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!

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.

Gamera's Jim Morgan Through the Years: 2003

Carl Craig in July 2003. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Seeing Carl Craig (Jim Morgan in Gamera vs. Viras, a.k.a. Destroy All Planets, 1968) made me want to dust off some old photos and share them here. This batch is from Chicago in July 2003, during which I met Carl for the first time. Also in attendance was Gamera director Noriaki Yuasa, whom Carl hadn't seen in 35 years. These photos were taken with a disposal camera and aren't of the best quality, but I wanted to preserve them, so here you go. 

Carl Craig with Noriaki Yuasa (and Viras). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yours truly wearing Noriaki Yuasa's hat.

Gamera's Jim Morgan Returns to Japan!

Carl Craig with his film debut. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I lived in Japan during my first go-round, one area of disappoint was the lack of visits to the country from folks I'd interviewed who'd been involved in Japanese movies in one capacity or another. Several people talked about making the trek and meeting up over here, but it ended up almost never happening. Well, I haven't been back all that long, and already my luck has improved.

 

On Saturday, March 28, I was privileged to spend the evening with Carl Craig, the former child actor who played Jim Morgan in Gamera vs. Viras (a.k.a. Destroy All Planets, 1968). I'd met Carl a number of times during the 2000s at conventions, but it's still hard for me to believe that I hadn't seen him in the flesh since 2007 when we recorded the commentary track for Retromedia's Destroy All Planets DVD. Where did all that time go?

We met up in Akihabara and walked around the area with his family. While Carl's daughters went shopping, he shared many stories from his days in Japan, the Air Force, and a host of other topics. 

It was surprisingly difficult for us to find a restaurant that could accommodate five guests. I suppose that's because it was Akihabara on a Saturday night, but I was taken aback by how many times we were turned away due to lack of available space. By this time, Carl's daughters wanted to eat at a nearby McDonald's which is what we did. (Even in Japan, you can't go wrong with a little Scottish cuisine.)

Of course, there were obligatory photos taken and autographs signed. All in all, it was a fun evening with a friend I hadn't seen in person in nearly -- gulp! -- 20 years. I hope our next visit doesn't take another 20.

Robert Duvall's Most Kaiju-rrific Role!

Robert Duvall. Source: Wikipedia.

With the recent passing of Academy Award-winning actor Robert Duvall, it made me reflect on a small (but somewhat fun) tidbit about one of his more prominent roles. Most folks know Duvall from his excellent work in the first two Godfather films, Network (1976), Apocalypse Now (1979), and his aforementioned Oscar-winning turn in Tender Mercies (1983), but this blog post will focus on The Great Santini (1979), a film that earned Duvall a Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of the tough, no-nonsense Marine pilot Bull Meechum, who has a strained relationship with his family. (The movie also earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Michael O'Keefe, who went on to star in the 1980 comedy classic Caddyshack, for playing Duvall's son.)

So, as you've likely guessed by now, The Great Santini is Robert Duvall's most kaiju-rrific role. But how? Let's count the ways.

Luckily, we won't have to take off our shoes to figure out the total, as there are only two. The first way is pretty self-explanatory and is contained in this line in the film:

Mary Anne Meechum: He does remind me someone from the movies, but it's not Rhett Butler.

Karen Meechum: Who's that?

Mary Anne Meechum: Godzilla!

The second way is much more obscure, but it's in there ... somewhere! According to Destroy All Planets/Gamera vs. Viras (1968) star Carl Craig, he's an extra in The Great Santini, though he's never been able to pick himself out in the movie. But Carl was on location when they were filming in South Carolina in the late 1970s, so, as he once put it during an interview, the back of his head is somewhere in The Great Santini.

And there you have it -- The Great Santini is almost certainly the first movie that references Godzilla to earn major Academy Award nominations, in addition to featuring a (very!) brief cameo from Gamera series icon Carl Craig.

A Salute to Android M11

Which one is real M11? Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I recently decided to reach back into picture archives and share some photos of Android M11 I've taken throughout the years. These days, M11 is just as associated with Chicago as he is with his role in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991). Here are the pics. Enjoy!

 M11 onstage in July 2012.

M11 signs for his hardcore fans. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

All smiles in July 2012. 

With Damon Foster in July 2010. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 With yours truly in July 2007.

M11's Eye on Japan in July 2009. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Sizing up his autograph line in July 2009. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Translating for Yoshikazu Ishii in July 2005. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Translating for Yoshikazu Ishii in July 2005. Photo by Brett Homenick.

M11 talks with Zillamon51 in July 2004. Photo by Brett Homenick.  

With Mark Rainey in July 2004. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

With Carl Craig in July 2003. Photo by Brett Homenick.

You could say that Chicago has successfully achieved international understanding through M11. Keep on keepin' on!