Godzilla | Kaijuvision Radio

by Nathan Marchand

Brian and I will be attending G-Fest XXIV July 14-16 in Rosemont, Illinois at the Crowne Plaza Hotel O’Hare Chicago. We won’t be in the dealers’ hall, though. We’re technically going as regular ol’ attendees, but we’ll be talking up the podcast and getting to know everyone. We’re not sure if we’ll have episodes posted by then, but we’re hoping to meet future listeners while we’re there.

What’s G-Fest? Well, as the convention’s website puts it:

G-FEST is the largest regular gathering of Godzilla and Japanese monster fans in the world. Held each summer, it typically attracts more than 1,000 attendees, but has seen a gradual increase in attendance over the past few years. G-FEST 2014 was the most successful convention to date, bringing in about 3,000 Japanese science fiction and fantasy film fans!

In other words, it’s a “comic-con” that’s strictly for kaiju fans.

This year’s guests include composer Michiru Ōshima, who scored several Millennial Godzilla films including Godzilla x Megaguirus; director and special effects director Shinji Higuchi, who most recently worked on Shin Godzilla; actor Ryuki Kitaoka, whose many acting credits include Godzilla: Final Wars; assistant director Kazuhiro Nakagawa, who also worked on Shin Godzilla, among other things; director Kiyotaka Taguchi, who directed the special effects on many Millennial Godzilla films; actor Robert Scott Field, who played Android M-11 on Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah; and comics industry veteran Tony Isabella.

Along with the many panels and events going on that weekend, there will special screenings of six kaiju films at the nearby Pickwick Theatre, though most of those will be July 13, the day before the convention kicks off. Watch the trailer below to see what films will be playing.

It’s safe to say that Brian and I will be taking as many opportunities to see these films in a theater since most of these we haven’t experienced that way. Feel free to hit us up before, after, or between screenings!

I’ve been a regular con-goer for a five years now, but this will be Brian’s first time at such an event and the first time either of us have attended G-Fest, so we’re excited.

You can learn more about the convention on its website here.

See you there, G-Fans and kaiju lovers!

by Brian Scherschel and Nathan Marchand

Congratulations on winning the 101^st running of the Indianapolis 500 this past Sunday, Takuma Sato! We here at Kaijuvision Radio are not only excited to see the underdog win, but also to see the first Japanese driver win the greatest spectacle in motorsports.

Some of you may be wondering, “What does this have to do with the podcast or Godzilla?”

Well, G-Fans and kaiju lovers, this is relevant for several reasons:

A big part of Kaijuvision Radio’s focus is Japan and its history and culture. As mentioned, this marked the first time a Japanese driver has won the Indy 500. Heck, he’s the first Asian to win the 500. That’s a big deal. Undoubtedly, he’s made his home country quite proud.
This is a fairly local story for Brian and I since we both live in Indiana. The Indianapolis 500 is easily the biggest event here. It’s the one time a year the whole world pays attention to our great little state (unless you count the one time Indianapolis hosted the Super Bowl). The 500 is a prestigious event that has become an annual tradition for the entire country for over a century.
There are two subtle connections between the Indy 500 and Godzilla films:

-In 1969’s All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla’s Revenge), one of the bullies who tortures Ichiro wears a red sweater adorned with an Indianapolis 500 logo. Well, maybe not a logo, per se, but certainly an Indy 500 artwork of some kind.

-In 1973’s Godzilla vs. Megalon, the character Hiroshi seems to be a car collector since he’s seen driving several different ones. During his first car chase with Seatopian agents, an Indy 500 logo sticker can clearly be seen on the windshield of the car he’s driving. Perhaps he’s an Indy racing fan?

What these seemingly weak connections show is that there’s been something of a fandom for auto racing in Japan for several decades. It was prominent enough that not only was the sport shown in Godzilla films, but it was a direct reference to me and Brian’s little corner of the world. So, in a way, with Mr. Sato’s victory Sunday, it has finally come full circle.

I’m sure Hiroshi would be a huge fan—and probably give him advice on how to drive down stairs while eluding bad guys.