Gamera Day Yesterday

Above, yours truly in line to get into the theater.

Since it was windy outside and that drives my sinuses crazy, I stayed indoors for most of the day.

I decided to revisit Gamera The Brave (2006), a reboot of Daiei/Kadokawa Pictures Gamera character.  I attended the premiere of the movie on April 29, 2006 at the Picadilly Theaters in the Yurikucho Mullion Building in Chiyoda, Tokyo. 

Above, yours truly at the souvenir table in the theater lobby.

Later, when I bought the Japanese DVD of the movie, there was an extra showing the premiere and I was seen waiting to enter and at a souvenir stand in the theater's lobby. I was at the "ripe old age" of 52 at the time. Hard to believe, now that I am 71. Where did the time go?

Above, the JR Central Towers at JR Nagoya Station were
 featured in Gamera The Brave. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In 2014, I planned to visit Nagoya, where much of the action of Gamers The Brave takes place, but a snowstorm caused me to modify my Japan visit. In 2007, while taking a train down to Kyushu, the train stopped at JR Nagoya Station and I got a photo fo the JR Central Towers featured in the movie.

Later, during dinner, I decided to watch Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe (1995). It had been a long time since I watched it as well. A few months before my dad's passing in 1999, I loaned my parents the DVD of it and they both enjoyed it.

Above, the Fukuoka Dome in 2007 was featured in Gamera:
 The Guardian of the Universe. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In 2007, I did pay a visit to the Fukuoka Dome that was featured in Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe during the attempted capture of three Gyaos birds. 

The locations mentioned were covered in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

16 Years Since "Gamera The Brave"

Above, the Yurakucho Mullion Building. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When the news came out overnight that the daikaiju Gamera is returning in Gamera; Rebirth, courtesy of Kadokawa Pictures and Netflix, it reminded me that it has been 16 years since the last Gamera movie was produced.

I planned a trip to Japan in April 2006 and it just so happened that the premiere of Gamera The Brave (a.k.a. Gamera: The Little Braves) would have its premiere at the same time. The premiere was held at the Marunouchi Piccadilly theaters in Tokyo in the Yurakucho Mullion Building. (The Yurakucho Mullion Building was trashed by Godzilla in Return of Godzilla (1984), by the way.)

Above, yours truly at the souvenir table at the Gamera The
 Brave premiere in Tokyo from a Kadokawa DVD video.

That was the Japan trip in which I visited Sendai and Matsushima to see where my dad was briefly stationed before being sent to Korea. 

At the premiere, the stars and director appeared onstage and addressed the audience that included yours truly, following my excursion to Sendai and Matsushima.

Above, Gamera The Brave tickets.

Even though I don't speak Japanese and Gamera The Brave wasn't subtitled, I still enjoyed it. At the time, it was hoped that Gamera The Brave would usher in a new series of Gamera movies, but that didn't happen. 

The following summer, Gamera The Brave was premiered at the Pickwick Theater in Park Ridge, Illinois as part of G-FEST XIII. 

Gamera Is Back and Netflix Got HIm!

It was announced today that the giant fire-breathing turtle Gamera is back!

There hasn't been a Gamera movie produced by Kadokawa since 2006's Gamera The Brave. I was in Japan at the time and attended the premiere.

According to Bloody Disgusting:

Officially announced by Netflix Japan tonight on social media, the kaiju known as Gamera is coming back to life with Gamera: Rebirth, a “new work” that’s coming soon to Netflix!

The project’s official Twitter bio states, “From the Showa era to the Heisei era, the production of the new work “GAMERA -Rebirth” of the giant monster Gamera that has been loved by monster fans all over the world has been decided! Global distribution on Netflix!”

Director Mr. Shusuke Kaneko said in a statement, “When I came up with my own idea for Reiwa Gamera and made a proposal, KADOKAWA has already started a new project, and it’s content that makes me think that’s what happened, so I can expect this too. With that in mind, I would like to support the team from the position of a baseball commentator who has experience as a manager of the Gamera team until they win the championship and pitch again.”

It is not surprising that Kadokawa is getting back into the kaiju game after 16 years with the recent successes of Godzilla in Japan (Shin Godzilla) and in America (Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros. Monsterverse). 

Regardless, it will be nice to have the old fellow back!

To read more, go here.

Here's the teaser trailer:

Japan Cheapo: Guide To Matsushima

Above, a view of Matsushima Bay islets from a tour boat. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thirteen years ago, I took a shinkansen from Tokyo to Sendai so I could visit the area where my dad was briefly stationed before being sent to South Korea during he Korean War. I spent a couple of days wandering around Matsushima and Sendai. After this, I headed back to Tokyo to attend the premiere of Gamera The Brave.

Above, my dad at Matsushima in 1951. 

One of the prized family photos is one of my dad standing in front of the Godaido Temple at Matsushima Bay in his MP uniform. During my visit, I had one of the locals take a similar photo of me.

Above, yours truly in front of Godaido temple in 2006.

During my visit to Matsushima, I took a boat tour of the bay, which included passing around the many tiny islets.

Japan Cheapo has a guide to Matsushima that should prove to be useful for first time visitors.

They begin it with:

A short train ride out of the city of Sendai lies Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture. A small town on an island-dotted bay so beautiful that it rendered famous poet Matsuo Basho speechless. And not much left Basho lost for words: he managed a haiku about this gorgeous place, after all. Four hundred years later, Matsushima has lost none of its charms. Still considered one of the Three Great Views of Japan, the Bay of Pines rewards visitors with temples, bridges, caves and islands, with a view at every turn. In this article we explore the temple complex of Zuiganji, the island of Fukuurajima, and a one or two other drawcards.

To read more, go here. 

It's Been A While

Above, my tickets to the 2006 Tokyo premiere.

Earlier this afternoon, I was rummaging around my collection of music CDs and came across one by singer Mink (stands for Made In Korea) that was part of the soundtrack for 2006's Gamera The Brave.

That was the last Gamera movie made by Kadokawa Pictures (the successor to Daiei). I attended its premiere at the Yurakucho Mullion in Tokyo on April 29, 2006 and wound up in the Japanese DVD in footage from the premiere in the extras. I am seen at the doorway to the theater and later at the souvenir stand (I got my mom a small Gamera plush key ring that now hangs on the rear-view mirror of my RV). It was an enjoyable event as was the movie, even though I don't understand Japanese and there were no subtitles.

Above, Gamera souvenirs for sale at the premiere. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After playing the CD, I decided to pop in the DVD of Gamera The Brave and watched it over dinner, since I haven't watched it in years (I have no idea of when).

It is an enjoyable monster movie with beautiful cinematography and acting. It is a stand-alone film and not a sequel to the Gamera trilogy directed by Shusuke Kaneko of the 1990s. It is really too bad that Kadokawa didn't press on with any sequels to Gamera The Brave. Apparently, the box-office take wasn't sufficient enough to warrant making any more.

Above, at the 2006 Tokyo premiere, from the Japanese DVD.

Anyway, it was enjoyable to watch Gamera The Brave after so many years. It is hard to believe that twelve years have passed since the premiere.

New Gamera Trailers

Above, a scene from Gamera The Brave (2006). Kadokawa Pictures photo.

It has been a bit over nine years since Kadokawa Pictures released Gamera The Brave (2006) (a.k.a. Gamera, The Little Braves) in Japan. I attended its premiere in Tokyo in April 2006. Since then, there's been rumors that the giant turtle/tortoise monster will be returning to the big screens, but nothing came of those rumors.

Until now.

Kadokawa has presented trailers for their latest Gamera movie at the New York Comic Con (Godzilla suit-actors Haruo Nakajima, Kenpachiro Satsuma and Tsutomu Kitagawa are attending) and they were posted yesterday at YouTube. I looked at several trailer postings and have not detected any release date.

Here's the short and long versions:




Like Gamera The Brave, this movie (I am guessing that its title is just Gamera) begins with a Gyaos attack. It does not appear to be a sequel to either 1999's Gamera 3 or Gamera The Brave. It appears to be a stand-alone or the start of a new series of movies (provided this one's a money-maker). Kadokawa is celebrating Gamera's 50th anniversary with this release.

It appears Gamera got his voice back in this one!

Getting Toho Cinemas Discount Tickets

Above, a giant movie poster at the Yurakucho Mullion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There have been three occasions where I screened a movie in Tokyo.

The first time was when Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-out Attack premiered at the 2001 Tokyo International Film Festival at Orchard Hall in Shibuya's Bunkamura. The second time was in 2006 when Gamera The Brave (listed on the ticket as Gamera: The Little Braves) premiered at the Marunouchi Piccadilly Theaters in the Yurakucho Mullion. The third time was also in the Yurakucho Mullion at the Toho Cinemas Nichigeki for Space Battleship Yamato in 2010.

Going to a movie theater is a little different than going to one in the U.S. In Japan, I was able to pick out what seats I wanted and the row and seat number would then be printed on the ticket. I also noticed that ticket prices for movies in Japan were higher than in the U.S., around ¥1,800 (roughly $18.00).

Current ticket prices in the U.S., I've noticed, have also shot up to the $15.00-$18.00 range as well. But, cheaper tickets can be obtained by going to a daytime matinee screening where the prices are cut to about half.

Gaijinpot.com has a new article on getting discounted movie tickets. Their recommended theaters to see Hollywood movies are Toho Cinemas. They prefer Toho's theaters because "the digital picture and sound quality are top notch – so clear and crisp. The seats are clean, well-tiered, and extremely comfortable. Hollywood movies are shown in English with Japanese subtitles, so you don’t need to worry about awkward dubbing."

On getting discounted movie tickets, the article says:

Ticket prices start at 1,800 yen, but there are opportunities each month to watch movies at a discounted rate! The public can watch movies for 1,000 yen every first and fourteenth of each month. Women have additional benefits; every Wednesday is Lady’s Day for 1,000 yen.

To read the full article, with information on ordering tickets online from Toho Cinemas (which is a little tricky as some knowledge of Japanese is necessary), go here.

Bleeding Cool Looks At The Gamera Trilogy of the 1990s

Above, Sendai Station is featured (and blown up by a Legion flower pod) in Gamera 2. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ten more days from now, the new Godzilla epic will be unleashed on theaters across the United States (some lucky countries will have it in theaters a day earlier).

In the meantime, Bleeding Cool takes a look back at Japan's other big-name kaiju, Gamera. They focus in on the "Heisei Trilogy" of movies produced in the 1990s by Daiei and directed by Shusuke Kaneko.

They begin with:

For the fans and pop culture watchers who like to watch these things, the new Godzilla movie is eagerly-awaited, and the studios are taking advantage of this interest by releasing the older movies on remastered Blu-Ray, including the darker, more series movies from the 1990′s. 

There is, however, another Dai Kaiju series that deserves attention, and that is the Gamera Trilogy from the 1990′s. These movies are considered by fans of the genre to be the ones the new Godzilla movie has to beat.

The article has one interesting line:

 What Alan Moore did for Swamp Thing, this trilogy of movies did for a giant flying turtle.

Of the three Shusuke-directed Gamera movies, my favorite is Gamera 2: Advent of Legion. It has plenty of monster action with great special effects by Shinji Higuchi and topped off with an interesting and compelling story.

Above, the tickets to the April 29, 2006 Gamera The Brave premiere in Tokyo.

The article leaves out 2006's Gamera The Brave (also known as Gamera, The Little Braves). It is not part of the Heisei Trilogy and is (at least so far) a stand-alone film. It is a lot better (as a film) than most of the Showa Gamera movies. I attended the 2006 premiere of Gamera The Brave in Tokyo.

To read the full article, go here.

JR Nagoya Station

Above, a view of the JR Nagoya Station Twin Towers from a shinkansen window. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The first look at the Twin Towers of JR Nagoya Station kaiju fans had was probably through Gamera The Brave (2006).

The final battle between Gamera and the monster Zedus took place at the station with Gamera the ultimate victor.

The Japan Times has an interesting article on the Twin Towers of JR Nagoya Station, which seems timely as it is indicated that Kadokawa Pictures is possibly in the planning stages of producing a 50th anniversary Gamera movie.

They begin with:

Of the 193,000 people who pass daily through the main station of Japan’s third city, Nagoya, most are probably unaware they are in a building with no rival in the entire world. The station complex, known as the Twin Towers, is a Guinness World Records holder complete with a plaque proclaiming, “The JR Central Towers is the world’s largest station building, with: 410,000 sq. meters (4,413,000 sq. feet) of floor space and a height of 245 meters (803.8 feet).” 

The cylindrical skyscrapers which soar over the city consist of the 53-story Hotel Tower and the 51-floor Office Tower, which share a common base 15 floors high — with another six floors below ground. The station towers contain gardens, spas, cafes, bars, restaurants, department stores and an international hotel.

JR Nagoya Station and other Nagoya landmarks featured in several kaiju movies are covered on page 40 of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

To read the full article, go here.

Gamera To Return For 50th Anniversary?

Above, yours truly (right, background) at the souvenir stand at the 2006 premiere of Gamera The Brave. Image from the Region 2 DVD.

Ken Hulsey over at Monster Island News reported that Kadokawa Pictures is in the early stages of producing a 50th anniversary Gamera movie.

According to Hulsey's article:

The plans for this new film were revealed recently when the Japanese retailer Amiami listed an advertisement for the upcoming Summer issue of Newtype magazine that has the exclusive scoop on the details. The issue will reportedly contain storyboard images and other pre-production art. Until now a 50th anniversary Gamera film had been speculated but not confirmed.

It would be nice to see a new Gamera movie come out. The last one was in 2006, Gamera The Brave, that fans generally liked, but failed to generate great box office receipts. I attended the April 2006 premiere of Gamera The Brave in Tokyo, which did have a packed theater audience.

Above, the souvenir and actual ticket to the Gamera The Brave premiere.

Will the movie be a continuation of Gamera The Brave, or will it be the beginning of a whole new series (provided it does well in ticket sales) or a stand-alone movie?

To read Ken Hulsey's article, go here.

Nagoya Station

Above, a bullet train's view of the JR Nagoya Station towers. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The JR Nagoya Station is where the final battle between Gamera and Zedus in Gamera The Brave (2006) (also known as Gamera, The Little Braves) took place.

The JR Nagoya Station is comprised of several complexes.

As JapanVisitor.com puts it:

Nagoya Station Meieki 名古屋駅

Nagoya Station (Meieki) is Nagoya's most important station and the area includes the JR Nagoya Station in the JR Central Towers, adjacent to Nagoya Meitetsu Station and Nagoya Kintetsu Station.

This is one of the places I plan on seeing during my trip to Japan next year. I saw the JR Nagoya Station in 2007 while traveling to and from Kyushu, but only from a window of a bullet train.

It is spotlighted in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan on page 40.

Read more: http://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-city-guides/nagoya-station-area-guide-meieki#ixzz2mgiTDsTV

Today In Gamera History...

Above, the tickets for the premiere.

Thanks to a Facebook post by The First Church of Godzilla (Reform) Pastor Tony Isabella, I was reminded that on this date in 2006, Gamera: The Brave premiered in Tokyo.

Above, a large plush Gamera.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The premiere took place at the Piccadilly Theaters in the Yurakucho Mullion Building.

Above, the stars of the movie appear on stage.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I timed my 2006 trip to Tokyo in order to attend the premiere.

"Gamera The Brave" Blu-ray Due Out May 22

Above, Gamera and Zedus locked in battle in Nagoya.

Media Blasters' Blu-ray edition of Gamera The Brave (2006) is set to hit shelves on May 22.

Above, "Gamera The Brave" Japanese poster.

Gamera The Brave is an entertaining movie targeted to the younger set, but it is "adult" enough so that it won't make adult viewers cringe.

For Media Blasters' website, go here.

"Gamera The Brave" Blu-ray Coming

Above, yours truly perusing the souvenir table at the 2006 "Gamera The Brave" Tokyo premiere from the Region 2 DVD.

Media Blasters announced on their Facebook page that they will be putting out a Blu-ray edition of the 2006 feature, Gamera The Brave.

I already have the Kadokawa Japanese Region 2 and the Media Blasters U.S. DVDs, so unless Media Blasters includes extras that their DVD doesn't include, I may pass.

If Media Blasters includes the April 2006 Tokyo premiere, I'll definitely get it.

5 Years Since "Gamera The Brave"

Above, the Tokyo premiere of "Gamera The Brave." I am in the center waiting to get into the theater. This is a screen capture from the Region 2 DVD.

Following the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, my concern and concentration was on Matsushima Bay and Sendai, which were hit hard by the quake and tsunami.

Despite my focus on Sendai and Matsushima, it dawned on me recently that it was five years ago last month that I visited both Sendai and Matsushima Bay in Tohoku. The visit was a highlight of that trip.

Above, at the premiere of "Gamera The Brave," I am at the souvenir table in this screen capture from the Region 2 DVD.

The other highlight of that April 2006 trip to Japan was attending the premiere of Gamera The Brave at the Piccadilly Theaters in the Yurakucho Mullion Building in Tokyo. The Japanese Region 2 DVD has a separate disc containing extras, including the Tokyo premiere. I am in a couple of shots in the premiere footage.

Gamera The Brave was an enjoyable little movie and greatly underrated. It brought Gamera back to his "friend of the children" roots and it was tailored to younger audiences. But it was scripted in such a way that it wouldn't make adult viewers cringe in their seats. It also had good special effects (on a par with Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)). The kid actors did a good job.

The premiere was packed to capacity. Unfortunately, the movie failed to wow them at the box office during its run. Had it been even a modest hit, Kadokawa Pictures would have been able to make sequels. The movie deserved better.

Tokyo Shock released the DVD in the U.S. It is probably now out-of-print. But if one should find a copy, I recommend watching the Japanese language version with English subtitles. The dubbed version is atrocious. At least the viewer is given a choice.

Sure has been a fast five years!

Toho Nichigeki Theater

Above, the original Toho Nichigeki Theater circa 1961. Note the movie marquee on the right and what movie is playing there. (Kudos to John "Dutch" DeSentis for finding this shot!) The Yurakucho Mullion Building (featured in "Return of Godzilla" (1984)) now occupies this site.

In 1954, Godzilla rampaged through Tokyo, including the exclusive shopping district of Ginza.

Oooh, it tickles!

There is a scene in the movie where Godzilla steps on some train tracks. The electrical current courses through his body, causing his tail to wildly whip about until it hits a birthday cake-shaped building. This building was Toho's Nichigeki Theater.

Above, Godzilla approaches the Nichigeki Theater (left).

Above, as Godzilla steps on the train tracks, his tail whips about as the electricity from the tracks course through his body. The Nichigeki Theater is in the background.

Above, the Nichigeki Theater is smashed by Godzilla's tail.

The scene was intended as an "inside joke" for the patrons screening Godzilla (1954) in the very theater that gets smashed in the movie.

The Site Today

Today, the Nichigeki Theater has been replaced by the Yurakucho Mullion Building. There is a Toho Nichigeki Theater inside the the complex, but the current Nichigeki Theater is a multi-screen theater similar to what is found in shopping malls in the U.S. I saw Space Battleship Yamato at the Nichigeki last December.

Also within the complex, is the Picadilly Theaters where Gamera The Brave (2006) was premiered.

Above, the Yurakucho Mullion Building today. The Toho Cinemas Nichigeki multi-plex is housed within.

For more on the Yurakucho Mullion Building and how to get there to see it, see page 28 of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Shibuya HMV Just A Memory

Then...
Above, this view of Shibuya Crossing from April 2006 shows the HMV sign prominently displayed. Photo by Armand Vaquer.


Now...
Above, the HMV sign is gone in this photo of Shibuya Crossing taken in December 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Upon my return from Japan three weeks ago, I posted about some changes I noticed while in Tokyo.

One change I forgot to mention was that the HMV store in Shibuya is gone! According to GaijinPot.com, the store closed its doors last August, citing declining CD sales as more people opt to download music instead of buying CDs. (See HMV Shibuya Closes).


I first stepped foot in the Shibuya HMV store in November 2001 to see and photograph
the Godzilla (left) and Baragon filming suits that were on display from Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (GMK).


Later, in 2006, HMV Shibuya played host to displays of items from Gamera The Brave that were placed throughout the store.

GaijinPot.com summarized it perfectly:

...so for now all we are left with are the memories.

"Destroy All Planets" DVD Controversy - Part II

Avery Guerra, who has been a reliable source for news and behind-the-scenes info on many movie productions, posted this message from Fred Olen Ray at the Monster Zero message board about the Destroy All Planets 2010 DVD controversy:

"I have never been contacted by anyone associated with these films in the ten years we have distributed them except about five years ago when I emailed Daiei to ask about buying rights to the wide screen versions and they told me they didn't own the US rights. Toei likewise denied knowing anything about THE MAGIC SERPENT which we also tried to buy the wide screen rights for at the AFM three years ago.

Otherwise as far as we know there are no rights issues "a'brewing".

The biggest point that everyone is missing is that I only put this out because I was led to believe that the fans wanted it. I had no intention, or desire, to do this, all my usual distribution outlets had turned it down... but I was encouraged by fans to invest in doing the commentary, which we did, but then thought better of putting the show out as it would have to compete with a plethora of other editions.

Continual and repeated emails from fans made me want to offer it to them, but I didn't believe there was enough people really wanting it to do a big run so I went the Amazon.com route so copies would only be created for those who really wanted it... why can't anybody see that I only tried to give them what they kept asking me for? I could give a OH GODZILLA! WHAT TERRIBLE LANGUAGE otherwise... this could have stayed on the shelf for the rest of my life and I wouldn't care. I'm not going to make any real money off the Amazon release, it was done strictly for the fans who asked me for this. It might move a grand total of 25 copies, who knows? Get a life guys, I have bigger and better things to do. The DVD company is my hobby, not my business, I do it for the fans... but probably should have known better.

On different points "Ryan" posted his slander in Amazon's "Customer Review", a section created so that people who have actually bought products on Amazon can view them, then create a review of them. It's not your private flame forum, dude. If this basement dweller doesn't understand the concept of "customer review" then maybe someone should cut him off from a word processor.

Secondly, Copyright registrations begin with the letters PA, not V... don't you kids ever do your homework? The copyright registration the other ignorant guy puts forth is also BS... that's a transfer letter and has nothing to do with registration. Period. He hasn't a clue about copyright laws.

The item you mention is probably a transfer for banking purposes, I don't even need to look at it to know it's not a registration of copyright. Please write 100 times "I will know what I'm talking about before embarrassing myself on-line again".

Third, I'm legally not able to disclose the details of the settlement we made regarding this film and its legal action. However, drop your own dime and search the LA Court records... it's there as far as I know...

After all is said and done DESTROY is already out on 30 different labels and has NEVER been out of print on Retro in almost 10 years... I'd say the horse is out of the barn on this one."

FRED

In response to Ray's comments, August Ragone (who is involved in Shout! Factory's Gamera releases) posted this reply also at Monster Zero:

Avery,

Thanks for posting this. I just want to sort out the facts, and Mr. Ray isn't helping.

Everyone Else,

Since DESTROY ALL PLANETS is not PD, did Mr. Ray get the rights from Kadokawa? The issue is, that he has tried to copyright this as "DESTROY ALL MONSTERS 2010: Special Edition", much like a certain Wade Williams tried to copyright PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. But, unlike PLAN 9, all the Gamera films reverted back to Daiei (owned by Kadokawa).

Something Weird Video were ordered to C&D once the rights to the Mexican Horror films that they planned to release (including the US dubs by K. Gordon Murray) reverted back to the original owners in Mexico via the NAFTA agreement. Another company, Casa Negra, secured the rights and released the original Mexican versions with Subtitles and the English dub option. How is this different?

Now, I'm not posting to bash this release. I'm passing along information and asking questions regarding the relative legality of this release—it doesn't matter that MGM doesn't own the rights anymore to DESTROY ALL PLANETS. The fact of the matter is that they are now in the hands of Kadokawa, despite claims to the contrary. I don't understand how Kadokawa can own this film and how its in the public domain?

"Settlement"? What settlement? So, he has paid someone for the rights to this? MGM has some original elements, but they know that they don't own the rights and that they reverted back to Kadokawa. Also, Mr. Ray's unwillingness to post the proof of licensing or ownership, in his own defense, is also suspect. "Check on your own dime"? Right.

BTW, the interesting thing about Mr. Ray's comment about trying to get the rights to THE MAGIC SERPENT from Toei... I contacted their LA office on the behalf of a friend of mine, a couple of years ago, and they said it was available. Perhaps Ray isn't asking the right people. At the time, Toei wanted about $20k for the North American Home Video license for this film (for five years), and I rather doubt that Retromedia would want to shell that kind of dough out.

I wonder if Ray tried to contact Kadokawa Pictures through their Los Angeles office when he began this project. It would have only taken a simple phone call at the very least. (I even have their number programed into my cell phone.)

He said he sent emails to Daiei five years ago (was he aware that Kadokawa took them over around about that time or earlier and released Gamera The Brave in April 2006?). We all know that emails get lost, deleted (people thinking they're spam and other reasons) and it appears he might've emailed the wrong person. A traditional business letter would have been more appropriate in this instance (but that's just my opinion), sent via registered or certified mail if need be.

For the record, I happen to like Ray's output and have posted articles about his movies my blog and at Monster Island News, so I have nothing against him. In the blog posts on this DVD, I tried to be even-handed (by posting both sides of the matter) and just stuck to the facts as we know them. He can get permission to release the documents giving him the DVD rights from the parties involved. Doing so could possibly put to rest this matter.

It appears something fell though the cracks involving this particular DVD.

"Gamera The Brave" Tokyo Premiere

Above, Gamera and Zedus battle in Nagoya. Photo: Kadokawa Pictures.

As mentioned on a previous blog post, I went to Japan in April 2006 to attend the premiere of Gamera The Brave. I had previously gone to Japan a few months earlier in October 2005. At the time of the premiere, the English title was Gamera: The Little Braves (almost sounds like an Indian monster movie).

On this trip, I first went up to Sendai and Matsushima, Japan to see where my dad was stationed briefly before going over to Korea during the Korean War. Following this, I headed back down to Tokyo for more wandering, meeting actress Shelley Sweeney and, also, for the movie premiere.



The premiere of Gamera The Brave was held at the Picadilly Theaters in the Yurakucho Marion building (above) in-between Hibiya and Ginza. It was a packed house and the audience gave the movie a good reception.

Outside, a full-size juvenile Gamera rested on a flatbed. This prop was used in the movie. Unfortunately, I missed seeing this as it was brought to the front of the Yurakucho Marion buildings after I already entered the complex.

After getting into the theater lobby, I made a bee-line over to the souvenir tables to pick up some items for myself and family members, including the official program.

Above, this screen capture from the Region 2 DVD shows me waiting to get into the theater for the premiere.

In the special edition of Gamera The Brave DVD (Region 2) extras disc, footage from the premiere was included. The DVD shows me waiting outside of the theater lobby and at the souvenir table. The accompanying screen captures are from the DVD.

Above, this screen capture from the Region 2 DVD shows me among other souvenir hunters at the souvenir table.

After getting into the auditorium, the movie was shown. Although it had no English subtitles, the movie played straightforward enough for me to figure out what was going on. It was an enjoyable movie and one that the whole family can enjoy. Although geared more toward kids (unlike the Shusuke Kaneko Gamera trilogy), the story was not sappy to make an adult viewer cringe.

One thing about Japanese premieres, and some regular screenings, they seem to make sure that a free keepsake is given out when the tickets are sold. On this day, a small plastic egg with a hatching Gamera was given.

Following the movie, the stars, director and special effects director came out on stage to greet the audience and talk a little about the movie. After this, Gamera makes his entry (or, rather, a Gamera event suit). After the stars and directors posed for photos with Gamera, the event ended and everyone cleared out of the auditorium to allow for the next screening audience to enter.

Unfortunately, although a very enjoyable movie, it did not fare too well with the Japanese ticket-buying public and no further Gamera movies have been announced. What a shame!

Still, it was worth the experience in going to Japan to attend the premiere.

At the HMV record and video store in Shibuya, items of Gamera The Brave (models and props) were displayed throughout the store.

If a new Godzilla or Gamera movie is ever to be made in the future, you would be doing yourself a big favor in attending. It is an experience one would savor for the rest of their lives.

Retracing Dad's Footsteps In Japan

by Armand Vaquer

As Father's Day is just around the corner this month, I thought I'd post an article on a visit to where my dad was once stationed in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. My dad passed away of cancer on December 15, 1999.

In the early 1950s, my dad was in the 40th Division of the U.S. National Guard in Los Angeles, California. Harry S Truman was president at the time.

When the Korean War broke out in June 1950, under the auspices of the United Nations, my dad's national guard division was called up to active duty and was sent to South Korea.

From Wikipedia:

The conflict arose from the attempts of the two Korean powers to re-unify Korea under their respective governments. The period immediately before the war was marked by escalating border conflicts at the 38th Parallel and attempts to negotiate elections for the entirety of Korea. These negotiations ended when the North Korean Army invaded the South on June 25, 1950. Under the aegis of the United Nations, nations allied with the United States intervened on behalf of South Korea. After rapid advances in a South Korean counterattack, North-allied Chinese forces intervened on behalf of North Korea, shifting the balance of the war and ultimately leading to an armistice that approximately restored the original boundaries between North and South Korea.

My dad, as an activated member of the U.S. Army, was a military policeman (MP) (he had wanted a career as a policeman, but he didn't meet the height requirements of the day). He was first sent to Sendai, Japan. Japan was still an occupied nation at the time of the start of the Korean War, and the U.S. had a big military base in Sendai.

The coastal town of Matsushima is only minutes away from Sendai by train. While stationed in Sendai, he and his army buddies visited surrounding areas, includng Matsushima. The photo below is of my dad in his MP uniform in front of the 400-year-old Godaido temple while on duty. [See note at bottom.]



In April 2006, I took a vacation trip to Japan and some of the places I wanted to see were Sendai and Matsushima. Sendai is a beautiful city whose avenues are tree-lined. I took a Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Sendai. Sendai is about 200 miles north of Tokyo and it took about an hour and a half to get there.

I arrived at Sendai Station (below) and took a taxi to my ryokan (Japanese inn). Sendai's subway system is not as extensive as Tokyo's, so it made a taxi ride necessary.

Above, Sendai Station was featured in "Gamera 2: Advent of Legion."

After settling into my room at the ryokan, I explored around the city of Sendai, which included a visit to the site of Sendai Castle. The next day, I returned to Sendai Station to catch a local commuter train to Matsushima. It took about 25 minutes to get to the station at Matsushima.

Matsushima is a beautiful seaside town with many tiny offshore islands. Visitors can take tour boats to see the islands. Before doing so, I located the Godaido temple that my dad had his photo taken in front of. I had one of the locals take one of me at almost the same spot as the one of my dad (below) fifty-five years earlier.



After this, I took one of the tour boats to see the offshore islands. Immediately after departing the dock, hundreds of seagulls flocked around the boat begging for food (below).

Above, the Matsushima seagulls knew where they can get food.

The tour boat took a meandering tour around the many islands (below). We also passed areas where oysters were being caught. The boat tour was about an hour or so long.



After we got back to the dock, I headed up toward the Zuigan-ji temple. The walkway (below) was beautifully lined with trees.



After returning to my ryokan after the day's excursion, I treated myself to a onsen bath and a sumptious meal that was prepared by the ryokan staff. The next day, I returned to Tokyo for more fun, which included the premiere of Gamera The Brave. I'll write on that in another post in the future.

It was a moving, personal experience to visit a place where my dad was once located about 55 years previously and retrace some of his footsteps. While all my trips to Japan have been enjoyable, this trip has to rank at the top for me.

NOTE (6/4/09): I pulled out the original photo of my dad at Matsushima and he wrote a note on the back that reads:

10/6/51

Took this picture while on duty in Matsushima. The temple in the background is supposed to be 1,000 years old. You can rent the boats for 50 cents, two hours.

The present Godaido temple (in both photos) was built around 1604 as a reconstruction ordered by the Date clan. Prior structures date back to 807 A.D.