Goin' 'A*P*E' in Los Angeles!

Reuben Leder in his office. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 1, my first order of business was to visit writer-director Reuben Leder. Reuben has enjoyed an amazing career in Hollywood, working with some of the biggest stars in some of the biggest movies and TV shows imaginable. I interviewed Reuben in 2020 about his work on the King Kong parody A*P*E (1976), but this was my first time to meet Reuben in person. 

We met at Reuben's home and spent a few hours talking about just about everything there was to talk about. At one point, I mentioned my interest in pro wrestling, to which Reuben responded that he worked with Roddy Piper and Jesse Ventura on an old TV pilot. Of course, I knew the project as Tag Team, so it was fun to hear a little bit about what went on behind the scenes. 

Reuben was not just generous with his time but also in giving directions to my next destination. Suffice it to say, he went above and beyond the call of duty on my behalf. Best of all, he gave me an autographed copy of his satirical novel You Might Feel a Little Prick, which I would highly encourage you to check out. 

I had a blast meeting Reuben and his wife, who couldn't have been better hosts. I certainly hope to have the opportunity to visit them again in the near future.

'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' (2024)

A Godzilla x Kong poster on display at the theater. Photo by Brett Homenick.

"Welcome to my world..."

Last night, I finally was able to catch a screening of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024). To say that my expectations were rock bottom would be the understatement of the year. I didn't enjoy Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) at all and found all the praise it received at the time as a "fun" monster romp completely baffling. Still, I guess I'm obligated to see these things, so that's exactly what I did.

In short, Godzilla x Kong was silly, minor, and ... not terrible? I enjoyed it much more than I did Godzilla vs. Kong, and I'd probably consider it my second-favorite of the MonsterVerse (yes, with the capital "v" -- sorry, Wikizilla) series. (For those keeping score, 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters is still of my favorite.)

Maybe it was the low expectations, but the movie made me smile throughout. There were several fun moments, a couple of funny lines, some interesting action set pieces, and a satisfying ending. On a personal level, it was fun seeing Joker (2019) alum Brian Tyree Henry rattling off a bunch of Toho kaiju names. (I know, not the most objective reason in the world, but that was my genuine reaction.)

A random King Kong (1933) poster on display at the theater. Photo by Brett Homenick.

There were also some amusing needle drops. (I'm starting to sound like Patrick H. Willems over here.) When "Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring started playing, I couldn't believe I was watching a Godzilla movie with that song in it -- in a good way. And that battle in the pyramids? Fun stuff!

Was the movie a total success? Definitely not. There wasn't enough Godzilla to my liking. The fight scenes seemed rush. There wasn't enough of a build to the inevitable team-up between the two titular characters. The non-Toho Titans were too generic and forgettable. I'm also not over the moon about the handling of Godzilla.  

But perhaps the film's biggest triumph was getting me interested in King Kong as a character. This is the first Kong flick since 1967 to get me even slightly invested in the pride of Skull Island. So I'll give director Adam Wingard credit where it's due.

A bit of a mixed bag, but Godzilla x Kong was a big improvement over the previous entry that literally almost put me to sleep. I'll go ahead and say it: Godzilla x Kong is a better time at the movies than Godzilla Minus One (2023). I'd still think so even if the director started bringing a plastic Tiamat toy with him everywhere he went.

Going Ape at the Gorilla Building!

The Gorilla Building. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier this evening (Friday, November 3), I took my friend Jacob to see the Gorilla Building in Sangenjaya. It was my first time to see it after dark, so I wasn't sure how well it would be illuminated. While there are no lights that are specifically designed to keep it illuminated, it was easily visible in the night sky, which was a relief to see. As usual, I took a variety of shots, and here they are. Enjoy!

SPECIAL EXHIBIT AT THE NATIONAL FILM ARCHIVE OF JAPAN: 'History in Posters Part 4: Horror Films'!

The National Film Archive of Japan. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 Earlier today (Wednesday, December 14), I visited the National Film Archive of Japan and took in its special exhibit, "History in Posters Part 4: Horror Films." The gallery featured posters and other memorabilia (shooting scripts, promotional pamphlets, etc.) from horror films from all over the world. The horror movies went as far back as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and covered the much more recent J-horror films of the late 1990s and beyond. Shooting scripts for Japanese classics like The Invisible Man (1949) and Portrait of Hell (1969) were on display, as were assorted posters and press sheets for a variety of other great titles. I wish I could have photographed it all, but photography was limited to a specific corner of the gallery. Anyhow, here's just a taste of what I saw. Enjoy!

Another Peek at Sangenjaya's Gorilla Building!

The Gorilla Building. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today, I paid another visit to Sangenjaya's Gorilla Building. You could say that it's modeled on King Kong (especially since the beast is holding a young damsel in his paw), but I'm sure the two are (legally) distinct. As I recall, I last visited the Gorilla Building four years ago. It was certainly fun to see again. Here's what I saw.

King Kong (and Son) Appear in Kitami!

 King Kong (chompin' a cigar) plays with his favorite toy in Kitami. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In the past, I've blogged about a large King Kong (or at least a giant gorilla) sculpture in Sangenjaya, but it was recently brought to my attention that there was another such sculpture in Setagaya Ward. About a seven-minute walk from Kitami Station (not too far from Toho Studios) is another great ape (and son) atop a building. Naturally, I had to see it for myself, which I did yesterday. Here are my photos. Enjoy!

A Rare Look at King Kong vs. Godzilla!

Keiko Suzuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today offered a unique look at the making of a Toho classic. Former Toho SFX scripter Keiko Suzuki (born Keiko Hisamatsu) gave a presentation about the making of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), featuring a rare look at the script and storyboard drawings. One thing that was interesting to see was that the English-language lines spoken by the Western actors in the submarine set were handwritten in the script in English, and they were essentially verbatim as they appear in the film. 

As handwritten in the script, the helicopter pilot's line, "Look there," was sans "Al." So was "Al" an ad lib? I guess we'll never know, but it wasn't in the script presented today. Moreover, I got to see the storyboards for the deleted scene in which Godzilla approaches the giant Byakue Dai-Kannon statue in Gunma Prefecture. There were two storyboard illustrations, and it didn't seem like much more to the scene than that.

Overall, it was a very fun afternoon, and it was quite amusing to see the various illustrations of Kong and Godzilla in storyboard form. If only there could be events like this for all Toho movies!

REVISITING SANGENJAYA'S GORILLA BUILDING! There Goes the Neighborhood!

Located atop Silver Wolf Gym (a.k.a. K-1 Gym Sangenjaya Silver Wolf) near Sangenjaya Station is what's commonly referred to as "Gorilla Building." It's pretty easy to see why this location is an attraction for monster movie fans of every stripe. I first visited Gorilla Building about three years ago, but when I was back in Sangenjaya the other day, I decided to snap some more photos. Enjoy!