Nigel Reid with a pamphlet for Godzilla 1985 (1984) in November 2023. Photo © Brett Homenick. Aussie Nigel Reid never dreamed that he would end up in Japan as an actor, performing in a Godzilla movie in front of worldwide audiences, but that's exactly how things worked out. Mr. Reid played the lieutenant commander of … Continue reading THE AUSTRALIAN IN JAPAN WHO STOOD UP TO GODZILLA AND THE YAKUZA! Nigel Reid on Playing a Russian Submarine Officer in ‘Godzilla 1985’ and Beyond!
Sayonara Jupiter
GODZILLA IN FOCUS! Tokusatsu Cinematographer Keiichi Sakurai on Toho’s Biggest Kaiju Movies!
Keiichi Sakurai in April 2022. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on May 9, 1950, Keiichi Sakurai grew up in Hokkaido and became enthralled by tokusatsu movies at a young age. He got his start in special effects as an assistant cameraman apprentice on the Toho TV series Zone Fighter (1973), which eventually led to numerous … Continue reading GODZILLA IN FOCUS! Tokusatsu Cinematographer Keiichi Sakurai on Toho’s Biggest Kaiju Movies!
MAKING MINIATURES IN JAPANESE SFX FILMS! Atsushi Hagiwara on Creating Tokusatsu Models in the 1980s and Beyond!
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!
RISING THROUGH THE TOKUSATSU RANKS! Eiichi Asada Reflects on His Career as an Assistant SFX Director in the 1970s and ’80s!
Eiichi Asada in June 2021. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on March 13, 1949, Eiichi Asada got his start at Toho Studios in the early 1970s as an assistant director, working on such movies as Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975), The War in Space (1977), Deathquake (1980), Sayonara Jupiter (1984), and Godzilla 1985 (1984). In later … Continue reading RISING THROUGH THE TOKUSATSU RANKS! Eiichi Asada Reflects on His Career as an Assistant SFX Director in the 1970s and ’80s!
‘SAYONARA JUPITER,’ HELLO JAPAN! Actor Ron Irwin on His Standout Role in Toho’s Sprawling Sci-Fi Epic!
Sayonara Jupiter was an ambitious, bid-budget special effects extravaganza that Toho released in 1984 in the months leading up to the studio’s 30th anniversary relaunch of its Godzilla series. With amazing SFX directed by Koichi Kawakita, and a production overseen by legendary science fiction novelist Sakyo Komatsu (of Submersion of Japan fame), the film seemed … Continue reading ‘SAYONARA JUPITER,’ HELLO JAPAN! Actor Ron Irwin on His Standout Role in Toho’s Sprawling Sci-Fi Epic!
SAKYO KOMATSU ON SCIENCE FICTION! Japan’s Arthur C. Clarke Discusses His Filmmaking Foray!
Mr. Sakyo Komatsu is often called the Arthur C. Clarke of Japan, and with good reason. He is arguably Japan's best known science fiction writer, and the movie adaptations of his novels are legendary. Films such as Submersion of Japan (both the 1973 and 2006 versions), Espy, Virus (1980), and Tokyo Blackout were based on … Continue reading SAKYO KOMATSU ON SCIENCE FICTION! Japan’s Arthur C. Clarke Discusses His Filmmaking Foray!
DR. WILLEM SAYS ‘SAYONARA’ TO JUPITER! Actress Rachel Huggett Remembers Her Toho Star Turn
Toho’s science fiction film Sayonara Jupiter (1984) was an ambitious attempt by the studio to create an international box-office success on the level of the Star Wars series. Directed by Koji (Godzilla 1985) Hashimoto, as well as author Sakyo Komatsu (often called the Arthur C. Clarke of Japan), the end result was a mixed bag. … Continue reading DR. WILLEM SAYS ‘SAYONARA’ TO JUPITER! Actress Rachel Huggett Remembers Her Toho Star Turn
Vantage Point Interviews 