The Monster Island Film Vault

Hello, Kaiju Lovers! “Godzilla Redux” kicks off with not one but two “gatekeepers” in the kaiju fandom: Jack “GMan” Hudgens and Elijah Thomas (Kaiju Conversation). They along with Nate spend nearly four hours(!) talking about why they effing love the final Showa series film, Terror of Mechagodzilla. It was Nate and Elijah’s first G-film and is one of Jack’s perennial favorites. While many regard it as Ishiro Honda’s weakest Godzilla film and barely give it more credit than the rest of the 1970s G-films, your hosts unpack a laundry list of deep themes and potent symbols. They sing the praises of the wonderful script by Yukiko Takayama (the only woman to write a full Godzilla screenplay), the exciting explosions of Teruyoshi Nakano (who considered this some of his best work), the grossly underrated kaiju Titanosaurus, and the nuanced performance of Akihiko Hirata as Dr. Mafune, among many other things. No stone is left unturned in this epic discussion! Then in the most entertaining Patreon shout-outs segment ever of all time, a certain Mr. Trump (by way of Elijah) appears….

For full shownotes, including a bibliography of sources, visit this episode's blog post on the MIFV website: http://monsterislandfilmvault.com/index.php/2026/02/25/episode-109-terror-of-mechagodzilla-ft-jack-gman-hudgens-and-elijah-thomas-godzilla-redux/. 

JIMMY'S NOTES coming soon!

Additional Music: “Main Title [Terror of Mechagodzilla]” by Akira Ifukube

“Meister Titano’s Counterattack”: https://www.tohokingdom.com/blog/2075-meister-titanos-counterattack-story-translation/ 

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip, and Henshin Power V3!

We’d like to give a shout-out to our free MIFV MAX patrons on Patreon: Cordell Stevens, John Pannozzi, Jacob Heron, Cool Cat Videos, Bransbow, Sean Sullivan, Frankie Wolf, Russel Hale, FRIEN Jadge, Bob Hard, ArtsieSteph, Robert O’Brien, DD Chief, Kaye, Nobody, The Indiscrite One, Clayton Warden, Enigma, Dave Blanken, Patrick Greenlaw, Mikki, Josh Baughan, Shane Cochran, and Francis Chopin.

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE!

This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors.

Timestamps:

Introduction: 0:00-18:25

Main Discussion (synopsis, background, analysis): 18:25-3:44:22

Culture Box Ad (Geek Devotions): 3:44:22-3:45:29

Outro (listener feedback and housekeeping): 3:45:29-3:58:34

Credits: 3:58:34-end

Podcast Social Media:

MIFV Linktree: https://linktr.ee/monsterislandfilmvault

Nate’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nathan_marchand

MIFV is a member of PodNation (https://podnation.tv/)

MIFV is one of Feedspot’s top 10 tokusatsu podcasts! (https://blog.feedspot.com/tokusatsu_podcasts/)

MIFV is one of Feedspot’s top 20 monster podcasts! (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/monster_podcasts/)

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives, #MonsterIslandFilmVault, #Podcast, #kaiju, #MIFV, #Godzilla, #GodzillaRedux, #TerrorofMechagodzilla

© 2025, 2026 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Hello, Kaiju Lovers, and welcome season five! It kicks off with the appropriately-titled Ultraman: The Adventure Begins, an animated movie produced in 1987 by Hanna-Barbera. Yes, the studio that brought you Superfriends and Scooby-Doo made the first all-original Ultraman movie! Nate could think of no better guests for this than Drew Dodgen and Jacob Heron (who also created the cover art for this episode) from The Cel Cast. Given that this episode officially marks MIFV’s induction into the Culture Box Network, it’s even more appropriate. While Nate battles weird headaches all episode, he and them Cel Cast boys dive deep into this failed TV pilot and discuss…“diabeetus.” Yeah, it confused Jimmy From NASA, too. To celebrate the Ultra Series’ 60th anniversary and get the uninitiated up to speed, the Toku Topic is a crash course in the history of the Ultraman franchise. Take your first step on The Ultra Journey!

For full shownotes, including a bibliography of sources, go to this episode's post on the MIFV website: http://monsterislandfilmvault.com/index.php/2026/02/11/episode-108-ultraman-the-adventure-begins-vs-the-cel-cast-the-ultra-journey/. 

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip, and Henshin Power V3!

We’d like to give a shout-out to our free MIFV MAX patrons on Patreon: Cordell Stevens, John Pannozzi, Jacob Heron, Cool Cat Videos, Bransbow, Sean Sullivan, Frankie Wolf, Russel Hale, FRIEN Jadge, Bob Hard, ArtsieSteph, Robert O’Brien, DD Chief, Kaye, Nobody, The Indiscrite One, Clayton Warden, Enigma, Dave Blanken, Patrick Greenlaw, Mikki, Josh Baughan, Shane Cochran, and Francis Chopin.

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE!

This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors.

Timestamps:

Introduction: 0:00-15:20

Entertaining Info Dump: 15:20-26:40

Toku Talk: 26:40-2:06:03

Culture Box Ad (The Cel Cast): 2:06:03-2:07:12

Toku Topic (A Crash Course in the Ultra Series): 2:07:12-3:10:17

Outro (listener feedback and housekeeping): 3:10:17-3:22:50

Credits: 3:22:50-end

Podcast Social Media:

MIFV Linktree: https://linktr.ee/monsterislandfilmvault

Nate’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nathan_marchand

MIFV is a member of PodNation (https://podnation.tv/)

MIFV is one of Feedspot’s top 10 tokusatsu podcasts! (https://blog.feedspot.com/tokusatsu_podcasts/)

MIFV is one of Feedspot’s top 20 monster podcasts! (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/monster_podcasts/)

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives, #MonsterIslandFilmVault, #Podcast, #kaiju, #MIFV, #ultraman, #theultrajourney, #tsuburayaproductions

© 2025, 2026 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

The Ultra Series is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and MIFV is throwing a year-long own party! Join Nate Marchand as he gives on friends new and old to discuss the greatest cinematic outings of Japan’s favorite superhero, Ultraman. Not only that, you get more “Godzilla Redux” and an amazing assortment of Patreon-sponsored episodes! Now, if only Nate can figure out what’s giving him such a headache….

Check out the full list of (tentative) season 5 episodes on the MIFV website: https://monsterislandfilmvault.com/index.php/episode-list/season-5-the-ultra-journey-coming-soon/.  

This trailer’s music was “Ultraman Rap” (artist unknown).

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip, and Henshin Power V3!

We’d like to give a shout-out to our free MIFV MAX patrons on Patreon: Cordell Stevens, John Pannozzi, Jacob Heron, Cool Cat Videos, Bransbow, Sean Sullivan, Frankie Wolf, Russel Hale, FRIEN Jadge, Bob Hard, ArtsieSteph, Robert O’Brien, DD Chief, Kaye, Nobody, The Indiscrite One, Clayton Warden, Enigma, Dave Blanken, Patrick Greenlaw, Mikki, Josh Baughan, Shane Cochran, and Francis Chopin.

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE!

This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors…supposedly.

Podcast Social Media:

MIFV Linktree: https://linktr.ee/monsterislandfilmvault

Nate’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nathan_marchand

MIFV is a member of PodNation (https://podnation.tv/)

MIFV is one of Feedspot’s top 10 tokusatsu podcasts! (https://blog.feedspot.com/tokusatsu_podcasts/)

MIFV is one of Feedspot’s top 20 monster podcasts! (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/monster_podcasts/)

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives, #MonsterIslandFilmVault, #Podcast, #kaiju, #MIFV, #giantmonsters, #ultraman, #henshinheroes

© 2025, 2026 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Nate finds himself floating in oblivion. Terror’s teeth tear into his very soul. A bright silhouette reaches for him, and he takes his hand—and wakes up surrounded by Uber-Moguera’s burning wreckage, unscathed. His rescuer, Jet Jaguar, takes him to the Island’s infirmary. Aside from piercing headaches, he has a clean bill of health. But something haunts him. Something that saved him…something that shares his body…something…or someone?

Ultraman Nu theme song by SilvrSage (https://silvrsage.com/).

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip, and Henshin Power V3!

We’d like to give a shout-out to our free MIFV MAX patrons on Patreon: Cordell Stevens, John Pannozzi, Jacob Heron, Cool Cat Videos, Bransbow, Sean Sullivan, Frankie Wolf, Russel Hale, FRIEN Jadge, Bob Hard, ArtsieSteph, Robert O’Brien, DD Chief, Kaye, Nobody, The Indiscrite One, Clayton Warden, Enigma, Dave Blanken, Patrick Greenlaw, Mikki, Josh Baughan, Shane Cochran, and Francis Chopin.

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE!

This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors…supposedly.

Podcast Social Media:

MIFV Linktree: https://linktr.ee/monsterislandfilmvault

Nate’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nathan_marchand

MIFV is a member of PodNation (https://podnation.tv/)

MIFV is one of Feedspot’s top 10 tokusatsu podcasts! (https://blog.feedspot.com/tokusatsu_podcasts/)

MIFV is one of Feedspot’s top 20 monster podcasts! (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/monster_podcasts/)

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives, #MonsterIslandFilmVault, #Podcast, #kaiju, #MIFV, #giantmonsters, #ultraman, #henshinheroes

© 2025, 2026 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Rebecca Reynolds is living the life, as far as I care: she gets to write middle grade books about Japan's favorite superhero, Ultraman. Book 1 of The Ultra Academy, entitled Beware the Baleful Baltan, was published last fall by Sky Turtle Press as part of Tsuburaya Productions push to make the Ultra Series an international brand. I discuss the writing process and why Ultraman is more important than ever with Rebecca and her publisher, the Eisner Award-winning Steve Smith.

Intro music by Kairi (Shun Yogei).

Buy the book: https://a.co/d/4NpSRe1.

Watch the original video version of this interview on the MIFV YouTube (link).

Check out Nathan’s spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip, and Henshin Power V3!

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Wynja the Ninja, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Eli Harris, Jake Hambrick, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), Jonathan Courtright, Leon Campbell, Michael Watson, Sam Allred, and Devin Torrence! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE!

This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors.

Podcast Social Media:

MIFV Linktree: https://linktr.ee/monsterislandfilmvault

Nate’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nathan_marchand

MIFV is a member of PodNation (https://podnation.tv/)

MIFV is one of Feedspot’s top 10 tokusatsu podcasts! (https://blog.feedspot.com/tokusatsu_podcasts/)

MIFV is one of Feedspot’s top 20 monster podcasts! (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/monster_podcasts/)

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives, #MonsterIslandFilmVault, #Podcast, #kaiju, #MIFV, #giantmonsters, #books, #booktube, #ultraman, #ultraacademy

© 2025, 2026 Moonlighting Ninjas Media