Planet 8 Podcast

Commander Larry and Chief Engineer Bob made the visit to Creatures Con again this year and we have some great interviews to share (Recon Officer Karen was stuck in the satellite with a bad case of Venusian flu).  Michael McCreery, proprietor of Mantiques in Fremont, California, shares with the boys his unique collectible, the Mecha-Creech! This modern day chimera is truly something to behold. Check the Sensor Sweep below to learn about this fantastic beast. And if you're ever in Fremont, stop at Mantiques at 37671 Niles Boulevard - you won't believe all the cool stuff there! Returning guest C. Andrew Nelson, know to us for playing Darth Vader in many video games and other Lucas projects,  tells us about his latest project, Theme Parkology! If you have an interest in Disneyland and other theme parks, you'll want to hear about this new series that will explore the origins of various parks and their attractions. You can find Andrew at http://candrewnelson.com/, and you can see his amazing video fish tank at Aquatasy. The multi-talented Strephon Taylor discusses the efforts to bring Creepy Koffee Movie Time to Amazon Prime, as well as the many documentaries he has produced over the years, including his recent one, I Believe in Halloween, and Jack Pierce, Maker of Monsters. You can find Strephon's movies at Novemberfire.com. Our last guest was the man, the myth, the legend, the great John Stanley! John is well known in the Bay Area as the second host of Creature Features, the show started by Bob Wilkins which inspired so many people. John was a film critic for the San Francisco Chronicle for over 30 years, and besides hosting Creature Features, he has authored a number of books, including the notable Creature Features film guides. John is always a pleasure to talk to and he graciously spoke with us about his many projects, past and present. You can see John's work at http://creaturesatlarge.com/ and http://stanleybooks.net/catchall.htm. Our Sensor Sweep this week is by Commander Larry and features the amazing Mecha-Creech. This vinyl figure is part Creature from the Black Lagoon, part Godzilla, and a crazed montage of skateboarding, heavy metal, and other references! Truly a wonder of the modern day. Thanks again to our friends Lord Blood-Rah and Tom Wyrsch for putting on Creatures-Con and for having us once again! We had a blast! We're already looking forward to next year! We hope you got a good taste of Creatures Con. Please share your thoughts, here, or at our other listening posts: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast Thanks for Listening!

Ah, the 70s...it was a time of contradictions, mixing the free love of the 60s with the pessimism from Viet Nam and Watergate. A number of dystopian sci-fi films came out of the decade, and one of our favorites was Logan's Run, an MGM movie from 1976. Starring Michael York and Jenny Agutter, the movie takes place in the 23rd century, where everyone lives in domes and all their needs are provided for, and they lead lives of complete pleasure and decadence. The catch is, everyone has to die at the age of 30 to maintain the balance. To enforce this balance, there are officers known as Sandmen, who hunt down any citizens who try to live past 30 -they are known as "runners." The main character, Logan, is one of these Sandmen. He winds up becoming a runner himself, and discovers what lies outside the dome. It might seem a little cheesy today, but your Planet 8 crew loves Logan's Run! Please join us as we explore not only this classic sci fi film, but what was going on in the world at the time that influenced it - ecological disaster, overpopulation, and energy crises. In some ways, Logan's Run was one of the last science fiction films that actually dealt with real issues - before the juggernaut of Star Wars and its imitators showed up the next year, ushering in the era of sci fi shoot 'em ups. Of course, we have to discuss Box, one of Commander Larry's favorite characters in all of science fiction! "Fish! Plankton! Seagreens! Protein from the sea!" Box so inspired Larry that this podcast was almost called "Plankton from the Sea" instead of Planet 8! Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed. And we'll pay tribute to Michael York and Jenny Agutter, who seems to have earned a place in many a fan's heart from her role as Jessica. And who can forget that Farrah Fawcett also had a small role in the film? Karen actually went back and re-read the 1967 novel that the film was based on, and so we'll look at the differences between the film and the book. If you thought dying at 30 was bad, try kicking off at 21! Beyond the film, we'll also look at the peripheral material - the very short-lived TV show and the Marvel comics adaptation. And -what is the connection between Logan's Run and Thanos? Tune in and find out! For our Sensor Sweep, Karen shares her original 1976 edition of the Logan's Run novel that was issued as a tie-in with the film, complete with photos from the movie. This was something that was done a lot back in the 70s - another great example of this was the original Star Wars adaptation. Before the internet, this was one of the best ways to see high quality pictures from a film! So where are you at with your life clock? Are you going to try to renew on Carousel, or will you run? Tell us your plans here, or find us at our other locations: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast Thanks for Listening!

While the Universal Monsters may have been the original film fiends, across the pond in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the little film company that could, Hammer, produced a bevy of movies that featured our familiar monsters, but in a much more graphic way. These films, featuring such sensational stars as Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, brought an updated take on horror to a new generation of fans. Your Planet 8 crew is joined by guests horror host extraordinaire Lord Blood-Rah and independent film-maker Tom Wyrsch to reminisce and discuss why we enjoy Hammer films so much. The studio had a very distinct style which is immediately recognizable, and there are certain things you can expect to see in a Hammer horror film - including bright red blood, and more than a little cleavage. We talk about which films are our favorites (and surprise, we all had different picks!), the actors and actresses we enjoyed, and some of the behind the scenes production stories.  We'll also discuss the upcoming Creatures Con, the San Francisco Bay Area's classic horror convention.  Held on July 7th, it will feature the west coast premiere of the film, The House of the Gorgon by Josh Kennedy, a film that is very much an homage to Hammer films, and features Hammer film veterans Caroline Munro, Martine Beswick, and Veronica Carlson - Kennedy and Carlson will be at the show! The con will also have a monster movie quiz hosted by Lord Blood-Rah, which is certain to be a blast! They'll also have a special presentation on the film Plan 9 from Outer Space, to celebrate its 65th anniversary. All happening at the San Ramon Marriott -and the entire Planet 8 crew will be there, podcasting live! All this, for only $15 admission! What a bargain!  Go to https://www.creaturescon.com/ for more information. Don't forget to take a look at Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theatre for some fine entertainment.  As always, we look forward to hearing your thoughts, so please share either here or at:Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast Thanks for Listening!