Planet 8 Podcast

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.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/planet8podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/Planet8podcast
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!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/planet8podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/Planet8podcast
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.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/planet8podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/Planet8podcast

Episode 138: Factions of Fandom

You know what they say: it's a thin line between love and hate. And it seems like this is especially true in fandom. Nowadays, more often than not, fans of different long-standing franchises are taking to their keyboards to complain, in the strongest terms imaginable, about the things they supposedly love! Your Planet 8 crew dives into this phenomenon to try to understand what's going on.  We start with Godzilla and the rift between the fans of the Japanese Godzilla films and the Legendary/Monsterverse films. This year, we got two Godzilla films AND even a tv series (Monarch) but boy, were there a ton of unhappy fans! We'll look at what the complaints were and talk about our own feelings on this.
But this sort of love/hate isn't just found in Godzilla fandom. We'll move on to other beloved franchises, such as Star Trek, Star Wars, Marvel, and more. Why is the dislike so extreme? Is it just because of social media? Is it similar to the extremism we see in politics as well? The crew puts on their thinking caps to debate this heady topic!
In our non-divisive Sensor Sweep, we all share some things no one could complain about. Karen shares the massive MCU Reign of Marvel Studios book, which is a must-read for anyone who has enjoyed the MCU films. Larry shares his old Eaglemoss model of the Nostromo from Alien. He just dug it out as he has been unpacking. You need to hop onto our YouTube show to take a look at this beautiful model!
But the big news is that Bob's Bay Area Film Events is going to host not one, but two Godzillafest events! Go to Bay Area Film Events for all the details. This is the 70th anniversary of Godzilla, so big stuff is happening! First, from July19-21st, at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco, is Godzillafest featuring a ton of films! Then, in September (dates to be determined), a full-blown Godzillafest convention will take place at Japantown in San Francisco! You won't want to miss it! Stay tuned for more info.
Thanks for listening! Are you in a love/hate relationship with a show? Let us know!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/planet8podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/Planet8podcast
It's craaaaaap!!!
 

Episode 137: Hangin' with Jeff Wehenkel

It's a joy to make friends with fellow geeks, and even more wonderful when you discover that they have amazing talents. Some are artists, some make masks, some do make-up or create costumes, some are sculptors - and then there's Jeff Wehenkel, who does all of these and more! Jeff is a true renaissance geek! Heck, we even found out AFTER the podcast recording that he's done special effects on movies! He's done so many other things, that didn't even make the show. Besides all of his make-up work, he's made masks, is a member of the 501st Legion, and had his own tiki mug line, Bootiki -you may have seen his Creature from the Black Lagoon and other horror-themed mugs. We talk about all of this with our incredibly accomplished guest.
In our Sensor Sweep, everyone has a little something to share. You may want to check out our YouTube site to see some of the goodies, especially some of the fabulous masks that Jeff has made. Also, Jeff and partners are starting a model company, Danger Island Models, and the first model they are producing will be Caroline Munro's character, Mariana, from the Golden Voyage of Sinbad. Keep your eyes peeled for an announcement soon. You can find Jeff on Instagram as bootikijeff.
The Planet 8 crew is pleased to be nominated for Best Podcast again for the Rondo Awards! Thanks to all of you who nominated us. Voting ends April 16th, so please cast your vote before then. You can find all the categories at https://rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog/ but you can vote for as many or as few as you like. We would appreciate your vote!
That's it for us. We hope you  enjoyed this episode. Please continue to send us messages at any of our sites below:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/planet8podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/Planet8podcast
We'll be back

Episode 136: Harryhausen: Black and White Beginnings

It's about time we revisited the legendary Ray Harryhausen and his amazing films. We previously focused on Harryhausen in episode 20! This time around, we specifically look at the first four films that Harryhausen created the effects entirely by himself. These films were also the only films he made in black and white. We'll discuss the films in chronological order, and then reveal which of the four films we liked the most.
The four films are:
1. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
2. It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)
3. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)
4. 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)
Rewatching these films, we can't help but be overwhelmed by Harryhausen's artistry. Even in black and white, his work transports the viewer to a realm where fantasy and reality blur together, and for just under 90 minutes, dinosaurs, sea monsters, and aliens seem completely real.
Let us know what you think about these early Harryhausen classics. Do you have a favorite?
Of course, we also do a Sensor Sweep and share some exciting books, figures, and even LPs! It's all here at Planet 8.
That's it for this time around. You know where to find us: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/planet8podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/Planet8podcast
Planet 8 -now in Dynarama!
 

Best of Planet 8: All about AIP, American International Pictures

The dreaded deadline doom has struck once again! Due to issues beyond our control, we need to present a previously released episode. However, this episode was one of our first video episodes! We teamed up with Lord Blood-rah to discuss the wide-ranging films of American International Pictures, or AIP! This was never released as an audio episode before. So please, sit back and enjoy, and we'll be back soon with a new episode.
Please share your thoughts with us at any of our social locations:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/planet8podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/Planet8podcast
Thanks for listening!

Episode 135: Star Wars in '77

 
Take a trip with the Planet 8 crew back to 1977, when an amazing new sci fi film premiered, a film like nothing we had ever seen before -a little movie called "Star Wars!"  It's hard to recall now, but at the time, when it came out, it was revolutionary. It was a phenomenon, and it was also-all we had! There was no Empire, no Return, no TV shows or book series, it was just one film. And we loved it.
We'll talk about everything from how we first heard about Star Wars, through our experience of seeing it the first time, to what made it so special back then. We really sent ourselves back, at least mentally/emotionally, to that time to capture what it felt like when Star Wars was new. It's easy to forget now, but it truly was a special time.
For our Sensor Sweep, Bob and Karen will share a number of Star Wars related items...Larry, not so much! Listen in for some fun stuff.
That's it for now. We'd love to hear your Star Wars experience - you know where to go:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/planet8podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/Planet8podcast
It's Star Wars, not A New Hope!