Talking Movies and Japan in a Room with a View!

The view from the sixth floor of the Palace Hotel Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In the evening on Tuesday, July 7, I had the distinct privilege of spending some time in the company of actor Mike Starr, who recently visited Japan with his family. I met Mr. Starr at the Palace Hotel Tokyo, which I'd never visited before. After meeting in the lobby (where he gave me a big hug!), we made our way to a bar on the sixth floor and shared some non-alcoholic drinks.

I gave Mr. Starr a DVD copy of Gloria (1999), a Sidney Lumet movie in which he appears. I found it in a Book Off a few weeks ago. It was one of the CD-size releases from back in the day, and not only is Mike Starr credited on the back, but his photo also appears there. I thought it would make the perfect gift, so I picked it up for him.

I really enjoyed hearing about how much he was enjoying his trip to Japan, as well his stories from the old days. In particular, I loved hearing about the direction Tom Kotani gave his actors on the set of The Bushido Blade (1981) -- "Don't smile." I wish that had been included on our interview!

With Mike Starr.

While we were sitting and chatting, I was fascinated by the realization that my approaching his autograph table at the Hollywood Show in January 2025 eventually led to our hanging out at a fancy hotel bar in Tokyo a year and a half later. Suffice it to say, that's something I never would have predicted.

One thing I also lamented about my previous stay in Tokyo was that relatively very few friends came over from the U.S. and hung out. I've only been back a couple of months, and I've already hung out with two who came from the U.S. So far, so good!

You'd never guess it by the characters he played in many of his films, but Mike Starr is one of the nicest gentlemen you'll ever meet. He introduced me to just about everyone we encountered as his friend who lives out this way. All I can say is, I'm grateful.

Another Great Night of Chanson Entertainment!

Yoshiro Uchida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Tuesday, June 30, I attended another chanson performance by the one and only Yoshiro Uchida. It's been great to get into the rhythm of attending his performances again after being away for about two years.
 

There were some new performers on hand who came up and introduced themselves to me. I guess it's a rare sight to see an American at shows like this. It's always nice to be surrounded by such friendly and pleasant people when you're unwinding from a long day at work.

Not a whole lot to say, other than it was another fun night hearing Uchida-san perform. After the show, I had dinner at Gusto -- the perfect way to end an evening like this.

Celebrating the Life and Career of Director Nobuo Nakagawa!

Nobuo Nakagawa, as painted by Yuji Yorimoto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, June 20, I attended a special tribute event for one of Japan's most recognized directors around the world, Nobuo Nakagawa (1905-1984). The event was held at the Laputa Asagaya, a venue at which I've seen countless movies over the years. For this Nobuo Nakagawa event, I elected to attend only the reception.

A script for The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959) on display. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Last month, I received an invitation to attend via email, and naturally I RSVPed. All I knew was that the guest of honor would be Yuji Yorimoto, who worked as an assistant director for director Nakagawa on television for series like Oniwaban (1968) and The Wandering Samurai (1973). Mr. Yorimoto, who was born in 1941, is currently a painter.

Akihide Tsuzawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I entered the hall as Mr. Yorimoto was finishing up his Q&A. In the audience, I thought I saw Akihide Tsuzawa, who worked with director Nakagawa as a child actor, but in the moment I couldn't be 100% sure. After the interview was over, and I was looking at some of the artwork and photos on display, Mr. Tsuzawa approached me and asked if I was me. Well, of course I'm me! Mr. Tsuzawa didn't know I had returned to Japan and was surprised to see me. He also wasn't quite sure if it was me because I've apparently lost a little weight since he last saw me. It's true; I haven't been chowing down like I used to!

With Akihide Tsuzawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I spent a good while chatting with Mr. Tsuzawa and even exchanged phone numbers and messaging-app info with him until he was called upon to give a kampai speech in honor of director Nakagawa. I caught up with Mr. Tsuzawa toward the end of the reception and continued our conversation.

Shinkichi Nakagawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I also greeted the son of director Nakagawa, Shinkichi Nakagawa, who greeted me and thanked me for coming back to the event. If I recall correctly, I only saw Mr. Nakagawa in passing at the last one I attended, so it'd been a few years since we actually spoke to one another.

With Shinkichi Nakagawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

One semi-amusing anecdote was, when I went to say my farewells to Mr. Nakagawa, a staff member was introducing a young man to Mr. Nakagawa, pointing out that he was 19 years old. So I joked that I was also just 19 years old, to which Mr. Nakagawa replied something like, "And then some!" Really glad I got a chance to see Mr. Nakagawa again.

Tomoo Haraguchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

At these particular events, it's rare to see a figure from the film world in attendance who didn't have some direct connection with director Nakagawa, so I was surprised when I spied Tomoo Haraguchi in the audience.

With Tomoo Haraguchi.

It was doubly surprising because Mr. Haraguchi is a pretty rare guest at recent kaiju-related events, so it was great to speak with him and to get his business card. 

Masahisa Sakashita with Mr. Yorimoto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Right before I left, I wanted to greet Masahisa Sakashita, whom I've met at each Nobuo Nakagawa event I've attended. While he worked his way up through Nikkatsu Studios during the 1970s, more recently he has worked as a freelance television director.

With Masahisa Sakashita. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mr. Sakashita asked me what Nikkatsu movies I liked since that was his studio. I named Gappa (1967) and the movies of director Seijun Suzuki and actress Masako Izumi. I think he was a bit surprised that I actually knew some names!

With Mr. Yorimoto.

And that's a wrap! It was raining cats and dogs when I attended, but the fun I had and connections I made during the event certainly made the trek well worth it. 

No.

Brought to you by the "Oscar-winning team behind Godzilla Minus One," or whatever.

No. Nope. Sorry. Not even out of the gate. Uh-uh. No way. Not a chance in a million. Nothing doing. Absolutely not. Aw, hell nah. Shuffle all the way off to Buffalo with that.

Much like cow dung on the farm, the trailer for the Netflix adaptation of The Human Vapor (1960) just "dropped," and it's just as bad as I was expecting. I gave up on it completely upon seeing the image above. Thanks but no thanks -- waste somebody else's time, who will no doubt give it seven stars and three thumbs up on his personal Letterboxd account. "The greatest Japanese film since either Rental Family or Bullet Train Explosion! (I haven't seen Exit 8 yet.)"

I can't imagine why this thing would appeal to anybody who admires the original film or even any pre-Shin Godzilla (2016) tokusatsu work, but I can't imagine a lot of things that nonetheless exist. I mean, I don't know why someone's interest in Japanese SFX would start with Heisei-era Ultraman shows and pretty much ignore everything that came before them, so I'm bemused by how many such people are active on Twitter.

Great idea!

Even Godzilla (1954), formerly the undisputed sacred cow of fandom if there ever was one, is no longer secure in its position of "You don't understand cinema if you don't automatically rank it number one." Once slapped onto every top 10 list in the number-one position by rote, now it's more and more often supplanted by the overhyped, overpraised, and overdiscussed CG cartoons of the last 10 years. (Recency bias? What dat?)

We sure are in a brave new world of discourse if the year 1954 doesn't elicit the reflexive oohs and aahs of yore from the online purveyors of Martin Scorsese memes. Get with the times, yo! How can anything Ishiro Honda ever committed to celluloid compete with a truly C I N E M A T I C lecture on Freon gas? Do I need to show you a picture of David Lynch talking into a microphone in order for you to get it? How can you even think to question me when it says "film critic" right there in my Twitter bio?

There are folks who I assume are sincere when they say they like the Attack on Titan movies, so I'm sure the latest toku offering from the streaming platform that gave us Godzilla Singular Point and Ultraman Rising will see its defenders, too. (In fairness, those two projects do share a voice actor in common who gave us the single greatest line in film history, per Roger Ebert.) I mean, yeah, it may not be worth a whole lot, but I guess it's something.

I'm doing my part!

Suffice it to say, I'll be happily skipping this one, even as it earns an 11/10 on Letterboxd by our intellectual superiors, who continue to be shocked and amazed at how emotional Brendan Fraser was in Rental Family or spout goony nonsense like, "This is the greatest video game adaptation ever!"

Though, in fairness, Street Fighter (1994) is pretty fun.

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!