A GODZILLA SERIES STAR REHEARSES! Going Behind the Scenes with a Genre Legend!

Masaaki Daimon. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yesterday (Tuesday, March 12), I was invited to visit actor Masaaki Daimon as he was rehearsing his upcoming stage play. Last year, I saw Daimon-san onstage at the same theater where this one will be performed, but I will unfortunately not be available to see any of the public performances due to my own scheduling issues. 

It was quite fascinating to see this group of actors rehearse. The cast gathered in a building in Edogawa Ward that was designed for such activities, which includes an area for building sets and props. Pretty nifty!

For a while, I thought this was my first time to see a rehearsal of a stage play in Japan, but then I remembered hanging out with Akira Takarada in 2013 when he was rehearsing one. So it's been more than ten years.

When I arrived via taxi, Daimon-san's manager (Imai-san) met me outside and led me into the premises. Shortly after I sat down, Daimon-san approached me and shook my hand. Then, for about the next hour and a half, I watched the rehearsal.

The story is about two men (one of whom is played by Daimon-san) who inexplicably undergo a time slip back to their younger days in the early 1970s. In fact, actress-singer Ayumi Ishida gets name-checked in the script, which I found pretty amusing. 

The other cast members were quite friendly, too, including Mai-san, who came up to me, introduced herself, and proceeded to have a lengthy chat with me. In fact, she joined us later for dinner! Don't you just love it when you make new friends so easily?

After the rehearsal was finished, I was asked to stand up and introduce myself to the cast in Japanese, which I did. Then we all posed for a photo in which I'm seated next to Daimon-san, and Mai-san was directly behind me. I haven't gotten a copy of this photo yet, so I hope to receive it soon.

Masaaki Daimon. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After that, the four of us (including Daimon-san, Imai-san, Mai-san, and yours truly) gathered in Imai-san's car as we went out for dinner. The night's fare was Japanese, which I found pretty tasty. Before we ate, Daimon-san asked the staff to take a photo of our group on his phone. As I've said countless times, it's always great when someone of Daimon-san's caliber wants to take a photo with you.

We must have spent a couple of hours there, but I lost count. It really was a fun evening, with Daimon-san sharing some stories about his career, as well as some of his upcoming goings-on. He also very generously signed a few autographs for me and went out of his way to make sure he spelled my name correctly in English on them.

At the end of the evening, Imai-san paid for the dinner, which was enormously generous of him. We also posed for a few more photos before piling back into Imai-san's car. We drove out to an area around Shinjuku Station (very close to the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, in fact), at which point Mai-san and I were dropped off. I shook hands with Daimon-san before parting ways. 

What an incredible evening! After I got home, I exchanged some texts with Imai-san, who told me that Daimon-san expressed his wish that I could see one of the cast's public performances of the play. I wish I could, too, but you can't always get what you want, as Mick Jagger once told us. This evening, however, was certainly what I needed.

UPDATE (3/14): Though a bit tiny, here's the group shot I mentioned elsewhere in this blog post.

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!

Godzilla Bears the Torch for the Tokyo Olympics!

With the Tokyo Olympics due to begin this July, Scott Swan and the WTHR team came to Tokyo in the late summer of 2019 to cover the enduring popularity of the Godzilla franchise. This video contains a lot of exclusive content, including comments from Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) star Masaaki Daimon and perhaps another familiar face or two. Check it out!

A Mechagodzilla Reunion Rocks Tokyo!

Tomoko Ai and Masaaki Daimon pose for the camera. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a wonderful Showa Hero event with two of the stars from the '70s Mechagodzilla movies: Masaaki Daimon and Tomoko Ai. While it happened the day after Godzilla's birthday, it was certainly close enough to satisfy me!

Masaaki Daimon. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had just seen Daimon-san two months ago at Toho Studios for his NBC interview, so it came as a bit of a surprise to me when I found out I'd get to see him again. This was the first time I got to hear a lot of details about his work on Mechagodzilla, such as the fact that he was cast without an audition, and that visiting Okinawa felt like going to another country.

As a longtime fan of the two '70s Godzilla movies, I was especially happy to add Daimon-san's signature to a few MG items I had. I'd been waiting quite a while for the opportunity!

Tomoko Ai. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The other guest of the afternoon was Katsura Mafune herself, Tomoko Ai. I was already quite familiar with her stories, having interviewed her in the past, but it was certainly a lot of fun to see her interact with Masaaki Daimon.

I last saw Ai-san by chance at my train station about three years ago. She asked me if I still lived in the same place, to which I answered in the affirmative. It'd definitely been too long, so hopefully I won't have to wait three years for the next meeting!

Godzilla and NBC at Toho Studios!

In between actor Masaaki Daimon and NBC reporter Scott Swan at Toho Studios.

I'm pleased to report that on Tuesday, September 3, I participated in an NBC News story about Godzilla that will air in the U.S. in July 2020 (just in time for the Tokyo Olympics). The story was produced by the NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, Indiana, but it will be made available to other NBC affiliates nationwide. I'm also told that the story will be available online. So, no matter where you are in the U.S. (or. hopefully, the world), you will get a chance to see it.

I arranged for a couple of Toho alumni to appear in the story, which was shot at Toho Studios. Actor Masaaki Daimon (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, Terror of Mechagodzilla) was the first interviewee, and he shared his memories of making Mechagodzilla, as well as his thoughts on the character of Godzilla.

I was very happy to see Daimon-san again, which was the first time since 2016. I was also rather pleased that he remembered me!

Akihiko Iguchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After Daimon-san's interview, kaiju designer Akihiko Iguchi was interviewed, and he seemed to have a lot of fun discussing his design work. Actually, on the way to Toho, I ran into Iguchi-san at a train station quite by accident, and we went to Toho Studios together. 

After Iguchi-san's interview, yours truly was interviewed for the story, discussing my interest in the character and how Godzilla has endured for all these years. Naturally, I can't wait for the story to air. The NBC crew has a lot of surprises and exclusives in store for you that no other documentary has ever gotten access to. When they showed me one photo in particular, my jaw dropped!

Many thanks to Scott Swan, the NBC crew, and the folks at Toho for making this day one for the history books!

Meeting a Daiei Actress!

 Keiko Takahashi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight, I was fortunate to attend a special event with actress Keiko Takahashi (nee Keiko Sekine). Born on January 22, 1955, Takahashi-san made her acting debut in 1970 at Daiei Studios. Takahashi-san has a variety of credits, including co-starring with Masaaki Daimon in Yasuzo Masumura's Play (1971), starring in Snow Country Elegy (1971), directed by the Gamera series' Noriaki Yuasa and written by Niisan Takahashi, appearing in Kei Kumai's Rise, Fair Sun (1973), co-starring with Masao Kusakari in Toho's Kanda River (1974), and acting in Masumura's thriller Dynamic Islands (1975). She was a regular on the hit TV program Howl at the Sun! (1972-86) as Shinko Uchida.

I'd never met Takahashi-san before, but what really surprised me was how excited a number of attendees were to meet her. One even had tears in his eyes at the end of the evening! I was glad to talk to her about Dynamic Islands, which I saw a few years ago and quite enjoyed. I wish I'd asked her about Noriaki Yuasa, but maybe next time.

All in all, it was a fun evening.

MONSTER KIDS AND MONSTER STARS! A New Dracula Play Debuts in Tokyo!

On Sunday, March 6, I attended a performance of a play in Tokyo called "Endless Love with Dracula," which mixes comedy, horror, and action in an amusing way. What was most interesting to me, however, was that two of the principal cast members were kaiju eiga stars.

Actor Masaaki Daimon (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, Terror of Mechagodzilla) played the antagonist, a vicious vampire who does battle with good-guy Dracula. (As you can imagine, this was a completely different take on the Dracula mythos!) After the show, Yasushi and I had a brief conversation with Daimon-san, but given that he was swamped with admirers, we had to keep it rather short. (I hope the photo taken of all of us together gets sent to me soon!)

Actor Masanori Machida played a comic-relief police detective in the new play. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Former child actor (and current voice actor) Masanori Machida led the supporting cast as an over-the-top police detective who's in way over his head.

Who exactly is Machida-san, you ask? He played none other than Saki, the little island boy, in Gappa the Triphibian Monster (a.k.a. Monster from a Prehistoric Planet, 1967)! These days, Machida-san is a busy actor who does a lot of voice work, but he still does traditional acting roles.

Yasushi and I had a great time chatting with him after the show, and (needless to say) he was surprised to find that an American was familiar with his work. We had a lot of fun with the "Gappa, Gappa angry! Angry!" line from the dubbed version!

All in all, it was a fun afternoon spent with two kaiju eiga stars I grew up admiring. It was a blast to meet Machida-san since I've always had a soft spot for Gappa. The play itself was entertaining and contained some funny pop culture references. Oh, and I guarantee you that the Spanish version of this play isn't better! (Hm, I wonder if it'll be up for a Rondo next year...)

DAVE FILONI MEETS THE CAST AND CREW OF MECHAGODZILLA! MG's Biggest Fan Enjoys the Japanese Vacation of a Lifetime!

Executive producer/supervising director Dave Filoni meets two Godzilla series legends: screenwriter Hiroyasu Yamaura (left) and designer Akihiko Iguchi (right). Photo by Brett Homenick.

The film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) has no bigger champion than Dave Filoni. But Dave is no ordinary fan. He skyrocketed to success by helming the movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), as well as the subsequent Emmy® Award-winning TV series (2008-2014). Dave is now executive producer/supervising director of a new critically-acclaimed TV series, Star Wars Rebels (2014-), which has quickly become a fan favorite.

Hiroyasu Yamaura and Akihiko Iguchi show off their newly-acquired artwork, personally drawn by Dave Filoni. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Taking his first vacation since 2008, Dave has come to the Land of the Rising Sun and embarked on a journey that would be a dream come true for any fan of Godzilla's greatest mechanical foe. A few weeks before arriving in Japan, Dave contacted me, and my friend Yasushi and I began working on introducing Dave to several Toho alumni who had worked on Mecagodzilla.

Dave Filoni proudly shows his Akihiko Iguchi Mechagodzilla rendering for the camera. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Over time, we successfully arranged meetings with four personalities: designer Akihiko Iguchi, screenwriter Hiroyasu Yamaura, SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano, and actor Masaaki Daimon. Yasushi and I had met the first three gentlemen at previous events and gatherings, but Daimon-san would be brand-new for us, too, increasing the excitement that much more.

The first meeting was scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 7, which coincidentally also happened to be Dave's birthday. I met Dave at Shinjuku Station, and we made our way to Shin-Yurigaoka Station to meet Iguchi-san and Yamaura-san for lunch at a French restaurant. On the way, we talked about Godzilla and some of our early childhood memories of watching the movies for the first time.

Two Mechagodzilla legends reveal their true feeling about the spacemen from the Third Planet of the Black Hole! Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Yasushi and Iguchi-san met us at the station, and Yamaura-san joined us at the restaurant. We spent a few hours together, and Dave got to ask many questions (all of which were translated ahead of time by Yasushi) about their respective careers. Dave gave each gentleman a woodblock with original King Seesar art on it, and Iguchi-san returned the favor by giving Dave a drawing of Mechagodzilla. Talk about an awesome birthday gift!

When the time came, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Shinjuku Station. Dave, Yasushi, and I hung out at a cafe for a while and chatted until Dave had to leave.

Dave Filoni meets SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano at Shinjuku Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We met again at Shinjuku Station the following day with SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano. We went to a Japanese restaurant for a few hours, and Dave and Nakano-san swapped stories about working in the movie biz.

Teruyoshi Nakano reflects on his decades-long special effects career over lunch. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After that, we immediately made our way to a nearby cafe and met with actor Masaaki Daimon and his manager. Daimon-san played Keisuke Shimizu in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and Kusakari in Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). Daimon-san has also appeared in Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Lady Snowblood (1973), Cockroach Cop (1973), G-Men '75 (1975-82), Ultraman 80 (1980-81), and Zero (1984). We were all very excited to meet Daimon-san, and I'm pleased to report that he exceeded our expectations. He was a very open-minded gentleman who appreciated that we were interested in his career.

Actor Masaaki Daimon poses with Dave Filoni and his new Star Wars artwork. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After about an hour and a half, I had to leave to go to work. (Gotta make a living!) As I was going to the elevator (in a bit of a rush, as I was already a little late), Dave followed me out and gave me a gift, thanking me for helping to organize these meetings. Suffice it to say, I was touched by the gesture.

That's a wrap! Yours truly with Dave Filoni, a real Godzilla fan!

Many thanks to Dave for being such an energetic and enthusiastic fan of Godzilla. It's always refreshing to know that people who truly understand fans and fandom are in important positions in the entertainment business. Hollywood could certainly use a lot more folks like Dave Filoni!

Arigato gozaimasu, Dave-san!

MEETING MECHAGODZILLA'S MEN! A Two-Day Adventure with Mecha-G Alumni Comes to a Close!

 Yours truly in between screenwriter Hiroyasu Yamaura and designer Akihiko Iguchi.

On June 7, I had a special lunch at a French restaurant in Shin-Yurigaoka with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla  (1974) staff members Hiroyasu Yamaura and Akihiko Iguchi. I was joined by a couple of friends for this lunch, but the details will follow in a future post.

With SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano at Shinjuku Station.

On June 8, we met up with Teruyoshi Nakano for a Japanese lunch in Shinjuku. After that, we met actor Masaaki Daimon for drinks and a chat. It was our first time meeting Daimon-san, and he couldn't have been friendlier.

It was truly exciting to meet the star of one of my favorite Godzilla films, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)!

So why did we meet so many Mechagodzilla alumni, and who was with us? For the answers, stay tuned to this blog!