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.

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.

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!

VIVA CHIBA! Attending a Special Dinner Party with Action Star Sonny Chiba!

Posing with Sonny Chiba, a prolific action star celebrated on both sides of the Pacific!

Tonight, I had the privilege of attending a dinner event in Meguro, Tokyo, with Toei star Sonny Chiba. I'd met Chiba-san twice before, but this was perhaps my favorite meeting. The event took place at an Italian restaurant, and the meal was several courses. During the conversation, Chiba-san used his knife to demonstrate a few chambara techniques. It was by far the coolest use of tableware I've ever seen!

Although there were a handful of others in attendance, Chiba-san was by far the best skilled at English. He was very friendly with everyone who asked for a photo or an autograph.

Sonny Chiba was one of Toei's biggest action stars of the last several decades, and The Street Fighter series is a testament to his popularity around the world. He appeared in numerous science fiction and tokusatsu films at Toei Studios, even though his action films from the '70s eclipse those movies in notoriety.

Sonny Chiba signs my DVD cover of Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961), one of his earliest roles! Photo by Brett Homenick.

I brought along my DVD covers of Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961) and Terror Beneath the Sea (1966), both Toei sci-fi actioners starring Chiba-san. I've actually had these discs for a quite a while but hadn't had the opportunity to get them signed. It was Chiba-san's idea to personalize them for me, and how could I have possibly said no?

It was a fantastic evening, and many thanks to all who made it possible!