Visiting the Vasquez Rocks!

Vasquez Rocks! Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Wednesday, November 5, I visited another well-known filming location for Hollywood productions: the Vasquez Rocks. While there isn't much of a Japanese connection -- unless you count something like Solar Crisis (1990) -- it has much more to do with Universal horror movies. It was used as Borgo Pass in Dracula (1931), as well as the Tibetan mountains in Werewolf of London (1935). It was a blast seeing another popular filming location up close and personal!

Borgo Pass, as seen in Dracula (1931). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Visiting Bronson Caves!

Bronson Caves -- Hollywood's not-so-hidden secret! Photo by Brett Homenick.

One destination I've been meaning to visit in Los Angeles for years but simply never got around to seeing was Bronson Caves in Griffith Park, a notable filming location for all kinds of movies and TV programs since the silent era. Robot Monster (1953) and a slew of 1950s Roger Corman flicks have used the caves as a location, and it's even featured in the American version of Varan the Unbelievable (1958), giving it a slight Toho connection, too.

On Tuesday, November 4, I made the trek to Bronson Caves and spent a few moments in a prominent filming location for countless films. Here's what I saw. Enjoy!

The Legend Is Reborn ... Again!

R. J. Kizer with a VHS release of his most famous movie. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Tuesday, November 4, I returned to Los Angeles and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon in the company of director R. J. Kizer, best known as the director of the American version of Godzilla 1985 (1984). We met at a diner near Warner Bros., which made me wonder if we'd perhaps catch a celebrity there. (More on that later.)

R. J. Kizer holds a Blu-ray copy of the film he helped bring to American audiences. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I came bearing gifts. I found a VHS copy of Godzilla 1985 at a nearby thrift store a couple of months ago and gave it to R. J., as I had no idea what else to do with it. (Not having a VCR has become a real inconvenience!) I also gave R. J. my extra copy of Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961), which I bought last year during Criterion's summer 50%-off sale.

R. J. Kizer signs the Blu-ray sleeve of The Return of Godzilla (1984). Photo by Brett Homenick.

This year, I purchased the Yojimbo/Sanjuro (1962) double pack, so my other copy of Yojimbo became redundant. Interestingly, I found out that R. J. does own several Kurosawa titles but that Yojimbo wasn't among them. That was certainly welcome news!

R. J. and I spent a lot of time talking about Godzilla 1985, which we basically didn't discuss at all the first time we met. Despite the number of interviews I've done on the movie, it's still fascinating to learn new details about it. I'm surprised there's still so much to know!

While we were talking, I couldn't help but notice that Gary Busey entered the diner and sat down with another gentleman. Perhaps I was eyeballing Busey a bit too much because I noticed he was occasionally looking back at me. While I didn't approach him at all, but it was quite fun to see him in person. 

What a fun afternoon it was. Not only did we talk about movies, but R. J. gave me some advice about some locations around the city. I'm so glad we had this opportunity to catch up again!

New 'Bushido Blade' Q&A at Vantage Point Interviews!

Mike Starr in April 2025. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Remember when Professor Nishiyama from The Last Days of Planet Earth (1974) and Pooter the Clown from Uncle Buck (1989) made a movie together? Actor Mike Starr certainly remembers, as The Bushido Blade (1981) was his first film! Long before Mike Starr appeared in GoodFellas (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Dumb and Dumber (1994), or even battled Russ Tamblyn in Cabin Boy (1994), he co-starred in Rankin/Bass' most obscure made-in-Japan film. Read all about it at Vantage Point Interviews!

My Brief L.A. Vacation

On October 27 and 28, I traveled to the L.A. area and spent those two days in the company of familiar faces. A picture's worth a thousand words, so here's a few thousand of them!

Out and About in Miami Beach!

The Fontainebleau Hotel. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On October 15, I toured Miami Beach, Florida, and visited some famous sites, including the Fontainebleau Hotel, the Clevelander Hotel, and the spot that is supposedly the southernmost point in the U.S. (at least according to locals). It was all a lot of fun, but a picture's worth a thousand words, so let's check out the highlights!