Xenorama Godzilla cover (proposed)

This is the proposed cover for the plus year one of the 70th celebration of Godzilla.  It could be Godzilla, King of the Monsters! Minus One as well.  I will have to ponder that one.  We are almost done with this issue, and it should be out soon.  We have great articles from all our regular contributors, and even a few color photos sprinkled in the many black and white pictures.  There are not a lot of color stills or promotional materials from the first movie.  I also found a lot of fun stuff to put in as well, so there's that!

432. Ultraman episode "40" review!

             Whattya think of this?  An interesting addition to the Ultraman show, but it has never been released here in the West.

431. Bone Sharps and Thunder Lizards (2005), a comic book review!

                   Here's a review of the great 2005 comic book!  Yes, I know I am two decades behind the times.  

HOTW- The Fly (MLJ)

 

From Wiki- Tommy Troy was an orphan hired by Ben (or Ezra) and Abigail March. Late one night, he tried wearing a ring with a fly-shaped emblem he found in their attic. The Marches were wizards, and the ring summoned Turan, one of the Fly People. Turan explained that, ages ago, the Fly People ruled the Earth. They used magic in their wars, in the ultimate one of which they reduced most of their population to common houseflies. Only a few Fly People managed to escape to another dimension, where they waited for "one person... pure of heart" to fight crime and greed, which were their own downfall. Tommy was that person. By rubbing the ring and saying "I wish I were the Fly," he exchanged bodies with the other dimension and became a costumed adult superhero. To return to his own identity, all he had to do was utter his name. The Fly was dressed in a predominantly dark green leotard with yellow shorts and belt and a yellow over-the-head mask. A pair of goggle-like eye pieces covered his eyes and a set of "wings" were built into the collar area. Originally the wings were small decorations; when the character became capable of flight, the wings became larger and somehow fully functional.  The Fly was one of the few 60's superheroes who carried a holstered weapon. The Buzz Gun, so named from the buzzing noise made when activated, was a handgun capable of dispensing non-lethal tranquilizer darts or stun rays, depending on setting. Back to me:

430. The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow (1959) review!

                    In which I talk way too much about the star of the movie than the movie itself.  I love this movie despite or in spite of the content.

Blancmange – Don’t Tell Me (Official Video)

            I heard this song a time or two on the radio here in Fossil Bed, but never saw the video.  It got played a lot more when I lived in San Diego.

429. Kimba The White Lion Episodes 11-15 review!

           In which we take a wiser look at these five episodes.  As a kid, you just wouldn't see some of these things.

Calvin and Hobbes Monnday: 12-25-1985

 This is what the season should really be about.  Nuff said, right?

428. The Adventures of Sinbad (1962), a Sailor by many names!

             Here's hoping we can all see this!  I think it is only blocked in Japan.  It is rather obscure, but still...

Anyway, the movie is fun and worth a look.

427. Unboxing Titanic Creations Yongary figure!

            Here's a monster figure or toy we never thought we would see, nor in such a great presentation!

426. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974) review!

               Here we have a wonderfully fun co-production from the Shaw Brothers and Hammer Films.  They were trying anything- Hammer, that is- to keep their Dracula franchise alive.

The War of the Gargantuas - Italian Theatrical Trailer Fragment

            Sven is airing this again tonight, so here's an interesting little clip.  It is from the Italian trailer.

425. 7 Song Friday- Angels, Doctors, and Ghosts!

            Poor Belarus and Russia.  Don't care if they can't see it!

The Sex Pissed Dolls - Pretty Vacant (Robin 2)

                 I would really enjoy seeing this band.  They do covers of punk, pop, and new wave songs.  They have been around for at least a decade, and some of the members come and go.

424. Ultraman episodes 38 and 39 in review!

              The last two episodes of Ultraman are reviewed here!   However, it is not the last Ultraman episode we have, I said mysteriously!

Ultra-Xeno-Paint!

 

Yes, I am going to brag a little here!  My skills with basic Paint have been improving and I think the titles for the podcast and the covers for the issues have gotten pretty darn good!  The Godzilla 54-56 issue cover looks to be the best one I have done on my own (not a patch on the wonderful ones from the past, for sure, though!).  It has been really fun to learn a new skill, and the new logo works really well with the images these days.  I have to work on not making the titles too busy though, since it sure is fun.

423. The Dinosaur Filmography (2002)! A Fearsome Book Review!

                 Here's a great book, so great I wish there was a volume two for the last 22 years!  I hope it happens!

HOTW- Krypto, the Super Dog!

From Wiki- Krypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a superhero dog appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the character Superman. In most continuities, Krypto is Superman's pet dog, usually depicted as a white dog of a generic pedigree. Krypto's first appearance was in a Superboy adventure story in Adventure Comics #210 (March 1955), and was created by writer Otto Binder and artists Curt Swan.^[1] Originally intended as a one-off character, the dog attracted positive attention from the audience, and retur On Krypton, parallel evolution leads to the emergence of analogous species to Earth birds, dogs, cats, and simians. They are domestic companion animals as they are on Earth. As explained in his first appearance, Krypto is originally the young dog and household pet of toddler Kal-El while they are on Krypton.  Back to me:

422. What Happens when "I Married a Witch!" 1942

                  I had the trailer on here about fourteen years ago.  I liked it then, and I like it more now.

Don't Go- Yaz (Yazoo)

               I don't always electronic music, but it was so new and fresh in those heady days of the early 80s.  I liked more than I would admit.

421. Kimba The White Lion episodes 6-10 review!

            The more I watch this series, the better it gets.  I have not watched the whole thing for over fifteen years.

Calvin and Hobbes Monday 12-24-85

 This is one I never even considered- grabbing Santa's bag of loot.  Great idea, Calvin, but if he KNOWS you've been bad...

420. Why must he be a Teenager from Outer Space (1959)?

                   This is an experiment, which was fun to do. I enjoyed this movie far more this time than the first time I saw it, over a decade ago.

Sven- Sssssss

From wiki-  Sssssss^[i] is a 1973 American body horror film directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and starring Strother Martin, Dirk Benedict, and Heather Menzies.^[4] Its plot follows a college student who becomes a laboratory assistant to a herpetologist who is covertly developing a serum that can transform human beings into snakes.

The make-up effects were created by John Chambers and Nick Marcellino. It received a nomination for the Best Science Fiction Film award of the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films in 1975.  Back to me:

419. The 7 Grandmasters 1977 review!

                 Let's do some kung fu fighting!  Here we get many different styles and a pretty great story.  The actors are all good martial artists as well!

418. 7 Song Friday! Leader of the Laundromat!

                   She likes bread, butter, suds, showers, and more!  Or perhaps not.

Teenagers from Outer Space (1959) - Trailer

                This trailer is awesome.  It is the second half of the Sven show, the one the Sven Squad is doing.  I have seen it exactly one time, well over ten years ago.

417. Ultraman 36 and 37 review!

               Here's a good episode and one of the most fun ones, though also one of the most tragic ones.  Poor Pigmon.  He rarely survives.

416. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea vol. 1 Book review!

                 Here we have a book review- it is a short one today!  The book is about Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.  We have talked about it a bit before, but now you can see the book!

HOTW- Jack Frost (Timely)

 From Wiki (natch)- Jack Frost resembles a young man made of ice, and can create and withstand extremely cold temperatures and generate large amounts of ice.^[10]  The introduction in his first story implies that he is a mythical creature, a lonely figure existing in the Arctic landscape: "The far north! Challenging! Mysterious! Foreboding! The land that no man really knows... in this great, frozen waste, surrounded by an eternal, deathly quiet, lives a person we have all heard of but few men have seen — the King of the Cold — Jack Frost!"^[7]  This spirit was awoken by the cries of a dying prospector, who's been shot by a claim-jumper. In his final moments, the man pleads with Jack to protect his daughter in New York City, and Jack — horrified by the crime — transports himself to America to confer with the police. They do not believe his story, so he determines to fight evil wherever he can find it.^[11]  During World War II, he joined with other superheroes to form the team Liberty Legion and protect the United States from Axis home-front infiltration. The Liberty Legion was initially assembled by Bucky to rescue the Invaders brainwashed by the Red Skull. With the Legion, Jack Frost battled Namor the Sub-Mariner and the original Human Torch, and protected bystanders from shrapnel with an ice umbrella.^[12]  Back to me again:

415. Splash (1984) or What A Week I'm Having!

           In which X7 looks at one of his favorite 80s movies, and it is greatly enjoyable.  Check it out!

The Stranglers - Skin Deep

                    This is a song that was popular enough to get airplay in the early to mid-80s, though I do not know too much about the band itself.

414. Kimba The White Lion episodes 1-5 review!

           Here is the start of the new series we are reviewing, the classic Japanese cartoon, Kimba the White Lion!

Calvin and Hobbes Monday: 12-23-85

 I think we wondered why the pets never got stockings, but not enough to be overly concerned about it.

413. DC Super Spectacular DC-6 comic book review!

                            Here we have one of my favorite comic books of all time.  I really enjoyed all the 100 page Super Spectaculars I ever bought.

Sven- The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)

 From Wiki- The Curse of the Werewolf is a 1961 British horror film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Clifford Evans, Oliver Reed and Yvonne Romain.^[1] It was based on the novel The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore.^[2] It was produced by Anthony Hinds for Hammer Film Productions.  The leading part of the werewolf was Oliver Reed's first starring role in a film and composer Benjamin Frankel's score is notable for its use of twelve-tone serialism, rare in film music.^[3] It was the first werewolf film to be shot in colour. Back to me now:

412. One Armed Boxer (1972) review!

                  Did I remember to say we would be doing an episode on this great movie?  Well, here it is!

One-Armed Boxer (1972)

 

From Wiki- One-Armed Boxer (獨臂拳王) is a 1972 Hong Kong wuxia film directed, written by and starring Jimmy Wang Yu. Produced by Raymond Chow, it was released in 1972 in Hong Kong and various countries, and in late 1973 in the United States under a new title, The Chinese Professionals. The film follows Yu Tien Lung (played by Wang Yu), a skilled Chinese martial artist whose martial arts school is targeted by a gang leader. After the various mercenary martial artists hired by the gang leader destroy his school, Tien, who lost his right arm in the battle, seeks revenge by strengthening his remaining arm beyond normal human limits.^[1] To shoot scenes as a one-armed character, Wang Yu had his right arm strapped to his back.

411. 7 Song Friday 02-07-2025: International Clash Day!

             It is a very punk rock episode of the Podcast today!  We hope you enjoy it as much as Balok enjoys tranya!

The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) - Trailer HD 1080p

             I have seen this once, at least, but it has been over a decade, I think,  I liked it OK at the time, but barely remember much of it.

410. Ultraman 34 and 35 review!

              You better believe this episode features my favorite Ultra Monster!  Yes, the picture is here and I have talked enough about it that it has it's on label.

409. Godzilla vs Mothra, the Mighty Thing (1964) review!

                It is number four in a series of some number.  We are not sure how many Godzilla movies we will review, but it will end at some point.

HOTW- Medusa (Inhumans)

From Wiki- Medusa (Medusalith Amaquelin-Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #36 (1965).  Her name and aspects of the character are derived from Greek mythology, as her hair has prehensile attributes like that of the mythological Medusa's hair. The character has psychokinetic control over her hair, a power she obtained through Terrigenesis. With this power, she can extend her hair to double its normal length, using it to pick locks, lift objects, and contain objects and people. She is the queen of the Inhumans, is wife of the king Black Bolt and mother of Ahura. Back to me now:

408. Reviewing From The Land Beyond Beyond (1977)!

           There was nothing like this book out in 1977, though similar tomes would appear shortly after that.  It had quite an impact on my life.

Mr. Jaws (1975)

                   Dickie Goodman made several of these for about six or seven years.  The first couple, like this one, were pretty funny, and new.

407. Captain America (1966) 12 and 13: Remembrance and War!

                The end is nigh!  At least for this series!  It is pretty enjoyable, but kind of odd as well.

Calvin and Hobbes 12-22-1985

 Will no one ever challenge Calvin and Hobbes for snowball supremacy?

406. 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)!

           In which we look at a movie that is definitely a cut above most US sci-fi flicks of the time.  It is almost great!

Sven- 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)

From Wiki- The first U.S. spaceship to Venus, the XY-21, crashes into the Mediterranean sea off the coast of Italy. Fishermen in their boats head to the spacecraft, enter it through a hole, and pull two spacemen from the nose-down craft before it completely sinks.  In Washington, D.C., Major General A.D. McIntosh discovers that the missing spaceship, piloted by Colonel Bob Calder, has been located. As McIntosh flies to the site, Pepe, a little boy, finds a translucent cylinder marked “USAF” on the beach. It contains a gelatinous mass egg, which he sells to Dr. Leonardo, a zoologist studying sea creatures. Meanwhile, Leonardo's granddaughter Marisa, a third-year medical student, is summoned to take care of the injured spacemen. When Calder regains consciousness, he finds his crewmate, Dr. Sharman, dying as his eight other crewmen did. Back to me and comments:

Xenorama #73 is go!

"We go from the comic books to the cartoons to the fabulous movie from 2001!  We talk about the stories, have episode guides and discuss the musical aspects of the series.  We also try to figure out if the gang are actually secret agents pretending to be a musical band.  The clues are all there, so you decide!  And did we mention that this issue is all in color?  Well, it is!  Get your long tails and ears for hats ready to rock and roll!"  This just got published today, new and improved from issue #48.  While I am quite happy with the original, the color really makes issues pop now.  And the color issues are not much more expensive than the black and white issues.  Go figure!

405. Heroes of the East (1978) review!

               I am pretty sure we have talked about this movie in the past, so here it is again!

404. 7 Song Friday 01-31-2025

              Poor Russia and Belarus- they can't hear one of the songs.  This is so odd, but I don't think I have a big audience there.