Atsushi Hagiwara during the making of Sayonara Jupiter. Photo © Atsushi Hagiwara. Atsushi Hagiwara got his start as a tokusatsu modelmaker working on the ambitious Toho production Sayonara Jupiter (1984), which features some of the best special effects in Japanese film history. That experience led to a variety of other film and television projects on … Continue reading MAKING MINIATURES IN JAPANESE SFX FILMS! Atsushi Hagiwara on Creating Tokusatsu Models in the 1980s and Beyond!
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
SYNC OR SWIM! Craig Allen Remembers Dubbing the ’90s Godzilla Films in Hong Kong!
Inside the Shanghai Studio in the 1990s where the Godzilla films were dubbed by Omni Productions. Front row, from left to right: Henry Coombs, Sharon Crose Szmidt, and Ina Chow. Back row, from left to right: Craig Allen and an unidentified individual. Rik Thomas is in the background. Photo © Craig Allen. When Craig Allen … Continue reading SYNC OR SWIM! Craig Allen Remembers Dubbing the ’90s Godzilla Films in Hong Kong!
PRODUCING GODZILLA: Former Toho Pictures President Shogo Tomiyama Reflects on the Godzilla Series!
Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on February 27, 1952, Shogo Tomiyama rose to prominence in the Japanese movie industry by becoming a producer at Toho Pictures. Internationally, Mr. Tomiyama is well-known for producing the Godzilla series from Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) through Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). Mr. Tomiyama officially joined Toho in 1975. After working … Continue reading PRODUCING GODZILLA: Former Toho Pictures President Shogo Tomiyama Reflects on the Godzilla Series!
GODZILLA AND MOTHRA IN THE ’90S! Assistant SFX Director Yosuke Nakano Reminisces About Heisei-Era Kaiju!
Yosuke Nakano (whose professional name is Yo★Nakano) is a veteran of Japanese special effects who has worked on various SFX franchises for a variety of studios. Born on August 8, 1971, Mr. Nakano graduated from high school in Fukuoka in 1989 and enrolled at the special effects department of Tokyo Eizo Geijutsu Gakuin (Tokyo Institute of … Continue reading GODZILLA AND MOTHRA IN THE ’90S! Assistant SFX Director Yosuke Nakano Reminisces About Heisei-Era Kaiju!
LEO MENEGHETTI REMEMBERED: A Personal Reminiscence of One of the Godzilla Series’ Most Memorable Americans
One of the most memorable characters from the popular Heisei Godzilla series entry Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) is Dr. Asimov, who in many ways steals the show from his Japanese counterparts. But the man behind the character has remained quite elusive -- until now. Joseph Leo Meneghetti was born in Texas on September 28, 1943. Standing 6’5” … Continue reading LEO MENEGHETTI REMEMBERED: A Personal Reminiscence of One of the Godzilla Series’ Most Memorable Americans
A CANADIAN ACTRESS IN TOKYO! Shelley Sweeney Discusses Her Career in Godzilla!
Shelley Sweeney, born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, lived for many years in the small town of Kelowna, British Columbia, in the Okanagan Valley, an area of the Rocky Mountains. After being scouted and signing a modeling contract in Japan, she moved to London, England, where she attended the Corona School, a drama academy for young … Continue reading A CANADIAN ACTRESS IN TOKYO! Shelley Sweeney Discusses Her Career in Godzilla!
KAIJU MEET THEIR MAKER! Shinichi Wakasa on His Monster-Making Career!
Shinichi Wakasa is arguably Japan’s leading kaiju suit builder. Having worked on a myriad of tokusatsu projects, ranging from Ultraman 80 (1980-81) to Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), Mr. Wakasa has always combined hard work with his incredible imagination to create some of the big screen’s greatest monsters. Brett Homenick was privileged to ask Mr. Wakasa questions … Continue reading KAIJU MEET THEIR MAKER! Shinichi Wakasa on His Monster-Making Career!
THE HEISEI GODZILLA SERIES REVISITED! A Conversation with Actor Andrew Smith!
Andrew Smith (1967-2017) is an American-born actor in Japan who appeared in several Godzilla films during the 1990s. His acting credits include parts in: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), and Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994). Not only has he acted in Godzilla films, but Mr. Smith also wrote … Continue reading THE HEISEI GODZILLA SERIES REVISITED! A Conversation with Actor Andrew Smith!
GODZILLA’S SCREENWRITER! Wataru Mimura on His Career Writing for the Big G!
Since the early 1990s, Wataru Mimura has been one of the Godzilla series’ most prolific screenwriters. His first Godzilla film was the landmark Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), which is still a fan favorite to this day. Following that success, Mr. Mimura helped revive the Godzilla franchise with his work on Godzilla 2000 (1999) (with … Continue reading GODZILLA’S SCREENWRITER! Wataru Mimura on His Career Writing for the Big G!
Vantage Point Interviews 