'Bambi's Revenge' on Vantage Point Interviews!

Ernest Geefay’s credit at the end of Bambi’s Revenge. Photo © Frank Wetzel Productions.

Vantage Point Interviews returns with a brand-new vintage account with the man who animated the short film parody Bambi's Revenge (1976), Ernest Geefay. Check it out to get some more details on this unofficial sequel to Marv Newland's classic Bambi Meets Godzilla (1969)!

Catching 'Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster' on the Big Screen!

Eiichi Asada. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today, I had the distinct privilege of seeing Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (a.k.a. Godzilla vs. Hedorah, 1971) in 35mm. The print was essentially perfect, and it was the best way to see this film. 

Eiichi Asada offers a toast to the memory of Teruyoshi Nakano. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While it's not among my favorite Godzilla movies of the '70s (the last three hold that honor), it's still a very good one. The pacing isn't the best (the final battle drags on a bit too long, in my opinion), but I'd take it in a heartbeat over most films from the '90s and beyond.

The guest of honor was special effects director Eiichi Asada, who directed Hedorah in his big comeback vehicle, Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). Asada-san was also an assistant director on numerous tokusatsu movies, starting with Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973). While he just missed out on working on Smog Monster, he certainly is well versed in how kaiju movies were made at Toho during that time.\

Eiichi Asada. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The screening was a tribute to the late SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano, who passed away just a couple of months. Asada-san worked as chief assistant director under Nakano-san, making him a perfect pick to headline the event.

Asada-san led the audience in a toast to the memory of Nakano-san. It was quite a moment.

After the screening, I sat next to Asada-san during the after-party. One thing I found out was that Asada-san loves pro wrestling. I was surprised when he mentioned the wrestling maneuver the lariat, but he couldn't remember which wrestler used it. When I mentioned Stan Hansen, that jogged his memory. Asada-san was also amused when I showed him a picture of Abdullah the Butcher on my phone, quickly exclaiming, "Butcher!"

We also talked about Toho assistant director Yoshio Tabuchi and the making of Smog Monster. It was another fun evening, and I'm very grateful I got to attend.

Eiichi Asada. Photo by Brett Homenick.

That's a wrap! See you next time.

The God of Clouds Interviewed at Vantage Point Interviews!

Yours truly with Fuchimu Shimakura in January 2021.

My interview with Fuchimu Shimakura, Toho's longtime backdrop painter during the Showa era, has finally been posted on Vantage Point Interviews. Not only does he discuss painting tokusatsu backdrops for classics like Battle in Outer Space (1959), Monster Zero (1965), and Destroy All Monsters (1968), but he also talks about designing Mothra's wings in 1961. All this and more is covered in my interview with Mr. Shimakura. 

Vantage Point Interviews -- where content is king!

TOKUSATSU SCULPTOR KEIZO MURASE! Monsters Born in Mizuho 2022!

Keizo Murase's Mothra greets visitors to the Mizuho Local Museum Keyakikan. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Just as it did a few years ago, the Mizuho Local Museum Keyakikan is hosting a special exhibition called "Tokusatsu Sculptor Keizo Murase -- Monsters Born in Mizuho 2022." The exhibit features a lot of Murase-san's work, some of which was actually used in tokusatsu films. I visited the exhibit on Wednesday, August 24.

The entrance to the Mizuho Local Museum Keyakikan. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Murase-san's 2019 recreation of the 1992 Mothra (from that year's Godzilla vs. Mothra) greets you as you walk in. There are some other odds and ends in the lobby area, such as Mothra's eye and a Mothra larva crawling around the local area, much as she did during her trek to Tokyo in the original 1961 film. 

Keizo Murase hangs out with his friends Booska and Takora. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Most interesting of all was a gallery in which photography was not allowed. It contained the Mighty Peking Man (1977) mask, a bit of Godzilla's skin from the King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) suit, a recreation of Matango (1963) mushrooms, and a recreation of a King Ghidorah head from Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964).

There were also many cool photos from Murase-san's career, making kaiju suits for Toho and Daiei productions. The exhibit is largely the same as the previous one from a few years ago.

Mizuho is way out west, so it took a while to get there. But the trip was well worth it. It's always cool to see such bits of kaiju film history up close, and even the recreations were fun to see. The staff was very friendly, and I had the exhibit all to myself, which was a big bonus for me. 

That's about all I have to say. I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking for me. Enjoy!

Shinji Nishikawa and Yuji Kaida's Kaiju Art Invade Shibuya Parco!

The Shinji Nishikawa and Yuji Kaida art gallery in Shibuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

For a very limited time at Shibuya Parco, there was a gallery dedicated to the art of Shinji Nishikawa and Yuji Kaida, two veterans of the tokusatsu world. The art on display focused mainly on Shin Ultraman and SSSS.Dynazenon, and none of it featured Godzilla.

Yuji Kaida's rendition of Eleking. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had a bit of time to visit earlier today, which was pretty good timing, given that it was the last day the gallery would be open. It was held in the same spot in Shibuya Parco that the Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) Hedorah suit was on display last year. When I entered, I was given a pack with four coasters. Not sure which characters are featured on them yet since I haven't opened it, but I hope the coasters come in handy one day. 

Shinji Nishikawa brings the kaiju to life! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Photography was not allowed in the gallery, except for the above drawings, one done by each artist. It was a fun exhibit, but I was done pretty quickly. I'll admit that I thought the Hedorah exhibit last year was a lot more interesting, but I'm grateful for any kaiju-related events that come my way.

A Celebration of Kikaider at 50!

Daisuke Ban. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The legendary Toei superhero program Kikaider (1972-73) enjoys its 50th anniversary in 2022, and what better way to celebrate this milestone than with the program's star himself, Daisuke Ban? That's exactly what a few of us lucky fans got participate in on Saturday, August 20, at a special event in Shinjuku.

Ban-san not only starred in Kikaider but also Inazuman (1974) and went on to play Battle Cossack in Battle Fever J (1979-80). I first met Ban-san at a similar event in Los Angeles way back in 2010, but thankfully our paths have crossed several times in Japan, too.

Daisuke Ban. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Not only did Ban-san share some memories of Kikaider, as well as the other tokusatsu programs he acted in, but he also sang, too! What a rare treat for us to enjoy.

It was a lot of fun to see Ban-san again. He's always in great spirits when I see him. What a cool way to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary!

Ultra Father Still Sez, 'Chap Up!'

Ultra Father stands just outside Shinjuku-sanchome Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While I was approaching Shinjuku-sanchome Station on Saturday, August 20, I spotted another Chap Up advertisement featuring Ultra Father. He must really believe in this product!