1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:18,960
Hello and welcome to Camp Kaiju Monster Movie Podcast.

2
00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:25,120
We are your hosts, Vincent Hannum, Matt Levine, and we're talking about all our favorite

3
00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:30,200
monster movies, the good, the bad, and the downright campy, and asking if they stand

4
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:31,560
the test of time.

5
00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,740
Traditional kaiju, creature features, space invaders, the supernatural, and everything

6
00:00:35,740 --> 00:00:39,880
in between, all strange beasts, welcome here.

7
00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:44,200
Camp Kaiju is sponsored by Zach Linder and the Zach Pack, powered by Coldwell Banker

8
00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:49,480
Realty, your source for real estate, home rehab, fixing and flipping for investor clients,

9
00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:51,100
and residential buyers.

10
00:00:51,100 --> 00:00:56,200
Reach out to the Zach Pack today for real estate services, follow the Zach Pack on social

11
00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:00,680
media, and contact the Zach Pack for investment opportunities.

12
00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:29,440
Links in the bio.

13
00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:59,040
Godzilla has a brain about this size.

14
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:05,560
He is sheer brute force, while Kong is a thinking animal.

15
00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:12,240
His brain is considerably larger, about ten times the size of this gorilla's skull.

16
00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:17,240
Being instinctive rivals, there is no doubt that they will attempt to destroy one another.

17
00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:24,160
King Kong versus Godzilla, heading for their colossal collision, shattering every obstacle

18
00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:32,120
that stands between them in the most fantastic rampage of annihilation ever recorded on film.

19
00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:39,720
See King Kong stamp Tokyo into the ground, holding a beautiful girl in his grasp.

20
00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,960
See Godzilla destroy an entire army.

21
00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:48,720
See King Kong trapped by the blazing barrier of a billion volts.

22
00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:54,640
But nothing, nobody can stop the great showdown, when King Kong and Godzilla meet to fight

23
00:02:54,640 --> 00:03:09,160
for survival of the fittest.

24
00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:13,760
Hey everybody, welcome to another episode of Camp Kaiju.

25
00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:18,520
Vincent Hannum here, here to talk about some monster movies.

26
00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:25,440
This week on the show we are talking about 1962's King Kong vs Godzilla.

27
00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:32,740
Very well known, very famous, very influential, but does it stand the test of time?

28
00:03:32,740 --> 00:03:37,220
Now this of course is following up on our last episode all about Godzilla, Kong the

29
00:03:37,220 --> 00:03:38,900
New Empire.

30
00:03:38,900 --> 00:03:46,060
So in that regard, hey, maybe a Shiro Honda's early 60s monster mash does stand the test

31
00:03:46,060 --> 00:03:47,320
of time.

32
00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:53,560
But what we're going to get into on this episode are some of the, maybe the finer points of

33
00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:54,840
the film, some of the particulars.

34
00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:59,600
We're going to talk about production, we're going to talk about the history of this film,

35
00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,600
how it came to be, a lot of drama behind the scenes.

36
00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:04,560
We're going to talk cast and crew.

37
00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:11,040
We're going to talk about some of the themes that Honda and the screenwriters were attempting

38
00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,040
to get at.

39
00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:20,760
And of course with this film in particular we have to acknowledge the 1962 Japanese release,

40
00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,720
the Shiro Honda's original vision.

41
00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:34,320
And then the 1963 American re-release with its edits and paring down of some of those

42
00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:40,420
thematic messages that Honda loves to imbue his monster, his science fiction films with.

43
00:04:40,420 --> 00:04:44,520
So before we get into all that kind of good stuff, we've got some nuts and bolts.

44
00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,920
We want to thank you for hanging out, friends.

45
00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:53,200
I also want to mention that our co-host, Matt Levine, will not be joining us this week.

46
00:04:53,200 --> 00:05:00,040
Everything's okay, but just know that Matt could use some lifting up by our Kaiju community.

47
00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:07,160
So if you have any just general words of support and encouragement, I know he'd appreciate

48
00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:08,160
that.

49
00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:13,280
I'm flying, I'm flying, not entirely solo tonight, however.

50
00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:18,960
We are bringing on Naomi Osborne as a guest later on in the episode.

51
00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:26,420
Naomi will be introducing the trivia for Camp Kaiju that we're introducing in season four.

52
00:05:26,420 --> 00:05:27,800
So definitely stick around.

53
00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:32,720
We've got a lot of good things to cover on today's show.

54
00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:34,960
And you know, we're doing this one for Matt.

55
00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:38,700
So lift him up and kick back.

56
00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:17,840
King Kong, invincible gorilla god of a jungle paradise, destroyer of cities.

57
00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:24,360
Godzilla, indestructible behemoth from prehistoric time released from an icy tomb to pulverize

58
00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,360
a panic-stricken world.

59
00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:35,520
Now for the first time in one awe-inspiring motion picture they meet the mightiest monsters

60
00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:46,080
of the ages, King Kong, Godzilla locked in the most titanic battle of all time.

61
00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:47,080
All right.

62
00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:51,360
First and foremost, if you like this show, please leave us a rating and review wherever

63
00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:52,960
you listen.

64
00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,720
Any positive reviews you leave us?

65
00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:57,720
We'd be hugely appreciated.

66
00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:01,720
This podcast continues to grow year after year and it's all thanks to you.

67
00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:03,720
So keep the support coming.

68
00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:05,720
We love you for it.

69
00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:13,720
And hey, you can also send us listener comments at campkaiju.gmail.com, our Facebook page,

70
00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:18,720
our Instagram page, or if you'd like to be a featured voice on the show, instead of us

71
00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:23,720
reading your comments, you can go ahead and leave us a comment straight to voicemail at

72
00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,960
6612-470-2612.

73
00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:31,720
Just tell us about your favorite monster movie, what you thought about the new Godzilla Kong

74
00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:36,000
movie, what you think about Gamera, Shin Ultraman.

75
00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,160
Let's just nerd out, folks.

76
00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,720
And we'll feature your voice on the show.

77
00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:43,800
That's the Kaiju hotline.

78
00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:48,680
And then all that, of course, will be in our show notes here in the episode.

79
00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:50,480
Find us wherever you can.

80
00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:58,400
And please check out our website, campkaijupodcast.com, the central hub for all things, movie reviews

81
00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:06,520
and special content, including links to our merch at campkaiju.threadless.com.

82
00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:10,840
And then, hey, we got all sorts of things going on here.

83
00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:15,560
You can become a patron if you really want to step up your game at patreon.com slash

84
00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:21,400
camp Kaiju, discounts, priority comments, access to live events.

85
00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:28,320
And we want to thank you, Jason, Chris, Sean, our anonymous patron, and Peggy for being

86
00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,600
those rock stars on Patreon.

87
00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,240
Thank you, thank you, thank you.

88
00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:39,760
So what is new in the world of monster movies since we last came at you?

89
00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:46,200
Well, talking about Godzilla Kong, Adam Wingard will not be returning as the director for

90
00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:51,600
the now officially announced sequel titled TBD.

91
00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:57,440
But the director for that is going to be Grant Spatorre, or Spatorre, unsure there.

92
00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:05,120
But whatever they do with it, dumb or super smart, it's going to be a good time.

93
00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,840
As for Camp Kaiju, what do we have coming up?

94
00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,600
Well, it was going to be Arachnophobia.

95
00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,880
We're still going to get to it, but we are going to push it off because that is Matt's

96
00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:15,880
pick.

97
00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:21,380
He's very ready to confront his fears of spiders.

98
00:09:21,380 --> 00:09:26,160
So I don't think it would be right to do that episode without him.

99
00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:28,440
But that's okay.

100
00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,360
Coming up next, we have something just as good.

101
00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,440
Godzilla versus Megalon from 1973.

102
00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:38,680
We're going to have Max Hannum back on the show to pinch hit.

103
00:09:38,680 --> 00:09:46,160
We're going to talk about some classic, some campy classic Showa era.

104
00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:48,480
Not a Honda film either, some Jun Fukuda.

105
00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:51,200
So watch Godzilla versus Megalon.

106
00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,000
That episode is coming at you in two weeks.

107
00:09:53,000 --> 00:10:02,040
We're also going to have Max then back for the Mummy 1999's take on that film from Universal

108
00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:03,520
Studios.

109
00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,800
Matt plans to be back by then.

110
00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:11,960
We'll embrace them with a big Kaiju hug, but we'll have Max on that as originally slated

111
00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:13,600
at the season announcement.

112
00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:17,760
So yeah, you know, this summer it's all about getting our friends together, getting the

113
00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,160
Kaiju crew up and running.

114
00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:24,400
We've got plenty of other friends coming to join us for the rest of the season too.

115
00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:28,220
So since last time, this is huge fun news.

116
00:10:28,220 --> 00:10:35,400
The Criterion Channel has just announced that they will be streaming several Heisei era Godzilla

117
00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:37,840
films on their streaming service.

118
00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:42,840
We have the Return of Godzilla, Godzilla versus Biolante, Godzilla versus King Ghidorah,

119
00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,080
and Godzilla versus Mothra.

120
00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:54,840
Folks, if you have been like me wanting the Criterion Channel to release a Blu-ray set

121
00:10:54,840 --> 00:11:00,520
of the Heisei era films the way they did with the Showa era films, this news is the first

122
00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:02,020
step towards that.

123
00:11:02,020 --> 00:11:08,480
It's very exciting on the Criterion radar of many a listener out there.

124
00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:10,880
And then it's July, it's the end of July.

125
00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:15,800
GFest is already come and gone and we hope everyone had a blast.

126
00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:21,220
Matt and I missed it, you know, various other things going on, but we hope to join you again

127
00:11:21,220 --> 00:11:22,500
next year.

128
00:11:22,500 --> 00:11:25,120
Hopefully I can bring my little kiddo along.

129
00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,640
It's GFest is near and dear to my heart.

130
00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:32,760
So if you're out there and you went this year in Chicago, that's awesome.

131
00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:33,760
Tell us how it went.

132
00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:38,000
Call in, write in and just what were the highlights?

133
00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:39,600
What were your favorite parts?

134
00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:46,400
Please let us live vicariously through your adventures.

135
00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:52,440
Today this week in Monster Movie history, we're talking about July, we had The Village,

136
00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:59,000
which was released in July of 2004 celebrating a 20th anniversary, maybe some M. Night Shyamalan

137
00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,360
films can make an appearance on Camp Kaiju.

138
00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:06,320
I know Matt and I offline have talked about signs.

139
00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,720
We've talked about The Village before.

140
00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:10,200
Shyamalan, interesting.

141
00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:14,440
Yeah, I think those any of his movies would be right for discussion.

142
00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:21,920
And then celebrating its 30th anniversary this month is a animated film called Om Poko.

143
00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:26,080
And Matt Tellman told me about this and I gotta do Matt some justice here.

144
00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:27,520
I gotta talk about Pom Poko.

145
00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:29,000
He loves this film.

146
00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:35,520
It is a Japanese animated film from Studio Ghibli, but is written, directed by Issey

147
00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:41,360
Takahata and the film centers around a colony of Japanese raccoon dogs living in the outskirts

148
00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:45,560
of Tokyo as they work to combat the growing deforestation of their home.

149
00:12:45,560 --> 00:12:46,560
There you go.

150
00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:50,000
It was released to critical and commercial success.

151
00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:51,800
We covered Porco Rosso last year.

152
00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:53,440
That was a Miyazaki film.

153
00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:57,600
I am always down to talk about Studio Ghibli pictures.

154
00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:03,640
I mean, I think we could do a whole podcast on those films, but for now, we'll leave it

155
00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,400
at Pom Poko and The Village.

156
00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,200
All right, new and upcoming releases.

157
00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:13,200
This is exciting for Twin Cities folks.

158
00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:20,760
Godzilla, 1954, the Japanese release is celebrating its 70th anniversary.

159
00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:27,180
And the Heights Theater in the Twin Cities will be screening the film on July 29th, 2024.

160
00:13:27,180 --> 00:13:34,980
So if you're listening to this and it's July 27th or 28th, you've got some time.

161
00:13:34,980 --> 00:13:36,520
So make some plans there.

162
00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:44,580
Actually that same night, Cinema of the Macabre in Plymouth will be screening Day of the Animals,

163
00:13:44,580 --> 00:13:49,360
a classic nature run amok cult film from 1977.

164
00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:55,120
So if you're a fan of Grizzly, if you're a fan of Orca, Day of the Animals is one to

165
00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:56,120
check out.

166
00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:57,120
I don't know.

167
00:13:57,120 --> 00:13:58,120
You're going to have to choose.

168
00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:04,520
Do I see Day of the Animals or do I see Godzilla?

169
00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:06,680
Real tough choice there.

170
00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:09,760
Right now, there's lots of things going on in Twin Cities.

171
00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:16,320
I would recommend you look into your own local cinemas wherever you are and if there are

172
00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:22,000
any screenings that you want Camp Kaiju to highlight, we'd love to do it.

173
00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,720
What's playing in Austin, Texas?

174
00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,440
What's playing in Orlando, Florida?

175
00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:28,440
I don't know.

176
00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:30,680
What's playing in Sweden?

177
00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:31,680
Let us know.

178
00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:37,020
We'll gladly hype you up because we just love talking about this stuff and we love the community

179
00:14:37,020 --> 00:14:38,760
that we have here.

180
00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,480
From writer, director M. Night Shyamalan.

181
00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:47,520
We have always had a gentle understanding with the creatures who live beyond our borders.

182
00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,520
There are marks on the door.

183
00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:55,520
Nothing can prepare you for what lies just outside the village.

184
00:14:55,520 --> 00:15:00,520
Never enter the woods and spread your feet.

185
00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,520
M. Night Shyamalan's The Village.

186
00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:08,520
Do your very best not to scream.

187
00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:15,080
From the legendary Studio Ghibli and Academy Award nominated director Isao Takahata, Pom

188
00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:19,960
Poko is an action packed fable about the clash between nature and humans.

189
00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:25,040
When the fun loving Tanuki find their woodland community under attack by developers, they

190
00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:30,680
band together and learn the ancient art of transformation to scare off the humans and

191
00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:36,240
save their home in this moving, funny and heartfelt look at what it means to live in

192
00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:40,160
the modern world.

193
00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:45,800
In 1956, he first appeared on motion picture screens across the country.

194
00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:50,640
His impact on audiences was instantaneous and unprecedented.

195
00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:53,400
His acting technique was revolutionary.

196
00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,000
His presence overwhelming.

197
00:15:55,000 --> 00:16:00,400
He possessed more raw talent than any performer of his generation.

198
00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:06,800
He soon became an international legend, a giant who took the world by storm.

199
00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:13,280
Then, suddenly, at the height of his fame, he retired from motion pictures.

200
00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:22,640
Now, he is back and he's more magnificent, more glamorous, more devastating than ever.

201
00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:24,240
Prepare yourself.

202
00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:32,400
The greatest star of all has returned.

203
00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:42,880
Godzilla, 1985.

204
00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:45,600
Coming soon to a theater near you.

205
00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:48,880
Now, we have some personal histories with the film.

206
00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:51,680
Matt had sent in some notes beforehand.

207
00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:54,960
So I'll read you his personal history with this film.

208
00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:56,200
None.

209
00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:58,640
He has no history with this film.

210
00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:03,700
He's been intrigued about this early monster mashup ever since he first read about it, especially

211
00:17:03,700 --> 00:17:07,360
since it kickstarted Godzilla's massive popularity for Toho.

212
00:17:07,360 --> 00:17:12,400
Now, my personal history of the film is not much more than that.

213
00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:20,460
I only saw this movie, I think I'd seen Bits and Pieces a long time ago, but I really didn't

214
00:17:20,460 --> 00:17:27,400
sit down and watch it until 2019, I want to say, when I rented it.

215
00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:31,120
I checked it out of the library, actually, because I don't know if you've noticed, this

216
00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:37,120
film is not readily available on the streaming services.

217
00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:42,000
I now own it via that Criterion collection.

218
00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:45,760
But it's important to know that this you might have to track this movie down a little bit.

219
00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:50,880
It is available on the Internet Movie Archive.

220
00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:55,160
And you got to look at if you're looking at the American or the Japanese release, they

221
00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:57,440
are very different cuts.

222
00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:07,040
The Japanese release is a Shiro Honda's satirical intention retained in the American release

223
00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,040
kind of does a bit of a hack job to it and all in all honesty.

224
00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:15,560
I mean, it's still got its its reasons to watch it for sure.

225
00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:21,560
But if you are just finding a DVD of this movie, it's probably going to be the American

226
00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:22,560
release.

227
00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:25,760
The Japanese release is out there.

228
00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,880
If you do some sleuthing on the Internet, you'll be able to find it.

229
00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:31,360
All right, some production history of this film.

230
00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:38,800
Like I said, it's directed by a Shiro Honda, who did direct the original Godzilla, but

231
00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:41,220
hadn't directed Godzilla Raids again.

232
00:18:41,220 --> 00:18:46,360
So this is his second only his second outing with the big G in between.

233
00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:54,040
Of course, he had directed other Kaiju and science fiction films, Rodin, Mothra, the

234
00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:55,840
Mysterians.

235
00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:59,780
And then after, of course, he'd go on, establish his legacy in the genre.

236
00:18:59,780 --> 00:19:06,480
But while this is his second Godzilla film, by this time, he has worked with giant monsters

237
00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:12,160
enough to to kind of know what he wants to say with them.

238
00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:15,600
Special effects are by Aiji Tsuburaya.

239
00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:21,300
The film was produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and it is written by Shinichi Sekizawa.

240
00:19:21,300 --> 00:19:27,120
So he had a thing for writing more light hearted, funnier scripts.

241
00:19:27,120 --> 00:19:32,360
You can think of movies like Mothra versus Godzilla, Ghidorah, Eberor, Horror of the

242
00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:35,260
Deep, Astro Monster.

243
00:19:35,260 --> 00:19:41,640
These movies are a lot of fun and very serious at times, but they often feature comical characters,

244
00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,440
more animated supporting characters.

245
00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:50,920
And we see that in King Kong versus Godzilla, both show the music in the Japanese release

246
00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:59,640
is by Akira Fukube and in the American release, it is just simply Universal Studios stock

247
00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,120
music.

248
00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:05,240
And we'll say a little bit more about that later on.

249
00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:10,240
The select cast of this film Tadeo Takashima as Osamu.

250
00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:11,320
He is a veteran.

251
00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:14,040
He was in a veteran of the genre, I should say.

252
00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:18,040
He was in Atragon and Frankenstein versus Baragon.

253
00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:25,520
Kenji Sahara as Kazuo returning from his turn in Rodan.

254
00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:28,900
Yu Fujiki as Kinsaburo.

255
00:20:28,900 --> 00:20:33,200
He starred in several Kurosawa films at this time, like Throne of Blood and The Hidden

256
00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:34,200
Fortress.

257
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:38,680
Ichiro Arishima as Mr. Tako.

258
00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:43,080
He is that character that Sekizawa loves to write.

259
00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:46,120
So Mr. Tako is a comedic role.

260
00:20:46,120 --> 00:20:51,920
He's a befuddled admin for a pharmaceutical company nicknamed the Japanese Chaplain.

261
00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:54,640
That was Ichiro Arishima.

262
00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:58,360
He had this reputation for being as funny as Chaplain.

263
00:20:58,360 --> 00:21:06,520
So he brings that energy, but maybe a little bit more zany energy to this movie.

264
00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:09,580
But he was very popular at the time.

265
00:21:09,580 --> 00:21:14,760
Another popular actor, Mai Hama as Fumiko.

266
00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:21,280
And this actress played Kissy Suzuki in the Bond film You Only Live Twice.

267
00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,400
That was the one set in Japan with Sean Connery.

268
00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:34,680
And Shi Mai Hama also stars in the subsequent King Kong film, 1967's King Kong Escapes.

269
00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:36,320
We'll get to that one one day.

270
00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:42,080
Now the guys in the suits, we have Shoichi Hirose as King Kong.

271
00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:47,480
And of course Haruro Nakajima as Godzilla.

272
00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:51,520
Hirose and Nakajima also choreographed the fights between Godzilla and King Kong, as

273
00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,400
Tsuburaya asked them to do.

274
00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:58,080
They based their fights on professional wrestling, which was becoming popular in Japan and is

275
00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:01,760
a noted theme in this film.

276
00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:10,880
We have a pharmaceutical company wishing to increase its ratings, its advertising dollars.

277
00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:16,840
And they decide, the pharmaceutical company led by Mr. Tako decide to go to the fictional

278
00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:25,920
Faroe Island to capture Kong, bring him back to Japan, and star as the main character in

279
00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,080
an advertising campaign.

280
00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:33,240
Godzilla of course gets involved and a wrestling match ensues.

281
00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:38,160
This is commented on by the characters in the movie that it's like watching a wrestling

282
00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:39,160
match.

283
00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:47,600
So taken with that cultural context, it's pretty on the money there.

284
00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:52,000
Honda and Sekizawa having their finger on the pulse, 100%.

285
00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:59,680
Now the production backstory and release of King Kong vs. Godzilla is a little, like this

286
00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:03,040
is what makes great movie podcasts.

287
00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:08,520
We get to talk about some drama that happened behind the scenes.

288
00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:10,600
So this all starts with Willis O'Brien.

289
00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:19,920
Willis O'Brien is the animator of the original King Kong, Son of Kong from 1933.

290
00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:24,980
Willis O'Brien looms large in monster movie history.

291
00:23:24,980 --> 00:23:27,800
He was the mentor of Ray Harryhausen.

292
00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:35,880
Willis O'Brien also worked on Mighty Joe Young, The Lost World from 1925.

293
00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:48,520
In Willis O'Brien, in 1960, he had an idea to pair Kong with a giant Frankenstein monster.

294
00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:53,800
Anyways he gave an outline to producer John Beck for development, and even started creating

295
00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:56,360
some of the concept art.

296
00:23:56,360 --> 00:24:02,000
Beck promised to find a studio for it and asked George Worthing-Yates to write a screenplay

297
00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,200
from O'Brien's concept.

298
00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:12,560
This was happening, but then the only studio that Beck could find to finance the project

299
00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:15,160
was Toho in Japan.

300
00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:20,720
However, Beck did this behind O'Brien's back.

301
00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:27,520
So unbeknownst to Willis O'Brien, Toho scrapped the Frankenstein idea, replaced that monster

302
00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:33,240
with Godzilla, and asked Shinichi Sekizawa to rewrite Yates's screenplay.

303
00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:38,840
They thought this would be a perfect way to celebrate the studio's 30th anniversary.

304
00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:40,600
What happened to Willis O'Brien?

305
00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:44,680
O'Brien was never credited, and he was furious, rightly so.

306
00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,240
He wanted to sue Beck, but he didn't have the money.

307
00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:55,480
And sadly, O'Brien died on November 8, 1962, just three months after the movie's Japanese

308
00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:57,480
release.

309
00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:03,120
Marion C. Cooper, the co-director of the original King Kong, also opposed the idea for what

310
00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:04,600
it's worth.

311
00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:08,580
And Cooper was outraged that Kong was played by a man in a gorilla suit.

312
00:25:08,580 --> 00:25:16,800
So we're not getting the classic stop-motion, dynamation of Willis O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen

313
00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:17,880
there.

314
00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:19,880
What could have been, right?

315
00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:26,760
Well, Tomoyuki Tanaka at Toho, he was the producer of this film and every other Godzilla

316
00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:29,520
film, essentially, just didn't have it in the budget.

317
00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:32,560
So they're sticking with the suit-mation for better, for worse.

318
00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:36,800
And we'll get to that a little bit later in our breakdowns with the good, the bad, and

319
00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:37,800
the campy.

320
00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:44,520
What I would like to note, however, is that in replacing the Frankenstein monster with

321
00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:55,360
Godzilla, that also then got convoluted into having King Kong in this film version being

322
00:25:55,360 --> 00:26:01,920
imbued with extra strength from the lightning bolts of the thunderstorm.

323
00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:06,200
And that's how Kong ultimately overcomes Godzilla in the final battle, right?

324
00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:09,680
Well, you're thinking that's not like a King Kong ability.

325
00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:11,040
And you're right.

326
00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:17,200
It is a Frankenstein's monster ability based on the Universal series from the 30s and 40s.

327
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:27,040
So you can see that Toho in replacing the Frankenstein monster with Godzilla, they

328
00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:34,240
didn't rewrite the script elements that are clearly meant for Frankenstein.

329
00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:36,240
So I don't know.

330
00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:40,200
Just go sleep on that one for a little bit.

331
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:48,600
Now, Toho and Tanaka, they, you know, I should say Tanaka and the heads at Toho also mandated

332
00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:54,640
that this King Kong versus Godzilla be as funny and lighthearted as possible in an attempt

333
00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:58,040
to be kid friendly and appeal to families.

334
00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:04,200
It should be known that Aiji Tsuburaya, the special effects director on the film, endorsed

335
00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:05,840
this idea.

336
00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:14,760
Naturally, this is not just a tonal departure from the first two King Kong films, but it

337
00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:22,640
is a wild departure in tone from Honda's original Gojira in 1954.

338
00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:25,160
Arguably zero camp.

339
00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,120
There is no camp in that movie.

340
00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:32,520
Arguably the King Kong films have camp in them.

341
00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:39,520
Regardless Tsuburaya, Tanaka, they wanted it to be more kid friendly despite Honda's

342
00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:45,400
reservations and in that vein, Honda opposed this by saying, quote, I don't think a monster

343
00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,080
should ever be a comical character.

344
00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:49,080
So there you go.

345
00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:55,280
Toho originally planned on shooting on location in Sri Lanka, but just like having to cut

346
00:27:55,280 --> 00:28:01,720
expenses with the initial ideas of animation, that just proved to be way over budget.

347
00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:03,200
So they scrapped that idea.

348
00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:11,080
There was a big push for shooting this film in widescreen called Toho Scope and Eastman

349
00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:12,080
Color.

350
00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:15,160
This was a first for both monsters, let it be known.

351
00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:20,360
Godzilla and King Kong are appearing in color film for the first time.

352
00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:27,160
And this is both of the respective monsters third films in their franchises.

353
00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:32,360
King Kong had not been in a movie in 29 years.

354
00:28:32,360 --> 00:28:40,120
The last being King Kong and then the subsequent son of Kong were both released in 1933.

355
00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:48,680
Godzilla, 1954's Gojira and then 1955's Godzilla Raids Again.

356
00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:49,680
That was the last time.

357
00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:53,640
So it had been seven years since Godzilla had been in a film.

358
00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:58,720
So King Kong versus Godzilla is ultimately released in Japan in August of 1962.

359
00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:01,800
It grossed 352 million yen.

360
00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:06,000
It is the second highest grossing Japanese film in history upon its release, most attended

361
00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,160
Godzilla film in Japan to this day.

362
00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:12,520
Its success convinced Toho to keep investing in Godzilla as a franchise, re-released numerous

363
00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:17,000
times in Japan, for example, in 1977 to coincide with the release of the American remake of

364
00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:21,160
King Kong.

365
00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:22,440
The legacy is huge.

366
00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:24,000
That's what we're getting at.

367
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:28,280
Re-releases, this film continues to clean up at the box office.

368
00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:33,240
There was a sequel, a continuation plan to capitalize on the film's success in which

369
00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:39,200
the original screenwriter, Sakizawa's treatment kills off Godzilla, then revives him.

370
00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:40,200
That was canceled.

371
00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:44,000
Mothra versus Godzilla took its place.

372
00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:50,080
Now most importantly, most significantly, when we're talking about re-releases of King Kong

373
00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:57,240
versus Godzilla and the international appeal of this film is the American version that

374
00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:01,360
was re-edited cut.

375
00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:07,400
That film was released in the United States by Universal in June of 1963.

376
00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:12,200
It removed several scenes, recut others, changed the sequence of events, inserted footage that

377
00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:15,200
indicated the film was actually a newscast.

378
00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:19,960
So they took a page from the original American release of Gojira.

379
00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:26,040
That would be the Raymond Burr vehicle, Godzilla King of the Monsters, where we have a news

380
00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:31,920
paper man narrating the events of the film.

381
00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:35,520
I'm going to tell you, it plays much better in Godzilla King of the Monsters than it

382
00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:37,680
does in King Kong versus Godzilla.

383
00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:42,560
I'm going to get to that later in my breakdown comparing and contrasting the American and

384
00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:46,480
Japanese takes on this film.

385
00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:54,000
One last thing about the American re-release, it completely replaces the musical score by

386
00:30:54,000 --> 00:31:03,440
Akira Ifukube and reuses parts of the score from, yeah, the creature from the Black Lagoon.

387
00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:10,920
Universal inexplicably dumps Ifukube's majestic score, whatever he touches is gold, and they

388
00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:18,920
just reused stock sound cues and musical scores from their catalog, including creature from

389
00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:19,920
the Black Lagoon.

390
00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:26,120
If you're a fan of monster movies, it can be a little jarring to hear the iconic stings

391
00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:30,440
of the creature in a Godzilla flick, but be that as it may.

392
00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:34,560
Okay, everybody, we're about halfway through this week's episode, which means we got to

393
00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:36,120
take a sponsor break.

394
00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:42,800
After a word from Zach in the Zach pack, we will get into Menya's mailbox.

395
00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:51,480
We will hear from Peter Lorre on this week's Silent But Deadly, and then we will get to

396
00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:57,400
the moment you've all been waiting for, the trivia that challenged the world with Naomi

397
00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:04,200
Osborn making her first appearance at camp here to pitch a really great trivia question

398
00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:07,160
to you about King Kong versus Godzilla.

399
00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:13,080
So stick around, give it a listen, and we can kick off this series of fun movie trivia

400
00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,120
for you here at Camp Kaiju.

401
00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:20,440
Camp Kaiju is sponsored by Zach Linder and the Zach pack powered by Caldwell Banker Realty,

402
00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:25,560
your source for real estate, home rehab, fixing and flipping for investor clients and residential

403
00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:26,560
buyers.

404
00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:29,400
Reach out to the Zach pack today for real estate services.

405
00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:34,600
Follow the Zach pack on social media and contact the Zach pack for investment opportunities.

406
00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:36,800
Links in the bio.

407
00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:39,840
So Menya's mailbox here brought to you by Patreon.

408
00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:43,040
If you become a patron, your comments are tops.

409
00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:47,120
But in the meantime, we're going to catch up with those who left comments during our

410
00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:48,960
hiatus.

411
00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:51,760
And this one is from Jason Caldwell on YouTube.

412
00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:54,520
Jason writes in about the birds.

413
00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:59,360
He says, Making of this movie is actually more interesting and freaky than the movie

414
00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:00,360
itself.

415
00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:05,800
Hitchcock was notorious for abusing his leading women and he had a thing for lovely blondes.

416
00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:09,920
Remember when watching the birds that real live terrified birds were thrown into the

417
00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:11,680
actress's face.

418
00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,440
Her terror is completely genuine.

419
00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:15,440
Yeah.

420
00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:18,000
Yeah, Jason.

421
00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:22,200
We talked a lot about that in our episode about the birds last year.

422
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:30,440
But yeah, Tippi Hedren went through the wringer working with Alfred Hitchcock and in her own

423
00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:33,040
words for better for worse.

424
00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:39,640
What she acknowledges and we should all acknowledge the abuse she took on the set of that film

425
00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:48,480
and the power dynamics and the gender dynamics that were abused by her director, Alfred Hitchcock.

426
00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:57,000
And you just got to wrestle with that when a director like Hitch makes a landmark film

427
00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:02,200
but involved in that film are some pretty rotten things.

428
00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:06,760
So I'm not here to tell you what to do with that information.

429
00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:13,240
But just what Jason says, remember that real live terrified birds were thrown into the

430
00:34:13,240 --> 00:34:14,240
actress's face.

431
00:34:14,240 --> 00:34:16,160
Thanks for writing in Jason.

432
00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:17,160
We appreciate that.

433
00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:18,960
Everyone else let us know.

434
00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:21,120
We got some more in the can here.

435
00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:31,080
We'll dish out over the course of the season, but keep them coming.

436
00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:37,040
Before Karloff and Lugosi stalked the screens, the movies were no less monstrous.

437
00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:43,360
These frightful figures lurked in the expressionistic shadows of dance in the macabre moonlight.

438
00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:48,800
They laughed, they cried, they fooled the sensibilities of honest, decent folk.

439
00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:54,880
In the age of silent pictures, these gruesome ghouls nonetheless cried out for the savage

440
00:34:54,880 --> 00:35:11,480
humanity that took the breath from all who witnessed their devilish delights.

441
00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:15,160
On this podcast, I know you can hear me shouting for help.

442
00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:16,160
Help!

443
00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:17,160
Help me!

444
00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:23,080
Oh, how I suffer the interminable pangs of resurrection.

445
00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:30,280
I am Peter Laurie, you may know me from such movies as M and Mad Love.

446
00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:33,960
Matthew and Vincent have summoned me from beyond the grave to help them shine a light

447
00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:35,920
on silent monster movies.

448
00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:39,720
They call their segment Silent But Deadly.

449
00:35:39,720 --> 00:35:43,920
Indeed, the more of this script I read, the more I endure a second death.

450
00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:51,260
Last I persist for the sooner I finish, the sooner I may return to the afterlife.

451
00:35:51,260 --> 00:35:57,340
This week, we discuss a 1925 movie called The Mystic from Metro Goldwyn Mare.

452
00:35:57,340 --> 00:36:01,860
The movie is directed by Todd Browning and tells the story of a clan of Hungarian circus

453
00:36:01,860 --> 00:36:04,240
folk composed of cutthroats and swindlers.

454
00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:09,920
When a dashing American con man enters their camp, he persuades them to bring their nefarious

455
00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:12,160
talents to the United States.

456
00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:19,000
There, the beautiful and mysterious Zara ingratiates herself into high society with a phony psychic

457
00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:20,000
routine.

458
00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:27,080
Tensions mount as Zara's kinfolk navigate their own jealousies and ruthless ambitions.

459
00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:32,720
Director Todd Browning is best known for directing Universal's Dracula in 1931, but in the

460
00:36:32,720 --> 00:36:38,800
Silent era, he helmed a series of hits exploring the seedy underbelly of society.

461
00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:43,160
Crime and horror were his trademark genres and The Mystic adds a touch of mystery to

462
00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:45,000
these elements.

463
00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:49,880
A standout scene involves the elaborate machinations of Zara's communication with the spirit

464
00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:50,880
world.

465
00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:56,040
As two detectives look on, they are unable to decipher just how Zara summons a wailing

466
00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:57,040
ghost.

467
00:36:57,040 --> 00:37:02,280
Browning achieves a simple, yet remarkably effective visual by placing our characters

468
00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:07,000
in a pitch black room and having the spirit blaze brightly as the only source of light

469
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:08,000
in the frame.

470
00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:12,680
Were my own spiritual conjuring as impressive as this?

471
00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:19,520
Interestingly, The Mystic mirrors the fascination with psychics that was popular in the 1920s.

472
00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:23,660
While some celebrities like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were ardent believers in connecting

473
00:37:23,660 --> 00:37:29,680
with the spirit world, others like Harry Houdini were determined to expose mediums as charlatans

474
00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:32,640
who only took advantage of grieving individuals.

475
00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:37,760
Overall, The Mystic is an entertaining if conventional melodrama.

476
00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:43,620
Nevertheless, the film foreshadows more ambitious movies by Browning such as The Unknown and

477
00:37:43,620 --> 00:37:44,620
Freaks.

478
00:37:44,620 --> 00:37:50,600
And since The Unknown is a silent movie, we will discuss it next time on Silent But Deadly,

479
00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:54,400
and I will be one week closer to breaking this intolerable curse under which I find

480
00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:55,400
myself.

481
00:37:55,400 --> 00:38:14,080
And if you can hear my pleas for help, do something, anything, help me, help me!

482
00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:38,420
The

483
00:38:38,420 --> 00:38:39,420
Look!

484
00:38:39,420 --> 00:38:49,420
The producers of Grizzly present the most startling motion picture of a strange terror-filled

485
00:38:49,420 --> 00:38:50,420
week.

486
00:38:50,420 --> 00:38:58,420
Christopher George, Leslie Nielsen, Linda Day George, Richard Jekyll, Michael Ancerra,

487
00:38:58,420 --> 00:39:05,420
and Ruth Roman struggle for survival in a world gone mad.

488
00:39:05,420 --> 00:39:18,420
The day of the animals is coming and there is no place to hide.

489
00:39:18,420 --> 00:39:24,420
Hey everybody!

490
00:39:24,420 --> 00:39:28,700
Naomi is on the show, Naomi Osborne.

491
00:39:28,700 --> 00:39:30,420
So great to have you, welcome.

492
00:39:30,420 --> 00:39:32,420
Thank you so much.

493
00:39:32,420 --> 00:39:37,420
Yeah, and we are so excited for the trivia that you're going to bring to Camp Kaiju.

494
00:39:37,420 --> 00:39:43,420
Something wacky, something strange that we're going to try, but I think it's going to go

495
00:39:43,420 --> 00:39:44,420
really well.

496
00:39:44,420 --> 00:39:45,420
Hey, I do too.

497
00:39:45,420 --> 00:39:50,420
You guys do such a good job at giving people opportunities to chime in.

498
00:39:50,420 --> 00:39:52,420
This feels like a natural extension of that.

499
00:39:52,420 --> 00:39:56,420
A fun way to participate in the show, even after the show's over.

500
00:39:56,420 --> 00:40:01,420
I just think it's a really cool idea and I'm so happy you thought of me for it.

501
00:40:01,420 --> 00:40:06,420
Yeah, so tell us a little bit about your own experience with trivia.

502
00:40:06,420 --> 00:40:12,420
I know you're qualified, but what are you bringing to the table?

503
00:40:12,420 --> 00:40:17,420
Okay, well I've been hosting, if I only had a brain, movie trivia the first Monday of

504
00:40:17,420 --> 00:40:20,420
every month for the last 16 months.

505
00:40:20,420 --> 00:40:23,420
It's an entirely self-produced event.

506
00:40:23,420 --> 00:40:29,420
Me and my friend John, we write all the questions, we develop the format, but the trivia actually

507
00:40:29,420 --> 00:40:32,420
predates me since before the pandemic.

508
00:40:32,420 --> 00:40:36,420
I was a regular at this trivia when it was hosted at a different location by another

509
00:40:36,420 --> 00:40:38,420
friend of mine.

510
00:40:38,420 --> 00:40:42,420
So I hit up my friend John during the pandemic and I was like, when is trivia coming back?

511
00:40:42,420 --> 00:40:47,420
I really miss it and things were getting safer and it was okay to gather again.

512
00:40:47,420 --> 00:40:49,420
And I said, if you ever need any help, let me know.

513
00:40:49,420 --> 00:40:51,420
I love to research.

514
00:40:51,420 --> 00:40:53,420
I watch a ton of movies.

515
00:40:53,420 --> 00:40:55,420
I would love to lend a hand.

516
00:40:55,420 --> 00:41:01,420
And he hit me up to my happiness and said yes, we're looking for a new host.

517
00:41:01,420 --> 00:41:04,420
So that was about 16 months ago.

518
00:41:04,420 --> 00:41:11,420
And I would say that my process is just kind of thinking of a theme or in the case of Camp

519
00:41:11,420 --> 00:41:13,420
Kaiju, the theme is right there.

520
00:41:13,420 --> 00:41:15,420
It's the movie.

521
00:41:15,420 --> 00:41:23,420
And then it brings so much purpose to my watching to try to uncover tidbits and utilize my passion

522
00:41:23,420 --> 00:41:30,420
for research to uncover interesting things about the movie and craft a really cool trivia

523
00:41:30,420 --> 00:41:33,420
question for people to answer.

524
00:41:33,420 --> 00:41:39,420
So I went to, if I only had a brain trivia, for the first time in June.

525
00:41:39,420 --> 00:41:46,420
And in general, the themes you were throwing out were kind of all over the place.

526
00:41:46,420 --> 00:41:53,420
And I really loved and appreciated the more lesser known films that you highlight.

527
00:41:53,420 --> 00:41:56,420
There was a film, I still can't remember the name of it.

528
00:41:56,420 --> 00:41:58,420
It's not Miss 45.

529
00:41:58,420 --> 00:42:00,420
Or is that it?

530
00:42:00,420 --> 00:42:04,420
I think it was Miss 45 that you were wondering about.

531
00:42:04,420 --> 00:42:06,420
I think so.

532
00:42:06,420 --> 00:42:12,420
Yeah, that was in the She Wants Revenge category, which I wrote in anticipation of Furiosa.

533
00:42:12,420 --> 00:42:18,420
Because I thought it would be really fun to get pumped up and watch some female revenge films.

534
00:42:18,420 --> 00:42:24,420
Because although my topics are scattered, I usually like to kind of connect them to stuff

535
00:42:24,420 --> 00:42:28,420
that's going on in real life and be inspired by that.

536
00:42:28,420 --> 00:42:33,420
So yeah, I had a She Wants Revenge in anticipation of Furiosa.

537
00:42:33,420 --> 00:42:36,420
I had a Be Gay Do Crime.

538
00:42:36,420 --> 00:42:43,420
And I had a picture around that was all characters featured with braces because I had just gotten braces.

539
00:42:43,420 --> 00:42:46,420
And trivia must imitate life.

540
00:42:46,420 --> 00:42:49,420
Yeah.

541
00:42:49,420 --> 00:42:53,420
That should be the slogan of many a trivia night.

542
00:42:53,420 --> 00:42:54,420
Yeah.

543
00:42:54,420 --> 00:42:55,420
Imitate life. Yeah.

544
00:42:55,420 --> 00:43:02,420
So I just loved, like I've never, I actually, I watch a lot of movies, but I haven't seen a lot of the ones you covered.

545
00:43:02,420 --> 00:43:04,420
And I was like, wow, that movie sounds really cool.

546
00:43:04,420 --> 00:43:08,420
This whole sub genre of female revenge stories.

547
00:43:08,420 --> 00:43:09,420
That sounds cool.

548
00:43:09,420 --> 00:43:16,420
I love going down rabbit holes when I come across a really interesting sub genre.

549
00:43:16,420 --> 00:43:20,420
Because there are so many in the world of cult films and genre films.

550
00:43:20,420 --> 00:43:27,420
While accessibility is really important to me, I write my questions to give people hope.

551
00:43:27,420 --> 00:43:33,420
I don't like to rely on just recalling plot or details from that.

552
00:43:33,420 --> 00:43:38,420
I really want people to be able to connect to a question through another means.

553
00:43:38,420 --> 00:43:41,420
And hopefully maybe even be able to take a stab at it.

554
00:43:41,420 --> 00:43:44,420
I think trivia is not fun when you have no hope.

555
00:43:44,420 --> 00:43:47,420
You know, you get asked something and you just don't know.

556
00:43:47,420 --> 00:43:50,420
You don't even have a, you can't even venture, I guess.

557
00:43:50,420 --> 00:43:56,420
So I really try to write my questions with a lot of little bits of info that could potentially lead you there.

558
00:43:56,420 --> 00:43:58,420
Like I want people to get the answer.

559
00:43:58,420 --> 00:44:00,420
I think it's super fun.

560
00:44:00,420 --> 00:44:04,420
And sometimes people don't even know that they know something.

561
00:44:04,420 --> 00:44:11,420
And in the case of cult films, I like to include those in my trivia too.

562
00:44:11,420 --> 00:44:21,420
Because while accessibility is important to me, I think only true cinephiles who just live their life by film are the ones who win.

563
00:44:21,420 --> 00:44:23,420
And I continually find that to be true.

564
00:44:23,420 --> 00:44:34,420
But while everyone feels welcome, usually the people that pull forward week after week are the people who, you know, they live at the movie theater.

565
00:44:34,420 --> 00:44:36,420
They love cult films.

566
00:44:36,420 --> 00:44:38,420
But me, I love all movies.

567
00:44:38,420 --> 00:44:42,420
Highbrow, lowbrow, blockbuster, like everything.

568
00:44:42,420 --> 00:44:46,420
I think that I definitely would not qualify as a snob.

569
00:44:46,420 --> 00:44:48,420
I watch everything.

570
00:44:48,420 --> 00:44:57,420
Yeah, I mean, for those of you who don't follow Naomi on Instagram, do yourself a favor because Naomi, you're very impressive.

571
00:44:57,420 --> 00:45:03,420
You're just constantly showcasing every movie you watch seemingly.

572
00:45:03,420 --> 00:45:05,420
And it's incredible.

573
00:45:05,420 --> 00:45:09,420
How many movies a week a day would you say you watch?

574
00:45:09,420 --> 00:45:13,420
Well, I would say my average is 13 a week.

575
00:45:13,420 --> 00:45:16,420
So that's around two a day.

576
00:45:16,420 --> 00:45:19,420
I work from home, so that kind of makes it easier.

577
00:45:19,420 --> 00:45:26,420
And I do a lot of creative work where I can kind of have a movie on while I'm working simultaneously.

578
00:45:26,420 --> 00:45:28,420
I often do, you know, revisits.

579
00:45:28,420 --> 00:45:30,420
Those aren't all new watches.

580
00:45:30,420 --> 00:45:37,420
Like I'll often watch something that I've seen a million times before or even just once before.

581
00:45:37,420 --> 00:45:40,420
But yeah, I would say 13 a week is my average.

582
00:45:40,420 --> 00:45:44,420
I feel funny when I'm traveling and I don't watch movies.

583
00:45:44,420 --> 00:45:48,420
I'm always reminded of movies or, oh, I should do this.

584
00:45:48,420 --> 00:45:56,420
I have a running note in my phone of different themes or different even mini film festivals I could put together.

585
00:45:56,420 --> 00:46:01,420
I'll find the connection between two movies and want to watch them together.

586
00:46:01,420 --> 00:46:02,420
And it's just really fun.

587
00:46:02,420 --> 00:46:05,420
It brings so much purpose to my movie watching.

588
00:46:05,420 --> 00:46:10,420
And it's more than just laid back entertainment.

589
00:46:10,420 --> 00:46:19,420
I consider it to be a bit like anthropology where you learn a lot about the culture the movie came from, the time it came from.

590
00:46:19,420 --> 00:46:22,420
To me, movies are very much a portal through history.

591
00:46:22,420 --> 00:46:28,420
And I think that they're wonderful and meaningful, unlike any other art form.

592
00:46:28,420 --> 00:46:29,420
I love that.

593
00:46:29,420 --> 00:46:35,420
That's you just encapsulated what me and Matt try to bring to our show.

594
00:46:35,420 --> 00:46:40,420
We look at these movies as more than the popcorn entertainment that they often are.

595
00:46:40,420 --> 00:46:45,420
But like you say, they still come from a certain cultural context.

596
00:46:45,420 --> 00:46:54,420
They still come from artists behind the scenes who are putting their sweat and tears into this film, regardless of whether or not we take it seriously.

597
00:46:54,420 --> 00:46:56,420
They took it seriously.

598
00:46:56,420 --> 00:47:04,420
And there's just something meaningful about even the schlockiest film.

599
00:47:04,420 --> 00:47:06,420
It is. It's so meaningful.

600
00:47:06,420 --> 00:47:09,420
And it's such a way to bring people together.

601
00:47:09,420 --> 00:47:25,420
I will often describe my love for movies and love for creating community around film, similar to the way people who love sports will talk to each other about their favorite team or about their favorite sport in a wider way.

602
00:47:25,420 --> 00:47:34,420
This is very much on a global scale where you can have a conversation with a lot of people about any movie.

603
00:47:34,420 --> 00:47:37,420
Not everyone's seen every movie, but we've all seen them.

604
00:47:37,420 --> 00:47:39,420
And there's certain cultural touchstones.

605
00:47:39,420 --> 00:47:45,420
And it binds us together as people, even though we may be far apart.

606
00:47:45,420 --> 00:47:59,420
Even if you get into a topic like kaiju films or just like monster films, that has its own community that, like I say, beautiful nerds, just the best people.

607
00:47:59,420 --> 00:48:01,420
I so agree with you.

608
00:48:01,420 --> 00:48:08,420
And I love the point of view that you guys bring to Camp Kaiju, where it's just very much from an appreciative point of view.

609
00:48:08,420 --> 00:48:09,420
It's fun.

610
00:48:09,420 --> 00:48:11,420
You guys don't take yourselves too seriously.

611
00:48:11,420 --> 00:48:17,420
It's just really about enjoying the film and learning more about it and creating community around that.

612
00:48:17,420 --> 00:48:20,420
So I really admire what you guys do.

613
00:48:20,420 --> 00:48:21,420
Well, thank you.

614
00:48:21,420 --> 00:48:23,420
We're glad to have you be a part of it.

615
00:48:23,420 --> 00:48:24,420
Thank you.

616
00:48:24,420 --> 00:48:30,420
So on that note, what are some of your favorite monster movies?

617
00:48:30,420 --> 00:48:42,420
Well, it's a lot that come to mind, but I always go back to the one that kind of really stands out from my childhood, which is the Seventh Voyage of Sinbad from 1958.

618
00:48:42,420 --> 00:48:53,420
It's just one of my all time favorite monster movies, a true classic that really blends fantasy and monster magic transporting you to another world.

619
00:48:53,420 --> 00:48:57,420
And it's really easy to see why it remains a classic.

620
00:48:57,420 --> 00:49:02,420
It can be a little corny, but I find it so exciting even to this day.

621
00:49:02,420 --> 00:49:03,420
The colors are beautiful.

622
00:49:03,420 --> 00:49:06,420
That cyclops just sticks with you.

623
00:49:06,420 --> 00:49:07,420
Oh, my gosh.

624
00:49:07,420 --> 00:49:09,420
Yeah, I love that film.

625
00:49:09,420 --> 00:49:12,420
I saw it for the first time a few years ago.

626
00:49:12,420 --> 00:49:16,420
I was going down one of my rabbit holes, a Ray Harryhausen kick.

627
00:49:16,420 --> 00:49:19,420
And that is just one of his classic movies.

628
00:49:19,420 --> 00:49:23,420
And in the realm of fantasy and adventure.

629
00:49:23,420 --> 00:49:26,420
Yeah, I would recommend that movie to anybody.

630
00:49:26,420 --> 00:49:27,420
It's a lot of fun.

631
00:49:27,420 --> 00:49:28,420
It really is.

632
00:49:28,420 --> 00:49:42,420
And it's so cool to kind of see that Ray Harryhausen was the protege of Willis O'Brien, the special effects artist and animator behind the 1933 King Kong.

633
00:49:42,420 --> 00:49:52,420
And I just love hearing those old Hollywood stories where you just really have to be in the right place at the right time and be bold enough to contact one of your heroes like he did.

634
00:49:52,420 --> 00:49:58,420
You know, that never would have, you know, it's so hard now people try to get noticed on Instagram or whatever.

635
00:49:58,420 --> 00:50:07,420
And he was just able to contact, you know, Willis O'Brien and, you know, make a career for himself and kind of get in there.

636
00:50:07,420 --> 00:50:11,420
And that's like two passionate people coming together and driving an art form forward.

637
00:50:11,420 --> 00:50:12,420
That's so cool.

638
00:50:12,420 --> 00:50:14,420
Yeah, drove it forward.

639
00:50:14,420 --> 00:50:16,420
Their works are still enjoyed today.

640
00:50:16,420 --> 00:50:17,420
They are timeless.

641
00:50:17,420 --> 00:50:18,420
Absolutely.

642
00:50:18,420 --> 00:50:25,420
And a connection to tonight's featured movie that we're talking about, King Kong versus Godzilla.

643
00:50:25,420 --> 00:50:27,420
What did you think about this movie?

644
00:50:27,420 --> 00:50:29,420
I had a lot of thoughts on it.

645
00:50:29,420 --> 00:50:35,420
It was super fun to kind of join in in the series revival even so many years later.

646
00:50:35,420 --> 00:50:39,420
You know, that must have been so exciting for people at the time.

647
00:50:39,420 --> 00:50:44,420
And I think it's fun to just kind of like transport yourself back to that.

648
00:50:44,420 --> 00:50:56,420
And it makes me wonder, though, you know, I think about current audiences being quite harsh on beloved characters or stories coming back.

649
00:50:56,420 --> 00:51:03,420
And I just wonder if at the time it got any hate or if it was just people were just so excited.

650
00:51:03,420 --> 00:51:12,420
You know, I just wonder because, you know, I was thinking about the new Beetlejuice and how so many people say, oh, it's it's going to ruin the old Beetlejuice.

651
00:51:12,420 --> 00:51:21,420
And I'm the kind of person who thinks that even if a remake or a revival of something is terrible, it makes the original that much better.

652
00:51:21,420 --> 00:51:24,420
You know, I don't think that things can ruin it.

653
00:51:24,420 --> 00:51:30,420
So I just wonder, you know, as so many people that I think they're really discarding their nostalgia.

654
00:51:30,420 --> 00:51:36,420
But I just wonder what audiences thought that, you know, both coasts like Japanese and American audiences.

655
00:51:36,420 --> 00:51:38,420
Do you have any insight into that?

656
00:51:38,420 --> 00:51:39,420
That's true.

657
00:51:39,420 --> 00:51:45,420
I think only that it is it was a box office hit and still remains.

658
00:51:45,420 --> 00:51:51,420
I think I just read the highest attended Japanese science fiction film of all time.

659
00:51:51,420 --> 00:51:58,420
Like, it's still I think it's still even the highest grossing Godzilla film of all time.

660
00:51:58,420 --> 00:52:10,420
So I think that gives us an idea that people loved it. Like you say, they wanted to see more King Kong, who hadn't been in a movie for 30 years.

661
00:52:10,420 --> 00:52:12,420
This was this was Godzilla's third movie.

662
00:52:12,420 --> 00:52:17,420
So, you know, still gaining traction in the pop culture.

663
00:52:17,420 --> 00:52:19,420
But Kong gets top billing.

664
00:52:19,420 --> 00:52:27,420
I think Kong is was the draw here because it had been decades since the character had been featured in a film.

665
00:52:27,420 --> 00:52:43,420
Do you think that that reception would have been as enthusiastic if it wasn't do you think it speaks more to people's interest in monsters and monster battles or more to kind of the history of America and Japan?

666
00:52:43,420 --> 00:52:47,420
I think that that kind of added a little bit of something to it.

667
00:52:47,420 --> 00:52:57,420
Do you think that it would have been as successful if the countries themselves didn't have kind of to kind of such a history with each other?

668
00:52:57,420 --> 00:53:03,420
That's an interesting question. And it's one related like people talk about that with the film all the time.

669
00:53:03,420 --> 00:53:06,420
East first West Kong versus Godzilla.

670
00:53:06,420 --> 00:53:09,420
And for years, they were rumored before the Internet.

671
00:53:09,420 --> 00:53:16,420
It was rumored that there is in the American cut, King Kong won the battle and in the Japanese cut, Godzilla won the battle.

672
00:53:16,420 --> 00:53:19,420
Now we know that's an urban legend.

673
00:53:19,420 --> 00:53:31,420
But I think it speaks to that idea that you're hitting on that, you know, the audiences on both coasts maybe wanted to play into it a little bit.

674
00:53:31,420 --> 00:53:33,420
Certainly, I think that's there.

675
00:53:33,420 --> 00:53:42,420
That's kind of the the Barbenheimer that we saw last year where they love to see a kind of a contrast, you know, to build it up.

676
00:53:42,420 --> 00:53:52,420
I feel like I work in marketing and I'm always just really paying attention to how films market themselves and the great kind of marketing campaigns through time.

677
00:53:52,420 --> 00:53:54,420
And just I always have that lens on.

678
00:53:54,420 --> 00:54:06,420
So I was definitely thought it was funny how advertising execs were kind of the motivation behind the entire plot.

679
00:54:06,420 --> 00:54:10,420
You know, and that was sort of rooted in exploitation and capitalism.

680
00:54:10,420 --> 00:54:16,420
I think that's funny that it makes me happy that that resonates with Japanese audiences as well.

681
00:54:16,420 --> 00:54:18,420
I hear they work hard like we do.

682
00:54:18,420 --> 00:54:27,420
And at this time, there was such a huge Western influence in the 1960s in Japan postwar.

683
00:54:27,420 --> 00:54:30,420
They're rebuilding from World War Two.

684
00:54:30,420 --> 00:54:43,420
And a lot of Japanese films, especially Ishiro Honda's films, speak to this cultural conflict between the traditional ways of like the Japanese family unit.

685
00:54:43,420 --> 00:54:46,420
There's a lot of traditions that go into that.

686
00:54:46,420 --> 00:54:53,420
And now we're seeing an influx of Western TV and Western marketing campaigns and advertising.

687
00:54:53,420 --> 00:54:58,420
And what does that do to this traditionally Eastern culture?

688
00:54:58,420 --> 00:55:00,420
So I don't know.

689
00:55:00,420 --> 00:55:06,420
Honda is speaking to that with his satire on advertising.

690
00:55:06,420 --> 00:55:11,420
There are other films that he really dives into that a little bit more.

691
00:55:11,420 --> 00:55:24,420
I thought it was cool. I'm not even a Godzilla nut or anything, but I was in Japan six months ago and I made a special point to go to that Godzilla statue in Shinjuku at the Toho cinema.

692
00:55:24,420 --> 00:55:26,420
And I just had to see it as a landmark.

693
00:55:26,420 --> 00:55:32,420
And it was so cool. I'm really glad I got to go, not just as a tourist, but as a film lover.

694
00:55:32,420 --> 00:55:36,420
I even went into the cinema. They were screening Poor Things at the time.

695
00:55:36,420 --> 00:55:42,420
And Boa's Afraid were like kind of the top. They're screening a lot of things, but those were the top films.

696
00:55:42,420 --> 00:55:46,420
And I got to go in and just kind of get a glimpse at what a Japanese cinema was like.

697
00:55:46,420 --> 00:55:49,420
There was nothing playing, unfortunately, when I was there.

698
00:55:49,420 --> 00:55:50,420
Ah, too bad.

699
00:55:50,420 --> 00:55:55,420
Well, yes, I'm going back to Japan, though, at the end of the summer.

700
00:55:55,420 --> 00:55:58,420
So maybe I can go check it out there.

701
00:55:58,420 --> 00:56:02,420
Yeah, I have to do some live reporting.

702
00:56:02,420 --> 00:56:05,420
I'd be happy to be really fun.

703
00:56:05,420 --> 00:56:14,420
But it was just so cool to see, you know, when I think of our statues, it's always presidents and boring people like that.

704
00:56:14,420 --> 00:56:21,420
And I just love that theirs is, you know, Godzilla. That's cool.

705
00:56:21,420 --> 00:56:22,420
That's amazing.

706
00:56:22,420 --> 00:56:23,420
Yeah.

707
00:56:23,420 --> 00:56:29,420
OK, so let's get to the trivia.

708
00:56:29,420 --> 00:56:39,420
Are you ready to play the trivia that challenged the world?

709
00:56:39,420 --> 00:56:51,420
So before we have you present the question, I'll just kind of go over the rules, the rules again for our listeners.

710
00:56:51,420 --> 00:56:59,420
So, Kaiju listeners for Camp Kaiju trivia, Naomi will present the question.

711
00:56:59,420 --> 00:57:03,420
You will have one week to get your answers into us.

712
00:57:03,420 --> 00:57:07,420
CampKaiju at Gmail dot com is preferred.

713
00:57:07,420 --> 00:57:10,420
But anyway, you want to get it out to us on the socials.

714
00:57:10,420 --> 00:57:12,420
I'll see it.

715
00:57:12,420 --> 00:57:19,420
Now, I know that this is different from regular trivia in that you have access to the Internet

716
00:57:19,420 --> 00:57:22,420
and you may want to just look up the answer.

717
00:57:22,420 --> 00:57:26,420
If you do, just know that it's not going to help you.

718
00:57:26,420 --> 00:57:32,420
So anyone who enters a question or sorry, enters an answer, you're simply going to be put into a pot.

719
00:57:32,420 --> 00:57:39,420
And then Matt and I will draw one lucky winner who will receive some free merchandise from our merch store.

720
00:57:39,420 --> 00:57:41,420
So, hey, pretty cool.

721
00:57:41,420 --> 00:57:49,420
But this if you call in with that voicemail I mentioned at the top of the show and you leave a recorded answer,

722
00:57:49,420 --> 00:57:52,420
you will be entered into the drawing twice.

723
00:57:52,420 --> 00:57:56,420
So really, that's those are the only rules.

724
00:57:56,420 --> 00:58:00,420
I think it's pretty super fun.

725
00:58:00,420 --> 00:58:05,420
Yeah, lots of ways for people to enter their answer.

726
00:58:05,420 --> 00:58:13,420
Can people enter multiple times or is it just the phone call or the electronic means?

727
00:58:13,420 --> 00:58:16,420
Yeah. So just one one.

728
00:58:16,420 --> 00:58:19,420
Okay. Got you. Yeah. Yeah.

729
00:58:19,420 --> 00:58:21,420
Okay. Cool. Sounds good.

730
00:58:21,420 --> 00:58:28,420
Well, we will reveal the answer on the next episode

731
00:58:28,420 --> 00:58:34,420
before we have Naomi back to give another question on the next episode.

732
00:58:34,420 --> 00:58:39,420
So kind of like Naomi, we'll see you every other episode for a new question.

733
00:58:39,420 --> 00:58:42,420
Sounds good. Yeah. Super fun.

734
00:58:42,420 --> 00:58:49,420
I'm again, just so happy to be asked to do this and to prepare questions for you guys and your audience.

735
00:58:49,420 --> 00:58:51,420
Yeah, I'm excited too.

736
00:58:51,420 --> 00:58:58,420
So whenever you're ready, I'm happy to share the question that I crafted about King Kong vs. Godzilla.

737
00:58:58,420 --> 00:58:59,420
Go for it.

738
00:58:59,420 --> 00:59:01,420
All right. Here we go.

739
00:59:01,420 --> 00:59:10,420
In Japan, the number four is considered extremely unlucky because it shares the same pronunciation as the Japanese word for death

740
00:59:10,420 --> 00:59:14,420
and is traditionally avoided by Japanese people.

741
00:59:14,420 --> 00:59:23,420
This cultural superstition led to Godzilla being depicted with how many toes in King Kong vs. Godzilla.

742
00:59:23,420 --> 00:59:28,420
Now, I can read that again for you guys in case anybody missed it.

743
00:59:28,420 --> 00:59:37,420
So in Japan, the number four is considered extremely unlucky because it shares the same pronunciation as the Japanese word for death

744
00:59:37,420 --> 00:59:40,420
and is traditionally avoided by Japanese people.

745
00:59:40,420 --> 00:59:49,420
This cultural superstition led to Godzilla being depicted with how many toes in King Kong vs. Godzilla.

746
00:59:49,420 --> 00:59:56,420
So I'm looking for how many toes Godzilla had in King Kong vs. Godzilla.

747
00:59:56,420 --> 01:00:02,420
All right. That is a deep cut. You have to think about that.

748
01:00:02,420 --> 01:00:06,420
Yeah, you won't find that one on Wikipedia. I'll tell you that.

749
01:00:06,420 --> 01:00:13,420
So you might just have to watch some movie. Your listeners will have to watch closely.

750
01:00:13,420 --> 01:00:19,420
Maybe some who know a little bit about Japanese culture might have a bit of an advantage.

751
01:00:19,420 --> 01:00:26,420
Again, I love to write my questions from a wider place, and it's always my hope that even if you're incorrect,

752
01:00:26,420 --> 01:00:33,420
that you learn something cool and it takes that sting away from maybe not getting the question.

753
01:00:33,420 --> 01:00:41,420
But like you say, just take a stab at it. If you have the right answer, you'll be put in the pot.

754
01:00:41,420 --> 01:00:46,420
But either way, go for it. Have some fun. And that was awesome.

755
01:00:46,420 --> 01:00:52,420
Can't wait to see the kind of responses we get.

756
01:00:52,420 --> 01:01:05,420
We'll see you next time for the trivia that challenged the world.

757
01:01:05,420 --> 01:01:13,420
I'll tell my friends to to put their answers in the pot. You know, my friends from from trivia.

758
01:01:13,420 --> 01:01:19,420
And by the way, if anybody wants to join us, any Twin Cities listeners,

759
01:01:19,420 --> 01:01:26,420
I host trivia at Indeed Brewery the first Monday of every month. It's called If I Only Had a Green Trivia.

760
01:01:26,420 --> 01:01:32,420
It starts at 730, but it gets pretty crowded. So I advise people to come half hour early.

761
01:01:32,420 --> 01:01:40,420
It's always free to play. And our prizes are donated by my favorite repertory cinemas in the Twin Cities,

762
01:01:40,420 --> 01:01:46,420
the Trilon Cinema and the Heights Theater. So free movie passes, free popcorn.

763
01:01:46,420 --> 01:01:52,420
And also our host Indeed throws some things in there, too. A nice gift card, free beers.

764
01:01:52,420 --> 01:01:57,420
So all in all, it just makes for a really fun way to have a Monday night.

765
01:01:57,420 --> 01:02:04,420
And, you know, in the summer, it's especially nice because it stays light out longer.

766
01:02:04,420 --> 01:02:07,420
And people feel like going out.

767
01:02:07,420 --> 01:02:10,420
Yeah. Awesome. Yeah.

768
01:02:10,420 --> 01:02:15,420
No, I'll be there Monday night with the with the crew. So we're looking forward to it.

769
01:02:15,420 --> 01:02:22,420
Do you have a trivia name picked out yet? No, not yet. We kind of come up with that on the fly.

770
01:02:22,420 --> 01:02:29,420
Fair enough. Yeah, I feel like that brings that brings some anxiety to certain trivia goers.

771
01:02:29,420 --> 01:02:35,420
But I think that you should always pick the same trivia name because then you can sort of cultivate a legacy.

772
01:02:35,420 --> 01:02:41,420
You know, that's true. Yeah. OK. Think about it. Yeah. OK. Great.

773
01:02:41,420 --> 01:02:48,420
Well, I'm excited to see you on Monday and any Monday that any first Monday of the month that you're free.

774
01:02:48,420 --> 01:02:52,420
Yeah. We'll be true. Yeah. Awesome. Thank you, Naomi.

775
01:02:52,420 --> 01:02:56,420
This is super great. And we'll see you for the mummy next time.

776
01:02:56,420 --> 01:03:04,420
I'm so excited. I have a lot of thoughts on the mummy and feelings about the mummy. Really? OK. Yeah.

777
01:03:04,420 --> 01:03:08,420
Yeah.

778
01:03:08,420 --> 01:03:19,420
Journey to a magical time when demons and heroes battled for the golden treasures and human spoils of forgotten kingdoms.

779
01:03:19,420 --> 01:03:26,420
Kill. Kill him.

780
01:03:26,420 --> 01:03:38,420
Thrilled to the story of a legendary superhero who fights through all the torments of hell to save the woman he loves from the world's most powerful sorcerer.

781
01:03:38,420 --> 01:03:44,420
This is Sinbad's greatest adventure.

782
01:03:44,420 --> 01:03:48,420
The seventh voyage of Sinbad.

783
01:03:48,420 --> 01:03:55,420
She was once a beautiful princess. The sadistic magician shrinks her to the size of a tiny doll.

784
01:03:55,420 --> 01:04:00,420
And now Sinbad must do the impossible to save her.

785
01:04:00,420 --> 01:04:08,420
He must destroy a legion of hell spawned monsters on the death shrouded island of Colossus.

786
01:04:08,420 --> 01:04:11,420
See the flashing death of the living skeleton.

787
01:04:11,420 --> 01:04:15,420
See the attack of the giant two headed bird.

788
01:04:15,420 --> 01:04:21,420
See the dance of the cobra woman and feel her deadly slithering embrace.

789
01:04:21,420 --> 01:04:30,420
See the spectacular battle between the one eyed cyclops and the fire breathing dragon.

790
01:04:30,420 --> 01:04:39,420
The incredible magic of Dynorama recreates the enchanted breathtaking adventure that could never be told before.

791
01:04:39,420 --> 01:04:43,420
The seventh voyage of Sinbad.

792
01:04:43,420 --> 01:04:52,420
Some other themes of the film include that satire of advertising and television and capitalism.

793
01:04:52,420 --> 01:05:01,420
As I said with Naomi when in our conversation, she knows she was in she she works in marketing and this world.

794
01:05:01,420 --> 01:05:12,420
And I find that her perspective very enlightening actually that that she can speak to that and she can see those notes being played in this film.

795
01:05:12,420 --> 01:05:15,420
But TV was somewhat controversial in Japan at the time.

796
01:05:15,420 --> 01:05:19,420
Rating wars between Japanese networks led journalists,

797
01:05:19,420 --> 01:05:24,420
Soichi Oya to proclaim that TV would create a nation of quote a hundred million idiots.

798
01:05:24,420 --> 01:05:26,420
I've read that quote before actually.

799
01:05:26,420 --> 01:05:31,420
It's you know I think I think the conversation was the same in the States.

800
01:05:31,420 --> 01:05:33,420
You know it's going to rot your brain kid.

801
01:05:33,420 --> 01:05:35,420
Don't sit too close to the TV.

802
01:05:35,420 --> 01:05:39,420
This is the post war world in both countries.

803
01:05:39,420 --> 01:05:44,420
The United States and Japan dealing with the same these same cultural forces.

804
01:05:44,420 --> 01:05:53,420
And then King Kong versus Godzilla is also known as a sub is also part of a subgenre of comedy films in Japan at this time called salaryman films.

805
01:05:53,420 --> 01:05:58,420
Which satirize white collar workers and their obsession with money, stature, success.

806
01:05:58,420 --> 01:06:03,420
And just saying that makes me think about a Billy Wilder film called The Apartment.

807
01:06:03,420 --> 01:06:16,420
Which is also set in the early 60s and deals with the same white collar middle class type problems and family dynamics.

808
01:06:16,420 --> 01:06:20,420
And Honda himself was adept at making these movies.

809
01:06:20,420 --> 01:06:31,420
His non genre films often play into the salaryman pictures into what were called women films at the time.

810
01:06:31,420 --> 01:06:41,420
A lot of his subjects a lot of the characters in his movies were female protagonists navigating this new corporate modern world.

811
01:06:41,420 --> 01:06:48,420
And how modernity plays upon the traditional values of Japanese society in the 1950s.

812
01:06:48,420 --> 01:06:52,420
So unfortunately those movies are not readily available.

813
01:06:52,420 --> 01:06:55,420
His non Honda's non genre films.

814
01:06:55,420 --> 01:06:58,420
But if you can read about them they're pretty interesting.

815
01:06:58,420 --> 01:07:10,420
I get a lot of my information from the biography called Ishiro Honda life and film from Godzilla to Kurosawa by Steve Reifel and Ed Godzuzski.

816
01:07:10,420 --> 01:07:14,420
And if you can pick up this book it is well worth it.

817
01:07:14,420 --> 01:07:19,420
It covers his whole career his whole life and a lot of non kaiju films too.

818
01:07:19,420 --> 01:07:25,420
Which just better inform anyone's viewing of of his Godzilla movies.

819
01:07:25,420 --> 01:07:40,420
And you can you can draw upon these messages that Honda is desperately trying to infuse into an otherwise light hearted entertainment piece like King Kong versus Godzilla.

820
01:07:40,420 --> 01:07:51,420
As for individual breakdowns I am going to read Matt's on behalf of Matt I'm going to read his breakdowns the good the bad and the campy and I'll respond to those I think we'll do it that way.

821
01:07:51,420 --> 01:08:07,420
So for the good Matt says clever self reflexive commentary on television and entertainment including fake commercials a dumb pop song on the radio that entrances the islanders and a montage of Godzilla's appearances in magazines newspapers TV programs etc.

822
01:08:07,420 --> 01:08:16,420
The emergence of Godzilla and Akira Fukube score is as always a great moment gnarly octopus attack 100 percent.

823
01:08:16,420 --> 01:08:24,420
Some throwbacks to the original Godzilla and King Kong and a few striking shots such as River on fire soldiers silhouetted against a yellow balloon.

824
01:08:24,420 --> 01:08:40,420
Here's what I gotta say Matt I agree with you there I think especially Honda's as you say self reflexive commentary on television and entertainment this is the what's so key to know about the difference between the Japanese and the American cut.

825
01:08:40,420 --> 01:08:56,420
The Japanese Honda satire is so more relevant in the beginning you have fake commercials it's very poppy in your face tongue in cheek make in front of itself the American cut nix is all of that.

826
01:08:56,420 --> 01:09:14,420
I and and that and replaces it with this United Nations narrative where where we are listening to a correspondent of an American Western correspondent.

827
01:09:14,420 --> 01:09:24,420
Get get insight from Japanese scientists about the nature of Godzilla and the nature of King Kong as if we don't know anything about these characters.

828
01:09:24,420 --> 01:09:33,420
It's very luxury like it's not even presented in a dynamic way.

829
01:09:33,420 --> 01:09:42,420
Now that can be cheesy and I understand that hundred percent but in terms of following the flow of the story.

830
01:09:42,420 --> 01:09:48,420
It has to be said the strength of Honda's original version.

831
01:09:48,420 --> 01:09:52,420
Set the story flows.

832
01:09:52,420 --> 01:10:07,420
Which maybe is inherent really different in a in any sort of reworking but the American version just cuts and dices it too much the movie stops and starts and it's it's kind of hard to get into the action sometimes.

833
01:10:07,420 --> 01:10:24,420
But I digress I agree with Matt the octopus attack is a highlight of this film that's King Kong on Feral Island and what's so awesome about this I think from a special effects standpoint is that Subraiya.

834
01:10:24,420 --> 01:10:27,420
Doesn't use a prop.

835
01:10:27,420 --> 01:10:33,420
Octopus doesn't use a foam rubber octopus doesn't use a man in an octopus suit.

836
01:10:33,420 --> 01:10:39,420
No Subraiya unleashes a live octopus on a model village.

837
01:10:39,420 --> 01:10:49,420
And it's like that's so much fun it's just fun to watch and and you can really get behind something like that.

838
01:10:49,420 --> 01:11:03,420
Now as for the bad these are Matt's notes now I'm going to read that says why do these King Kong movies embrace offensive stereotypes of exotic savages every time was brown face really necessary.

839
01:11:03,420 --> 01:11:07,420
I agree Matt I think it's.

840
01:11:07,420 --> 01:11:10,420
It's you know it's.

841
01:11:10,420 --> 01:11:23,420
You wish this kind of criticism wasn't so easy you wish the low hanging fruit you just wish it wasn't that obvious but it's there you have to call attention to it.

842
01:11:23,420 --> 01:11:33,420
Yeah like there's nothing more to say other than on Skull Island gets it right at least.

843
01:11:33,420 --> 01:11:44,420
Matt says the story seems lazy and by the numbers I agree look this film knows what it wants to be a wrestling match between King Kong and Godzilla.

844
01:11:44,420 --> 01:11:49,420
We the movie issues issues.

845
01:11:49,420 --> 01:11:53,420
Character for spectacle.

846
01:11:53,420 --> 01:11:58,420
And man this train moves and it just wants to get to those fights.

847
01:11:58,420 --> 01:12:00,420
However.

848
01:12:00,420 --> 01:12:17,420
Those kinds of fights are a bit of a let down I mean you're expecting something truly memorable I don't think you really get it in this film I think they're a little lackluster the fight choreography is not as imaginative as you see in other Godzilla movies.

849
01:12:17,420 --> 01:12:23,420
And I think just yet just leaves a lot to be desired in that aspect.

850
01:12:23,420 --> 01:12:33,420
For the campy Matt says he pulls a quote from the film according to the UN allowing Godzilla to live would be the end of the world as we know it.

851
01:12:33,420 --> 01:12:41,420
Well that's that maybe seems a bit much I don't know if this Godzilla is world threatening as he is in other.

852
01:12:41,420 --> 01:12:54,420
Films but I just have to add that this movie does have a lot of great campy moments that do make up for you know any lack of.

853
01:12:54,420 --> 01:13:09,420
Strengths in in story and characters right the iconic moment when King Kong shoves a tree down Godzilla's mouth you know eat your vegetables it's amazing it's really really good.

854
01:13:09,420 --> 01:13:20,420
When in Kong just getting drunk drunk drunk drunk drunk you make drunk or said you're just like oh my God go home Kong.

855
01:13:20,420 --> 01:13:25,420
He passes out at one point and it's.

856
01:13:25,420 --> 01:13:35,420
Like what's going on I just remembered a couple of other criticisms I think that are fair and right for the taking.

857
01:13:35,420 --> 01:13:39,420
The suits in this movie.

858
01:13:39,420 --> 01:13:41,420
Lack.

859
01:13:41,420 --> 01:13:50,420
Any refinement that's a really nice way of putting it the King Kong suit for example you read you've seen it for yourself.

860
01:13:50,420 --> 01:14:01,420
It looks like a used catcher's mitt like Kong's face is just a rubber mask orally painted it's not designed well.

861
01:14:01,420 --> 01:14:10,420
Can I know they weren't gonna spend the money to animate him as in the original King Kong.

862
01:14:10,420 --> 01:14:13,420
But you see these more.

863
01:14:13,420 --> 01:14:22,420
Ape like costumes in war of the gargantuan and King Caesar and you just be like wow.

864
01:14:22,420 --> 01:14:28,420
I think I think this this costume was a rough draft that never got beyond that stage.

865
01:14:28,420 --> 01:14:42,420
And the Godzilla costume is it much better I think the guy that's got this Godzilla costume seems almost baggy to me it's weird but when Godzilla's like moving his arms back and forth you can just see a lot of extra.

866
01:14:42,420 --> 01:14:46,420
Baggage in the in the suit.

867
01:14:46,420 --> 01:14:51,420
It's not the strongest I would say in the series.

868
01:14:51,420 --> 01:15:04,420
Yeah but if you have any opinions on that please please let us know don't take my word for it but definitely see the film for yourself and let me know what you think about those costumes those suits.

869
01:15:04,420 --> 01:15:10,420
And then and I'm going back to rifle and God says use keys Honda biography but.

870
01:15:10,420 --> 01:15:16,420
I think there are two things I want to bring up the first is.

871
01:15:16,420 --> 01:15:28,420
Honda's original intent his like thematic messaging as a satire on advertising and marketing and getting eyeballs on TV screens.

872
01:15:28,420 --> 01:15:37,420
It starts out really strong but by the end of this movie completely disappears and what rifle and God says he says that.

873
01:15:37,420 --> 01:15:49,420
If that was your intent wouldn't Japanese viewers maybe the world be tuning into some sort of TV event to watch King Kong and Godzilla do get out.

874
01:15:49,420 --> 01:16:00,420
But that never happens these monsters fight in isolation and you would expect the world to be tuning in to some mass marketed.

875
01:16:00,420 --> 01:16:10,420
Pay per view event right so I think that's a fair I think it's a fair criticism again in the structure of this story and I think.

876
01:16:10,420 --> 01:16:16,420
I think King Kong really misses the mark for me and how they treat the character it's almost as if.

877
01:16:16,420 --> 01:16:21,420
They just use the King Kong name but the character himself.

878
01:16:21,420 --> 01:16:24,420
Doesn't speak to me.

879
01:16:24,420 --> 01:16:40,420
The way King Kong does and the question I ask for you all is that what makes Kong Kong is it the the beast in the lonely animal who's taken from his homeland and is a stranger in a strange land is it this.

880
01:16:40,420 --> 01:16:43,420
Beautifully bizarre.

881
01:16:43,420 --> 01:16:57,420
Dangerous relationship that he has with with a woman be it fair or the one in the nineteen seventy seven remake but you know what i mean like.

882
01:16:57,420 --> 01:17:05,420
None of that spirit is in this rendition of the King Kong character and i think.

883
01:17:05,420 --> 01:17:11,420
That is sorely missing i think that that investment had been made.

884
01:17:11,420 --> 01:17:23,420
Could of and should of really set this movie to a to a bar closer to Honda's gojira or road and or mantra.

885
01:17:23,420 --> 01:17:33,420
But it doesn't it doesn't happen and I think that's too bad for the character of King Kong in these Japanese films.

886
01:17:33,420 --> 01:17:46,420
All right well we are gonna give it a rating now here at Camp Kaiju we have four ratings we have our lowest rating it's not worth revisiting it definitely does not stand the test of time.

887
01:17:46,420 --> 01:17:54,420
Second lowest rating is it may be historically significant or just fun but it doesn't stand the test of time.

888
01:17:54,420 --> 01:18:00,420
We have there may be some antiquated moments but overall it's great it stands the test of time.

889
01:18:00,420 --> 01:18:06,420
And finally it's a timeless classic it definitely stands the test of time.

890
01:18:06,420 --> 01:18:13,420
Well Matt I remember we talking about this movie before and I know that you're putting it.

891
01:18:13,420 --> 01:18:21,420
In the third category it may be historically significant or just fun but it does not stand the test of time.

892
01:18:21,420 --> 01:18:38,420
I think it's fair I think and here's my here's my qualifier I think the American release of this film falls in that category I think that that film is historically significant and fun at times but ultimately.

893
01:18:38,420 --> 01:18:50,420
There are too many holes in the in the structure of the story the lack of character in the humans and King Kong and Godzilla to make it really.

894
01:18:50,420 --> 01:18:53,420
To make it the powerful movie it could have been.

895
01:18:53,420 --> 01:19:05,420
However the Japanese release I'll bump up a grade higher into there may be some antiquated moments but overall I do think it's great I think what Honda's trying to do.

896
01:19:05,420 --> 01:19:12,420
Is pretty worthwhile and I do think in that regard that film stands the test of time.

897
01:19:12,420 --> 01:19:19,420
Yeah alright so what do you think let us know if we're totally missing the mark here.

898
01:19:19,420 --> 01:19:30,420
If it's a timeless classic you're not wrong like we want to hear from you and we're going to feature more comments we're going to talk more monsters on Camp Kaiju.

899
01:19:30,420 --> 01:19:45,420
Next time with Godzilla versus Megalon Max is going to join us and we will be reading the trivia answers we will be pulling names from the hat so you are out there listening get your answers in.

900
01:19:45,420 --> 01:20:04,420
Phone in type them in let's get it going we're excited happy Kai July enjoy your summer let's get it going thanks for hanging out friends please rate and review this podcast wherever you listen you can share this podcast with a friend you can send us listener comments at CampKaiju.com

901
01:20:04,420 --> 01:20:32,420
Facebook Instagram all those links are in our show notes if you'd like to be a featured voice on the show leave us a voicemail the Kaiju hotline is 612-470-2612 tell us your favorite monster movies we want to know please check out our website CampKaijuPodcast.com for more information and know that Camp Kaiju is recorded in Minneapolis St. Paul with Menia's mailbox music by Ben Cook-Felts thank you friends and until next time stay campy.

902
01:20:34,420 --> 01:20:55,420
Camp Kaiju is sponsored by Zach Linder in the Zach Pack powered by Coldwell Banker Realty your source for real estate home rehab fixing and flipping for investor clients and residential buyers reach out to the Zach Pack today for real estate services follow the Zach Pack on social media and contact the Zach Pack for investment opportunities links in the bio.

903
01:21:05,420 --> 01:21:08,420
What do you make of that Al?

904
01:21:08,420 --> 01:21:29,420
Godzilla!

