Shelf Examination Podcast

Shelf Examination Podcast

By: Joe and Sarah at the Washington Libraries

Language: en-us

Categories: Arts, Books

You can always find something to enjoy at your local library and the Shelf Examination podcast seeks to explore and have fun with what you'll find there. Movies, manga, music, or maybe even a book or two.

Episodes

ACME Master - Godzilla vs Kong Shelf Examination S01E22
Jan 10, 2026

In this episode we return the our Kaiju Review with a movie that proves that Kong is still the peanut butter to Godzilla's chocolate, even in the Monsterverse. Along the way we tangent through conspiracy theorists, the anonymity of podcasters, signing monkeys, The Shelf Examination Podcast is provided by the libraries in Southern Utah. Find out more at: https://library.washco.utah.gov/

Duration: 00:57:22
Make sure it's a nice Blender - Godzilla King of Monsters (2019) - Shelf Examination S01E21
Jan 05, 2026

In this episode of the Kaiju Review we are looking at 2019's Godzilla King of the Monsters. A solid addition to the Monsterverse. Beware of tangents about appropriate mother's day gifts, demonizing ecologists, the return of Top Gun vs the Nuclear Turkey, and the Asian aging curve.The Shelf Examination Podcast is provided by the libraries in Southern Utah. Find out more at: https://library.washco.utah.gov/

Duration: 00:45:34
I'm so Sexy - Pacific Rim Uprisng - Shelf Examination S01E20
Dec 19, 2025

It's a Kaiju movie, without enough Kaiju. It's a sequel that doesn't live up to it's predecessor. It's a star showcase that may have killed the stars career. But is it bad enough to beat the worst on our big ranking of Kaiju movies?The Shelf Examination Podcast is provided by the libraries in Southern Utah. Find out more at: https://library.washco.utah.gov/

Duration: 01:01:24
All Hail the King - Shelf Examination S01E19 Skull Island
Dec 16, 2025

In this episode of the Shelf Examination Podcast we continue our Kaiju Review with 2017's Kong Skull Island. With half the Marvel cast being reused, is there any way this isn't a good time? But can it beat it's grand pappy in the rankings?The shelf examination podcast is a service of the Libraries in Southern Utah.

Find out more at https://library.washco.utah.gov/

Duration: 00:55:24
NIGEL, NO! Shelf Examination S01E19 Godzilla the Animated Series Season 2
Nov 17, 2025

Godzilla the Series continues into it's second season with eco terrorists, Kaiju heartbreak, and more monster action. Does Zilla's second series live up to the first? Find out on this episode of the Kaiju Review as we do some Shelf Examination.

The Shelf Examination Podcast is created by the Libraries in Southern Utah.https://library.washco.utah.gov/

Duration: 00:36:41
Zilla's Back! Shelf Examination S01E17 - Godzilla The Series Season 1
Nov 05, 2025

Godzilla the series is to the Matthew Brodrick's 1998 Godzilla movie what a national guard/doordash strategic alliance is to a drowning person. That is to say, it not only saves it, but it also feeds it. And in this episode of the Shelf Examination Podcast we're going to take a look at the first season of Godzilla the series.

Shelf Examination is a podcast by the libraries in the Washington County Libraries in Southern Utah. You can find out more at: https://library.washco.utah.gov/

Duration: 00:37:24
The worst Godzilla in the Worst Godzilla Movie - Shelf Examination S01E16 - Shin Godzilla
Oct 18, 2025

Shin Godzilla is a divisive movie among Godzilla fans. But among us here at the Shelf Examination we were pretty united on our take for this movie. Where will it go on our ranking? Find out.

Duration: 00:45:03
Jack Black's King Kong - Shelf Examination S01E15 King Kong 2005
Oct 02, 2025

The original King Kong from 1933 is a Kaiju classic that we at Shelf Examination have had at the top of our rankings from the beginning. But will it stay there in the face of almost a century of cinema and special effects improvements? Find out in this episode of the Shelf Examination Podcast.

Duration: 00:34:28
Agressively Cool, but is it Kaiju? Shelf Examination S01E14 Pacific Rim
Sep 25, 2025

In this episode of the Kaiju Review we look at a movie that may not actually be a Kaiju movie, even if it's responsible for brining the term into the gestalt. And why Kaiju and not Jaeger?

Duration: 00:44:11
Audrey is the Worst - Shelf Examination S01E12 Godzilla 1998
Sep 10, 2025

1998's Godzilla starring Mathew Broadrick is a decisive movie in the Kaiju lineup. While fans call the monster "GINA", short for "Godzilla in Name Only", if divorced from it's namesake, does Hollywood's first attempt at mimicking the Kaiju formula actually hold up?

Duration: 00:45:30
Rescuing the Damsel in Distress - Shelf Examination S01E13 Cloverfield
Sep 04, 2025

Cloverfield is a strange one among Kaiju movies, showing a side of monster attacks that no one has dared to explore. But is it a side that anyone really wanted to see? Was J J Abram's entry into the Kaiju genre a cinematic master piece, or an over hyped flop? Let's discuss it today on the Shelf Examination Podcast.

Duration: 00:28:08
A Steady Decline for Gamera - Shelf Examination S01E12 Gamera 2 and 3
Aug 27, 2025

After Gamera's return in the 90s, it only got worse as the quick follow up sequel and the one they took more time on both failed to land with audiences and with us on this week's shelf examination Podcast. One of us wisely backed out before finishing. Can you guess which one?

Duration: 00:31:41
90s Gamera Sucks - Shelf Examination S01E11- Gamera 1995
Aug 18, 2025

In this episode of the Shelf Examination Podcast we regret taht the early Gamera movies aren't in our collection because we're stuck with Gamera - Guardian of the Universe from 1995. And as bad as this is, it's nothing compared with what's coming next week.

Duration: 00:36:33
Go for the Head! Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) - Shelf Examination S01E10
Jul 31, 2025

Black hole aliens be schemin' in this episode of the Shelf Examination Podcast as we review The Terror of Mechagodzilla from 1975, the sequel to Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, which isn' in our collection. Featuring an unlovable cyborg, the handsome hero who loves her, and a new monster that's bigger than Godzilla, so it gets unimaginatively named the "Titanasaurus".

How will the Terror of Mechagodzilla fare in the rankings? Stay tuned to find out.

Duration: 01:01:04
King Kong vs Doctor Who! King Kong Escapes (1963) - Shelf Examination S01E09
Jul 31, 2025

In this episode we take a break from Summer Reading in our Library to explore a hidden gem in the Kaiju Genre. A movie that shouldn't have existed, and yet somehow is. Where everyone is dubbed, even in their native language, Where the Bergermeister Meister Berger has built a robot monkey from drawings he stole, but not drawings of a robot monkey. Where the first non-blond that King Kong carried returns as not-Japanese not-Chinese not-Korean, who is she? A movie so bizarre that when it's done we had no choice but to subject others to it. Behold the 8-and-a-half-th...

Duration: 01:03:02
Latchkey Hero. All Monsters Attack (1969) - Shelf Examination S1E08
Jul 08, 2025

This week's Kaiju exploration takes us to 1969 and Godzilla, All Monsters Attack, or as it was known in the US, Godzilla's Revenge, a movie that has very little Godzilla, even less all monsters attacking, and absolutely no revenge, but it does have a lot of the son of Godzilla. But despite being a stinker, there's something about this touching story meant to bolster the strength of latchkey kids that touched our hearts.

Duration: 00:40:01
Godzilla's Inner Monologue. Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster (1964) - Shelf Examination S1E07
Jun 25, 2025

The Kaiju Review continues with 1964's Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster, a movie we both thought would be a stand alone movie to establish the a villain for Godzilla to fight later, but ended up being not that. In fact it hardly featured Ghidorah , Godzilla, or anyone, and yet might have been saved by the strangest B-Plot in one of these movies to date!

Duration: 00:34:43
Godzilla Cinematic Universe. Mothra vs Godzilla (1964) - Shelf Examination S1E06
Jun 20, 2025

In this episode of the Shelf Examination Podcast, the Kaiju Review continues with 1964's Mothra vs Godzilla. In this massive Kaiju cross over, will Godzilla get upstaged by his guest star, or his own tail? And does a bloody, gritty fight befit this sort of movie?

Duration: 00:38:24
Monkey saves Kaiju. King Kong vs Godzilla - Shelf Examination S1E05
Jun 19, 2025

In this episode of the Shelf Examination Podcast, the Kaiju Review continues with 1956's King Kong vs Godzilla. Will the return of the first Kaiju elevate the genre, or turn it into a cheesefest forever more? And is that a bad thing? Is the American version really the worst, or does it's additions to the move actually make it better?

Duration: 00:51:06
Top Gun vs the Nuclear Turkey. Rodan (1956) - Shelf Examination S01E04
May 06, 2025

Shelf Examination is the podcast where librarians review things found on the shelves of their local library. In this episode we review the 1956 Kaiju movie Rodan. Does this movie live up to the hype of Godzilla, or will it fail to take off?

Duration: 00:34:22
Direct to Video Sequel. Godzilla Raids Again (1955) - Shelf Examination S01E03
Mar 25, 2025

The second Godzilla movie sees a new Godzilla fighting a new enemy with Osaka in the crosshairs. Can our intrepid handsome man and comic side kick stop the destruction before it's too late? And will handsome man have to make the ultimate sacrifice to win? And does this movie undo the previous one? Find out as we continue our Kaiju Review with Godzilla

Duration: 00:30:06
The start of the Genre - Godzilla (1954) - Shelf Examination Podcast S01E02
Mar 11, 2025

Here it is, the movie that really kicked off the Kaiju Genre. The first Japanese giant monster movie, Godzilla from 1954. Does this classic hold up to it's legacy, or will it be a fall from grace that will take down all of Tokyo? Is a dramatic disaster movie really what we want from our giant monster, or will this movie just leave us wanting more?

Duration: 00:36:52
The first Kaiju. King Kong (1933) - Shelf Examination S01E01
Mar 08, 2025

In this first episode of the Shelf Examination Podcast, we being our Kaiju Review with the original Kaiju Movie, 1933's King Kong.

What do you get when you put the most amazing stop motion animators of the day with an ex fighter pilot turned writer/director? Does Fay Wray deserve her high praise, or is she just a blond macguffin? Does this classic hold up in the modern day? In this first episode of the Shelf Examination Podcast we examine the 1993 King Kong, a movie that kicked off the Kaiju genre.

Duration: 00:56:32