Yoshinobu Kaneko in May 2013. Photo © Brett Homenick. Former child actor Yoshinobu Kaneko is best known to Western monster movie fans as the young boy in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) who begs his mother to go see Godzilla, only to be told that they're not going to the zoo. In Japan, however, Mr. … Continue reading GOING TO SEE GODZILLA! Yoshinobu Kaneko Recounts His Experiences as a Young Actor in the Showa Era!
Toei
REVISITING JAPAN’S MASTER MONSTER MAKER! Keizo Murase Answers More Questions About Creating Kaiju!
Keizo Murase (with King Ghidorah) in April 2019. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on October 5, 1935, in Ikeda, Tokachi, Hokkaido (where his family home still is), Keizo Murase is a veteran kaiju suitmaker who began his career at Toho in 1958, leaving an indelible mark on the genre with his work on Varan the … Continue reading REVISITING JAPAN’S MASTER MONSTER MAKER! Keizo Murase Answers More Questions About Creating Kaiju!
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!
GOD WILL UNDERSTAND: Actor Tony Cetera on Performing in Japan
Pennsylvanian Tony Cetera (born on November 9, 1938) came to Japan in the early 1960s to sell American life insurance and American mutual funds to G.I.s on military bases, and before long found himself in demand as an actor in Japanese productions. Mr. Cetera appears as New Guinea researcher Dr. Wilson (who says the line, … Continue reading GOD WILL UNDERSTAND: Actor Tony Cetera on Performing in Japan
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
SHOWA REFLECTIONS! Singer Yumi Mizusawa on Her Days as a Blossoming Actress!
Yumi Mizusawa is an actress-singer who became involved in the entertainment world from a very young age. She entered Toho New Talent's 5th class (with Bibari Maeda) and went on to become a prolific television actress and singer. She starred in the TV series What Is Youth? (1965-66) alongside Toho star Yosuke Natsuki. While her credits … Continue reading SHOWA REFLECTIONS! Singer Yumi Mizusawa on Her Days as a Blossoming Actress!
GAPPA ANGRY! Actor Masanori Machida Remembers Playing Saki in Nikkatsu’s Kaiju Classic!
Born on January 7, 1955, in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Masanori Machida was a child actor who began his career in the early 1960s. During his career as a child actor, Mr. Machida appeared in numerous movies during the 1960s, including (in order of production): Toho’s Aogeba Totoshi (1966), Daiei’s Zatoichi’s Vengeance (1966), Toei’s Abashiri Prison: Duel … Continue reading GAPPA ANGRY! Actor Masanori Machida Remembers Playing Saki in Nikkatsu’s Kaiju Classic!
THE BRAINS BEHIND ‘BRAIN 17’! Michael Part on Americanizing a Japanese Cult Classic!
In the early 1980s, some Japanese TV tokusatsu from the ‘70s found its way to America in an unexpected way. Toei’s Message from Space: Galactic Wars (1978-79) spinoff TV series, as well as Daitetsujin 17 (1977), were edited and dubbed into feature-length movie versions by 3B Productions for American consumption. These shortened versions were released … Continue reading THE BRAINS BEHIND ‘BRAIN 17’! Michael Part on Americanizing a Japanese Cult Classic!
DIVINE REFLECTIONS ON JAPAN! Ann Ault on Her Spiritual Journey through the East and West!
Ann Ault came to Japan in the mid-1960s with her father, Air Force Brigadier General Richard Ault (1917-2009), and it would be this experience that would launch a lifelong career in entertainment. It all started with a role as a nurse in the enduring cult classic The Green Slime (1968). From there, Ms. Ault embarked … Continue reading DIVINE REFLECTIONS ON JAPAN! Ann Ault on Her Spiritual Journey through the East and West!
PRINCESS FROM SPACE! Peggy Lee Brennan on Playing Meia in the Japanese Cult Classic ‘Message from Space’!
Peggy Lee Brennan portrayed the role of Meia in Kinji Fukasaku’s space opera Message from Space (1978) and played it convincingly. She was one of several American actors, including Vic Morrow and Philip Casnoff, to appear in the film, but what hasn’t been known until this time is how that came to be. Born on … Continue reading PRINCESS FROM SPACE! Peggy Lee Brennan on Playing Meia in the Japanese Cult Classic ‘Message from Space’!
Vantage Point Interviews 