Godzilla vs. Music Box!

Godzilla vs. Music Box poster art.

Looking for something Godzilla-related to do this summer in Chicago but are unimpressed by the usual lackluster conventions on offer? No worries -- the historic Music Box Theatre in Chi-town has you covered!

Running from June 7 through June 13, the historic Music Box Theatre will be presenting a film series called Godzilla vs. Music Box, which will feature a plethora of film screenings, special-guest Q&As and signings, and a whole lot more!

On Monday, June 10, horror host Benign Svengoolie will introduce Destroy All Monsters (1968) and sign autographs before the screening. Given that Svengoolie resides in the Chicagoland area, the chances of a last-minute cancellation by the event's headlining guest seem remote in the extreme. (Boy, I'm sure other nearby conventions wish they could say the same thing!)

I'm also proud to share that a photo I took of the Godzilla Minus One (2023) display at Toho Cinemas Hibiya has been officially licensed for use in the promotional poster seen at the top of this blog post. It was designed by Mute Neighbor, and I'm told that copies will be available for sale at the Music Box. Be sure to snag your poster while supplies last!

You won't see much of Gamera represented at Godzilla vs. Music Box, which seems like the way things should be for an event celebrating Godzilla's 70th anniversary. This film series is all Godzilla, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate 70 years of the Big G this summer in Chicago.

Godzilla Series Actor Akira Nakao Passes Away at Age 81

A 2018 Godzilla-themed event at which Akira Nakao appeared as a special guest. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The Japanese media is reporting that Akira Nakao, best known for playing Commander Aso in the Heisei Godzilla series, as well as Prime Minister Igarashi in the Millennium series, passed away due to heart failure on May 16 at the age of 81. A private funeral has already been held. 

While I don't have any photographs proving it, I briefly met Nakao-san on November 2, 2018, at an event I blogged about two years ago. The event itself was rather underwhelming, as attendees were given the opportunity to shake Nakao-san's hand as they passed him in line and not much else. I was able to express my admiration for his work in The Vampire Doll (1970), which seemed to amuse him, but that was it.

Nakao-san's demise was falsely reported two years ago (among some American fans, naturally), but this time it has unfortunately been confirmed by reliable media sources.

Rest in peace, Nakao-san. 

REVISITING GODZILLA FANZINES FROM THE SEVENTIES! A New 'Japanese Giants' Compilation Promises to Bring Your Blood to a Boyle!

 

Bradford Grant Boyle, the second editor of the fanzine Japanese Giants after Stephen Mark Rainey gave up the reins, has just published a compilation of his '70s-era Godzilla 'zine output. This new tome is called Early Kaiju Fandom; Fanzines by Brad Boyle, and it features reproductions of Japanese Giants #2 through #4, as well as the Japanese Giants Fan Letter #1 through #10. There's also an appendix which, among other tidbits, features my interview with editor Brad Boyle.

I'm also proud to have been the very first person thanked at the beginning of the book, which is quite an honor for me. I'd like to take this opportunity to Bradford Grant Boyle for his friendship and support of my efforts with Vantage Point Interviews, which is greatly appreciated. Now let's support Bradford's work and order a copy of his new book today!

New 'Megalon' Q&A on Vantage Point Interviews!

Yutaka Hayashi in February 2024. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My interview with Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) star Yutaka Hayashi, who played race car driver Hiroshi Jinkawa, is now available. The article features many rare photos provided by Mr. Hayashi from his personal collection.

This  February 2024 Q&A was my first interview conducted in person with Hayashi-san. In 2008, Hayashi-san and I did an interview via correspondence, which you can read here. One reason I wanted to do the second interview was to cover more aspects of Hayashi-san's acting career.

If I may say so myself, it's a great interview. I'm also pleased that I've conducted in-person interviews with each of the three leads of Megalon -- a rare feat! Each interview, of course, is available on Vantage Point Interviews where content is king!

Benign Svengoolie

"It's comiiiiiing!" Svengoolie seems to be saying to the cameraman in 2012. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Ever since my return to the U.S., I've been catching up with Svengoolie on MeTV. I'd never seen the show prior to my return, though I'd seen clips here and there. Overall, I'd say it's fun stuff. It's also refreshing to see that Svengoolie refrains from making overly cynical comments about the movies he shows, which you can't always say about the various horror hosts out there.

The line waiting to meet Svengoolie. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In case you're wondering what the title of this blog post might mean, there is an explanation. Although it doesn't seem to be available online (in any form that I can access, anyway), it refers to a line spoken in the Ed Wood documentary Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The 'Plan 9' Companion (1992).  

Svengoolie poses with a fan. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In the documentary, written by the late Mark Carducci, the narrator describes Wood as being a "benign Svengali" to his stock company of actors, such as Conrad Brooks. I thought that was a rather interesting expression, but also figured that a documentary featuring Forrest J Ackerman among its participants might want to make things even more monsterrific by likening Wood to a "benign Svengoolie."

Svengoolie signs autographs. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Well, I thought it was amusing, anyway. But all this did remind me of the (very brief) time I met Svengoolie. It all happened in July 2012 at a convention in the Chicagoland area. Svengoolie was not an official part of this particular show, but he had a table set up there from which he signed autographs and posed for photos. I knew very little about "Sven" at the time but was rather impressed by the crowd he drew. (See the picture elsewhere in this blog post.) 

I did get Svengoolie to pose for the photo at the top of the post, even though I wasn't even waiting in line. I thought that was quite cool of him, and, while it may seem like a small gesture, you'd be surprised how many convention guests won't even give you the time of day unless you put a fifty-dollar bill on their table.

While I can't say that I'll post a review of every Svengoolie show (that seems like a task more suitable for Agent X7), I certainly plan to watch as many shows of his as I can. I look forward to it!

Classical Pianist Fujiko Hemming Passes Away at Age 92

Fujiko Hemming in June 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Famed pianist Fujiko Hemming passed away on April 21 of pancreatic cancer. She was 92. A private funeral has already been held by her family.

The older sister of prolific tokusatsu actor Ulf Otsuki, Fujiko Hemming was born on December 5, 1931, in Berlin and achieved fame and success not just in Japan but also in Europe and the United States. While she had been performing as a pianist since the 1950s, it wasn't until a February 1999 NHK documentary on her life and career called Fujiko: The Trajectory of a Pianist was broadcast that she became famous in Japan, which led to the release of her hit classical-music album La Campanella in August of that year. She became so well known that she even performed at Carnegie Hall in June 2001.

Fujiko Hemming in June 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In fact, she may actually have been the most famous person I've ever met in Japan. I knew people in Japan who had no idea who Toshiro Mifune was, but everyone seems to know Fujiko Hemming. 

With Fujiko Hemming and actress Kikuko Nishikawa (left).

The first time I met her was in May 2012 at the cafe owned by her brother Ulf. She came to the cafe for reasons I don't remember, but I was able to give her flowers, to which he told me that she'd always wanted to marry an American.

I interviewed Kumi Mizuno the next day (as I recall) in the same cafe. There was a room above the cafe where Fujiko sometimes practiced the piano. After the interview, Fujiko started practicing again, and, even though you could only hear her music and not actually see her perform, Ms. Mizuno and her manager hung around for a while listening to her performance, while Ms. Mizuno's manager took photos of the room in which Fujiko was performing.

With Fujiko Hemming in June 2017.

Through Ulf, I was able to attend two of her performances at the Sumida Triphony Hall -- one in June 2015 and the other in June 2017. During the 2017 performance, Ulf invited me to sit on the stage (off to the side, of course) while she performed in what I assume was a sold-out concert hall. I didn't want to do it, but Ulf insisted, so I did. It was pretty awkward having an entire concert hall looking at you while the most famous pianist in the country was performing, but it also makes for a fun story to tell.

The last time I saw Ulf  before he passed away was also because of Fujiko. She was holding a concert in June 2019, and Ulf, who had suffered a massive stroke the previous year, wanted to attend, so his family needed me to help. By the time I arrived at Ulf's home, the family had decided Ulf shouldn't attend because it was raining, so we just hung out and watched movies. Ulf would pass away the next year.

My meetings with Fujiko were always brief, so I don't have many other anecdotes to share, but, given her level of popularity in Japan, that was expected.

According to news reports, Fujiko fell at her home in November of last year, which caused her to cancel all future performances. She was then diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March while undergoing treatment for the fall, which would end up taking her life the following month.

Rest in peace, Fujiko.

UPDATE (May 1, 2024): Fujiko's birth year was previously listed as 1932, but Japanese Wikipedia has updated it as actually being 1931, citing a book as its source. Since it's consistent with her age being 92 years old at the time of her passing, I've updated this blog post with 1931 as her birth year.