Planet 8 Podcast

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!

Episode 119: Christopher Lee’s Dracula

You might ask, Why is Planet 8 doing an episode on Dracula in June? Well, when we recorded this, International Dracula Day, May 26th, had just passed, and coincidentally, so had actor Christopher Lee's birthday, on May 27th. Lee, of course, famously portrayed Dracula in a series of movies from Hammer Films spanning the late 50s to early 70s. In this episode, each member of Planet 8 takes a look at a specific Dracula film.
Larry starts us off with the first in the series, Dracula (aka Horror of Dracula), from 1958. This film not only introduced us to Lee's powerful version of the vampire, but also his adversary, Professor Van Helsing, ably played by Peter Cushing.
Karen follows up with the next Lee Dracula film, Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966). This film is notable for a few things: one, Lee refused to speak any of the lines in the script, so Dracula says nothing in this film! And notably, Van Helsing is absent. Dracula instead faces another vampire hunter, the gruff Father Sandor, played by Andrew Keir.
Bob wraps us up with Dracula has Risen from the Grave (1968). This film is a direct sequel to the previous one. A revived Dracula grows furious that a priest put a cross on his castle door and decides to take vengeance on him. This film shows the ever-growing inventiveness in both reviving and killing the count.
Lee's Dracula is more threatening and more physical than any other Dracula actor we could think of. He doesn't creep around: he leaps, runs, and pounces on his victims. He also has such a commanding presence, not just because of his 6'5" height.  Certainly one can make the case for Lee as the greatest Dracula actor. This is a topic we may revisit!
In our Sensor Sweep, Bob shares his new Ultraman popcorn bucket! It looks pretty much like an Ultraman bust. He also wants to remind you of Ultra-Fest, happening July 21-23 at the 4 Star Theater in San Francisco! Come see Ultraman films, buy Ultraman stuff, and more! 
Going along with our Hammer film theme, Karen shares a favorite book, A Thing of Unspeakable Horror: A history of Hammer Horror Films by Sinclair McKay. If you want to know the story behind how the Hammer horror films came to be made, this is the book to get!
Larry rounds us out with a new acquisition for his tiki bar, a Creature from the Black Lagoon mug from Shrunken Monkey. These were limited edition mugs only available at the Spooky Empire Convention, but Larry had some connections!
We hope you enjoyed this episode. Remember, you can always share your feedback with us at our social spots: 
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Do not meddle, Van Helsing, or you will have to deal with me!

Episode 118: Invasion of the Body Snatchers x 4

How do you know that you're you? What makes us human? These questions, and more, await in the four versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers that your intrepid Planet 8 crew watched and discuss in this episode. We will take a look at the original, 1956 version, and then move on to consider the 1978, 1993, and 2007 films. 
Of course, the 1956 film, titled Invasion of the Body Snatchers, is a sci fi classic and the one that all of the others is measured against. It's also the only one in black and white, which it gives it a moodiness the others can't match. It sets the standard for paranoia and fear and plays off the cold war tensions of the time.
The second film, also titled Invasion of the Body Snatchers, incorporates many aspects of the original, but skillfully updates it to the 70s. This one plays off the distrust of authority post-Viet Nam and Watergate. And the end - it's a scene you never forget!
The next iteration in 1993 discards the "invasion" part and is just titled Body Snatchers. It shifts the scene to a military base and the protagonist is a teenage girl. It relies much more on action than suspense, but it keeps the pods and many other elements of the story.
Our final entry, 2007's The Invasion, drops the pods for microbes from space who arrive on a crashed space shuttle and proceed to take over the populace and turn people into emotionless drones. This one has a surprisingly upbeat ending, which separates it from the others.
What do you think? What would you do if you made a body snatchers film today? What would the pods be a metaphor for today?
For this episode's Sensor Sweep, Bob would like to plug his upcoming Ultraman show with Bay Area Film Events! Coming the weekend of July 21st, you Ultraman fans won't want to miss it! You can also submit your Ultraman art to their art gallery. Check out https://www.bayareafilmevents.com/ultraman for all the details.
Bob is also excited about his new book: Kong: An Original Screenplay by Edgar Wallace (at fine booksellers or at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/KONG-Original-Screenplay-Edgar-Wallace/dp/1786368811.) This book prints the original screenplay for the 1933 film and has plenty of other goodies, including a beautiful cover by friend of Planet 8, Bob Eggleton!
Karen shares her new purchase, the Kolchak: The Night Stalker the complete series blu-ray  by Kino Lorber. It was about time she got that!
Larry shares his cool bumper sticker from Mahoning Drive-In, one of the biggest drive-ins in the US. The sticker features a plethora of 50s sci-fi creatures and was designed by Mitch O'Connell (https://www.mitchoconnell.com/) who draws a lot of crazy and cool stuff! 
This brings our show to a close. Let us know your thoughts, and remember -
They're coming! You're next!
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Episode 117: Celebrating our 5th anniversary with Star Trek: Picard!

WE'RE BACK! That's right, no more best of episodes, the crew is back together, live, and we even got our great friend, Lord Blood-Rah to join us! Not only are we celebrating the return of Commander Larry, returning to Planet 8 after getting settled after that terrible home fire, but we're celebrating FIVE YEARS of podcasting together! Who would have thought we'd still have things to talk about? But we do! And the best thing is, we're all very happy to talk about this third and final season of Star Trek: Picard!
To say that we were unimpressed with the previous two seasons would be putting it mildly. In fact, we weren't even sure we would watch the third one, but we heard so many good things about it before it premiered, we decided to give it another chance. And boy, are we glad we did! What an amazing season it was. For long-time Trek fans like us (well, most of us), it was a treasure. Terry Matalas and crew gave us a fitting send off and last great adventure for the Next Generation crew. It was filled with shocks and surprises, laughs and tears. We really couldn't have asked for more.
So we hope you will enjoy this SPOILER-FILLED, freewheeling discussion of Star Trek: Picard, season three. 
For our Sensor Sweep, all four of us share what we're doing, reading, and watching right now!
Chief Engineer Bob, through his Bay Area Film Events organization, will be hosting Ultrafest! A Weekend Celebrating Ultraman, July 21-23, at the 4-Star Theater in San Francisco. Besides showing the new Shin Ultraman, they'll be premiering the new 4K versions of the 1966 Ultraman series, edited into 80-minute movies! Go to https://www.bayareafilmevents.com/ultraman for more information. Then August 18-20, Godzillafest returns to the Balboa Theater in San Francisco. You won't want to miss this colossal event! Follow https://www.bayareafilmevents.com/godzillafest for more details.
As usual, Lord Blood-Rah is keeping busy. He has his Nerve-Wrackin' Theater which can now be found on the Nostalgia Network. To find your local carrier, check this link: https://www.watchnost.com . The show airs at 9pm ET and 2am ET / 6pm PT and 11pm PT. 
Lord Blood-Rah is also hosting Chiller Diller Theater the third Saturday night of the month at the Orinda Theater in Orinda, CA. Coming soon: The Invisible Boy and Tales from the Crypt! Check Lord Blood-Rah's website for info on this and all his other happenings: http://www.lordbloodrah.com/home.html
Karen is still working -slowly - through the second season of Space:1999, and has also been watching Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles for the first time.
Larry is still dealing with matters from the house fire his family suffered back in February, but is making time to relax and enjoy things like the Kolchak: Night Stalker graphic novel.
That's it for us. We want to thank you for hanging in there with us. We really appreciate you listening to the show and contacting us on Twitter, Facebook, wherever! And thanks for the support you have given Larry in the last few months. It really has been wonderful.
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Engage!

Best of Planet 8: Episode 6: Robots Invade Planet 8!

We hope you will enjoy this encore performance of "Robots Invade Planet 8!" from July 22, 2018. This will be our last "Best of" episode. On May 8, we'll be returning with all new episodes, as Commander Larry will be rejoining us, and the united crew will discuss season three of Star Trek: Picard! It will also mark our fifth year of podcasting, so be sure to tune in. For now, we hope you enjoy this episode from our inaugural year.
It's all about robots in this episode! Yes, robots, helpers or horrors? Will mankind wind up with friendly assistants like R2-D2, or are we more likely to create the Terminator? Join your Planet 8 crew Larry, Karen, and Bob as they discuss some of their favorite robots and androids from movies, TV, animation, and comics. We'll look at Data from Star Trek, a number of super-robots from Japan, The Vision from Marvel Comics, and well, a few more obscure characters. As usual, don't be surprised if the crew goes off on some tangents...including a discussion of Popeye? Be sure to tell us about your favorite robots in the comments section, or come over to our Twitter or Facebook pages:
 
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For our Sensor Sweep, Larry looks at the 1000th issue of Action Comics, featuring 11 stories about Superman by a virtual who's who of comics creators. Larry particularly enjoyed "Never-Ending Battle" by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, where the Man of Steel travels through time -and the different incarnations of Superman in comics and other media - to  return home to Lois. This special 80-page issue was released in June with at $7.99. It may still be available at your local comic shop. A number of variant-cover editions were published. 
 
 
Thanks for listening!
 

Best of Planet 8: Episode 22: Tracking Down the Night Stalker

We hope you will enjoy this encore performance of "Tracking Down the Night Stalker" from March 8, 2019. Your Planet 8 crew is currently on hiatus. Unfortunately our dear Commander Larry and his family were victims of a house fire, and while everyone is alive, the damages to the house were severe. Larry and family are focusing on recovering from the fire and getting their lives back in order. Once he feels he has the space to record again, we'll put together a brand new episode. Right now, the podcast is not the top priority. Please keep him in your thoughts. If you are so inclined, you can donate to help Larry and his family recover here: https://gofund.me/e6bcc768
Long before the X-Files, or the Winchester Brothers of Supernatural, there was intrepid reporter Carl Kolchak, chasing down every vampire, ghost, and monster that you could imagine. Premiering first as one of the highest-rated TV movies of all time, The Night Stalker was our introduction to Kolchak and a serious mysterious murders and abductions, which were ultimately revealed as the work of an actual vampire. A second movie, The Night Strangler, soon followed, and then a short-lived (but memorable) series ensued. Through it all, Kolchak encountered all manner of strange and frightening creatures. While it may not have lasted long, Kolchak made a powerful impression on many of us monster kids. Much of this can be attributed to the earnest performance of actor Darren McGavin, who portrayed Carl Kolchak as less than courageous, but so driven to discover the truth that he overcomes his fear. Kolchak had more than a little luck on his side too.
Join Larry, Bob, and Karen as they discuss their favorite episodes, monsters, and what they think made Kolchak so special.
For this episode's Sensor Sweep, Karen shares a fascinating new book called Infogothic: An Unauthorised Graphic Guide to Hammer Horror, by Alistair Hughes. This is a heavily illustrated book that looks at the Hammer horror and science fiction film catalog. It's an amazing trip through Hammer (and it dips into the Universal milieu and a few others as well), providing all sorts of details in infographic style. You could spend hours poring over this beautiful book! It's available from Amazon and other booksellers.
That's it for us. Please let us know about your favorite Kolchak memories -you can comment here, or go to our other hangouts:
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Thanks for listening!