The Legend Is Reborn ... Again!

R. J. Kizer with a VHS release of his most famous movie. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Tuesday, November 4, I returned to Los Angeles and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon in the company of director R. J. Kizer, best known as the director of the American version of Godzilla 1985 (1984). We met at a diner near Warner Bros., which made me wonder if we'd perhaps catch a celebrity there. (More on that later.)

R. J. Kizer holds a Blu-ray copy of the film he helped bring to American audiences. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I came bearing gifts. I found a VHS copy of Godzilla 1985 at a nearby thrift store a couple of months ago and gave it to R. J., as I had no idea what else to do with it. (Not having a VCR has become a real inconvenience!) I also gave R. J. my extra copy of Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961), which I bought last year during Criterion's summer 50%-off sale.

R. J. Kizer signs the Blu-ray sleeve of The Return of Godzilla (1984). Photo by Brett Homenick.

This year, I purchased the Yojimbo/Sanjuro (1962) double pack, so my other copy of Yojimbo became redundant. Interestingly, I found out that R. J. does own several Kurosawa titles but that Yojimbo wasn't among them. That was certainly welcome news!

R. J. and I spent a lot of time talking about Godzilla 1985, which we basically didn't discuss at all the first time we met. Despite the number of interviews I've done on the movie, it's still fascinating to learn new details about it. I'm surprised there's still so much to know!

While we were talking, I couldn't help but notice that Gary Busey entered the diner and sat down with another gentleman. Perhaps I was eyeballing Busey a bit too much because I noticed he was occasionally looking back at me. While I didn't approach him at all, but it was quite fun to see him in person. 

What a fun afternoon it was. Not only did we talk about movies, but R. J. gave me some advice about some locations around the city. I'm so glad we had this opportunity to catch up again!

DEEP DIVE: What Japanese Godzilla Movie Did Yoshimitsu Banno Work on After 'Smog Monster'?

Yoshimitsu Banno in April 2013. Photo by Brett Homenick.

By now, you've likely heard the old yarn about how producer Tomoyuki Tanaka was furious at director Yoshimitsu Banno after seeing Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971) for the first time and angrily declared that the filmmaker had "ruined Godzilla." Of course, this apocryphal account has been debunked elsewhere on this blog, but it's a claim so blatantly false that it can be debunked even further. 

When Tomoyuki Tanaka was planning to relaunch the Godzilla series in the years following the disappointing box-office returns of Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975), three science-fiction authors were tapped to develop stories for the proposed film: Yoshio Aramaki, Taku Mayumura, and Ryu Mitsuse. Nowadays, these names have been included in other articles about the making of the production that would eventually become The Return of Godzilla (a.k.a. Godzilla 1985, 1984). 

With Yoshimitsu Banno in April 2013.

Usually, these write-ups point to Tomoyuki Tanaka as the one who selected the writers to pen possible Godzilla scenarios, but this seems not to be the case. So, if it wasn't producer Tanaka, then who was it?

According to the man himself, it was Yoshimitsu Banno. In 1978, Banno became head of the planning department of Toho Eizo Co., Ltd., and it was in this capacity that Banno selected the aforementioned SF authors to submit their stories. According to Banno, Tanaka rejected their treatments for budgetary reasons. 

Hiring three science-fiction writers to develop a major, SFX-laden motion picture for Toho had worked well in the past. This formula ultimately led to the creation of Mothra (1961) after science-fiction authors Shinichiro Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, and Yoshie Hotta were hired by Tanaka to flesh out the story for that production. Unfortunately, in the case of The Return of Godzilla, the formula didn't produce the same results.

The information contained in this blog post comes from a conversation the author had with Mr. Banno on April 2, 2013, supported by contemporaneous notes. 

Memories of a Gaijin Talent in Japan!

 

Earlier this afternoon (Sunday, November 12), I had a great time meeting the lieutenant commander of the Soviet nuclear submarine from Godzilla 1985 (1984). It probably won't shock you to find out that the actor wasn't really Russian, despite what I thought as a kid. In all seriousness, it was great to meet and get to know him.

I learned many stories from his days as an actor in Japan, and it was quite fascinating. I'm always trying to learn new things about the films I grew up watching, and I couldn't be happier to have learned some more new things.

It's safe to say that these stories will be published on a certain interview website before long, so keep your eyes peeled. Once it's published, you'll get to read all the details, too!

The Return of 'Return of Godzilla' to the Big Screen!

Tonight's feature! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Just a couple of weeks after seeing Godzilla 1985 (a.k.a. Return of Godzilla, 1984) on the big screen at the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro, I went ahead and saw it again tonight! Not long after taking in the Godzilla all-nighter at the end of July, I saw that they were screening the '84 film again, and there was just no way I could pass it up.

A view of the Shin Bungeiza lobby. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Godzilla 1985 is one of my all-time favorites, and -- if I'm going to be completely honest -- I like it a lot more than the 1954 film. Yes, I know, I'm a heretic, but what can I say? I call them as I see them.

Guarding the soda machine. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The film print wasn't in the best shape, but it was great to see it again on the big screen. Screenings of the '84 Godzilla have been rare since I've been in Japan, so I'm likely to attend any screening I possibly can. I'd imagine this will be the last one for a while. Glad I was able to catch it again!

A GODZILLA ALL-NIGHTER! Spending an Evening Watching Four Great Godzilla Classics on the Big Screen!

The incredible film lineup at the Shin Bungeiza theater. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday night, July 30, I returned to Ikebukuro's Shin Bungeiza movie theater for a Godzilla all-nighter that would start at 10:30 p.m. and wrap at 5:30 a.m. (Eek!) These all-nighters really aren't my thing (I value sleep way too much), but, when I saw the lineup -- Godzilla 1985 (1984). King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) -- all four were films that I really wanted to see on the big screen. So it was an offer I couldn't refuse.

Photo by Brett Homenick.

Three of the four flicks were presented in 35mm. King Kong vs. Godzilla was the recent 4K remaster that has earned rave reviews from those who have seen it. As nice as it is to see the KKvsG remaster on a TV set, nothing beats seeing it on a massive theater screen. This was my second time seeing it presented this way.

Photo by Brett Homenick.

The Godzilla 1985 and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla prints had their share of imperfections but otherwise looked excellent. The Megalon print was essentially flawless. And the King Kong vs. Godzilla remaster was as clear as a bell.

Even though I've seen all these films more times than I possibly could remember, I still noticed a few interesting details this time around. In Godzilla 1985, the Toho logo can be seen on the Yurakucho Mullion building as Godzilla crashes into it. (I guess that makes Godzilla's attack on the building a bit meta.) The Toho logo can be seen on the real-life building for those not in the know. Also, when Godzilla is approaching the bullet train tracks in the same scene, there's a sign for "Delish Curry." I found that kind of amusing. 

Photo by Brett Homenick.

In Godzilla vs. Megalon, there's what seems to be a waste basket with Mickey Mouse and Goofy on it. Most notably, however, the aliens in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla wear belts with ape faces as belt buckles. (I really can't believe I'd never noticed that before, but that's just one of the benefits of seeing these movies the way they were meant to be seen.)

Naturally, I stayed awake throughout the whole program, but I was completely exhausted by the end. All four of these Godzilla movies are personal favorites of mine, though, so there was no missing this all-nighter. Next time, I just hope they do it during the day!