Monster Island Film Vault

Next week–much to Nate’s chagrin–MIFV begins the Board-mandated “Year of Gamera”! Twelve months, twelve movies–but only four of them are good! Hear all about what to expect from MIFV in 2021 in this promo! Music: “Gammera” by The Moons The post Episode 31.5: MIFV Season 2 Promo – ‘The Year of Gamera!’ appeared first on The Monster Island Film Vault .

Hello, kaiju (and toku) lovers! Nathan has been mandated by the Board to archive episodes of Power Rangers in the film vault. Their executive assistant, Ms. Perkins, was particularly insistent on him starting with Power Rangers In Space, for some reason. So, as a special bonus episode to close out 2020 and season one, Nathan and Chris Cooke (host of “ One Cross Radio ”) recorded a pair of watch-al...

Hello. kaiju lovers! The end has come…for MIFV’s first season, that is. It was supposed to be an epic episode on Godzilla vs. Kong…but instead Nathan is joined by Matt and Gratton from the “Giant Monster Ben Shapiro,” er, “BS” podcast to discuss Space Amoeba (aka Yog, Monster from Space), a weird lesser classic from the Toho tokusatsu library. Released in 1970, it marked a shift in the Showa era f...

Hello, kaiju lovers! This week’s episode is a “traditional” mini-analysis of Latitude Zero, an almost obscure 1969 Toho science fiction film directed by Ishiro Honda, who probably had to take a dip in the “Bath of Immunity” to endure the stress of making it. To say it was harrowing would be an understatement. This strange American/Japanese co-production has a troubled history full of clashing sens...

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,...

Hello, kaiju lovers! The Beast! The Beast! THE BEAST! From 20,000 Fathoms! Nathan is joined by his friend and regular Monster Island Tourist Nick Hayden for the first Ray Harryhausen film covered on MIFV: The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. This 1953 classic—the Jaws of its time, as Nick says—is one of the seminal films in the kaiju genre. It was the first “atomic monster” movie. Without it, we may hav...

Hello, kaiju lovers! “FRONKENSTEEN! FRONKENSTEEN!” In what has to be a providential “accident,” our Halloween episode is the perfect kaiju film for the spookiest time of the year: Frankenstein Conquers the World. Nathan is joined by Travis Alexander, co-host of Kaiju Weekly and the biggest Baragon fan we know (#Justice4Baragon), to discuss this wild if uneven Toho classic directed by Ishiro Honda....

Hello, kaiju lovers! The “Daimajin Days” come to a close with Joe and Joy Metter returning to discuss Daimajin Strikes Again. The final film of the Daimajin trilogy, while it has the same basic set-up with an evil lord oppressing the people, focuses on four boys who set out to rescue their commoner fathers and brothers from slavery. The Metters’ dogs Teddy Kong and Bitzilla make more cameos as the...

Adrift in the Giant Monster Fandom, Travis sends a message to his friends as his passion starts to dwindle. Meanwhile, the remaining Podcasters, Kaiju Groupie, Giant Monster BS, Kaiju Conversations, Monsters vs. Men, and Monster Island Film Vault must figure out a way to bring back their once enthusiastic allies for one more epic live stream of their favorite giant monster movies. But has the feel...

Hello, kaiju lovers! Today’s special bonus episode is long, but can you blame us? It’s for MIFV’s first anniversary! Nathan makes a rare OOC (out of character) appearance and is joined by Patron and former guest Danny DiManna, author/creator of the  Godzilla Novelization Project , to party like 2020 is finally over. In the first half, they present a “George Lucas extended version” of their Kaiju C...

Hello, kaiju lovers! Making his third trip to Monster Island—but his first appearance on MIFV—is none other than the Kaiju Groupie himself, Michael Hamilton. He paid Nathan and Jimmy a visit to discuss Dogora, the Space Monster, which was one of three kaiju films released in 1964 by Toho. The titular space squid is a nightmare straight out of an H.P. Lovecraft story—minus the sorta lame weakness....

Hello, kaiju lovers! We have many happy (and not-so-happy) returns in this episode. Nathan’s friends Joe and Joy Metter are back to continue the “Daimajin Days” by discussing Return of Daimajin. They also brought their dogs, Teddy Kong and Bitzilla, although they’re a little quieter this time around. Regardless, this is the second of the Daimajin trilogy from 1966, and while it’s mostly a rehash o...

Hello, kaiju lovers! This month’s mini-sode is yet another excerpt from the paper Nathan wrote for his Ishiro Honda independent study in grad school, and it’s on one of his favorite tokusatsu films: Atragon. This Jules Verne-ian sci-fi adventure story has deep connections to the Japanese national spirit as it was inspired by a militaristic 1899 novel and the ongoing newspaper stories about World W...

Hello, kaiju lovers! Despite some recording/broadcasting issues with a new microphone (which will be remedied for future episodes), Nathan was joined once again by his friends Joe and Joy Metter, who were vacationing on Monster Island. They started the “Daimajin Days” by screening and discussing the first film in Daiei’s Daimajin trilogy from 1966. These films combine the kaiju and chanbara (“samu...

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...

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 r...

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 thi...

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 CONVENT...

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 timele...

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...

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. Godzil...

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: Co...

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 N...

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 writ...

Hello, kaiju lovers! Today’s episode is a little different. Think of it as an extended “mini-analysis.” It’s also the first film MIFV has covered that features no kaiju. Luke Jaconetti, the host of the  Earth Destruction Directive  podcast (and owner of an impossible-to-spell surname), joins Nathan to discuss the film featuring everyone not working on The Three Treasures in 1959: Battle in Outer S...