For our (kind of) Christmas episode, Byrd, Matt and Kevin gather around the Yule log to discuss the indie fantasy film, Iké Boys!  This homage to tokusatsu and anime follows two high school students who find themselves with super powers after watching a bootleg of a lost anime.  They have to use their new mecha and kaiju forms to thwart a doomsday cult, all the while dealing with the usual teenage coming of age struggles like bullies, girl problems, etc. The film features familiar faces in front of and behind the screen, such as actors Billy Zane, Yumiko Shaku, and Ben Browder, as well as art direction and effects work from Daisuke Sato (Howl From Beyond The Fog), Keizo Murase (Showa/Heisei Godzilla), and the Chiodo Bros (Killer Klowns from Outer Space).  Sit down with some egg nog and enjoy the discussion!

Iké Boys (2021/2022)

Join hosts Byrd and Matt as they discuss all things giant monsters, tokusatsu, and Japanese fantasy films.  Come here for a regular dose of everything Godzilla, Gamera, King Kong, Ultraman and everything in between!

TV & Film

Film Reviews

Film Interviews

Byrd is joined by Lux, Tom (of the Final Forum Dragonball Podcast), and Trev (of the Failure to Franchise Podcast) to talk about the new film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire!  This new entry in Legendary Pictures' Monsterverse is another crossover between the two monster icons, as they go up against the threat of the evil ape Skar King and his army of apes and the frost monster Shimo.  Along the way, Kong forms a bond with the young ape Suko.  We'll talk about the production history as well as give our thoughts on the film.  But first, we discuss Godzilla Minus One's recent Oscar win!  Kick back and enjoy!

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

Our pals Trev (frequent KT guest) and Chris over at the Failure to Franchise podcast had Matt and Byrd on their show to discuss Godzilla 1998!  We discussed how it came to be, memories of living through the marketing and release of the film, the backlash to it, and the lasting effects it had on the franchise.  Did the movie impact the series for good or bad?  Is it as bad of a movie as people say?  How does it hold up all these years later?  Listen and find out!

Godzilla (1998) Retrospective w/ Failure To Franchise Podcast

Byrd and Matt discuss Daiei's 1962 period monster movie, The Whale God (aka The Killer Whale).  Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka (Zatoichi series), with a script written by Kaneto Shindo (Onibaba, Kuroneko) based on the novel by Koichiro Uno, it tells the story of a whaling village in the early Meiji period being terrorized by a gigantic whale.  Two men, Shaki (Kojiro Hongo of the Gamera films) and Kishu (Shintaro Katsu of the Zatoichi films) to compete to be the one to kill the whale.  For decades, this film was obscure to American audiences, but it just saw its first blu-ray release stateside.  We'll give our review, as well as talk about whaling in Japanese culture, the awesome Akira Ifukube score, the themes of forgiveness and obsession, the influence of Moby Dick, and more!  But first we have a news roundup with our thoughts on the new Godzilla x Kong trailer, Godzilla Minus One's Oscar nomination, and the passing of suit actor Ken Satsuma.  Relax and enjoy the show!

The Whale God (1962) + News Roundup

Byrd, Kevin and Justin interview poet and Japanese literary translator Jeffrey Angles about his recent translations of Shigeru Kayama's 1955 novelizations of Godzilla '54 and Godzilla Raids Again (now available for the first time in English via University of Minnesota Press).  We talk about Angles' interest in Japanese literature, his love of Edogawa Ranpo, the tightrope of maintaining an author's voice while translating, the life and career of Godzilla author Shigeru Kayama, Kayama's long-overlooked contributions to the creation of Godzilla, releasing a Godzilla book without needing Toho's permission, differences between the films and the novels, and more!  Relax and join the conversation!

Translating the Original Godzilla Novels with Jeffrey Angles!

Byrd, Matt and Tom discuss Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the recent MonsterVerse spin-off series on Apple TV+.  The story flashes between the 1950s and the 2010s as it follows the founding of the Monarch organization (introduced in 2014's Godzilla reboot) and two siblings trying to untie their family's mysterious history with it.  Join us as we discuss the shows pros and cons, the charm of Kurt and Wyatt Russell, Legendary's lofty ambitions, the MonsterVerse's continuity problem, the current state of streaming television, what we would want from a second season, and more!  What did we think of the show?  Listen and find out!

Iké Boys (2021/2022)

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