Monsterpalooza 2024

With Megumi Odaka.

On Sunday, June 2, I attended the last day of the L.A.-area convention Monsterpalooza. The main draw for me was to visit Heisei Godzilla series star Megumi Odaka (who played Miki Saegusa in six consecutive films), but I was curious to see what other surprises I might be able to find.

My friend Jacob flew in from Kansas for the event, too, so we roomed together not far from the convention center. We walked around a bit and even did a bit of shopping (we found a dealer who was selling back issues of Filmfax magazine for $2, as well as DVDs for $5 and Blu-rays for $10) before heading over to Megumi Odaka's table.

While Jacob and I were hanging out near her table, Odaka-san's husband Akihiro-san came out from behind the table to greet me and brought me over to see Odaka-san. After that, Odaka-san spoke about the things she'd been doing in L.A. (such as seeing a Dodgers game) and talking about her interactions with the fans. She said she could pick up on some of the English words they would use and then would do her best to respond in English.  

Michael Myers politely waits in line to use the ATM. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I picked out a photo from Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) for her to sign, about which she pointed out that she was 17 years old at the time. We then posed for the above pics.

Discussing Blu-rizzles with WetMovie1.

While Jacob and I were waiting in line at the ATM (where we spied Michael Myers just ahead of us), I noticed YouTuber WetMovie1 hanging out just outside the convention center.

I actually started watching his videos when I was living in Japan circa 2013, and, while I haven't been following his channel in the last couple of years, I certainly had fun watching him "hoard up" (his words, not mine) on DVDs and Blu-rizzles (his word, not mine, though I have since used it more than once).

We had a quick chat during which I told him about watching his videos in Japan. After returning home, I've watched a few of his more recent videos, and they're a lot of fun, too!

Jacob, Scott, and yours truly.

By happenstance, I ran into a fellow Godzilla fan named Scott, whom I used to see on the convention circuit prior to moving to Japan. Scott, Jacob, and I spent quite a bit of time catching up on things and swapping stories. As it's been said before, hanging out is what it's all about.

Yours truly with a lovely orchid.

While we were chatting, I noticed Akihiro-san passing by, so I greeted him as he was making his way to the next room. Naturally, Odaka-san followed closely behind him, and she greeted me, too.

She was carrying a potted orchid, said it was a present, and gave it to me. Suffice it to say, I was quite flattered, and I ended up carrying the orchid with me for the rest of the convention. (I still have it, by the way.)

"Isn't it rich? Are we a pair?"

Later on, Jacob and I returned to Odaka-san's table for another round of autographs. This time, I purchased a card set and had her sign the photo of her on the Princess from the Moon (1987) set in costume as Akeno. It's a cool keepsake.

With Donal Logue (center).

The only other guest we met was totally unexpected. Jacob wanted to meet Donal Logue due to his work on the Gotham (2014-19) TV series. I must confess that I didn't recognize his name, so Jacob pulled up his filmography on his phone. 

When I realized that he played Ken Narlow in Zodiac (2007), I immediately wanted to meet him, too. (Zodiac is one of my favorite movies, and Ken Narlow is one of the many memorable characters in the film.)

We were extremely lucky that Donal Logue turned out to be a cool, down-to-earth guy who was happy to talk shop with us. He shared a great story about the filming of the scene in Riverside in which Mark Ruffalo confronts Robert Downey Jr. and the insane number of takes director David Fincher insisted on doing.

It wasn't until after we left his table that I remembered his character's advice to Jake Gyllenhaal ("Get creative") was something I adopted as a mantra when I lived in Japan and needed to problem-solve in order to achieve my goals. How cool is that? 

I had way more fun at Monsterpalooza than I expected. It was great to see some old friends and meet some great new people. Let's do it again!

Great New Content on Vantage Point Interviews!

Megumi Odaka in July 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My interview with Godzilla series actress Megumi Odaka, who played the psychic Miki Saegusa in six Heisei-era films, has just been published on Vantage Point Interviews. The Q&A covers her early life up through Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989), and many of her responses are quite candid. It's a rare interview from one of tokusatsu's biggest icons. Vantage Point Interviews continues to prove that content is king!

Seeing Godzilla vs. Biollante!

Kazuki Omori and Megumi Odaka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a screening of the Heisei Godzilla series classic Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) in 35mm, which is usually considered one of the best entries in the entire series. I was privileged to attend another screening of the film a while back, but I'm glad I got to see this one, too. Naturally, I enjoyed the film immensely, and I agree that it is certainly one of the very best after the Showa era.

But that wasn't all! Also in attendance for the event were writer-director Kazuki Omori and Miki Saegusa actress Megumi Odaka. Their presence at the event certainly added a great deal to what made it special.

Kazuki Omori. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Omori-san talked about watching tokusatsu as a youngster, including every episode of Ultra Q (1966) at the time it aired. A bit later, I enjoyed asking him about working with the Western cast members in both Biollante and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah.

All in all, it was a great day seeing a great movie in the company of some great folks. October has already proven to be the busiest month in a long time, but it's not over yet! More to come.

Revisiting the Heisei Godzilla Series!

With Megumi Odaka. 

On Saturday, March 9, I attended a special dinner event with two key players from the Heisei Godzilla series. The first of whom was actress Megumi Odaka, who portrayed Miki Saegusa from 1989 until 1995. It certainly wasn't my first time meeting Odaka-san, and even though she had to leave shortly after I arrived, it was great to see her again.

With Shogo Tomiyama.

The other special guest was none other than producer Shogo Tomiyama. Likewise, it was great to see him again, even though things were a bit brief (due to my work schedule).

Tokusatsu DNA!

The Tokusatsu DNA exhibit opened in Kamata, Tokyo, today, and I paid a visit. Honestly, I've never had more fun at any other exhibit. The sheer number of original, screen-used props on display was incredible, many of which I'd never seen before at similar exhibits. There was a Q&A event featuring Kazuki Omori, Megumi Odaka, and Kenpachiro Satsuma, which I attended. Suitmaker Fuyuki Shinada was also on hand for the festivities (having participated in a separate interview session earlier in the day). Pictures are truly worth a thousand words, so here are just a few.

MAJOR SPIELBERG MEMORIES: Daniel Kahl Remembers Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

 "You can tell your son about it when he's born..." sez Kent Gilbert (left) to Daniel Kahl in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991).

Originally published in G-FAN #76

The name Daniel Kahl may not register with many G-fans, but his memorable role in 1991’s Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah certainly does. In the film, Mr. Kahl played Major Spielberg, a naval officer during World War II, whose sighting of the Futurians’ time machine would inspire his son to change the cinematic world forever. Fifteen years after filming it, Mr. Kahl discussed his role with G-FAN’s Brett Homenick.

Brett Homenick: Please tell me about your background before you moved to Japan.
Daniel Kahl: Born in Southern California in 1960. Been intrigued by Japan since I was a kid. Had several Japanese-American friends. Started learning karate after watching Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. This experience especially got me hooked on Japan.

BH: What made you decide to come to Japan?
DK: I wanted to find out what made Japan tick. I knew that Japan was becoming an economic powerhouse, so I thought I'd come and see how. Maybe it would lead to an interesting career. I first came as an exchange student to a high school in Nara Prefecture. I wanted to continue learning karate there, but most Japanese high schools don't have karate teams. So I did judo instead which, as all its practitioners are aware, is also a great sport.

BH: How'd you get your start in acting there?
DK: Long story. After Nara, I lived in several different places around Japan -- all way out in the country. I learned Japanese the hard way. No teachers, just picked it up from the locals. So my Japanese is -- how shall I describe it -- nuanced. I guess you could say my Japanese is considered very rural, with a definite twang. Very few foreigners living here have spent as much time out in the countryside as I did. And even fewer have picked up the dialects.
Anyway, I started working as a TV reporter for several of the Japanese networks. Mainly human interest stories -- food, travel, etc. Somehow, my funny Japanese clicked with the viewers, and I've been working on TV now for 18 years. It's hard to explain why I have been so lucky and have such a fun job. But if you imagine a Japanese guy who learned all his English in Alabama, you might be able to approach my "image.” The incongruence of the face and the accent just makes people smile. Acting, as in the Godzilla flick, however, is very much a sideline to my main work. Things are a bit different in the TV industry here.
        There are lots of full-time and fully dedicated "movie actors" in Japan, but on TV, dramas usually throw in a few famous personalities (pundits, celebrities, talents, or whatever you would call the "famous for being famous" crowd). I've been in half a dozen TV drama series where I usually play a character very similar to my actual self -- a sort of clueless but funny foreigner who speaks hopelessly messed up (yet still perfectly correct) Japanese. Godzilla (vs. King Ghidorah) was a totally different experience for me. Number one, all my lines were in English. I seldom use any English at all in my regular work. Number two, it was a movie, made for theaters. Real celluloid versus the video technology I always work with. Hence, very bright lights, heavy make-up, CG (where you can't actually see the UFO flying overhead), and lots and lots of waiting around for the sun to be at the right angle.

Major Spielberg (Daniel Kahl) ponders what to tell his son, Steven, about his sighting a UFO.

BH: How'd you land your part in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah?
DK: The Godzilla series also often uses famous personalities from Japanese TV. One day, my agent got a call. Kent (Gilbert) and I were in the same agency at that time. I strongly suspect that they wanted Kent real bad, and I got thrown in to sweeten the pot, like the whistle in the Cracker Jack box.

BH: What was your reaction to the infamous "Major Spielberg" line when you first read it?
DK: What an honor! It blew me away.

BH: What was it like on your day of shooting? What happened that day?
DK: It's pretty much a blur now. We traveled by train down to Yokosuka Naval Base, south of Tokyo. Got there about eight in the morning, I think it was. After being admitted to the base, one of the staff directed us to board a destroyer of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Forces. In the hold, we changed into uniforms and got made up. Mind you, this is on a destroyer, so there is not a lot of room, and you have to watch your head everywhere you go. Hatch door frames are pretty low. Not much of a problem for me, but Kent is pretty tall. Anyway, we were ready to roll by eight-thirty. Didn't start shooting till maybe four that afternoon. Spent a lot of the day exploring the destroyer. That was cool. Ate in the mess, talked to the sailors. I'd never been on one before, so I made the most of it. Kent did, too.

BH: How was Kazuki Omori as a director?
DK: Hm. That's a toughie. I only "worked” with him for less than an hour, and he had a lot on his mind right then. Of course, the guy is a pro and thinks of everything. Like most Japanese directors, he's pretty obsessed with perfection. But when you're working with guys like Kent and me, you have to make exceptions. He did, and everything was over quickly.

BH: The movie made waves in the West for allegedly being anti-American. What do you think about that?
DK: As I'm sure all your readers know, every Godzilla movie is anti-American. That 's what makes them so much fun. But Japanese artistic anti-Americanism is like French artistic anti-American. They do it because it's chic, not because they hate Americans. Japanese people like America and Americans just fine. They may not be too happy about the Iraq situation and would definitely have done it differently, but hey, they've got troops there. That's loyalty. That's friendship. But thumbing your nose at America is almost a prerequisite to get any movie produced nowadays, especially in America. Because filmmakers at least have to appear as though they have some political integrity, they take their jabs at America, and the masses pronounce it cool. It's pretty sly when you think about it. Movie-makers don't have to make tough, real decisions in life. But it is oh so easy to appear like you are serious about an issue. Nuff said.

BH: What did you think of the film?
DK: I wish I had had a more involved part. But just being Mr. Spielberg's dad for a day was a story I will tell my grandkids.