Kenpachiro Satsuma featured in 'The Men Behind the Masks'

Dana Foreman poses with Kenpachiro Satsuma at a G-CON in the mid-1990s. Photo courtesy Dana Foreman.

Godzilla suit actor Kenpachiro Satsuma is featured alongside such horror movie icons as Robert Englund, Ben Chapman, and others in a Yahoo! Split Screen feature called "The Men Behind the Masks."

You can see Mr. Satsuma's entry for yourself here.

As an aside, Tyler Mane's entry for his work as Michael Myers in Rob Zombie's Halloween mentions his appearance at Blackjack Brawl for Herb Abrams' UWF in 1994, perhaps the most infamous wrestling event of all time.

An evening with Ib Melchior

Ib Melchior at work on his computer. Please note that you are not being shown Cinemagic in this photograph.

In July, I received an e-mail from Ib Melchior. He received his copy of G-FAN #88, in which my review of his book Melchior A La Carte appears. It turns out that Ib was very impressed with my review and invited me to stay over at his house whenever I was in Los Angeles. I was excited by the invitation and kept it in mind for my next trip to L.A.

A dragon-like creature hangs from Ib Melchior's office ceiling. Could this creature be Reptilicus?

My trip came in late September. I asked Ib if I could stay over on the night of the 29th, and he agreed. As I expected, Ib was an incredibly gracious host and told many stories about his film and television career. At the age of 92, he continues to write books at a pace that this 28-year-old couldn't even begin to fathom.

One of Ib Melchior's many novels alongside his copy of Reptilicus. Can you spot my socks?

I slept in his guest room, which contained a TV set with an 82" screen. He showed me how to work the remote while the "new" ECW played in the background on SyFy (which prompted Ib to quip that while wrestling may be fiction, there's not a lot of science to it). That evening, on this amazing home theater system, I watched Taxi Driver on TCM and Patton the next morning on AMC. All while a poster for Planet of the Vampires loomed over me.

Ib Melchior shows Brett his manuscript for Six Cult Films from the Sixties.

While there were many great aspects of my overnight stay at Ib Melchior's, I'd have to say that the most interesting of all was the sneak peek I had of his new book, Six Cult Films from the Sixties. The upcoming tome is a comprehensive look at Ib's sci-fi film career, illustrated by rare photographs, concept art, and assorted goodies. The wealth of information in this book was astounding, and I can't wait for it to be released. If you're a fan of The Angry Red Planet, Reptilicus, Journey to the Seventh Planet, The Time Travelers, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, and Planet of the Vampires, or even if you're a movie fan who loves to learn about the blood, sweat, and tears that go into filmmaking, you'll want to pick this book up. As soon as I learn more about the book's release, I'll be sure to post about it here.

I have to extend my sincerest thanks to Ib and Cleo Melchior for being excellent hosts. I was truly touched by the interest they showed in me, and I can't thank them enough for their hospitality.

Lunch with Rhodes Reason

Brett with Jeri and Rhodes Reason.

Okay, so maybe life in the desert isn't so bad. I just got back from lunch with Rhodes Reason and his charming wife Jeri. We ate at The River, which is a shopping center that is literally right next to where I live in Rancho Mirage! Yes, there are definitely perks.

We haven't seen each other since G-FEST 2007, so it was great to speak with Rhodes on a variety of topics, including his memories of the late Soupy Sales. It was a great time, and another get-together will probably be arranged in the near future. All in all, a great way to spend an afternoon!

Happy birthday, Carla Laemmle!

Brett meets Carla Laemmle at Monsterpalooza in May 2009.

October 20, 2009, marks the 100th birthday of film icon Carla Laemmle, who appeared in The Phantom of the Opera (1925!) as the prima ballerina and in the original Dracula as the passenger in the coach who utters the film's first line of dialogue.

We here at Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker (okay, it's just me, but still) would like to wish Ms. Laemmle a very happy 100th birthday ... with many more to come!

Meeting Luciana Paluzzi

Brett meets Luciana Paluzzi in her backyard.

One of the benefits of living in Rancho Mirage is its close proximity to the Los Angeles area. I'm only about two and a half hours away from most locations in the city. It affords me the chance to travel there fairly routinely and do fun things that I wouldn't be able to do in my old stomping grounds, Grand Forks.

One of these fun things was the chance to meet Luciana Paluzzi, the star of the James Bond film Thunderball, the Japanese cult movie The Green Slime, and numerous other titles. When I knew I was going to L.A. to meet a friend (more on that in another blog post), I asked Luciana if I could stop by and have a quick chat. She agreed, and the date was set.

When we met, we sat in her (extremely impressive) backyard. She talked about her career, told some very funny and interesting stories, and was all-around very pleasant to talk to. I really would like to thank Luciana for giving me the opportunity to stop by her home and meet her. It certainly made the trip back to Rancho Mirage much more enjoyable!

ValleyCon 2006

The Doublewood Inn in lovely Fargo, ND. Home of ValleyCon 2006.

During my stay in Grand Forks, I attended a local sci-fi convention called ValleyCon. The con itself was rather small, but it offered a variety of fun activities and featured several special guests. In 2006, G-FAN editor J.D. Lees and I drove down to Fargo (70 miles south of where I lived) to attend our first ValleyCon.

It was a fun event, and I returned the following year. Below are some photos from the con. Since it happened so long ago, I don't have much to say about it, but I thought I'd share these pictures.

J.D. Lees uses my laptop to write something unimportant.

An honest-to-goodness Mothra toy in the dealers room!

Watching a fan film or something. I can't remember, but is it even that important?

J.D. Lees examines a bug that landed on his hand inside the hotel.

There I am, goofing off after hours.

G-FAN #89 review

First of all, I've been neglecting this blog like crazy, and I apologize for that. I've got some good material for blog posts in the near future, but like all good things, it will have to wait.

In the meantime, check out Monsterland Ohio's review of G-FAN #89. As one of the issue's contributors, I certainly appreciate Mark's take.

The review can be found here.