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.

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.

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.

Hangin' with a Gaijin Superstar!

Tony Cetera. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Friday, May 29, I was able to spend an afternoon with a gaijin actor whom I met for the very first time. Tony Cetera has lived in Japan since the early 1960s, and his credits include a wide variety of films, ranging from the Toho tokusatsu epic The Last Days of Planet Earth (a.k.a. Prophecies of Nostradamus, 1974) to the Sonny Chiba actioner The Street Fighter (1974). It was certainly a joy to speak with him about his career.

I'd known about Tony long before moving to Japan, and I'd always figured that when I moved here, he'd be one of the first I'd connect with. So you can imagine it still surprises me it took this long to make it happen. But good things come to those who wait.

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.

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.

TOEI IN DA HOUSE! Yakuza Stars Gather for a Special Event!

With Toei actor Ryuji Katagiri. 

Tonight, I was pleased to attend a dinner with a different set of guests from the ones I usually meet. The guest of honor was Toei veteran Ryuji Katagiri, who began his acting career in the early 1970s at Toei Studios. He appears in the Sonny Chiba actioners The Street Fighter (1974), Return of the Street Fighter (1974), and The Street Fighter's Last Revenge (1974). He was also a regular in Kinji Fukasaku's Battles Without Honor and Humanity series.

With actor Ken Musashi.

Also on hand was actor Ken Musashi, a V-cinema (direct-to-video) star who specializes in yakuza flicks. Both he and Katagiri-san appear in Hiroshi Kashiwabara's new film A Long Way Off the Kilimanjaro (2016). Kashiwanbara-san was also there, and I enjoyed catching up with him again. 

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!

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!

A Farewell to Arthur "Chico" Lourant, 1929-2015

Actor Arthur Lourant (left) in a behind-the-scenes shots from the TV drama Shiiku. Photo courtesy of Ebony magazine.

I'm very sad to report the passing of former actor Arthur "Chico" Lourant, who passed away on July 20, 2015. Mr. Lourant, who was born on March 30, 1929, was 86 years old.

Best known to Japanese cult film fans in America as the Wester Island ambassador in Gamera vs. Jiger (a.k.a. Gamera vs. Monster X, 1970), as well as for his tour-de-force portrayal of Charlie in War of the Insects (a.k.a. Genocide, 1968), Mr. Lourant's acting career in Japan encompasses a much broader array of films, such as the gritty postwar drama Gate of Flesh (1964) and the envelope-pushing thriller Black Sun (1964), both of which were made at Nikkatsu Studios.

Mr. Lourant meets his fans in Japan. Photo courtesy of Ebony magazine.

The longtime resident of Tucson, AZ, was a Korean War veteran who found himself in Japan after the war, making his living by playing the trumpet before switching to becoming an actor. After being temporarily mistaken for Sidney Poitier by a Toho director, Mr. Lourant began his stint as an actor and became in demand in Japanese films in just about every genre there was at the time.

While not much has ever been known about his background, a July 1963 edition of Ebony magazine (Vol. 18, #9) surfaced in recent years that has filled in many blanks. (Information culled from the article, which can be retrieved on Google here, is used in this blog post.) For many years, most writers in the West referred to him by the erroneous name Chico "Roland," which is likely a result of the katakana rendering of his name. But let's make it clear that his name is actually Arthur Lourant.

In 2010, I wrote a letter to Mr. Lourant, requesting an interview. I received a friendly call from Mr. Lourant's daughter, who told me that he read my letter more than once and was very surprised anyone would be so interested in his acting career. At that time, it seemed like an interview would be a sure bet, but unfortunately his health began to decline, so it never happened. I will always regret never having had a chance to speak directly with him.

Rest in peace, Chico-san.

VIVA CHIBA! Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba Wows Them in Tokyo!

The great Sonny Chiba ponders a question posed to him at a talk show event held on December 9 in Tokyo.

The Honey Trap gym isn't likely to sound familiar to you, but the name Sonny Chiba certainly will. Chiba-san, Japan's most popular action star of all time, answered questions, signed autographs, and posed for pictures at the aforementioned Honey Trap gym in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

For two hours, Chiba-san discussed such varied topics as his popularity in America and ways to stay in shape. He even showed the crowd of fewer than 30 people (we were a lucky group, folks!) several action stunts with the help of a fellow Japan Action Club member. There's nothing quite like seeing Sonny Chiba kick butt mere feet in front of you!

At the end of the presentation, attendees were encouraged to choose whichever foam picture of Chiba-san we wanted and pull it off the wall (!) for the star himself to sign. I chose the foam Invasion of the Neptune Men poster. Tokusatsu will always be my preference!

Chiba-san was incredibly generous and patient with his fans. Though he didn't speak much English, we were able to communicate fairly well. He is the very embodiment of genki. Having seen him crack skulls (and worse!) in movies, I couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised at how warm a personality he has.

As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. In the shot above, my foam poster is getting signed. I can't be quite sure, but this is probably when he was asking me the spelling of my name. He personalized each autograph, including mine.

What can I say? Here I am, shaking hands with movie history. What a moment!

And there you have it! I have to give Chiba-san's management a lot of credit for being extremely helpful. Daimon-san couldn't have been nicer, and Yokoya-san, with her impressive English proficiency, helped me find the gym in the first place! Arigato gozaimasu!