Episode 35: ‘Prophecies of Nostradamus’ (feat. John LeMay)

2021-02-24

Hello, kaiju lovers! Jimmy’s (former?) flame war nemesis, tokustasu scholar John LeMay, returns to discuss the second banned film to be covered on MIFV: Prophecies of Nostradamus. This infamous disaster film—which is as different from Submersion of Japan as night is from day—was Toho’s biggest hit of 1974 and features the last appearance by Takeshi Shimura in a Toho tokusatsu film, which only makes its banishment to the back of the vault all the more puzzling. Nate and John explain that the film was banned ...

Hello, kaiju lovers!

Jimmy’s (former?) flame war nemesis, tokustasu scholar John LeMay, returns to discuss the second banned film to be covered on MIFV: Prophecies of Nostradamus. This infamous disaster film—which is as different from Submersion of Japan as night is from day—was Toho’s biggest hit of 1974 and features the last appearance by Takeshi Shimura in a Toho tokusatsu film, which only makes its banishment to the back of the vault all the more puzzling. Nate and John explain that the film was banned because of a 30-second scene (that wasn’t even real!) featuring “Soft-Bodied Humans” that was seen as offensive to atomic bombing survivors. Nate also gives a history lesson on who the popular but misunderstood French seer Nostradamus was and his book of prophecies, which inspired this bizarre film.

Yes, we know that this episode went over the Board-mandated time limit for “mini-sodes”—and we don’t care!

You can buy John’s latest books here and here on Amazon.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Travis Alexander and Michael Hamilton (co-hosts of Kaiju Weekly); Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Eli Harris (elizilla13); Chris Cooke (host of One Cross Radio); Bex from Redeemed Otaku; and Damon Noyes! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month!

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

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Bibliography/Further Reading:

Complete Works of Nostradamus, The. Compiled by Arcanaeum (2003).
“Furylfuramide” (Wikipedia)
Galbraith IV, Stuart. Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: A Critical Analysis and Filmography of 103 Features Released in the United States 1950-1992.
LeMay, John. The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies Volume 1: 1954-1982.
LeMay, John. The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies: The Lost Films (Mutated Edition).
LeMay, John. Terror of the Lost Tokusatsu Films!
LeMay, John. Writing Giant Monsters.
Lost Films Fanzine: Movie Milestones #3, The. (John LeMay).
Nostradamus: The Prophecies. Translated by Richard Sieburth. Introduction by Stéphane Gerson. Published by Penguin Books (Penguin Classics).
Roberts, Henry C. (translator, editor, and interpreter). The Complete Prophecies of Nostradamus. Updated by Robert Lawrence. Published by Three Rivers Press.