Lunch with Rhodes Reason

Your humble blogmeister with Rhodes and Jeri Reason.

Today I shared an enjoyable meal with Rhodes Reason (King Kong Escapes, Voodoo Island) and his wife, Jeri. As we haven't met for a while, there was a lot to catch up on, and we chatted for a couple of hours on a variety of subjects. All in all, it was great to be in their company again.

We met at the Rock Garden Cafe in Palm Springs, CA. I've never eaten at the restaurant before, but I was impressed with the food and the atmosphere. It certainly gets a hearty thumbs-up from me!

Hangin' with the coolest guy in Palm Springs.

In particular, I enjoyed hearing about their recent trip to Australia, which sounded like a lot of fun. They're currently planning another trip for this summer. I was pleased to hear about how busy they've been and continue to be.

My sincere thanks to Rhodes and Jeri for an excellent meal and even better company!

James Hong, King of the Monsters!

James Hong signs an autograph for yours truly.

After visiting Ib Melchior, I ate lunch with legendary actor James Hong (Big Trouble in Little China, Chinatown, Blade Runner). This was my second lunch with the famed actor, however, it was even more enjoyable than the first.

Hangin' out with James Hong at Dupar's Restaurant in Los Angeles.

What made this lunch even more memorable was that James and I recorded a couple of videos, which are posted below. His sense of humor really shines through in them. Enjoy!

Visiting Ib Melchior

Ib Melchior at work in his office.

On February 2, I was once again a guest at Ib Melchior's. Ib has always been a gracious host, and his hospitality is always appreciated. Below are some photos from my stay.

Could Ib be working on his next book?! Wait and see!

Ib and his appreciative guest.

Here I am, posing with some of the unusual items found in Ib's home. What's in the can? Scroll down...

Posted without comment!

Armando Creeper, film legend

Brett with Brother Andy (who played Southern California-area horror host Armando Creeper in the 1980s and '90s) at The River in Rancho Mirage, CA.

I first became aware of Armando Creeper in March 1996. I attended a small-scale monster film festival in the San Diego area, which turned out to be hosted by the aforementioned Creeper. Although I knew nothing about him at the time, he had me in stitches with his off-color jokes and his self-deprecating sense of humor. He certainly left an impression on me, and as luck would have it, I would get to spend a great deal of time in Armando's presence in the years to come.

However, circa 1998, we lost contact, and for a long time I figured I had seen the last of Armando Creeper.

That is, until last Friday.

I came to find that Armando (now known as Brother Andy) and I are Coachella Valley residents. I reached out to him a short while ago, and we agreed to meet at the nearby River in Rancho Mirage. Brother Andy and I spent hours reminiscing, and he shared many hilarious stories about what it was like to try to break into Hollywood 20 years ago. It was a great time, and we're likely to meet again in the coming weeks.

For those of you unfortunate souls unfamiliar with Armando Creeper, here is an article from 1991 that will give you some background. But if a picture is worth a thousand words, moving pictures must be worth a million, so below are a couple of videos of Armando's showing off his comedic prowess. Enjoy!

My interview with Paulette Rubinstein

On December 23, 2010, I interviewed Titra Studios voice actress Paulette Rubinstein (Godzilla vs. the Thing, Gammera the Invincible) at the home of Paulette's daughter, actress Liane Curtis (Sixteen Candles). About halfway in, Liane joins the interview and adds some levity to the proceedings.

My thanks again to Liane and Paulette for being such wonderful hosts! Please enjoy the video.

Nice to know I still have friends

About to have breakfast with J.D. Lees and Robert Scott Field at G-FEST XVII in Chicago.

The holidays are a time of reflection, and given that today is Christmas, and I can think of no better time to think about my friends. Of course, those with poor judgment may count "the enemy of my enemy" as their friends, but those who do always find out in the end just how meaningful such relationships are.

With Akira Takarada at G-FEST. I spent nearly a week with this legendary actor and will never forget the experience.

With Damon Foster. Although he and I live hours apart, I got to see Damon several times this year. He's a great friend with a great sense of humor. Love our phone conversations!

With Luciana Paluzzi and Nika Solomon. I've seen Luciana twice this year (including my December 14 trip to L.A.) but only saw Nika once. I always look forward to seeing these great ladies when I'm in the area.

With Dore Kraus, as we attempt Ultraman's Specium Ray pose. I met Dore for the first time in October at a dinner he hosted, and he was just as nice as in our various correspondences.

With Dr. Franklin Ruehl. Dr. Ruehl's Mysteries from Beyond the Other Dominion was a favorite of mine on the Sci-Fi Channel in the early '90s. Getting to speak with him at length in October was truly a wonderful experience.

With Ib Melchior. Words cannot do this man justice, but I'm compelled to say a few. No one has shown me more hospitality this year than Mr. Melchior. Whenever I travel to L.A., I always have a place to stay at Ib's. I stay there so often that his house has basically become my home away from home! I sincerely appreciate the generosity he has shown me.

With Ryan Phillips. Ryan is a high school friend I haven't seen for nearly ten years. He was in the area on business and invited me to have lunch with him. It was my pleasure to reconnect with him and swap stories.

With Justin Dunleavy. I got to spend more time with my cousin this year than I have in a long time. Before getting involved in Godzilla fandom, Justin and I would spend hours talking about the various Toho sci-fi films in the 1990s (and the '80s before that!).

With Paulette Rubinstein and her daughter Liane Curtis. Although I have known Paulette for nearly five years (!), I never got the chance to meet her until very recently. She and her daughter Liane were extremely kind to me, and I was overwhelmed by their hospitality.

With George Chakiris. Although most people would think of Oscar-winning actors as having large egos, I couldn't think of a less appropriate description for George Chakiris. Last week, I met the West Side Story star again in L.A. for a chat, and we mostly chatted about our favorite films this year and of any year. We plan to meet again the next time I'm in town.

This doesn't begin to cover everybody, and I apologize to my friends I haven't included. I could go on all day with examples. But you have to cut it off somewhere!

I wish all my friends a happy and successful 2011!

Merry Christmas!

The fireplace burns bright at Ib Melchior's home on December 14, 2010. The blaze would have no doubt been enough for Chet the Christmas (Day Massacre) Parrot to warm his entire body!

Christmas has once again arrived, and I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday. Christmas only comes once a year, so let's please not ruin the holiday with bad behavior. I think we got our fill of that last year!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!