Gigi Perreau. In the mid-1970s, Toho Studios released its all-star actioner Conflagration (1975), whose extensive special effects sequences made it a shoo-in for international distribution. Shortly thereafter, Cinema Producers Alliance, Inc., Americanized the Japanese film as High Seas Hijack (1977), starring Peter Graves and Gigi Perreau. Little has been know about the Americanized version since … Continue reading AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY FROM THE CENTER OF TIME TO THE HIGH SEAS! Actress Gigi Perreau on the Americanization of ‘High Seas Hijack’!
Toho
GODZILLA’S MILLENNIUM MAN! Actor Takehiro Murata on His Memorable Roles in the Godzilla Series!
Takehiro Murata in July 2023. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on March 18, 1960, Takehiro Murata became an actor at an early age and would go on to star in movies for some of Japan's most successful directors. In the U.S., Mr. Murata is most famous for his various turns in the Godzilla series. His … Continue reading GODZILLA’S MILLENNIUM MAN! Actor Takehiro Murata on His Memorable Roles in the Godzilla Series!
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!
THE SHOGUN OF ‘SHOGUN’! Director Jerry London Looks Back on Making the Classic Japanese Miniseries!
Director Jerry London poses with a samurai helmet during the making of Shogun. Photo © Jerry London. Shogun is a five-part miniseries that aired on NBC in September 1980. Starring Richard Chamberlain as John Blackthorne, Toshiro Mifune as Toranaga, Frankie Sakai as Yabu, and Yoko Shimada as Mariko, the miniseries earned critical praise and picked … Continue reading THE SHOGUN OF ‘SHOGUN’! Director Jerry London Looks Back on Making the Classic Japanese Miniseries!
AN ACTRESS’ JOURNEY FROM TAKARAZUKA TO TOKUSATSU! Machiko Naka Remembers Her Acting Days at Toho!
Machiko Naka in October 2021. Photo © Brett Homenick. Machiko Naka (October 12, 1936 - March 4, 2023) was an accomplished actress who appeared in many Toho films throughout the years. She was a regular actress in the popular Young Guy series and appeared in such movies as the Crazy Cats romp Las Vegas Free-for-All … Continue reading AN ACTRESS’ JOURNEY FROM TAKARAZUKA TO TOKUSATSU! Machiko Naka Remembers Her Acting Days at Toho!
A CANDID CONVERSATION WITH GODZILLA’S MAKER! Nobuyuki Yasumaru’s Second Interview on His Incredible Suitmaking Career!
Nobuyuki Yasumaru in September 2021. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on January 24, 1935, in Toyama Prefecture, Nobuyuki Yasumaru is a creator of miniatures and monster suits who has worked on some of Toho’s most popular kaiju films. Beginning his career with Toho in the early 1960s, Mr. Yasumaru’s credits include Mothra (1961), King Kong … Continue reading A CANDID CONVERSATION WITH GODZILLA’S MAKER! Nobuyuki Yasumaru’s Second Interview on His Incredible Suitmaking Career!
HONG KONG’S HIDDEN VOICE-ACTING GEM! Linda Masson on Her Dubbing Career in the 1960s and ’70s!
Linda Masson with fellow voice actor Peter Gilchrist during their Hong Kong dubbing days. Photo © Linda Masson. California-born Linda Masson moved to Hong Kong in the early 1960s and quickly joined her then-husband Ted Thomas in the dubbing business at his company, Axis International. Ms. Masson's voice can be heard in a variety of … Continue reading HONG KONG’S HIDDEN VOICE-ACTING GEM! Linda Masson on Her Dubbing Career in the 1960s and ’70s!
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!
BECOMING MIKI SAEGUSA! Godzilla Series Star Megumi Odaka on Her Early Life and Start at Toho!
Megumi Odaka in July 2020. Photo © Brett Homenick. Megumi Odaka is a Japanese actress who accomplished a remarkable and unprecedented feat -- she starred in six consecutive Godzilla movies, playing the same character in each film. That character, the young psychic Miki Saegusa, would go on to become one of the series' most iconic … Continue reading BECOMING MIKI SAEGUSA! Godzilla Series Star Megumi Odaka on Her Early Life and Start at Toho!
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!
Vantage Point Interviews 