FLASHBACK! An Afternoon with Screaming Mad George!

Screaming Mad George hard at work in his creature shop in Osaka. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

This should probably fall into the "better late than never" category. When I visited Osaka last spring, I went to Osaka University of Arts and got to spend some time in the workshop of special effects and makeup guru Screaming Mad George (née Joji Tani).

The Osaka native made a big impact on American genre films in the 1980s and '90s -- Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Predator (1987), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), and The Abyss (1989), just to name a few.

He also co-directed The Guyver (1991) with Steve Wang. He's no stranger to Japanese tokusatsu films, either, as he directed the SFX for Tokyo: The Last War (1989). It was great to spend some time in his company and pick his brain about his history in Hollywood and Japanese special effects. The visit happened on May 30 of last year. Enjoy!

Godzilla in the Subway!

Signage for Godzilla: King of the Monsters in the subway in Osaka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I was in Osaka at the end of May, I saw this great ad for Godzilla: King of the Monsters in the subway. But given how much there was to do after I returned, I completely forgot to post it on the blog. I'm a little late, but here it is.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters Conquers Osaka!

Just part of a huge Godzilla: King of the Monsters ad campaign in Osaka's Umeda Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Part of the fun for me in seeing Godzilla: King of the Monsters in Osaka was being surrounded by all the ballyhoo (but no pyro) for the film. There was a mini poster gallery in Umeda Station that featured all the Godzilla movies (minus the anime ones), a statue just outside the Toho Cinemas just across the street from the station that played Bear McCreary's interpretation of Ifukube's Godzilla theme from a speaker, a Wendy's promotional tie-in, and of course signage inside Toho Cinemas itself. All of these can be seen below. Enjoy!

The Tower of the Sun

In front of Taro Okamoto's massive Tower of the Sun.

During my recent trip to Osaka, I made sure to pay a visit to the 70-meter-tall Tower of the Sun sculpture in Expo '70 Commemorative Park, just outside the city. Aside from just being visually interesting, it was featured during the opening credits of The Last Days of Planet Earth (a.k.a. Prophecies of Nostradamus, 1974), which gave me an added incentive to visit it. The Tower of the Sun is an impressive piece of art, and I'd fully recommend it to anyone who might be interested in checking it out.

TAKURO TATSUMI: From Destoroyah to Governor?

With actor Takuro Tatsumi in June 2018.

I came across a very interesting bit of news today. Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) attempted recruiting Osaka-born actor Takuro Tatsumi to run for Osaka governor next month, but it was just announced a few hours ago that Mr. Tatsumi has decided against running. 

What makes this news particularly noteworthy is that Takuro Tatsumi was the star of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995). Having a Godzilla movie star as Osaka governor would have been quite amusing, to say the least, but, given his decision not to run, it appears it will remain just a fun thought experiment. 

GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE LOCATIONS! Godzilla Invades Osaka!

Twin 21 in Osaka Business Park. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While in Osaka, I visited several locations seen in the Heisei series classic Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989), particularly those situated in and around Osaka Business Park. Godzilla attacks the area when the JSDF tries to infect the King of the Monsters with Anti-Nuclear Energy Bacteria (ANEB). Godzilla ends up destroying Twin 21 (seen above) after Gondo fires a rocket containing ANEB into Godzilla's mouth.

 The entrance to Twin 21. Photo by Brett Homenick.

During Godzilla's raid on Osaka, Gondo and his soldiers converge on Twin 21. The above location can be seen in the film.

The atrium inside Twin 21. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Above is another location used in Biollante. The JSDF enters Twin 21 and gets into position to try to infect Godzilla with ANEB.

The big screen has been updated over the years, but it's still there. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Once the JSDF enters Twin 21, a big screen inside the atrium broadcasts Godzilla's approach. The screen may not be the exact same one from 1989 (for rather obvious reasons), but it's still in the same position.

 Sumitomo Castle Tower (left) and Hotel New Otani (right). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Within a short walking distance of Twin 21 is the Hotel New Otani, an unusually shaped hotel, over which the Super X2 flies during Godzilla's attack on Osaka. Sumitomo Castle Tower looms over the hotel.

 The skyline of Osaka Business Park. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Naturally, during Godzilla's raid, you get some nice shots of Osaka Business Park's skyline. While not a perfect match (how could it be?), this is essentially what you see in the movie.

That's about all for now. It was quite fascinating to see these locations up close and personal.

OSAKA CASTLE REDUX! Paying Another Visit to This Godzilla and Gamera Location!

Osaka Castle. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

A bit less than two years ago, I made my first visit to Osaka Castle. On May 31, while I had some time left over during my recent trip to Kansai, I decided to give Osaka Castle another look. Most Godzilla fans know it from the battle Godzilla and Angilas had in Godzilla Raids Again (1955), but lest we forget, Barugon also froze it in Gamera vs. Barugon (1966). Suffice it to say, the castle has seen its share of kaiju action over the years.

During this visit, I made an effort to find specific angles used in Godzilla Raids Again. I was pleased that I was able to find a few, but there are certainly more to find. Perhaps I'll find the rest in a future trip.

Osaka Castle's Sakuramon Gate. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Sakuramon Gate is featured in Godzilla Raids Again, as the audience sees the fierce battle between Godzilla and Angilas rage behind the gate.

Osaka Castle's Sengan Turret. Photo By Brett Homenick.

Sengan Turret is also seen in Godzilla Raids Again, as we see the two massive kaiju battle in the background, while Sengan Turret sits in the foreground.

This angle of Sengan Turret is likewise seen in the film, and once again we see Godzilla and Angilas duking it out behind the wall.

And there you have it.

SCENES FROM OSAKA! Out and About in Kansai!

A familiar character can be seen in the artwork that adorns this Japanese eatery in Osaka. (Just don't tell Toho!) Photo by Brett Homenick.

While in Osaka, I saw some interesting things and even met some great people. Here's the roundup!

Kane Kosugi (Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero, Godzilla: Final Wars) was seen on this massive billboard for Century 21.

A view of the Osaka skyline as seen from Osaka Station City.

Hm... Isn't that the name of some old tokusatsu Web site?

The absolute highlight of my trip to Kansai was meeting actor Chotaro Togin. He was an absolute joy, very kind and friendly. I certainly hope to have a chance to meet him again!

OSAKA CASTLE STORY! Finally Seeing This Memorable Location in Person!

"Hey, I thought it was going to be a lot bigger!" A miniature replica of Osaka Castle. Photo by Brett Homenick.

One iconic image in the Godzilla series is Godzilla's battling Angilas near Osaka Castle in Godzilla Raids Again (a.k.a. Gigantis the Fire Monster, 1955). I remember seeing the same publicity still from that scene in just about every monster book that came out in the 1980s. Therefore Osaka Castle was location I had my eye on for quite some time, and on August 16, I was finally able to pay it a visit.

The pictures below are self-explanatory; they're of Osaka Castle and the surrounding area. They say a picture's worth a thousand words, and who am I to argue? Let's get to the good stuff.