Episode 23: Captain Marvel Blasts into the Marvel Universe

Marvel's newest superstar has hit the big screen this month - Captain Marvel! Your Planet 8 crew is here to share their thoughts about the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which takes us from the intergalactic Kree Empire all the way to 1990s Earth! Yes, you'll thrill to the sight of Blockbuster Video, giant cell phones, and a very young looking Samuel Jackson! Of course, this is a SPOILER-FILLED episode, so you may not want to listen until after you've seen the movie. 

Besides discussing Captain Marvel, we'll dip into myriad other topics, such as Captain Marvel in the comics, the Agents of SHIELD TV show, Thor Ragnarok, and, of course, Avengers: Endgame (and we'll be doing an entire episode on that film, so stay tuned!). It's a wide-ranging, perhaps even a bit rambling, discussion, but that's how we do things around here!

This time around, for the Sensor Sweep segment, we decided to shine a light not on a product but on the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, which were created by David Colton and Kerry Gammill in 2002 to allow fans to vote and honor various horror-related efforts,  in film, books, and so on. This is the 17th year of voting! You can go to the link above and vote by April 20th for your favorites. We would like to humbly make a few suggestions. 

• Best Book: You can't beat Where Monsters Walked by friends of Planet 8, Gail and Ray Orwig.
• Best Website: Chief Engineer Bob has another gig -for years he has been the co-producer of SciFi Japan, with Keith Aiken, the best resource for all things kaiju-related.
• Best Multimedia Site (podcasts, etc.): We have two (OK, really three) suggestions: Kaijucast, run by Kyle Yount, devoted to Godzilla,  and Monster Kid Radio, Derek Koch's show, about classic (and not so classic) monster films -both Kyle and Derek have been really helpful to the Planet 8 crew as we've been finding our way, and they're great guys, with fun shows! And if you feel like it, you could write in a little show called Planet 8...maybe some day we'll actually get on the ballot!
• Favorite Horror Host: For us, there's no choice except Lord Blood-Rah! He's just the best, and we've had him on two episodes so far (episodes 8 and 11), and he deserves to be honored.
• Best Convention: For our money, it's gotta be Monsterpalooza! 
• Best Soundtrack: Engineer Bob recommends the Valley of Gwangi soundtrack from Intrada!

OK friends, please let us know your thoughts. Did Captain Marvel blaze, or fizzle? You can comment here, or go to our other hangouts:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Thanks for Listening!

Episode 22: Tracking Down the Night Stalker

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:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Thanks for Listening!