A Special Evening with the Actor Behind 'Megalon's' Goro Ibuki!

Katsuhiko Sasaki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Saturday, March 16, I was lucky enough to have dinner with Toho actor Katsuhiko Sasaki, the star of several 1970s-era tokusatsu productions at the studio. Sasaki-san is best known for headlining Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) and Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975).

We met at Futako-tamagawa Station and headed to a restaurant that Sasaki-san is quite fond of. We spent at least two hours there, and the conversation covered a wide range of topics. I was especially interested in Sasaki-san's memories of filming Evil of Drcaula (1974) and how unexpectedly difficult and dangerous it was. The fight scene with Toshio Kurosawa was already tough, but having to film the scene in which Sasaki-san's character drowns was much more dangerous. 

Katsuhiko Sasaki signs autographs. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Sasaki-san also reminisced about his father, actor Minoru Chiaki, and how director Akira Kurosawa scouted him while watching him perform onstage as part of the Bara-za theater company. Sasaki-san enjoys Ikiru (1952) among his father's Kurosawa's films.

I must say that Sasaki-san was quite generous when it came to signing things. I brought a bevy of Megalon-related items to sign, and Sasaki-san graciously signed everything I wanted. Definitely a one-of-a-kind gentleman!

In particular, I was extremely glad to add his signature to my Blu-ray sleeve of Megalon that already featured that autographs of Yutaka Hayashi and Hiroyuki Kawase. With Sasaki-san's signature, I now have the autographs of all three leads of the film on that Blu-ray cover. Suffice it to say, it's one of my favorite pieces.

I should also point out that Sasaki-san paid for our dinner, which, again, was very kind of him. It's this level of generosity that I will miss after I leave Japan. 

As we were walking back to the station, I reminded Sasaki-san that Megalon was my first Godzilla movie, to which he patted me on the back. It was a small gesture, but, when considered through the prism of my personal history with the genre, it means a lot. This was truly an evening I'll always remember. Many thanks to Sasaki-san for making it possible!

Revisiting Dracula's Former Abode in Tokyo!

The entrance to Kyu-Furukawa Gardens. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Thursday, January 25), I braved freezing temperatures and strong winds to pay another visit to Kyu-Furukawa Gardens in Kita, Tokyo. I go into more details about the location here, but, suffice it to say, it has been used as a filming location for a number of movies -- most notably Evil of Dracula (1974). 

What I wasn't expecting was that the Western-style house on the property, which of course is the filming location in question, would be under renovation. Still, it was a rather unique sight to behold, so it was interesting to see. (You can see those photos below.) A staff member I spoke with told me the renovations will be going on until March, so maybe I'll return around that time to see the finished renovations. I guess we'll see how that goes.

Until then, here's what I saw today. Enjoy!

Paying a Visit to Dracula's Former Home in Tokyo!

The Western-style house in Kyu-Furukawa Gardens. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I paid another visit to Kyu-Furukawa Gardens in Kita, Tokyo, near Nishigahara Station. The park features a Western-style house whose construction was completed in May 1917. It was originally built as a private residence but was opened as a public park on April 30, 1956. I last visited the park in May 2016, so I figured I was long overdue for another look.

What's so special about this place? Well, the house in question was used as a filming location for numerous genre movies and TV shows. It was used as Shin Kishida's vampiric principal character's residence in Evil of Dracula (1974), the spooky house in the Hajime Sato-directed House of Terrors (a.k.a. The Ghost of the Hunchback, 1965), and it also turns up in the Toho mystery Murders in the Doll House (a.k.a. Crazy Doll Trick, 1979), starring Yusaku Matsuda.

It was great to walk around the property and take in some excellent tokusatsu history. In particular, it was fascinating to see the house's carriage porch up close and personal, which is prominently featured in Evil of Dracula. (The car driving Toshio Kurosawa's character to the university pulls into the carriage porch.) 

The photos below will tell the story. Enjoy!

DEEP DIVE: Did Teruyoshi Nakano Work on the Bloodthirsty Series?

Teruyoshi Nakano in May 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was browsing Wikizilla the other day and noticed that one of the editors removed the Bloodthirsty trilogy -- consisting of The Vampire Doll (1970), Lake of Dracula (1971), and Evil of Dracula (1974), all of which were directed by Michio Yamamoto -- from Toho special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano's filmography, due to a lack of proper citation.

I thought that was rather interesting, as I didn't realize Nakano-san's involvement was that poorly documented. But it did remind me of the time I asked Nakano-san about it in person. Thankfully, I took contemporaneous notes of his comments, and, after doing some digging for them, I finally found them and had a chance to look at them for the first time in a long time.

My notes are below, slightly edited for clarity:

5/27/2017 - Teruyoshi Nakano worked on the Bloodthirsty trilogy for free and no credit because he was friends with Fumio Tanaka. 

Fumio Tanaka, of course, produced the Bloodthirsty trilogy. And there you have it, straight from the source.

Attending a Screening of 'Evil of Dracula' at the National Film Archive of Japan!

A poster for Evil of Dracula on display at the National Film Archive of Japan. Photo by Brett Homenick.

This afternoon (Wednesday, December 14), I took in a screening of the Toho horror classic Evil of Dracula (1974), one of my favorite horror films. The screening was part of the Film Archive's program called "The 90th Anniversary of Toho: A Film History of Modernization and Innovation [Part 2]," which ends on December 25. This will be the only film of this program that I'll see, but what a film it is to see!

This wasn't the first time for me to see it theatrically in 35mm, and hopefully it won't be the last. It's incredibly atmospheric with a great performance by Shin Kishida as the titular vampire. The late actress Mio Ota (a.k.a. Izuhi Higashioka) also gave an excellent performance as student-turned-vampire Yukiko Mitamura, and I especially enjoyed seeing her work on the big screen. I was privileged to meet her about a year before her sudden passing, and she was as big a sweetheart as I've ever met. 

The film has some minor flaws, but they aren't really worth mentioning, as they don't affect the overall quality of the film. I wish Toho made more gothic horror movies like this one, but we'll just have to cherish the ones we have. 

I was particularly pleased to discover that more sci-fi/horror screenings will be happening early next year, which is the perfect way to kick off the New Year. I can't wait to attend those screenings, too, which I will post about here when they happen.

Actress Mio Ota Passes Away at Age 70

Mio Ota. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

May 1 saw Japan enter the Reiwa era. It was also the day that actress, chanson singer, and artist Mio Ota suddenly passed away at age 70.

Mio Ota was born in Azumino, Nagano, on February 17, 1949. Among genre fans, her best-known credit is Toho's vampire thriller Evil of Dracula (1974) in which she plays student Yukiko Mitamura. She also appeared as Blue Jaguar on the TV series Giant Iron Man 17 (a.k.a. Daitetsujin 17, 1977) from episode 22 through 35. In more recent years, she performed under the stage name Izuhi Higashioka. (Her real name was Chieko Ota.)

I had the distinct privilege of meeting Ms. Ota in June 2018. I got to spend quite a bit of time around her at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno. She signed some Evil of Dracula items for me, and we even had a discussion about (of all things) politics. (She held strong opinions about both American and Japanese political topics.)

She and I had been connected for years prior to that on social media, and I always enjoyed getting a like or a comment from her. Suffice it to say, I'll always remember her kindness.

Rest in peace, Mio Ota.

Special thanks to Archie H. Waugh for the graphics assistance.

VAMPIRE DIARIES! Meeting Actress Mio Ota!

Mio Ota. Photo by Brett Homenick.

One of my favorite horror movies has long been Evil of Dracula (1974), and I think a good case can be made for it as the best of director Michio Yamamoto's Bloodthirsty trilogy. She played student Yukiko Mitamura in Evil of Dracula, as well as Blue Jaguar on the TV series Giant Iron Man 17 (1977) from episode 22 through 35. She also appears in Shohei Imamura's Why Not? (1981).

Ota-san had some of her art on display at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno, and I decided to pay her a visit. We had a nice chat about her acting career and other topics. She was surprised to learn that I'm an American from California, saying that I looked like a British gentleman.

It was a great afternoon and well worth braving the sweltering heat and humidity. I certainly hope to have a chance to meet Ota-san again.

SEEING A PAIR OF TOHO FILMS! A Double Feature of Crime and Horror!

Evil of Dracula poster on display in the theater lobby. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Tonight was another evening of Toho movies at the Laputa Asagaya. Tonight's double bill began with Jun Fukuda's Dai Nippon Suri Shudan (1969), a crime story (with strong elements of comedy) that pits a determined detective against a gang of pickpockets in Osaka. The detective (played by Keiju Kobayashi) and the leader of the gang (played by Norihei Miki) have an interesting wartime backstory together that fuels much of the story.

A poster for Dai Nippon Suri Shudan on display. Photo by Brett Homenick.

At one point, the detective attempts to arrest a gang member (played by a particularly dapper Akihiko Hirata) in a pachiko parlor after he catches Hirata's criminal in the act of pickpocketing. Hirata escapes, and Kobayashi gives chase. The ensuing chase through the streets of Osaka was quite exciting, bringing a bit of cinema verite to the proceedings that was often missing from Toho films during the 1960s. The chase ends when a car hits and kills Hirata's character, and the effect was surprisingly convincing.

I didn't know what to expect from the film, but it works on several levels. The comedy and drama seemed to blend well, and the audience I saw it with laughed with the film when it was funny. I'd strongly recommend this film to anyone who's still under the false impression that Jun Fukuda was some second-rate director.

Tonight's other film was Evil of Dracula (1974), which I'd rank as my favorite of the Bloodthirsty trilogy. (Lake of Dracula would get ranked at the bottom for me, but I still enjoy it.) It was a joy to see this one on the big screen in glorious 35mm. The detail in the gore effects at the end of the film was quite evident onscreen and was something of a revelation. Fun stuff!