Planet 8 Podcast

Episode 126: Birth of the Vampire

Vampires! These undead fiends have been a part of folklore for centuries, but they were born on the silver screen back in the age of the silent movie. In this episode, as an early Halloween treat, we explore three films based on the greatest vampire of them all: Dracula! The evil Count from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel was brought to life in a trio of films spanning from 1922 to 1931 that continue to enthrall viewers. 
Bob will introduce us to Nosferatu, a silent film made in Germany and released in 1922. This adaptation did not have legal rights to Dracula and had to rename its characters, with Dracula getting a name change to "Count Orlok." This vampire is not at all an attractive gentleman but rather a pointy-eared, bald, and fanged freak. Nosferatu has generated some classic imagery, so even if you've never seen it, you've probably seen pictures from it.
We move on to the classic Dracula from 1931, with the legendary Bela Lugosi. This is the film most folks think of as "the original" Dracula. Certainly Lugosi put his stamp on the character (although you can definitely make an argument for Christopher Lee).  Whenever you see a stereotypical portrayal of Dracula, it tends to be based on Lugosi. This version has wonderful atmosphere. Lugosi is what really sells it though; his Dracula is both charming and menacing. There's nothing sympathetic about this Universal monster though!
Our third and final Dracula is one that is seldom mentioned, except by true monster kids - it's the Spanish version of Universal's Dracula, filmed at the same time as the Lugosi version, but featuring a different cast, and made by a different crew. At that time, studios sometimes made Spanish-language versions of films to capitalize on foreign markets. This particular film was mostly a legend, until it was released in DVD and Blu Ray editions in recent years. Some viewers have stated an appreciation for this film, and even declare it better than the Lugosi film; you'll have to be the judge of that. Your Planet 8 crew has an opinion and we share it!
Moving on to our Sensor Sweep, we talk a little about what we're watching (Ahsoka!) and share a few goodies we recently bought, or may have just been looking at again. Bob has a new book called A Ring of Fear by Norman England, which collects his Fangoria articles on Japanese horror films. Karen shares a book she used to research this episode, Universal Horrors, by Tom Weaver and Michael and John Brunas. It's a great dive into the classic Universal horror films. Larry got a subscription to Scary Monsters magazine from his friend Dennis Brown! What a good friend. Larry also shared his Super 7 super soapies featuring the Universal Monsters.
We hope you enjoyed this look at early Dracula films, and maybe you're thirsty for more?? Good, because our Halloween episode will continue our look at vampires with more modern films!
Share your thoughts on Dracula, vampires, Count Chocula, and more -
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The blood is the life!
 

Episode 125: We Want to Believe: The X-Files Seasons 1 and 2

Listeners, this episode has been a long time coming. We have wanted to do an episode on the X-Files practically since we started Planet 8 over five years ago. But we had a number of starts and stops, initially thinking we could just jump in and discuss it, then realizing we needed to break it up and then planning to do seasons 1-4, then we had the break due to Commander Larry's unfortunate house fire, and we finally regrouped and settled on what you have here, which is a discussion on the creation of the show and seasons one and two. That was more than enough!
The X-Files was always about belief, the need to have something to believe in, the difference between belief and faith, and the search for truth. This underlies every episode in one way or another. 
Although The X-Files was famous for its rich "mythology" episodes which focused on the conspiracy to keep extraterrestrial activity secret, the non-mythology episodes offered just as many intriguing stories. The show was also able to weave humor into many of the episodes. The amazing chemistry between Mulder, played by David Duchovny, and Scully, played by Gillian Anderson, was a huge component of the show's success.
We hope you enjoy our spirited discussion of the first two seasons of this pivotal series. We'll be looking at more seasons soon.
For our Sensor Sweep segment, we talk a bit about what we're watching now, which includes Ahsoka. We're enjoying this show! Larry is watching a show on Apple TV called The Changeling, which he recommends. Bob's choice is Daryl Dixon, the Walking Dead spin-off. Karen has gone back in time to watch The Invaders!
Both Larry and Karen are overjoyed with a new book, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: The Making of the Classic Film by John and Maria Jose Tenuto. It's a fantastic look at the film and well worth your bucks.
Fitting for this episode, Bob has The X-Files Official Archives: Cryptids, Biological Anomalies, and Parapsychic Phenomena, an illustrated guide to the creeps of the X-Files.
Plus we'll share the Blu-Ray of Picard Season 3, X-Files soundtracks, and more!
Thanks for listening. You can share your thoughts on the X-Files with us at any of our sites: 
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The Truth is Out There

Episode 124: Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda: Movies that Deserved a Sequel

This episode, come with us as we take a trip into a never neverland of movie sequels that could have, and perhaps, should have happened! Each member of the Planet 8 crew has dream movie sequels they would have loved to see come to fruition. If you're a long-time listener, you may even be able to guess what they might be! But we may also surprise you with a few curveballs. And to wrap the discussion up, we touch on those films that should NOT have had sequels! Those might deserve an entire episode of their own!
We'll also have our Sensor Sweep, where we'll share some thoughts on the Ahsoka series,  12 foot tall skeletons, and tiki mugs. Something for everyone!
If you have a coulda, woulda, shoulda sequel, let us know:
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We'll be back....
 

Best of Planet 8: Disney Halloween

Dear Listeners, unfortunately we have been struck by the dreaded deadline doom and are unable to bring you a new episode this time around. However, we will be back with a new show on September 8! Please enjoy this encore presentation of Disney Halloween from November 2022. And check out our YouTube version, which includes the video interview with our Disney guests.
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, but 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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Episode 123: Planet 8 Stream of Consciousness

The Planet 8 crew decided to sit down and have a conversation, a free and wide-ranging talk about recent geek and geek-adjacent topics. Among the things we discuss are recent convention and show experiences, what's going on with Strange New Worlds (and do we like it?), the big summer movies, the passing of Pee Wee Herman, and even the congressional hearings on UAPs (aka UFOs). We just kind of went all over, but hope you'll enjoy it!
We also do the usual Sensor Sweep, where we cover the latest books, toys, and what have you that we are excited about! Be sure to check it out.
We'd love to hear from you - what are you up to this summer? What movies are you going to, what comic cons are you attending, how do you like Strange New Worlds? Let us know!
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I know you are, but what am I?

Episode 122: Talking about Time Travel!

It is one of the most fascinating topics in all of genre fiction: time travel! Traveling through time has always been a dream of mankind. Whether traveling into the past with hopes of fixing something that went awry, or journeying into the future to see what marvels it may hold, humans have always told stories about trips through time. However, traveling through time is never as simple as taking a ride down the street, and making such voyages typically results in unforeseen problems. This is what makes for some entertaining films and TV shows.
In this episode, the Planet 8 crew will discuss the different ways time travel has been depicted in our favorite movies and shows. Can you change the present by changing the past? Well...maybe! It depends on what theory your universe subscribes to. And how would you prefer to time travel? In a fancy machine, by super-power, through a cosmic accident? There are so many ways - we'll look at a bunch, but don't get upset if we leave your favorite one out!
Finally, no discussion on time travel would be complete without answering this question: if you could travel through time, would you visit the past or the future? Your crew has some strong thoughts about that!
Slipping into our Sensor Sweep segment, Karen shares a DVD set she has had sitting around for a few months and is now determined to watch -The Invaders! Many of you will recall this Quinn Martin production from the 1960s. She also gives a shout out to the Haunted Objects Podcast, which is a  lot of fun, if you're into the paranormal. Bob is a busy man, as he has two shows coming up with his Bay Area Film Events. The Ultraman show is happening this very weekend (July 22nd), so if you're in the Bay Area, check it out! The Godzillafest is still a little ways off, not til August18-20. Right before this episode was recorded, news came out that Toho will be releasing a new Godzilla movie, Godzilla Minus One, in the US on December 1st. Finally, Larry shared another Godzilla-related item, a massive book, the Official Guide to the King of the Monsters, which he got from Amazon. He's also very excited about the Ahsoka trailer!
 
All right kids, that's all we can jam into this episode! We hope you enjoyed our musings, and feel free to share your favorite time travel stories with us at any of our usual hang outs!
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"Weren't those a gift from Dr. McCoy?"
"And they will be again, that's the beauty of it."

Episode 121: Indiana Jones and the Mystery of Planet 8

After almost two decades, he's back -famed adventurer and scholar Indiana Jones! Beginning with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, Indy has been an icon of cinema, setting a standard for adventure films that remains mostly unattainable -even for its own sequels! In this episode, your Planet 8 crew is all about Indy, Harrison Ford, and the new film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. We'll share our thoughts on each of the films in the series, but delve particularly into the new film. Did we love it? Like it? Hate it? You'll have to listen to find out!
In our Sensor Sweep, Bob shares his recent finds: he picked up an Iron Giant bust and a Godzilla bust from Diamond! Karen at long last got her Luke Skywalker figure, Mandalorian version, from Hot Toys. Larry shared some awesome goodies that were sent to him by our good friend Billy D aka DocStrange on Twitter! Billy hosts the Magazines and Monsters podcast -be sure to check it out.  Larry also just got a collection of disaster film soundtracks from LaLa Land.
That's all for us this time. Be sure to share your opinion of the new Indy film, and we'll be back again in two weeks!
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It's not the years, it's the mileage
 

Episode 120: Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse on Planet 8

Way back in episode 17 (December 21, 2018), your Planet 8 crew reviewed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and we unanimously loved it. Everything about it -the story, the visuals, the characters- was just perfect. Now, five years later, we have the sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. We loved this film too. It's one of those rare sequels that lives up to the original. Tune in a hear all our thoughts in this SPOILER-FILLED review!
We sadly lost a legend of Spider-Man lore and the world of comics: John Romita Sr., the artist who gave Spidey his classic look, passed away on June 12 at the age of 93. We reflect on what Mr. Romita meant to us. 
In our Sensor Sweep segment, Karen shares two books she just got: the Marvel Value Stamp book, and the Marvel Classic Sticker book. Those two will really take you back to the 70s!
Bob shares his latest find: a life-size bust of the Oliver Reed Werewolf from The Curse of the Werewolf. It looks amazing! It was produced by Blackheart, sculpted by Joe Simon and painted by MC Lovecraft (that sounds like a real name, right?). 
He also shared more info about the upcoming Ultraman and Godzilla shows. For Ultraman, they will be showing some classic Ultraman episodes and will have special guest Dore Kraus in person. At Godzillafest, they will be giving away Gorgo figures. For more info, go to https://www.bayareafilmevents.com/ultraman and https://www.bayareafilmevents.com/godzillafest .
Our pal Larry picked up the complete Dark Shadows DVD collection, which came in a large, coffin-shaped box! This one is going to take some time to work through, with hundreds of episodes.
That wraps things up for this episode. Be sure to let us know what you thought of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. You know where to reach us:
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Hang loose, true believers!