Episode 851 The Ultraman Vault of Rising Horror

In this conversation, Bill and Professor Christopher Bricklemyer discuss the movies Ultraman Rising and Shin Kamen Rider. They start by talking about personal experiences with insurance and medical expenses. Then, they dive into the world of Ultraman, explaining its origins and the concept of the character. They discuss the Easter eggs and references in Ultraman Rising and share their thoughts on the film. They also touch on the character design and the involvement of animation professionals in the production. Overall, it's a conversation that combines personal anecdotes, analysis of the films, and insights into the Ultraman franchise. The story follows Ken, the son of the current incarnation of Ultraman, who moves to the United States with his mother while his father fights as Ultraman. Ken becomes a famous baseball player but returns to Japan when his mother disappears. He discovers that he has the ability to transform into Ultraman and must protect Japan from kaiju attacks. The film explores themes of family, responsibility, and the balance between personal desires and duty. It pays homage to classic tokusatsu and kaiju films while adding its own unique twist. In this conversation, Professor Christopher Bricklemyer and Bill discuss their thoughts on the movie Shin Kamen Rider. They talk about the structure of the story, the low budget, and the graphic violence. They also discuss the design of the characters and the tonal shifts in the movie. Overall, they have mixed opinions on the film, with Professor Bricklemyer giving it a B- and Bill giving it a C-.