Episode 76: Alex McCumbers vs. ‘Rampage’ (2018)

Hello, Kaiju Lovers! Nate is joined by a fresh face on the show: gaming journalist and podcaster Alex McCumbers. It makes sense because today’s “Ameri-kaiju” film is Rampage (2018) starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which is based on a classic arcade game. While the movie is “almost good,” as Alex puts it, it does embrace some of the wackiness of its origins with wisecracking “Agent Negan” and cartoonish villains. But it never quite replicates the campy yet dark tone of the source material (I mean, c’mon, the evil corporation in the game was called “Scumlabs”). There’s some brief talk about CRISPR, which Nate wished he’d researched as the Toku Topic, but he promised Alex it’d be on the history of kaiju video games.

Before today’s broadcast, Nate reports to Mister Gold, who tells him he is aware of Nate’s text messages with Jessica the day she freed the Ymir. Now Mister Gold says he’s not sure he can trust Nate. After that harrowing experience, Nate and his merry band of secret rebels go to the last place he ever wants to go to get info from the last person he ever wants to see: the pub Nessie’s Brasserie and its proprietor, William H. George III. It’s an all-out sass war as soon as they walk in.

Check out Alex’s website and podcast, Forever Classic Games (https://foreverclassicgames.com/).

The prologue and epilogue, “Getting the Messages,” was written by Michael Hamilton and Nathan Marchand.

Guest Cast
• Michael Hamilton as Mr. Gold and William H. George III
• Damon Noyes as Raymund Martin and Gary Steward
• Sarah Marchand as Jessica Shaw
• Daniel DiManna as N.I.G.E.L.
• Introducing Olivia Reed as Bonnie Lass

Additional music:
• “Evil Rising” by David Fesliyan
• “Pacific Rim” by Niall Stenson
• “Chant My Name!” by Masaaki Endo
• “The Campbells Are Comin'” by Nesrality
• “Bonnie Dundee” by Nesrality
• “Bonnie Mary Hay” by Newrality
• “Oh, Charlie Is My Darling” by Nesrality
• “Scots Wha Ha'e wi' Wallace Bled” by Nesrality

Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org, including those by InspectorJ.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Travis Alexander; Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Eli Harris (elizilla13); Chris Cooke (host of One Cross Radio); Bex from Redeemed Otaku; Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Brad “Batman” Eddleman, Christopher Riner, and The Indiscrite One!

You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault)

Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop)

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

Timestamps:
• Prologue: 0:00-8:35
• Intro: 8:35-18:14
• Entertaining Info Dump: 18:14-26:46
• Toku Talk: 26:46-1:27:21
• Podcast Promo: 1:27:21-1:29:01
• Toku Topic: 1:29:01-2:49:14
• Housekeeping & Outro: 2:49:14-3:02:30
• Epilogue: 3:02:30-end

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© 2022, 2023 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:
• CRISPR Therapeutics website (https://crisprtx.com/)
• Forever Classic Podcast, The. “Episode 11; Kaiju Games With Nathan Marchand.” (https://soundcloud.com/foreverclassicgames/episode-11-kaiju-games-with-nathan-marchand).
• “Kaiju Video Games History - G-Fest XXVI 2019 Panel.” Uploaded by Control All Monsters (Alex Rushdy). (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbKhQnlXzV4).
• “Kaiju Video Games History - Part 2! G-Fest XVII Panel.” Uploaded by Control All Monsters (Alex Rushdy). (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTBn9B8JE0I).
• “List of Godzilla games.” Wikipedia.
• “Questions and Answers about CRISPR.” Broad Institute. https://www.broadinstitute.org/what-broad/areas-focus/project-spotlight/questions-and-answers-about-crispr.
• Rampage blu-ray special features:
o “Attack on Chicago”
o “Bringing George to Life”
o “Not Just a Game Anymore”
o “Rampage: Actors in Action”
o “Trio of Destruction”
• “Rampage.” IMDb. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2231461/).
• “Rampage (2018 film).” Wikipedia.
• “Rampage (2018).” Wikizilla. (https://wikizilla.org/wiki/Rampage).
• “Rampage (franchise).” Wikipedia.