The Frankenstein Brothers are ready to rumble! In this sorta-kinda sequel to Frankenstein vs. Baragon and the final Japanese/American collab with UPA, gargantuan bros Sanda and Gaira -- one friendly and peace-loving, one violent and hungry -- have a battle to the death, but not before extensive sequences of military fights, people-eating, and a big musical number. We get into this film's underlying darkness, the troubles with lead Russ Tamblyn (of Twin Peaks!), and a strangely empty story for th...
May 13, 2025•1 hr 51 min
Come for the robot dinosaur, stay for the cutest bestest baby boy! In what was originally conceived as the finale of the Heisei era, big names Mechagodzilla, Rodan, and even a new Baby Godzilla arrive for this nature vs. technology story, where humans and the military are unambiguously the bad guys and the monsters are just seeking their adopted family. We talk about this era's odd use of Miki (and how this film makes an effort to fix it), eerie psychic songs, Mechagodzilla as corporate prid...
Apr 27, 2025•2 hr 27 min
Ditch the TARDIS for Tokyo Tower! Hamish Steele returns for Toho's second attempt at King Kong, which includes a supervillain named Dr. Who (!!!) creating Mechani-Kong, a giant robot ape version of the lonely and horny real deal. We get into this movie's origins as a Rankin-Bass cartoon -- and the on-set conflicts caused by those American co-producers -- along with all the James Bond DNA (including a literal Bond girl), iconic English dubbing, and how this is a better sequel to classic...
Apr 13, 2025•2 hr 9 min
Godzilla is in his tired dad era, because he's got a new ugly baby to take care of! Zakzilla joins us to meet Godzilla's firstborn son in this chill and mellow island adventure, even amongst all the GIANT BUGS created by stellar marionette effects. We talk about the strangely sinister science experiment story in an otherwise comedic movie, along with Minilla/Minya as queer representation, Butterface Godzilla, Kumonga's uncomfortable mouth, and more! Cover Art by : UltraMellowArt Ins...
Mar 13, 2025•2 hr 7 min
If you love gross freaks, body horror, and scathing indictments on government bureaucracy, then boy do we have the movie for you! Chels from The Q Division and And a Rewatch Podcast joins us to talk about her special boy that she couldn't be prouder of: a mutating creature who goes from adorable waddling googly-eyed baby to the scariest Godzilla of all time. We peel back the bloody layers of this masterpiece from Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi of Neon Genesis Evangelion fame , including America...
Feb 27, 2025•2 hr 1 min
Oh lawd he comin! America's second crack at Godzilla is a chonky thicc absolute unit, and he's in a surprisingly artful and bleak disaster film from director Gareth Edwards. We talk about the on-the-ground approach to visuals, the military's involvement in the writing process (and some weak themes and characterization as a result), how the MUTOs just want to kiss and did nothing wrong, why the Monsterverse stands out among other cinematic universes, and more. Plus, lots of ranting ab...
Feb 13, 2025•2 hr 28 min
We're talking two big topics this month! First, Derek spent the holidays in Japan, and he fills Doug in on his Godzilla-related experiences -- including a stay in the Godzilla-head-topped Hotel Gracery Shinjuku and their interactive Godzilla Room. We also announce our schedule for the first half of 2025! Then, we re-air our Patreon episode on Hanna-Barbera's 1978 Godzilla cartoon (aka The Godzilla Power Hour ), where Big G is a heroic fire-breathing, laser-eye shooting dinosaur guardian, a frien...
Jan 13, 2025•2 hr 31 min
Author Shawn Pryor ( Go Go Power Rangers, The Gamer ) joins us to talk about his colossal new book Kaiju Unleashed: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Strange Beasts ! We get into the process of writing a book for both tokusatsu novices and die-hards alike, along with some deep cut discoveries about kaiju from all around the world. Plus, plenty of nerdy tangents about Power Rangers, Spider-Woman, and lesser-known 70s toku! Get Kaiju Unleashed anywhere you buy books. More from Shawn Pryor: Webs...
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr 6 min
It's the infamous American movie that enraged Godzilla fans and the movie industry alike, featuring a fish-eating pregnant iguana conceived as a sexy pin-up... the one and only Zilla! We take a deep dive into the filmography of Roland Emmerich -- master of disaster (and so far the only openly queer person to ever direct a Godzilla movie, sorry!) -- to determine that, if this isn't a good Godzilla movie, is it at least a good Emmerich movie? And of course, we talk Godzilla as an accidental trans ...
Dec 13, 2024•2 hr 51 min
Mothra enters the 90s, and she's only gotten more beautiful with age! Poet and YouTuber Donny Winter joins us for the Heisei era's turn to fantasy, as ancient alien Mothra and her fairies from a fallen civilization try to save us all from her edgy Hot Topic goth counterpart Battra and a very angry Godzilla. We talk about the wild previous versions of the script, all the throwbacks to the Showa era (and Indiana Jones references), the weird underuse of ACTUAL PSYCHIC Miki Saegusa, and much more. C...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 52 min
Crank up the surf rock for a day at the beach and a nice lobster dinner, because we're talking the time Godzilla fought a giant crustacean! This low-key island adventure features a major changing of the guard behind-the-scenes, resulting in a fun and unique James Bond- inspired story where a ragtag group of misfits find themselves working with sleepy kaiju to stop a terrorist organization. We talk about Mothra as a honk-shoo queen and Godzilla as a tired dad, budget cuts, how the end of the stud...
Oct 13, 2024•1 hr 59 min
We're answering your questions about Godzilla...and lots more! We talk our experience doing the podcast--including how our minds and preconceptions have changed, what TV shows we might cover, behind the scenes talk about making the podcast and the cover art, and more! Plus, we help newbies get into tokusatsu and play FMK with kaiju. Check out a compilation of all three AMAs on Patreon. Part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Patreon | ...
Oct 08, 2024•1 hr 15 min
Let's get supernatural with this J-Horror take on Godzilla! Chris McDonald (author of the upcoming Daikaiju Rumble ) joins us for the unusual Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (aka GMK ) , which features Godzilla as a malicious manifestation of many angry ghosts. It's WILD! We talk about the reinvention of King Ghidorah as a nice friendly dragon alongside a wasp-like Mothra and literal underdog Baragon, how we almost got another Anguirus appearance, and wh...
Sep 27, 2024•1 hr 42 min
Frankenstein's monster is a kaiju?! In one of the weirder entries in Toho's monster canon (localized as Frankenstein Conquers the World ), the modern Prometheus is a regenerative caveman-like being born from the atomic bomb who grows to colossal size. Also, an adorable subterranean puppy comes from below to fight him. We talk about the very first collaboration between Toho and American producers, and the resulting conflict among Ishirō Honda's desire to honor the classic Frankenstein...
Sep 13, 2024•2 hr 4 min
Hop into your time machine and pilot your Mecha, because Godzilla expert Jayce joins us for King Ghidorah's entrance into the Heisei era! This fantastical sci-fi romp is a response to America's blockbusters like Back to the Future and a celebration of Showa era monster fights, but it's also surprisingly wrapped up in Japanese/American economic relations (yes, we're talking about the economy again.) We also get into the complicated time travel that explores Godzilla's origins,...
Aug 13, 2024•2 hr 17 min
Godzilla goes to spaaaace! In a movie that's way more alien invasion space opera than kaiju, the hilariously-dressed Xiliens from Planet X introduce us to Monster Zero (aka Ghidorah) and get Earth wrapped in a convoluted plot involving trapping sleepy Godzilla and Rodan in bubbles. We talk the first American-Japanese co-production for Toho -- which includes a major role for Rebel Without a Cause 's Nick Adams and a complex English/Japanese language shoot -- along with space lady clones, ...
Jul 13, 2024•2 hr 20 min
It's Hot Ghidorah Summer, and the planet-destroying space dragon king has made his entrance! This is the movie where everything changes: it's cosmic, it's an Avengers- style team-up among Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan, and perhaps most importantly, it's the moment Godzilla becomes a hero to cheer for. We talk about this film's shift in philosophy and Ishirō Honda's complicated feelings, along with a Biollante -esque plot that includes psychic prophecies, a Venusian spirit p...
Jun 27, 2024•2 hr 19 min
It's a bird, it's a plane... it's Rodan, the giant flying monster! But would you believe it's also a horror movie delving into the plight of the underclass through the lens of coal miners, a sci-fi movie with killer bugs, and that it has an absolutely unpredictable final act twist? We talk yet another fascinating enty from Ishirō Honda -- including what makes it so close to the original Godzilla, the advancements in Tsubaraya's miniatures, the gorgeous cinematography, gay din...
Jun 13, 2024•2 hr 8 min
What if the Oxygen Destroyer never stopped the original Godzilla? Turns out, it leads to a space gun that shoots black holes and a prehistoric dragonfly kaiju! Masaaki Tezuka's Aliens- inspired action romp features a mishmash of gory horror, comic book science fiction, and a wild fight...but is there any depth? We talk creepy bugs, digital effects, riding on Godzilla's back, and yes, that body slam. Part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Patreon ...
May 13, 2024•1 hr 56 min
Spring flowers are in bloom, and so is our girl Biollante! Gavin from The Mixed Reviews joins us for Kazuki Ōmori's masterful Heisei film featuring one of the wildest and most complex monster designs of all time. And the only chimera weirder than a Godzilla/rose/human hybrid is the movie itself -- a combo of 80s genetic horror, James Bond , teen psychics, and hover tanks that comes from a story by a dentist and features music by the Dragon Quest composer. We talk about this movie's stran...
Apr 13, 2024•2 hr 35 min
Get egg-cited, because Mothra March concludes as the queen of the monsters first meets the king of the monsters! Part Mothra sequel, part Godzilla and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day , this unpredictable ride features a cast of favorites and a crew operating on their A-games for one of the best Showa-era films. We talk Japan's real life economic boom and the resulting critiques on modern capitalism vs. ancient tradition, Mothra as a disappointed parent figure, the famous Skelet...
Mar 27, 2024•2 hr 13 min
Hatch from your cocoon, it's Mothra March! Hamish Steele (creator of Dead End: Paranormal Park and DeadEndia ) is here for the gay icon and queen of the monsters' debut film--a fantastical fairy tale with tiny singing ladies that explores the horrors of corporate greed and colonization. We dig into the all-star cast and cartoonishly evil villain, the complicated portrayal of Infant Island's indigenous population, the America/Russia fusion, Toho's kaiju cinematic universe, and mo...
Mar 13, 2024•1 hr 45 min
The King of the Monsters fights the Eighth Wonder of the World in this massive crossover! The creative team behind the original Godzilla reunited for this fascinating transition movie that’s half a meta satire of the corporate television industry, and half a silly wrestling match between two very anthropomorphized kaiju. We talk Ishirō Honda's attempts to make Toho's comedy celebration smarter, Eiji Tsubaraya's octopus obsession, the unfortunate Kong suit design, the VERY unfortunate...
Feb 13, 2024•2 hr 9 min
Godzilla does Y2K! The first installment of the Millennium era is an action-heavy sci-fi romp featuring aliens, technological fears, and a scrappy network of likeable Godzilla nerds... and it's very much a direct response to Roland Emmerich's 1998 American movie. We talk all about this amazing Godzilla design, all the Independence Day references, some unfortunate digital effects (and an even more unfortunate human villain), and much more! Part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collect...
Jan 13, 2024•1 hr 52 min
Godzilla gets rebooted for the 80s! The first film in the Heisei era is a lot of things: a sequel to the original, a bit of a remake, sometimes a horror movie with mummified corpses, sometimes a political Cold War drama, sometimes a disaster movie with a plucky journalist, sometimes a fantastical sci-fi with a hovering supership, and constantly an experiment in innovation and animatronics that doesn't always succeed, but is interesting nevertheless. Part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast C...
Dec 13, 2023•2 hr 14 min
The first attempt at a Godzilla sequel was rushed into production, resulting in an action-oriented movie that sort of explores themes of civilians in war, but doesn't go the full mile. Alongside a new director and composer, a new slim Godzilla, and our first new kaiju in Anguirus… we also get lesser repeats of the first movie and some disappointing special effects. Listen to us answer the questions: How SMOKING HOT is Tsukioka? Why are the monster fights in superspeed? Is Godzilla attracted ...
Nov 13, 2023•1 hr 54 min
Our kaiju journey begins, of course, with the very first—Ishirō Honda's influential classic, a harrowing horror film unlike any Godzilla movie that comes after. We dig into the historical context and the filmmakers' own experiences with war, the suit design and innovative effects that still hold up to this day, Akira Ifukube's legendary score, and the human characters who bring it all together. Part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Patreon | Discord Email: skre...
Oct 20, 2023•2 hr 8 min
In our introduction episode, we give the Skreeonk lowdown! We share our personal histories with the Big G, and for newcomers, we break down the basics of tokusatsu, kaiju movies, Godzilla's eras, and everything you'll want to know about the podcast going forward. Plus, Derek quizzes Doug on his (lack of) Godzilla knowledge. Part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Patreon | Discord Email: [email protected] Theme song: "BIO WARS - Synth Cover" by Kweer Kaiju Sourc...
Oct 13, 2023•1 hr 11 min
