SUKAPIN WALK, DON'T RUN! Director Omori Discusses His Mid-'80s Opus!

Producer Shiro Sasaki (left) and director Kazuki Omori. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a screening of one of director Kazuki Omori's pre-Godzilla films. The film was Sukanpin Walk (1984), a sort of Japanese A Star Is Born, headlined by Koji Kikkawa. The movie was enjoyable, though I prefer You Gotta Chance (1985), which is a much more fun and energetic movie, with the same director and star.

Kazuki Omori. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On hand for the event was director Kazuki Omori, best known in the West for his directing Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991). Naturally, I'm quite familiar with his Heisei Godzilla films, but I've long been interested in his other works. So today was an opportunity I was eager to seize.

With producer Shiro Sasaki.

The other guest of honor was producer Shiro Sasaki. He not only produced today's film but You Gotta Chance, as well. For genre fans, his biggest credit is producing the final film of director Nobuo Nakagawa, The Living Koheji (1982). 

All in all, it was another enjoyable evening. I spent a great deal of the time speaking with Sasaki-san's daughter, who assisted him at the event. Otherwise, it was great to see so many other familiar faces. Can't wait to do it all over again!