Vantage Point Interviews Returns with New Content!

Masaaki Daimon in April 2021. Photo by Brett Homenick.

There is new content available on Vantage Point Interviews!

Masaaki Daimon stars in the original Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) as Keisuke Shimizu, but he also appeared in a bevy of other notable films throughout the 1970s. Mr. Daimon talks all about his acting career in my brand-new interview with him.

Jay Hackett was taken over by the evil alien Gudis on Ultraman: Towards the Future (1992) -- and lived to tell the tale! Read all about his Ultra-adventures Down Under here!

Content is always king on Vantage Point Interviews!

In Celebration of Yusaku Matsuda!

In between Miyoko Akaza (left) and Yukihiro Sawada. 

Tonight, I returned from another event. This one was a celebration of the late actor Yusaku Matsuda, who passed away 40 years ago after completing the Ridley Scott actioner Black Rain (1989). Two of Matsuda's collaborators were on hand for the event.

 Yukihiro Sawada. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The first guest was director Yukihiro Sawada. Sawada-san has a prolific film and television career, but I know him best as the director of the first episode of Strada 5 (1974), Nikkatsu's task force-themed action series that predates Super Sentai by a year.

Earlier this year, I'd seen one of Sawada-san's feature films, Koko Dai Panic (a.k.a. Panic in High School, 1978). Despite its dark and controversial subject matter, it was a tight thriller that kept me invested in the film. As always, it was a joy to meet him again.

Miyoko Akaza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also in attedance was actress Miyoko Akaza. Akaza-san starred as Otsuyu in the Daiei horror classic The Haunted Lantern (a.k.a. The Bride from Hell, 1968) that she began to receive attention. In the West, her best-known credit would probably be Toho's Lady Snowblood (1973) as Sayo Kashima.

It's pretty safe to say that she's ageless. It was a lot of fun listening to her reminisce about some of her old co-stars and colleagues, especially Masaaki Daimon.

AIN'T NO CURE FOR THE VIRGIN TIME BLUES! Meeting Actress Miyoko Akaza!

Miyoko Akaza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a screening of the Nikkatsu's Virgin Blues (1974). I think you can probably guess the theme of the film by its title. Despite not being 35mm, the Blu-ray transfer looked pretty good blown up to fit a movie screen. 

One of the film's stars, Miyoko Akaza, was in attendance as a special guest. Born on February 10, 1944, Akaza-san started training to become an actress in 1963. She made her feature film debut in 1967, but it was when she was cast as Otsuyu in the Daiei horror classic The Haunted Lantern (a.k.a. The Bride from Hell, 1968) that she began to receive attention. In the West, her best-known credit would probably be Toho's Lady Snowblood (1973) as Sayo Kashima. (Lady Snowblood was directed by her late husband, Toshiya Fujita.)

I was especially interested in meeting Akaza-san due to her role in The Haunted Lantern, in which she stars opposite Kojiro Hongo, a regular in the Showa Gamera series. I found that she is a big fan of both American and French films, and she shared many stories from her career and even the tennis court! All and all, an intriguing evening, for sure.

Beware the Haunted Lantern!