Great New Content on Vantage Point Interviews!

Photo courtesy of Benni Korzen.

Vantage Point Interviews proudly presents a brand-new interview with Rankin/Bass associate producer Benni Korzen. Mr, Korzen was involved with the Rankin/Bass live-action productions of The Last Dinosaur (1977), The Bermuda Depths (1978), and The Ivory Ape (1980). He also worked on the films Marco (1973) and The Bushido Blade (1981), both of which were filmed in Japan. His memories of these productions are presented for the first time ever on Vantage Point Interviews.

Toho Director Tsugunobu 'Tom' Kotani Passes Away at 84

Tom Kotani in May 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Japanese director Tsugunobu "Tom" Kotani died of heart failure at his home in Komae, Tokyo, at 10:48 p.m. on December 13, 2020. He was 84 years old. A private funeral was held in his honor, for which his eldest son Hidenobu served as chief mourner.

Mr. Kotani was born on December 21, 1935, in Tokyo’s Suginami Ward. He majored in French literature at the University of Tokyo. Upon graduation, Mr. Kotani took the Toho entrance exam in 1960 and joined the studio along with seven other newcomers, including future Godzilla 1985 (1984) director Koji Hashimoto. His first job as an assistant director was on the Hiroshi Inagaki fantasy Gen and Acala (a.k.a. The Youth and His Amulet, 1961), co-starring Toshiro Mifune and Yosuke Natsuki (and with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya).

Teruyoshi Nakano (left) with Tom Kotani in July 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After becoming a director in his own right in 1970, Mr. Kotani helmed the Yuzo Kayama vehicle It’s My Sky! Young Guy (1970) and the Tetsuya Watari actioner Cockroach Cop (1973). His best known credits would be the Rankin/Bass productions The Last Dinosaur (1977), The Bermuda Depths (1978), and The Ivory Ape (1980). He also directed The Bushido Blade (1981), with Toshiro Mifune, Richard Boone, and a variety of Western and Japanese talent in front of the camera.

Tom Kotani with The Last Dinosaur actress Masumi Sekiya in November 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mr. Kotani was formerly married to Toho actress Wakako Tanabe, who played Gaira’s Haneda Airport victim in War of the Gargantuas (1966).

I was fortunate to meet Mr. Kotani on several occasions. He took interest in me as an American when we first met at a public event in November 2016 and exchanged contact information. Due to his poor hearing, he preferred to communicate via text messages instead of phone calls. We met a couple of times near home (which was still close to Toho Studios) for lunch. I certainly enjoyed learning about his life and career from those meetings. While we never did a formal interview (he declined the one time I asked), I did take notes on our conversations.

I wanted to see him again, but due to COVID concerns, I put off reaching out to him for about the last year. But I’ll also remember his kindness and appreciate the time we were able to spend together.

Rest in peace, director Kotani.

THE LAST DINOSAUR! An Incredible Celebration in Yokohama!

Director Tsugunobu "Tom" Kotani and actress Masumi Sekiya reunite to celebrate The Last Dinosaur (1977)! Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On November 19, I attended a dinner featuring several tokusatsu luminaries. The occasion was a reunion for The Last Dinosaur (1977), and it brought director Tsugunobu "Tom" Kotani together with actress Masumi Sekiya. Also in attendance was Toho model maker Takashi Naganuma, who attended as a friend of the director.

Meeting director Tom Kotani.

I was particularly interested in meeting director Tom Kotani. For most Western fans, Kotani-san would be known for directing The Last Dinosaur (a co-production with Tsuburaya Productions), The Bermuda Depths (1978), and The Ivory Ape (1980). Prior to directing those international tokusatsu productions for Rankin/Bass, Kotani-san helmed several movies for Toho, including It's My Sky! Young Guy (1970) and Wild Cop (1973). In fact, I brought the DVD sleeves of those films for Kotani-san to sign.

Tom Kotani poses with a proud possession from his collection. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Kotani-san was a very kind and showed genuine interest in me. He asked for my contact info, and naturally I gave it to him. Hopefully, I'll be able to reconnect with him in the future.

With actress Masumi Sekiya.

Actress Masumi Sekiya, who portrayed Hazel in The Last Dinosaur, was also among the featured guests. She was every bit as friendly as Kotani-san. While her role in The Last Dinosaur would count as her biggest tokusatsu credit, she also appeared in an episode of the Super Sentai series Sun Vulcan (1981-82).  

With Takashi Naganuma. 

Last but not least, Takashi Naganuma attended at the request of director Kotani. While there, Naganuma-san invited me to a special event in the near future, which I'm very excited about. When it happens, look for a full report on this blog. Stay tuned!