Saul Lockhart. |
Vantage Point Interviews continues to prove that it is the place where content is king!
Saul Lockhart. |
Vantage Point Interviews continues to prove that it is the place where content is king!
The day before I left Japan, my friend Yasushi gave me a copy of the updated edition of the Gunhed Completion book released by Hobby Japan that had literally just been published, just in time for the movie's 35th anniversary. My 2005 interview with the film's female lead Brenda Bakke was translated into Japanese by Yasushi and included in the book. Suffice it to say, this one's a keeper!
Naturally, I received credit as one of the book's staff members. Not too shabby! Of course, you have to be able to read katakana in order to see the credit, but, if that's not something you're able to do, I guess you'll just have to take my word for it.
A Godzilla x Kong poster on display at the theater. Photo by Brett Homenick. |
A random King Kong (1933) poster on display at the theater. Photo by Brett Homenick. |
One last look at the old neighborhood. Photo by Brett Homenick. |
Of course, I still plan to update the blog whenever I have something relevant to share, but suffice it to say that content will be noticeably different going forward. (I mean, it's not like I can do any more firsthand reporting from Japan.) I'm also guessing that I won't be posting nearly as often as I did in the Land of the Rising Sun, but that remains to be seen.
However, I do believe some cool things will be in store, so stay tuned for that. In any case, it was an incredible run, and, if you followed the blog during those years, I'd like to thank you for your attention. Glad I could share the fun times with an audience.
As for Japan, don't worry, folks. I'll come back ... someday!
March was a very busy month for me -- so busy, in fact, that I missed several details and had very little time to stop and smell the flowers. Without saying too much else, here are some cool photos I just had to share before moving on to new things. I think you can tell just how hectic things were that these items got left out! In some cases, calling a celeb someone who needs no introduction rings quite true, and these cases are no exception. Enjoy!
In between Kyoko Ifukube (right) and her friend Akiyo. |
Akihide Tsuzawa. Photo by Brett Homenick. |
Tonight (Wednesday, March 27), I enjoyed the company of former child actor Akihide Tsuzawa with whom I ate dinner at a Jonathan's family restaurant near his home. Tsuzawa-san played Hoshino in the original Ultraman (1966-67) TV series, which makes me wish we could have met at a Hoshino Coffee instead!
I was surprised to find that Tsuzawa-san had another present for me. It was a pamphlet-size photobook of pictures his mother took on location during the shooting of Ultra Q (1966) and Ultraman. Apparently, this book will be on offer at an upcoming event in Japan, but I'm certainly privileged to have been given my own copy.
Akihide Tsuzawa. Photo by Brett Homenick. |
There are a mixture of color and black-and-white photos in the booklet. Some of the photos were originally taken in color, while others were colorized for the pamphlet.
We hung out for just under two hours and talked about many things, including Tsuzawa-san's interest in Japanese MLB players throughout the years (especially Otani and Nomo), my reaction to Godzilla Minus One (2023), which Tsuzawa-san hasn't seen, his recent trip to Lake Okutama (which I pointed out was a location in 1961's Mothra, which he didn't know), his busy professional life that left him little time to stop and smell the flowers, and many other things.
Tsuzawa-san told me that his favorite director to work with on Ultraman was Toshihiro Iijima. He also drew a map on a napkin of where Toho was in relation to Tsuburaya Productions. I asked Tsuzawa-san if he watched any of the tokusatsu scenes being shot, but he said he didn't due to how hectic the drama side's shooting schedule was. While shooting took place at Tsuburaya Productions, the dubbing apparently took place at Toho.
Tsuzawa-san also talked about his nostalgia for old American TV shows like Lassie, Rawhide, and Superman. In fact, he wanted to see a photo of the Superman he grew up with, but, when I showed him a photo of George Reeves in costume, he said that wasn't it. So I thought maybe he was thinking of Kirk Alyn, but no dice. It wasn't until I showed him a photo of Reeves with Noel Neill as Lois Lane that it finally clicked.
I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to hang out with Tsuzawa-san so soon after our last meeting in January. During the evening, Tsuzawa-san remembered the first time we met in 2016. All these years later, I'd say that's a tremendous feat. When I pulled out my phone to take Tsuzawa-san's photo, he beat me to the bunch by taking my picture first on his camera. (I won't remind you about what I always say about VIPs and guests who take photos of you.)
What a fun evening! Many thanks to Tsuzawa-san for his kind hospitality!