August Ragone Scores Rondo

Above, Ragone autographs his book on Eiji Tsuburaya for fans in 2008. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Congratulations are in order! August Ragone scored a Rondo Award in the 10th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards.

BEST INTERVIEW
(Award goes to interviewer)

August Ragone interviews Haruo Nakajima (the original Godzilla), FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #256

Above, Haruo Nakajima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Rondo Winners Announcement Tonight, Etc.

Above, Haruo Nakajima with Miki Hayashi at last year's Monsterpalooza. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The winners of the 10th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards will be announced tonight at 10:00 PM EST.

To see the winners list, go to http://www.rondoaward.com tonight.

Speaking of Rondo Awards, this post has been up for a few days at movie historian Stuart Galbraith IV's blog. I can see Galbraith's point. But I also know August Ragone to be sincere in his desire to give Haruo Nakajima a Rondo.

Above, Haruo Nakajima during the filming of "Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster."

If none of Ragone's nominations pan out, I would like to see a campaign to get Nakajima a Rondo as Galbraith proposes for next year. Count me in!

We'll see if there's any follow-through.

Godzilla Tribute Clip

Karlos Borloff of Monster Madhouse has posted a YouTube video, "Godzilla Tribute Clip."



Borloff previously posted a YouTube video promoting The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Above, Borloff meets Haruo "Godzilla" Nakajima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Nagoya Castle To Be Demolished Again?

Above, Godzilla approaches Nagoya Castle in "Mothra vs. Godzilla" (1964). The photo was signed by Haruo Nakajima.

It was destroyed by U.S. air raids in 1945. It rebuilt and later destroyed by Godzilla in 1964. Now, it may be destroyed again by Nagoya city officials.

The City of Nagoya, Japan is considering rebuilding Nagoya Castle.

The Mainichi Daily News reports:

NAGOYA -- Local residents here showed mixed feelings during a public meeting over the weekend over a plan to rebuild Nagoya Castle from the current concrete structure into a wooden one to preserve its original state.

The Nagoya Municipal Government held the meeting at a civic hall on Feb. 19, in which some 160 local residents discussed the pros and cons of Mayor Takashi Kawamura's plans to transform Nagoya Castle into a wooden structure.

Founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the initiator of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1867), Nagoya Castle was first completed in 1612. The structure, however, was destroyed by U.S. air raids in May 1945. The current castle tower was rebuilt in 1959.

Above, the real Nagoya Castle.

Nagoya Castle was featured (and demolished by Godzilla (Haruo Nakajima)) in the 1964 feature Mothra vs. Godzilla.

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan covers Nagoya Castle on page 40.

To read the full article, go here.

Criterion's "Godzilla" Blu-ray: The Extras

This is the third and final part of my review of the new Criterion Blu-ray edition of the 1954 Godzilla and its Americanized counterpart, the 1956 Godzilla, King of the Monsters!

I started off watching the Special Effects feature with SPFX Director Koichi Kawakita. What I found fascinating with it were the unused effects shots, recently located, as well as a detailed discussion on the matte work and, especially, the composite imaging (more extensive than I thought) used in the movie.

Following that, I watched an interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato. The most interesting parts were the discussion of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1952 (including photographs).

Above, the Lucky Dragon No. 5, a big inspiration for Godzilla.* Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I then watched "The Unluckliest Dragon," the documentary of the Lucky Dragon No. 5 (Daigo Fukuryu Maru), the fishing trawler that was showered with nuclear fallout from the "Castle Bravo" hydrogen bomb test at Bikini Atoll. It was interesting that the bomb was three times more powerful than predicted by U.S. authorities. The documentary also touched on the Fukushima nuclear meltdown following the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Before viewing the interviews with Akira Takarada and Haruo Nakajima, I watched the original Japanese trailer.

On Akira Takarada, it was interesting to hear of his experience in making the movie (Godzilla was his third movie). He stated that in 1954, Japan had a population of 88 million. About 11% of the 88 million went to see Godzilla during its initial release, he said. He also calls Godzilla his "classmate."

For me, the most interesting tidbit from Haruo Nakajima was that he'd go to theaters and turn his back to the screen to observe the audience reaction to what's being shown.

These were all the time I had for. There's other goodies to feast your eyes and ears upon: Interviews with special effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai and an interview with Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube. If the ones I did manage to view are an indication, then the remaining extras should be just as good.

There's one extra I wished was included: "The Spirit of Godzilla" documentary that appeared in the Toho deluxe edition of Godzilla Final Wars. A subtitled version of Spirit would have been the icing on the cake!

Kaiju historian David Kalat provided his insights in the commentary tracks for both versions of Godzilla.

My grade for the extras I was able to view: A.

*Information on the Lucky Dragon No. 5 (Daigo Fukuryu Maru) and how to visit it can be found in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Karlos Borloff On The Loose In L.A.

Above, Karlos Borloff (Jerry Moore) gets a chest exam from Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Karlos Borloff, in the guise of mild-mannered Jerry Moore, the host of horror and rock 'n roll show Monster Madhouse, is in Los Angeles this week.

I just got off the phone with Jerry and he has some big plans for Monster Madhouse, as well as some other projects that he is in L.A. for.

We will be meeting up later this week to talk "some serious bizz-ness" about Japan and monster movies.

Jerry and the Monster Madhouse gang made a promo video on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan, for which I am eternally grateful!

Here it is:

Message From Sonoe Nakajima

Haruo Nakajima's daughter Sonoe received the birthday greetings and sent along this message and photo:

Happy New Year.

Thank you for father's message on the birthday.

Thanks For Your Nakajima Birthday Greetings

Above, Haruo Nakajima in 2008. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thanks to all who've posted your birthday greetings for Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima.

I've sent them on to his daughter Sonoe a few minutes ago as it is December 31 in Japan and his birthday is the next day.

It is not too late to post your greetings if you haven't done so already. I will keep passing them on to Sonoe.

Thanks again!

"GMK" In Japan

Ten years ago (on December 15, 2001, to be exact), Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-out Attack opened in theaters throughout Japan.

The movie was "unveiled" at the 2001 Tokyo International Film Festival the previous month in Orchard Hall at the Bunkamura in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Above, Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima is flanked by Richard Pusateri (left) and Armand at the 2001 Tokyo International Film Festival. Photo courtesy of Richard Pusateri.

My old computer took it upon itself to celebrate the anniversary on its own: it started up the old GMK "Battle on Fire" screensaver. I thought it was gone from the hard drive ages ago.

Haruo Nakajima Turns 83 On January 1

Above, Haruo Nakajima poses with model Miki Hayashi at this year's Monsterpalooza in Burbank.

January 1, 2012 will mark a new year and, most importantly, the 83rd birthday of Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima.

He was the man in the Godzilla suits starting with the first movie in 1954 to Godzilla vs. Gigan.

Above, Haruo Nakajima takes a break during the filming of "Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster."

It has been an annual tradition for the past several years to have fans of Mr. Nakajima post their birthday greetings on this blog and I, in turn, will pass them on to him through his daughter Sonoe.

So, starting now, you may post on this blog post's comments section below your birthday greetings to Mr. Nakajima.

Publisher Seeks Celeb Help To Revive Japan Tourism

An interesting article captured my attention on Kyodo News.

In, the article states:

After the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami put on hold publisher Yasuko Suzuki's plan to launch a free English magazine introducing Japanese culture and travel information to foreign visitors, the next idea that occurred to her was to turn to celebrities known to be fans of Japan for help.

With a sharp decline in the number of Japan-bound foreign tourists after the disaster that triggered the Fukushima nuclear crisis, Suzuki and her staff randomly e-mailed more than 300 cultural figures abroad to seek their help in reviving tourism and 41 of them offered to cooperate, listing what they would recommend to travelers to Japan.

According to the article, several celebrities have responded to her request. Japan has a number of its own celebrities known to American movie fans who would be more (in my view) persuasive to potential tourists (Haruo "Godzilla" Nakajima is one).

To read the full article, go here.

First Japan Trip: 10th Anniversary

Above, Armand with the Godzilla statue in Hibiya. Photo courtesy of Richard Pusateri.

Ten years ago this coming Halloween (October 31), I arrived at the United Airlines Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) terminal for my first trip to Japan. Up to that point, my only "foreign" travels consisted of automotive crossings of the Canadian and Mexican borders from the United States.

October 31 of 2001 was an uneasy time. The September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. were still fresh in peoples' minds. The National Guard posted armed (some say the rifles weren't loaded) guardsmen in airport terminals around the country. LAX was no exception. Security was (and still is) extremely tight at airports.

Above, Richard and Armand with Haruo Nakajima at the Tokyo International Film Festival. Photo courtesy of Richard Pusateri.

But, I wasn't about to let this heightened security stop me from making my first overseas visit to another country, even though my mother really didn't want me to go. As Japan is 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles time, I arrived at Narita Airport on November 1 (the International Dateline is crossed in the mid-Pacific).

The year before, fellow G-fan Richard Pusateri took a trip to Japan to see Godzilla x Megaguirus. After hearing his tales of adventure and grand time he had upon his return, I got the urge to go to Japan myself. Luckily, I was working as a temp at a Farmers Insurance claims office and security patrol at the time, so I was able to afford a Japan trip. All I had to do was to get a U.S. Passport, plane ticket and hotel reservations. In rapid order, all were obtained.


The 2001 Tokyo International Film Festival was featuring the premiere of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-out Attack on November 3. So, I decided to time my visit for that. As it happened, Richard was also planning to attend and we met several times at Chili My Soul in Encino to plan the trip. At least I would know somebody while there (other familiar names and faces were also there, it turned out).

Since I was writing for G-FAN at the time, I was also able to obtain a press pass for the Godzilla screening. This allowed me access to the stage for the pre-movie festivities (below).


Following the movie, Richard and I rubbed shoulders with Haruo Nakajima, Hideyo Amamoto, Shogo Tomiyama and others.

Above, Godzilla prop at Toho Studios. Mothra rests nearby on a shelf. Photo courtesy of Richard Pusateri.

I was invited to take a V.I.P. tour at Toho Studios while in Japan and was able to invite Richard along. Fortunately, 2001 wasn't 2005, when Toho began demolishing the big pool and several of their old sound stages and facilities, so we were able to see the studio as it was when Eiji Tsuburaya and Ishiro Honda were making movies. One of the things we were greatly impressed with was Toho's old snack bar. It was like stepping back 40+ years in time. Unfortunately, the snack bar is now history. We were shown the studio by Executive Producer Shogo Tomiyama, spfx director Koichi Kawakita and Shozo Watanabe of Toho International following lunch in Hibiya.

For my first visit to Japan, I decided to stay at a ryokan (Japanese inn) to see what it would be like. It was an enjoyable experience (plus the room was cheaper in price). The ryokan was the Hotel Fukudaya in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo. The Tokyo International Film Festival would be screening the Godzilla movie at Orchard Hall in the Bunkamura in Shibuya, within walking distance.

Above, Godzilla entertains attendees of the film festival. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Hotel Fukudaya was also a couple of blocks away from a Denny's Restaurant (it was a surprise seeing Denny's in Japan). While I like Japanese food, I prefer to have a western-style breakfast. Denny's came in handy for that.

Above, Atami, Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My wanderings in Tokyo on that first trip included Ginza, Hibiya, the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower, the National Diet Building, Harajuku, Zojo-ji Temple, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Nakano (where I bought a few things from the Mandarake store). Outside of Tokyo, I visited Atami and some areas near Mt. Fuji. After all, I just had to include some Shinkansen (bullet train) traveling experience on the trip!

I also visited the HMV video and record store in Shibuya to see the Godzilla and Baragon filming suits from GMK on display.

One thing that was not planned was a 24-hour flu bug I caught. Thank goodness it only affected roughtly one day of the trip. Since then, I make sure I take Vitamin C tablets every day for about two weeks before a trip and continue taking them during the trip. (I have been back to Japan five more times and have not gotten sick since I started the Vitamin C regimen. This is a word to the wise!)


Above, with Shogo Tomiyama (far left) and Koichi Kawakita (far right) at Toho Studios. Photo courtesy of Richard Pusateri.

Besides the jaunts around Tokyo, Mt. Fuji and Atami, I attended an after-premiere dinner party at a Chinese restaurant in Nakano that included Kenpachiro Satsuma and Hiroko Sakurai. It was interesting riding shotgun in a taxi on a rainy night as the driver zig-zagged through traffic (Japanese cars have the driver on the right, just as in England) on Tokyo's side streets to get to the dinner party.

Above, the Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This was the trip that started me on the kaiju location article series for G-FAN and, eventually, The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

For me, it was a memorable trip and a highly enjoyable one. I decided then that I would re-visit Japan as often as time (and the ol' wallet) will allow. It is hard to believe that ten years has already passed since this trip. The next time I traveled to Japan was with the first G-TOUR in August 2004. I've returned there four more times (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010).