#104: Venus Wars (1989)

BLT Team B return with a look at the comedy /  horror sequel House II: The Second Story (1987) from director Ethan Wiley. 

We review Jin-Roh director Hiroyuki Okiura's second animated film, A Letter to Momo, about a young girl that forms an unlikely friendship with a trio of troublesome yokai who through a series of comical misadventures help her to cope with the loss of her father.   Released in 2011 after seven years in production, and to seemingly little fanfare on this side of the Pacific, this underrated family film, equal parts charming, comic, and heartfelt, deserves another look.  Tune in for the full review! Timestamps: [00:00] Intro + Macross, Street Fighter 6, Gaogaigar, Combattler V, Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger, and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End [43:30] Review - A Letter to Momo

We review Hong Kong director Ringo Lam's Burning Paradise.  The film stars Willie Chi as legendary martial artist Fong Sai Yuk, who after being captured by the Ching government, must escape from the imposing Red Lotus Temple, a deadly prison filled with spike pits, booby traps, poison gas, and even more dangerous opponents! Timestamps: [00:00] Intro + God Mazinger, Combattler V, DanDaDan, Kageki Shojo, Akane Banashi, Hyper Dimension Neptunia, and The Water Margin. [39:41] Review - Burning Paradise

As a chaser shot to our last episode about the North Korean Kaiju movie Pulgasari, BLT Team B have heroically taken it upon themselves to review the much unloved North American remake Galgameth! 

We're kicking off the new year with a review of the North Korean monster movie, Pulgasari (1985), in which a Godzilla like creature from Korean folklore fights with a peasant army to topple a corrupt feudal regime.  We also recount the far more fascinating story of the film's production, a stranger than fiction tale involving international kidnappings, daring escape attempts, and dictator Kim Jong-Il's bizarre quest to bolster the North Korean film industry. Timestamps: [00:00] Intro + Hakaider, Garo, and Flip Flappers [24:45] Review - Pulgasari

We review the first film in the long running exploitation series, Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972), featuring the talented and beautiful Meiko Kaji in one of her most iconic roles as Scorpion, a steely eyed avenging angel hellbent on revenge against those that wronged her.  Be they crooked cops,  sleazy yakuza, abusive prison guards, or fellow inmates, she'll slay them all!  Timestamps: [00:00] Intro + Mononoke, Discotek announcements, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms game discussion. [30:30] Review - Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion

We're back -- just in time for Halloween! -- with a look at Samurai Reincarnation (1981), a supernatural samurai film from the director of Battle Royale (Kinji Fukasaku), in which Jubei Yagyu (Sonny Chiba) faces off against a group of resurrected demonic warriors led by the charismatic sorcerer Shiro Amakusa (Kenji Sawada) who intends to destroy the Tokugawa regime with his unholy powers.  Tune in the for the full review! Timestamps: [00:00] Intro + Grendizer, Aura Battler Dunbine, Dragon Ball Daima, Akane Banashi, and Look Back [39:30] Review - Samurai Reincarnation (1981)

We review King Hu's Dragon Inn (1967), a period tale about a cohort of heroic warriors fighting to protect the innocent from the shadowy forces of an evil Eunuch, that showcases a graceful interplay between characters, landscape, editing and compositional form that elevate it above other works in the wuxia genre.  Tune in the for the full review! Timestamps: [00:00] Intro + City Hunter, Mononoke, Jade Trilogy book series, and G-Fest 2024 report [33:35] Review - Dragon Inn

Grab a ticket and join us for a wild and spooky ride aboard the Train to Busan, as we take a closer look at the original film in the popular South Korean zombie apocalypse franchise by director Yeon Sang-ho.  Timestamps: [00:00] Intro + Trails games, The Great Pretender, Sonic X OVA, Sailor Suit and Machine Gun [33:35] Review - Train to Busan

We review Venus Wars (1989), the lavishly produced, bubble era anime film from writer and director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko first introduced to many American anime fans due to heavy rotation on Sci-Fi Channel's "Saturday Anime" block.  Tune in for the full review! Timestamps: [00:00] Intro + After the Rain, Dune [15:53] Review - Venus Wars [2:22:30] Twitter Questions