Attending a Screening of Toho's 'The H-Man' in 35mm!

Signage for tonight's screening of The H-Man at the Laputa Asagaya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Not only did I see An American Werewolf in London (1981) earlier today (Sunday, January 29), but I capped off the evening with a screening of Toho's The H-Man (1958) in 35mm. It was part of the Laputa Asagaya's Science Fiction Film Festival, and I was quite eager to see it. I'm much more familiar with this movie than the previous three I've seen as part of this program, and tonight's film features many of my favorite Toho performers.

Publicity materials for The H-Man inside the theater lobby. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The film looked gorgeous in 35mm. As always, there were a few flaws, but very few jumps that would have proved too distracting. Yumi Shirakawa was absolutely radiant here -- just an unbelievably beautiful woman. Masaru Sato's score is excellent, and the effects are impressive, too, though they would get even better over time.

It's interesting to think that Daiei's The Invisible Man vs. the Human Fly (1957) came out the previous year when the two films look like they were made decades apart. This was made just after Toho hit its stride with its SFX flicks, and, unlike a few of the studio's previous releases, it actually looks like a movie made in the year it came out. 

Oh, and there was a small earthquake that happened during the screening. It wasn't too disruptive or anything, but it was kind of interesting. Just thought I'd include that little tidbit.

That's all for tonight. Now to get some sleep!

Seeing 'An American Werewolf in London' in 35mm in Tokyo!

The National Film Archive of Japan. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The National Film Archive of Japan hosted a screening of the horror classic An American Werewolf in London (1981) as part of its program highlighting Academy Award-winning films (Film Treasures from the Academy Film Archive). Suffice it to say, American Werewolf was one of the few horror movies featured -- in fact, it was probably the only one. (I guess I should have checked to see if it was!)

A 35mm film print was screened, and I was a bit surprised to find that it was a film print from the time it screened in Japan back in the day. The actual movie is preceded by the movie's Japanese title card (with the katakana spelling of "American" in Old Glory-style red, white, and blue with stars, almost making it seem like a straight-up comedy). This version also blurs out David Naughton's naughty bits, although the female nudity was left largely intact.

Despite the print's age, it was in good shape. There were scratches and splotches all over the place, but few jumps or other flaws that would have been too distracting. 

The theater was almost sold out, and the audience laughed heartily at the movie's humor. They also laughed in a couple of inappropriate places during which the film was clearly going in a scarier direction. Not sure if they figured the whole flick was supposed to be a joke, or if they found Rick Baker's makeup effects a bit too dated, but it did surprise me, especially for a Japanese audience.

This is my favorite werewolf movie of all time, though I have to say that I don't dig a whole lot of other ones, even the Lon Chaney, Jr., ones from Universal Pictures. I do think The Howling (1981) has superior werewolf transformations and designs -- seriously, Rob Bottin was the best at what he did -- but American Werewolf simply works much better as an overall film. 

I actually watched American Werewolf about a year and a half ago on DVD -- yes, I said DVD, not Blu-ray -- but, had I known I'd get to see John Landis' horror classic on the big screen in 35mm in the near future, I would have just waited for today's screening. It was still a lot of fun to see, as it was my first time to see it this way. 

January continues to be a heck of a busy month for film screenings. And there's still one more to go!

A Dramatic Reading for a Cold Evening in Tokyo!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight, Sunday, January 29, I met Masanori Machida again for the first time this year. I arrived to his performance later than usual, due to my having to squeeze it in between two film screenings. (The agony of having so many things to do at the same time!)

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I arrived after Machida-san gave his dramatic reading, and only got to see the last half or so of the performance of another actor. After he finished, the entire cast came out to thank the audience and to promote whatever they had to promote. One performer came out dressed as a telephone (!), so I probably missed something quite amusing in that performance.

When Machida-san wasn't busy chatting with other attendees, I asked him to sign a Gappa bromide card, which he graciously did. Gappa is a favorite kaiju flick of mine, and it still amazes me that Nikkatsu's sole kaiju outing turned out as entertaining as it did.

We posed for the obligatory photos afterward, and it was Machida-san's idea to do the pose in the above photo. Hey, it's the perfect time to get into the kaiju spirit!

Great New Content on Vantage Point Interviews!

Megumi Odaka in July 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My interview with Godzilla series actress Megumi Odaka, who played the psychic Miki Saegusa in six Heisei-era films, has just been published on Vantage Point Interviews. The Q&A covers her early life up through Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989), and many of her responses are quite candid. It's a rare interview from one of tokusatsu's biggest icons. Vantage Point Interviews continues to prove that content is king!

A Kazuki Omori Double Feature in Ikebukuro!

A great double feature in Ikebukuro! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a screening of Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) at the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro. The screenings were part of the theater's tribute to the late writer-director Kazuki Omori, who passed away last year.

Both screenings were of 35mm prints, which looked wonderful. There were a couple of jumps and the usual scratches and splotches I've come to expect from such film prints, but overall they were in very good condition. Despite those blemishes, it sure beats watching a homemade DVD of Biollante that freezes halfway through the screening! (Yes, such a thing did happen once at some event in the U.S., as embarrassing as it was to the organizers.) But there was none of that kind of amateurishness at this event, thankfully. 

 

This was not my first time to see either film in 35mm, but I try not to pass up such opportunities when they come up. Besides, it was a great way to remember Kazuki Omori, who was always extremely friendly the many times I've met him over the years.

The stars of Biollante and King Ghidorah keep watch over the theater's soda machine. Photo by Brett Homenick.

All in all, it was a great afternoon of movies. I remember mentioning in a blog post last December that there would be a lot of film screenings this month, but I had no idea there would be so many! I've been kept way busier this month than I expected, which is not a bad thing at all.

Remembering Derrick Holmes

Derrick Holmes in November 2012. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I caught a screening of Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) at the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro. One of the things I enjoyed most about it was seeing Derrick Holmes as Biomajor agent Michael Low again. As I watched him in the movie, it reminded me that, a couple of years ago, I finally found someone who told me the cause of his passing.

Derrick Holmes in November 2012. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In June 2021, I contacted one of Derrick's friends via social media, who told me what happened. According to what I was told, he fell off a stairwell from about the seventh floor. It was also determined to be an accident, as he apparently slipped and fell.

Derrick Holmes in August 2011. Photo by Brett Homenick.

One of the strangest things about Derrick's passing was that I visited him the same month he died. He certainly looked healthy to me, and he was also in great spirits. I'd always assumed that whatever happened must have been an accident, but I wasn't able to get any confirmation until about a year and a half ago.

Derrick Holmes poses with Jon Gallock, who appears in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), in November 2012. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Although I'd been in contact with Derrick electronically for years prior to my move to Japan, we only met twice -- once in Roppongi in August 2011 and the second time in was around Shinjuku in November 2012. In my writeup of the second meeting on this blog, I wrote: "All in all, it was a great time with a good friend. We ought to get together more often!" Sigh.

With Derrick Holmes in August 2011.

The first time we met, Derrick showed me around Roppongi. Despite the area's reputation, it was good clean fun all the way. 

I made a video of my hanging out with Derrick, which you can watch here.

Seeing Derrick on the big screen brought back so many memories, and I did want to post an update to give the people who knew and loved him some closure in case they didn't know what happened. 

Below are a couple of other photos from my collection.

The two thumbs up above say it all.

RIP, my good friend.

A Salute to Nobuyuki Yasumaru

Nobuyuki Yasumaru in September 2021. Photo by Brett Homenick.

January 24 marks what would have been Toho suitmaker Nobuyuki Yasumaru's 88th birthday. I was privileged to visit with him in late September 2021, which turned out to be mere months before he passed away on March 1, 2022. 

Safety first is the way it goes. Yasumaru-san wanted us to wear masks in this photo.

I interviewed him that day about a variety of topics I wasn't able to cover when I first interviewed him in December 2018. The second interview will hopefully be published in the next couple of months. Yasumaru-san discussed a variety of projects he worked on that usually don't get much coverage, so I think folks will enjoy it. We conducted the interview in a cafe near his home and changed locations afterward to continue the conversation. The photo above was taken in the second location.

During the time of COVID, first bumps have become more common in Japan. When Yasumaru-san met me at the train station on the day of the interview, he offered a fist bump, which I thought was extremely cool. I definitely wanted to recreate it in the photo above.

We exchanged New Year's cards a few months later. It turned out he sent his New Year's greetings to me literally just two months before he passed. I'm extremely grateful I got to spend time with Yasumaru-san, and I still miss him to this day. 

I just wanted to say a few words to celebrate his memory on what would have been his 88th birthday.

Catching Daiei's 'The Invisible Man vs. the Human Fly' (1957) at the Theater in Glorious 16mm!

The Laputa Asagaya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The Science Fiction Film Festival at the Laputa Asagaya marches on, and tonight (Monday, January 23) I took in a screening of the Daiei shocker The Invisible Man vs. the Human Fly (1957). I'd seen it once before, which was in the summer of 2010. It came highly recommended from this guy who had written some book, and, because I assumed he knew what he was talking about, I gave it a look-see. But I found it way too talky and, ultimately, underwhelming, so I had no idea what that dude was talking about. (Then again, I'm not so sure even he knows.)

Unlike the other screenings, this was actually a 16mm print, not 35mm. The print itself had likely seen better days. While there weren't that many jumps, there were scratches and splotches aplenty, almost looking as if the characters were suddenly caught in a blizzard of black snow.

Due to my lack of enthusiasm for the film the first time I saw it, I actually considered skipping this screening. But the rarity of the situation eventually won me over, so I decided to give it a second chance. So how did I feel this time?

Mostly the same, to be honest, though I will freely admit that I enjoyed it more this time. I was able to appreciate a number of the SFX scenes more this time around, likely because I could see them better on the big screen. Most of the effects scenes involve miniaturized bad guys who buzz around the air like insects or climb around on unsuspecting cabaret performers, so it certainly doesn't do these sequences justice to see them on DVD at home. And those scenes were fun, as was the surprise involving the Invisible Woman during the climax. 

But I still find the flick way too talky. The actors generally do a good job, but they are mostly unmemorable. Even the scenery-chewing Human Flies aren't that interesting as villains, which is especially true of the first Human Fly, who mostly comes across as an off-the-rack cackling madman you can find in a slew of low-budget horrors from this side of the Pacific. Not bad, but really nothing special.

From where I sit, Toho's The Invisible Man (1954) is the superior film, and it has the added benefit of featuring an interesting character in the titular role. The Invisible People in this one are quite unremarkable, I'm afraid. 

I hope I eventually get my hands on the Blu-ray, and -- who knows -- maybe then I'll come around to digging the film. I guess we'll see. While my opinion of the movie has improved, and I'll happily give it the credit it's due, I can't give it a full-throated recommendation. It's fair, but I can't quite call it good.

Guess Where I Went Today

Godzilla vs. Megalon's Ibuki house. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 If you said the Ibuki house from Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), you'd be correct! It'd been a couple of years since I last saw it, so, despite the freezing temperatures today, I decided to pay it another visit. 

Suffice it to say, it's one of the most iconic filming locations in the history of the Godzilla series. It always puts a smile on my face when I see it, and today was no exception.

It's a Scorsese Movie Marathon in Tokyo!

Signage for a Martin Scorsese triple feature at the Shin Bungeiza theater in Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I spent a fun time at the movies at the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro. However, all three movies I watched were American, not Japanese. They were the Martin Scorsese classics Raging Bull (1980), GoodFellas (1990), and Taxi Driver (1976), which were screened in that order. Raging Bull and GoodFellas were digital projections, but I was surprised to find that Taxi Driver was actually a 35mm print. Overall, the print was in good shape, but the Japanese subtitles seemed to be a bit worse for wear. 

I'd seen all three films multiple times, so there were no surprises. Well, there was one surprise, I guess. I'd never noticed before just how much dialogue was dubbed into both Raging Bull and GoodFellas when the actors who were supposedly speaking were obviously out of sync with their mouth movements or weren't even moving their lips at all. And folks complain about the dubbing in Godzilla movies!

I'd say Raging Bull is the best (and most emotionally impactful) of the three, GoodFellas is the most entertaining, and, as for Taxi Driver, well, I still don't see the greatness there that others do. I've always felt I should like the movie a lot more than I do, but I just never have, which has always been the case (going back to when I first saw it in 1997). Don't get me wrong -- I like the film and all, but I don't regard it as an all-time classic or one of Scorsese's best. 

In any case, I really enjoyed revisiting these Scorsese films, and it was a blast seeing all three on the big screen for the first time. 

'Yonggary' (1999) Interview Now on Vantage Point Interviews!

Photo courtesy of Marty Poole.

My interview with Reptilian/Yonggary (1999) screenwriter Marty Poole has just been posted on Vantage Point Interviews. Not only does he talk about writing the screenplay, but he also describes directing the reshoots in Southern California. It's all here in latest interview for Vantage Point Interviews -- where content is king.

Ultraman Jack Warms Up a Cold January Evening in Style!

With Atsushi Hagiwara.

Tonight, Friday, January 20, I attended a special event featuring two special guests -- Return of Ultraman (1971-72) suit actor Eiichi Kikuchi and Toho modelmaker Atsushi Hagiwara. Due to my work schedule, I arrived later than almost everyone else (as usual), but that certainly didn't stop me from enjoying myself.

Eiichi Kikuchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As luck would have it, I was seated in between Hagiwara-san and Kikuchi-san. Hagiwara-san brought several photo albums featuring his modeling work (as well as that of his colleagues) on the Toho sci-fi epic Sayonara Jupiter (1984). There were some doubles among one of the photo albums, so Hagiwara-san surprisingly gave me the extras as a gift. I certainly wasn't expecting that, but it was nice to receive!

He also told me an interesting story about his younger brother, Akira, who also worked as a modelmaker on various Toho movies. Akira used Atsushi's home phone number (at the time) to put on the number plate of one of the High-Power Laser Beam Vehicles seen in Godzilla 1985 (1984). Now there's an in-joke I don't think any of us knew about!

Eiichi Kikuchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was suit actor Eiichi Kikuchi, who showed attendees several collages with various photos from his suit-acting career, as well as more recent photos with other suit actors and assorted luminaries from the world of tokusatsu. Kikuchi-san was in great spirits, and I was happy to share a couple of fist bumps with him. He also seemed happy to try out a bit of English, which of course I'd always encourage him to try.

After posing for the above photo, I asked Kikuchi-san to sign a shikishi board for a friend of mine, which he gladly did. Kikuchi-san went above and beyond to give my friend an elaborate autograph, which I'm sure will please my buddy. 

I expected to have a lot of fun, but this exceeded my expectations. Can't wait to do it again!

Sting Invades Shibuya Station to Take on The Great Muta!

Sting vs. The Great Muta at Shibuya Station! Photo by Brett Homenick.

On the way home tonight, I spotted this cool advertisement in Shibuya Station. As a big pro wrestling fan (well, of '90s wrestling, anyway), it was quite a surprise to see Sting, one of WCW's top stars, prominently featured in a poster there. I really wish I could attend this event, but I already have plans for this weekend, so it's not going to happen, sadly. But I'd love to see Sting wrestle in person -- and, at his age, there won't be very many other opportunities! Oh, well. Seeing the poster itself was fun enough, though. Here's what I saw. Enjoy!

Attending Another Rare Screening of Toho's 'Half Human' (1955)!

Half Human at the Laputa Asagaya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Monday, January 16, I was fortunate to attend another screening of Toho's Half Human (1955) in 35mm. It was part of the Laputa Asagaya's ongoing Science Fiction Film Festival program, and it was an offer too good to pass up.

I'd seen Half Human once before in 35mm, which was in late 2019 as part of an all-night film festival. Despite the lateness of the starting time, at least I'm able to sleep in my own bed tonight!

The print was in fairly decent shape, though there were defects aplenty. It certainly wasn't terrible, but the quality varied throughout the screening. Sometimes the print quality was basically perfect; other times it was rough going with a lot of jumps, scratches, and other flaws that one would typically associate with an old film print.

As for the film itself, I can't say that it's all that great. Toho hadn't perfected its formula for tokusatsu films until Rodan (1956), so most productions prior to that, in my humble opinion, don't hold up so well. Some parts of the movie -- the skiing sequence toward the beginning, in particular -- even look like a silent film, what with the lack of ambient sounds to go along with the action onscreen.

Masaru Sato's score is easily the most lackluster and forgettable of his SFX output. Speaking of SFX, the special effects are wildly uneven -- some shots are quite good, while others simply don't work at all. The titular Snowman doesn't come across as sympathetic as I'm sure the filmmakers wanted, but he also isn't as menacing as he should be. In many ways, the movie just isn't all that good.

On the plus side, I enjoyed seeing Shigeo Kato as one of the villagers, and I also spotted Haruo Nakajima as part of the mountaineering team. 

Even though Half Human is a much more lavish production, I enjoyed The Invisible Man (1954) -- last week's film -- much more. The ending to that film was quite a bit more impactful. Half Human's ending lacked any kind of emotion, even though it really should have, given who perished in the end. Thankfully, however, Toho would start cranking out superior productions on a much more regular basis shortly after this one. 

Dropping by the Godzilla Store Tokyo for the First Time in 2023!

Megalon and Jet Jaguar ring in the New Year in style. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today, Monday, January 16, I stopped by the Godzilla Store Tokyo to check out their displays (and spend some money I wasn't planning to spend). One display is already celebrating the 50th anniversary of Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), which was cool to see. Here's what I saw. Enjoy! 

Ringing in the New Year the Toku Way!

Eiichi Asada signs autographs. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight, Sunday, January 15, I attended another special gathering with that famous pair of tokusatsu masters: Eiichi Asada and Takashi Naganuma.

It was another typical evening of fun and frivolity, especially with Naganuma-san (pictured above) and his sense of humor. I think you know by now how fun it is to hang out with him.

While fun, it was a fairly standard evening. There wasn't much in terms of tokusatsu revelations -- it was more about socializing and having fun. And that isn't a bad thing at all. Happy New Year!

SHOWA SONGS! Attending a Live Performance Featuring a Tokusatsu Actress!

Tsukiji Hongan-ji. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday evening, January 14, I attended a performance featuring actress Yumiko Tanaka. The show was held next to Tsukiji Hongan-ji, a beautiful Buddhist temple, in Tsukiji. Due to my work schedule, I missed the first half of the show and arrived during intermission. I only caught the second half of the performance, which was essentially a comedic variety show that featured a lot of Showa-era songs, styles, and dances.

Yumiko Tanaka (right) sings onstage with her fellow performers. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tanaka-san stars in Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81) as Harumi Kusanami and also appears in a small role toward the beginning of Godzilla 1985 (1984) in a scene with Ken Tanaka (which was edited out of the American release). Tanaka-san's various performances during the show were highly entertaining. She's certainly a multi-talented performer! 

The main reason I attended the show was to participate in the dinner that was being organized by one of my friends. After the performance, a group of us headed to a nearby izakaya for a special New Year's celebration. At the dinner, I became acquainted with a couple of fellow tokusatsu fans whom I'd never met before at any other event.

Tanaka-san sat at the table next to mine, so I was able to communicate with her fairly easily. She's just as friendly as she's always been. I always get a kick out of seeing her.

She signed autographs for anyone who brought items for her to sign. I've had her sign a few things over the years, so I didn't bring anything to get autographed. But it turns out I didn't have to. My friend gave out a signed photo to each attendee featuring both Tanaka-san and actress Keiko Nishi, who played TAC member Noriko Mikawa on Ultraman Ace (1972-73).

Yumiko Tanaka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Speaking of Nishi-san, she also attended the show and dinner, which was a big surprise to me. I hadn't seen her since her cafe in Ginza closed a couple of years ago. When she saw me just after the show got out, she mentioned that it had been a long time since we last met.

Yumiko Tanaka signs Kamen Rider Super-1 memorabilia for a fan. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Nishi-san joined the dinner on the private basis, i.e., not as a featured guest, but she was still friendly enough to sign the photos for attendees and posed for the photo below. Also there was actor Mitsuhiro Sano, who played TAC member Kozo Yoshimura in Ultraman Ace, who was just as awesome. It's always great to spend an evening with such friendly people.

With Keiko Nishi.

And that's a wrap! It was a fun evening, and, even though I got home close to midnight, it was a great time. Hope to do it again!