The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast

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, Lux 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!