Planet 8 Podcast

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!
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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:
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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: 
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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.
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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:
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It's Star Wars, not A New Hope!

Episode 134: Planet 8 Rides The Horror Express!

As many of us are experiencing a very chilly winter, it seemed appropriate for us to do a deep dive on "Horror Express," a 1973 film set in a very cold environment, a train on a journey through Siberia! This classic 70s horror film features legends Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, this time, teamed up against the evil creature, and also features Telly Savalas, yes, Kojak, as an over-the-top Cossack captain. 
While often mistaken for a Hammer film, this was actually a Spanish/British production. A one sentence description of the movie might be "Murder on the Orient Express meets The Thing." Lee's scientist brings the fossilized corpse of a missing link on board the train - but it harbors the essence of an alien entity who reanimates the corpse and goes on a murder spree. The cast also features characters right out of Clue, with a Russian Count and Countess, a slinky spy, an engineer, a police inspector, and a Rasputin-like monk. It's at turns creepy and funny, but always watchable.
In our Sensor Sweep, Commander Larry shares his newest acquisition, Chekov's Enterprise, Walter Koening's journal of working on Star Trek The Motion Picture. He also shares Creatures magazine (thanks Jenny!). Finally, he has a humongous Mothra statue from Mondo. Check it out on our YouTube channel! Bob has picked up the late David J. Skal's book, Halloween: The Making of America's Darkest Holiday. He also has a comic, Godzilla Rivals: Jet Jaguar vs. Megalon from IDW, with a cover by Lenny Romero, who has been an artist at the Bay Area Film Events  Godzillafest. This issue is only available online. Bob's hat trick is a book that collects the magazine Fantastic Monsters. Recon Officer Walker shares the graphic novel Star Trek and the Planet of the Apes: The Prime Directive by the Tipton brothers and artist Rachel Stott. It's a fun story that captures the spirit of both franchises.
That's all for now. Share your memories of Horror Express with us at one of our spots:
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“Monster? We're British, you know!"

Episode 133: Planet 8 witnesses the final Battle for the Planet of the Apes

This episode marks a milestone for us: with this, we complete our look at the original five films in the Planet of the Apes series. While Battle for the Planet of the Apes may not be the finest entry in the series, it does have its moments. We are once again joined by our good friend and Ape-aficionado, Lord Blood-Rah, to examine the film and share recollections about Battle. We'll discuss Paul Dehn's original, wildly different script treatment for Battle, the budget limitations, the amazing actors (Paul Williams and John Huston?!), the many divergences from the original timeline, and so much more. We love talking Apes, anytime, anywhere!
Before moving to our Sensor Sweep, we want to note the untimely passing of author and horror historian David J. Skal.  Mr. Skal was killed on January 1 in an automobile accident. He was an insightful writer and video commentator, and a generous and kind person who made fandom a better place. He will be missed. 
Our Sensor Sweep has picked up Lord Blood-Rah's signals! You can find his show on the Nostalgia Network, and his podcast, the Nerve-Wrackin' Auditorium, Captain Paxar's Star Cadet Hour, and Nerve-Wrackin' Theater are all at YouTube.Com/LordBloodRah.
The Planet 8 crew talks about the Monarch show, The Invaders, and maybe even the Lawgiver? Check it out.
That's it for us. We want to thank our friend Lord Blood-Rah for joining us again, and all of you for listening! You can share your thoughts with us at any of our usual spots:
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“Ape shall never kill ape"
 
 

Episode 132: 2023 -the Year in Review

The end of one year and the start of a new one often leads to a period of reflection, and your Planet 8 crew is not immune to this. In this episode, we'll look back on 2023, specifically, the genre-related films and TV shows of the year and what we thought of them. All in all, it was not a standout year for the genre, but there were still a few gems to be found. We'll discuss the good, the bad, and the butt-ugly, all in this episode.
Since we are also just past the holidays, we'll use our Sensor Sweep to go over some of the goodies Santa left for us. No lumps of coal for this group! But quite a few wonderful videos, books, and paraphernalia.
That's all for this episode. We're excited about what we have planned for this year! In fact, you might say, we're going APE! So hang around - we'll be back in two weeks!
What were your best/worst of 2023? You can share with us at our various locations:
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“You do not find the happy life. You make it.”- Benjamin Franklin