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.

SUPER FESTIVAL 73! Toys, Toys, and More Toys!

Kamen Rider cosplay! Photo by Brett Homenick. 

It's that time of year again. January 8 saw Super Festival 73 invade the the Science Museum in Chiyoda, Tokyo. I was interested to have another look at the show, but it's starting to feel a little too familiar.

If you're a toy collector, Super Festival probably has a lot to offer. But if you're like me, and your toy-collecting days ended when you were 12, it can get a little repetitive, especially when the displays continue to look more and more similar as the months pass.

I walked around the various rooms of memorabilia to see if I could find anything interesting, and for the first time in a while (and perhaps ever), I left the show without having purchased anything. The only thing I paid for was my 1,500-yen ticket to the show. I was actually rather pleased that I didn't buy some old book or DVD, but at the same time, it does make it seem like something's missing.

The highlight, of course, was seeing my fellow fans wandering the halls. I also enjoyed seeing Return of Ultraman suit actor Eiichi Kikuchi, who wished me "Happy New Year" in no less than three languages! Kikuchi-san is truly a class act, and he's always awesome when I see him.

With Eiichi Kikuchi.

Another familiar face on hand was Sojiro Uchino, a child actor who appears in episodes of Ultra Q, Ultraman, Kaiju Booska, and even Gamera vs. Viras. Uchino-san is a staple of Super Festival, and when I didn't see him at the last show, it certainly didn't feel the same without him.

With Sojiro Uchino.

When all was said and done, I didn't spend that much time at the show. Maybe an hour, hour and a half. Super Festival can be an interesting show, but for a person who just isn't into collecting stuff, I find it has less and less to offer these days. Here's hoping the next one will be a lot more exciting.

CARLA LAEMMLE, 1909-2014: The Universal Studios Actress Passes Away But Leaves Behind a Tremendous Legacy

An autograph I obtained from Ms. Laemmle in 2009. 

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed the passing of actress Carla Laemmle, whose career dates back to the silent era. She was 104. Having appeared in Lon Chaney's The Phantom of the Opera (1925) and Bela Lugosi's Dracula (1931), her status as a horror film icon has been cemented for many decades. As if that weren't enough, her uncle was Carl Laemmle, the founder of Universal Studios.

Despite the fact that she was more than a century old, she still regularly appeared at autograph signings, happy to meet and mingle with her fans. Over the years, I had the honor of meeting her twice.

Yours truly with Carla Laemmle at the Hollywood Show in Burbank, July 2010.

Rest in peace, Ms. Laemmle.

Happy birthday, Carla Laemmle!

Brett meets Carla Laemmle at Monsterpalooza in May 2009.

October 20, 2009, marks the 100th birthday of film icon Carla Laemmle, who appeared in The Phantom of the Opera (1925!) as the prima ballerina and in the original Dracula as the passenger in the coach who utters the film's first line of dialogue.

We here at Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker (okay, it's just me, but still) would like to wish Ms. Laemmle a very happy 100th birthday ... with many more to come!