RIP Ryo Ikebe

Actor Ryo Ikebe in a recent photo. Source: nichimen.or.jp.

The world of Japanese cinema has suffered another blow by the loss of Ryo Ikebe on October 8, 2010, of sepsis. He was 92.

Ikebe, born on February 11, 1918, began his acting career in 1941. His career was quickly interrupted by the Second World War, so Ikebe didn't become a Toho contract player until 1946. He remained active until his recent passing, with more than 150 roles to his credit. When Ikebe wasn't performing onscreen, he served as the director of the Japanese equivalent of the Screen Actors Guild (from 1983-2009).

G-fans will remember Ikebe from his starring roles in Battle in Outer Space (1959), Gorath (1962), and The War in Space (1977). Ikebe also enjoyed a small role in Paul Schrader's Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985). In recent years, Ikebe turned his attention to writing, becoming an award-winning essayist and book author.

Thank you for the memories, Mr. Ikebe.

Dr. Ruehl: Man of Mystery

That's a wrap! Dr. Franklin Ruehl and Brett shake hands after completing their interview. Photo courtesy of Dr. Ruehl.

Dr. Franklin Ruehl is a man of many talents, but I've always known him as the host of the late, lamented Mysteries from Beyond the Other Dominion, one of the Sci-Fi Channel's original programs. (This, of course, was well before the era of "SyFy.")

While Dr. Ruehl's Mysteries has been off the national airwaves for several years, fans can follow the good doctor on his YouTube channel. With a little luck, perhaps Dr. Ruehl can entice a cable channel to put him back on the air. (It would sure beat watching whatever the heck the Jersey Shore is up to this week.)

I was fortunate to meet Dr. Ruehl on October 8. He agreed to sit down for an interview, which is presented below.

Here's a gag longtime Mysteries fans would get:



May the power of the cosmos be with you!

My dinner with Ultraman

Brett hangs out with Dore Kraus after an excellent meal at L.A.'s Drago Centro.

On October 8, I had the pleasure of sharing a meal with Dore Kraus, best known to G-fans as playing Jack Shindo (Ultraman's alter ego) in Tsuburaya Productions' Ultraman: Towards the Future (a.k.a. Ultraman Great). The show, which aired on L.A.'s KCOP-TV (channel 13) in early 1992, was my first exposure to Ultraman, and would remain the only Ultra-show I would see for many years.

Dore Kraus is no stranger to Godzilla fandom, as he made guest appearances at John Roberto's KAIJU-CON '96 in New York and G-CON '97 in Chicago (along with Kenji Sahara and Masanari Nihei).

I could go on and on about the dinner and what a gentleman Dore was, but when you have actual footage from the event, why not let that do the talking? So, without further ado...

RIP Keiju Kobayashi

Actor Keiju Kobayashi in a recent photo.

The Japan Times is reporting that actor Keiju Kobayashi died September 16, 2010, of heart failure. He was 86.

Mr. Kobayashi is best known to G-fans as playing Japan's prime minister in Godzilla 1985 (1984) and Dr. Tadokoro in Submersion of Japan (1973). He was born on November 23, 1923, and enjoyed a long and successful acting career that started in 1942 (appearing in more than 250 films in total) and continued to work until his death.

The Japan Times adds:

A Gunma Prefecture native, Kobayashi made his movie debut in 1942 and gained
popularity in the 1950s starring in a series of comedies featuring salaried
workers with ordinary man-next-door personalities.

Appearing in about 260 movies and TV dramas in roles ranging from prime ministers to police detectives, Kobayashi received medals of honor from the government for his longtime achievements and cultural contributions.

Thanks to Fabien Mauro for the tip.

Happy birthday, Ib Melchior!

Ib Melchior, the director of The Angry Red Planet and The Time Travelers, turns 93 today. I'd like to extend my wishes to Ib for a happy birthday!

Oh, and don't forget to order Ib's new book, Six Cult Films from the Sixties!

Agoura Hills Patch penetrates 'Mushroom Clouds'

Author Peter H. Brothers, July 2010.

The Agoura Hills Patch recently ran an article on Peter H. Brothers' Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda. The article quotes Brothers at length, and toward the end you might recognize the name of a certain blogger.

To read the article for yourself, just click here.

G-FAN #92

Monsterland Ohio's Mark Matzke has published an excellent review of G-FAN #92. To read the review for yourself, just click here.

For more information on G-FAN magazine itself, follow this link.