Planet 8 Podcast: Recent Episodes
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WE'VE MOVED!!All new episodes (from #110 on) are over at Podbean (https://planet8.podbean.com/). On our homepage, you can click on new episodes and listen from there, or find us in your podcast ap - we're on Podbean, Spotify, PlayerFM, iHeart radio, Podchaser, and more. This site will continue to exist as an archive of old episodes and comments. Thanks to all you listeners for your support!Larry, Bob, and Karen
It's November, and here in the States, that means we're getting ready for Turkey Day! But on Planet 8, with our love of all things sci fi, fantasy, and horror, we have a love of a different kind of turkey: those films that many, especially those in the mainstream, consider to be bad films. And truth be told, a lot of these films might not be the greatest films. The production values might be poor, or the acting might not be spectacular, but for us, for the fans, we find something about them that we enjoy.
Your Planet 8 crew will take turns discussing some of our favorite turkeys. We'll cover films from far and wide, including Japanese monster films, a Star Trek movie (which one could it be??), several super-hero films, and of course, the requisite B-movie monster flicks. It's a nice mix of genres, as well as films from the 60s to recent years. Some of these films we consider misjudged, while others may indeed be turkeys, but we love 'em just the same!
For our Sensor Sweep, Chief Engineer Bob describes his amazing Spirit Halloween store score, four six-foot tall bubble tubes! He snagged these after Halloween, and now has added them to his monster garage, tiki bar, and Creature from the Black Lagoon corner! It's some great bling.
Listeners, we have an announcement. We have found a new home for the podcast on Podbean. After four years now of podcasting, we realized we needed a dedicated podcasting platform to host the show. All of our episodes after this episode will only appear on Podbean. This site will remain, with all of our old episodes. But new episodes will only appear at https://planet8.podbean.com/ . Please be sure to check out the new site, bookmark it, or get the Podbean ap and add us. We will still appear on other podcast aps, as well as our YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/Planet8podcast
Thanks once again for tuning in to the show! We appreciate your support. We'd love to hear about your favorite turkeys. Share yours with us at our social sites:
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Can you prove it didn't happen??
In this Halloween episode, we take a look at the scary animation, films, and park attractions of Walt Disney. Typically we think of Walt Disney features as being funny family-fare, but there were quite a few memorable frightening moments or characters in Disney features. We're fortunate to be joined by the hosts of the Walt Disney Family Museum official podcast, Bri Bertolaccini and Chris Mullens, who share a ton of amazing stories and details with us! So get comfy as we take you on a tour of Disney frights, from the Skeleton Dance to Pinocchio, from Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent to Dr. Syn, all the way to Disneyland's famed Haunted Mansion. You'll be covered in goose bumps when we're done!
You'll also be itching to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum! Our two guests Bri and Chris not only host the WD-FM podcast, they are also part of the team at the museum too. So for the Sensor Sweep, they share what's going on at the museum, which is located at the Presidio in San Francisco. Currently, the museum is featuring a special program, Walt Disney's The Jungle Book: Making a Masterpiece (link) through January 8, 2023. Coming soon is Spirit of the Season, a community art exhibition (link) opening November 17th which runs through the holiday season. And don't forget to tune into the Walt Disney Family Museum official podcast, where you can hear more from Chris and Bri on a range of Disney-related topics! You can find WD-FM on most podcast aps, at https://www.waltdisney.org/podcast, or at their YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/c/WDFMuseum.
That's it for us. We hope you enjoyed this special Halloween episode. Please share your thoughts with us at any of our social outlets below:
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Happy Halloween!
Here on Planet 8 we've dug deep into the lore of many creatures of the night. But this episode is the first time we've tackled that Egyptian menace, the Mummy! The Mummy arose from the popularity of the exploration/plundering of Egyptian tombs, especially King Tutankhamun. The discovery of King Tut's tomb was also associated with a curse, which fueled many imaginations and stories. The idea of a curse, or at the very least vengeance visited upon those who violated the tomb, became the basis for Universal's The Mummy in 1932, as well as most of the mummy films that have followed.
Your intrepid Planet 8 crew will take a journey through the history of mummy films, from the Universal films to the Hammer series, some independent films and TV productions, and then back around to more modern times with the mummy revival in the 90s with the Brendan Fraser films, and finally, the nail in the sarcophagus, the Tom Cruise film in 2017.
The Mummy is a unique monster and there's a lot to appreciate in this genre of films. We hope you enjoy this trip and share your feelings too! We'd also like to point out that Karen was a guest on our friend Billy D's Magazine and Monsters podcast back in May, where they discussed the Hammer 1959 film in detail. Here's the link, please give it a listen!
For our Sensor Sweep, we actually manage to stay on topic. Chief Engineer Bob and Mission Commander Larry discuss the joys of owning a 12 foot tall, animated mummy from Lowe's! It may be hard to acquire one of these now, since they have all been replaced by Christmas decorations.
That's all this time! We hope you crazy kids are getting ready for Halloween! We'll see you in two weeks for our Halloween show!
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Ankh-es-en-Amon!
It's time for another Planet 8 Top Ten -only this time, it's a Top Ten times two! That's right, in this episode, we're giving you not one Top Ten list, but two Top Ten lists! And our subject this time around is near and dear to our hearts, and we hope to yours too: Robots! Sometimes friends, sometimes foes, these mechanical beings have always fascinated people. In this episode the Planet 8 crew shares their favorite robots, with a twist: we have one top ten list of giant robots, and a second top ten list of human or nearly human-sized robots! We hope you'll enjoy the lists and the discussion around the selections. We think some of them will surprise you!
For our Sensor Sweep, decidedly non-robot related, is a limited edition Creature from the Black Lagoon 1/3 scale bust sculpted by Jeff Wehenkel and painted by Michael Reagan. Bob was lucky enough to get one at Creatures-Con recently. Sorry folks - no links for these! They're all gone!
That's all for this time. Let us know what robots are in your top ten!
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Klaatu barada nikto!
Where's the podcast, you ask? Well, we finally took the plunge and now have a podcasting platform to host our show - Podbean. You can still hear Planet 8 in all the usual places, and catch us on YouTube too.
Head over to https://planet8.podbean.com/ to hear our latest episode. All of our old ones are there too. Of course you can find us on the Podbean ap, and we'll also be on all the other aps we've been on as well. Our direct feed for other podcast players is https://feed.podbean.com/planet8/feed.xml.
Thanks for listening to the show and supporting us!
This episode our guest is Frank Dietz, who has had an amazing career in show business as a screenwriter, Disney animator, actor, and more. Frank shares his experiences in Hollywood with us. Frank is a wonderful storyteller. Sit back and enjoy!
For our Sensor Sweep, we shine a light on Frank's web presence. His web site, Sketchythingsart.com, is where you can find his art, screenwriting, and other work, as well as a calendar of his events. He can also be found on social media - Twitter and Instagram - at TheFrankDietz.
You can always reach Planet 8 at one of our many outposts below:
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Thanks for listening!
In this episode your Planet 8 crew will discuss and review the newest entry in the Predator film franchise, Prey! Prey was released on Hulu this month and did not have a theatrical release. It is set in 1719 and pits a predator against a young Comanche woman. It's a thematic departure from more recent efforts in the Predator series and a breath of fresh air. We'll talk about what we liked, what we didn't like, and how it compares to the original Predator -the only yardstick that truly matters.
Oh, and in case you wondered -the dog doesn't die!
Now on to the Sensor Sweep: this time Chief Engineer Bob has a double header: He scored this fantastic Zuni Warrior from the infamous Trilogy of Terror TV movie at Creatures-Con, and then got this Shin Godzilla that lights up while he was hosting Godzillafest a week later. Talk about lucky!
What did you think of Prey? Be sure to let us know via one of our communications channels:
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Come on, Do it! Do it now!
In this episode we celebrate and explore the films of legendary film-maker, John Carpenter! Carpenter is such a unique director, a man who has always done things his own way, with a real talent for story-telling. The Planet 8 crew will start by discussing Carpenter's early life and how he became a film-maker.
We move on to a discussion of the qualities that define John Carpenter's style. Obviously we'll talk about his work with his film soundtracks, but there are so many other aspects to a "John Carpenter film" - the 'slow burn' or building of suspense, his use of unusual camera angles or long takes, his distrust of authority figures, and so much more.
As we go through Carpenter's style, we'll talk about his films, lingering on some of our favorites, including The Thing (we dedicated a whole episode to it -you can hear it here), Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York, They Live, and Big Trouble in Little China. But we also talk about some of his films that aren't on our favorites list too, just to balance things out.
Without a doubt, Carpenter has an impressive and varied portfolio that includes some real classics. If all he had ever done was make The Thing, he would be a master, but he's made so many films that exhibit incredible skill and style. He's truly an amazing film-maker.
For the Sensor Sweep this week, we sadly note the passing of Nichelle Nichols, famed for her portrayal of Lieutenant Uhura on the original Star Trek. Nichols was 89. Beyond the impact she had in her role as one of the very first African American women on TV who wasn't in a subservient role, Nichols went on to work with NASA to recruit women and people of color into the astronaut corps. A constant presence on the convention circuit, she was known for her warmth and beautiful smile. She will be greatly missed.
That's it for this go round. Please share your thoughts with us on anything we talked about -or forgot to talk about!
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Are you crazy, is that your problem?
The latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is here -Thor: Love and Thunder - and your Planet 8 crew has a lot to say about it. And it ain't necessarily good. Much like the previous Thor film, this newest look at the God of Thunder takes a decidedly goofy slant. It's a little too goofy for our taste.
Beware -there are spoilers ahead!
Not to say there aren't some interesting or exciting things in the film. There are. But the whole film feels so unbalanced that it's hard to appreciate Christian Bale's performance as Gorr the God-Butcher, or Natalie Portman's appearance as Jane Foster, aka the Mighty Thor. Both of these characters have serious stories behind them; Gorr is a deeply grieving man, Jane is battling cancer. But they are undercut by the absurd situations and performances that surround them.
We're not against humor. The Marvel films have always had humor in them. But typically it's been relegated to wise-cracking, not slapstick and utterly ridiculous situations. While some complain that Marvel films are too formulaic and there's no directorial freedom, in this case, it seems like Taika Waititi was given absolute free reign. Surely there's a happy medium, a balance between the serious and the absurd, formula and artistic license.
We move on from Thor to discuss Marvel Phase 4 and where it's going. What's the overarching plan? In Phase 3 we had Thanos and the Infinity Stones, what's the threat now? The multiverses colliding? It's also difficult to get excited when so many of our favorite characters are gone now.
The conversation takes us to the Disney Plus Marvel shows, and even some of the DC films. You just never know where it's gonna go with us!
For our Sensor Sweep, all you fans of both tiki and kaiju will want to know about the King Ghidorah tiki mug from Mondo ! This is a mug nearly as big as the three-headed monster himself. It stands a whopping 8 3/4" high and holds 26 ounces! You can buy it for $65 at Mondoshop.com.
And don't forget Godzillafest is coming up in August! The Planet 8 crew will be at Creatures-Con August 7th, and Bob will be selling passes for Godzillafest for $10 off at our table. Be sure to come see us and the fabulous guests at Creatures-Con in Orinda, California, including author David J. Skal and Sarah Karloff!
That's all for now. Let us know what you thought of Thor, our review, what's going on with Phase 4, and anything else!
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By the bristling beard of Odin!!
One of the most anticipated TV series in years has just concluded its first season, and there's been a lot of talk about it, especially between the members of Planet 8. We're talking, of course, about Obi-Wan Kenobi, the latest Star Wars show on Disney Plus.
Picking up threads from the prequel trilogy and the Clone Wars series, the show follows up on a downtrodden Obi-Wan Kenobi, years after the devastation of the Jedi Order and the fall of the Republic. Obi-Wan lives an unremarkable life on Tatooine, making a living harvesting meat from gigantic desert beasts, and living in a cave not far from the Lars homestead, where he can watch over the young Luke Skywalker. However, through a turn of events, Obi-Wan is called back into service, and must ultimately confront his former friend and now greatest foe, Darth Vader.
One of the problems of doing a story like this, where you're dealing with events that take place in a character's past, is you know they can't be killed off or face serious physical jeopardy, so the focus is much more on their development and growth. The show managed to believably take us from a defeated, self-doubting Obi-Wan to one who has rediscovered his self-worth. It's rewarding to watch, mainly due to the wonderful acting skills of Ewan McGregor. He fully embodies the former Jedi knight and makes him relatable and sympathetic.
A true delight was the unexpected appearance of ten-year-old Princess Leia as portrayed by the marvelous Vivien Lyra Blair. She perfectly captured the spirit of Carrie Fisher's performance.
The introduction of the inquisitor Reva, played by newcomer Moses Ingram, brings to mind questions regarding how the Jedi council functioned -or didn't - and the idea of redemption and how that works in Star Wars. It seems like a person can be truly reprehensible but repent and then be completely redeemed. Does that make sense?
This series, along with Rogue One, helps establish Darth Vader as a true villain again. He and Obi-Wan have several encounters, with Ben getting the upper hand only at the end. The last battle also sets up their encounter in the original film, and explains Kenobi's somewhat cryptic remarks to Luke regarding his father. It's a bit of backwards dancing but it's done well.
All in all, we enjoyed the series. It provides some insight into established characters without breaking canon and gives us some new characters and developments that might allow for a season two.
Our Sensor Sweep carries on the Star Wars theme, as Karen presents a fabulous book, Secrets of the Force: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Wars by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross. This hefty tome moves chronologically through the history of the Star Wars films, animated series, and The Mandalorian via interviews with the people who made them. It's a treasure trove of great stories and information for any Star Wars fan.
Big News: Your Planet 8 crew will be appearing live at Creatures Con! Held in Orinda, California on August 7, all three of us -Larry, Bob, and Karen - will be hanging out at a table at the convention! The show is going to be a blast. This year author and film commentator David J. Skal will be a special guest, along with Sara Karloff, daughter of Boris Karloff, and many others. The show is hosted by our good friend, Lord Blood-Rah, and Tom Wyrsch, also friend of Planet 8. It's going to be a fantastic show, so please check it out. You can find all the info at http://www.creaturescon.com/.
All right kids, that's it for this time. Please be good to each other and be safe!
Let us know what you think of Obi-Wan:
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Utinni!!
They said it couldn't be done. They said we would never make it. They said hot dogs are sandwiches. But despite the nay-sayers, and against all odds, we made it to our 100th episode!
When we started the Planet 8 podcast, we had no idea we would reach this kind of milestone. But here we are. Despite the hiccup of Recon Officer Karen getting hit with Covid right before we were going to record our 100th episode, and having to delay a couple of weeks, we bounced back to bring you this episode, where we celebrate this milestone by throwing a party in the Planet 8 Officer's Club.
It wouldn't be a party without guests, and we have quite a guest list! Through the miracle of science, we're able to reach through time and space and bring to Planet 8 a collection of actors, artists, and more who have all contributed to our love for science fiction, fantasy, and horror media. We discuss why we would want to have them at the party and what we'd talk to them about. Who would each of us invite? You'll have to listen to the episode to find out!
Rounding out our episode is our Sensor Sweep, this time focusing on upcoming events that Chief Engineer Bob will be putting on through his Bay Area Film Events group. First up, on August 12, 13, and 14th at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco, is the annual Godzillafest. This year's theme is "Gamera crashes Godzillafest" and Gamera the Brave will be shown, along with a number of other Gamera films. Bob and his partners will also be showing two films in 35 mm format, Terror of Mechagodzilla and Godzilla vs. Gigan. If you're in the Bay Area, don't miss this kaiju bash! They'll also have artists and vendors on site, so you can buy all sorts of goodies! Click here for more information.
On October 1,2, and 3, Ultraman will be coming to the 4 Star Theater in Chinatown! Details will be posted soon on the Bay Area Film Events site.
Listeners, we want to thank you for sticking with us, for posting comments on our site, Facebook, and Twitter. We appreciate your thoughts and being able to engage with you! Hearing from you and knowing you're out there is what keeps us going!
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We would rather be with you people than with the finest people in the world!
Unfortunately part of your Planet 8 crew has been struck down by the Covid virus, causing us to delay our 100th episode! We hope you will enjoy this encore presentation of Episode 13, Road to Apocalypse, from November 8, 2018. We'll be back on the 22nd with episode 100!
We're back with a spoiler-filled discussion of Marvel Studios' 28th film, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Surprisingly, Bob and Karen both liked this movie more than Larry did! But we all enjoyed it. As usual, this film is bursting at the seams with guest appearances and all sorts of craziness. We'll do our best to examine the story and characters and share our thoughts on some of the plot points.
A big part of this movie is Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, and it definitely helps if you've seen Wandavision before you plop your butt down in your seat to catch this film. Wanda's past and her motivations are at the center of the movie. We had a lot of feelings about this and her eventual fate.
This is not to say our titular hero doesn't get his fair share of time in the spotlight. This may be one of Dr. Strange's best outings in the MCU, showing him in a more nuanced light. Of course, we get more than one Dr. Strange, as we are voyaging through the multiverse, and it's enlightening and enjoyable to see how different, and yet how alike, each version of Strange is.
Traveling through the multiverse is a blast, if a bit condensed. But we do get to meet The Illuminati, a group of superheroes who believe they are the only ones who can make the important decisions that shape the world. It was quite a thrill to see who comprised this group, including some characters we'd never seen on screen before -and one we had, but not in the MCU. The scenes with them, while brief, were terrific.
Director Sam Raimi left his imprint on the film - this is not a bland or faceless production. All the hallmarks of a Raimi film are here, and as many have said, this does often feel like a horror film. There are several jump cuts and some genuinely scary scenes. But there's nothing grisly or gory.
How will this lead into the remaining MCU films? Hard to say. We know we are getting more of the multiverse. But for now, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stands on its own as a solid Marvel production.
Our Sensor Sweep this time ties right into our film. Commander Larry gladly presents The Book of the Vishanti: A Magical Exploration of the Marvel Universe. Described as "the ultimate collection of spells, history, and personal accounts recorded by practitioners over centuries, including notes from Doctor Strange himself." This hardbound book can be purchased from your local bookseller or bought online. Who needs to go study with the Ancient One? Just buy this book!
We also have some sad news. After a long battle with cancer, legendary comics artist George Perez has passed away. You can't sum up his career in a sentence or two. He was an incredible artist who did landmark work on titles like New Teen Titans, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Wonder Woman, Avengers, and so many more. Beyond his artwork, he was known for being one of the nicest people in comics. His passing is a huge loss. We send our condolences to his loved ones.That's it for now. Thanks again for tuning in, and for your support for the podcast. And hey, episode 100 is right around the corner! Please share your thoughts, on the movie, or anything else:
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By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!
There's never been a time like this: no less than five Star Trek series on the air at the same time! You would think Trekkies (trekkers?) would be rejoicing. But, not so. While some fans are enjoying these new iterations of Star Trek, other fans are gnashing their teeth. In this episode, the Planet 8 crew, along with our guest Lord Blood-Rah, discuss the state of Star Trek - what it has meant to us, what it is now, and where we hope it is going.
For all four of us, our love of Star Trek started with the original series. We grew up watching Kirk, Spock and crew on their adventures. Through them, we felt excitement and wonder, and learned about loyalty, duty, friendship, mercy, and more. Classic Trek offered up morality plays that deeply imprinted on our minds. Our expectations and definitions for everything Star Trek flows from the first series.
This has been an issue with every new Trek series that followed. People forget, but even when The Next Generation premiered, fans denounced it as not being "real Star Trek." So it has been with every series since. But what constitutes "real" Star Trek? We share our thoughts about what is essential, what lies at the core of Trek.
Throughout we'll weave in thoughts on the current Trek shows -although Strange New Worlds had not aired yet when we recorded this - with pros and cons aplenty. Beyond whether the new shows are truly Star Trek, are they even decent science fiction? Or well-written dramas? We go there!
Despite our misgivings, we do love Star Trek and remain hopeful for Strange New Worlds. We all agree that Anson Mount is a very charismatic man! Can he carry the show? Will going back to episodic story-telling be the right move? Time will tell.
This time around, instead of our Sensor Sweep, we have an In Memorium segment. Last week we lost legendary comic book artist Neal Adams. Adams was a massive talent, leaving a huge legacy. He may best be remembered for helping to remake Batman along with writer Denny O'Neill. Adams worked for both DC and Marvel and had outstanding runs on Deadman, Superman, The Avengers, and X-Men. Adams also campaigned for creator's rights and helped the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, regain rights to their character and get remuneration from DC. He was an important figure in the comics world and will be missed.
Also passing recently was artist James Bama, an artist best known to fans for his paperback covers for Doc Savage novels, and for the illustrations on the Aurora monster models boxes.
That's all this time. We hope you enjoyed the discussion! Share your thoughts:
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Live long and prosper
This episode we discuss some of our favorite science fiction and fantasy film scores. There have been some truly amazing and memorable scores, music which helps define the films and give them their identity. These scores are inseparable from the visuals and they invoke the story just as much. Each of us shares three film scores and describes just what it is about that score that we find so fascinating.
Bob's picks:
- The Bride of Frankenstein by Franz Waxman
- Forbidden Planet by Bebe and Louis Barron
- Mothra by Yuji Koseki
Karen's picks:1. Star Trek The Motion Picture by Jerry Goldsmith 2. Predator by Alan Silvestri 3. The Omega Man by Ron Grainer
Larry's picks:1. Superman by John Williams 2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan by James Horner 3. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by Howard Shore For our Sensor Sweep we continue the theme with Chief Engineer Bob providing info on sites where soundtrack albums can be purchased - we are all big fans of physical media! Check out these sites:
Intrada
La La Land Records
WaxWorks Records
Mondo
That's all for now. Our big 100th episode is coming soon...what strange surprises await? Stay tuned!
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Thanks for listening!
On this episode we look at a genre and a sub-genre within that - Blaxploitation horror films! Blaxploitation was a genre that existed for only a short time in the 70s, but had a major impact. Together with our guest, Lord Blood-Rah, we'll discuss the origins of the genre and then take a look at several horror films that spun out of it.
Blacula (1972) is probably the best-known of these films, and it's a well-done vampire story. William Marshall plays Prince Mamuwalde, who is turned into a vampire by Dracula himself. He awakens in modern day (1970s) Los Angeles and discovers what he believes to be his reincarnated wife. Of course, carnage ensues! It's a terrific, even scary film and you should see it if you haven't.
It was followed up the next year by Scream Blacula Scream, which saw Blacula brought back to unlife by means of voodoo. Blacula once again stalks LA, but he tires of being a vampire and seeks a cure via voodoo priestess Pam Grier.
Definitely the most unusual of the films we cover is Ganja and Hess (1973), which has been described as an experimental horror film or an art film. Whatever you want to call it, it is in a category all its own. The creation of writer/director Bill Gunn (who also acts in it), it tells the story of Dr. Hess Green, who is an expert on the ancient Myrthian people of Africa, who drank blood. He gets a new assistant who is completely insane and attacks him with a Myrthian artifact, which turns Hess into a vampire himself. Eventually Hess begins a relationship with Ganja, the wife of his former assistant, and she too becomes a vampire. The film is extremely moody and stark. Duane Jones, best known for his role as Ben in Night of the Living Dead, plays Hess.
We follow these up by looking at Abby (1974), a take on The Exorcist, Sugar Hill (1974), a zombie revenge flick, and last but certainly not least, Rudy Ray Moore's Petey Wheatstraw, The Devil's Son-in-Law (1977), where the Dolemite actor takes on Satan himself. Certainly a variety of films to choose from!
For our Sensor Sweep, Commander Larry shares a very appropriate book: Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to present by Robin R. Means-Coleman. This tome takes a deep look at the history of African Americans in horror films, and how their roles changed over time. There's also a documentary of the same name. Check it out!
Don't forget, you can catch Lord Blood-Rah on LordBloodRah.com. There you can find links to his long-running series, Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theater, as well as his podcast, his Patreon series, and more. If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, he will be hosting live sci fi and horror movies at the Orinda Theater every 3rd Saturday night of the month at 9:30 -there's a full bar too! Creature Features day is a daylong celebration of the original Bay Area Creature Features hosted by Bob Wilkins and later John Stanley, and will be held on April 24th at the Orinda Theater. More info can be found at LordBloodRah.com.
That's all for now folks. We hope you enjoyed this extra-long episode! Send us your thoughts, suggestions, coupons...
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Thanks for listening!
This episode is a fuel-injected suicide machine! We're traveling not too far into the future, to the world of Mad Max! We've been big fans of both Mad Max and The Road Warrior, and we'll discuss all four of the films, and of course get into some of the back story about how the film series originated.
Coming out of Australia in 1979 as the brainchild of George Miller and Byron Kennedy, Mad Max was a mind-blowing blast of action, featuring wall to wall high speed stunts the likes of which audiences had never seen before. It was the first film of a very young Mel Gibson, starring as Max Rockatansky, a good cop who goes on a mission of vengeance on the road after his family is killed by a motorcycle gang. Made on a shoestring budget, the film was a worldwide hit, which paved the way for a sequel.
The second film, known worldwide as Mad Max 2, but as The Road Warrior (1981) in the states, moved the story much more clearly into a dystopian future. Max wanders the wastelands aimlessly, searching for gas to keep his V8 interceptor running. He winds up assisting a group of people running a refinery against a gang of raiders in exchange for gas. Max is removed from his humanity - he's at best an anti-hero - but he's miles better than the bestial thugs that harass the inhabitants of the refinery. Once again, Miller and Kennedy deliver amazing chase sequences and stunts -all done for real, no CG!
By 1985, the third film, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was released, and the influence of the big Hollywood studios is obvious. Tina Turner was brought in as an antagonist and performed a couple of songs for the soundtrack. The violence was also turned down for a PG-13 rating - never a good sign. Max also gets involved with a pack of wild children. It seemed calculated to appeal to a wider audience but it felt like they had lost some of the Max charm.
The franchise lay dormant for decades. Miller had considered bringing Max to TV but plans fell through. Finally, a new film was produced in 2015, Mad Max Fury Road. Tom Hardy took over the role of Max, and Charlize Theron co-starred as Furiosa. Fury Road took many elements from the previous films, but amped them up way over the top. Previous chases were almost recycled, but bigger and crazier. The marauders from Road Warrior are emulated but to almost ridiculous extent. The film was incredibly successful and it seems a sequel or prequel is likely.
If you haven't watched any of the older Mad Max films in a while, go back and check them out - especially the first two! The action sequences are still amazing.
| | | Chief Engineer Bob with Mr. Takarada at Monsterpalooza |
For our Sensor Sweep sequence, we have a memorial to the great actor Akira Takarada (1934 - 2022), who appeared in the original 1954 Godzilla, as well as many other Godzilla films including Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, Godzilla vs. the Thing, and all the way up to Godzilla: Final Wars. Our Chief Engineer Bob shares a personal story of meeting Mr. Takarada with us. We send our condolences to his loved ones.
That wraps up this episode. Thoughts on Mad Max? Please share! You can reach us here or at our other locations:
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Thanks for listening!
We're back with more talk about all the shows we've been watching. There are so many great shows out now- and so many platforms. It's hard to keep up with it all. But between the three of us, we manage to see quite a few genre shows. We'll share our thoughts on shows such as The Walking Dead, Raised by Wolves, Peacemaker, Star Trek Prodigy, Cowboy Bebop, Hellier, Servant, Tetsujin 28, Superman and Lois, and the conversation may wander into a few odd places as we go!
We also talk about what shows we are most looking forward to, which of course includes the upcoming Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Marvel's Moonknight show, the new Godzilla show on Apple TV, and numerous films too.
Our Sensor Sweep focuses on the famous Rondo Awards. Sadly, Planet 8 did not get nominated in the podcast category this year. But friends of the show Lord Blood-Rah and Mr. Lobo both got nominated for best horror host, so please consider supporting them. Chief Engineer Bob shares a few other ideas for picks. Remember to go vote before April17th. You can see all the categories here: https://rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog/
That's another episode in the can! Let us know what you've been watching!
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Thanks for listening!
This episode, your Planet 8 crew is rejoined by our good friend Lord Blood-Rah to take a long, last look at The Book of Boba Fett. The second live action Star Wars series was rather uneven, but did provide some cool moments. We'll discuss how we felt about Boba Fett prior to the series, and then dive into the details of the show.
While we varied in our interest in Boba prior to the start of The Book of Boba Fett, we all agreed that he's always been a cool looking character. Of course, he was originally designed as a new type of super stormtrooper, but budgetary concerns resulted in the solo bounty hunter we got in the original trilogy.
In the new show, we get a reborn Boba Fett, who was both intriguing and a little confusing. The flashbacks, with Boba living with the Tusken Raiders, was one of our favorite parts. But his motivations were still somewhat fuzzy.
A plethora of guest stars graced The Book of Boba Fett. Some we had seen before, others were new (at least to the screen). We talk about all of them, and how the show suddenly turned into the third season of The Mandalorian with episode 5.
All this and talk on The Clone Wars, Rebels, Rise of Skywalker, Jedi philosophy, and more! We hope you'll listen in and share your thoughts too!
We also pay our respects to special effects legend Douglas Trumbull, who passed away on February 7th. A true innovator, Trumbull created new methods and new technology for special effects, with credits including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek the Motion Picture, Silent Running, Blade Runner, and many more. His influence on visual effects cannot be over-stated. He may be gone but his contributions, his work, will go on forever.
For our Sensor Sweep, Recon Officer Karen shares a brand-new book, appropriate for this episode, The Art of The Mandalorian Season Two by Phil Szostak. This is a big, beautiful book chock full of preproduction illustrations and designs for the second season of Mandalorian. Not only do you get to see all the iterations of character and ship designs, but the texts give back story about how the creators developed their ideas. If you're a Mando fan, you'll love this big tome.
Be sure to check out LordBloodRah.com to keep up with everything his Lordship is doing! You can find links to his Nerve-Wrackin' Theater for his TV schedule, as well as his Nerve Wrackin' Auditorium for his podcast featuring old time radio horror and science fiction. His site will also point you to his Patreon and his live appearances too! It's your one-stop shop for all things Lord Blood-Rah!
As always, we appreciate your support! Let us know what you thought of The Book of Boba Fett, and what you thought of this episode. You know where to reach us:
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Thanks for listening!
This episode we are going back to one of our favorite places, a little world known as the Planet of the Apes! But this time, we're going to explore...Beneath the Planet of the Apes!
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) was the second film in the original Apes franchise, and it went down quite a different path than the first. The Planet Ape -I mean, 8 - crew, along with our special guest, Lord Blood-Rah, will discuss all the myriad details behind how the film came to be made, as well as walk through the storyline. There were a number of ideas thrown around in the initial stages of the film, which involved bringing back Rod Serling and author Pierre Boule, but none of these really stuck. It was only when British poet and screenwriter Paul Dehn was brought in that the plot solidified.
Making a sequel back then was unusual and seen as a shoddy money-grab, and Apes star Charlton Heston really didn't want to do it. He was ultimately convinced to do a cameo appearance, so a new lead had to be found, and James Franciscus, who had primarily appeared on television, filled the bill. Much of the cast of the first film returned, including Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius, Kim Hunter as Zira, and Linda Harrison as Nova. Roddy McDowall was not available so actor David Watson stepped in. James Gregory gives a notable performance as gorilla General Ursus, a role originally offered to the legendary Orson Welles!
The story builds to a confrontation between the ape military and the human mutants who live underground in the Forbidden Zone. The mutants are disturbing not only visually but for their bizarre worship of their doomsday bomb. With this film, we get a whole second culture to explore on the planet, one that in many ways is more threatening than the apes. The mutants are horrifically scarred but possess powerful mental abilities of telepathy, mind control and the ability to cast illusions. The moment when the mutants are shown praying to their god provides a massive shock moment.
The film ends with (SPOILER) Heston's Taylor pushing the final button to set off the Alpha-Omega bomb, thus igniting the atmosphere and destroying the Earth. Famously Heston and producer Dick Zanuck thought that this would prevent any more sequels from being made -a fair conclusion - but this was not the case. But that's a tale for another episode!
For our Sensor Sweep, our good friend Lord Blood-Rah updates us on his latest and greatest goings ons: check out his podcast, Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Auditorium, which can be found on most podcast aps or Anchor.fm/Lord Blood-Rah to hear old time radio horror. His weekly series, Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theater is still going with new episodes every week to be found on LordBloodRah.com. His Patreon series (Patreon.com/lordbloodrah) hosts classic TV sci fi every Friday. The big news though is that Creatures Con is coming back on August 7th in Concord, California! The show will feature horror expert David J. Skal among other guests. Check out CreaturesCon.com for more info.
That's all for now, listeners. Until next time, remember, ape shall never kill ape! But the only good human, is a dead human!
Thanks for listening!
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One of the staples of many science fiction movies and TV shows is the spaceship. Not merely a vehicle, the spaceship seems to take on a personality of its own through a combination of unique design and the way it is perceived by the characters around it. It can be home for some, or a fighting machine, but a character's spaceship often defines them. Your intrepid crew had so many ships to choose from, over the many decades of sci fi films and TV shows, we each made our own top ten lists, and then through arcane methods, pulled together a combined list from our many picks to create quite a varied group of ships.
Who made the list? What ship is our number one pick? You're going to have to listen to find out!!
But - we will say that our oldest ship is from the 1950s, a number of ships are from non-American productions, and only one pick on our list was on all three of our individual lists! So give it a listen and let us know your thoughts. We will also go over our individual lists too.
Our Sensor Sweep focuses on a Bay Area legend, John Stanley, who took up hosting Creature Features from Bob Wilkins in 1979 and continued until 1984. During his tenure on the show, Stanley interviewed tons of celebrities, and he shares those interviews in his new book, The Career that Dripped with Horror. Stanley reminisces about his times hosting Creature Features and later appearances at conventions and other shows, and has transcripts of his interviews with folks like Carrie Fisher, Mark Hammill, Christopher Reeve, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Adam West, and tons more. Whether you're a fan of Creature Features, or never heard of it, the interviews alone are worth picking this one up!
All right cadets, that's it for this go round. Make sure you keep your engines energized and your defensive shields charged.
Thanks for listening!
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It seemed to take forever to get here, but Spider-Man: No Way Home arrived right before Christmas, and it was one of the best presents any of us got this year! The Planet 8 crew loved this latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in this episode, we talk all about the movie and all the things we enjoyed. This is a spoiler-filled review, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, what are you waiting for? Go see it, and hurry on back to the podcast!
From the many interesting villains of the film, with Willem Dafoe's Goblin and Alfred Molina's Dr. Octopus foremost, to the death of Aunt May, to the appearances of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as other versions of Peter/Spidey, this movie was just packed with amazing moments and surprises. We'll do some deep dives and discuss all of this and more.
Of course, Dr. Strange is also in the film and we have to talk about his role in things and what his status is in the MCU -as well as Wong, the new Sorcerer Supreme! There're also all the implications of the multiverse rifts -where will this go in the future?
Aunt May utters the famous line, "With great power must also come great responsibility," giving Peter his guiding light, right before she passes away. Losing her gives Peter the sense of loss the other two Spider-Men have that drove them and her last words give him that moral compass he needs so much.
MJ and Ned provide Peter with support that no other Spider-Man has had. Moving forward, how will he cope without their help? And was it fair of him to not tell them who he was?
At the end of the film, Peter/Spider-Man is reset to a place much more like the classic Spider-Man in the comics: poor, struggling, very much a street-level hero, not the galaxy-spanning hero we'd seen in Endgame. No more help from Tony Stark, from now on, he has to stand on his own two feet. No Way Home feels very much like an origin story. We're excited to see where Spidey goes next!
This episode's Sensor Sweep, we want to chat a bit about our YouTube channel. Listeners we invite you to check out our podcasts on YouTube. Bob does a nice job of adding graphics to the audio. It's another way of catching the show. We also have a few special video episodes that are not part of the regular podcast, where we've discussed things like AIP films or bad Facebook purchases! If we hit 1,000 subscribers, we can do live video, which we would really like to do. Currently we are over 300 subscribers. So please consider subscribing to the YouTube channel, which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/c/Planet8Podcast
That's a wrap! Please let us know your thoughts on Spider-Man No Way Home, our episode, or anything else you want to talk about!
Thanks for listening True Believers!
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Happy holidays listeners! When we were planning this episode of Planet 8, we thought, "What says happy holidays better than Vincent Price?" This episode we celebrate the career and life of a true Renaissance Man, Vincent Price, with our special guest, Lord Blood-Rah.
Price is a legend as a horror film actor, and we will discuss some of his many films, including The Tingler, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, The Fly, House of Wax, and more. Price played a variety of roles, sometimes sympathetic, sometimes malevolent. But regardless of the role, he had a charm that won audiences over.
For many monster kids, our first encounter with Price was on television, perhaps through his role as Egghead on Batman, or even in his many appearances on shows like The Brady Bunch, Love Boat and The Muppet Show. He also displayed his wit and wisdom on game shows like The Hollywood Squares, and frequented talk shows, where his culinary skills might be on display!
Price even authored cookbooks (with his second wife, Mary), aimed at the average American family. Cooking Price-wise and A Treasury of Great Recipes were very popular cookbooks in their time, and Treasury was republished in 2015 for a special 50th anniversary edition. He loved cooking and making recipes more accessible for people.
He was also an art collector. He had a Masters degree in fine arts and had a lifelong appreciation of art, and a desire to preserve art and bring art to the public - again, making art more accessible to the average person. Today much of his personal collection resides in the Vincent Price Art museum in Los Angeles College in Monterrey Park, California.
Price also had quite a career as a voice actor. His wonderful voice allowed him to play the lead role as The Saint on radio in the late 40s. More modern listeners would recognize Price as the narrator from Michael Jackson's Thriller.
Price comes across as a fascinating, kind, and charming gentleman that we would love to sit down with, perhaps over a dinner from a recipe in one of his cookbooks, and just have a long conversation.
For this episode's Sensor Sweep, Lord Blood-Rah shares with us all his latest happenings. First up, he has a podcast, Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Auditorium, in which he hosts old time radio horror and science fiction shows, like Inner Sanctum, Lights Out and more. You can find it on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple, and more. The website is Anchor.FM/lordbloodrah. In the Bay Area, every third Saturday night of the month, he's hosting Chiller Theater at the Orinda Theater, showing classic horror and Sci fi. His regular TV series, Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theater is going into season 12! Go to the website, Lordbloodrah.com to check out new episodes and everything else going on! He also has a Patreon, where you can support what he is doing, Patreon.com/Lordbloodrah. There you can get his exclusive weekly show, Lord Blood-Rah's Cathode Zone, where he presents classic TV shows. Big news: he may have a comic book available soon!
We want to wish you all happy holidays - and best wishes for 2022!
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This episode, the Planet 8 crew talks about some of our favorite creature designs. Over the history of cinema, there have been many amazing fantasy, horror and science fiction creatures designed and put on film, and we will each cover one of our favorites. Each of these has significance as paving the way for future films, developing new techniques and pioneering new styles.
We begin with the original Planet of the Apes, and the daunting task of developing realistic makeup for the talking chimps, gorillas and orangutans. If the makeup wasn't convincing, if it didn't allow the actors to act and emote, there was no way the film could be made. But talented artist John Chambers was able to develop amazing prosthetics that were flexible enough and convincing enough to meet the challenge. Chambers had a fascinating background that enabled him to make advancements in facial prosthetics. His work certainly was a huge influence on future monster makers.
Next we cross the ocean and look at a big star, King Ghidorah! Created by Akira Watanabe for the 1964 movie Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster, it was based on many other multi-headed dragons. The design was always three heads and two tails, but early production photos show different coloring. The suit was operated by an actor in the suit and puppeteers working the heads, wings and tails. This made for a kind of frenetic movement style, which was pretty cool when you saw it as a kid! Ghidorah was active til 1972, then brought back in a new suit in the 90s, but he lost his crazy frenetic motion. In the new Legendary series, there are three motion capture actors playing each head. The actors have to coordinate their movements, but this method allows each head to have its own personality.
Our last headliner is the one and only Eighth Wonder of the World, King Kong! Kong is a fascinating case, having been portrayed now by stop-motion, men in suits, and now CGI. We look at the original film, the Toho Kong, the 1976 Kong including both Rick Baker's Kong and the ludicrous robot Kong, moving into Peter Jackson's Kong, and the latest Legendary films Kong. And who could forget the King Kong at the Universal Studios tour? Yes, we discuss him too!
There are many other classic monster or creature designs, and so we have some honorable mentions we'll reveal towards the end of the episode. Can you guess what they might be?
For our Sensor Sweep, to get into the holiday spirit, Commander Larry shares a boffo new item, the Hallmark 2021 To The Batcave! Batman classic TV series ornament. Really, it's a bit ridiculous to call this an ornament. It's more of a display piece. On the top of the ornament, we see Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in Wayne Manor, on the bat poles. Press the button and the batphone lights and beeps, the door closes up top, and a door opens in the batcave below, showing Batman and Robin descending on the batpoles. This spectacular item runs about $60 but may be hard to find. Good luck!
We hope you enjoyed this episode. What are some of your favorite creature designs? Let us know!
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Welcome all, and to our fellow Americans, Happy Thanksgiving! It's become a tradition here at Planet 8 for us to celebrate and be thankful for some genre-related franchise, and in the past, we've been thankful for Star Trek, Star Wars, and James Bond. This year, we are expressing our love and gratitude for the magnificent Marvel Cinematic Universe -the MCU! Now with 26 films and climbing, not to mention the MCU TV series, we've been blessed with a bountiful collection of films that created a rich, complex, and deeply rewarding experience for the viewers.
We'll have a conversation about our early experience with the MCU, when we first started hearing about Marvel making an Iron Man film, what we thought of it and how Marvel blew us away with that and the succeeding films.
Casting has been a big key to making the films successful, and we'll talk about our favorite castings and the ones we thought might have been crazy, but actually worked out really well.
Of course, no discussion of the MCU would be complete without going around and talking about which Marvel movies are our favorites! With so many to choose from now, it's getting harder to pick, but we do come up with a few. Amazingly, there are few MCU films that we don't like. There may be a few that we like less...but somehow they have kept a high level of quality through the series.
The crew also talks a bit about the latest MCU film, The Eternals, so if you haven't seen that film yet, be warned! And we can't neglect all the activity on Disney Plus - four series so far, and as this episode goes live, the Hawkeye series will be hitting the airwaves in a couple of days! Where else will the Marvel Cinematic Universe go? We can't wait to see.
For the Sensor Sweep, Bob shares information about a book by his friend Norman England, Behind the Kaiju Curtain: A Journey onto Japan's Biggest Film Sets. This book is a personal record of Norman's experiences while he wrote for Fangoria and was able to visit the sets of a number of kaiju films in a professional capacity. He met many of the actors and crew on the films and the book gives you an intimate look at what went on in the Japanese film industry in the 90s. If you like kaiju films, this is a must-read! Ask for it at your local bookseller, or get it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
That's all for us this time. Listeners, we are also thankful for you! We appreciate you listening to us, commenting, subscribing, contacting us on Twitter and Facebook. It's great to feel a sense of community forming around Planet 8. We hope that you and yours are safe and well.
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Come with us on this episode as we ponder...what would it be like to be the last human being on Earth? How would a person cope with the loneliness, the despair? We look at a trio of films all based on a story built around this concept, Richard Matheson's classic 1954 novel, I Am Legend. Matheson's story took the classic vampire legend and gave it a modern, pseudo-scientific twist, with the vampires created by a bacterial plague, leaving one man, immune, struggling to survive.
After Bob provides some background on the novel, we dive into the first film adaptation, 1964's Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price. Matheson wrote the first draft of the screenplay but eventually withdrew his name from it after a number of other writers came in later and altered it. However, it is still the most faithful version to the book. It's certainly the one that retains the horror aspects the most. The black and white film gives it a ton of atmosphere, and Price provides a strong performance as the deeply depressed Robert Morgan (not Neville, as he was named in the book and the other two films). Having Morgan's former neighbors, now turned into pseudo vampires/zombies stand outside his house at night groaning, "Morgan!" is pretty chilling.
By 1971, the concept turns into an action/sci fi vehicle for Charlton Heston, called The Omega Man. This version differs markedly from the original Matheson story. Heston plays Colonel Robert Neville, MD, a military man and doctor, who was working on a vaccine to a biowarfare agent unleashed in a war between China and the USSR. Unfortunately, Neville is the only one to receive the experimental vaccine before most of the world succumbs to the disease. The survivors are mutated into strange albinos who can't stand daylight, and develop a science-hating cult (The Family) led by a former newscaster, played by Anthony Zerbe. During the day, Neville goes around killing The Family where he can find them, and taking whatever food, clothes, cars, etc., he wants. This film features a love interest -Rosalind Cash as Lisa - and is notable for the obvious Christ analogy at the end of the film. It's a big ball of cheese, but entertaining.
The property was moved around Hollywood for a while, with Ridley Scott and Arnold Schwarzenegger attached for a length of time. But the third version was released in 2007, titled I Am Legend, starring Will Smith. This film took many of the ideas of the book, but followed Omega Man's action packed style. Once again, Smith's character is both a military man and a doctor, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Neville, an Army virologist. He is the only survivor of a plague that has wiped out mankind, with the few survivors turned into wild cannibalistic mutants who can only come out at night. Neville, with his dog Sam as his only companion, hunts the mutants during the day, sometimes capturing them to experiment on them, still searching for a cure. The Planet 8 crew all agrees that we had a hard time sticking with this film once the CGI creatures appeared - it's a shame such bad CGI basically ruined this film.
Of course we will compare and contrast the movies, discuss what elements they have in common, how they differ, and what we thought worked best. It's fascinating to have three films, from different decades, all working from the same source material. Each is a product of its time. And what would a new adaptation look like?
For our Sensor Sweep, fittingly, Karen shares her soundtrack CD for the Omega Man -it's Omega Man 2.0 Unlimited from Film Score Monthly. This version has a whopping 18 tracks, for 64 minutes of amazing music from Ron Grainer. It's a fantastic, memorable 70s score. Put it on the next time you're cruising around Los Angeles!
That's it for us this time. Be sure to share your thoughts with us about the many versions of I Am Legend.
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It's almost Halloween, so of course, all October, the Planet 8 crew has been watching scary movies! Of course, we tend to watch scary movies all year long, but it's a little more concentrated this month, and we focus a little more on certain films this time of year. This episode we discuss what type of films get us in the "Halloween spirit" ! If you're looking for ideas for things to watch leading up to Halloween, tune in!
For Chief Engineer Bob, it's all about spooky films with a comedic twist. Some of the films he likes to watch to get into a Halloween mood include the Don Knotts classic, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, Munster Go Home, and of course, Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. Another great scary yet humorous film to watch is John Landis' An American Werewolf in London.
Recon Officer Karen always starts with the Universal Monsters, and this year it began with Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, which has the creepiest opening of any Universal monster film. Next up was Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, which never fails to entertain. She'll be moving on to the Hammer films, in particular the Hammer version of The Mummy. She also watched some John Carpenter movies, The Thing and Prince of Darkness.
Commander Larry has been showing his wife Jasmine a lot of films she's never seen before, but more on the lighter side. One of these was The Monster Squad, which is still entertaining and has some great updated designs for the classic monsters. He also had some Hammer films on his list, including the Hammer Phantom of the Opera.
Of course we divert and digress and discuss Phantom of the Paradise, Phantasm, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Milpitas Monster (really, we swear), and many others!
For the Sensor Sweep, Bob came across an unusual Blu-Ray -Night of the Animated Dead, an animated version of the classic Night of the Living Dead. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a stinker. The animation is just not very good. It's also basically a shot for shot recreation of the film. So this is our first trick, not treat, sensor sweep!All right, friends, that's all this time around. We wish you all a safe and fun Halloween! Let us know what movies you're watching.
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It's that time of the year again - no, not National Pizza Month! It's October and that means it's time for Halloween! If you're like the Planet 8 crew, you're pretty much celebrating Halloween all the time, but October gives you permission to do it publically. With us on this episode is friend of the show, host of Cinema Insomnia, Mr. Lobo! In this smorgasbord of an episode, we'll talk a little about the roots of the holiday, how it changed over the years, and then we share our own childhood Halloween memories of favorite costumes, trick or treating experiences, and so much more! We may wander off topic a bit, but we think you'll be entertained!
Unfortunately we couldn't find photos of all the childhood costumes we discussed, but we will share a few other pictures.For our Sensor Sweep, we throw it open to Mr. Lobo, and he is a busy man! This month he'll be hosting three pop up drive in shows at the Vintage Cafe, on the 8th,15th, and 22nd in Paradise, Pennsylvania. He's been holding live Twitch streams on Saturday nights at 9 pm EST and does Q and A. He's working on a new Cinema Insomnia episode, featuring Rick Sloane's The Visitants. OSI74 is his streaming channel and you can see episodes of Cinema Insomnia there along with a ton of other cool stuff. There's also a YouTube channel for Cinema Insomnia with 60 episodes available to watch. If you haven't seen Mr. Lobo, be sure to check it out!
That's all for this time. We'll be back with more Halloween fun in a couple of weeks!
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Come with us listeners, back to the mist-shrouded 1980s, when hair was big and the Walkman was king, and sword and sorcery films were abundant. Why were there so many sword and sorcery films in that decade? Perhaps it was the lucky convergence of a number of things: the rise in popularity of Dungeons and Dragons, the prevalence of fantasy art such as the Hildebrandt Brothers, Boris Vallejo, and of course, Frazetta, the Marvel Conan comics, and other factors. While there were a number of terrible movies produced in the genre during this period, there were also some excellent or at least entertaining ones. Your crew will be discussing six of their favorites.
Excalibur (1981) is a John Boorman film, and it looks absolutely beautiful. A retelling of the Arthurian legend, it has a dreamlike feeling, in an England that is moving from a magical realm to one ruled by Christianity. Highlights include Nichol Williamson as a very otherworldly Merlin, and a fantastic soundtrack that features classical music including Wagner. It is well worth seeing if you haven't!
Highlander (1986) is something that started as a good idea, but suffered in the execution. Immortals scattered across the globe must battle until there is only one left -"There can be only one." When an immortal kills another immortal they gain the energies of that person and all the people they have killed. It had nice production design and an interesting cast that included Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, and Clancy Brown, but the story is lacking in parts. Still, it has its high points.
Krull (1983) is an odd mix of science fiction and fantasy, with a Prince on a quest to save a Princess from an invading alien known as The Beast. He gathers a rag tag band of thugs, sorcerers and even a cyclops to help him on his rescue mission. He also acquires a magical weapon called the Glaive, which is essentially a large throwing star that always returns to his hand. Clearly influenced by Star Wars as well as fantasy films, Krull is definitely cheesy, but fun.
Dragonslayer (1981) has what is still one of the best-looking dragons in all of cinema history, Vermithrax Pejorative. The film follows a young sorcerer's apprentice who tries to rid a village of a terrible dragon. This was a Disney production and featured work by ILM and Phil Tippett. The dragon was animated with Tippett's Go Motions process, and full-size pieces were also used (and a World War II flamethrower was used for the dragon's breath!). This is a cool and unique film well worth seeing.
Conan the Barbarian (1982) is probably the premiere sword and sorcery film of the 80s. Nothing quite says sword and sorcery like Conan. Directed by John Milius and with a story from Oliver Stone, this film has a very hard, almost nihilistic edge. Conan sees his parents and village slaughtered in front of him as a child, is chained to the "wheel of pain" from adolescence into young adulthood, forced to become a gladiator, and freed to find his own way, in which he seeks revenge. It's hard to imagine anyone other than Arnold Schwarzenegger playing the Cimmerian. He was perfect for the role. The film also has terrific production values. It just looks like a fully realized world. The battles are exciting and most of the time it actually is Arnold in those scenes -they couldn't find a stunt man to double for him! If you haven't seen it, or it's been a while, check this out.
Conan the Destroyer (1984) was the follow up to the first film and unlike the first film, this one was PG. It's obvious they wanted to reach a younger audience, but Conan loses some grit because of this. The production design also suffers some in this film. Still, there's much to enjoy, as this is a more straight-forward adventure where Conan builds a band of adventurers to obtain a magical item for a queen who offers to bring back his lost love, Valeria. Go into this one with reduced expectations and you'll probably get a kick out of it.
We know there are many other sword and sorcery films from the 80s and we have certainly left out one of your favorites. Feel free to let us know what movie you would include on your list of favorites.
For our Sensor Sweep, we have a completely unrelated item that Engineer Bob is excited about: the Godzilla pinball machine! Stern Pinball has partnered with Toho International to produce a line of Godzilla pinball machines. Godzilla and his kaiju allies fight off invading monsters like Ghidorah, Gigan, and Megalon. Players can also interact with the machine using a QR code reader. There will be three versions -pro, premium, and limited edition - and they will range from $6,899 to $10,499. So if you got the dough -check out this link: https://sternpinball.com/game/godzilla/
That's all this time. Send your missives to us at our various locales:
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Welcome listeners to our latest episode, where we review the latest Marvel Studios film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings! In this spoiler-filled episode, we'll discuss the comics that formed the basis for the film, the kung fu films that influenced and shaped it, and how it ties into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Plus, there will be the usual nonsense that you've grown accustomed to.
Created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin back in 1973, Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, was on the leading edge of the martial arts craze. Inspired in large part by the ABC TV show Kung Fu, Englehart and Starlin developed the idea of the noble Shang-Chi, who rebelled against his father, the villainous Fu Manchu, who had trained him to be a living weapon. Premiering in Special Marvel Edition 15, Shang-Chi took over the title and had a long successful run for many years. He would frequently show up in other characters' titles as well, such as Spider-Man and Iron Man. He was always a street-level character, using his martial arts skills to fight bad guys in stories with more of an espionage tone.
The film takes the basic idea -an idealistic hero whose father is a criminal overlord - but very little of the comic book background remains. Despite this, it's highly enjoyable. It borrows heavily from Jackie Chan films at the beginning, but then moves on to take more of a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon approach. Much of the movie's strength comes from its characters. Shang-Chi, as portrayed by Simu Liu, is very likeable and has a sort of everyman quality, despite turning out to be a master of kung fu. The actor actually does many of his own stunts and fight scenes. Awkwafina plays Shang-Chi's best friend, Katy, who provides some comic relief as well as a stalwart friend to go on his journey. The ever amazing Michelle Yeoh appears as Shang-Chi's aunt and quite a martial artist herself. And a major surprise to us, Ben Kingsley makes a return appearance as Trevor Slattery, the besotted actor who played the Mandarin in Iron Man 3. He has some of the funniest scenes in the movie, and they don't feel gratuitous or over the top.
The titular ten rings, which in the comics were actual rings that the Mandarin wore on his fingers, are arm bands here. These rings can be used in a variety of ways, which is shown by the different ways that Shang-chi and his father use them. His father tends to use them solely for destructive purposes. Shang-Chi is much more creative in how he uses the rings. Certainly the rings give Shang-Chi a power level far beyond what he has had in the comics. Based off the mid-credits scene, they may have a significant history in the MCU.
There were a couple of very interesting cameos in the film too. Wong, from the Dr. Strange films, and the Abomination, from 2008's Hulk, are seen battling in the fight club. There are so many questions! It seems like they are working together to make a little moola. How did that happen?
Of course, we also saw Bruce Banner and Capt. Marvel. And we do mean Banner, not Professor Hulk. So what happened to him? How did he turn back into Banner? Will we find out in the She-Hulk series on Disney Plus?
The film is a story about family, about revenge, and redemption. Like most Marvel films, it is these elements that make it so relatable. The end sets things up for the possibility that Shang-Chi could be fighting against his sister. We will see. In any case, Shang-Chi appears to be ready to take on a bigger role in the MCU as phase 4 moves forward.
For our Sensor Sweep, Karen has a big honkin' book to share: the Master of Kung Fu omnibus volume 1. This hardback collection of Shang-Chi stories includes his first appearance from Special Marvel Edition 15 up through Master of Kung Fu 37, and includes Giant-Size Master of Kung Fu 1-4, Giant-Size Spider-Man 2, and Iron Man Annual 4. This is a great way to get your Shang-Chi fix! You can check for it at your local comic shop, or check out Amazon.
We also wanted to "catch up" with everyone. So we shared a little about what we have been doing. Bob had been busy with Godzillafest the last few weeks. He held back to back weekend events in August. You can go to Bayareafilmevents.com and check out the Video section to see what was going on! He also helped out with a turtle rescue by helping set up a turtle shelter in his backyard for a bunch of turtles.
Karen plugs her appearance on her friend Billy D's Magazines and Monsters podcast, dropping this September 16th. She and Billy will discuss the classic 50s sci fi film, It! Terror from Beyond Space, thought by many to be one of the main inspirations for Alien. Besides his podcast, Billy also has a blog site, https://magazinesandmonsters.com/, where he also reviews comics and monster mags. Be sure to check it out!
Last but not least, Commander Larry journeyed to SiliCon in San Jose. It was greatly reduced in attendance due to Covid this year, but still entertaining. He also gives a shout out to the Seven Stars Bar and Grill, which is looking for a new location. Finally, Larry has high praise for the new LaLa Land recording of the Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan soundtrack, as well as the Inglorious Treksperts podcast on the soundtrack.
So there you have it - a review and a little news from Planet 8! Feel free to share some thoughts and news with us!
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On this edition of Planet 8, we take a look at the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. Spanning six decades, Hitchcock's career began near the end of silent films all the way into the 70s, and encompassed television as well. He was probably the first film director that the general public recognized, due to his larger than life personality and his consistent use of suspense and fear in his films. Hitchcock would push the envelope with both camera techniques and with how far he would push the mores of the day.
We'll discuss a number of his films, including Rope and the illusion of the single camera take. Also Rear Window, and the amazing set that was constructed of Jimmy Stewart's neighborhood, and the sense of claustrophobia that was created. There's also To Catch a Thief, which Bob sees a precursor to the Bond films. This time Hitchcock went on location and we get wide open vistas.
Then there's Vertigo, which many believe is Hitchcock's masterpiece. The crew had some disagreement over whether Jimmy Stewart's character suspected that Kim Novak's character was actually his old flame or not. If he did know, it would make his obsessive behavior a little easier to take. But watch it and decide for yourself.
North By Northwest is another favorite for many, with Cary Grant as a man in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's got great actors, humor, and Mount Rushmore too!
But in 1960, Hitchcock delivered what might be his best-known, and perhaps most shocking film, Psycho. Based on a story by Robert Bloch, this tale of murder and a boy who loves his mother a little too much was a hit with the public when released. We talk about the film and especially the Bernard Herrmann score. Herrmann worked with Hitchcock on many of his films, but this score is especially memorable.
And who could forget The Birds? This film has an almost apocalyptic feel, as ordinary birds suddenly begin attacking people. Shot in Bodega Bay, California, the beautiful, peaceful landscapes are juxtaposed with the chaos of the birds' violent and inexplicable attacks. It's an amazingly effective film, which has no music, only bird sounds in the soundtrack. And no happy ending -it's ambiguous as to whether the menace is over. There's also some classic shots in this film, like when a huge flock of birds slowly appear behind Tippi Hedren, or the birds-eye view shot of the town and the gas station on fire. It's great work by the master.
There are so many other great films by Hitchcock -Strangers on a Train, Frenzy, The Man Who Knew Too Much - but we only have so much time. Do yourself a favor and check them out! We wish we had time to go over the television show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, but that will have to be saved for another episode!
For this week's Sensor Sweep, Karen shares something completely non-Hitchcock related! Who says we have to make everything match? We're back to Star Wars! It's a great new book called Secrets of the Force: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized, Oral History of Star Wars by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. This huge tome covers the entire history of the Star Wars films as told by the people who made the films and others who are affiliated with them. These authors have previously done some terrific books on the oral history of Star Trek that were just a joy to read. If you are a Star Wars fan and want to delve deep into the behind the scenes history, this is the book for you!
That's it for us this time around! Please let us know your thoughts on anything we discussed this episode. You can leave comments here, or hit us up and our other haunts:
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This episode we have a rather odd combo for you: two animated series that couldn't be more different! We'll start with Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal, the story of a caveman and his dinosaur companion in a savage primordial world, and then we'll switch gears and look at the latest Star Wars animated series, The Bad Batch, which follows a squad of clone troopers after the fall of the Republic.
Primal follows the adventures of Spear, a caveman, and Fang, his dinosaur companion. Both of them lost their families and so have bonded. So far there have been ten episodes. It's definitely not for kids - there are extremely gory, bloody battles with no punches pulled. But the stories are interesting and run from pure adventure to way out fantasy. Primal sets itself apart from many shows in that there is no dialogue in the show - Spear, the caveman, has no language and communicates only in grunts and shouts. The story is conveyed via the action and the interactions between the characters. The show also uses color very well to establish mood. Hopefully there will be a new season later this year.
The Bad Batch follows Hunter, Tech, Echo, Wrecker, and Crosshair - Clone Force 99, aka The Bad Batch. This group of "defective" clones goes on the run after the end of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. The series fills a space in the Star Wars timeline and rather than focus on the Skywalkers or the Jedi, looks at things from the perspective of the clones, who were being replaced by the stormtroopers -recruits from around the galaxy, rather than clones grown to serve the Empire. There's been some strong episodes and some not so strong ones, but overall, it's provided some great insights to this era of Star Wars.
There are a ton of other animated shows out now or about to come out, and we'll throw around some thoughts on them too. Between all the movies, live action, and animated shows, there's a ton of media for geeks right now!
Before we get to the Sensor Sweep, just a reminder that there are two, count 'em two, Godzillafests coming your way this month in the San Francisco Bay Area. At the Balboa Theater in San Francisco, August 20-22, they'll be featuring King Kong Crashes Godzillafest, with special guest Linda Miller, from King Kong Escapes and The Green Slime. They'll show a ton of movies, including the original Kong, King Kong (1976), King Kong Escapes, Kong: Skull Island, and a smattering of Godzilla films. On the weekend of August 27- 29, it's Legendary Godzillafest, featuring the Legendary films, as well as the Millennium series, and special guest will be motion capture actor T.J. Storm, who played Godzilla. Bob will be on the radio talking about Godzillafest, along with Ms. Miller and Mr. Storm, on August 16 on radio station KFJC 89.7FM with Rob Emmett at 6 pm pacific time (you can also find them online).
Commander Larry has an appropriate Sensor Sweep - it's Masters of the Universe Mini Muglets available at Walmart. They are two-ounce ceramic shot glasses from Geek Tikis. It features four muglets in a plastic container that looks like Castle GreySkull. What better to accompany your viewing of He-Man: Revelations?
That's all for this episode. What animated shows are you watching? Let us know!
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Finally, the Black Widow movie has been released! It's been delayed over a year, but now it's out in the theater (as well as on Disney Plus), and your intrepid crew has made the journey back to the theater to check it out. In this SPOILER-FILLED review, we'll share our thoughts on the film and how it works with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a bonus, we also discuss the Disney Plus series Loki, which takes the villain/anti-hero through an adventure that has major implications for the rest of the MCU.
Black Widow takes place between Captain America: Civil War and Infinity War, and provides a glimpse into Natasha's life before she became an Avenger. On the run from Thunderbolt Ross, Natasha winds up returning home after her long lost "Sister" contacts her, and she learns that the Red Room program that turned her into an assassin is still operating.
The Planet 8 crew discusses what we liked about the film, the performances, the little bits of connective tissue to other MCU films, and so much more. This film introduces some major characters, including Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, aka the "other" Black Widow, David Harbour as the Red Guardian and the villain Taskmaster, whose identity is rather controversial. If nothing else, it was a great spotlight for Scarlett Johansson and a good send off for the character.
The Loki TV show was a mixed bag for the Planet 8 crew. Certainly Tom Hiddleston did a wonderful job in providing us with a Loki of real substance who goes through extensive character growth. The story itself was complex and with the timestream fractured, should feed directly into Spider-Man: No Way Home and Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. What other Marvel properties might we see come out of this? Phase 4 looks to be full of surprises!
Our Sensor Sweep brings us some great shows coming to the Bay Area. In August, there will be two Godzillafest shows at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco. On August 20-22, it will be King Kong Crashes Godzillafest, with a number of King Kong kaiju films as well as many Godzilla films, and special guest Linda Miller from King Kong Escapes. Then on August 27-29, it's Legendary Godzillafest, featuring many Legendary Godzilla films, with special guest TJ Storm, motion capture artist who played Godzilla. Both weekends will have vendors with tons of goodies. And there will even be a show t-shirt. Go to Bay Area Film Events to get all the info about tickets, what movies are going to be shown, and more!
We'd love to hear your thoughts on Black Widow and Loki! Did you go to the theater to see Black Widow? Was it your first time back in the theater? Let us know how you felt about the movie and your experience. As always, leave a comment here or hit us up at our other locales:
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To our American listeners, a belated happy 4th of July! As we celebrate our country's independence, we thought it appropriate to celebrate that all-American hero, who fights for truth, justice, and the American way -Superman! The Planet 8 crew revisits the classic 1978 Superman movie, which promised that we would believe a man could fly. And we did indeed! Actor Christopher Reeve remains iconic as the Man of Steel in this light-hearted film.
As always, we'll discuss the cast and crew, how the film came together, and our feelings about the film, from when we first saw it and now. Although Reeve was an unknown when cast as Superman, he was surrounded by an all-star cast, with actors such as Marlon Brando as his Kryptonian father, Jor-El, Gene Hackman as villain Lex Luthor, Ned Betty as Luthor's henchman, Otis, Glenn Ford as Pa Kent, and Jackie Coogan as Daily Planet editor Perry White. The cast absolutely makes the film, with Reeve and his utter sincerity in the role essential to selling it.
There's also a wonderful chemistry between Reeve and Margot Kidder as Lois Lane -although we could all live without Lois' "Can you read my mind?" segment! But the two actors are absolutely charming together.
The effects in the film are a mixed bag, but the most important effect -Superman's flying -still holds up and gives us a thrill. The way Superman flies in the movie is graceful and majestic -truly beautiful, and Reeve again is the element that clinches it, the way he moves his body and hands as he flies. Of course, the music also gives it a lot of oomph!
Speaking of music, who could forget the grand John Williams score? The Superman theme is unforgettable! Williams' soundtrack here is every bit as good as his work on Star Wars or Jaws or anything else from his catalog.
There's a reason that this film, even 40 plus years later, continues to show up on favorite super-hero film lists. It's just a fantastic film. As we prepare to release this episode, it has been announced that director Richard Donner has passed. He truly deserves so much credit for the success of Superman. He was greatly loved and respected by his cast and crew. Rest in peace.
For this episode's Sensor Sweep, Commander Larry shares the Hasbro Stormbreaker, Thor's hammer/axe. This thing is crazy! It's full size, about 4 feet long, and makes a racket! It also lights up. If you feel the need to be a thunder god, or fear you might have to protect yourself against a mad titan, go online and pick one up.We hope you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to tell us about your first time seeing Superman. How do you feel about the movie today? As always, you can leave comments on the site, or go to our other hangouts:
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Arguably the best of the Star Trek film franchise, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan remains an important and highly rewatchable entry in the franchise. It took the films into a more action-oriented direction, giving the audience a movie with both personal stakes and dazzling space battles. Director Nick Meyer got the very best out of actors William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and Ricardo Montalban, creating an intense struggle between our Enterprise crew and the twisted superman, Khan - despite the fact the rivals Kirk and Khan never share a scene physically together. Your Planet 8 crew is delighted to revisit this film on this episode.
We'll start with a quick look back at the classic Trek episode Space Seed. Beginning with the original story (where the Khan character was called Harold Ericson) and the changes to the script, we talk about how this episode developed and how it wound up influencing producer Harve Bennett to use it as the basis for the second film.
Moving to the film itself, we examine how that script evolved, and how it was necessary to keep the budget low. The film is essentially a "bottle show," with the action taking place mainly on the two ships (the Enterprise and the Reliant), which was actually the same set, redressed. Yet because of the excellent pacing and the suspense, it never feels claustrophobic or small.
There are many themes in the film, but foremost is the theme of aging and mortality. All of the cast had obviously grown older, and seeing our Captain having to struggle with middle age was striking, making him more human, and perhaps more sympathetic. Meyer said the secret to getting a great performance out of Shatner was essentially to tire him out; his first takes were always "big", so Meyer would make him do it over and over until he got bored!
But without a doubt, it is Ricardo Montalban's performance that steals the show. After years of doing Fantasy Island, even Montalban wasn't sure if he could carry off the role. But director Meyer worked closely with Montalban and elicited an amazing performance from him. And yes, that's his real chest!
Of course, you can't discuss Star Trek II without talking about Spock's death. At the time, it felt devastating to fans. It was beautifully done, but even now, it's heartbreaking. Does knowing that he returns in ST III diminish his sacrifice when watching the film now? We also ponder what Trek might have been like if it had moved forward without Spock.
We close out with some thoughts on Star Trek: Into Darkness - it ain't pretty!
For the Sensor Sweep, Karen shares two books, both by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, called The Fifty Year Mission: The First Twenty Five Years, and The Fifty Year Mission: The Next Twenty Five Years: From The Next Generation to J.J. Abrams. These dense tomes are an oral history of the Star Trek franchise, as told by the writers, directors, producers, actors, and everyone else involved! They are highly entertaining and pretty much required reading if you are a Star Trek fan. You can find them on Amazon, or from other fine book sellers.
That's all for this episode. What are your feelings about Wrath of Khan? Have they changed over time? Let us know, either here, or at our other hangouts:
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A disaster movie - in space! That was the original premise for what eventually became 1979's The Black Hole! Disney's first foray into sci fi, and its first PG rated film, The Black Hole is a strange mix of adventure, gothic horror, sci-fi, and kiddie camp. The Planet 8 crew is once again joined by our friend (and yours), Lord Blood-Rah, to dissect and discuss this unusual Disney film.
We get into some of the background on how the film came together, and the obvious influences from Star Wars. We also take a look at the crew and cast - which was rather eclectic, including everyone from Psycho's Anthony Perkins, Ernest Borgnine, voiceovers by Roddy McDowall and Slim Pickens, and Academy Award winner Maximillian Schell. The director, Gary Nelson, had done Freaky Friday for Disney, but that certainly doesn't seem like preparation for an effects film like this one!
The tone of the film is wildly uneven. Are they trying to give us a serious, epic film like 2001, a scary film, a kiddie movie? Despite some of the issues we have with the film, there are some things we did enjoy. The overall design of the production, which can be credited to Peter Ellenshaw, is excellent. The Cygnus spaceship is a mammoth structure and looks amazing. The visuals of the black hole itself are also incredible. We also liked the shock of discovering the zombified crew on the Cygnus - that was a truly chilling moment. We get a bunch of robots in this film, from cutesy ones like V.I.N.C.E.N.T., voiced by McDowall, to Dr. Reinhart's evil robot, Maximillian, who is one of the baddest robots around. And there are some thrilling moments with an asteroid collision, although it made very little sense!
The film also features a score by John Barry, best known for his work on the James Bond films, and the soundtrack might be a highlight. Interesting fact: this film and Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which also came out in December 1979, are the last two films to feature an overture at the beginning of the film.
Probably the main thing anyone who has seen the film will remember is the ending, because it is just so bizarre. Apparently, the film-makers didn't have an ending when they were shooting the film. They put together the ending we have, with its Biblical connotations, because...well, no one knew what to do! So you can interpret the ending however you please. But it was certainly unexpected for a Disney film!
The Black Hole is now available for viewing on Disney Plus. If you haven't seen it, or it's been a very long time since you've seen it, give it a look. This is definitely an unusual offering from Disney, and a real artifact from the 70s.
Just for fun, we discuss how we would do a remake of The Black Hole. Disney, are you listening?
This episode's Sensor Sweep turns the spotlight on Lord Blood-Rah. Coming this August 7th, he will be hosting the Universal Monster Party at the Orinda Theater in Orinda, California. This will be a celebration of the 90th anniversary of the classic Universal monster films, and they will show Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolfman. Also present will be author and film commentator David J. Skal and film host John Stanley. There will be vendors and a costume contest, as well as an after-party. Tickets are available at Creaturescon.com. Tickets will be limited, and may sell out, so order soon! Our friend Lord Blood-Rah has also been nominated for the Horror Host Hall of Fame! We wish him the best of luck with that well-deserved honor.
Let us know what you think of this episode, and of The Black Hole. Did you see it as a kid? Have you seen it since? What do you think? Let us know, either in the comment section here or at our other locations:
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That's right, this time on Planet 8, we take on that ugly mutha f#@%! -The Predator! An iconic creature design, and a classic original film, your crew takes a look at not only that first film, but the maybe not so great films that followed!
The 1987 Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, is one of the great sci fi action films, but the Predator itself went through many changes before we got the amazing alien hunter we see on screen. We'll go through all the mis-fires and how we eventually got the brilliant design from legendary Stan Winston and his team. Of course, you have to bring the suit to life, and we can't forget the portrayal of the Predator by the late Kevin Peter Hall. He gave the Predator a real sense of intelligence and personality.
The first film also featured a very entertaining cast as the special crack team of commandos. Besides Arnold as the leader, Dutch, there was Jesse Ventura, Bill Duke, Sonny Landham, and Carl Weathers. This strong set of characters contributes to the enjoyment of the film, so that the viewer is glued to the screen even when the Predator is not around.
Predator moves from action film to sci fi to horror and back around again, but does it flawlessly, with perfect pacing, keeping the suspense going in the early parts, right up to the final battle between Dutch and the Predator. It's hard to find fault in this film. Even Alan Silvestri's score is perfect!
However, the subsequent cinematic appearances of the Predator have never measured up to the first one. Predator 2, with Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, Maria Conchita Alonso, and Bill Paxton, was set in Los Angeles in 1997 (released in 1990) and featured a new predator hunting in the sweltering city. While it's still fun seeing the Predator, it just isn't as interesting as the original. The cast doesn't gel as well. But there are some cool bits, especially towards the end when Glover faces the Predator and enters his spaceship.
The further we get away from the original, the more the quality suffers. AVP -Alien vs. Predator - seems like a sure fire concept, but it was a bit of a mess. AVP:Requiem -well, we didn't even rewatch it! 2010's Predators is somewhat entertaining, but we all agree, Adrien Brody was miscast as the tough special forces guy. It had some nice variations on the basic predator design though. But the worst of all the follow ups was 2018's The Predator - there are stories that this film was heavily rewritten and edited, but even so, good lord, what a terrible film.
While not an official Predator film, a flick we do love is the short film Batman: Dead End, which features the Dark Knight versus both Predators and Aliens. You can see it here on YouTube.
Will anyone ever be able to make another truly terrific Predator movie? What would it take? Is it just a limited concept? What do you think?
For our Sensor Sweep this time, Recon Office Karen shares one of her beloved pieces from her collection, her Sideshow Legendary Scale Bust of the unmasked Predator. This was produced in 2011 and is still available from certain stores and on eBay. It's about 16" high and has all the fine detail we've come to expect from Sideshow. So if you're a big fan of the Predator, you might want to hunt it down!
That's all for this time. Let us know what you think of the different Predator films, and what we discussed in this episode.
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Welcome all to Planet 8's third anniversary episode! Yes, we have been doing this insanity for three years now. We thought the best way to celebrate would be to tackle the biggest question we could think of: what are the ten best science fiction films of all time?
Through an arcane process which we describe in the episode, we devised a list of ten great science fiction films. Now these are not necessarily our favorite films, but the films which we think are the most influential, most impactful, unique, and had artistic and/or technical achievements which set them apart.
It was surprising to us which films we agreed upon, and which ones only one of us selected. But there were just so many great films to choose from. It was very difficult to cut some films, or choose between certain films in a series.
We also noted that all of our selections fell between the 1950s and 1980s. Maybe it has to do with giving a film time to build a legacy. Or it could be we're just old farts who prefer older films!
If you want to be surprised by what films we chose, then skip over the section below. Otherwise, proceed!
Planet 8's Top Ten Science Fiction Films of All Time
10. Robocop
9. Tie - Predator and Empire Strikes Back
8. War of the Worlds (1953)
7. 2001: A Space Odyssey
6. Forbidden Planet
5. The Thing (1982)
4. Alien
3. Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
2. Planet of the Apes (1968)
1. Star Wars
We're sure this list may inspire some debate -we know it did with us! While these are all fine films, you can make an argument for where they should be positioned in the list, or if other films should take their place in the top ten. For some more insight into our thought processes, here are our individual lists.
Bob's List
- Forbidden Planet
- War of the Worlds (1953)
- Alien
- Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
- Star Wars
- Planet of the Apes
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
- The Thing (1982)
- Blade Runner
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Karen's List1. 2001: A Space Odyssey 2. Star Wars 3. Empire Strikes Back 4. Planet of the Apes 5. Alien 6. The Thing (1982) 7. The Matrix 8. The Thing (1951) 9. Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) 10. Quatermass and the Pit
Larry's list1. Star Wars 2. Planet of the Apes 3. Predator 4. Robocop 5. Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) 6. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 7. The Thing (1982) 8. Blade Runner 9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) 10. Forbidden Planet
What about the films we left off? Hard choices had to be made. Of course, we love Logan's Run but had to admit it was not top ten material. And no Star Trek films on the list? Sadly, it's true. We would really like to hear from you about what you would put on your top ten - again, not your favorites, but what are the best? Send us your thoughts and we will follow up on them in a future episode.We've covered a number of these films we're talking about. If you'd like to go back and listen to those episodes, check these out:War of the WorldsAlien2001: A Space OdysseyPlanet of the ApesThe ThingThis makes us realize that there are many more films that we need to cover! No danger of running out of material here on Planet 8.
Seeing as it is our third anniversary, we want to send out a special thanks to all of you who have been following the show. We didn't know we were going to be doing this for three years, but they have just flown by! We're still having a blast, and most of that is due to you listening and contacting us. So we hope you'll stick with us and continue on along the journey!
You also have one week until Bay Area Film Event's Godzilla's Monster Bash at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco. On May 14-16 they will show ten classic Godzilla films, and there will be vendors and guests! It should be a great event, so if you're in the area, be sure to come out. You can get more info and tickets at http://bayareafilmevents.com/godzillafestThis wraps up our episode. Let us know what you thought. Leave a comment on the site, or you can contact us at: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
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Remember: Klaatu Barada Nikto!*
What's that buzzing past your shoulder? A tiny fly? How annoying! Now imagine that you and that fly have somehow become inextricably joined, with you taking on the traits and even the physical aspects of the insect. This is the horror of The Fly, both the original 1958 film and the 1986 remake. On this episode we explore the concepts and stories of The Fly films, including the later sequels of the original film. We are joined once again by our good friend and honorary crew member, Lord Blood-Rah!
The original film was based on a short story that appeared in (of all places) Playboy magazine. A scientist experimenting in teleportation accidentally merges himself physically with a fly in a failed experiment and gradually loses his humanity. The film largely follows the short story. Vincent Price stars as the brother of the scientist, in a rare sympathetic role. David Hedison (billed as Al Hedison) plays the scientist, driven to perfect teleportation, but tragically doomed by his own ambition. Your Planet 8 crew discusses the the film in detail.
Naturally we compare it to the 1986 Jeff Goldblum remake. Obviously the David Cronenberg-helmed 1986 film was much more grotesque, focusing on body horror, on the absolute degradation of the transformation. But it is also a love story, with Geena Davis playing the romantic interest. Certainly there's a lot going on in the film that speaks to fear of what can happen to us and our bodies that is timeless.
There's also a lot of plain goofing around in this episode too, but hey, what did you expect?
This episode's Sensor Sweep is from Chef Engineer Bob. Appropriately he shares the book, The Fly at 50, from Bear Manor Media (it's readily available at Amazon). Everything you want to know about the making of this sci-fi classic is in this book.
Bob also reminds us that there's still time to get tickets for Godzilla's Monster Bash at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco, held May 14-16. Ten classic Godzilla films will be shown. Go to http://www.bayareafilmevents.com/godzillafest for more info.
Lord Blood-Rah starts season 11 of his Nerve Wrackin' Theatre on May 7th. The season kicks off with the Karloff classic, The Ghoul. Go to http://www.lordbloodrah.com/ to find the best way to see Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theatre. Also, Lord Blood-Rah's Patreon is going strong, and at the $10 level you get access to Lord Blood-Rah's Cathode Zone. There will be a special giveaway for Patreon members on May 1st.
Karen made a guest appearance on our friend Billy Dunleavy's podcast. Magazines and Monsters. Billy covers sci fi films and Silver, Bronze, and Copper age comics. Karen and Billy reviewed an obscure British sci fi film from the 60s called The Unearthly Stranger.
Bonus: Commander Larry and Chief Engineer Bob will appear on the May 1st episode of Creature Features! Shown on KOFY TV in the Bay Area, you can go to Creaturefeatures.TV, or find them on ROKU, or YouTube. The film for that episode is The Manster.
Once again, thank you listeners for joining us. Be sure to share your thoughts about The Fly -any and all versions!
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast This episode is dedicated to Trixie
It's here, the first really BIG movie of 2021: Godzilla vs. Kong! Whether you saw it at home on HBO Max or caught it in an actual theater, this definitely felt like the first real event film of the year. Your intrepid Planet 8 crew all saw the film as soon as it was out (some of us staying up into the wee hours of the night) and are here to share our thoughts and impressions on this latest entry in Legendary's monsterverse.
Be prepared for SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
The question everyone is asking is, whose side are you on? And our team was divided. Commander Larry and Chief Engineer Bob are long-time Godzilla devotees, while Recon Officer Karen is a fan of the big ape. But despite our differences, we were able to come together and talk about how we enjoyed this film. And we did enjoy the movie! It's a huge popcorn movie, full of a lot of crazy pseudoscience, a lot of callbacks to older films, and some really exciting monster battles. Although we might at times be nostalgic for the men-in-suits eras, there's no denying how fantastic the CGI looks in this film (and its predecessors). And we get to the action pretty quickly.
This movie is sort of like a supreme pizza: it's just got everything sprinkled all over it. There's a trip to the Hollow Earth, swimming Godzilla, evil businessmen, a giant ape wielding an axe, crazy conspiracy theorists, ape sign language, and ...Mechagodzilla! It's best if you just sort of turn off the critical thinking part of your brain and relax when you watch. But there's still a lot to wonder about. Who built the amphitheater in the Hollow Earth? Will we eventually see aliens in a Legendary film? What monster will we see next?
Maybe the best thing about Godzilla Vs. Kong was how excited we all felt about watching a movie again. In some ways, it felt like a bit of a return to normalcy. We hope the movie does well and that we get more entries in the series.
In other news, on our YouTube channel, we reached 100+ subscribers -thank you very much! - so you can now access our videos by going to YouTube.com/Planet8podcast. If you haven't caught our latest video episode on American International Pictures with Lord Blood-Rah, please head on over and check it out. And let us know what you think!
This week, our Sensor Sweep starts with a memorial to Cleve Hall, "The Monster Man." As we recorded this episode, we had just heard of his passing. Cleve had made monster suits and make-ups for innumerable films and projects. Cleve was known for being very approachable at shows and was a true fan himself. The community is poorer for his loss.
In brighter news, Chief Engineer Bob's Bay Area Film Events will host Godzilla's Monster Bash at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco on May 14-16. There will be 10 Godzilla films, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Mothra, and the 50th anniversary of Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster. If you're in the area - or even if you're not - order your tickets and come have a great time!
All right folks, that's it for now. Let us know what you thought of Godzilla vs. Kong by leaving a comment here, or contacting us at one of our other sites:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast So long from Monster Island!
Join us for an all new video episode, where the crew and special guest Lord Blood-Rah discuss the amazing films of AIP, American International Pictures!
The first Marvel TV show on Disney + has completed its run -Wandavision! Like everyone else, your Planet 8 crew was glued to their screens, watching the show and trying to figure out what was going on! There were so many rumors and theories put forth by fans that it was hard to watch without any preconceived notions. And the sitcom veneer was unusual, and at first was a bit off-putting, but as we made our way into the show, we all came to really enjoy it!
Just a warning: as usual this post and episode is SPOILER-FILLED, so proceed at your own risk!
Once again, Marvel has taken some deep comic book history and woven it into a TV show, which is impressive enough. Hey, we never imagined we would see these characters in live action! But then, the show took on a bigger topic of grief and depression, which was totally unexpected. The way the show managed to portray Wanda's suffering over the loss of her brother and the Vision was truly moving.
It was also just great to see more of Wanda and the Vision, two characters we liked but didn't get to see a lot of in the films. Here, the events revolve around them, although at first we're not really clear about what's going on. The mystery is part of the fun of watching the show. We also were pleased to see a number of other characters show up, like Darcy and Jimmy Woo.
Of course new characters were introduced too, most notably Monica Rambeau and Agatha Harkness. Monica seems destined to go on to super-herodom, whether as Photon or Spectrum, remains to be seen. Agatha is still around and it wouldn't be a surprise to see her show up again. Besides, she had the best theme song!
We also have a new version of the Vision, the white Vision, running around. Where will he show up next? And what will he be like? Will he and Wanda get together again?
So many questions! It's the mark of a good show that we are left wanting more. Wandavision has just left us more excited for Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as well as Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and all the other Marvel projects to come.
Before we get to the Sensor Sweep, we'd like to once again thank you listeners, for nominating Planet 8 for the Rondo Awards for Best Multimedia Site. It's an honor to be nominated for a second time for this award, which is voted on by the fans. We would be so grateful if you would consider going the final distance and voting for us in Best Multimedia Site. There are also many other categories you can vote in, such as Best Horror Host, where our friends Lord Blood-Rah and Mr. Lobo are both nominated. Check out the Rondo Award site here for details on how to vote. Note: unlike what we said in the podcast, you can only vote ONCE!
For this episode's Sensor Sweep, Commander Larry shares a truly mammoth tome, The Stan Lee Story published by Taschen. At a huge 11.5" by 17" and 17 pounds, this book is not only a testament to Stan the Man, it's a commitment! Written by rascally Roy Thomas, it covers Stan's life and is stuffed full of art and photos. If you have the dough -and it's a wallet-busting $200 -then it can be yours. You can buy at the Taschen site, Amazon, or check your local bookseller.
All right folks, we hope you enjoyed our discussion of Wandavision and the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Please let us know your thoughts on the show and beyond. Once again, thank you for listening and supporting Planet 8!
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On this episode we will go where no one on Planet 8 has gone before: we will review Star Trek Discovery! Once again, we are joined by our good friend, horror host extraordinaire and Star Trek aficionado, Lord Blood-Rah, as we look at all three seasons of Discovery and discuss our overall impressions of the show. A lot of times we are mostly in agreement about shows; in this case, we range widely in our perceptions of Discovery! Who likes Discovery? Who doesn't? Listen and find out!
We'll look at how Discovery fits -or doesn't fit -into Star Trek canon, and what the move 1,000 years to the future means. There are many unique elements to Discovery -things like the spore drive, Michael Burnham being Spock's sister, new alien races and new characters. Fans seem to either love them or hate them. Does Discovery work being set in the past, or would it have been better to set it in Trek's future?
Lord Blood-Rah brings up the fact that it was originally conceived as an anthology show, similar to how American Horror Story has worked. Would that have made for a more interesting show? Focusing on a new story, with a new crew, every season, would have made for a very different type of Star Trek show. Would that have been a better direction to go?
Each season of Discovery has certainly been different, since the show is serialized and follows one storyline per season. The first season we got the Klingon war and the Mirror universe, the second season was about the Red Angel, and the third season was the jump to the future and 'The Burn.' Does Star Trek work well as serialized TV, or is it better as episodic TV, maybe with just some short story arcs?
Like most Star Trek fans, once you get us going, the discussion goes all over, as we talk about lumpy headed Klingons vs. flat-headed Klingons, the Enterprise series, Orion slave girls, and more. If you're a Trekker, Trekkie, or however you identify in your Trek fandom, you'll be right at home.
Following our Discovery discussion, we share our thoughts on the recent news that Fry's Electronics was going the way of the dodo. Fry's were always fun and amazing to venture into, with their various themes -especially the Burbank, California one, with its sci fi B-movie theme. Be sure to share with us your memories of going to Fry's.
For the Sensor Sweep, Lord Blood-Rah can reveal what he only hinted at last time around: he has started a Patreon! For the $5 level, you can get a newsletter with upcoming events, and a signed photograph. But for $10, you get that, a geek certificate, AND access to a new weekly show, Lord Blood-Rah's Cathode Zone! The show will feature sci fi and horror TV shows from the golden days of TV. Check out Lord Blood-Rah on Patreon !
Late-breaking news: Planet 8 has once again been nominated for the Rondo Awards! Thank you, listeners, for getting us our second nomination. We are thrilled! To take it all the way, we kindly ask that you vote for us for Best Multimedia Site (category 19) here. Instructions are on the webpage. Thanks again for listening and for sending your comments to our website, or our other locations:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
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In this SPOILER-FILLED episode, your Planet 8 crew, plus our special guest, Lord Blood-Rah, explore the HBO mini-series, Lovecraft Country! We will discuss the show from top to bottom, so if you haven't seen it yet, you may want to check it out and then come back! But if you have already watched the show, grab a beverage, get in a comfy chair, and join us for a wide-ranging convo!
The show is based off a book by Matt Ruff, but as we note, it is based loosely on that novel. Both the book and show take inspiration from the strange works of author H.P Lovecraft, probably best known today for creating the bizarre elder being Cthulhu and its ilk. It's come to light that Lovecraft was a racist, and by using his works as a background for telling a tale about the racist, segregated America of the 1950s, and making the protagonists African American, it really turns the Lovecraft milieu on its ear. It's a fascinating combination of fantastical horror and real-life horror - as Commander Larry points out, do you run from the monsters or the people?
The show is beautifully made - the production values are amazing. It's also more than a little gory, which was too much for Recon Officer Karen! But much of the gore is in service of allegory. We'll discuss how Lovecraft Country uses allegory in ways similar to Twilight Zone. Social injustice has always been a concern of fantasy and science fiction and this show continues that tradition powerfully, by looking at not only racism, but also sexism and sexuality.
It manages to incorporate many real world elements, such as the Tulsa Massacre, the Emmett Till trial, and more, which makes it feel so very relatable. The characters too, are well-drawn, with good qualities and flaws, achingly human. The leads, Jurnee Smollett and Jonathan Majors, bring Leti and Atticus to life. As the series goes on, we really get to know them and understand why they are who they are. Considering they only have 10 episodes, it's tremendous work.
We'll talk about the most shocking moments in the show -and there were many! This is a show heavy in imagery. It sticks with you long after the episodes are over. We all got freaked out by those spooky little girls from the episode "Jig A Bobo"! We'll also go over some of our favorite moments in the show. There are a lot of magical, even beautiful moments and we really enjoyed that aspect of the show as well.
Apparently HBO plans to make a second season, so we look forward to that, although we're a little perplexed about what direction it might go! Perhaps a time jump to the 1960s?
For our Sensor Sweep, we turn to our guest, Lord Blood-Rah, to discuss his many projects! Unfortunately there are still no live shows right now, but fingers crossed, Creatures Con is planned for August 8th at the Crowne Plaza in Concord, California. This year's show will be celebrating 90 years of the Universal Monsters! David J. Skal, author and audio commentator, will be the con's special guest. Season 11 of Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theatre will be going into production. You can go to the site to find out where you can watch or stream the show. Soon our good Lord will have a new weekly show coming exclusively to Patreon, so keep your ears open for that. And hey, Lord Blood-Rah will be joining us for our next episode, to talk about Star Trek Discovery!
That brings us to a close this time. Let us know what you thought of Lovecraft Country. Did you enjoy it? Did it make you think? What do you think season two will be about? As always, you can leave comments here on our site, or reach out to us at our other locations:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
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