Planet 8 Podcast

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.
Please share your thoughts with us at any of our social locations:
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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
 

Episode 131: Christmas with Karloff

Once again, the Planet 8 crew is graced by the presence of our good friend, the insightful Lord Blood-Rah, as we celebrate Christmas with Boris Karloff! Well, maybe not with Karloff in person, but his spirit is certainly with us. Obviously, Karloff's voice work on the holiday classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, is unforgettable (and makes our holiday connection). But there's so much to celebrate and explore in this man's career. 
Come with us as we take a trip through time to learn more about the man behind the Monster - who was Boris Karloff? How did he get his start? Besides his work in horror films, what else did he do? We'll get to as much as we can!
The Sensor Sweep is pre-Christmas, so no big presents just yet. But we still have some cool stuff to talk about. Lord Blood-Rah has a ton of cool stuff going on. To catch him on TV, you need to get the Nostalgia Network. It's on Roku, Sling, or you can go to WatchNOST.com to find a place. Otherwise, YouTube is your best bet for Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve-Wrackin' Auditorium, Nerve-Wrackin' Theater, or Captain Paxar's Star Cadet Hour. Find out more and get news about upcoming appearances at http://www.lordbloodrah.com/ .
It may not be Christmas yet, but Bob has a bunch of goodies to share. For this episode, he referenced a book he's had since grade school: Karloff: The Man, The Monster, The Movies by Dennis Gifford. He also managed to snag the steel book editions of The Mandalorian Seasons 1 and 2 at Best Buy. And on top of all that, he's got the Ultraman novelization by Pat Cadigan. Ho ho ho!
It's a blast from the past -sort of. After delays getting her stereo, Karen finally got the newly remastered versions of The Beatles' Red and Blue albums. These versions have additional songs and especially on the Red album, have mixes that really bring out the richness of the Beatles performance.
The last part of our show turns into a discussion of the documentary, A Disturbance in the Force, which is about the infamous Star Wars holiday special. Both Lord Blood-Rah and Mission Commander Larry bring this up. This special is on blu-ray and Apple TV. The whole crew joins in about this strange admixture of variety shows and Star Wars. And of course, the usual discussion of genre news...
Hang in til the end for a bit of Boris singing!!
We want to wish all of you a very happy holiday season. May the coming year bring you joy, peace, and prosperity. Thank you for listening to our show.
We'd love to hear from you!
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"The Monster was the best friend I ever had." - Boris Karloff
 

Episode 130: WTF MCU?

For at least a decade, it seemed the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) could do no wrong. But since Avengers: Endgame, the movies and TV shows coming out of the MCU have been very hit or miss. Some fans are saying that the MCU is over, others are still hopeful. Your Planet 8 crew takes some time to discuss two recent MCU productions, The Marvels and Loki season 2, as well as discuss our overall thoughts  on Phase 4 and 5 (so far).  We'll talk about what's gone right, and what missteps have been made,, as well as what we'd like to see in the future. 
The Sensor Sweep has a bit of a Marvel flavor too, as Larry shares a book he used for researching this episode, The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline. Karen recommends Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe, if you can handle the truth! Just to be different, Bob shows off his Alien Christmas shirt! Bob and Larry both sing the praises of Godzilla Minus One and the Monarch TV show. 
Be sure to tune in in two weeks for our special Christmas episode, Christmas with Karloff! Featuring special guest, Lord Blood-Rah!
That's all for now. Thanks for listening!
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Excelsior!