Don Frye is an accomplished Ultimate Fighter and mixed martial artist who made the transition to movie star with Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), the Big G’s 50th anniversary film. Mr. Frye, as Captain Douglas Gordon, won praise even from Final Wars’ harshest critics for his witty one-liners and his commanding screen presence. When it comes … Continue reading CAPTAIN DOUGLAS GORDON REPORTS FOR DUTY! Don Frye on Starring in ‘Godzilla: Final Wars’!
Godzilla
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH ‘GODZILLA’ ’98! SFX Supervisor Guy Himber Reveals the Secrets of the First Americanized ‘Godzilla’!
Creature shop supervisor Guy Himber lived the dream of all Godzilla fans. After growing up as a dedicated G-watcher, he became deeply involved in the film industry and ultimately landed a coveted job -- supervising the amazing animatronic effects seen in TriStar's Godzilla (1998). Mr. Himber's other SFX credits include such popular titles as Gremlins … Continue reading BEHIND THE SCENES WITH ‘GODZILLA’ ’98! SFX Supervisor Guy Himber Reveals the Secrets of the First Americanized ‘Godzilla’!
DEFENDING THE EARTH! Actor Jonathan Legg Remembers Shooting ‘Godzilla: Final Wars’!
American-born Jonathan Legg is an actor and model who has worked on both sides of the Pacific. When he lived in Japan, Mr. Legg appeared in Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) as an Earth Defense Force soldier. In 2007, Mr. Legg shared his memories of the shoot with Brett Homenick. Brett Homenick: How did you get involved … Continue reading DEFENDING THE EARTH! Actor Jonathan Legg Remembers Shooting ‘Godzilla: Final Wars’!
JAPAN AND ITS SPECIAL EFFECTS! Oscar Winner Richard Edlund on His Interest in the Land of the Rising Sun and Godzilla!
Richard Edlund is a four-time Academy Award winner (winning for Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Return of the Jedi) who helped revolutionize the area of visual effects in moviemaking. Mr. Edlund's extensive effects credits include such blockbusters as: Poltergeist (1982), Ghostbusters (1984), Die Hard (1988), Batman Returns (1992), … Continue reading JAPAN AND ITS SPECIAL EFFECTS! Oscar Winner Richard Edlund on His Interest in the Land of the Rising Sun and Godzilla!
A BURNING LOVE FOR GODZILLA! Kyle Cooper on Designing the Opening Title Sequence for ‘Godzilla: Final Wars’!
Since the early 1990s, Kyle Cooper has been and remains one of Hollywood’s leading title designers. Mr. Cooper has widely been credited with revitalizing the craft with his main title for the hit movie Se7en in 1995. In the years since then, Mr. Cooper has served as title designer on innumerable motion pictures, such as … Continue reading A BURNING LOVE FOR GODZILLA! Kyle Cooper on Designing the Opening Title Sequence for ‘Godzilla: Final Wars’!
BRINGING A KAIJU CLASSIC TO AMERICA! Writer Paul Mason on the Americanization of ‘King Kong vs. Godzilla’!
Paul Mason poses with his old friend Hachi. Photo © Paul Mason. Early in his career, Paul Mason got a break of monstrous proportions. Hired by producer John Beck to Americanize the Toho classic King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) for theatrical release by Universal-International in 1963, Mr. Mason still has many fond memories of the … Continue reading BRINGING A KAIJU CLASSIC TO AMERICA! Writer Paul Mason on the Americanization of ‘King Kong vs. Godzilla’!
WOMAN FROM THE 23RD CENTURY! Anna Nakagawa on Starring in ‘Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah’!
In 1991, Anna Nakagawa (1965-2014) was a rising actress in Japan. That year, she was asked by Toho Co., Ltd., to star in the studio’s next G-film, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991). Playing the part of Futurian Emmy Kano, Ms. Nakagawa became one of the most popular leading ladies in Western Godzilla fandom. While she … Continue reading WOMAN FROM THE 23RD CENTURY! Anna Nakagawa on Starring in ‘Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah’!
ON DIRECTING GODZILLA AND GAMERA! Shusuke Kaneko on Filmmaking the Kaiju Way!
Shusuke Kaneko is an acclaimed Japanese director who rose to prominence internationally in 1995 with the release of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, a landmark kaiju film that still enjoys tremendous popularity around the world. Mr. Kaneko built on that worldwide success with Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion (1996) and Gamera 3: Revenge of … Continue reading ON DIRECTING GODZILLA AND GAMERA! Shusuke Kaneko on Filmmaking the Kaiju Way!
I WAS A TEENAGE MOVIEMAKER! Donald F. Glut on His Kaiju-Related Projects!
Donald F. Glut has authored such books as The Dinosaur Scrapbook and Classic Movie Monsters and has directed films like Dinosaur Valley Girls (1996) and The Mummy‘s Kiss (2003), but he’s probably best known as an amateur filmmaker from decades past. Of particular note to Vantage Point Interviews readers, he was commissioned by Tsuburaya Productions … Continue reading I WAS A TEENAGE MOVIEMAKER! Donald F. Glut on His Kaiju-Related Projects!
REDESIGNING A LEGEND! William Stout on the Godzilla That Never Was!
William Stout, one of the world’s leading dinosaur and wildlife artists, was tapped in the early 1980s by director Steve Miner to storyboard his proposed film "Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 3-D." His credits in the sci-fi/fantasy genre include Conan the Barbarian (1982), Invaders from Mars (1986), Men in Black (1997), and Disney’s Dinosaur … Continue reading REDESIGNING A LEGEND! William Stout on the Godzilla That Never Was!
Vantage Point Interviews 