Heisei Gamera TV Specials On Youtube

For those who love the Gamera trilogy, youtube member Onyasai21 has uploaded Japanese unsubtitled television specials for each film in parts complete with the commercials they were shown with (David Copperfield is among those advertised). Here is my analysis of the special for "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" which I wrote on Kaiju Galaxy forums:

"And I got to say, the TV special - which I also found ones for G2 and G3 - already on their respective discs - is very revealing. First, it is interesting to see how G1 was promoted just as Gamera's return, while the second film was promoted as the tour de force of the Japanese SFX film, and the third film was like a Japanese "Tranformers".

To be more specific, it is interesting in the little details these things old. For the TV special for GGOTU, you see stuff like the inside of Daiei's production studios (decorated in GGOTU memorabilia), a figure contest for a Marmit figure (they film the winner and a kid crying because he lost), and extra footage from the Yabari International Fantastic Adventure Film Festival. Wanna know something which the ADV disc left out in that footage at the film festival? Acclaimed actress Michelle Yeoh saying how much she liked the film's SFX and how she wished that films made in Hong Kong can reach the same level of technical excellence. Mind blowing stuff in these things!"

Here is the URL to his homepage. Onyasai21also has some other rarities which are worth seeing - not to miss out.

http://www.youtube.com/user/onyasai21

Full Report: Teruyoshi Nakano SFX Film Festival

From December 26, 2009 to January 29, 2010, Japan’s HUMAX CINEMA (the same cinema which in 2009 held a Koichi Kawakita/Heisei Godzilla film festival) is celebrating the SFX films which had one man as their special effects director: Teruyoshi Nakano. Known primarily for his work on the 70’s Godzilla films, Teruyoshi was involved with the series since "Mothra vs. Godzilla". His best work however is in destruction films like "Submersion of Japan" and "War in Space". It is such "destruction" and non-kaiju tokusatsu eiga works that the Humax Cinema is celebrating. Here are the fallowing films which have been showcased so far:

1. Monkey (TV series, SFX director for some episodes)
2. Zoku ningen kakumei (English title unknown to the author)
3. Conflagration
4. Admiral of the Grand Fleet: Isoroku Yamamoto
5. The Secret of the Telegian (NOTE: Nakano-san was only a special effects assistant on this film)
6. Firebird: Daybreak Chapter
7. War In Space
8. Submersion of Japan

To this day, Teruyoshi Nakano keeps active. He has been graced with three award wins: two Japanese awards for best special effects ("The Return of Godzilla" and "Princess of the Moon", Teruyoshi’s final work) and a Mangled Skyscraper award presented by the staff of "G-FAN" magazine. Nakano-san keeps a good life today, occasionaly doing interviews and writing books on his memoirs on the set of many tokusatsu productions.

Teruyoshi Nakano To Be Honored

By the same cinema which lead the 2007 Koichi Kawakita honor. Similar poster and memorabilia produced for the Kawakita festival is to be produced for Nakano-san's. More information to come.

http://www.humax-cinema.co.jp/cinema/special/meigaza/ginza_meigaza4.html

Thanks to Cody Himes for the correction of the "Nakano-san" phrasing (originaly Teruyoshi-san).

AMC and Godzilla

2010 seems to be getting at a good start with Godzilla. A new book in Japan and this year’s Christmas ornament has been revealed. Not to mention the release of Armand Vaquero’s "Monster Movie Fan’s Guide To Japan" and the soon release of a new issue of "Monster Attack Team" fanzine. It seems now that AMC has hopped on the band wagon as well. As number one on their list on "movies that spawned too many sequels", AMC has chosen the Big G of that honor. While I wouldn’t say there have been to many films (28 isn’t that many), it is nice to see the Big G still get recognition. Kudos AMC.

Note, another hint given that I did not record was that the host said that his [Godzilla’s] first film did not become widely available until 2006. Thank god we got Classic Media.

New Find

Well, it is kind of amazing how much Godzilla iconography one can find. I could list all of it that is at my school. This is the newest one: my Physical Fitness book has a picture of two girls checking out the cult movie part of a VHS store. Lo and behold one of the VHS tapes is of the original VHS for "King Kong vs. Godzilla". Check it out here:
http://tohokingdom.com/articles/images/boxart_kkvsg_goodtimes.htm

Very awesome! Especialy with "Grease" also making an apperance. Though check it that it just happens to be an Asian girl who is holding it...

2010 Goji Ornament Revealed

Well, I decided to go over to KaijuHQ since I haven't been there in a while and their most attractive feature is their nice gallery of making of stills. Lo and behold, they have news on the 2010 Godzilla ornament which is a cool embodiment of the Desu-Goji suit. This is a quote from the site:

"From Jeff over at Long Island Treasures...
This year American Greetings / Carlton Cards will again be releasing another Godzilla ornament, this time from 1995's "Godzilla vs. Destroyah". It seems to represent Godzilla stomping his way through Hong Kong in his burning stage, will play Godzilla sound effects, and will light up (assuming the burning patches on Godzilla's skin will glow). This ornament will be available for pre-order in May 2010 and is pictured below."

Thank you KaijuHQ/Jeff of Long Island Treasures. Maybe this Christmas, I will buy all of the ornaments

New Book

I do not know what it is called due to my limited Japanese, but the title seems to be titled "Tokusatsu 魂 ~Toho 特撮奮戦記~". I do not know much more than that. It goes for $24. And again, it seems that someone is happy with Koichi Kawakita's work. The cover is beautiful to say the least.

UPDATE:
My friend KaijuNoMura has posted some information reguarding this publication here:
http://kaijucollector.b1.jcink.com/index.php?showtopic=309&view=findpost&p=3569

UPDATE NO. 2:
Turns out I got two diffrent translations of the title. Both from friends, one is "Koichi Kitagawa, The Spirits of Special Effects, The brave fight of Toho SFX Team" and the other being "Toho Tokusatsu - Tokusatsu Brave(ly) Souls". Take it as you wish.

Gamera Music Videos

Below are the music videos for Bufuku Slump's song "Myth" from "Gamera: Giant Monster Mid-Air Showdown" and Julliana's "Tell Me Once Again" from the masterpiece "Gamera 3: Incomplete Struggle".

West Kenji Model Kit Exhibit

Finaly news is picking up again, and this time I am blogging about something which this blog hasn't covered yet - the model/resin kit industry. In this case, it seems to be that a fan has chosen to show off his collection of model kits, most of them seeming to have come from West Kenji, one of the more popular popular companies which has been producing resin/model kits with high prices (rightfully so). Though the translated version of the original article does mention there may be more figures on display, including some non-West Kenji memorabilia. Links will be at the bottom. The exhibit is open for the next 11 days!

For more about tokusatsu model/resin kits, visit the fallowing links:

http://www.kaijukits.com/

http://kaijucast.com/2009/08/20/08-19-2009-east-west-see-eye-to-eye-for-kaijucast-epsiode-8/

Original Article:
http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/aichi/20100105/CK2010010502000027.html

News From Monster Attack Team

When the news surrounding Godzilla was going slow (and most news reguarding Godzilla in Japanese news is of baseball player Hideki Matsui, who has the nickname "Godzilla"), turns out news from the fandom has arised. Now avaliable is the look of the cover of the new issue of "Monster Attack Team"!

The features include:

The History of Kamen Rider

Working for Ultraman

An exclusive interview with Tak Sakaguchi

The Last Dinosaur Partying Godzilla-style

The Fantastic cinema of Kinji Fukasaku

Japanese monster toy mayhem

Fantastic tokusatsu poster retrospective

Monsters!

Super Heros!

Japanese rock and roll!

So much more!

The source of this information though is the official websites for MAT. Keep going to the official websites for updates. Once everything is in order, you can order your copy of issue 8 off the site and even two back issues! "Monster Attack Team" is a fanzine which started in 1989 and died out in the middle 1990's. But now they are back!

http://monsterattackteam.com/

Also of mention, Godzilla fan and political commentator Armand Vaquer is going to have his book "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" released sometime this month. The exact date is unknown due to some complications. Be looking at Armand's blog for more updates on this exciting publication!