Happy Halloween!  Byrd, Lux, Tom and Kevin get together to discuss Rankin-Bass' stop motion Halloween feature, Mad Monster Party.  Dr. Frankenstein (voiced by Boris Karloff) is about to retire and invites the classic monsters to his castle for a party where he will announce his successor.  Among the guests are the Frankenstein Monster and his bride, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Wolf Man, the Gillman, the Hunchback, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, and "It," a legally distinct stand-in for King Kong.  This cult favorite was directed by Jules Bass and animated by the legendary Tadahito Mochinaga.  We discuss the Rankin Bass holiday specials, enduring an annoying Phyllis Diller performance, the career of animator Tadahito Mochigana, whether the film could be considered anime and/or tokusatsu, and more!  Relax and enjoy the conversation.

Byrd, Tom and Lux discuss three classic horror films from Daiei Studios (recently released in the excellent Daiei Gothic blu-ray set from Radiance Films).  Ghost of Yotsuya, Snow Woman, and Bride From Hades are all based on famous folk horror stories that have been adapted many times over the years (and would influence much of the J-horror movement later on).  These three films take those stories and apply Daiei's iconic art direction and production value of the time to create three memorable versions of classic ghost tales.  What did we think?  Listen and find out!

Byrd, Lux, Tom and Kevin take a look at another entry in the prolific yokai franchise, GeGeGe No Kitaro franchise.  This time we talk about 2008's Hakaba Kitaro, which was a darker take on the material.  This changes Kitaro from a good natured yokai ambassador to a mischievous anti hero starring in downbeat morality tales.  How did we feel it compared to other versions of Kitaro?  Listen and find out!

We kick off another spooky October at KT with Byrd, Kevin, Tom and Lux having a discussion of several films featuring murderous gill-men.  Ever since 1954's classic Creature From The Black Lagoon, the trope of a murderous half man/half fish has been entertaining filmgoers on a semi regular basis.  We take the opportunity to discuss three such films; Roger Corman's schlockfest Humanoids From The Deep, the Japanese b-movie obscurity Dragon Blue, and the recent Japanese/American/Singaporean/British/German co-production Monster Island (aka Orang Ikan).  We talk the Corman legacy, the muddled production of Humanoids (which ties into its eligibility for this podcast), Doug McClure, horny fish monsters, fish-woman harems, and more!  Relax and enjoy the conversation!

Byrd, Matt, Kevin and Lux come together again to talk about the recent anime film Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League.  The sequel to 2018's Batman Ninja sees the Caped Crusader and his allies in an another dimension in which Japan is ruled by a Yakuza consisting of evil versions of his Justice League allies.  The film sees director Junpei Mizusaki return, with new co-director Shinji Takagi (Ranma 1/2, Japan Sinks 2020) and returning screenwriter Kazuki Nakashima (Gekiranger, Kamen Rider W, Kill la Kill).  So how does it compare to its predecessor?  Listen and find out!

Another year, another G-Fest in the books.  Byrd, Kevin and returning guest Connor recount their experience at this years G-Fest convention.  G-Fest XXX (!) was the thirtieth in the convention's long running history and as always we talk about the panels, the guests, and our overall opinions of how the show fared this year. We also touch on the film festival lineup including the recent Ishiro Honda documentary, Hot Springs Shark Attack, and a whole slew of short films.  Relax and enjoy the conversation!

Byrd, Matt and Kevin discuss and review the recent comic book crossover Godzilla vs. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers II (written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Baldemar Rivas).  The follow up to IDW and Boom!'s 2022 crossover once again sees the Power Rangers in a multiversal adventure as they once again cross paths with Godzilla and other Toho monsters as they go up against Rita Repulsa as she threatens to destroy rangers in all dimensions.  This time we also get Ranger and zord/kaiju hybrids.  How did this sequel hold up?  Listen and find out!

Live from G-Fest 2025, Byrd moderates this in depth discussion with authors Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski (Ishiro Honda: A Life In Film) to discuss the stories behind the researching, writing, and publishing of their new book Godzilla: The First 70 Years: The Official Illustrated History of the Japanese Productions, a brand new Toho commissioned book dedicated to the history of the King of the Monsters.

After a Spring hiatus, Byrd and Matt come back to discuss Jurassic World Rebirth, the newest entry in the Jurassic Park franchise directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla 2014, Monsters, Star Wars: Rogue One).  This entry follows a group of mercenaries (led by Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali) tasked with gathering dino DNA for medical research by going to an island used for genetic experimentation.  Along the way they meet up with a family they save during a Mosasaur attack.  We discuss an endless amount of dinosaur chase sequences, the rushed production of the film, Snickers wrappers, Lays potato chips, and the death of the "director as auteur" in blockbuster film making.  So how does this one compare to the last few entries?  Listen and find out!  

Byrd, Tom, Kevin and Trev discuss a trio of tokusatsu superhero films from acclaimed director Takashi Miike (Great Yokai War, Ultraman Max, Audition, Ichi the Killer).  First we have 2004's Zebraman, a parody of Japanese superhero shows that sees a father in a mid life crisis take up the mantle of the titular character to fight crime and fend off an alien invasion.  We then move onto 2010's gonzo sequel set in a dystopian future where Zebraman must face off against a power hungry pop singer.  We cap things off by discussing his 2009 adaptation of the popular anime series Yatterman, about a pair of superheroes and their giant robot dog who thwart the evil plans of the Donboro gang.  But first, Byrd reviews the recent official Godzilla Pop Up Book from Simon and Schuster Publishing.  Relax and join the discussion!

Byrd, Matt, Lux and Kevin discuss Shinji Higuchi's recent Netflix film Bullet Train Explosion.  Higuchi's latest revamp of an old tokusatsu IP is a remake/sequel to Toei's 1975 classic disaster film The Bullet Train.  Like its predecessor, the story revolves around a bomb on a bullet train, which will explode if the train slows down under 100kph.  Show how does Higuchi's latest fare in comparison to the original film and his other recent tokusatsu reboots?  Listen and find out!

Byrd and Matt reach back down into the bottom of the barrell to discuss three obscure recent King Kong knock-offs from China, made to cash in on the recent Monsterverse films.  In recent years, China has been churning out dozens and dozens of low budget straight to TV/streaming cheapie creature features.  For this episode we'll discuss 2021's Monster Island, 2023's King Kong vs Giant Serpent (aka Battle of Snakes), and 2024's KingKong is Coming Back.  In addition to offering our thoughts on the films, we also talk about China's recent b-movie boom.  Relax and enjoy the discussion!

Back from the holiday break, Byrd and Matt set their sights on Ray Harryhausen's classic series of Sinbad films; the 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1957), the Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) are still among the most celebrated fantasy films of all time.  After getting tired of monsters tearing down landmarks, stop motion animator Ray Harryhausen decided to make a different kind of monster movie by drawing inspiration from the Arabian Nights folktales of Sinbad, a sailor who would go on swashbuckling adventures and fight monsters, sorcerers and more.  We discuss the history of these influential films, and discuss how they hold up all these years later.  We talk Cyclops, dragons, centaurs, troglodytes, and more!  Relax and enjoy the conversation!

Byrd sits down with author Joseph Palinkas to discuss his new book, the History of Carnosaur.  The book covers the history of the  franchise, which was launched by Roger Corman to cash in on Jurassic Park.  We talk about the conception of the book, the background of the Carnosaur films, living through the post-Jurassic Park dino-boom of the 90s, the complicated rights issues keeping the films from rediscovery, differences between the film and the original Carnosaur novel and how we feel the films hold up today.  Relax and join the conversation!

Byrd, Lux, and Kevin nurse their Halloween hangover with another episode covering everyone's favorite yokai boy-hero Kitaro!  The long running franchise created by Shigeru Mizuki catapulted Japan's folkloric creatures into pop culture and still runs strong to this day.  We look at another sampling of GeGeGe No Kitaro material from over the years.  We discuss the first two episodes of the 1970s anime series, 2008's film Japan Explodes, and 2023's prequel film The Mystery of GeGeGe.  We discuss how the franchise has changed over the years, the lack of Kitaro media in the States, and what happens when someone spills their Game of Thrones in our Kitaro.  Relax and enjoy the conversation!

Byrd, Trev, Lux and Kevin take a deep dive into Sadako's well to discuss the first four Japanese theatrical films in the Ring franchise: Ring (1998), Spiral (1998), Ring 2 (1999) and Ring 0: Birthday (2000).  In addition to a lively talk about all four films and the film makers involved, we discuss the origins of the series as a series of novels by Koji Suzuki, the birth of the J-Horror boom at the turn of the century, and how the Ring franchise became a global phenomenon, making Sadako one of the most iconic movie monsters of all time.  So kick back, enjoy the conversation and try to pass this podcast to someone else within 7 days!

Our October horror shows roll on as Byrd, Tom, and Kevin are joined by Chris Marti (musician alias "Cosmic Monster" and co-writer of The Author vs. the Werewolf) to discuss the fantasy/horror of Wicked City!  Based on a series of novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi (Vampire Hunter D), Wicked City is about the rift between humanity and a secret society of interdimensional demons.  We start with 1987's cult classic anime film from Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust) and move onto 1992's live action version produced in Hong Kong (co-produced by Toho).  Both adaptations are bonkers, so we have a lot to discuss including the anime's problematic sexual politics, phallic tentacle creatures, spider women, handover era Hong Kong cinema, sentient pinball machines, horny elevator monsters, and more.  But first, we discuss the recent passing of legendary Showa era monster maker Keizo Murase.  Relax and enjoy the conversation.

Byrd, Tom and Lux are back to take a look at the 1982 semi-obscurity The House Where Evil Dwells. This haunted house shocker is a co-production made with assistance from the legendary Toei studios. It was directed by Kevin Connor (The Land that Time Forgot) and stars Edward Albert, Susan George, and the incomparable Doug McClure. Based on an unpublished novel of the same name, it tells the story of an American family that moves to Japan and the vengeful ghosts that inhabit their house (and bodies). There's killer crabs, zen monks, Sentai on the TV, and more in this oddity that blends American and Japanese ghost movie tropes. Relax and enjoy the conversation!

Byrd, Tom and Trev kick off our annual October horror series with the Italian creature feature Alien From the Deep, directed by Antonio Margheriti (Cannibal Apocalypse).  Although seemingly made to cash-in on both Aliens and the Abyss, the actual plot is anything but.  It tells the story of some Greenpeace activists who attempt to expose a corporation for illegally dumping radioactive waste into a nearby volcano.  But the radiation has attracted a giant alien who has started wreaking havoc in the area.  We have pervy snake farmers, industrial espionage, a giant claw with a mind of its own, and some neat miniature effects in this silly 80s obscurity.  Relax and join the fun!

Byrd and Lux sit down with guitarist/vocalist Lord Kaiju, founder of the kaiju themed heavy metal band Oxygen Destroyer.  We discuss his roots as both a kaiju and metal fan, how he came up with his brand of death-thrash, the strength of the Seattle rock music scene, how the Gamera trilogy helped him, and of course their new album Guardian of the Universe (out now!). Check out Oxygen Destroyer's music and merch here: https://oxygen-destroyer.bandcamp.com/album/guardian-of-the-universe