Catching Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe on the Big Screen!

Poster art for Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe (1995) at Shibuya Humax Cinema. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I went to Shibuya Humax Cinema to catch an evening screening of Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe (1995). I haven't been back to a movie theater since they closed back in April, and it's always fun to take in a kaiju movie, so I decided to check it out.

The only downside is that it wasn't a 35mm print. Instead, a 2K digital print (from a 4K remaster) was shown, and it looked great on the big screen.  

The skyline around Shibuya Station has changed quite a bit in recent months. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I can't remember the last time I saw the film in its entirety, but it might have been the late 1990s. While the Heisei Gamera trilogy has long been a fan favorite, with many fans declaring the it some of the best (if not the best) Japanese monster movies of all time, I never felt the same. That said, despite not having seen it for years, I'd always considered G:GOTU my favorite of the three, so I was curious to see if my opinion of the film would change.

A familiar location from the Godzilla and Gamera series. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Overall, I would say that it didn't. I still consider it my favorite of the three. It was well made by director Shusuke Kaneko, and while the SFX are quite ambitious for their time, a lot of them just don't hold up very well at all. While I'm offering some criticism, I should add that none of the principal characters was all that interesting or compelling. I also started to get a little bored in the second half of the film when the monsters weren't onscreen.

Those points aside, I still enjoyed the movie. (I just don't rate it as highly as most others.) Anyway, I'm glad to have had the chance to see it on the big screen, which is really the only way to see these flicks. 

Shibuya Humax Cinema is also screening Shin Godzilla (2016), but that was an easy pass for me. Haven't seen it since it opened and don't plan to change that any time soon.

HALLOWEEN IN SHIBUYA! Scenes from the Spookiest Night of the Year!

Halloween in Shibuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Last night saw another crowded evening in Shibuya, with thousands of costumers gathering for Halloween. I managed to take a few photos of the evening, despite the lack of mobility. Enjoy!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM SHIBUYA! The Return of a Familiar Character!

A sign hanging in Shibuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight, I spent a couple of hours in Shibuya to celebrate Halloween. This year, I decided to dust off the old President Ted Thomas costume from last year and wear it again, and I'm glad I did. The President (based on a character from some grade-Z independent film) was a lot of fun to play again this year.

Shibuya 109 surrounded by throngs of Halloween merrymakers. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

The main roads around Shibuya Station were closed to traffic, allowing the costumers free rein to roam around. Even though there was plenty of people mingling about, it felt a lot less crowded than last year.

"Mah fellow Americans," sez Prez Ted Thomas.

So why did I drag out this obscure character to play again? The main reason is that a fellow Godzilla fan wrote to me earlier in the year (he's apparently a little slow on the uptake) and complimented me on my selection, saying, "Nice Halloween costume." After such a warm and sincere pat on the back, I felt obliged to give it another go! 

There was a wide variety of costumes on display. Many were familiar characters like Heath Ledger's Joker, Spider-Man (seen above -- twice!), Dracula, Mario and Luigi, etc., and others were random zombies and assorted whatsits.

Even Godzilla was (sort of) there! Photo by Brett Homenick.

It was quite amusing to people-watch and just take everything in. But, as fun as it was, by the end I was totally beat. I was falling asleep on the train on the way home. I left all my energy in Shibuya. I'm surprised I'm able to write this blog post!

With one of the young ladies who stopped me for a photo. 

Interestingly, I seemed to attract even more attention this year. A lot of people thought I was supposed to be Mr. Bean (just like last year), but of course, Mr. Bean's hair is nothing like my wig. Still, more people asked me for photo ops than last year. I even got a few "kawaiis" and a couple of "ikemens."

Who needs to go to an alien con when the real deal is right in front of you? Photo by Brett Homenick.

This year's Halloween was probably a bit more enjoyable than last year, if only for the increased amount of space in which we were allowed to move.  

Still, by the end, I was completely spent. I'm sure not getting enough sleep the night before also played a role, but I was happy to go back home.

Thanks for the memories, Shibuya! Let's do it again next year!

VARIOUS SCENES FROM TOKYO! Out and About in Japan's Greatest City!

Akira Ifukube's former residence, the place in which the maestro wrote numerous film scores. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today proved to be a busy day, as I visited many places around the city. The first stop was the home of famed Godzilla series composer Akira Ifukube. After snapping a few photos, I moved on to my next destination.

My next stop was Akabane Station, and there I saw a few interesting things. Halloween's barely over, yet Colonel Sanders is already decked out in his best Santa gear! Couldn't he at least wait until after Thanksgiving?

At Akabane Station, several plastic masks were on sale of several familiar tokusatsu and anime characters. No, I didn't buy any, but given the low price, I have to admit it was a little tempting!

Next on the agenda was Tokyo Dome City. I enjoyed walking around and taking in the sights. The autumn air was just a little chilly, but given that autumn is my favorite season in Japan, I enjoyed it. It sure beats the searing heat of the summer!

I visited Tokyo Dome City to photograph filming locations for the Godzilla series. But more on that in the next blog post!

After that, it was off to Shibuya for some fine dining and some shopping. My feet were killing me at the end, so I was glad to come home when I did.

Shibuya was much quiter compared to last night. I'd imagine most of the revelers are still asleep. I was pleased to see that most of the garbage from the previous night had already been cleaned up. Great job!