029 – Bad to the Chrome (Mechanical Violator Hakaider) | Ft. Elijah Thomas

With Travis away for one last week, the “Littlest Gatekeeper,” Elijah Thomas, of the Kaiju Conversation podcast joins Nathan to go ’90s EDGELORD EXTREME!!! By that we mean discuss the 1995 film Mechanical Violator Hakaider directed by the mad genius Keita Amemiya. This is a gritty reboot done right. It’s a bold reimagining of a character from Toei’s Kikaida TV series from the early 1970s. You’ll hear Nathan and Elijah speak with Epic Trailer Voices™ and constantly compare the film’s villain to their friend Michael because they share a name. But beneath the undiluted bad@$$ery and reversed angel/demon motifs is a story with rich themes and often poetic messages about religion, dystopia, and justice. Welcome to Henshin Men!Hakaider is available on blu-ray from Media Blasters and to stream on Tubi.Check out Elijah’s podcast, Kaiju Conversation, and his YouTube channel.Henshin Men is a proud member of the Kaiju Ramen Media Podcast Network.Follow Henshin Men on Twitter: @HenshinMenPod. Join the official Facebook fan page for this and The Monster Island Film Vault, The Markalite Lounge.Listen to Travis’s main podcast, Kaiju Weekly, and Nathan’s podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault and The Power Trip.MUSIC: -“HAKAIDER - ハカイダー出陣” by Koichi Ota and Shinji Kinoshita -“Not Your Above-Average Joe [Standing Ovation]” by Ivan Hakštok