Planet 8 Podcast

Episode 144: The Invaders land on Planet 8!

Finally! You've heard us mention it time and again, but we've done it: we're going to discuss and dissect that classic 1960s show, The Invaders!
What is it about The Invaders that makes it so memorable? It only had 43 episodes. It wasn't put into syndication. So how has it persisted as a sci fi icon?
It's a fantastic story of one man's battle to reveal the truth, to save mankind from total destruction. It's about paranoia - who can you trust? Who is an ally, and who is an alien? And it's also fantasy, with effects that are still pretty darn cool.
We'll talk about how The Invaders came to be, what made the show great, and why we think it didn't get more seasons. We hope if you've seen The Invaders, you'll enjoy this trip back. if you haven't seen it, we hope we've encouraged you to seek it out!
For our Sensor Sweep, we start with Chief Engineer Bob, as he shares an X-Plus Godzilla 1991 artist version figure. It's a big Godzilla figure! Also, Godzillafest is coming up September 13-15th! It's going to be absolutely amazing! Go to Godzillafest.com to find all the details. Since we talked about the Invaders, Karen shares a book about one of UFOlogy's best-known figures, Dr. J. Allen Hynek, titled The Close Encounters Man, by Mark O'Connell. It's a great read. Finally, Larry shared his Alien Face-Hugger from Neca -it's life sized but you have to supply your own slime. He also showed a new acquisition, or re-acquisition, from Sideshow, of the Wolfman vs Frankenstein's Monster. 
Did you watch The Invaders? What are your memories? Let us know!
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A Quinn Martin Production!

Episode 143: Deadpool and Wolverine - Has Marvel turned the page?

We're back, and yes, we're talking about Marvel again. We've skipped a few of the Marvel films and TV shows, because frankly, we haven't been all that enthused about them. But the latest MCU effort is different. Not only did this film bring Deadpool and Wolverine into the MCU, it was also a sort of love letter to the Marvel Fox films of the past. Don't listen to this episode unless you've seen the film, because it's going to be SPOILER-FILLED!
While we varied in our levels of appreciation for the film, we all agreed that it was fun seeing Deadpool and Wolverine put together in this adventure. There's a real chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman and they are entertaining to watch. 
There were also numerous cameos from actors from many other Fox Marvel films and these were a real blast to see. It seemed like they were trying to give the Fox characters a final moment of glory. 
The story itself is lightweight- don't look too closely or you might look right through it. But between the fights, the cameos, and the sheer excitement of having Wolverine in the MCU, this movie feels like a move in the right direction.
We'll also discuss some of the Marvel news coming out of San Diego Comic Con, primarily the Fantastic Four movie and the announcement that Robert Downey Jr is going to play Dr. Doom (what?).
For the Sensor Sweep,  Karen shares two Planet of the Apes books. One is a collection of short stories, Planet of the Apes: Tales from the Forbidden Zone, which is highly recommended! The second collects the novelizations of Conquest and Battle, as well as 2001's Mark Wahlberg remake. Bob got a cool Creature from the Black Lagoon bust from his friend Mark Thompson! Bob has been very busy with Godzillafest, which was a huge success. But it's not over yet! The Godzillafest Convention is coming up September 13,14, and 15th in the Japan Center Mall in San Francisco. There will be films, guests, vendors, and cosplay! Go to Godzillafest.com for more info. Finally, Larry shares some of his missing treasure -his Lala Land Star Trek CDs! He also had his Creature from the Black Lagoon full scale bust (there seems to be a theme here) completely repainted by friend of the show Jeff Wehenkel. It had been smoke-damaged in the fire, but now looks beautiful.
That's it for now. Let us know what you thought of Deadpool and Wolverine, and the rest of the Marvel news. Is Marvel on the way back?
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Suck it, Fox! I'm going to Disneyworld!

Episode 142: Road to the Apocalypse II

BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT!
OK, maybe you didn't demand it, but it's here: our sequel to episode 13's Road to the Apocalypse, from all the way back in November 2018! This idea has been gestating in Commander Larry's mind for some time, and now it's here. We jump back on the strange tram that carries us through various apocalyptic films and face the challenges of surviving them. How would you handle an invasion by giant ants? Or deadly gladiators in a dystopian world? Larry runs us through a bunch of scenarios, with unpredictable results!
For the Sensor Sweep, we discuss what shows we're watching, and share some new stuff they got. Karen got a couple of birthday gifts from Larry: the Star Trek Book of Friendship, and the Marvel Comics Mini-Books set! Bob is moving ahead with the Godzillafest convention, coming in September, so stay tuned to Godzillafest.com for more news! Bob also picked up a Speed Racer Funko Jumbochan via a lottery! Finally, Larry also has a Funko figure to share: a Funko figure of the Tall Man from Phantasm! Who knows where we will put all these things.
We hope you enjoyed our trip through various dystopias and apocalypses (apocalytpii?). We'd love to hear your thoughts about your favorites in these categories. You can always reach us at the following places:
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I heard you were dead....

Best of Planet 8: Episode 78: You Will Believe a Man Can Fly: Superman

NOTE: This summer has become a very busy one for your Planet 8 crew, and unfortunately that means we must bring you another "Best Of" episode, but it's a fun one from July of three years ago, as we took a look back at 1978's Superman! We hope you enjoy it.
 
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.
 
 
 
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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Up, up, and away!!!!
 

Episode 141: Getting to Know Your Crew

We've been doing this podcasting thing for over 5 years now, and we thought it might be fun to share a little bit about ourselves.  Reconnaissance Officer Karen has devised a questionnaire that will reveal the "inmost selves" of Mission Commander Larry and Chief Engineer Bob. But these questions are all focused on the stuff we all love - sci fi, horror, and fantasy films and TV shows! After we're through, you'll know more than you ever wanted about this crew. And you can play along - what would your answers be?
In our Sensor Sweep segment, Karen shares two  blu rays she got from Shout Factory recently, The Abominable Snowman and Curse of the Werewolf.  Larry shares a Bigfoot stein from Munktiki, and Bob talks about the Cybot Godzilla he purchased from X-Plus. We will also chat a bit about Robodoc, The Acolyte, and other recent genre happenings.
Thanks again for tuning in. We appreciate your support! Feel free to share your answers to our Planet 8 questionnaire. You can do so at the sites below:
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Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...
 

Episode 140: Roger Corman, King of the B Movies

Once again, we are joined by our friend and horror host extraordinaire, Lord Blood-Rah, this time to pay tribute to the late producer/director, Roger Corman. The legendary Corman passed away this last May 9th. He left behind an unparalleled portfolio of films over a huge range of genres, all made quickly, efficiently, and on the cheap! Corman had a system for getting a film made fast and getting every ounce of value out of every resource he had. Despite the meager budgets of his films, he often brought unexpected artistry to them. He also had his finger on the pulse of the young theater-going public and made films that appealed to them. 
Your Planet 8 crew and Lord Blood-Rah discuss the life of Roger Corman, how he got his start in movies, some of the characteristics that make a Corman movie, the many actors, directors and other Hollywood luminaries who got their starts with Corman,  and our favorite Corman films. We hope you'll enjoy our tribute to the King of the B Movies.
In our Sensor Sweep segment, you can learn about where you can find Lord Blood-Rah (hint: check out lordbloodrah.com), Bob has more news about Godzillafest (there are two big shows, in July and September!), Karen shares an X-Men Dark Phoenix trade paperback, and Larry has another book, Crab Monsters, Teen-Age Cavemen, and Candy Stripe Nurses, which is all about Corman films. It can be hard to find, so good luck if you're interested in it!
That's it for now. Let us know your thoughts on Roger Corman and his incredible catalog of films.
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One of the worst things you can do is have a limited budget and try to do some big looking film. That's when you end up with very bad work. -Roger Corman

Episode 139: What a Wonderful Day! Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

We just can't get enough of those apes! We've done retrospectives on all five of the original Planet of the Apes films, and now, we are finally looking at a brand new Apes movie! Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has arrived to much hoopla - but how did your Planet 8 crew feel about the film? Listen and find out!
We will say that we did not unanimously agree on the film.  But that's all right - differing opinions can lead to some interesting conversation. And we hope that's what we've delivered!
We'll also discuss how the new film connects to the Caesar trilogy, and even the originals. There are many elements in this film that connect, if not directly, then thematically with things that have come before in POTA. 
Kingdom is definitely taking POTA in a new and interesting direction, and we're (mostly!) excited to see where it goes.
We also chat about different shows we've been watching - there are so many genre-related series, both past and present, to binge! There's a little bit of insider talk about the podcast, and an unannounced segue into the Sensor Sweep, which includes a strange soundtrack album from the 70s, a Christopher Lee Sideshow  figure, a Lawgiver tiki mug, a Bad Ape glass, several Godzilla x Kong popcorn buckets, an Ultraman Z figure, and a special issue of Variety featuring Space Battleship Yamato. And don't forget to keep an eye out for Godzillafest at bayareafilmevents.com.
Thanks for listening! What did YOU think of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes? Let us know!
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What a wonderful day!!

Best of Planet 8: Something about The Thing

It's happened again: unfortunately, the real world has gotten in the way and we were unable to produce a new episode. But never fear, we are bringing you one of our favorite episodes from April 2019, "Something about the Thing," which explores the different films based off the John Campbell novella, Who Goes There?   We hope you enjoy it. Next time, we'll be back with a new episode looking at the latest Planet of the Apes film.
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