Revisiting an Okamoto Classic with a Classic Screenwriter!

Hiroshi Kashiwabara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Monday, March 25), I paid another visit to screenwriter Hiroshi Kashiwabara at his cafe. The topic of the evening was originally scheduled to be Catch-22 (1970), which is what I was expecting when I entered the venue. However, when I arrived, I discovered that the plans had changed due to the recent passing of actor Minori Terada.

 

Instead, the topic was Kihachi Okamoto's The Human Bullet (1968), which stars Terada. There are things to admire in The Human Bullet, but I can't say it's a great film or even completely successful. The story does drag at times, and I think it could have easily been tightened. It's not a bad film by any means, just an imperfect one. 

I've seen Catch-22 twice. The first time was back in 1997 when I hadn't yet read the book, so the film basically went completely over my head and made no sense to me. The second time was around 2019 on DVD when the film was much more understandable. I think a better film could have been made from the source material, but there are great moments in it. (Hey, that sounds like exactly what I wrote about The Human Bullet!) 

After that, there was the usual conversation among the attendees, and the subject of tokusatsu was naturally on the agenda. It was fun chatting with the various folks about the movies and TV shows they watched as kids.

As I was saying goodbye to some people, Kashiwabara-san pulled out his phone and took a couple of photos of me, which he later sent to me. (You know what I say about VIPs who take pictures of you.) A big thanks to Kashiwabara-san for tonight. I hope our next meeting won't be too far in the future.

FAIL SAFE! Reconsidering an American Classic with a Japanese Connoisseur of Cinema!

Hiroshi Kashiwabara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Monday, March 18), I paid a visit to Hiroshi Kashiwabara's cafe to participate in an event focused on a classic movie. (If you know anything about Kashiwabara-san, you know about his extensive fondness for American oldies.) The topic of the evening was the Sidney Lumet thriller Fail Safe (1964).

Some of the memorabilia on display. Photo by Brett Homenick.

It's always been fascinating to me (in a less-than-positive way) that Dr. Strangelove (1964) is regarded as an all-time classic while Fail Safe has largely been forgotten. I first saw Dr. Strangelove circa December 1996 when I was going through my Kubrick-Is-God phase (through which most teenage boys eventually have to pass). That and The Shining (1980) were the two Kubrick films I had the most trouble getting into. (I'd throw in 1962's Lolita, too, but does a film that minor even rate?)

I just never found Strangelove particularly clever or funny. It has its moments (most of which I found out later were improvised), but I'd be hard-pressed to call it one of the best films of 1964, let alone of all time.

Even more memorabilia! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Around August 1997, I saw Fail Safe for the first time on late-night cable TV. It was everything that Strangelove wasn't. I've since read that audiences of the time avoided Fail Safe because they supposedly found the subject matter humorous in the wake of the Kubrick film, but I certainly wasn't laughing. (Heck, I wasn't laughing the first time around, watching the genius auteur's would-be comedy.) Fail Safe kept me on the edge of my seat, and ever since that evening I've considered it the superior film.

Anyway, a funny thing happened this evening. When I entered the venue, I noticed a few attendees giving me a quizzical look. One of them asked Kashiwabara-san if I was an actor. He explained who I was, after which I confirmed to the folks in attendance that I'm indeed not a performer.

When the discussion of the film ended, Kashiwabara-san asked me to stand up, and he proceeded to tell the gathered attendees about more about me. I wasn't expecting to be put in the spotlight, but it's always flattering. Afterward, a few attendees expressed interest in seeing my interviews, so I shared the URL for Vantage Point Interviews with them. They seemed impressed!

Tonight was a fun night of film discussion. Many thanks to Kashiwabara-san for making it possible!

A Great Time with the Screenwriter Who Helped Launch Godzilla's Millennium Series!

Hiroshi Kashiwabara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After meeting Kazuomi Sasai on Friday, March 15, I immediately met up with screenwriter Hiroshi Kashiwabara. I was pleased to have the opportunity to sit down and chat with Kashiwabara-san, as it had been far too long since we last had such a chance.

I was bowled over when Kashiwabara-san brought out his "going away" present for me -- the Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) script that producer Shogo Tomiyama gave him in order to prepare for writing the screenplay for Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994). It is certainly a privilege to own this bit of Toho history!

Hiroshi Kashiwabara with his copy of the Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) script. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We discussed several topics -- everything from Godzilla Minus One (2023) to the state of American politics. But the conversation mostly centered around movies.

Kashiwabara-san named his three favorite actors in order for me, which was the first time I'd heard his list. They are: 1. John Wayne, 2. Steve McQueen, and 3. Burt Reynolds. I never realized that Kashiwabara-san was a big Burt Reynolds fan, but there you go.

Hiroshi Kashiwabara signs the script. Photo by Brett Homenick.

He told me his favorite Reynolds movies were The Longest Yard (1974) and Hustle (1975). I wasn't aware of Hustle and thought he might have meant Boogie Nights (1997). He said he likes that one, too, but that Hustle was a separate film. I had to look it up!

Kashiwabara-san didn't know the English title Deliverance (1972), so, when I showed him the Japanese translation, he shared his admiration for that film, too. That one is probably my favorite Burt Reynolds film.

When we were wrapping up, Kashiwabara-san took a photo of me on his phone with the MG script, as well as a photo of the two of us together. Remember what I said about when VIPs want photos with you?

And, after all that, Kashiwabara-san also signed some SpaceGodzilla memorabilia for me. What a cool guy!

Photo by Hiroshi Kashiwabara.

As we were leaving, much like Asada-san before him, asked me if I knew who Troy Donahue was. Of course, I now know all about his song about Palm Springs!

Many thanks to Kashiwabara-san for his unparalleled generosity. I'm so proud to have that script!

A 'Megaguirus'-Style Godzilla Display at the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku!

Godzilla roars his satisfaction at the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku's Godzilla display. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Starting on July 1, the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku has had a dynamic diorama on display on the 8th floor with a distinct Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000) vibe. In fact, I came to Shinjuku earlier today specifically to give it a look-see. The diorama will be at the hotel until September 30, so there's still plenty of time to check it out. Now let's see the highlights!

Winter Warms Up for an Afternoon of Tokusatsu!

Kenji Suzuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today (Sunday, February 19), I had the good fortune to spend a couple of hours with former Toho tokusatsu director Kenji Suzuki. Suzuki-san served in that position on Rebirth of Mothra III (1998), Godzilla 2000 (1999), and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000).

We met at Seijogakuen-mae Station and headed to a nearby cafe. Thankfully, the weather was much warmer than it had been recently, and I didn't even need to wear my winter coat. Once we sat down at the cafe, I got to hear a lot of stories from the sets of various tokusatsu shoots. It was quite enlightening!

My favorite moment, though, was when Suzuki-san was signing a couple of postcards I bought from the Godzilla Store, which were from Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), on which he served as chief assistant director of special effects. One of the postcards simply says, "Happy Birthday," which Suzuki-san read out loud, causing me to laugh. Maybe you had to be there.

Many thanks to Suzuki-san for the fun afternoon!

A Late Birthday Celebration for Godzilla!

Yuichi Kikuchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Godzilla's birthday is celebrated on November 3, but, for me, the festivities really took place on Saturday, November 5, during which I was able to spend a fun evening with three legends of tokusatsu. As you can imagine, it was a lot of fun, and it was the perfect way to celebrate Godzilla's big anniversary.

The guest of honor was tokusatsu director Yuichi Kikuchi. Kikuchi-san is best known for serving as SFX director on Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (2002), as well as working as assistant SFX director on such movies as Gamera 3 (1999) and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000). He was also SFX director on Ultraman: The Next (2004), Ultraman Nexus (2004-05), Ultraman Max (2005-06), Ultraman Mebius (2006-07), as well as other works. When I arrived, I was seated right next to Kikuchi-san, with whom I had a nice chat. I asked him when his next stage production would be held, but he said it hasn't been decided yet. It will be sometime next year. We also talked about some of his favorite tokusatsu productions.

Kazuya Konaka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was Kazuya Konaka. Konaka-san helmed episodes of Ultraman Dyna (1997-98), Ultraman Cosmos (2001-02), Ultraman Nexus, Ultraman Mebius, Ultraseven X (2007), Ultraman Ginga S (2014), and Ultraman Orb: The Origin Saga (2016-17). Konaka-san also directed the feature films: Ultraman Zearth 2 (1997), Ultraman Tiga and Ultraman Dyna (1998), Ultraman Gaia: The Battle in Hyperspace (1999), Ultraman: The Next, Mirrorman Reflex (2006), and Ultraman Mebius and Ultra Brothers (2006).

Admittedly, Konaka-san was the guest I interacted with the least, largely due to the seating arrangement, so I don't have very much to say about our discussions. Oh, well. Maybe next time! 

Kenji Suzuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The final guest was Kenji Suzuki. Before joining Toho, Suzuki-san was a freelance SFX director who did some work at Tsuburaya Productions, most notably Ultraman 80 (1980-81). At Toho, he served as an assistant SFX director on The Imperial Navy (1981) and Sayonara Jupiter (1984). On Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994), Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), Rebirth of Mothra (1996), and Rebirth of Mothra 2 (1997), he served as the chief assistant SFX director under Koichi Kawakita. On Rebirth of Mothra 3 (1998), Godzilla 2000 (1999), and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, he was the SFX director. In the 2000s, Suzuki-san returned to Tsuburaya Productions and lent his talents to various Ultra-projects.

Suzuki-san is a bona fide tokusatsu legend, and it's always great to see him. My discussion with him was a bit similar to one I had with Kikuchi-san. Suzuki-san is a soft-spoken gentleman and is about as nice as they come.

And that's all! This is truly my idea of celebrating Godzilla's big day. It was a wonderful evening with several wonderful people. 

An Evening with a Toho Screenwriter!

Hiroshi Kashiwabara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, March 26, after checking out the Yasuyuki Inoue exhibit, I went to a special event headlined by screenwriter Hiroshi Kashiwabara. The event centered around the hit TV series Abunai Deka, but I'm naturally much more familiar with his Toho work.

Kashiwabara-san is always a friendly gent, and I rarely miss a chance to hang out with him. As usual, we talked about a variety of movie topics, including recent films we had seen. Kashiwabara-san is a true movie buff.

 And that's a wrap. It was a busy Saturday for sure, but I had a lot of fun. But that's not all I did last weekend. Stay tuned for more!

Closing Out November with a Godzilla Screenwriter!

Hiroshi Kashiwabara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday evening, November 28, I got to spend another evening with Godzilla series scribe Hiroshi Kashiwabara. It was a bit shorter than some of our other get-togethers, but it was still quite enjoyable.

 And that's all for November. See you in December!

Godzilla Series Screenwriter Wataru Mimura Passes Away at Age 67

Wataru Mimura poses with a poster for Sampo Shojo in May 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Screenwriter Wataru Mimura, who contributed several scripts to the Heisei and Millennium Godzilla series, passed away on August 26, according to a friend and colleague of his. He was 67. 

Born in Mie Prefecture in May 1954, Mimura-san graduated from Nihon University College of Art's Department of Cinema. In 1982, he won the Sanrio Screenplay Award and made his screenwriting debut with Freeter (1987).

Aside from his screenwriting duties, he was the chairman of Plan-net Labo (a.k.a. P-Labo), a network of professional and amateur screenwriters. In this capacity, Mimura-san would host an annual film festival of independent short films called the P-Labo Film Festival. 

Mimura-san poses with his Godzilla series co-screenwriter Hiroshi Kashiwabara in July 2013. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mimura-san wrote or co-wrote the screenplays or Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), Orochi the Eight-Headed Dragon (1994), Godzilla 2000 (1999), Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000), Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (2002), and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). Suffice it to say, the Millennium series relied heavily on Mimura-san's input. My 2008 interview with Mimura-san can be read here. 

Mimura-san with director Yoshimitsu Banno in February 2013. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I first met Mimura-san in the summer of 2011, just a few months after I first moved to Japan. We'd been corresponding for a few years up to that point, and he turned out to be one of the nicest people I've ever met. We would hang out every so often, which was great in and of itself, but he also introduced to quite a few luminaries, most notably Shigeo Kato. 

With Mimura-san on Halloween 2014.

A few years ago, Mimura-san's health took a turn for the worse, and he stopped becoming so active. Shortly thereafter, he moved backto Mie Prefecture. In 2019, as I was preparing to visit Mie Prefecture to visit Godzilla (1954) filming locations, I messaged Mimura-san and asked if he would be able to meet up. He replied that it would not be possible. 

Sadly, despite my other attempts to reach out, I would never hear from Mimura-san again. The news of his passing is devastating, but not totally unexpected. He was one of my favorite people to visit in Japan, and I'll always be grateful for his kindness. Wataru Mimura was a major talent and an incredible individual.

Rest in peace, Mimura-san.

UPDATE (9/4): Mimura-san suffered from multiple system atrophy.

A Cool Event on a Hot July Day!

Hiroshi Kashiwabara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Last night, I attended an event that was virtually identical to one from several weeks ago. The headliners were screenwriter Hiroshi Kashiwabara and actress Kanae Hasebe. 

I was particularly excited to hang out with Kashiwabara-san again, as he is just an all-around great guy. Besides, I think the month of July is a great time to hang out with him, as I'm sure the fine folks of Itasca, IL, would certainly agree. Kashiwabara-san wrote (or co-wrote) three Godzilla films from the Heisei and Millennium series, but it's just as much fun to talk to him about a number of other topics.

Kanae Hasebe. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was the lovely Kanae Hasebe, the daughter of film and television director Yasuharu Hasebe (Horror Theater Unbalance, Spectreman, Assault! Jack the Ripper). In terms of tokusatsu, she appears in episodes 18 and 19 of Kamen Rider 555 (2003-04) as Sachiko Kurata, as well as episode 5 of Kamen Rider Kiva (2008-09) as a housewife.

I met Hasebe-san a few weeks ago and had a great time in her company. When I found out that Kashiwabara-san and Hasebe-san would be returning for another appearance, it was an opporunity I couldn't pass up. Many thanks for the great evening!

Attending an 'Abunai Deka' Reunion Event!

Hiroshi Kashiwabara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, May 22, I attended a special event (for the first time in a while) featuring a reunion of luminaries from the hit crime drama Abumai Deka (1986-87). This reunion featured scriptwriter Hiroshi Kashiwabara and actress Kanae Hasebe.

With Hiroshi Kashiwabara.

Kashiwabara-san, as most readers of this blog will no doubt remember, wrote the screenplays for Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994), Godzilla 2000 (1999), and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000). Please check out this interview for more details about his screenwriting career. I've met him several times over the years, and he's a great guy to hang out with. I love his sense of humor!

Kanae Hasebe. Photo by Brett Homenick.

It was my first time to meet Kanae Hasebe, the daughter of film and television director Yasuharu Hasebe (Horror Theater Unbalance, Spectreman, Assault! Jack the Ripper). She played Hitomi Yamaji on Abunai Deka, as well as on its follow-up series Motto Abunai Deka (1988-89). In terms of tokusatsu, she appears in episodes 18 and 19 of Kamen Rider 555 (2003-04) as Sachiko Kurata, as well as episode 5 of Kamen Rider Kiva (2008-09) as a housewife.

With Kanae Hasebe.

Hasebe-san was interested in my background and asked me a lot of questions. She was intrigued by my interest in Godzilla and tokusatsu, and we discussed Shin Godzilla, as well as the current state of the Japanese film industry. It was lovely to meet her.