MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA: Celebrating a Toho Classic in Style!

Screen legend Kenji Sahara signs autographs at the Grissom Gang's movie pub in Tokyo. 

The kaiju eiga classic Mothra vs. Godzilla (a.k.a. Godzilla vs. the Thing, 1964) is one of the most popular Godzilla films among Western G-fans. But leave it to the Japanese fans to honor the film in a big way! Over the weekend, the Grissom Gang hosted a two-day event that celebrated one of the best monster movies from Toho's golden age. 

Kenji Sahara (Rodan, The Mysterians, The H-Man) was the focal point of Saturday's activities. After a film print of  Mothra vs. Godzilla played to the small, exclusive audience in attendance (not much more than 20 people -- it's a small theater and can't hold any more than that!), Mr. Sahara took the stage for his talk show. The Toho legend brought some slides with him, detailing his early life up until the present. One such photo was from his college days, during which Mr. Sahara was into bodybuilding. In this photo, Sahara-san was shirtless and was -- to my surprise -- totally ripped! I had no idea he was in such great shape. Mr. Sahara brought his copy of the None But the Brave shooting script and passed it around the audience. Also, a golfing trophy that famed director Akira Kurosawa won but gave to Mr. Sahara after Sahara-san was unavailable to be cast in Sanjuro was also passed around the audience. I felt particularly honored to hold such wonderful pieces of film history!

Kenji Sahara meets me but not for the first time. I was happy to catch up with Sahara-san, whom I hadn't seen since G-FEST in 2009.

After signing autographs, it was off to dinner. Mr. Sahara joined us and sat down next to me. He happily answered every question posed to him. I was also able to speak with his son, who was able to speak quite a bit of English.

Good times with Sahara-san.

Sunday saw another screening of Mothra vs. Godzilla but with a twist. Hiroshi Koizumi showed up early to watch the film! And, as luck would have it, I ended up sitting next to him during the film. Once again, I truly felt honored.

A powerful trio: Masaaki Tezuka, Hiroshi Koizumi, and Teruyoshi Nakano answer questions from the audience.

Following the movie, Koizumi-san was joined by Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. director Masaaki Tezuka and longtime SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano. This talk show was long and informative, with Nakano-san providing the lengthiest and most detailed answers. In one interesting tidbit, he mentioned that he intentionally ended all his Godzilla movies with the Big G's back facing the camera, to symbolize the drift from the original intent of the character that director Ishiro Honda felt was taking place. Later in the evening, Mr. Nakano mentioned that he was slated to have an acting role in Conflagration (a.k.a. Tokyo Bay Burns, 1975) but was so busy he didn't have time to act!

My friend totorom poses with Hiroshi Koizumi.

After the interview was completed, it was autograph time all over again. Not much to say here, so let's check out the highlights:

Yours truly with Hiroshi Koizumi.

 Meeting Teruyoshi Nakano again. I first met (and interviewed) him eight years ago!

Meeting Tezuka-san for the second time. He had great stories to tell, especially about one of my favorite films, Fukkatsu no hi (a.k.a. Virus, 1980).

 Between two legends: Certainly one of many highlights of the weekend.

What else can I say? It was a spectacular event! Big thanks to the Grissom Gang and tororom for all their help. I should mention that I made several new friends (Yasushi, Akiko, and Jiro) whom I hope to meet again very soon. Everyone was open, warm, and friendly. If only everyone in Godzilla fandom were as nice!

Akira Takarada update

Akira Takarada poses with G-FAN magazine in October 2008. Photo by totorom.

According to totorom, Akira Takarada's agent reports booking the famed Toho star's plane tickets for this year's G-FEST, taking place from July 9 to 11 in Chicago. With his itinerary firmly in place, the anticipation for Mr. Takarada's first-ever U.S. convention appearance continues to build.

As already announced, G-FEST takes place in a brand-new location this year (the Rosemont Hotel), the details of which, originally posted on G-FAN.com, are reprinted below:

G-FEST XVII will be held at the Rosemont Hotel at O’Hare, 5550 North River
Road, Rosemont, IL, right across the street from the Donald E. Stevens
Convention Center. In fact, the two are connected by an enclosed walkway.
The location is just down the street from last year’s venue, the Crowne
Plaza.

The Rosemont is a beautiful hotel with many amenities, but it has
slightly fewer rooms than the Crowne Plaza, so attendees are advised to book
their rooms early to avoid disappointment. You may call the hotel directly
at (847) 678-4488 and ask for the G-FEST rate ($96.00: single, double,
triple or quad) or book your reservation online with the G-FEST rate.

The Rosemont Hotel is offering G-FEST attendees a special daily parking rate
of only $4.00. Don’t delay, book your reservation today!

See you in July for what promises to be the biggest G-FEST of all time!

Rondo Awards announced

The Classic Horror Film Board's annual Rondo Awards have been announced, and there are many great nominees. G-FAN and other Godzilla-related nominees are in abundance this year. Below are my, er, "suggestions" on how you should vote. I will cast my ballot for the following nominees, so I hope you'll do the same, too!

Best Book of 2009
-- MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN, The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda, by Peter H. Brothers. Examining the visionary behind 80 films and the origins of Japan's greatest monsters.

Best Magazine of 2009
-- G-FAN

Best Article of 2009 (PLEASE PICK TWO)
-- 'Cult Classic Commander,' by Brett Homenick, G-FAN #86. Interview with Robert Horton about his career and The Green Slime.

-- 'Godzilla, My Old Friend: Akira Takarada Talks about His Career, His Co-Stars', by Yutaka Ichimura (totorom), G-FAN #87. Interview with star of the original Gojira.

Best Magazine Cover
-- G-FAN #89 by Lee Munday

Best Horror Blog
-- The Good, the Bad, and Godzilla (August Ragone's G-blog)

Best Convention or Film Festival of 2009
-- G-FEST (Chicago)

Best Fan Event
-- Godzilla actor Kenji Sahara appears at G-FEST XVI, Rosemont, Ill.

For the entire ballot, please visit the Rondo Awards' official site: Rondo Hatton Awards. The instructions on how to vote are on the site, but here's the skinny:

HOW TO VOTE: All voting is by e-mail only. Simply copy this ballot and send an e-mail with your picks to me (David Colton), at taraco@aol.com by midnight, April 3, 2010.

THE RULES: One vote for person, please. Every e-mail must include your name to be counted. All votes are kept strictly confidential. No e-mail addresses or any personal information will ever be shared with anyone.

IMPORTANT: Organized voting campaigns (duplicated ballots, mass mailing efforts), are prohibited and can result in disqualification. Let's keep this a fun vote of monster fans. You do not have to vote in every category.

AGAIN HERE'S HOW TO VOTE: E-mail your selections from the ballot (cut-and-pasting the whole thing works fine), or you can type them into a separate e-mail, below to David Colton at taraco@aol.com. And please remember to include your name so your vote can be counted.

Remember, one Monster Kid, one vote.

Sharing a mini pizza with Kenji Sahara

Kenji Sahara at Wrigley Field. Photo by Brett Homenick.

During G-FEST this past July, my friend totorom and I took care of Mr. Sahara during his stay in Chicago. One of the most memorable events for me was when we took Mr. Sahara to a Chicago Cubs game at legendary Wrigley Field. Martin and Pam Arlt drove us to the stadium and also took in the game.

At one point, totorom brought back a mini pizza from the concession stands for me and Mr. Sahara to share. We each took two slices and enjoyed it immensely. I also joined the crowd in singing parts of "YMCA" and "Livin' on a Prayer" during breaks in the game, which was quite fun.

We left before the end of the game, but it didn't matter. A fun time was had by all, and Mr. Sahara was especially impressed. He had been to Chicago previously for G-CON '97, but he never left the hotel, and he returned to Japan thinking that Chicago was a small town. But, after seeing the city in all its glory in 2009, he told us that he now realizes just how big Chicago is!

More Kenji Sahara memories to come...