Meeting a Daiei New Face!

Taeko Yoshino. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Sunday, October 25), I attended another dramatic reading featuring the great Masanori Machida. I expected a pretty typical evening, but I was in for a surprise.

On hand was actress Taeko Yoshino, a Daiei New Face who made her debut for the studio in 1960. Yoshino-san appears in Ah Special Attack Corps (1960) as Yoshie (Lieutenant Hayashi's wife), Mudcat of Ginza (1960) as Masayo, Under the Tokyo Sky (1960) as Hiroko Mishima, Beware of This Young Man (1961) as Toshiko, The Five-Man Assault Team (1961) as Mitsuko Hashimoto, A Man Who Grows Stronger (1961) as Takaoka the factory worker, and A Certain Relationship (1962) as Natsuko.

With Taeko Yoshino.

In addition, she can be seen in Shigeo Tanaka's Moon of the Scorching Sands (a.k.a. Princess and I, 1962) as a maid, The Friendship Dance: It's the Best in Japan (1962) as a cafe girl, A World of Men and Women (1962) as Yoko Tanida, Three Minutes of Shiatsu for Love (screenplay by Niisan Takahashi, 1968) as Model A, and Delinquent Boss: A Game of Chance (1970) as Yukie. She often appeared in films starring Kojiro Hongo and Eiji Funakoshi. After her film career wrapped up, she could be seen in various TV shows, daytime soap operas, and commercials (including for Panasonic).

It's extremely rare to meet Showa-era actors and actresses these days, especially ones I haven't met already, so I was quite thrilled to have the opportunity. I spoke with her for a few minutes after the show and got her autograph on a couple of items.

For the longest time, I actually had a DVD of Ah Special Attack Corps that I bought years (and years ago) but never got around to watching it. It's probably in storage somewhere in the U.S., but I certainly do wish I had it now! I hope to meet Yoshino-san again the future.

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

At Super Festival, I purchased some Gappa-related bromide cards for Machida-san to sign. This, of course, was my opportunity to get them signed. I thought that's all that would happen at this event, but man was I wrong about that! What a cool evening of unexpected surprises!

And that's all she wrote!

A Dramatic Performance in a Cool Costume!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

He looks familiar, doesn't he? Yes, it's Sunday, August 30, which means it was time to see Masanori Machida perform another dramatic reading, this time in a fun costume!

I'm always happy to come out to support Machida-san's shows, and it's even better to spend a few moments with him afterward.

It sure has helped me regain that old feeling before I left Tokyo two years ago. Many thanks to Machida-san!

Seems Like Old Times!

Masanori Machida poses with an American DVD that features one of his most famous movies (I promise!). Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Sunday, July 26, I attended an event with Masanori Machida, a former child actor who appears in a couple of my favorite movies. It's hard to believe that it'd been well over two years since I last saw him, but it was well worth the wait.

Machida-san and other actors performed dramatic readings (or monologues) that were Obon-themed, so they usually centered around ghosts or other such supernatural entities. Machida-san's monologue was a bit comedic and surprisingly short, but naturally his was the best.

A brought an old DVD that featured Monster from a Prehistoric Planet (1967) on the same disc as Gamera vs. Gaos (1967), which is a reminder of how good the year 1967 was for tokusatsu. Machida-san was a little confused when he saw Gamera on the cover, but, when I explained that Gappa was also included, it all made sense. 

Visiting Machida-san again was wonderful, and I guess sometimes you can go home again if you're lucky enough.

A Dramatic Reading Gets Much More Dramatic Afterward!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Last night (Saturday, January 27), I made my way to another dramatic reading performed by Masanori Machida. This time, Machida-san's story was less a recital of a script and more like a miniature play, featuring several other actors who weren't reading from a script. The story centered around an old woman who wanted to look young and beautiful, so she sought out plastic surgery. It was quite interesting and was a nice change of pace.

Suffice it to say, I came to the venue prepared. After the performance, I brought quite a few DVDs and Blu-rays that feature Machida-san. Most were public-domain releases of Monster from a Prehistoric Planet (1967), which is one of my favorite kaiju movies. On one release, it's paired with Yongary, Monster from the Deep (1967), as well as the Roger Corman edit of the Soviet film Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965), another favorite.

I thought it would be cool to have Machida-san pose with these various releases before signing them. The photos turned out great, as did the autographs. With that said, here are some of the shots I was able to get. Enjoy!

Another Fun Evening of Dramatic Readings!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, October 22), I attended another dramatic reading with the great Masanori Machida. As always, it was great to see him again.

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Next month, there's an event centered on a movie in which he appears, so I asked him if he would join that event. He told me he wouldn't have a chance due to his stage acting. It's too bad, but at least I got my answer.

One of the performers didn't use a script when she spoke. But there was an assistant behind the curtain who would feed her her lines when she forgot them. You could hear the assistant whispering the lines more than a few times throughout her performance. It was pretty awkward to see, but also slightly amusing. 

Not much else to say, so that's a wrap. It's still only October, but it's gotten quite cold in Tokyo, so it looks like winter's starting early this year.

Attending a Live Performance That Was All the Way Live!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, May 28), I attended another live performance by Masanori Machida. These events are always a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon or evening. Machida-san is always a cool cat.

I actually wasn't sure whether I would attend just because I found myself a bit busy earlier in the day, but, when I finished with enough time to attend, I decided to do it. I couldn't attend last month's performance because it was held on a Thursday, and it interfered with my work schedule. 

Tonight more than made up for that, however. As always, it was great to spend some time with Machida-san. Can't wait to do it again!

Clark Kent Comes to Tokyo? No, It's Machida-san!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, March 26), I attended another dramatic reading featuring the great Masanori Machida. Actually, I arrived late to the show, but I was quite surprised to find that the show was literally wrapping up as I entered! I was particularly surprised because last month's performance went on much longer than I expected. Perhaps the heavy rains kept a performer or two away -- in any case, it was interesting that the show ended so soon.

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had a few screen grabs on my phone from The Green Slime (1968), in which Machida-san played one of the aliens. I wanted to confirm that he played the very first alien that we see in the film in its full form -- the one writhing on the floor next to the "Danger High Voltage" sign that Robert Horton wants to shoot with a laser gun before he's talked out of it. (A net is fired on in instead.) Machida-san looked at the grabs and confirmed that was him.

I told Machida-san that he looked cool in his costume and that he looked like a detective. He told me that, in today's story, he played a character who wants to become Superman, so he dressed like Clark Kent. I thought that sounded great, and it made me regret that I missed his performance. 

Despite the miserable weather, it was a fun evening. Many thanks to Machida-san!

A Windy Evening in the Company of a Great Performer!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, February 26), I attended yet another dramatic reading featuring actor Masanori Machida. Actually, by the time I arrived, Machida-san had already given his performance, so I missed it, unfortunately. Interestingly, there were probably more people in attendance than I'd ever seen before, and there seemed to be mostly brand-new staff members there, too, as there were plenty of new faces and very few people I recognized.

I brought a flyer for the Laputa Asagaya's Science Fiction Film Festival for Machida-san to sign. Since The Green Slime (1968) was one of the featured films in the program, it was certainly a relevant item for him to sign. I was surprised to find out that Machida-san didn't know about the screenings. I figured he must have known about it, so I regret not giving him a heads-up about it.

After signing the flyer, Machida-san stepped away to greet other audience members and then came back to me and asked me if I wanted to take photos. Of course I did! As usual, it was quite fun. A big thanks to Machida-san for another fun evening!

A Dramatic Reading for a Cold Evening in Tokyo!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight, Sunday, January 29, I met Masanori Machida again for the first time this year. I arrived to his performance later than usual, due to my having to squeeze it in between two film screenings. (The agony of having so many things to do at the same time!)

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I arrived after Machida-san gave his dramatic reading, and only got to see the last half or so of the performance of another actor. After he finished, the entire cast came out to thank the audience and to promote whatever they had to promote. One performer came out dressed as a telephone (!), so I probably missed something quite amusing in that performance.

When Machida-san wasn't busy chatting with other attendees, I asked him to sign a Gappa bromide card, which he graciously did. Gappa is a favorite kaiju flick of mine, and it still amazes me that Nikkatsu's sole kaiju outing turned out as entertaining as it did.

We posed for the obligatory photos afterward, and it was Machida-san's idea to do the pose in the above photo. Hey, it's the perfect time to get into the kaiju spirit!

Ending 2022 with Excellent Company!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, December 11), I attended another dramatic reading with Masanori Machida, which was the last one of the year. Unfortunately, I missed Machida-san's performance, but that didn't hamper the evening at all. In fact, it was still a lot of fun!

Masanori Machida signs bromide cards. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier in the day, I went to Nakano Broadway and bought some Gappa the Triphibian Monster (1967) bromide cards (among other kaiju-related bromides) for Machida-san to sign. He commented that it would be a bit of a waste for him to sign the cards, but, on the contrary, I think it makes them even more special. Besides, one of the cards had some kid's doodle on the back, so it's not like these things are in pristine condition.

After signing the cards, I gave Machida-san a Christmas card. It's a 3D card of a Christmas tree that you can fold out and use as a display, and, once he realized that, he seemed rather amazed by it. It was certainly not your average Christmas card!

Another performer named Kyoko joined our conversation. She had never seen Gappa but was fascinated to see Machida-san in the cards I brought as a child actor. She confessed that she really hasn't seen any of Machida-san's movies. Interestingly, though, she did see several Heisei-era Godzilla films in real time.

And that's all for this fun evening. I always enjoy seeing Machida-san, and I think you can see why. What a cool cat!

A Dramatically Good Dramatic Reading!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, October 30, I took in yet another dramatic reading by actor Masanori Machida, one of my favorite people to visit in Japan. Machida-san always gives it his all, and this time was no exception.

After the performance, I spent some time chatting with Machida-san, who again told me a bit about an upcoming tokusatsu project he appears in that will come out fairly soon. I look forward to seeing it! He also mentioned a Q&A event that he will be participating in during the month of November.

 

I also asked Machida-san to sign a couple of items, which he did with no hesitation -- a really cool guy! As you can see from these photos, he enjoys mugging for the camera. He's always a blast to see, and I look forward to the next time I can!

Nikkatsu Studios in Chofu!

The entrance of Nikkatsu Studios. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I hadn't been to Nikkatsu Studios in many years when I visited the studio again on September 30. The studio certainly isn't glamourous, as you will see in the photos. But it's always fun to see where some great movies were made, including Gappa the Triphibian Monster (a.k.a. Monster from a Prehistoric Planet, 1967). Enjoy!