Seeing 'The Street Fighter' at the Theater!

A poster for The Street Fighter (1974) at Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

"The Cherokee fists of Sonny Chiba!" -- a quote certainly not used during this TV spot for Roaring Fire (1981)

On Thursday, March 5, I returned to the Shin Bungeiza theater to catch a screening of The Street Fighter (1974), the notorious Sonny Chiba actioner with some outlandish fight scenes. The presentation was clearly not a 35mm print, but whether it was 4K specifically is unknown to me. Unquestionably, however, it was a DCP, and it looked quite good. 

I first saw The Street Fighter in the fall of 2001 when I found it on the Diamond Entertainment double pack with Return of the Street Fighter (1974). I liked the movie and often revisited parts of it at the time, but I don't believe I ever sat down and watched the whole thing again in its entirety until about two years ago when I finally watched it again on DVD. There's a reason for that.

While the movie has genuine moments of bonkers brilliance, it can really drag the rest of the time. This screening only reconfirmed my view. Essentially, whenever Sonny Chiba is offscreen, the movie can become a bit of a chore. By no means is it horrible, but I guess you'd expect a bit more from a movie with this reputation.

The audience I saw the movie with was mostly silent, but there was a smattering of guffaws in the audience when Chiba gets his revenge on Chico Lourant. (If you know, you know.)

About two years ago, I read a post by some goofball on Twitter, who was asserting (without evidence, of course) that The Street Fighter was somehow an inspiration for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974). In particular, the guy stated that Godzilla does "Chiba's chi redistribution pose" (his words, not mine) somewhere in the film. The only problem here is, the two movies were released about a month apart in Japan, making any similarities between the two about as purely coincidental as it gets. When I read nonsense like this, I wish genre research were based less on connecting dots and making assumptions and based more on, well, research.  

Overall, it was a fun experience, and, when I saw that they were showing The Street Fighter, I made sure to attend. The movie is good, but it wished it flowed much better than it does. 

Toei Actress Yutaka Nakajima from the Grindhouse Classic 'The Street Fighter' Passes Away at 73

Yutaka Nakajima in November 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Veteran Toei actress Yutaka Nakajima (sometimes credited as Doris Nakajima in the West) passed away at her Kanagawa Prefecture home on November 27 after a years-long struggle with colon cancer. She was 73. 

Born on October 5, 1952, Ms. Nakajima co-stars alongside Sonny Chiba in The Street Fighter (1974) as Sarai Chuayut. She also can be seen in Teruo Ishii's The Executioner (1974) and The Executioner 2 (1974) as Emi, The Killing Machine (1975) as Kiku Sakamoto, and Detonation! Violent Games (1976) as Akemi.

Photo by Brett Homenick.

Ms. Nakajima's other credits include Kazuki Omori's Orange Road Express (1978), Toru Murakawa's The Resurrection of the Golden Wolf (1979), Haruki Kadokawa's The Last Hero (1982), and the J-horror shocker Tomie: Re-birth (2001) as Tomoko Hosoda.

I was able to meet Ms. Nakajima at an event in November 2019, Unfortunately, I don't have any particular memories from the meeting, other than the fact that she was pleasant and polite. I ended up reaching out to her management in early 2024, prior to my leaving Tokyo, to request an interview but never heard back. Considering that she had been diagnosed with colon cancer circa 2022, that's not a surprise.

The Street Fighter remains one of the most popular exploitation movies of the '70s, and Yutaka Nakajima played a substantial role in making that film the enduring success that it is. May she rest in peace.

That Time Sonny Chiba and Chris Jericho Traded Blows!

I don't think a day goes by when I don't watch something pro wrestling-related on YouTube. My interest in '90s wrestling and tokusatsu rarely intersect, but this is one such occasion where they actually (and surprisingly) do. 

While watching this Chris Jericho shoot interview about working with Mickey Rourke just after The Wrestler (2008) was released, Jericho brings up working with fellow squared-circle legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and shares an anecdote about working with Piper on a film as an extra before Jericho hit it big in the wrestling business.

The story has little to do with Piper and is actually about Piper's co-star in that film, none other than Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba.

At the 9:48 mark in the above video, Jericho states:

I did a movie with him [Roddy Piper] in Mexico City in '93 called Immortal Combat -- not "Mortal," "Immortal"! If you pause at the right moment, you'll see me. I was getting the shit kicked out of me by this Japanese karate guy called Sonny Chiba, who was about 65 at the time. And, on the tenth take, he was literally just kicking me right in the face.

I watched and enjoyed Jericho's mid-to-late-'90s WCW run and (if I'm being honest) paid little attention to his WWF/WWE work. But I had no idea that he'd ever worked with Sonny Chiba on film, which is why I wanted to point it out in this blog post. 

I wonder if Sonny Chiba kicked harder than Ralphus.

ET CETERA! Hanging Out with a Cool Gaijin Tarento in Tokyo!

Tony Cetera. Photo by Brett Homenick.

This afternoon (Wednesday, June 14), I spent some time with gaijin actor Tony Cetera near his home in Tokyo. I interviewed Tony almost exactly three years ago about his acting career, and, while most of his movie memories have faded over time, he's still a great guy to hang out with.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't very cooperative, and, shortly after I arrived at the nearby station, a downpour suddenly started. The only good thing about it is that it didn't last all that long, and thankfully Tony and I had our chat in a dry location.

During our talk, a young American acquaintance of Tony's, who lives in the area, stopped by to join us. He had no idea about Tony's acting credits, and I told him about Tony's role toward the end of the Sonny Chiba actioner The Street Fighter (1974), which is a flick any self-respecting enthusiast of Japanese films should check out.

Tony Cetera poses with a publicity still from The Last Days of Planet Earth in a tokusatsu tome. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My favorite role played by Tony, though, would have to be that of Dr. Wilson in The Last Days of Planet Earth (1974). In the above photo, Tony holds a tokusatsu book I brought with a photo from his scene from the film. (Tony can be seen in the lower lefthand corner of the photo.) However, he didn't remember the scene when I showed the picture to him. I even showed him clips of the movie sequence on my smartphone, but -- as you'd expect -- none of it rang any bells. But I did get a kick out of it when Tony quoted his line, "God will understand," after I showed him the scene where his character says the line. 

We hung out for just over an hour, after which I had to get on with my day and say farewell. It was great hanging out with Tony another time, and I hope there's a chance to do it again soon.

Watching 'Terror Beneath the Sea' in 35mm!

Terror Beneath the Sea at the Laputa Asagaya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Tuesday, February 14), I had the privilege of attending a rare screening of Toei's Terror Beneath the Sea (1966) in 35mm at the Laputa Asagaya as part of its ongoing Science Fiction Film Festival. I hadn't seen the film in more than 20 years, and I'm not sure I'd ever seen it more than once before tonight. While several interesting scenes had been etched in my memory, in many ways it was like watching a brand-new flick.

The film print was in excellent shape, especially compared to some of the Toho prints that I've seen. The only questionable moment was when Sonny Chiba and Peggy Neal were poolside toward the beginning of the film. The screen went totally black for about 20 or so seconds while the audio from the scene could be heard. I'm not sure if that was a projection issue or what, but it was the only major problem I noticed. Otherwise, the print was extremely clear, and the images truly popped off the screen. 

Publicity material for Terror Beneath the Sea on display in the theater lobby. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The movie itself is quite entertaining, and, if you're a fan of mid-'60s tokusatsu movies, then there is a lot for you to admire. Hajime Sato's directing is rather impressive, and a lot of his shot compositions are reminiscent of Akio Jissoji's work. Even though the tokusatsu is a bit limited here, it's still a visually fascinating film.

I was also surprised at the sheer lack of Japanese characters in the movie. Aside from Sonny Chiba, none of the main characters is Japanese. It almost comes across as a practice run for The Green Slime (1968), but who knows if any such plans were in the works by then. 

Ticket, please! Photo by Brett Homenick.

All in all, it was a fun night at the movies, and I look forward to the next screenings in the upcoming weeks!

Attending a Memorial Celebration of the Life and Career of Shinichi 'Sonny' Chiba

The floral arrangement at Sonny Chiba's memorial event on August 17. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an invitation to attend a memorial celebration of the life and career of the late action star Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba, who passed away last year. A few months ago, a similar event was announced but postponed to due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It was finally held on Wednesday, August 17, at the RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo.

The first gathering (held at 1:00 p.m.) was only for Chiba-san's friends and family. The second gathering was held at 3:00 p.m. and was reserved for Japan Action Club (a.k.a. Japan Action Enterprise) alumni and related parties. The 5:00 gathering was for general folks, like myself. 

After registering, I was given a flower by a staff member to lay in front of the floral arrangement. As I entered the room, the ending theme to Message from Space (1978) was playing, which I thought was an appropriate selection. After that, a variety of Japanese and Western pop songs played throughout the event. 

There were posters from Chiba-san's movies on display, as well as some photographs from his personal collection. (No photos were allowed there). 

At one point, I saw Chiba-san's daughter, Juri Manase, but it was a fleeting glimpse, and I didn't see her again. It was probably just as well, as I'm sure she had a lot on her mind. 

I'm glad I had an opportunity to celebrate Chiba-san's life and career in such a classy way. He was always a true gentleman when I was privileged to be in his company.

I couldn't think of a more appropriate way to celebrate the life and career of Sonny Chiba. I hope these photos convey even a fraction of how well organized the event was.

Rest in peace, Chiba-san.

Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba Passes Away at 82

Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba in January 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The Japanese media have reported that legendary Toei star Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba has passed away at age 82 after becoming infected with the coronavirus. According to the reports, he was infected at the end of July and was hospitalized on August 8. He ultimately passed away at 5:26 p.m. on August 19.

Sonny Chiba in action in December 2012. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was fortunate enough to meet Chiba-san at various events in Japan, beginning in December 2012. In 2016, I saw him several times at several events he guested and got to know members of his entourage a bit well. Chiba-san was always very kind to me and remembered me whenever I attended. At one event in 2016, I sat next to Chiba-san the whole evening, and he showed me various photos of himself with Hollywood stars like Samuel L. Jackson on his smartphone.

At a special event honoring his career in April 2013, I had the good fortune of interviewing him about his career. I was only able to get a few minutes of his time, but I certainly appreciated the opportunity. The interview can be read here.

While Chiba-san is best known internationally for his roles in '70s actioners like The Street Fighter (1974), he is better known internationally for his tokusatsu roles, such as Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961), Terror Beneath the Sea (1966), and Message from Space (1978).

Rest in peace, Chiba-san. Thanks for the memories.

An Evening with a Street-Fightin' Woman!

Yutaka Nakajima. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, November 23, I was privileged to meet actress Yutaka Nakajima. She has nothing to do with monster movies, and most movie fans associate her with her work at Toei Studios in the 1970s. Despite having no involvement with sci-fi films, Japanese cult movie fans nonetheless should be familiar with her films. 

Born on October 5, 1952, Yutaka Nakajima (a.k.a. Doris Nakajima) co-stars alongside Sonny Chiba in The Street Fighter (1974) as Sarai Chuayut. She also can be seen in Teruo Ishii's The Executioner (1974) and The Executioner 2 (1974) as Emi, The Killing Machine (1975) as Kiku Sakamoto, and Detonation! Violent Games (1976) as Akemi.

I saw The Street Fighter (along with several other classic Sonny Chiba actioners) in my early 20s, so I was quite enthusiastic about meeting Nakajima-san. It was a true joy to spend some time in her company.

Entering the Time Slip!

From left to right: Jun Eto, Kyohei Nakaoka, yours truly, and Toshiyuki Nagashima.

This evening, I attended a fun dinner event with a big surprise. I knew that actor Jun Eto and screenwriter Kyohei Nakaoka would be on hand for the festivities, but what I didn't know until I showed up was that there'd be an additional guest -- and a big one, at that.

Jun Eto, Kyohei Nakaoka, and Toshiyuki Nagashima. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The surprise guest was actor Toshiyuki Nagashima, who has more than his share of genre and tokusatsu credits under his belt.

His film appearances include: Virus (1980) as Akimasa Matsuo, Deathquake (1980) as reporter Masayuki Hashizume, The Imperial Navy (1981) as Eiichi Hongo, Station (1981) as Michio, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) as Isao Iinuma, Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) as Seiichi Yamamoto, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996) as Yusuke Watarase, Cross Fire (2000) as Yoshihiro Hasegawa, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000) as Takuya Miyagawa, and Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (2002) as Lieutenant Miyagawa. Whew!

Had I known he would be there, I would have come prepared. Oh, well. Let's hope for a next time!

Actor Jun Eto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On the other hand, I was prepared for Jun Eto. Eto-san appeared in G.I. Samurai (a.k.a. Time Slip, 1979) as Nobuhiko Ken and Godzilla against Mechagodzilla as a special executive. He also appeared in episode 23 of Ultraman Cosmos (2001-02).

Aside from his genre credits, Eto-san starred in Preparation for the Festival (1975) and co-starred in Tora-san's Tropical Fever (1980).

Screenwriter Kyohei Nakaoka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Last (but not least) was screenwriter Kyohei Nakaoka. Nakaoka-san co-wrote the screenplays for Eizo Sugawa's River of Fireflies (1987) and the Shintaro Katsu-directed feature Zatoichi (1989).

Overall, it was a great evening with three luminaries from the world of Japanese cinema. Not bad for just one night!

VIVA CHIBA! Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba Appears at a Showa Hero Event!

Sonny Chiba. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 Today, I was able to attend a special Showa Hero event headlined by none other than Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba, one of Japan's most famous action stars of all time. Chiba-san is set to turn 80 years old this month, but you'd never know it by looking at him. Chiba-san is still in incredible shape!

While waiting in line, I spoke with a Japanese fan who'd been waiting a long time to get his Kill Bill posters signed by Chiba-san. Another fan got nearly nearly 10 shikishi boards signed by Chiba-san. Suffice it to say, a lot of fans were eager to meet him.

When it was my turn, Chiba-san saw me and said thanked me for my continuous support. I was quite pleased he recognized me, even though I hadn't seen him for about a year. Chiba-san is always cool with his fans, and he certainly made this afternoon one for the scrapbook.

THE STREET FIGHTER RETURNS! Japan's Greatest Action Star Is Back!

Sonny Chiba. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On Saturday, January 20, I was fortunate to attend a special event also attended by the legendary action star Sonny Chiba. While Chiba-san is best known internationally for his roles in '70s actioners like The Street Fighter (1974), I'm more interested in his tokusatsu roles, such as Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961), Terror Beneath the Sea (1966), and Message from Space (1978). 

Naturally, Chiba-san found himself the center of attention, even though the event was not even about him. (It was both a birthday event for one of his business associates, as well as a shinnenkai).

It was a fun event with many luminaries in attendance from the sporting world (so naturally I wasn't familiar with any of them). But it seemed everyone was most interested in meeting Sonny Chiba, and I can't say I blame them.

The Mystery of Peggy Neal

American actress Peggy Neal clowns around with Shinichi Yanagisawa in Shochiku's The X from Outer Space (1967).

One of the most interesting facets of Japanese movies are the Americans (and other Westerners) who often appear in various productions. This is especially true of the films of the 1960s when it wasn't uncommon for these Westerners, who usually had little to no acting experience, to be featured in a leading role of a film.

While a number of these Western actors have been found and interviewed over the years, one who remains a mystery is Peggy Neal. She appeared in three films, all for different studios: Terror Beneath the Sea (1966) for Toei, The X from Outer Space (1967) for Shochiku, and Las Vegas Free-for-All (1967) for Toho.

According to Stars and Stripes, she was 18 years old in September of 1965, and the June 1966 Yomiuri article below states that Ms. Neal "just turned 19," which would contradict unconfirmed reports that she was only 17 when she made Terror Beneath the Sea.

The following was published in the Japanese Fantasy Film Journal #14, which reprinted an article from the Yomiuri dated June 2, 1966:

Peggy, who has been picked for the leading feminine role from among a horde of applicants, is  a junior at Sophia University's International Division. She is majoring in economics, political science and psychology. This is her first experience in motion pictures although she has been modeling since four. Although Peggy lived in Nagoya for two years as a child, she says she has all but forgotten Japanese. She expressed great gratitude to Chiba who is teaching her the finer points of acting. But knowing little English, he has to teach her mostly by gesture.

In September 1965, Stars and Stripes published an article by James C. Stevenson entitled "Have Knowledge Fever? Sophia Has Cure," which quotes Ms. Neal several times toward the beginning:

A need-to-know fever has struck American college students in Japan, and Tokyo's Sophia University is helping provide the cure. 

The reason for the fever? "It's the diplomatic position that we've been put in," explained 18-year-old Peggy Neal, who lives at Kanto Mura Housing Area. 

"We're more than just university students here in Japan," Peggy said. "We are ambassadors of goodwill for our country."

Peggy, a sophomore in the university's International Division, is one of some 459 American students -- mostly military and civilian members of the Armed Forces and their dependents -- enrolled at the university. 

"As university students," Peggy explained, "we get an opportunity to associate and exchange our democratic views with some of Japan's top students and educators. Through us they get a better understanding of our way of life, and we learn more about their way of life." 

Sophia -- in Yotsuya, the Koji-machi District of Tokyo -- was founded in 1913 by the members of the Society of Jesus. In 1949 it established the International Division to assist U.S. forces in Japan in continuing their education.

"Today," Peggy said smilingly, "It's somewhat like a miniature United Nations. In addition to the large number of American students, foreign students from 20 other countries also attend the university."

I hope someday Peggy Neal's story can be told in the form of an interview. I know I'd love to hear about the making of the three films she starred in. This is one mystery that I hope gets solved soon.

SONNY CHIBA: Master of Japanese Mobsters!

Japanese action star Sonny Chiba poses for photos among the gathered fans. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a fun event at the Sun Plaza in Nakano, Tokyo. The guest of honor was Toei action star Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba, who's headlined everything from the bloody actioner The Street Fighter (1974) to the tokusatsu cult classic Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961). Around the world, Chiba-san is best known for his yakuza (Japanese mobster) movies.

Chiba-san impressed the audience with his stories, and he shared his memories of becoming a Toei New Face and working with directors as varied as Kinji Fuksasaku and Quentin Tarantino.

It was a blast seeing Chiba-san again. He's always in great spirits and has a warm personality, a trait not often shared with other international movie stars. A fun time was most certainly had by all who were there.

SONNY CHIBA RETURNS! The Street Fighter Cleans Up Oimachi!

With actor Sonny Chiba. 

Tonight I attended a special event in Oimachi with actor Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba in attendance. I arrived late finishing work, but when I entered the reception area, Chiba-san was there and greeted me when he saw me. We took the above photo after he signed his book for me.

Also in attendance was Olympic wrestler Osamu Watanabe, who is a Guinness World Records holder for his unblemished record as a grappler. I first met Watanabe-san in May, and it was nice to catch up with him.

Pancho Kagami (of Pinky & Killers fame) was also on hand, and it was a lot of fun to see him again (as you can see from the above photo!).

Despite arriving late, I had an incredible time, and I hope we can all do it again soon!

CHIBA THE BODYGUARD! He Shall Lay His Vengeance Upon Thee!

On Saturday evening, I was invited to a dinner with Toei action star Sonny Chiba. I was fortunate to sit next to Chiba-san during the evening, and we spoke together in English. I asked him about some of his memories of making classic tokusatsu films, and he aked me a few questions about where I live and life in Japan. We also talked about American food vs. Japanese food. Suffice it to say, it was quite an evening!

Sonny Chiba tells a story to dinner attendees. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The dinner invitation was rather sudden, but what a memorable evening it was. When I mentioned his movie version of Golgo 13, he pulled up the poster image in his smartphone and showed it to me. (He also showed me his personal photos with Samuel L. Jackson and other Hollywood stars.) He also told me about the various Japanese foods we were served that evening. To say the absolute least, this kinds of evenings are rare, and they are never forgotten. Many thanks to Chiba-san and everyone else who helped make this possible!

SONNY CHIBA ROCKS TOKYO! The Toei Action Star Brings a Few Friends!

Viva Chiba! I was very fortunate to spend another evening in the company of screen legend Sonny Chiba.

Tonight, I enjoyed a star-studded dinner in Tokyo with Toei action star Shinichi Chiba (a.k.a. Sonny Chiba), and joining us were a couple of luminaries from the sports and entertainment world.

Yours truly with Olympic wrestler Osamu Watanabe.

Among the honored guests was Olympic wrestler Osamu Watanabe, who participated in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Watanabe-san is a Guinness World Records holder for never having lost even a single point during any of his wrestling matches, which is a feat no wrestler has ever duplicated to this day. Watanabe-san was very friendly and approachable and spoke quite a bit of English. I enjoyed getting to know this sports hero. 

Musician Pancho Kagami mugs for the camera. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Another notable person in attendance was Pancho Kagami, a member of the '60s pop group Pinky & Killers. The group had a huge hit called "Season of Love" ("Koi no Kisetsu"), which remains a famous tune in Japan to this day. A movie named after the hit song was produced by Nikkatsu Studios in 1969, and Kagami-san appears in the film along with his fellow band members.

Yours truly with Pancho Kagami. 

It was a great evening, and the meetings with Watanabe-san and Kagami-san made it all the more special. These types of dinner events don't just happen every night!

A big thanks to everyone who helped make it possible. What a fantastic evening!