Sing Out, Louise-san!

Yumi Yoshiyuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, September 12, I attended an event in which actress-director Yumi Yoshiyuki sang a few songs, karaoke-style. Yoshiyuki-san reached out to me the other day and wanted to know if I could attend. Since I had nothing else going on, I decided to stop by and say hello.

Yoshiyuki-san has directed numerous pink eiga since the 1990s but has also appeared onscreen herself in countless roles, including director Akio Jissoji's adaptation of an Edogawa Rampo story, Murder on D Street (1998), for which she won the Best Supporting Actress Award from the Yokohama Film Festival for her portrayal of Tokiko Sunaga, as well as playing Noriko Murakami in Takashi Shimizu's V-cinema horror classic Ju-On: The Curse (2000). She can also be seen in episode 40 of Ultraman Tiga (1996-97) and episode 37 of Ultraman Dyna (1997-98).

After seeing Yoshiyuki-san's performance, we hung out for a good while, talking about her work with Akio Jissoji and a number of other topics. It was quite enlightening, but ultimately I had to cut it short and leave a bit early. But I'm looking forward to doing it again!

Seeing 'Frankenstein Conquers the World' and 'War of the Gargantuas' As They Were Meant to Be Seen!

Inside the Shin Bungeiza theater. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Thursday, September 10, I saw Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965) in 35mm at the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro. Then, on Friday, September 11, I took in a screening of The War of the Gargantuas (1966), which was also presented in 35mm, at the same venue.

The print for FCTW in particular was incredible; there was a barely a noticeable flaw. WOTG, on the other hand, had its share of scratches and imperfections but was still duly impressive. It was certainly a cool double feature, even if it took place on separate days.

For the last 15 or so years, I've been somewhat perplexed by the fact that FCTW is often cited by tokusatsu fans as one of the best kaiju movies of the Showa era. I mean, I like it, too, but it's always felt more like a dress rehearsal for WOTG to me than anything else. It's just missing that certain something to push it over the top. It's hard not to come away with the distinct impression that Nick Adams was more enthusiastic about making the film than everybody else was.  

It doesn't help matters that Baragon is a JTTS whose sole purpose is to get beaten up by Frankenstein and make him look good. The monster scenes are a bit underwhelming.

I first saw FCTW in the spring of 1994 when it aired in TNT's 100% Weird late-night programming block. Even though I had mostly stopped watching Godzilla and other giant monster movies at this point, I was still looking for movies like this -- especially Destroy All Monsters (1968), the holiest of holy grails -- to air on cable TV.

I set my VCR to record it (since it was airing overnight) and probably watched it the next day. My reaction wasn't very strong; I thought it was fine but quickly moved on to other things. It wouldn't be until we discovered DAM and the post-Biollante Heisei movies later that year that we really got back into tokusatsu in a big way.

The version of FCTW I saw used the giant-octopus ending, which is notable. It's not the first time I've seen this cut theatrically in Japan, so I wonder if the original version has now been officially supplanted. I do prefer the original ending, and I think the giant-octopus ending is best left as a curiosity than the actual conclusion of the film, but it is what it is, and things are as they are.

I first saw WOTG when I was about eight years old on Super Scary Saturday, and I've loved it ever since. The battle between the Gargantuas is much more compelling than the one in the previous film, as Sanda and Gaira are not only more evenly matched, but we also know why they're fighting, apart from the fact that they're huge monsters, and that's just what huge monsters do. 

For all the criticism he gets, I don't think Russ Tamblyn is that bad in the role of Dr. Paul Stewart. His character as written doesn't have much going on in the first place, and his performance more or less suits the part of a slightly awkward scientist who was probably too devoted to his work to have much of a social life.

Contrast that with Nick Adams' acting choices in FCTW as Dr. James Bowen, which sort of make you wonder how such a happenin' hodad who gives a too-cool-for-school finger point to bid farewell to Yoshio Tsuchiya's character ever had the patience to earn his seven Ph.D.s from the University of Higher Learning.  

The only real downside to the WOTG screening is that it wasn't the UPA release, which is definitive for me. That dub is one of the best of all time.

Overall, it was a fun couple of nights at the flicks, and I had a blast. Let's do it again soon!

Visiting Back in Town Now That I'm Back in Town!

Masamitsu Tayama in concert. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Friday, September 4, I visited the nightclub Back in Town for the first time in a couple of years to see the performance of Masamitsu Tayama, who is always a joy to see. 

I brought my Mothra (1961) steelbook for Tayama-san to sign. I'm not a big fan of steelbooks, but you work with what you've got. 

It was lovely to see Tayama-san and his wife, Yoko, again. Right before I left the venue, Yoko arranged for the group of regulars to pose for a group photo, which we did. She sent it to me after the show, and it turned out really well!

There really isn't much else to say -- there wasn't a dinner afterward or anything like that, so it was all pretty brief. But I never miss a chance to see Tayama-san in concert.

A Dramatic Performance in a Cool Costume!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

He looks familiar, doesn't he? Yes, it's Sunday, August 30, which means it was time to see Masanori Machida perform another dramatic reading, this time in a fun costume!

I'm always happy to come out to support Machida-san's shows, and it's even better to spend a few moments with him afterward.

It sure has helped me regain that old feeling before I left Tokyo two years ago. Many thanks to Machida-san!

This Place Looks Familiar...

Photo by Brett Homenick.

On the evening of August 12, I went there again. You know where. Always fun to see.

Chanson Strikes Again in Tokyo!

Yoshiro Uchida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The evening of Tuesday, August 18, saw my going to see the great Yoshiro Uchida perform chanson on a humid evening. Regular readers of this blog know that this is a regular ritual of mine, and it is one I quite enjoy.

I brought a DVD set of Gamera movies for Uchida-san to sign, which had already been signed by Destroy All Planets (1968) star Carl Craig. It was wonderful to add Uchida-san's signature to the disc. While Uchida-san was signing it, other patrons were fascinated to learn that he had been in a Gamera movie and were amused by it. See, folks, Gamera brings people together!

Not only that, but I also had a brief chat with an employee who shared her memories of living in Idaho around the year 2000. After the show, I hung out outside the venue with Uchida-san as we had a fun chat. He commented on my wearing shorts, which is a bit rare for me, so it made me laugh. What a fun night!

The Sticky Fingers of 'Fangoria'

Screaming Mad George in his Osaka workshop in May 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick. (Got that, Fangoria?)

"Plagiarism running rampant!" -- Dok Hendrix, WWF Action Zone (1995) 

This isn't exactly plagiarism, but it's close enough, and it needs to be addressed.

Fangoria used a photo I took of Screaming Mad George in his Osaka workshop in May 2019 without any attribution and -- worst of all -- put a Fangoria watermark on my photo. I mean, I've been stolen from before, but rarely has anyone been so bold as to slap that kind of trash on my stuff. 

The trash in question.

Fangoria's lack of journalistic standards has been evident for decades, but this is too much even for a rag like that. How pathetic. Instead of celebrating the life of Screaming Mad George, I have to take these dunces to task for their sticky fingers. And these people have the audacity to call themselves journalists?

Remembering Screaming Mad George

Screaming Mad George at work in May 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On February 10 of this year, special effects and makeup guru Screaming Mad George (whose real name was Joji Tani) passed away due to cardiac arrest at the age of 69. His family made the news public on August 16.

I was privileged to visit Screaming Mad George at Osaka University of Arts on May 30, 2019. I was scheduled to interview Godzilla series writer-director Kazuki Omori later that afternoon at the university, so my interpreter wanted to introduce me to Screaming Mad George in the time we had before the interview. 

We went to his workshop, and I was amazed by what I saw. I have to admit that I wasn't all that familiar with his work prior to my visit, but, when I looked up his credits later, I basically kicked myself for not being knowledgeable enough to ask about his work. What an incredible career!

The Osaka native made a big impact on American genre films in the 1980s and '90s -- Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Predator (1987), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), and The Abyss (1989), just to name a few.

He also co-directed The Guyver (1991) with Steve Wang. He's no stranger to Japanese tokusatsu films, either, as he directed the SFX for Tokyo: The Last War (1989).  

I only wish there could have been many more such afternoons. Rest in peace, and thank you for showing me around your workshop.

R. J. Kizer, Director of the American Version of 'Godzilla 1985,' Passes Away at 73

R. J. Kizer in November 2025. Photo by Brett Homenick.

According to Godzilla 1985 (1984) producer Tony Randel, Robert (R. J.) Kizer, director of the American inserts of Godzilla 1985, passed away a few days ago after a battle with cancer. He was 73.

I was fortunate to interview R. J. twice (first in 2007 and then in 2020) and then meet him in person twice (in 2024 and 2025). During our first in-person meeting in 2024, R. J. told me about working with Roger Corman at New World on Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) and other such projects. I was genuinely surprised to learn just how mercurial Corman could be, as he always seemed so calm and level-headed in interviews. He also went into great detail about the making of the Roddy Piper vehicle Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988), the production of which was so bonkers I thought it'd make a great movie in its own right.

During our second visit, I gifted R. J. an unopened Blu-ray copy of Yojimbo (1961), which I no longer needed, as well as a VHS copy of Godzilla 1985 that I found at a thrift store. R. J. was very happy (though reluctant -- it took a bit of convincing on my part that I didn't need the disc anymore) to receive Yojimbo. He had a few Kurosawa movies in his collection, but Yojimbo wasn't one of them.

We talked more about Godzilla 1985 during our second meeting, and I was floored just how many more details he shared about the movie that weren't contained in either of our interviews. R. J. Kizer was a walking encyclopedia of film knowledge -- not just about his own movies -- and he was always willing to share his knowledge with me. 

In particular, whenever I had a technical question about things related to cinematography or film editing for the interviews I was doing with Toho alumni, I could always ask R. J. for guidance, who wouldn't hesitate to pull out old books and give me the best answer he could. He would help me put those technical answers in ways that were accurate and made sense in English, and I'll always be grateful that the director of the last great Americanization of a Godzilla movie made time for me when I asked.

When we were returning to our cars in 2025, I asked R. J. what project was he most proud of. I thought I knew what he would say, but he surprisingly said none of them. I thought for sure he'd say Godzilla 1985, as it went on to make money and is still revered by fans to this day. I'm not sure I was able to convince him that he should be proud of his work on the film, but I wanted him to know that I certainly was proud of what he accomplished.

Frogtown Lives, good sir. Rest in peace.

UPDATE (8/21): According to his younger brother Richard, R. J. Kizer passed away on August 12.

A Night of Tokusatsu!

Eiichi Asada. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Tuesday, August 11, I attended a special event with former Toho SFX director Eiichi Asada. It's always a lot of fun seeing Asada-san at these events, and this time was no exception.

What is likely test animation done by Sadao Iizuka for The Mysterians (1957). Photo by Brett Homenick.

One fascinating surprise was getting to see what were apparently animation test frames for The Mysterians (1957) that were in the collection of the late tokusatsu animator Sadao Iizuka. According to Kei-san, who was Iizuka-san's manager during his twilight years, the beams seen in these frames are different from what we see in the movie. 

I did my best to photograph the frames for the Markalite, although there were others for the Alpha, too. It was a rare bit of Toho tokusatsu history that I got to see up close and personal.

In addition, I also got to see the final work of Takashi Naganuma that he completed before he passed away last year. 

It was the drawing below of Teruyoshi Nakano whose lips can be moved, almost like those of a puppet.

Eiichi Asada enjoys playing with the Teruyoshi Nakano puppet completed by Takashi Naganuma before he passed away. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Nakano-san and Naganuma-san were close friends and often appeared at events together. It's quite appropriate that the last work Naganuma-san would ever do would be of his friend and colleague.

Takashi Naganuma's Teruyoshi Nakano puppet. Photo by Brett Homenick.

And that's a wrap! Even though a typhoon was approaching, it wasn't enough to stop me from coming. It'll take a lot more than a little rain and wind to accomplish that.

More Photos from Kurihama Flower Park and the Godzilla Slide!

Kurihama Flower Park. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In addition to the photos in my previous blog post, here are some additional photos featuring Kurihama Flower Park itself, Godzilla-related signage and merchandise, as well as photos of yours truly. Enjoy!