This Place Looks Familiar...

Photo by Brett Homenick.

On the evening of August 12, I went there again. You know where. Always fun to see.

R. J. Kizer, Director of the American Version of 'Godzilla 1985,' Passes Away at 73

R. J. Kizer in November 2025. Photo by Brett Homenick.

According to Godzilla 1985 (1984) producer Tony Randel, Robert (R. J.) Kizer, director of the American inserts of Godzilla 1985, passed away a few days ago after a battle with cancer. He was 73.

I was fortunate to interview R. J. twice (first in 2007 and then in 2020) and then meet him in person twice (in 2024 and 2025). During our first in-person meeting in 2024, R. J. told me about working with Roger Corman at New World on Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) and other such projects. I was genuinely surprised to learn just how mercurial Corman could be, as he always seemed so calm and level-headed in interviews. He also went into great detail about the making of the Roddy Piper vehicle Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988), the production of which was so bonkers I thought it'd make a great movie in its own right.

During our second visit, I gifted R. J. an unopened Blu-ray copy of Yojimbo (1961), which I no longer needed, as well as a VHS copy of Godzilla 1985 that I found at a thrift store. R. J. was very happy (though reluctant -- it took a bit of convincing on my part that I didn't need the disc anymore) to receive Yojimbo. He had a few Kurosawa movies in his collection, but Yojimbo wasn't one of them.

We talked more about Godzilla 1985 during our second meeting, and I was floored just how many more details he shared about the movie that weren't contained in either of our interviews. R. J. Kizer was a walking encyclopedia of film knowledge -- not just about his own movies -- and he was always willing to share his knowledge with me. 

In particular, whenever I had a technical question about things related to cinematography or film editing for the interviews I was doing with Toho alumni, I could always ask R. J. for guidance, who wouldn't hesitate to pull out old books and give me the best answer he could. He would help me put those technical answers in ways that were accurate and made sense in English, and I'll always be grateful that the director of the last great Americanization of a Godzilla movie made time for me when I asked.

When we were returning to our cars in 2025, I asked R. J. what project was he most proud of. I thought I knew what he would say, but he surprisingly said none of them. I thought for sure he'd say Godzilla 1985, as it went on to make money and is still revered by fans to this day. I'm not sure I was able to convince him that he should be proud of his work on the film, but I wanted him to know that I certainly was proud of what he accomplished.

Frogtown Lives, good sir. Rest in peace.

UPDATE (8/21): According to his younger brother Richard, R. J. Kizer passed away on August 12.

A Night of Tokusatsu!

Eiichi Asada. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Tuesday, August 11, I attended a special event with former Toho SFX director Eiichi Asada. It's always a lot of fun seeing Asada-san at these events, and this time was no exception.

What is likely test animation done by Sadao Iizuka for The Mysterians (1957). Photo by Brett Homenick.

One fascinating surprise was getting to see what were apparently animation test frames for The Mysterians (1957) that were in the collection of the late tokusatsu animator Sadao Iizuka. According to Kei-san, who was Iizuka-san's manager during his twilight years, the beams seen in these frames are different from what we see in the movie. 

I did my best to photograph the frames for the Markalite, although there were others for the Alpha, too. It was a rare bit of Toho tokusatsu history that I got to see up close and personal.

In addition, I also got to see the final work of Takashi Naganuma that he completed before he passed away last year. 

It was the drawing below of Teruyoshi Nakano whose lips can be moved, almost like those of a puppet.

Eiichi Asada enjoys playing with the Teruyoshi Nakano puppet completed by Takashi Naganuma before he passed away. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Nakano-san and Naganuma-san were close friends and often appeared at events together. It's quite appropriate that the last work Naganuma-san would ever do would be of his friend and colleague.

Takashi Naganuma's Teruyoshi Nakano puppet. Photo by Brett Homenick.

And that's a wrap! Even though a typhoon was approaching, it wasn't enough to stop me from coming. It'll take a lot more than a little rain and wind to accomplish that.

Toku in the House!

Eiichi Asada. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Saturday, July 18, I attended an event with former Toho SFX director Eiichi Asada, whom I hadn't seen in more than two years. It was a fun reunion, and I updated Asada-san on my comings and goings during that time.

There wasn't much toku talk this time, but I did learn that Asada-san is a fan of actress Jean Simmons from Spartacus (1960). Now that's a name you don't hear thrown around a lot these days, unless you're talking about the guy from KISS with the similar name.

It's always fun to learn about the Western films that Toho tokusatsu legends admire. For example, I never would have even heard of the family drama Our Very Own (1950), featuring a very young Natalie Wood, had Teruyoshi Nakano not named it as one of his favorite films.  

Overall, it was great to see Asada-san again. It truly had been too long.

No.

Brought to you by the "Oscar-winning team behind Godzilla Minus One," or whatever.

No. Nope. Sorry. Not even out of the gate. Uh-uh. No way. Not a chance in a million. Nothing doing. Absolutely not. Aw, hell nah. Shuffle all the way off to Buffalo with that.

Much like cow dung on the farm, the trailer for the Netflix adaptation of The Human Vapor (1960) just "dropped," and it's just as bad as I was expecting. I gave up on it completely upon seeing the image above. Thanks but no thanks -- waste somebody else's time, who will no doubt give it seven stars and three thumbs up on his personal Letterboxd account. "The greatest Japanese film since either Rental Family or Bullet Train Explosion! (I haven't seen Exit 8 yet.)"

I can't imagine why this thing would appeal to anybody who admires the original film or even any pre-Shin Godzilla (2016) tokusatsu work, but I can't imagine a lot of things that nonetheless exist. I mean, I don't know why someone's interest in Japanese SFX would start with Heisei-era Ultraman shows and pretty much ignore everything that came before them, so I'm bemused by how many such people are active on Twitter.

Great idea!

Even Godzilla (1954), formerly the undisputed sacred cow of fandom if there ever was one, is no longer secure in its position of "You don't understand cinema if you don't automatically rank it number one." Once slapped onto every top 10 list in the number-one position by rote, now it's more and more often supplanted by the overhyped, overpraised, and overdiscussed CG cartoons of the last 10 years. (Recency bias? What dat?)

We sure are in a brave new world of discourse if the year 1954 doesn't elicit the reflexive oohs and aahs of yore from the online purveyors of Martin Scorsese memes. Get with the times, yo! How can anything Ishiro Honda ever committed to celluloid compete with a truly C I N E M A T I C lecture on Freon gas? Do I need to show you a picture of David Lynch talking into a microphone in order for you to get it? How can you even think to question me when it says "film critic" right there in my Twitter bio?

There are folks who I assume are sincere when they say they like the Attack on Titan movies, so I'm sure the latest toku offering from the streaming platform that gave us Godzilla Singular Point and Ultraman Rising will see its defenders, too. (In fairness, those two projects do share a voice actor in common who gave us the single greatest line in film history, per Roger Ebert.) I mean, yeah, it may not be worth a whole lot, but I guess it's something.

I'm doing my part!

Suffice it to say, I'll be happily skipping this one, even as it earns an 11/10 on Letterboxd by our intellectual superiors, who continue to be shocked and amazed at how emotional Brendan Fraser was in Rental Family or spout goony nonsense like, "This is the greatest video game adaptation ever!"

Though, in fairness, Street Fighter (1994) is pretty fun.

New Toho Q&A on Vantage Point Interviews!

Ryo Tamura in November 2023. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My new vintage account with Showa-era Toho actor Ryo Tamura has just been published. In his debut film, Rise Against the Sword (1966), Mr. Tamura played the younger brother of Toshiro Mifune and Makoto Sato in an epic directed by Hiroshi Inagaki. No pressure!

The interview covers a lot of ground, and it contains plenty of fascinating anecdotes about some of Japan's best-known actors and directors. Don't miss out!

New Q&A with 'Gigan's' Machiko Shima!

Tomoko Umeda. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Check out my new vintage account with actress Tomoko Umeda, who plays Machiko Shima in Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972). The Q&A is less a formal interview and more of a conversational chat with her and her family.

As cool as it would have been to get all kinds of details about the production of Gigan, not everyone has total recall of events from more than 50 years ago. Still, I was still able to glean a fun detail about one of Umeda-san's first scene in the film, which is exactly why I do what I do.

The participation of her husband and daughter make the Q&A a family affair that's quite endearing, so don't miss it!

Back in Town at Marquee!

Masamitsu Tayama! Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Saturday, April 18, I went to the Marquee live house in Ekoda to watch Masamitsu Tayama perform -- for the first time in a couple of years. Hard to believe it's been that long, but I was especially excited for it.

Neither Tayama-san nor his wife was expecting me to be there, so, when Yoko saw me, she was particularly surprised and gave me one of the biggest hugs I've ever received! 

When Tayama-san saw me in between sets, he spent a few minutes telling the audience about me and our various interactions over the years. It was quite something!

After the show, our group made our way over to a Chinese restaurant where we had dinner. I've eaten here before with Tayama-san after he performed, so it was all second nature to me. I certainly enjoyed spending some extra time with Tayama-san after the show again, so I appreciate the invite.

For those of you not in the know, Tayama-san played Shinji Chujo in Mothra (1961), though you certainly wouldn't recognize him today. He is, and always has been, one cool dude.

Godzilla vs. Ichikakuya Ramen in Shinjuku!

Photo by Brett Homenick.

While out and about in Shinjuku today, I spied this promotion for Ichikakuya restaurants. I wasn't in the mood for ramen, so I didn't partake, but I thought it was interesting enough to photograph, so here you go!

The King of the Monsters Begins His Purple Reign

Image courtesy of Kaiju No. 14.

If a man is considered guilty

For [putting fake director quotes in official Godzilla books]

Then gimme the electric chair

For all my future crimes, oh

Electric chair

-- Prince, "Batdance"

I firmly believe the Internet should talk about Hideaki Anno less (not more), but this bit of goony nonsense was too amusing to pass up. Last year, an "official" Godzilla book was released, which to this day I've never seen. Until recently, all I knew about it is that one of the authors promised some never-before-seen storyboards (or whatever), upon which a Twitter user pointed out that these would-be exclusives had already been published for years. Other than that, I didn't know much else.

That was until yesterday when I discovered that this "official" tome published an all-time howler, which you can see in the image above. Although I wasn't aware of it at the time, a fake quote attributed to Shin Godzilla (2016) director Hideaki Anno was making the rounds online at the time of the film's release, in which the auteur supposedly named Prince as an inspiration for his movie.

An example can be found here, but, as you can very easily see, the alleged quote was quickly debunked in the comments. So how did it get past our "masterclass" authors and into an official history of the Godzilla series?

That's a great question, but, if past is prologue, I'm afraid we won't get any satisfactory answers. Had this blunder occurred in some other book, either the aforementioned authors themselves or their social-media mouthpieces would be flogging it for years, using it as a cudgel to discredit the poor, duped, disgraced journalist and as proof that only a select few self-appointed experts should cover the genre.

To illustrate this point, another writer who tackled Ishiro Honda in his own biography got put through the ringer for a string of silly typos ("eye-pooping" being the most eye-popping example), which have been used ever since to discredit him and his research. The first Honda book does contain its share of flaws, but I'm pretty sure it didn't contain any fake quotes about how the director got the idea for the film while spinning some Paul Anka records.

Will the stench of this "Purple Rain" gag follow our heroic book authors and DVD commentators the same way that "eye-pooping" has followed the embattled first Honda biographer? Pfft! Who are we kidding? The reaction to the revelation of this gaffe on social media was mostly muted, and folks have already moved on to more pressing topics, like how Rental Family (2025) is pure cinema. 

Happily, this is something we can correct ourselves. Remember the laziness and sloppiness on display here, and make future book-purchasing decisions accordingly.

Toho Entertainment Store in Hibiya!

Photo by Brett Homenick.

While out and about in Hibiya on March 13, I discovered the Toho Entertainment Store quite by accident in Hibiya Chanter. As the name might suggest, this store is not another Godzilla store but sells goods related to various Toho properties -- Godzilla included. 

There were some cool items for sale, such as Blu-rays of Godzilla movies and other things, but I successfully kept my money in my wallet. I really ought to start spending less money, but that's easier said than done.

Godzilla is so well represented in Hibiya that a 7-Eleven in the basement of Tokyo Midtown Hibiya has its own Godzilla section. So, yes, you may be able to buy a Slurpee at yours, but can you buy a Godzilla keychain there, too? Yeah, that's what I thought! 

Seeing 'House' in 35mm!

A poster for House (1977) at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Friday, March 6, I returned to the Shin Bungeiza theater for a screening of House (1977), the infamous pseudo-horror movie directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi. The screening was in 35mm, and it was my second time to see it this way. Even though it is well-regarded in the West, largely due to the fact that it's been available through the Criterion Collection for years, I have my own thoughts.

I first saw House long before it had any kind of reputation outside Japan. I bought an unsubtitled bootleg in 2002, which I ordered just because I knew it was a "Toho horror movie" from the '70s. I watched maybe a third of it, but it was giving me none of what I was looking for in such a flick, so I remember turning it off after a while, figuring I'd finish it later. (I never did.)

At the end of 2010, I picked up the Criterion DVD and gave it a proper viewing for the first time. At the time, I thought of it as weirdness for its own sake and not much else. I also found the experience a bit depressing, as it really seemed to end the production of Showa-era genre films with a whimper. Then, in July 2016, I caught a screening of it in Japan and liked it a bit better than I had before, I guess. Even though I no longer despised it the way I used to, I still didn't think its reputation in the West was deserved.

With Prof in July 2016.

So that's where things stood when I went into screening. I more or less expected to have a repeat of my 2016 experience, in other words, thinking the movie was OK but overrated. Unfortunately, my opinion is a bit closer to where it was in 2010 but perhaps not quite as negative.

I was more or less onboard with the movie in the first half, but the directionless chaos of the second half wore me out. Absurdity is fine in movies, but, when it just meanders about in random ways, I lose interest after a while. I also got the sense the filmmakers thought they were being much more clever than they actually were, which is always annoying.

Believe it or not, my favorite parts of the movie had nothing to do with its overhyped weirdness. There were wistful shots in the film that, for lack of a better word, evoked a sense of nostalgia. I found myself wishing I were watching that movie instead of this one. Sometimes you don't need singing cats or dancing skeletons to make a good movie.

After the screening, there was a Q&A with a film critic, but, as we have learned from the positive reviews of this movie in the West, "one has to dismiss everything they know about film criticism" when reviewing House, and "the 'rules' of film criticism are almost impossible to apply to it," so I'm not sure what they were going for there.

OPERATION: FINAL WARS INVADES SHINJUKU! There Goes Kabukicho!

Godzilla takes on his enemies at the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Hotel Gracery Shinjuku has a new Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)-themed display on the eighth floor of the hotel. On March 3, I stopped by the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku to check it out. Here's what I saw. Enjoy!

 

Seeing 'Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla' in 4K!

Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) at Toho Cinemas. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Tuesday, February 24, I took in a screening of Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) at Toho Cinemas Susukino in Sapporo. It's often reviled as one of the worst Godzilla movies of all time, but I've never considered it that bad, so I was eager to give it another look, especially in 4K.

The picture quality was phenomenal -- the visuals were crystal-clear. The only flaw was that the composite shots often looked blurry, almost as if they were shot on video. Other than that, the film has never looked better.

Going into it, I knew the final battle would be a slog, so I tried to force myself to pay closer attention to it this time than my previous viewing a few years ago. It was a respectable objective but ultimately futile. It's easily one of the worst, most boring monster battles in any Godzilla movie, and my mind started to wander early on. Well, it was worth a shot.

One ticket to paradise! Photo by Brett Homenick.

It's a shame the kaiju scenes are so lethargic when the human sequences are actually pretty fun. I remember having a conversation with John Rocco Roberto in which he commented that all SpaceGodzilla does is fly over some cities and set off a few car alarms. If only Koichi Kawakita had been on his A-game here . . .

On a personal note, it was pretty cool seeing the Sapporo TV Tower in the flick for a brief moment when it was literally just a few blocks from where I was watching the movie.

Not much else to say. SpaceGodzilla is a bit disappointing mostly due to the lackluster monster scenes. But it was still a blast seeing it on the big screen in a wonderful 4K presentation.

Takashi Naganuma, Veteran Toho SFX Technician, Passes Away at 78

Takashi Naganuma in June 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Takashi Naganuma, a veteran of Toho models and miniatures, passed away in November 2025. He was 78.

Born on July 20, 1947, in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, Takashi Naganuma began his Toho SFX career with Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) and finished with Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992).

The high-powered laser-beam vehicle from Godzilla 1985 (1984), designed by Takashi Naganuma, on display at an event in November 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

His work at Toho focused on mechanical miniatures, and he produced all the JSDF weaponry seen in Godzilla 1985 (1984). Not only did Mr. Naganuma build the dolphin boat seen at the beginning of Megalon, he also built the miniature truck during the dam scene.

Takashi Naganuma and director Tsugunobu "Tom" Kotani in November 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On a personal level, this news is extremely devastating, given that Mr. Naganuma, known as Nini-san to his friends and colleagues, is one of the Toho luminaries I've met the most during my time in Tokyo. He also had a wonderful sense of humor with a particular fondness for wordplay between Japanese and English. You couldn't say the Japanese word omoshiroi in his presence without his immediately responding, "White tail." (If you know, you know.)

Takashi Naganuma in June 2022. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mr. Naganuma was such a prolific figure at various events and fan gatherings that I started to believe he'd outlive us all. And, having been born in the late '40s, he was actually on the younger side of Showa-era Toho personalities, which I suppose gave me a false sense of security that he'd be around forever. 

Teruyoshi Nakano and Takashi Naganuma in October 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Starting in 2015, Mr. Naganuma and Toho SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano appeared at so many events together they started to seem like brothers. It was hard to imagine one without the other. It's even harder now to realize both are gone. 

Takashi Naganuma in August 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was privileged to have interviewed Mr. Naganuma about his work at Toho. If you'd like to know more about his career in tokusatsu, here's your best resource. 

Toho SFX director Eiichi Asada with Takashi Naganuma, holding a script for Tokyo Blackout (1987), in June 2023. Photo by Brett Homenick.

But I'll share a couple of fun stories that came directly from Mr. Naganuma.

With Takashi Naganuma in June 2022.

Mr. Naganuma was an extra in Godzilla vs. Mothra in a Ginza scene, running away from Mothra, who was in flight. The scene was shot with a blue backdrop at Toho Studios. All the extras in that scene had to wear a suit, necktie, and black shoes because they were supposed to be playing office workers.

Teruyoshi Nakano, Takashi Naganuma, and director Kensho Yamashita next to a Battle of Okinawa (1971) poster in July 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mr. Naganuma gave an original Super X prop from Godzilla 1985 to an American he worked with on Tokyo DisneySea.

With Takashi Naganuma in August 2022.

In 2016, when Mr. Naganuma was hosting a launch party for a book he had written, he invited me to join, but I had a commitment elsewhere, so I politely declined. But then Mr. Naganuma listed some of the Toho veterans who would be in attendance.

Takashi Naganuma, wearing his Toho Eizo Bijutsu jacket, in September 2022. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When he mentioned Godzilla suitmaker Nobuyuki Yasumaru, I must have had an incredible look of surprise on my face because Mr. Naganuma always loved telling that story. It's true, though -- when he said Mr. Yasumaru would be in attendance, I canceled my other plans as soon as I could and went to the launch party.

With Takashi Naganuma in January 2023.

There are many such stories. I'm sincerely grateful that my paths crossed with Takashi Naganuma. Rest in peace, sir. Thank you for everything.

UPDATE (1/6): According to one of his friends, Mr. Naganuma passed away on November 19.