Episode 102: Thor, Phase 4, and a Lot More

 

The latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is here -Thor: Love and Thunder - and your Planet 8 crew has a lot to say about it. And it ain't necessarily good. Much like the previous Thor film, this newest look at the God of Thunder takes a decidedly goofy slant. It's a little too goofy for our taste.

Beware -there are spoilers ahead! 

Not to say there aren't some interesting or exciting things in the film. There are. But the whole film feels so unbalanced that it's hard to appreciate  Christian Bale's performance as Gorr the God-Butcher, or Natalie Portman's appearance as Jane Foster, aka the Mighty Thor. Both of these characters have serious stories behind them; Gorr is a deeply grieving man, Jane is battling cancer. But they are undercut by the  absurd situations and performances that surround them.

We're not against humor. The Marvel films have always had humor in them. But typically it's been relegated to wise-cracking, not slapstick and utterly ridiculous situations. While some complain that Marvel films are too formulaic and there's no directorial freedom, in this case, it seems like Taika Waititi was given absolute free reign. Surely there's a happy medium, a balance between the serious and the absurd, formula and artistic license.

We move on from Thor to discuss Marvel Phase 4 and where it's going. What's the overarching plan? In Phase 3 we had Thanos and the Infinity Stones, what's the threat now? The multiverses colliding? It's also difficult to get excited when so many of our favorite characters are gone now. 

The conversation  takes us to the Disney Plus Marvel shows, and even some of the DC films. You just never know where it's gonna go with us!

For our Sensor Sweep, all you fans of both tiki and kaiju will want to know about the King Ghidorah tiki mug from Mondo ! This is a mug nearly as big as the three-headed monster himself.  It stands a whopping 8 3/4" high and holds 26 ounces! You can buy it for $65 at Mondoshop.com.

And don't forget Godzillafest is coming up in August! The Planet 8 crew will be at Creatures-Con August 7th, and Bob will be selling passes for Godzillafest for $10 off at our table. Be sure to come see us and the fabulous guests at Creatures-Con in Orinda, California, including author David J. Skal and Sarah Karloff! 

That's all for now. Let us know what you thought of Thor, our review, what's going on with Phase 4, and anything else!

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By the bristling beard of Odin!!

Episode 69: Travelling through Lovecraft Country

In this SPOILER-FILLED episode, your Planet 8 crew, plus our special guest, Lord Blood-Rah, explore the HBO mini-series, Lovecraft Country! We  will discuss the show from top to bottom, so if you haven't seen it yet, you may want to check it out and then come back! But if you have already watched the show, grab a beverage, get in a comfy chair, and join us for a wide-ranging convo!

The show is based off a book by Matt Ruff, but as we note, it is based loosely on that novel. Both the book and show take inspiration from the strange works of author H.P Lovecraft, probably best known today for creating the bizarre elder being Cthulhu and its ilk. It's come to light that Lovecraft was a racist, and by using his works as a background for telling a tale about the racist, segregated America of the 1950s, and making the protagonists African American, it really turns the Lovecraft milieu on its ear. It's a fascinating combination of fantastical horror and real-life horror - as Commander Larry points out, do you run from the monsters or the people?

The show is beautifully made - the production values are amazing. It's also more than a little gory, which was too much for Recon Officer Karen! But much of the gore is in service of allegory. We'll discuss how Lovecraft Country uses allegory in ways similar to Twilight Zone. Social injustice has always been a concern of fantasy and science fiction and this show continues that tradition powerfully, by looking at not only racism, but also sexism and sexuality.

It manages to incorporate many real world elements, such as the Tulsa Massacre, the Emmett Till trial, and more, which makes it feel so very relatable. The characters too, are well-drawn, with good qualities and flaws, achingly human. The leads, Jurnee Smollett and Jonathan Majors, bring Leti and Atticus to life. As the series goes on, we really get to know them and understand why they are who they are. Considering they only have 10 episodes, it's tremendous work.

We'll talk about the most shocking moments in the show -and there were many! This is a show heavy in imagery. It sticks with you long after the episodes are over. We all got freaked out by those spooky little girls from the episode "Jig A Bobo"! We'll also go over some of our favorite moments in the show. There are a lot of magical, even beautiful moments and we really enjoyed that aspect of the show as well. 

Apparently HBO plans to make a second season, so we look forward to that, although we're a little perplexed about what direction it might go! Perhaps a time jump to the 1960s?

For our Sensor Sweep, we turn to our guest, Lord Blood-Rah, to discuss his many projects! Unfortunately there are still no live shows right now, but fingers crossed,  Creatures Con is planned for August 8th at the Crowne Plaza in Concord, California. This year's show will be celebrating 90 years of the Universal Monsters! David J. Skal, author and audio commentator, will be the con's special guest. Season 11 of Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theatre will be going into production. You can go to the site to find out where you can watch or stream the show.  Soon our good Lord will have a new weekly show coming exclusively to Patreon, so keep your ears open for that.  And hey, Lord Blood-Rah will be joining us for our next episode, to talk about Star Trek Discovery!

That brings us to a close this time. Let us know what you thought of Lovecraft Country. Did you enjoy it? Did it make you think? What do you think season two will be about? As always, you can leave comments here on our site, or reach out to us at our other locations:

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Stay safe! Whether you travel through Lovecraft Country, or more earthly realms.

Episode 32: A Blast from Creatures Con!

Commander Larry and Chief Engineer Bob made the visit to Creatures Con again this year and we have some great interviews to share (Recon Officer Karen was stuck in the satellite with a bad case of Venusian flu). 

Michael McCreery, proprietor of Mantiques in Fremont, California, shares with the boys his unique collectible, the Mecha-Creech! This modern day chimera is truly something to behold. Check the Sensor Sweep below to learn about this fantastic beast. And if you're ever in Fremont, stop at Mantiques at 37671 Niles Boulevard - you won't believe all the cool stuff there!

Returning guest C. Andrew Nelson, know to us for playing Darth Vader in many video games and other Lucas projects,  tells us about his latest project, Theme Parkology! If you have an interest in Disneyland and other theme parks, you'll want to hear about this new series that will explore the origins of various parks and their attractions. You can find Andrew at http://candrewnelson.com/, and you can see his amazing video fish tank at Aquatasy.

The multi-talented Strephon Taylor discusses the efforts to bring Creepy Koffee Movie Time to Amazon Prime, as well as the many documentaries he has produced over the years, including his recent one, I Believe in Halloween, and Jack Pierce, Maker of Monsters. You can find Strephon's movies at Novemberfire.com.

Our last guest was the man, the myth, the legend, the great John Stanley! John is well known in the Bay Area as the second host of Creature Features, the show started by Bob Wilkins which inspired so many people. John was a film critic for the San Francisco Chronicle for over 30 years, and besides hosting Creature Features, he has authored a number of books, including the notable Creature Features film guides. John is always a pleasure to talk to and he graciously spoke with us about his many projects, past and present. You can see John's work at http://creaturesatlarge.com/ and http://stanleybooks.net/catchall.htm.

Our Sensor Sweep this week is by Commander Larry and features the amazing Mecha-Creech. This vinyl figure is part Creature from the Black Lagoon, part Godzilla, and a crazed montage of skateboarding, heavy metal, and other references! Truly a wonder of the modern day.

Thanks again to our friends Lord Blood-Rah and Tom Wyrsch for putting on Creatures-Con and for having us once again! We had a blast! We're already looking forward to next year!

We hope you got a good taste of Creatures Con. Please share your thoughts, here, or at our other listening posts:

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Thanks for Listening!

Episode 29: It's Hammer Time!

While the Universal Monsters may have been the original film fiends, across the pond in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the little film company that could, Hammer, produced a bevy of movies that featured our familiar monsters, but in a much more graphic way. These films, featuring such sensational stars as Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, brought an updated take on horror to a new generation of fans.

Your Planet 8 crew is joined by guests horror host extraordinaire Lord Blood-Rah and independent film-maker Tom Wyrsch to reminisce and discuss why we enjoy Hammer films so much. The studio had a very distinct style which is immediately recognizable, and there are certain things you can expect to see in a Hammer horror film - including bright red blood, and more than a little cleavage. We talk about which films are our favorites (and surprise, we all had different picks!), the actors and actresses we enjoyed, and some of the behind the scenes production stories. 

We'll also discuss the upcoming Creatures Con, the San Francisco Bay Area's classic horror convention.  Held on July 7th, it will feature the west coast premiere of the film, The House of the Gorgon by Josh Kennedy, a film that is very much an homage to Hammer films, and features Hammer film veterans Caroline Munro, Martine Beswick, and Veronica Carlson - Kennedy and Carlson will be at the show! The con will also have a monster movie quiz hosted by Lord Blood-Rah, which is certain to be a blast! They'll also have a special presentation on the film Plan 9 from Outer Space, to celebrate its 65th anniversary. All happening at the San Ramon Marriott -and the entire Planet 8 crew will be there, podcasting live! All this, for only $15 admission! What a bargain!  Go to https://www.creaturescon.com/ for more information.

Don't forget to take a look at Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theatre for some fine entertainment. 

As always, we look forward to hearing your thoughts, so please share either here or at:

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Thanks for Listening!

Episode 19: Geeks in Garages Drinking Blue Milk

Pull up a chair and join us -today Larry, Bob, Karen, and their guest, Henry San Miguel from the Geek Speak Show are engaged in a lively discussion that ranges from what's right and what's wrong with The Last Jedi (and we promise, this is our LAST Last Jedi discussion!), to super-hero films, including thoughts on Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice (can you guess which one of the crew is a fan of this film?). We also talk about the changing face of fandom, and Henry shares some news about cons the Geek Speak crew will be at later this year.

So give it a listen and tell us what you think - are you excited for Episode 9 or not feeling it? Who should Rey's parents be? Was Batman V. Superman great or awful? We want to hear your thoughts!

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Thanks for Listening!

Episode 10: Podcast Team-Up with The Geek Speak Show!

Back when we were at Creatures Con in August, we were able to sit down with fellow podcasters Henry San Miguel and Annie Yang (well, Annie was on camera duty!) from the Geek Speak Show and have a great discussion about how we all got into podcasting, our favorite Star Trek series, what we thought about Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi,  - you name it! Henry and his fellow Geek Speakers have been running their podcast since 2010, so they're veterans. We hope you enjoy some behind the scenes talk and some plain old geeking out! You can find the Geek Speak Show at http://www.thegeekspeakshow.com/home.html

Annie, Larry, Karen (on iPad), Henry, and Bob at Creatures Con

We hope to team up with the good folks of Geek Speak again soon! Perhaps they can come visit the command center at Planet 8? Stay tuned...

This episode, we also wanted to give a few shout outs to some listeners who we've had interactions with. We really appreciate all of you who take the time to let us know what you think. Hearing from you and knowing our signal is not just getting lost in the vast reaches of intergalactic space makes this all worth it. So many thanks and keep those messages coming! You can leave comments here, or at our other outlets:

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Thanks for Listening!

Episode 9: Darth Vader Conquers Planet 8

Darth Vader...the Dark Lord of the Sith. One of the greatest villains in cinema history. From his fearsome look to his commanding voice to his dangerous mastery of the dark side, everything about him screams 'ultimate bad guy.' He's been impressing audiences since his first appearance in Star Wars in 1977 and now generations of fans have grown up with him through movies, animated shows, games, books, and toys. Join your Planet 8 crew as we discuss this legend - our earliest memories of Vader, favorite moments, and other thoughts.

Then, join us as we talk to... Darth Vader! Of course, fans know that David Prowse played Vader in the original trilogy (and James Earl Jones has provided the iconic voice of the character). But Prowse has not been the only actor to portray Vader. At Creatures Con in San Ramon, California, we had the good fortune to interview C. Andrew Nelson. Nelson has had an extensive career in the motion picture industry, beginning in visual effects with LucasArts and ILM. It was there that he was tapped to play Darth Vader! Nelson has played Vader in games, commercials, TV shows, and in the Special Edition. We got to talk to him about what it was like putting on that costume, and the many amazing experiences he has had! He's a fantastic storyteller. You can find out more about him at his site: http://candrewnelson.com/

Larry, C.Andrew Nelson (applying Force choke), Karen (on ipad), and Bob

For our Sensor Sweep, Karen looks at Marvel's Darth Vader comic series. She recommends the first 25 issues, by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca, which picks up with Vader right after the destruction of the Death Star (the first one!). It's a great glimpse into the personality of the Dark Lord. These comics have been collected into trade paperbacks and can be found in stores, libraries, or at Amazon or sellers like In-Stock Trades.

That's all for this time! We hope you enjoy the show. Please share your thoughts in the comments section, or head over to Twitter or Facebook: 

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Thanks for Listening!