Ann Robinson, Star of 'The War of the Worlds,' Passes Away at 96

With Ann Robinson in April 2010.

Who says news travels fast in the age of the Internet? It's being reported that Ann Robinson, who played Sylvia Van Buren, opposite Gene Barry, in The War of the Worlds (1953), has passed away at the age of 96.

You may be surprised to learn that she passed away on September 26 of last year. 

Near as I can tell, there isn't a reason it took so long for her family to come forward with the news.

 I only met and interacted with Ann Robinson once, which was in April 2010, at an L.A.-area science-fiction/horror convention. I remember her being energetic and a joy to talk to, though I'm afraid the specific details of our conversation have since faded from memory.

All I remember is that she was lovely, which was wonderful to find, since The War of the Worlds was a childhood favorite of mine. I couldn't tell you how many times I watched it on VHS when I was in the fourth grade, but rest assured it was a lot. The Martian war machines remain arguably the best depiction of a hostile alien invasion in motion-picture history. There, I said it.

It's a shame our paths never crossed again, but that's life for you. Rest in peace, Ann Robinson. 

Another Evening of Chanson in Tokyo!

With Yoshiro Uchida.

On Thursday, May 14, I paid a visit to Gamera series star Yoshiro Uchida, who was performing chanson at a local venue in Tokyo. I hadn't seen Uchida-san in well over two years, so it was great to see him again. 

I had originally planned to show up unannounced at one of his performances and surprise him, but by coincidence Uchida-san learned that I was back in Japan and contacted me about my return. Oh, well, at least it was a fun thought!

All that aside, it really felt like old times again, and I was overjoyed to see Uchida-san sing chanson. What a fun evening it was!

New Toho Q&A on Vantage Point Interviews!

Ryo Tamura in November 2023. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My new vintage account with Showa-era Toho actor Ryo Tamura has just been published. In his debut film, Rise Against the Sword (1966), Mr. Tamura played the younger brother of Toshiro Mifune and Makoto Sato in an epic directed by Hiroshi Inagaki. No pressure!

The interview covers a lot of ground, and it contains plenty of fascinating anecdotes about some of Japan's best-known actors and directors. Don't miss out!

New Hong Kong Dubbing Q&A on Vantage Point Interviews!

Photo courtesy of Martin Pachy.

More Hong Kong dubbing insights revealed in my brand-new vintage account with Omni Productions alum Martin Pachy. The interview goes into great depth about the writing of a dubbing script, especially in the pre-digital era. Give it a read today!

TV Tokusatsu Legend Kenji Ohba Passes Away at 71

Kenji Ohba addresses the crowd in March 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Actor Kenji Ohba, best known for portraying Space Sheriff Gavan in the Toei Metal Hero TV show of the same name, passed away at 2:23 p.m. on May 6 following a lengthy illness. He was 71.

Japan Action Enterprise broke the news today on its website, which has quickly gone viral on social media. While the JAE press release claims that Ohba died at the age of 72, this is almost certainly based on traditional Japanese age reckoning and should be taken with a grain of salt.

Kenji Ohba shakes Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima's hand in March 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Ohba, who was born on February 5, 1955, made his mark on film and television throughout the decades. As a regular performer, his credits include: Battle Fever J (1979-80) as Battle Kenya, Denshi Sentai Denjiman (1980-81) as Denji Blue, Space Sheriff Gavan (1982-82) as Gavan, and Space Sheriff Sharivan (1983-84) as Gavan once again.

Kenji Ohba shakes the hand of Toho actor Akira Kubo in March 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A number of his other roles are: Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977), Legend of the Eight Samurai (1983), and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), among many other credits. Ohba-san started as a suit actor on such classic Toei programs as Kamen Rider (1971-73), Android Kikaider (1972-72), and Robot Detective (1973). 

Kenji Ohba shakes the land of Toho actress Yukiko Kobayashi in March 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I first saw Space Sheriff Gavan about 20 years ago, thanks to some overpriced "gray market" DVDs of the show I bought at a convention. Admittedly, I lost interest in the proceedings kind of quickly and never revisited the show after that. Who knows -- maybe I would enjoy it more now -- but Toei Metal Heroes were never really my bag.

Kenji Ohba in March 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

To this day, I still remember a particular subtitle line from that DVD set: While an exciting battle is raging beyond their doorstep, a confused child turns to his/her mother and comments, "Mom, it's weird outside!"

Of course, no obituary for Kenji Ohba should contain any mention of RoboCop (1987). I think we've all heard enough of that tall tale by now!

Kenji Ohba is joined by fellow Battle Fever J alums Narimitsu Kurachi and Daisuke Ban in April 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I only met Kenji Ohba once, though maybe it was twice, and I just no longer remember the other time. I saw him in person at a March 2015 tokusatsu gathering that featured such Toho luminaries as Akira Kubo, Yukiko Kobayashi, and Haruo Nakajima. I photographed Ohba there but have no recollection of talking to him. If I did, it was essentially hello and goodbye.

Kenji Ohba in April 2016.

I certainly did meet him in April 2016 and have the photos to prove it! But that encounter wasn't much longer, as it took place at an autograph show. But I remember him as a friendly chap who seemed enthused about meeting his fans. I'm glad our paths crossed.

Rest in peace, Ohba-san.

New Q&A with 'Gigan's' Machiko Shima!

Tomoko Umeda. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Check out my new vintage account with actress Tomoko Umeda, who plays Machiko Shima in Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972). The Q&A is less a formal interview and more of a conversational chat with her and her family.

As cool as it would have been to get all kinds of details about the production of Gigan, not everyone has total recall of events from more than 50 years ago. Still, I was still able to glean a fun detail about one of Umeda-san's first scene in the film, which is exactly why I do what I do.

The participation of her husband and daughter make the Q&A a family affair that's quite endearing, so don't miss it!

Back in Town at Marquee!

Masamitsu Tayama! Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Saturday, April 18, I went to the Marquee live house in Ekoda to watch Masamitsu Tayama perform -- for the first time in a couple of years. Hard to believe it's been that long, but I was especially excited for it.

Neither Tayama-san nor his wife was expecting me to be there, so, when Yoko saw me, she was particularly surprised and gave me one of the biggest hugs I've ever received! 

When Tayama-san saw me in between sets, he spent a few minutes telling the audience about me and our various interactions over the years. It was quite something!

After the show, our group made our way over to a Chinese restaurant where we had dinner. I've eaten here before with Tayama-san after he performed, so it was all second nature to me. I certainly enjoyed spending some extra time with Tayama-san after the show again, so I appreciate the invite.

For those of you not in the know, Tayama-san played Shinji Chujo in Mothra (1961), though you certainly wouldn't recognize him today. He is, and always has been, one cool dude.

An Afternoon with Gamera, Daimajin, and Jim Morgan!

Carl Craig with his old friend. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, April 5, I was able to spend the day with Carl Craig, who (I'm sure we all know by now) played Jim Morgan in Gamera vs. Viras (Destroy All Planets, 1968). We met at Chofu Station at 11:00 a.m. to take some photos in front of the Gamera murals there. After that, we moved on to Kadokawa Daiei Studios for more Gamera-related shenanigans.

When we explained to the security staff at the studio that Carl was the child actor from Gamera vs. Viras, we got some smiles but not that studio tour we were kind of hoping for in the back of our minds. Oh, well -- you win some, you lose some!

Following our brief trip to Kadokawa Daiei Studios, Carl wanted to go bullet train-shopping at Hobby Center Kato in Shinjuku. Once that was complete, we made our way to Roppongi, did some more shopping, and ate lunch at Saizeriya. Afterward, we said our goodbyes and parted ways. 

It was great to catch up with Carl not once but twice during his trip to Japan. I still can't believe it had been 20 years since we last hung out. That aside, today was an incredible day, and I've got the proof below!

Cherry Blossoms and Tokyo Tower!

Tokyo Tower. Photo by Brett Homenick,

During the evening of Saturday, April 4, I viewed some cherry blossoms in the vicinity of Tokyo Tower. It was a great experience, despite the rainy weather, and my pictures from the evening are contained in this blog post. Enjoy!

Gamera's Jim Morgan Through the Years: 2005 and 2007

Carl Craig with a Destroy All Planets/Noriaki Yuasa tribute polo shirt in July 2005. Photo by Brett Homenick.

This next batch of photos of Carl Craig (Jim Morgan in Gamera vs. Viras, a.k.a. Destroy All Planets, 1968) covers his Chicago appearances in July 2005 and July 2007, though most of the photos in this blog post are actually from 2005. (The 2007 photos only cover the recording of the Retromedia Destroy All Planets commentary track.) In 2005, Carl and I hosted a panel discussion that paid tribute to Noriaki Yuasa, who had passed away the previous year in 2004, photos of which can be found below.

Posing with Carl Craig with props from Gamera vs. Viras.

Carl Craig at his table.

Carl Craig meets Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971) director Yoshimitsu Banno in July 2005. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Carl Craig and yours truly host the Noriaki Yuasa tribute panel discussion.

The photos below are from July 2007 when we recorded the Destroy All Planets commentary:

Recording the Destroy All Planets commentary track. Photo by Brett Homenick.