The God of Clouds Interviewed at Vantage Point Interviews!

Yours truly with Fuchimu Shimakura in January 2021.

My interview with Fuchimu Shimakura, Toho's longtime backdrop painter during the Showa era, has finally been posted on Vantage Point Interviews. Not only does he discuss painting tokusatsu backdrops for classics like Battle in Outer Space (1959), Monster Zero (1965), and Destroy All Monsters (1968), but he also talks about designing Mothra's wings in 1961. All this and more is covered in my interview with Mr. Shimakura. 

Vantage Point Interviews -- where content is king!

TOKUSATSU SCULPTOR KEIZO MURASE! Monsters Born in Mizuho 2022!

Keizo Murase's Mothra greets visitors to the Mizuho Local Museum Keyakikan. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Just as it did a few years ago, the Mizuho Local Museum Keyakikan is hosting a special exhibition called "Tokusatsu Sculptor Keizo Murase -- Monsters Born in Mizuho 2022." The exhibit features a lot of Murase-san's work, some of which was actually used in tokusatsu films. I visited the exhibit on Wednesday, August 24.

The entrance to the Mizuho Local Museum Keyakikan. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Murase-san's 2019 recreation of the 1992 Mothra (from that year's Godzilla vs. Mothra) greets you as you walk in. There are some other odds and ends in the lobby area, such as Mothra's eye and a Mothra larva crawling around the local area, much as she did during her trek to Tokyo in the original 1961 film. 

Keizo Murase hangs out with his friends Booska and Takora. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Most interesting of all was a gallery in which photography was not allowed. It contained the Mighty Peking Man (1977) mask, a bit of Godzilla's skin from the King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) suit, a recreation of Matango (1963) mushrooms, and a recreation of a King Ghidorah head from Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964).

There were also many cool photos from Murase-san's career, making kaiju suits for Toho and Daiei productions. The exhibit is largely the same as the previous one from a few years ago.

Mizuho is way out west, so it took a while to get there. But the trip was well worth it. It's always cool to see such bits of kaiju film history up close, and even the recreations were fun to see. The staff was very friendly, and I had the exhibit all to myself, which was a big bonus for me. 

That's about all I have to say. I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking for me. Enjoy!

Shinji Nishikawa and Yuji Kaida's Kaiju Art Invade Shibuya Parco!

The Shinji Nishikawa and Yuji Kaida art gallery in Shibuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

For a very limited time at Shibuya Parco, there was a gallery dedicated to the art of Shinji Nishikawa and Yuji Kaida, two veterans of the tokusatsu world. The art on display focused mainly on Shin Ultraman and SSSS.Dynazenon, and none of it featured Godzilla.

Yuji Kaida's rendition of Eleking. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had a bit of time to visit earlier today, which was pretty good timing, given that it was the last day the gallery would be open. It was held in the same spot in Shibuya Parco that the Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) Hedorah suit was on display last year. When I entered, I was given a pack with four coasters. Not sure which characters are featured on them yet since I haven't opened it, but I hope the coasters come in handy one day. 

Shinji Nishikawa brings the kaiju to life! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Photography was not allowed in the gallery, except for the above drawings, one done by each artist. It was a fun exhibit, but I was done pretty quickly. I'll admit that I thought the Hedorah exhibit last year was a lot more interesting, but I'm grateful for any kaiju-related events that come my way.

A Celebration of Kikaider at 50!

Daisuke Ban. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The legendary Toei superhero program Kikaider (1972-73) enjoys its 50th anniversary in 2022, and what better way to celebrate this milestone than with the program's star himself, Daisuke Ban? That's exactly what a few of us lucky fans got participate in on Saturday, August 20, at a special event in Shinjuku.

Ban-san not only starred in Kikaider but also Inazuman (1974) and went on to play Battle Cossack in Battle Fever J (1979-80). I first met Ban-san at a similar event in Los Angeles way back in 2010, but thankfully our paths have crossed several times in Japan, too.

Daisuke Ban. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Not only did Ban-san share some memories of Kikaider, as well as the other tokusatsu programs he acted in, but he also sang, too! What a rare treat for us to enjoy.

It was a lot of fun to see Ban-san again. He's always in great spirits when I see him. What a cool way to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary!

Ultra Father Still Sez, 'Chap Up!'

Ultra Father stands just outside Shinjuku-sanchome Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While I was approaching Shinjuku-sanchome Station on Saturday, August 20, I spotted another Chap Up advertisement featuring Ultra Father. He must really believe in this product!

Spotted in Shibuya Station!

A Shin Ultraman toy vending machine in Shibuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While I was in Shibuya Station on Friday, August 19, I spotted this Shin Ultraman toy vending machine. It's sure fun to look at, but I saved my money.

Attending a Memorial Celebration of the Life and Career of Shinichi 'Sonny' Chiba

The floral arrangement at Sonny Chiba's memorial event on August 17. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an invitation to attend a memorial celebration of the life and career of the late action star Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba, who passed away last year. A few months ago, a similar event was announced but postponed to due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It was finally held on Wednesday, August 17, at the RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo.

The first gathering (held at 1:00 p.m.) was only for Chiba-san's friends and family. The second gathering was held at 3:00 p.m. and was reserved for Japan Action Club (a.k.a. Japan Action Enterprise) alumni and related parties. The 5:00 gathering was for general folks, like myself. 

After registering, I was given a flower by a staff member to lay in front of the floral arrangement. As I entered the room, the ending theme to Message from Space (1978) was playing, which I thought was an appropriate selection. After that, a variety of Japanese and Western pop songs played throughout the event. 

There were posters from Chiba-san's movies on display, as well as some photographs from his personal collection. (No photos were allowed there). 

At one point, I saw Chiba-san's daughter, Juri Manase, but it was a fleeting glimpse, and I didn't see her again. It was probably just as well, as I'm sure she had a lot on her mind. 

I'm glad I had an opportunity to celebrate Chiba-san's life and career in such a classy way. He was always a true gentleman when I was privileged to be in his company.

I couldn't think of a more appropriate way to celebrate the life and career of Sonny Chiba. I hope these photos convey even a fraction of how well organized the event was.

Rest in peace, Chiba-san.

'Akira Kurosawa, Screenwriter,' on Display at the National Film Archive!

A sign advertising the "Akira Kurosawa, Screenwriter" exhibit outside the National Film Archive of Japan. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today, I had a long break at work, so I made my way over to the National Film Archive of Japan to view its current "Akira Kurosawa, Screenwriter" exhibit that runs until November 27. I picked a pretty good time to go, as I had the exhibit to myself most of the time I was there. 

A banner for Ran (1985) on display. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As expected, there were quite a few cool items on display. One was an American first-run poster from 1956 for Seven Samurai (1954), which was released under the title The Magnificent Seven. (Say, that title sounds vaguely familiar!) Another was Larry Forrester's second draft (dated June 5, 1967) of the Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) screenplay. Also on display was a 650-page (!) printed version of the script that Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, and Ryuzo Kikushima completed in May 1967. 

Additionally, there was an English translation of the final draft of Kurosawa's "The Mask of the Black Death" screenplay, which was translated by Ian Hideo Levy. The year given was 1977.

Signage for the "Akira Kurosawa, Screenwriter" exhibit. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Perhaps most interesting of all for me was the material about the unmade project "AND...!" This was a script written by Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, and Shinobu Hashimoto, the English synopsis of which was  registered with the Writers Guild of America West on February 29, 1972. A "Memorandum of Understanding" was signed by Kurosawa and John C. Dutton on behalf of Cromwell International Pictures.

According to the memorandum, Steve McQueen was intended to have a starring role in this movie, which was to be based in and around Japan. The memorandum signed by both parties on April 10, 1971. The movie was apparently going to be an adaptation of an Ichiro Shiraishi novel about a blue-eyed samurai who was half-Japanese and half-Portuguese.

So, yes, there was a lot to see, and it was a lot more interesting than I had expected. I might even check out the exhibit one more time before it closes -- I certainly have a lot of time before that happens!

AN EVENING WITH COLONEL ASO! Reflecting on That Time I Met Akira Nakao in 2018!

The movie screen at the Ikebukuro Humax Cinemas just before the kickoff of the November 2018 Godzilla all-nighter. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On November 2, 2018, an all-night Godzilla film festival was held at the Ikebukuro Humax Cinemas, the special guest of which was actor Akira Nakao, best known among Godzilla fans for portraying Colonel (later Commander) Aso in some of the '90s Godzilla films, as well as Prime Minister Igarashi in a couple of the Masaaki Tezuka-directed Millennium-era movies. This was a rare public appearance for Mr. Nakao, so I was rather excited for it. 

The poster for Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (2002), one of the films screened that evening. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I really shouldn't have been, as his appearance was mostly a disappointment for me. Don't get me wrong -- Mr. Nakao was full of energy at the event and clearly enjoyed himself. But the bromide card set given out during the event didn't even have his actual autograph on any of the cards (aside from a couple with his signature obviously printed on them), not to mention that (as expected) attendees' face time with him was minimal, to put it mildly.

The poster for Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994), which was also screened that evening. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I remember telling him in the moment I had to speak with him that I enjoyed his work in The Vampire Doll (1970), in which he starred as Hiroshi Takagi. As I recall, he just laughed and was generally surprised that I even knew about that film. So, while I enjoyed meeting Mr. Nakao (as fleeting as it was), there wasn't much else I enjoyed about it. 

The poster for Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), another movie screened that evening. Photo by Brett Homenick.

It was an all-night event, which I'm usually never enthused about in the first place, but I believe I had to work the next day, so I couldn't stay through the whole thing even if I wanted to. I'm pretty sure I stayed for Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (2002), and then left after the film and meeting Mr. Nakao. 

I apparently was so underwhelmed by my experience at this event that I never even bothered to post about it here! In retrospect, I can see why I felt that way, but, given that some irresponsible fake news was recently shared about the actor by some self-professed tokusatsu "expert" (let's just say that reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated), now is as good an opportunity as any to record my recollections of that evening, as few as they are.

Godzilla vs. 'Ghost Book' in Hibiya?!

"There's Godzilla!" the ad reads, but certainly not in this movie! Photo by Brett Homenick.

While in Hibiya today, I spotted this ad for director Takashi Yamazaki's latest movie Ghost Book, which opened in Japan last month.  

It caught my attention for fairly obvious reasons, and, considering that Yamazaki is in the process of making the next Godzilla movie, perhaps it's a bit of foreshadowing. In any case, they can use Godzilla's name all they want; I'm still not seeing this flick!

The Return of 'Return of Godzilla' to the Big Screen!

Tonight's feature! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Just a couple of weeks after seeing Godzilla 1985 (a.k.a. Return of Godzilla, 1984) on the big screen at the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro, I went ahead and saw it again tonight! Not long after taking in the Godzilla all-nighter at the end of July, I saw that they were screening the '84 film again, and there was just no way I could pass it up.

A view of the Shin Bungeiza lobby. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Godzilla 1985 is one of my all-time favorites, and -- if I'm going to be completely honest -- I like it a lot more than the 1954 film. Yes, I know, I'm a heretic, but what can I say? I call them as I see them.

Guarding the soda machine. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The film print wasn't in the best shape, but it was great to see it again on the big screen. Screenings of the '84 Godzilla have been rare since I've been in Japan, so I'm likely to attend any screening I possibly can. I'd imagine this will be the last one for a while. Glad I was able to catch it again!

'Godzilla against Mechagodzilla' Returns to Japan?!

Could this mean a Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (2002) re-release?! Photo by Brett Homenick.

While changing trains in Yokohama Station on Saturday night, I spotted this amusing poster near the JR Lines ticket gate. While it may look like a re-release for Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (2002), it's just a poster for the Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Committee, which is an effort of nine local prefectural and city governments in the Kanto area to hold joint drills and other countermeasures to -- you guessed it -- prevent disasters and crises. A previous committee poster featured Shin Godzilla (2016), which I used to see quite often in train stations. According to its website, there was even one with Ultraman, though I don't believe I ever saw that one. 

Anyway, it was certainly something surprising (and amusing) to see while changing trains.

THE STUNTMAN AND THE DIRECTOR: An Evening with Japanese Film Alumni!

Hironobu Hagimae. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight, I braved a typhoon (and got sopping wet in the process!) to attend a special event with two special guests: Hironobu Hagimae and Shun Nakahara!

Hironobu Hagimae has performed as a stuntman in America, Japan, and even Australia. He's a veteran of the '70s Kamen Rider series, as well as Mad Max (1979) and The Road Warrior (1981). I've met him several times before, and he's always a gentleman.

Shun Nakahara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was director Shun Nakahara. Nakahara-san has directed The Cherry Orchard (1990), The Gentle Twelve (1991), Colorful (2000), the thriller Concent (2001), and the horror flick Tomie: Forbidden Fruit (2002).

I (very briefly) met Nakahara-san earlier this year, but admittedly I didn't have much to say to him at the time because I wasn't that familiar with his work. I did a bit more homework this time and had more to say this time. He was very friendly, that's for sure!

A New Interview About Classic Tokusatsu on Vantage Point Interviews!

With Minoru Kujirai in November 2021.

My interview with animator Minoru Kujirai has just been posted on Vantage Point Interviews. In the interview, Mr. Kujirai discusses working for Toei Animation in the mid-1960s, on which he worked on the animated series King Kong (1967). From there, Mr. Kujirai would briefly work on a few Toei tokusatsu series, including the original Kamen Rider (1971-73), but it would be his work at Tsuburaya Productions throughout the 1970s, including the Ultraman series, that would define his tokusatsu career. Read all about it on Vantage Point Interviews where content is king!

Heisei Gamera Tokusatsu DNA, Part II!

Legion is ready to attack! Photo by Brett Homenick.

The second part of my pictures from the Heisei Gamera Tokusatsu DNA exhibit at Tokyo Tower. Enjoy!