FIRE AND FURY! The Legacy of Godzilla!

The Godzilla statue at Toho Studios. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In 1954, Japanese audiences witnessed fire and fury (and frankly power), the likes of which movie audiences had never seen before. Godzilla's legacy as a groundbreaking monster movie continues to be felt to do this day, with various remakes, reboots, and reimaginings being produced on both sides of the Pacific.

In light of recent events, I paid another visit to Toho Studios to celebrate this legacy as well as the life of the man who brought Godzilla to life.

A fan-made tribute to Haruo Nakajima was left at the studio. I can't say for sure who made it, but whoever it was probably used to make expressions in animation. 

And here is a closeup of a Godzilla figure placed among the flowers and photos. Rest in peace, Mr. Nakajima.

ULTRAMAN STREET AT NIGHT! Moody Scenes from Soshigaya-Okura Station!

Ultraman keeps a light on for you at Soshigaya-Okura Station. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Despite just having visited Ultraman Street (a.k.a. Ultraman Shopping District and many other English-language names), I found myself returning there last night. Given the nighttime setting, I decided to take some extra photos and share them here. Enjoy!

Haruo Nakajima: A Monster Life Remembered

 Haruo Nakajima onstage at an event in Tokyo in March 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Word has started circulating that Haruo Nakajima, the original Godzilla suit actor who portrayed the King of the Monsters from 1954 until 1972, has just passed away at the age of 88. While Nakajima-san's uncanny acting ability inside the monster suit is what attracted his legions of fans around the world in the beginning, it was his warmth and friendliness outside the suit that made him an international legend.

I'm a firm believer that a picture is worth a thousand words (and then some), so I'd like to take this moment to share a few of the photos I've taken of Nakajima-san over the years.

Nakajima-san discusses the art of suit-acting at a Godzilla-related event in March 2015.

The year 1954 was a big one in the life of Nakajima-san. Not only did he play Godzilla in the King of the Monsters' first film, he also appeared in Akira Kurosawa's seminal Seven Samurai, often called the greatest Japanese film of all time.

Two heroes, coming to the rescue!

Nakajima-san and assistant SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano discuss working on King Kong Escapes (1967) under the direction of Eiji Tsuburaya in September 2015.

Suit-acting explained: Nakajima-san gesticulates as he demonstrates the finer points of bringing monsters to life.

"Two Godzillas! What does it mean?!" It means that Nakajima-san and his suit-acting successor Kenpachiro Satsuma (Godzilla from 1984 until 1995) show the audience how to move like the King of the Monsters in October 2014.

Nakajima-san remembers working on his last film as Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) in September 2014.

Godzilla vs. Gigan star Hiroshi Ishikawa helps Nakajima-san with his microphone during a Q&A.

Nakajima-san talks shop next to Godzilla series star Akira Takarada at Super Festival in January 2016.

Nakajima-san joins King Kong Escapes co-stars Linda Miller and Akira Takarada at Super Festival.

Thank you for the memories, Nakajima-san. Rest in peace.

BOOSKA GETS HIS DUE! Tsuburaya's Friendliest Kaiju Gets the Star Treatment!

Actor Osami Nabe (left) and director Kazuho Mitsuta (right). Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Today I attended a screening of a couple of Tsuburaya Productions TV programs. The first was episode 17 of Kaiju Booska (1966-67) and episode 5 of Dokushin no Scat (1970). Both programs were about as different as you can get!

Director Kazuho Mitsuta. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Like last week, director Kazuho Mitsuta was on hand for a Q&A and autograph signing. Mitsuta-san was a Tsuburaya Productions director and producer who has directed episodes of Ultra Q (1966), Ultraman (1966-67), Ultra Seven (1967-68), Kaiju Booska, Mighty Jack (1968), Fight! Mighty Jack (1968), Operation: Mystery! (1968-69), Mirrorman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Horror Theater Unbalance (1973), Dinosaur War Izenborg (1977-78), and Ultraman 80 (1980-81), among many others.

Actor Osami Nabe. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Also in attendance was actor Osami Nabe. Nabe-san starred in the Tsuburaya Productions miniseries Dokushin no Scat, which ran for 11 episodes in early 1970. Dokushin no Scat was an interesting departure for Tsuburaya Productions, as it had nothing to do with monsters or special effects. Its story is similar to the Billy Wilder classic The Apartment (1960). Nabe-san plays a goofy salaryman who rents out his apartment at night to make some extra cash, and I think you can imagine what kind of hijinks ensue.

Nabe-san's acting career began in the 1960s, and he appeared in many comedies at Shochiku during that time. Later on, he acted in movies at Toho, Toei, and Nikkatsu, most notably (for readers of this blog, anyway) The Imperial Navy (1981).

In between Osami Nabe and Kazuho Mitsuta. 

I've only seen a couple of episodes of Kaiju Booska, and I have to admit that the show really isn't for me. Had I grown up with it, I'm sure I would have loved it, but I didn't, so I can't say I do. Still, I have to admit that today's episode (directed by Mitsuta-san) was a fun one. It featured a couple of familiar faces, such as Yasuhiko Saijo and Ren Yamamoto, and the action was so over the top that it was amusing. The same could be said for Dokushin no Scat, which didn't go for subtlety at all with its humor.

I enjoyed spending time with Mitsuta-san again, as moments with directors from the first three Ultra-series are particularly rare. I certainly hope to have another chance to see him in the future.

I had a great time with Osami Nabe, who was more than happy to share his memories of traveling in the U.S. He certainly had many interesting stories to share!

And that's all! I'm sure Booska was with us in spirit.

ULTRA-HEROES, UNITE! A Great Gathering of Tsuburaya Veterans!

 Director Kazuho Mitsuta (left) and actor Bin Furuya (right). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Following the Masaru Sato concert, I switched gears and joined an event with more of a focus on Tsuburaya Productions. Although there was certainly a Toho connection, this event was, well, Ultra-good! 

Actor Yasuhiko Saijo gives a thumbs-up! Photo by Brett Homenick.

One of the guests on hand was Yasuhiko Saijo, whose best-known role was that of Ippei Togawa on Ultra Q (1966). However, Saijo-san can also be seen in such Toho genre classics as Secret of the Telegian (1960), Gorath (1962), Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965), War of the Gargantuas (1966), Son of Godzilla (1967), and Destroy All Monsters (1968). 

Director Kazuho Mitsuta. Photo by Brett Homenick.

It was my first time to meet veteran Tsuburaya Productions director and producer Kazuho Mitsuta. Mitsuta-san has directed episodes of Ultra Q, Ultraman (1966-67), Ultra Seven (1967-68), Kaiju Booska (1966-67), Mighty Jack (1968), Fight! Mighty Jack (1968), Operation: Mystery! (1968-69), Mirrorman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Horror Theater Unbalance (1973), Dinosaur War Izenborg (1977-78), and Ultraman 80 (1980-81), among many other credits. 

As you can imagine, it was fun just to hang out...

... until we saw a monster!

Seriously, it was a great time. I enjoyed catching up with Saijo-san. (It had been too long!) Even though Mitsuta-san turns 80 this August, he certainly seemed in great shape to me. In fact, he attended Bin Furuya's birthday celebration in Okinawa, so that ought to tell you something!

To top everything off, Bin Furuya (Ultraman himself) made a surprise visit. It's always a joy to hang out with Furuya-san, so his appearance elevated the proceedings to the next level. Many thanks to everyone for the great evening!

MASARU SATO IN CONCERT! Attending an Excellent Performance of the Maestro's Movie Music!

Shibuya Cultural Center Owada, site of the Masaru Sato concert. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In the past several years, there's been a slew of Akira Ifukube concerts in Japan. And why not? He was an excellent composer, whose influence goes well beyond his movie music. On the other hand, concert performances of Masaru Sato's compositions have been frustratingly scarce, especially for someone who actually prefers his music to Ifukube's.

The man of the hour. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On July 30, Shibuya Cultural Center Owada's Sakura Hall hosted a two-hour concert dedicated to Masaru Sato's film scores. The Sato family, Kihachi Productions, and Toho Music all cooperated with the concert, making it about as official (and authentic) as it could possibly get.

The program started off with comments by former Toho SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano, who directed the special effects for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), music from which closed the concert. After Nakano-san spoke, Kihachi Okamoto's widow, Mineko Okamoto, addressed the audience and spoke about her late husband. After that, it was time for the music!

SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano during intermission. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Things kicked off with Yoji Yamada's The Yellow Handkerchief (1977), followed by selections from several Kihachi Okamoto films, namely Desperado Outpost (1959), The Human Bullet (1968), and Tokkan (1975). From there, it was on to the Akira Kurosawa films, which were The Hidden Fortress (1958), Yojimbo (1961), and Red Beard (1965). Of all these performances, Red Beard was my favorite (followed closely by The Hidden Fortress).

Mineko Okamoto speaks from the stage. Photo by Brett Homenick.

There were a couple of breaks during the performance. A couple of times, Shin Godzilla co-director Shinji Higuchi went onstage and spoke about the movies and music that were being honored. After the Kurosawa selections, it was time for intermission. In the lobby, I bumped into a few old friends and familiar faces, including Teruyoshi Nakano and artist extraordinaire Yuji Kaida.  

Attendees milling about and shopping for CDs. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Following the 20-minute intermission, the concert resumed. The rest of the performance focused on Sato's contributions to the Godzilla series. The first film was Godzilla Raids Again (1955), which unfortunately didn't give the orchestra much to work with (except for the opening title, which was very well done). This score isn't one of Sato's better ones, unfortunately.

Thankfully, things kicked into high gear with Son of Godzilla (1967). Numerous tracks were performed, and they were all about as close to perfect as any orchestra could get without Sato himself conducting and arranging the music. The ending theme, in particular, was very moving.

The energy was maintained (if not surpassed) with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), which sounded nearly identical to the original recording most of the time. I've always loved this score, and to hear so many of its highlights performed live by a full orchestra was a real treat.

Overall, it was a great concert, but the Son of Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla performances were the true knockouts for me. I usually don't go to concerts, and live music isn't that much of a priority for me, but this has to be the biggest exception of all time. If only I could go back and relive it all again...

Gotta get the CD!