Planet 8 Podcast

  Season's greetings, friends! Welcome back to Planet 8. To wrap up the year, we'll talk about one of the bright spots of 2020: season two of The Mandalorian. It was an exciting season, full of great character appearances, amazing new worlds and creatures, and fantastic adventures. We also got to see the relationship between Mando and the Child grow. For us old school Star Wars fans, it was like being transported back to those days of stories from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Warning -this is a SPOILER-FILLED episode! If you haven't seen season two of The Mandalorian, we suggest you watch it before listening, because this episode, and post, may give away details you don't want to know!Your Planet 8 crew will discuss their overall impressions of this season and then dive into each episode. We all loved the show and had a variety of thoughts and ideas about how this season unfolded. It's safe to say, we were all pleasantly surprised, especially with the finale. Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau have done a phenomenal job bringing this show to us. It's the right mix of new and old ideas, characters, and designs. Every week was like getting a new Star Wars movie straight out of the original trilogy era.The season gave us a lot of great action, with monsters to battle, lots of baddies, and some interesting planets too. But one of the highlights of the season was the impressive guest stars - Boba Fett, Ahsoka Tano, Bo-Katan Kryze, and...Luke Skywalker?! Unbelievable! The great thing about this all was that they didn't seem forced -they made sense given the storyline.Of course, the finale was a tear-jerker (especially for Commander Larry). The good-bye between Grogu and Din Djarin was touching, and well done by Pedro Pascal. Now we're left with many more questions. Will we see Grogu in season 3? Can the show continue to be as popular if Baby Yoda is gone? And honestly, considering what a marketing boon he is, is there any way they wouldn't have him on the show? But how do they do that? And what happens between Mando and Bo-Katan regarding the Dark Saber? And will Mando continue to follow his creed, or has he changed? We have a year to ponder these things....It's the holiday season and we want to wish all of our listeners the very best, whatever you may be celebrating. Thanks for spending some time with us over the year -especially this year. We hope we've been able to provide some lightness and entertainment during these difficult days. We hope you have a wonderful holiday and that the new year brings all of us some much needed happiness. That's all for now. Send us your thoughts about The Mandalorian -we'd love to know what you thought.Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastMay the Force be with you!

 There is nothing wrong with your speakers. Do not attempt to adjust the sound. We are controlling transmission. For the next hour your Planet 8 crew will control what you hear. You are about to experience the awe and mystery of the classic 60s TV show, The Outer Limits!One of the last of the anthology series on television, Outer Limits is fondly recalled by many fans today. One of its hallmarks was its "bears" - the strange, striking aliens and monsters created for the show. Appearing in almost every episode, these creatures often featured outlandish designs, which have proved to be highly memorable, such as the ant-like Zantis, the twisted Thetan from  Architects of Fear, and the Ebontie interrogator from Nightmare. The Projects Unlimited team, including Jim Danforth and Wah Chang, produced designs which have stood the test of time.But beyond the monsters, Outer Limits was a top notch science fiction show. It explored what it meant to be human, our flaws and  our potential. This was key for the shows creators, Leslie Stevens and Joe Stefano. Much like Star Trek, they wanted to impart a message about humanity. They also aimed high, for a more literary form of science fiction, although obviously they were balancing it with the crazy monster each week!We'll discuss a number of episodes, some favorites and some that we just found intriguing. Of course, OL had an extremely limited run -just a season and a half, 49 episodes. But there are so many fun shows to discuss! And there are interesting connections to other 60s shows, like Batman, Hogan's Heroes, Star Trek, and so on. As usual, we'll look at other aspects of the production, including the lighting, staging, and of course, the unique music, which was composed by Dominic Frontierre. And who could forget the control voice, performed by actor Vic Perrin? Outer Limits is definitely one of the most important SF series ever made, and its stories and creatures continue to provide entertainment and are influential decades later.Appropriately for our Sensor Sweep, Karen shares a beautiful book, David Schow's The Outer Limits at 50. This large paperback was published by Creature Features in 2014. It is packed full of fantastic photos from the show, some from behind the scenes. It also has descriptions and details about making each episode. This book is hard to find now (there are some ridiculous prices on eBay). But if you see it in a used bookstore, grab it! You won't be disappointed! Schow's Outer Limits Companion is also highly recommended.As we recorded this episode, news of the passing of actor David Prowse was just breaking. Your Planet 8 crew is saddened by this news. Of course, Prowse changed all our lives by being the physical presence of Darth Vader. But he also appeared in a number of Hammer films, and trained Christopher Reeve to bulk up for Superman. He was a remarkable gentleman, and we salute his life, and shall miss him.That's it for this time. We return control to you! Send your transmissions to us:Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastThanks for listening!

 "Bond, James Bond." Those words have introduced us to the world's most dashing, ruthless, and seemingly indestructible spy, British MI6 secret agent 007. The creation of author Ian Fleming first appeared in the novel Casino Royale in 1953, and went on to appear in 11 more novels and two short story collections. But Bond is best known to the public for the long-running series of films, which started in 1962 with Dr. No. As we celebrate all things Bond, we'll discuss a little bit of everything, but focus on the films. With 24 films in the series, there's a lot to discuss! We'll go over our personal favorite films. These are heavily colored by nostalgia, of course. There's a fondness for Live and Let Die, as it was one of the first Bond films all of us saw. And Goldfinger is a strong contender. There are now six actors that played Bond in the series, and each bring their own qualities to the screen. Do you like Connery's toughness? or Moore's more light-hearted approach? Did Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby get enough time in the role? Daniel Craig has been playing Bond for 14 years now - who should replace him? We can't talk about Bond films without talking about the music of the films. Besides the Bond theme, there have been so many songs connected to the films. You have the classic Shirley Bassey vehicles like "Goldfinger," "Diamonds are Forever," and  "Moonraker," and then the pop and rock songs like "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney, "For Your Eyes Only" by Sheena Easton, and "Nobody Does it Better" by Carly Simon. Some have succeeded and some have fallen short of the mark.  As usual, we'll ramble around a bit but it's sort of like a turducken - there's a whole bunch of things stuffed in here, but they're all good! For the Sensor Sweep, Commander Larry shares an anniversary gift he got for his wife, Lieutenant Jasmine -hmm, sure he got it for her! Feast your eyes on Sideshow Collectibles "The Child" life-size figure. At 16.5" tall, you'll want to give it a cuddle! Here in the States, we are closing in on Thanksgiving. This year, it may seem a little harder to feel thankful. But while it has been a rough year for us all, let's hope that 2021 will be better. And despite it all, your Planet 8 crew is thankful for being able to put together new episodes every couple of weeks, and for the comments and feedback you have shared with us. We hope that in these difficult times, we may have provided a few moments of escape for you all. All right gang, let us know your thoughts! You know where to send 'em:Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastThanks for listening!

  Like everyone else, your Planet 8 crew has been stuck inside, trying to keep ourselves entertained and sane. So we thought we'd discuss what we've been watching and what we think of it. So settle in and get ready for a show that goes from super-heroes to zombies, to androids, to starships, to bounty hunters, and who knows what else! Note, this is a SPOILER-FILLED episode! Among the shows we cover are:The BoysUmbrella AcademyRaised By WolvesLovecraft CountryWalking Dead/Fear the Walking DeadTruth SeekersCreepshowStar Trek DiscoveryThe MandalorianAs usual, we don't all agree on every show. But that's what makes it fun! For our Sensor Sweep, Chief Engineer Bob brings our attention to the latest Mego figures, in particular the new Fly figure! Based off the classic sci fi film, it'll give you a chill. Bob also gives us the heads up on what's coming in the next waves of figures. Would you believe it ranges from Hammer Dracula to plush Stan Lee?  Also coming from Mego is the Creature from the Black Lagoon! The Fly can be found at Walmart, if you can track him down. You may also find Mego figures from other retailers online. That's it for us this time. We want to hear from you what you're watching. What shows are keeping you company during the pandemic? Let us know! Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastThanks for listening!

 In this episode your Planet 8 crew takes a look at the big one...the war to end all wars...we're talking War of the Worlds! This sci fi classic, first conceived by H.G. Wells, has been adapted to radio and film most successfully, as well as TV and comic books. We will focus on the two motion pictures, the first released in 1953, the other in 2005, but we'll touch on other adaptations too. Chief Engineer Bob gives us the lowdown on Wells' original novel and how it was adapted to a radio play by Orson Welles in 1938. Welles' broadcast caused hysteria across the country as people mistakenly thought the world was actually under attack by Martian invaders. Similar radio broadcasts of War of the Worlds occurred in other parts of the world too. A number of film-makers tried to bring War of the Worlds to the big screen but it was George Pal who succeeded in 1953. His film still looks brilliant, in large part due to the Martian war machines, with their sleek manta ray-like design. We'll talk about just why this film has such a strong visual impact, and we might go off on a tangent or two, but hopefully it will be entertaining! Next we take a look at Steven Spielberg's 2005 film, starring Tom Cruise. In some ways this adaptation was closer to Wells' novel, such as including the Martian tripods. The film also had scenes that paid homage to Pal's film. Di we love it? Like it? Well, listen and find out!Before we finish, Recon Officer Karen shares more War of the Worlds related stuff: the Tripods novels of John Christopher, and Marvel's Killraven comics. It's a Martianpalooza! We round it out with our Sensor Sweep, with Commander Larry sharing his newest treasure. This time it's a rather thick tome called The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen by Jeff Bond, from Creature Features. Many of you will recall that Irwin Allen was the producer of Lost in Space, but he also was the man behind such TV shows as Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants too. Allen also produced films, earning the title "The Master of Disaster" for such efforts as The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, and The Swarm. The book is filled with amazing photos and tons of info on all of Allen's projects. It's the perfect read for fans of his work. It's sold out on the Creature Features site, but you might check secondary sellers to see if you can find it. That's all for us this time. Please share your thoughts and feedback with us in the comments section, or at our other sites: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastThanks for listening!

 It's October, and that means Planet 8 is taking a turn into the creepier side of things! This episode we focus on that classic of cult films, and the one that really started the zombie craze, Night of the Living Dead! We have not one, but two special treats for you: first, an exclusive Planet 8 interview with actress Judith O'Dea, who starred as Barbara in the film. To add on to that, discussing the film with us is none other than the always-entertaining Mr. Lobo, host of Cinema Insomnia. Hey, what more could you ask for? We open up with our interview with Ms. O'Dea, whose performance as Barbara in NotLD really sold the feelings of fear and confusion that the characters were experiencing. We'll learn about how she became an actress, her early career, and how she became involved in making the film. Ms. O'Dea was a generous and insightful interviewee and we had a wonderful time talking with her. Then we move into a freewheeling discussion of the film with our special guest, Mr. Lobo. We'll reminisce about our first time viewing NotLD -that's something you never forget! - and how it made us think about how we would defend our homes from zombies!Night of the Living Dead is definitely the grand-daddy of all our modern zombie films and TV shows. Before George Romero made his little film, zombies had always been connected to voodoo or sorcery and there had never been a connection to cannibalism. Of course, the creatures in NotLD weren't called zombies -that came later. But so many conventions of modern zombie lore came out of this film. Even today, the film resonates with viewers. Maybe it's the almost documentary feel of the film, or the stark black and white look; but it is still compelling. There's a deep sense of despair, of nihilism, that pervades the film. Later films may have been gorier or filled with more stunts, but Night seems to have the darkest soul. If you haven't seen it in a while, give it a look.  For our Sensor Sweep, we want to share all things Mr. Lobo! If you have never experienced Cinema Insomnia, never taken the pledge of the Sleepless Knights of Insomnia, check out episodes on Amazon Prime, Vimeo. his streaming channel OSI74 on Roku, the YouTube channel for Mr. Lobo, and of course, cinemainsomnia.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter -honestly, you can find Mr. Lobo everywhere! It's an invasion! Check him out! That wraps it up for us. We hope you enjoyed this extra-special look at a classic horror film. Please share your thoughts, experiences, and feedback with us here, or at our two other locations: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastThanks for listening!

In 1979, we learned that in space, no one can hear you scream. But there was plenty of screaming in movie theaters, as audiences jumped and shrieked, scared senseless by the phenomenon that was Alien. It was a film like no one had seen before, a horror story in space, with a truly terrifying alien creature. Pitched as "Jaws in space," it was just as suspenseful, but had a sense of claustrophobia and body horror that Jaws lacked.  Your Planet 8 crew are big fans of the original Alien and its follow up, Aliens. These two films are so perfect, and complement each other so brilliantly, yet are so completely different in tone. We'll take a look at the ground-breaking 1979 film, its amazing visuals, impressive cast, and of course, the alien itself, the xenomorph, a true icon of creature design. The distinctive H.R. Giger designs made the film stand out from anything that had ever come before - and made your skin crawl! It also made a star out of Sigourney Weaver. Alien was her first big film, and she gave a memorable performance as Ripley. It was unusual at that time for a woman to not only be the protagonist, but to be so self-sufficient and capable. Weaver wound up being the star of the franchise for years to come.  The 1986 sequel, Aliens, went in a completely different direction thematically, and was more of an action film than a horror film. This worked surprisingly well. The space marines that Ripley teams up with were as interesting a group as the Nostromo crew from the original film. Actors we now know so well like Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, all provide classic performances. The film also gave us tons of aliens, including a giant alien queen. And just like the first film, everything was achieved with practical special effects, no CGI! Ah, those were the days. Of course, we have to talk a bit about the soundtracks - the films had two well-known composers, Jerry Goldsmith on Alien and James Horner on Aliens. Both interesting soundtracks, but very different, and some of Horner's cues have been used on a number of trailers. And Aliens sure sounds a lot like parts of  his Wrath of Khan soundtrack! These two films are still fantastic to watch and are true classics of science fiction film. If you haven't seen them in a while (or ever!), check them out. You will not be disappointed. For our Sensor Sweep this episode, Karen appropriately shares an amazing coffee table book from Titan Books called The Making of Alien by J.W. Rinzler. This 300+ page tome does a deep dive into the origins of Alien, and is illustrated with production designs and behind  the scenes photos. If you are a fan, you will love this book!That's it for us, folks. Send us your thoughts, your feedback, your insults, we'll take it all! You can leave comments here, or fire them off at our two other locations: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastThanks for listening!

  As summer comes to a close, we cast our attention to the granddaddy of all summer blockbusters - Jaws. Arguably one of the best films ever made, Jaws stands the test of time, still delivering suspense, adventure, and outright terror in one beautifully filmed package. Come along with the Planet 8 crew as we reminisce about one of our favorite films. Jaws is an amazing film, especially given that the mechanical shark didn't work most of the time! Director Steven Spielberg had to work around this, filming in such a way as to indicate the presence of the shark without the shark actually visible. This actually made the film much more exciting, because you never knew exactly where or when the shark was going to attack. Thankfully, they got the shark to work just enough for the dramatic scenes in the final act.But so much went right with Jaws. Despite the studio wanting big names, Spielberg was able to pull together the perfect cast.  The characters are all so believable, so watchable. Much of the dialog was ad-libbed. But that marvelous scene on the Orca, where Quint tells Brody and Hooper about his experience on the USS Indianapolis, is absolutely amazing. It's a testament to both great writing and acting. Of course, you can't talk about Jaws without discussing that theme...duh duh...duh duh duh duh...only the legendary John Williams could turn such a simple theme into perfect fit for a film. How many times has someone hummed the theme while in a pool or the ocean? Everyone knows what that tune means. Jaws set off a wave (pun intended) of copycats, none anywhere near as interesting as the originator. For that matter, none of the Jaws sequels were even close to their papa. It also had a huge impact on film-makers and the industry, paving the way for the summer blockbuster, and massive merchandising deals. Outside of film, it also changed the way people look at sharks, perhaps unfairly, and how we look at the ocean. Forty five years later, we're all still afraid to go back in the water. Normally we end our show with our Sensor Sweep, but we were rocked by the passing of actor Chadwick Boseman on August 28th. The  news was heart-breaking. Only 43 years old, the Black Panther star had been battling colon cancer since 2016. It's mind-boggling to think that Boseman continued to act and do charity work through his illness and treatment. By all accounts, he seemed like a wonderful person. His impact on a generation of African American kids cannot be over-estimated. This is a big loss and we are truly saddened by his passing.We welcome your thoughts and feedback! Please feel free to leave comments here, or at our other listening posts:Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastThanks for listening!

  For more than two centuries now, the tale of Frankenstein has fascinated people, and your Planet 8 crew is no exception! In fact, we are huge fans of Dr. Frankenstein and his monstrous creation. Joining us to do a deep dive on the topic is our good friend, horror host and monster maven Lord Blood-Rah! So come on along with us, as we travel through the many permutations of the Frankenstein legend.Of course, we must discuss the source of the legend -the Mary Shelley novel. What might have been her inspirations? Was it the first science fiction novel ever written? And what implications does it still have for us today?The Universal films featuring Boris Karloff, and then later, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, and Glenn Strange, provided the classic look which most of us associate with the Monster, and which has permeated pop culture. These films had a definite arc for the character through at least the first three, and then the Monster suffered a real decline, being reduced to little more than a shuffling wreck. But the Universal Frankenstein Monster had little resemblance to Shelley's creature.Hammer films went on to do their own Frankenstein series, but focused on Dr. Frankenstein rather than the Monster. The doctor just can't help himself, he has to keep stitching bodies together! His creations never seem to come out the way he plans, though.Since Frankenstein is in the public domain, there have been tons of films made that either retell the Frankenstein story, or borrow the name quite liberally. One of the better ones we discuss is Frankenstein the True Story, a 1973 made for TV production that was aired on NBC, and featured Jane Seymour, David McCallum, and Michael Sarazin. This one is a little closer to the book, although it veers off from it too. And there's a shocking moment that none of us ever forgot!It wouldn't be Planet 8 if we didn't toss a little kaiju your way, so we'll bring in the Japanese Frankenstein connection -namely, Frankenstein Conquers the World, and War of the Gargantuas (aka the Frankenstein Brothers!)The story has crossed over into comics, and we'll discuss a few of them, from the Marvel series and black and white magazines, to Mike Mignola's Frankenstein character who appeared with Hellboy, and the beautiful Frankenstein, Alive, Alive illustrated by Bernie Wrightson.For our Sensor Sweep, all our instruments are focused on our wonderful friend, Lord Blood-Rah. If you haven't seen his show, Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theatre, you're missing out! Head on over to http://www.lordbloodrah.com/, and check his schedule to find where and how you can catch him. He's also putting together a DVD that collects material he has used in his live Halloween shows. The feature film on the DVD will be House on Haunted Hill, in 3D for the first time! Don't worry, a pair of 3D glasses will be included. Although Creatures Con was cancelled this year, a virtual Creatures Con was put together and you can see interviews and panels at the Facebook Creatures Con page. But next year, if we are free of this terrible pandemic, Creatures Con 2021 will be held August 8th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Concord, California, and will focus on the birth of the Universal Monsters! The special guest will be author David J. Skal, writer of The Monster Show and Death Makes a Holiday, as well as contributor of commentary on many Universal films.And Engineer Bob reminds everyone that the Arrow box set of Gamera films is out now, including his commentary with Keith Aiken on Gamera the Brave! Check it out!We hope you enjoyed this trip through all things Frankenstein. What's your favorite Frankenstein film? Do you like to focus on the doctor or the creature? We want to hear from you!  Send us your feedback here or at our other locations:Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastThanks for listening!

This episode serves as sort of a companion piece to our last one that focused on King Kong, as we turn our eyes this time to one of Kong's foes, dinosaurs! Most kids grow up loving dinosaurs, spending time playing with plastic dinos and learning the names of the many different species. There are so many different types, with new ones still being discovered. Perhaps part of the magic of dinosaurs is the fact that these amazing creatures actually existed! While we love our Kongs and Godzillas, the Tyrannosaurus Rex was a real (and terrifying) beast, and we can go to museums and see its skeleton, and get a sense of just how imposing it would have been. For over 100 years, artists have depicted dinosaurs in film, going back to the days of silent pictures, all the way up to today, with the popular Jurassic World films. Dinosaurs never seem to leave the imagination of humanity. The Planet 8 crew watched a whole heap of dinosaur films, and we'll talk about them -in no particular order! But rest assured, we will discuss many well-known films, as well as some oddities and a few not so great movies. Like the range of species in the dinosaur world, dinosaur films are many and varied! But we couldn't discuss dinosaur movies without talking about the work of stop-motion animation legend Ray Harryhausen. The way Harryhausen imbued his creatures with life, with personality, is still impressive. Films such as Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Valley of Gwangi, and 1,000,000 Years B.C. all come under our lens. Of course, other techniques besides stop-motion have been used. We'll look at the pros and cons of these too, including puppetry, men in suits, and CGI. And don't miss our discussion of - DINOSAURUS!! You can't talk about dinosaur movies without bringing up Jurassic Park/World, so of course we'll go there. The first Jurassic Park film revolutionized special effects, and the dinosaurs in it still look fantastic. We're sure that people will be watching dinosaur movies (or holograms, or virtual reality programs) far into the future! For our Sensor Sweep segment, Bob shares some news about some artists you should know about. Nick Shev, who we covered on a previous episode, is now designing t-shirts! He has a bunch of cool Godzilla tees over at his Tee Public shop: https://www.teepublic.com/user/nickshev Another great artists you should check out is Gaz Gretsky. Especially if you are a Power Rangers fan, you will want to see Gaz's shop! Head over to https://www.etsy.com/shop/gazbot to check out all his cool stuff. Well, it's time to return from prehistoric days to the present. Yeah, we know it's not much fun right now, but we hope everyone is staying healthy and safe! And we hope you were entertained by this episode. Send us your feedback here or at our other locations:Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastThanks for listening!

This is it! We're finally talking about the King - King Kong that is! The big ape has been one of Hollywood's (and the world's) biggest stars since he first showed up on the scene in 1933. At the time, the original King Kong was cutting edge, and it influenced many later generations. Kong is a part of pop culture, and new versions of the eighth wonder of the world keep getting made. There is something universally appealing about this unique and powerful figure. We'll go through the long history of Kong in films (and a little bit on TV), starting of course with the classic original 1933 King Kong, directed and produced by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack, with ground-breaking stop-motion effects by pioneer Willis O'Brien. The exciting story, the ferocious  Kong, and the whole beauty and the beast angle, made the film a huge success. It was quickly followed up with a sequel, also in 1933, Son of Kong, which was amusing but no where near the success of the original. In the 60s, through a somewhat circuitous route, Kong wound up across the Pacific and got a job with Toho Studios, making King Kong vs Godzilla in 1962, and King Kong Escapes in 1967. There's a connection to the 1966 Rankin-Bass King Kong Show cartoon too! Near to our hearts, even though it's clearly a flawed film, is the 1976 version of King Kong. The film may be best remembered today for the amazing John Berkey poster showing Kong astride the World Trade Center towers. We'll talk about the controversy over the robot Kong and how the great make-up genius Rick Baker played Kong. Bob took the hit for the team and watched King Kong Lives, and gives a rundown of that sequel. If you're excited to hear what we think about Peter Jackson's 2005 remake of King Kong, well, you may want to ratchet back your expectations. We have some strong opinions on the film, and that's all we'll say here! Finally, we finish strong as we enthusiastically discuss Kong Skull Island (2017), which took a very different approach to Kong, and will lead to a rematch with Godzilla next year! Larry's Kong and Bruce mugs, seen front and backOn this episode's Sensor Sweep, our mission commander, Larry, shares his love of tiki mugs, and shows off two: a Bruce the Shark from Jaws mug from Mondo, and a Kong mug from Tiki Farm. If you love tiki mugs and monsters, check 'em out! In a burst of shameless self-promotion, we want to mention the various side-gigs we all have going on. Your crew at Monsterpalooza a few years ago -Larry, Karen, and BobBob recently participated in a panel discussion on Ultraman for the Kaiju Con-line, an online  convention celebrating kaiju (obviously). If you want to watch the panel, click here. If you're a Gamera fan, a blu-ray box set should be coming out at the end of July, and Bob and his pal Keith Aiken are doing commentary on the film Gamera the Brave!  Karen decided to start blogging again, to babble on about science fiction and other stuff. You can read her posts once or maybe twice a week at Echoes from the Satellite. Larry has just started doing a video blog! It's on YouTube and it's called Larryland USA. Larry will be talking about things he loves and his many genre-based memories. Check it out! That's all for us right now. We hope all of you are staying well, and hanging in there. If you have thoughts on King Kong, other giant apes, or anything else, drop us a line, why don't ya? You can leave a comment at our site, or hit us up here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast Thanks for listening!

That's right listeners, it's time to go where no one has gone before -to the big screen, for the first voyage of the Enterprise in theaters! Today the Planet 8 crew is talking Star Trek: The Motion Picture! The Motion Picture (or ST:TMP) has gained a bad reputation over the years, often derisively called 'The Motionless Picture,' but it actually was a hit at the box office, if not with the critics. Without ST:TMP, we wouldn't have gotten Wrath of Khan, or any of the films to follow, and perhaps no Next Generation and beyond. So whatever your opinion of the film -and we know opinions vary, because even within our Planet 8 crew, they do - one must acknowledge its role in keeping the franchise alive. We'll discuss the troubled history of the production, how it swung back and forth between plans to be a new Star Trek TV series (Star Trek Phase II), a movie, a TV show, and a film again. By the time the studio decided to go with a theatrical film, they went into production in a rush, without a firm script, and with a set release date (December 7, 1979) which put the pressure on, especially with the complicated special effects that were required. They were lucky to have an experienced director in Robert Wise at the helm. They also kicked out the original effects group and brought in master effects artists Doug Trumbull and John Dykstra, who managed to finish the special effects just in time for the release. Going to see Star Trek on the big screen was a real experience for all of us. There was, of course, huge anticipation. We hadn't seen our Enterprise crew in a new adventure in years! What would they look like? What would the story be like? Of course we had seen photos in magazines but to see them on the big screen would be a special thrill! For some though, the movie was not what they expected. After the excitement of Star Wars, ST:TMP might have seemed too slow, too talky. For others, it was too reminiscent of the Star Trek episode, The Changeling, where an ancient Earth space probe, modified by an alien probe, mistakes Kirk for its creator. But in some ways, ST:TMP is the Trek movie most like the original episodes. It may have been their attempt at Trek's '2001,' but it maintains Trek's hopeful concept for mankind's development as a species. Regardless of one's thoughts about the plot of the film, the special effects are still beautiful to behold (and if you haven't seen the director's edition, run out now and get it!), and Jerry Goldsmith's score is perhaps the best Star Trek score of all. His main theme went on to become the theme of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it originated here, with this film, and it's absolutely beautiful to hear in conjunction with the visual of the streamlined Enterprise. In any case, it's worth a revisit if you haven't seen it in a while. Check it out and let us know your thoughts! For our Sensor Sweep this episode, to go with our theme, Karen shares a book that goes into great depth on ST:TMP: Return to Tomorrow: The Filming of Star Trek: The Motion Picture by Preston Neal Jones. In this hefty tome, Jones has put together an oral history of the film, which includes interviews with the cast and crew of The Motion Picture. Honestly, anything you would ever want to know about how the movie was made is included in this book. You can find it from sellers on Amazon, and at the time of this writing, they now have an ebook version too. We also want to give a plug to our first ever video-only episode on our YouTube channel! We decided to do a quick little video Sensor Sweep for you guys, sharing some of our collectibles, and a funny story about a near-miss the guys had with a collectible. So we hope you'll check it out at our YouTube channel. Let us know if you'd like to see more video episodes! All right, that's it for this time around. But if you want to contact us, hailing frequencies are open!Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastLive long a

via GIPHY All right you primitive screwheads...this episode is devoted to our friend Ashley Williams! Yes, we're taking a trip through the Evil Dead films and TV series. When the original Evil Dead movie first came out, it really shook things up. The camera angles and movements, the strange sound effects, the story, and of course, the charismatic Bruce Campbell, all added up to a hit with horror audiences. The later entries would add more than a little humor to the horror, and that's where it seemed to really take off. Campbell had a gift for playing Ash as a lovable jerk, who was maybe more lucky than good. And he certainly delivered a number of notable one-liners! Your Planet 8 crew will talk about the origins of the Evil Dead film series, how Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell got the idea for the first film and financed it, and was it connected at all to an older film called Equinox? All this and more! We all like the third film, Army of Darkness, the best. It's an odd mix of fantasy, horror, and comedy, but it works really well. Ash pulls a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court act, but despite his technological know-how, he still screws up and conjures up an army of deadites, including his own undead counterpart. There were two different endings and we talk about both the theatrical and director's cut versions. Finally we take a look at the Ash vs. Evil Dead TV show. It only lasted three seasons, but it was well done and really expanded the Evil Dead universe. Will there be more Evil Dead? Perhaps the truth is hidden in the pages of the Necronomicon... Starting with this episode's Sensor Sweep, Chief Engineer Bob will be throwing the spotlight on different artists who normally appear at the Godzilla and anime shows Bob puts on in the Bay Area, but Covid-19 has shut all that down right now. This time we are featuring artist Nick Shev. You can find his work at https://nickshev.bigcartel.com/. Nick does a lot of Godzilla art, but also aliens, mummies, original Halloween art, and more. He also does black light art -he takes a printed lithograph and hand draws details with a luminous marker. You can get lenticular stickers from him too. Take a look, there's a lot of very cool stuff on his site! That's all this time, friends and neighbors. Be sure to share your thoughts on Ash and the Evil Dead. Do you enjoy this film/TV series? Can you see it going on without Bruce Campbell as Ash? We want to know! And you know the drill by now... Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastThanks for listening!

our guest Webster Colcord with "friends" at Tippett StudiosAll of the amazing fantasy and science fiction films that we love, with their spaceships and ray guns, monsters and aliens, couldn't exist without the talents and hard work of special effects artists. For this episode, the Planet 8 crew is joined by special effects artist and animator Webster Colcord! Webster is an industry veteran, getting his start at the Vinton Studios, doing claymation on the California Raisins. He has gone on to work on a wide range of projects, including James and the Giant Peach, Deadpool, Ted, Superman Returns, The Host, and many other genre films. Webster currently works with legendary effects artist Phil Tippett at Tippett Studios.  via Gfycat We'll talk with Webster about his career, and learn about what it was like to do claymation, hear about the early days of CG effects, the beginnings of Pixar, and more! We had a lot of fun just talking with Webster and getting a lot of behind the scenes stories about different films and how some amazing effects were done -and what went wrong with a few movies! (We're looking at you Scorpion King...) If you've ever wondered about how some of the special effects you've seen in films were made, or what it's like working in the special effects field, this is the episode for you! For this episode, Recon Officer Karen has the Sensor Sweep and looks at a new book from author Marc Cushman. It's a continuation of his excellent These are The Voyages series, the first three volumes of which covered the first three seasons of the original Star Trek. This volume, entitled These are the Voyages: Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek in the 1970s  Volume 1 (1970 -1975). Cushman covers the years between the end of the original series up through the animated series (but prior to the first film). It includes info on the sci-fi TV films Roddenberry made, like Questor Tapes and Genesis II as well. One big surprise -Roddenberry was working on the script for a Tarzan film which never materialized! If you're a Star Trek buff, you'll want this book. That's all for this go-round. We hope you enjoyed our look at special effects with our friend Webster. As always, we want to hear your thoughts. Leave them below in the comments, or hit us up in our social media spots: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastThanks for listening!

via GIPHY You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension—a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone. Witness three podcasters, all awestruck by the same television show from over 50 years ago. A show that has become legendary, and has inspired generations of creative minds. Yes, in this episode of Planet 8, we will be talking about  - Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. Larry, Bob, and Karen each came up with a short list of episodes that really spoke to them, so they sat down and discussed what made them so special. Twilight Zone had some wonderful stories, and the twist endings have become well-known. But they were also capable of subtlety and beauty. And the actors! Watching the show is a real treat, as so many now-famous performers appear in the early days of their careers. Robert Redford, Carol Burnett, Telly Savalas, and of course, William Shatner, all appeared on the show before they became household names.  Why do we still love Twilight Zone? What is the secret of its longevity? The stories have a timeless appeal -we relate to them because they speak to the most basic qualities of the human condition, things that do not seem to change -for better or worse. Wrapping up the episode is our Sensor Sweep, Larry shares a plethora of Twilight Zone items. Foremost is the Twilight Zone Companion, by Marc Scott Zicree. It's loaded with tons of behind the scenes information on the episodes. Another great treasure is the 4 CD set of the 40th Anniversary edition of the Twilight Zone soundtrack. From the 60s,we have From the Twilight Zone, a book by Rod Serling collecting adaptations of Twilight Zone episodes. Finally, Larry shares Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, a collection of Richard Matheson short stories, some of which were made into TZ episodes, including the title one which became the famous William Shatner episode with the gremlin on the airplane. All right friends, give the episode a listen and tell us what you think. We covered 12, count 'em, 12 Twilight Zone episodes, but there were so many more we would have enjoyed talking about! Maybe we will do a follow up show. Let us know what you thought of the episodes we discussed, and tell us about your favorite episodes. You can leave comments here, or at our other receiving stations: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8CastFacebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8PodcastThanks for listening!