Japan International Airports To See Improved Visitor Services

Above, Narita Airport's arrival lobby.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan is getting even more serious about getting more foreign visitors to the country.

Jiji Press reported:

Tokyo, June 25 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Tourism Agency plans to improve services at international airports in a bid to increase the number of foreign visitors to the country, agency sources said Monday. 

The agency is considering establishing facilities within these airports to comprehensively offer services such as tourism and traffic information, and currency exchanges to foreigners, the sources said.

Above, Narita's train and bus tickets windows.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My experience with Japan's international airports have been pleasant ones.  The workers have been helpful and very courteous.

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan has a big section on the procedures for entering Tokyo's Narita Airport (NRT) from getting a passport to customs and immigration.

To read the full article, go here.

Jack Remembers

It is fun to be involved in a project like the Adventures of Superman plaque project.  What makes it a joy is working with someone who is also enthusiastic.  That certainly is the case here.

Jim Nolt of The Adventures Continue, reported that he spoke with Jack "Jimmy Olsen" Larson about the plaque project (that will commemorate "The Man Who Could Read Minds" episode of 1953):

I just got off the phone with Jack about 20 minutes ago. He remembers that location well and will surely be there when we dedicate the spot. Yea!

It should be an interesting plaque dedication in 2014.  Jack's recollection of the location shoot should include some good stories (including his fight on Wilbur Ave. with "the phantom burglar" shown above).

We'll need to find the "Tip Top Club" for the post-dedication party and have Jack re-enact his tango!

Super Day!

Today has been an interesting, but productive one.

It started off with paying a call to the property owner of where we hope to place a commemorative plaque in 2014 honoring the Adventures of Superman.  He could not have been nicer and is excited over the plaque/marker project.

Next, the fun part was notifying Jim Nolt of The Adventures Continue website on the above and spreading the word around the Internet.  Now he's excited!

I also discovered today that actress Noel Neill has moved to Metropolis.  Metropolis, Illinois that is!

The icing on the cake was more orders arrived over at ComiXpress.com for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

I could use more days like this!

Superman Supersite Picks Up Plaque Story

Good news travels fast!

The Superman Super Site website has posted an article on the planned plaque in Tarzana, California commemorating the location shoot for the 1953 Adventures of Superman episode, "The Man Who Could Read Minds."

To read the article, go here.

Superman Plaque Project Progressing

Things are moving pretty fast and productive with the Adventures of Superman historical marker/plaque project.

Plans are taking shape to celebrate the 100th anniversary of George Reeves's birth in 2014 and part of the celebration is to dedicate a plaque at the spot of a location shoot for the 1953 episode, "The Man Who Could Read Minds."

Today, I am pleased to report that I obtained the verbal okay from the property owner of the house where the stake-out for The Phantom Burglar was set up to place the marker/plaque on his property in Tarzana, California (above photos).  We will formalize this later.

The plaque dedication will take place in August 2014.  The actual date will be on or about August 16.

Besides this, what remains to be done is to set the dedication date, raise the funds to have the plaque made and make it, and organize the dedication ceremony.  Jack Larson has already indicated that he will participate in our celebration events as will Beverly Washburn.

We will solicit contributions for the making of the plaque from the fans.  Details will follow on how much we'll need to get it made once a design and cost are determined.

Since the Hollywood Walk of Fame now charges $30,000 for each star, having a marker in this manner is a lot more cost-effective.  The marker/plaque's text will name the show's actors.  I am also planning to work in Phyllis Coates into the text as she was the first season's Lois Lane.

This is like old times!  11 years ago, I worked with The Adventures Continue editor and publisher Jim Nolt on "Superman Week" at the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.  Now we've teamed up again for this project!  

Tohoku Shinkansen Celebrates 30 Years of Service

The Tohoku Shinkanen (above) is celebrating its 30th anniversary of service in Northeastern Japan.

Kyodo News reported:

TOKYO, June 23, Kyodo
The Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train connecting Tokyo and the northeastern Tohoku region marked 30 years in service on Saturday, with East Japan Railway Co. operating an original Yamabiko train for a commemorative run between Saitama and Iwate prefectures.

The high-speed service began on the 505-kilometer stretch between Omiya Station in Saitama and Morioka Station in Iwate on June 23, 1982, when it was still operated by the publicly owned Japanese National Railways. Construction of the line had begun in 1971.

I rode the Tohoku Shinkansen in April 2006 when I visited Sendai and Matsushima. I caught the train at Tokyo Station and rode it to Sendai Station.  Sendai Station was featured in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) and, more notably, in Gamera 2: Advent of Legion (1996). Sendai Station was the detonation point  for the Legion flower pod that destroyed Sendai.

Sendai Station is spotlighted in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan on page 16.

To read the full Kyodo News article, go here.

Japan's May Tourism Numbers Up 87%

Above, Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There is more good news on the status of Japan's tourism industry.

The Daily Yomiuri reports:

The number of people visiting Japan in May shot up 87 percent from a year before to 669,000, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said. 

The surge reflects a sharp rebound from the fall a year earlier in the wake of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami and the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

To read the full article, go here.

CAROLINE MUNRO: First Lady of Fantasy

A new book on actress Caroline Munro is now out.

CAROLINE MUNRO: First Lady of Fantasy, the new filmography by Robert Michael 'Bobb' Cotter (McFarland, softcover, 178 pages, $45).

From McFarland's website:

About the Book

This filmography (including television and music video appearances) chronicles the career of Caroline Munro, a woman of humble beginnings whose chance entry in a "Face of the Year" photo competition propelled her to international fame as a model and actress, and whose work in genre cinema has won her the well-earned title of "First Lady of Fantasy." It provides complete technical and cast credits for each film, a synopsis, reviews and notes, and a foreword by Caroline Munro. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Munro last April at Monsterpalooza in Burbank.  I had a photo taken with her (below) and obtained her autograph (bottom) on a photo from the 1977 James Bond flick, The Spy Who Loved Me.

Heritage Foundation: The Imperial Presidency

From The Heritage Foundation:

The United States was born when rebellious colonists declared their independence from an imperial ruler who had vastly overstepped his bounds. "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States," they wrote in their Declaration of Independence.

Today's presidency lacks the regal air of George III. But imperialism is back, in a big way.

Last week, the Obama Administration's Department of Homeland Security issued a memorandum instructing U.S. immigration officials to use their "prosecutorial discretion" to create a policy scheme contrary to existing law, designed to implement legislation that Congress hasn't passed.

The President himself has admitted he doesn't have the authority to do this. "The idea of doing things on my own is very tempting, I promise you, not just on immigration reform. But that's not how our system works," he told Hispanic activists last year. "That's not how our democracy functions."

Indeed.

We can now see before us a persistent pattern of disregard for the powers of the legislative branch in favor of administrative decision-making without—and often in spite of—congressional action.  This violates the spirit—and potentially the letter—of the Constitution's separation of the legislative and executive powers of Congress and the President.

Examples abound:

• Even though the Democrat-controlled Senate rejected the President's cap-and-trade plan, his Environmental Protection Agency classified carbon dioxide, the compound that sustains vegetative life, as a pollutant so that it could regulate it under the Clean Air Act.
  
• After the Employee Free Choice Act—designed to bolster labor unions' dwindling membership rolls—was defeated by Congress, the National Labor Relations Board announced a rule that would implement "snap elections" for union representation, limiting employers' abilities to make their case to workers and virtually guaranteeing a higher rate of unionization at the expense of workplace democracy.
  
• After an Internet regulation proposal failed to make it through Congress, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it would regulate the Web anyway, even despite a federal court's ruling that it had no authority to do so.
  
• Although Congress consistently has barred the Department of Education from getting involved in curriculum matters, the Administration has offered waivers for the No Child Left Behind law in exchange for states adopting national education standards, all without congressional authorization.

Likewise, the Administration has often simply refused to enforce laws duly enacted by Congress:

• Since it objects to existing federal immigration laws, the Administration has decided to apply those laws selectively and actively prevent the state (like Arizona) from enforcing those laws themselves.
  
• Rather than push Congress to repeal federal laws against marijuana use, the Department of Justice (DOJ) simply decided it would no longer enforce those laws.
  
• DOJ also has announced that it would stop enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act or defending it from legal challenge rather than seeking legislative recourse.

On Tuesday, the President invoked executive privilege to avoid handing over some 1,300 documents in an ongoing Congressional investigation.  The Supreme Court has held that executive privilege cannot be invoked to shield wrongdoing.  Is that what's happening in this case? "Congress needs to get to the bottom of that question to prevent an illegal invocation of executive privilege and further abuses of power. That will require an index of the withheld documents and an explanation of why each of them is covered by executive privilege—and more," Heritage legal scholar Todd Gaziano writes.

Earlier this year the President crossed the threshold of constitutionality when he gave "recess appointments" to four officials who were subject to Senate confirmation, even though the Senate wasn't in recess. Gaziano wrote at the time that such appointments "would render the Senate's advice and consent role to normal appointments almost meaningless. It is a grave constitutional wrong."

There is no telling where such disregard may go next, but the trend is clear, and it leads further and further away from the constitutional rule of law.

The President has unique and powerful responsibilities in our constitutional system as chief executive officer, head of state, and commander in chief. Those powers do not include the authority to make laws or to decide which laws to enforce and which to ignore. The President - like judges or Members of Congress - takes an oath to uphold the Constitution in carrying out the responsibilities of his office.

Indeed, the President takes a unique oath, pledging he "shall faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States" and "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." We don't need a new Declaration of Independence, but we do need a President who will defend and vigorously exert his or her legitimate powers, recognizing that those powers are not arbitrary or unlimited.

Dr. Matthew Spalding is the Vice President for American Studies and Director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics at The Heritage Foundation. He is also the author of We Still Hold These Truths.

Japan's Tourism Continues To Recover

Above, Tokyo Tower.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

An encouraging report on the recovery of Japan's tourism industry has been posted by TravelDailyNews.asia.

They report:

TOKYO- With Japan’s experiencing a devastating earthquake, tsunami and a nuke catastrophe last year, it was no surprise that tourism collapsed in 2011. Released figures provided by the Ministry of Justice and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) show a decline of 28% last year with total international arrivals to the country back to 6.22 million compared to over eight million in 2010.

Meanwhile, recovery is in full swing. According to estimated figures from the JNTO, markets are bouncing back.

To read the full article, go here.

Tokyo Skytree Draws 5.8 Million In First Month

Above, the Tokyo Skytree under construction in December 2010.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Tokyo Skytree  and the commercial complex connected with it  seems to be exceeding expectations for the number of visitors drawn there.

According to Kyodo News:

Tokyo Skytree, the world's tallest broadcast tower at 634 meters, marked one month Friday since its opening to the public, with its operator putting the number of visitors to a new commercial complex featuring the landmark during the period at more than 5.8 million in total.

Over 400,000 people had gone up to the tower's observation decks by Thursday following its opening on May 22, according to Tobu Tower Skytree Co.

The monthly turnout surpassed the operator's daily projections of 130,000 visitors on weekdays and 200,000 on weekends and holidays, with an official of the operator describing it as "a promising start."

It will be interesting to see if Toho Co., Ltd. decides to produce a 60th anniversary Godzilla movie in 2014 and if they use the Skytree in the movie.

To read the full article, go here.

The Japan Times Book Reviews Listing Page

To get a publication reviewed by a major news outlet does one's heart good.  The Japan Times recently (May 27) published a review of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide to Japan.

The Japan Times is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) English-language daily newspapers in Japan.  I read it daily while at the Hotel Asia Center of Japan in Tokyo during my trips to Japan.

Now, they have a listing page of their recent book reviews (in their online edition) and the travel guide is right smack in the middle of them. To view it, go here.

Heritage Foundation: President Obama's Fast and Furious Scandal Grows

From The Heritage Foundation:

On the night of December 15, 2010, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was shot and killed by an untraceable assault weapon that was deliberately handed to Mexican drug lords by U.S. officials via Operation Fast and Furious. Ever since, the Terry family and Americans across the nation have asked how this could have happened.

And ever since, Attorney General Eric Holder has stonewalled Congress in its attempts to find these answers. Yesterday, President Obama joined this stonewalling effort, asserting executive privilege over many of the documents about the operation that Congress had subpoenaed but still had not received.

Executive privilege is legitimate when properly invoked. But even then, the Supreme Court has maintained that it is not absolute. The Department of Justice (DOJ) must provide a compelling rationale for each assertion. Shielding wrongdoing has never been a qualifying rationale.

Heritage legal expert and former Department of Justice counsel Todd Gaziano explains:

First, the Supreme Court in United States v. Nixon (1974) held that executive privilege cannot be invoked at all if the purpose is to shield wrongdoing. The courts held that [President] Nixon's purported invocation of executive privilege was illegitimate, in part, for that reason. There is reason to suspect that this might be the case in the Fast and Furious cover-up and stonewalling effort. Congress needs to get to the bottom of that question to prevent an illegal invocation of executive privilege and further abuses of power. That will require an index of the withheld documents and an explanation of why each of them is covered by executive privilege—and more.

It is now up to Congress to ascertain the specific reasoning for executive privilege with every withheld document. Even in the unlikely case it is determined that this was a proper invocation of executive privilege, the administration is still not off the hook to inform Congress of what they know.

Gaziano explains further:

[T]he President is required when invoking executive privilege to try to accommodate the other branches' legitimate information needs in some other way. For example, it does not harm executive power for the President to selectively waive executive privilege in most instances, even if it hurts him politically by exposing a terrible policy failure or wrongdoing among his staff. The history of executive–congressional relations is filled with accommodations and waivers of privilege. In contrast to voluntary waivers of privilege, Watergate demonstrates that wrongful invocations of privilege can seriously damage the office of the presidency when Congress and the courts impose new constraints on the President's discretion or power (some rightful and some not).

President Obama now owns the Fast and Furious scandal. It is entirely up to him whether he wants to live up to the transparency promises he made four years ago, or further develop a shroud of secrecy that would make President Richard Nixon blush. If the stonewalling continues, and the privilege is not waived, it will be up to the American people and the media to demand the reasoning for the cover-up.

It is also time for the media to begin responsibly covering this scandal. For more than 16 months, only a handful of reporters have appropriately researched the facts and sought answers. Most members of the national media would not even acknowledge the existence of the scandal. Reportedly, NBC Nightly News ran its first story on the scandal just this past Tuesday.

The national media must now follow the lead of their colleagues CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson or Townhall's Katie Pavlich and investigate the specific facts and details of the operation and administration involvement. Attkisson, as you may remember, was screamed and cussed at by White House spokesman Eric Schultz in October for asking questions about Operation Fast and Furious.

Answers must be demanded. When was the first time President Obama was briefed on this operation? Given his previous conflicting testimony, when in fact did Attorney General Eric Holder become involved? What exactly did he know and when did he know it?

Despite the fact that Mexico was left in the dark by the Obama administration, this was still an international operation. If Secretary of State Hillary Clinton must approve the Keystone pipeline, wouldn't she also be consulted on this cross-border operation?

Liberals will try and pretend this operation that began in mid-2009 is connected to former President George W. Bush's administration. The media should challenge this false assertion. Operation Wide Receiver in 2006 did not remotely resemble Fast and Furious, as National Review's Andrew McCarthy has ably examined. Mexico helped coordinate it, and there was traceable controlled delivery. Even Holder admitted in testimony that you cannot "equate the two."

We will also hear that this is "election-year politics." The problem with that refrain is that this investigation has been ongoing since early 2011, well before campaign season started. It has been Attorney General Holder's evasiveness that has dragged this process closer to Election Day.

If it were not for conservative media outlets, bloggers, a few dogged reporters and the steadfastness of House Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), this troubling scandal would have been buried long ago.

A brave American border agent is dead. At least 200 Mexicans have been slaughtered with these weapons. Drug violence on the border remains unabated. Now, President Obama is attempting to conceal the facts of what happened. This is an opportunity for Congress and the media to demand sunlight.

Vacation Time Is Here; Japan Bargains

Above, the Wako Department Store in Ginza.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Summer is now here and that means that many people are planning their annual vacation trips.

Some will stay close to home and head to their favorite beach, campground or resort.  Others will venture a little further and visit a national park.  Still, others will fly to a foreign country.

As Japan tourism industry is still recovering from last year's devastating earthquake, tsunami and radiation problems, visitors can find many bargains there to lure them. Many stores, hotels, ryokans and attractions have slashed prices to entice foreign travelers.

The best way to find bargains is to search for them via the Internet.  Even in normal times, many hotels discount their rates when reservations are made online.

Japan Airlines (JAL) recently applied to the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to have their international fuel surcharges cut.  No doubt, other carriers will be following suit.

One place for finding bargains is Japan Cheap Travel.com.

Above, the Imperial Palace's Nijubashi Bridge.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Remember, shop around for the best deals!

Diamond Distributors Picks Up "Flights of Fantasy"

"Flights of Fantasy" author Michael J. Hayde has made the following announcement:

My publisher has informed me that Diamond Distributors has picked up FLIGHTS OF FANTASY... so if you don't yet own a copy, look for it at your favorite comic book shop!

"Flights of Fantasy: The Unauthorized but True Story of Radio & TV's Adventures of Superman" is a great book loaded with information on all Superman episodes of radio and television.  This is a must-have book for Superman fans!

 I even get a mention in the book's chapter notes!

Fast and Furious Cover-up!

The Obama Administration is following in the footsteps of the Nixon Administration in covering up the facts over Fast and Furious gunrunning operations in Mexico that resulted in the murder of a border patrol agent and scores of Mexicans.

Fox News reports:

Rep. Darrell Issa pressed ahead with a committee vote Wednesday to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress, despite an 11th-hour move by President Obama to exert executive privilege over the Fast and Furious documents at the heart of the dispute.

The announcement touched off a caustic debate on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that lasted into the afternoon, as Democrats accused Issa of prosecuting a "political witch hunt" and Republicans stepped up their criticism of Holder's "stonewalling" over the Fast and Furious probe. Even for Washington, the tone at the hearing was decidedly bitter and accusatory.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was first informed of the president's decision to exert executive privilege in a letter Wednesday morning, shortly before the contempt vote was scheduled. 

At this point, a contempt vote on Holder is insufficient.  He needs to either resign or be impeached and removed from office.

UPDATE:  The House panel voted 23-17 to charge Holder with contempt of Congress.  Rep. Issa's statement: http://oversight.house.gov/release/issa-statement-on-committee-approval-of-fast-and-furious-contempt-report/

Kaiju Toy-Buying In Tokyo

Above, the entrance to the Broadway Mall in the Nakano section of Tokyo.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the things that attracts fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movies to Japan is to fill in gaps in their collections of character toys and movie memorabilia.

There are two sections of Tokyo that are my favorite sources for collectibles.

The Nakano section of Tokyo is one major source for monster goods.  Near Nakano's JR Chuo Line station (north exit) is the Broadway Mall.  In the mall (in the upper floors) are several stores of Mandarake.  Each store specializes in genre collectibles.  One store would specialize in manga.  Another would specialize in toy collectibles.  I last went there in December 2010 and purchased a porcelain figure of "Nipper," the RCA Victor dog ("His Master's Voice").

Over the years, I've made many purchases of Godzilla and Gamera-related toys at Mandarake.  (See page 26 in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.)

Also, the Broadway Mall (third floor) has another store that specializes in kaiju toys and collectibles, Robot Robot.  Both Robot Robot and Mandarake sell used as well as new toys.

More recently, I found a toy store right on Nakamise Street in Asakusa that sells kaiju collectibles.  And, on a side street off of Nakamise Street, is another toy store where I've purchased kaiju toys.  It is right next door to a McDonalds restaurant (photo below), which makes finding it easy.

The nice thing about purchasing kaiju toys in Japan is that the prices are reasonable, whereas, U.S. importers greatly jack-up the prices.  There are other places in Tokyo where fans can buy collectibles.  Akihabara is a mecca for otaku.

For Ultraman collectibles, the Rox department store in Asakusa is the place to go.  A statue of Ultraman stands at the store's entrance (photo below).

And, in the Setagaya district of Tokyo, Ultraman goods can be found at the Ultraman Shopping District (Ultraman characters adorn storefronts and lamposts). See page 22 of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

For more information on the Broadway Mall, go here.

Superman Location Plaque Proposed

2014 marks the 100th anniversary of Adventures of Superman star George Reeves's birth.

Plans are now underway to celebrate and one of the proposed events is to place a plaque at the location of the stakeout of the Metropolis Police Department (headed by Inspector Henderson (Robert Shayne)) in the 1953 episode, "The Man Who Could Read Minds."

The location is at the intersection of Wilbur and Linnet in Tarzana, California.  The location shoot also featured Clark Kent (George Reeves), Perry White (John Hamilton), Lois Lane (Noel Neill) and Jimmy Olsen (Jack Larson).  They were seeking the capture of "The Phantom Burglar."  The photo above is of the location today with the area for the proposed plaque marked with an oval.

According to Superman historian Michael J. Hayde, the shoot occurred during the week of June 15, 1953. 

For a detailed write-up on this location, go here

Superman and June 16

I was reading an article at the Superman Homepage on "Superman On Television" when the Calendar column on the left edge caught my attention.

For June 16 in Superman history, it was noted that Superman actor George Reeves (above) died of an alleged self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1959.

Also noted for June 16, longtime Superman artist Curt Swan died in 1987.

There's one other item for June 16:  "Traditionally commemorated as the day Krypton was destroyed." That one I wasn't aware of (or I may have long forgotten it).  Interesting.

It also indicates that Kal-El arrived on Earth (traditionally) on June 18.

Airfares To Japan: Beat The L.A. Times A Third Time

Back on June 3, I posted a blog on beating the Los Angeles Times Travel section's best airline fare price of $1,840.00 from Narita (NRT) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

In today's edition, the Times found a slightly better price for a round-trip fare to Tokyo's Narita Airport from Los Angeles International Airport.  Their price today is $1,614.00.  $230.00 less than on June 3.

After seeing this, I perused around and found $760.00 + tax and fuel surcharge for an adult round-trip fare on Singapore Airlines.  Again, I was able to get this fare through GatewayLAX and beat the Times a third time.

Sometimes I wonder if the L.A. Times really tries that hard.

Roadside Kitsch

Above, my mom, daughter and I at Zion National Park in the heartland of roadside kitsch.

The Los Angeles Times Travel section has an interesting article on pre-1975 motels with kitschy signage.

The article involves two friends who took a nine-day roadtrip through the four-corners region of the U.S. (Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado).

Their mission:

Our mission was to find those reminders of classic American road trips before they fade into oblivion. The rule was simple: If it wasn't built before 1975, it wasn't for us. We awarded bonus points (or, in our case, pints) for a place such as the Apache, which had the right mix of retro aesthetics, character and rundown charm, plus a dash of celebrity. (John Wayne and John Ford often stayed at the Apache while filming in the area.)

To read the article, go here.

For more on classic kitsch, go to Roadside Americana.  Check it out!

Ray Harryhausen Honored at American Cinemateque

Science-fiction writing icon Ray Bradbury recently passed away at age 91.  He was a good friend of stop-motion genius Ray Harryhausen.  Back in 2002, I attended a tribute program for Harryhausen at the American Cinemateque in Hollywood.  Bradbury was also in attendance along with the late Forrest J. Ackerman.  Here's the write-up on the event I wrote back then:

Above, Ray Harryhausen takes questions from the audience.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the true pioneers and innovators of special effects, Ray Harryhausen, was feted with a special program December 5, 2002 by the American Cinemateque at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood called, "A One-Night Tribute To Ray Harryhausen In Person!"

The theater was a sell-out as Harryhausen was honored by fans and notables in the industry.  Plus, Harryhausen's "The Tortoise and the Hare" was premiered after being completed recently with the help of animators Mark Caballero and Seamus Walsh.  "Tortoise" was started in 1952 by Harryhausen as part of his series of animated stop-motion Aesop Fables (in his garage), but was set aside for 50 years as Harryhausen became busy with other projects, including "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms."   "Tortoise" will be shown at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival.

Also shown was another fable, "The Story of King Midas,"  and newly-restored and struck prints of "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" (1974) with John Phillip Law and Caroline Munro and "Mysterious Island" (1961) with Herbert Lom, Michael Craig and Joan Greenwood.  Special kudos to Columbia Pictures for these restorations.  Several props from "Tortoise" were on display in the Egyptian's lobby.

In attendance were science-fiction author Ray Bradbury, announcer and former Laugh-In regular Gary Owens (who also did the narration of "The Tortoise and the Hare"), Forrest J. Ackerman (looking frail after his recent illness, but game) and "Golden Voyage of Sinbad" director Gordon Hessler.  Sony Entertainment's Michael Schlesinger and kaiju fans Dave Chappel and Richard Pusateri also attended.

Harryhausen was joined on-stage by Caballero and Walsh for a brief question & answer session following the two fable films and they discussed the history of "The Tortoise and the Hare" and how they completed the film.  Harryhausen was asked his opinion of today's computer-generated special efftcts and he expressed the view that while fimmakers can do many realistic things with it, his style of stop-motion animation adds more to the "fantasy" of the films that he made.

Turner Broadcasting taped the program for later showings on the Turner Classic Films cable channel. 

Harryhausen's inspiration for his career in stop-motion special effects was the landmark classic, "King Kong" (1933).  Harryhausen was taken to Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood by his aunt to see "King Kong," and he hasn't been the same since.  Ironically, the inspiration for Tomoyuki Tanaka's "Gojira" was "King Kong," and also Harryhausen's own "Beast From 20,000 Fathoms."  Harryhausen later teamed up with Kong's creator, Willis O'Brien for "Mighty Joe Young" (1949).  It has been said that Harryhausen has looked at "Gojira" with disdain.  One of our group was thinking about asking what he thought of Godzilla, but wisely didn't. 

Animator Caballero described their first meeting with Harryhausen in Animation Magazine, "He was waiting at the hotel, and we had our two crappy little movies.  We were like, 'There's no way he's gonna like these' because they were all cartoony and rubber hose and stuff."  But he was into it and saw our enthusiasm."  But Harryhausen stated (in Animation Magazine), "These two young men did an excellent job [on "Tortoise"].  They're very sensitive to the way I did things in the early primitive days." 

One of the most interesting aspects of completing "Tortoise and the Hare" was that Harryhausen himself did a little puppet-manipulating, which he hasn't done in 20 years since "Clash of the Titans."  Harryhausen retired from filmmaking officially at age 61 following completion of "Clash of the Titans." 

It is nice to see that this giant of special effects is still fondly remembered by fans of science-fiction and fantasy films and be honored while he is still with us.

Obama Defies Congress and Constitution On Immigration Amnesty

Obama vs. The Daily Caller.

It was interesting (and fun) to see President Obama's Rose Garden statement on amnesty for some illegal aliens get marred by The Daily Caller's Neil Munro.

Obama was interrupted during his statement by Munro, who shouted a question on the impact of his new policy on American workers.  Obama refused to answer even after he finished his statement.

Obama lost his cool and was visibly angry.  Some of the mainstream media called Munro's questioning "heckling."

Charles Krauthammer's Reaction.

On the amnesty matter itself, columnist Charles Krauthammer had this reaction:

"Beyond the pandering, beyond the politics, beyond the process — is simple constitutional decency.  This is out-and-out lawlessness. You had a clip of the president himself say months ago ‘I cannot do this on my own because there are laws on the books.’ Well, I have news for president — the laws remain on the books. They haven’t changed."

Only a dictator would act as Obama does.

El Rushbo.


Rush Limbaugh had this reaction (read more here):

I have a name for this new Obama immigration policy. In case you haven't heard, folks, very quickly. The regime today told the border agents: "If you catch young illegals, let 'em go and grant 'em work permits."  No more deportation of illegal immigrants.  They are to be given work permits and they can stay in the country.  So what this is is "Catch, Release, Vote."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/06/15/munro-obama-ignores-questions-about-controversial-de-facto-amnesty-decision/#ixzz1xvTxaQdJ and http://dailycaller.com/2012/06/15/krauthammer-new-obama-immigration-policy-out-and-out-lawlessness-video/

Monster Japan Travel Guide Review In "Tony Isabella's Bloggy Thing"

Above, Yuu Asakura with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan."  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As mentioned previously, writer and columnist (of the comic book industry) Tony Isabella has a regular column in the Comics Buyer's Guide called "Tony's Tips."  He currently has his review on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan in the July issue (# 1691).

Tony also has his own blog (I have it linked in my list of recommended blogs) called "Tony Isabella's Bloggy Thing."

Today, he has posted the section containing his review of the travel guide under the title of "Manga and Monsters."   He is an admitted kaiju fan, by the way.

Tony is a talented writer and, as of late, very under-utilized. It may be due to politics or, perhaps, comic book companies seem to feel that anyone over a certain age cannot write a good, compelling super-hero story.  Tony isn't that old either (well, he is just a few years older than me) and has many more years of great writing in him.   Besides, being an older writer provides more knowledge and life experiences to tap into that can be incorporated into stories.

Since Tony is a kaiju fan, it would be interesting (and cool) to see him tackle a Godzilla story (IDW, are you listening?).

To view his "bloggy thing" article, go here.

Hal Roach Studios Stationery

Chuck Harter, one of the authors of a new biography/filmography of comedian Harry Langdon, sent over this sample of movie studio history:

It is stationery from Hal Roach Studios of Culver City, California.  This sample is circa 1931-1932.  The Roach Studios produced the Laurel & Hardy, Our Gang, Thelma Todd-Zasu Pitts and Charley Chase comedy shorts.

I met Hal Roach back in the 1980s at a Sons of the Desert banquet in Studio City.  He also signed my dinner program.

Thanks to Chuck Harter for sharing this piece of movie studio history!

"Space Battleship Yamato" In New York

During my December 2010 trip to Japan,  I was able to see Space Battleship Yamato in Tokyo at the Toho Cinemas Nichigeki in the Yurakucho Mullion Building (above photo).

You won't have to travel that far next month as it will be the closing feature at the Japan Society's Japan Cuts 2012 Film Festival on July 28 at 9:00 PM in New York.

The landmark 1974 animated series Space Battleship Yamato finally gets a live-action treatment from director Takashi Yamazaki! In the year 2199, earth has become a wasteland after five years of radiation attacks from an unseen alien enemy called the Gamilons. One of the survivors is Kodai Susumu (Kimura Takuya), who picks up a mysterious device one day while hunting for scrap metal. After discovering a map to a planet inside the device, the military sends out its last battleship--the Yamato-- in the hopes that it'll be the key to save humanity. Kodai joins the Yamato crew and quickly proves to be a worthy team member. With only a year left before the end of earth, what will the Yamato crew find at the end of their long and perilous journey? One of the highest-grossing Japanese films of all time, Space Battleship Yamato is a sci-fi spectacular for audiences of all ages. 

Japan. 2010. 137 min., 35mm, in Japanese with English subtitles. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki. With Takuya Kimura, Meisa Kuroki, Toshiro Yanagiba.

For ticket information, go here.

Allvoices.com Picks Up Japan Times Review of "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan"

Above, Miki Hayashi with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan."  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Allvoices.com has picked up The Japan Times' review of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Allvoices.com is:

As the world's premier platform for citizen journalism, Allvoices is committed to delivering a community-driven platform for open, global news and idea exchange.

To view the site, go here.

ANIME EXPO 2012 WELCOMES THE MADHOUSE CREATIVE TEAM OF “CHIHAYAFURU” -- ASAKA MORIO, KUNIHIKO HAMADA, AND TAKUYA TSUNOKI – AS OFFICIAL GUESTS OF HONOR

Source: Anime Expo News Release

LOS ANGELES (June 14, 2012) – Anime Expo (AX), North America’s largest anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture celebration, today announced three members of Madhouse studio’s “CHIHAYAFURU” creative team – Director Asaka Morio, Animation Director Kunihiko Hamada and Animation Producer Takuya Tsunoki – as Official Guests of Honor when it returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 29 – July 2, 2012. 

Asaka Morio joined Madhouse’s creative department after graduating from Osaka Designer’s College.  Morio made his debut as an episode director on the television series “YAWARA! A FASHIONABLE JUDO GIRL!.”  He is the director of “CARD CAPTOR SAKURA,” the highly regarded TV anime series adapted from CLAMP’s popular manga series of the same name.  He has also worked on “POPS”, “MERMAID SCAR”, “GALAXY ANGEL”, “CHOBITS”, “GUNSLIGER GIRL”, “CLAMP IN WONDERLAND”, and “NANA”.  Morio’s most recent directorial work is the critically acclaimed karuta-action series “CHIHAYAFURU”.

During his long tenure at Madhouse, Kunihiko Hamada has contributed to many popular animation series.  He teamed up with Director Morio Asaka on the animation adaption of “CARD CAPTOR SAKURA” (Animation Director), and “NANA” (Character Design & Chief Animation Director).  His other works as Chief Animation Director include, “ULTIMATE SURVIVOR KAIJI,” “MORYO NO HAKO,” “SUMMER WARS.”  Most recently, he joined forces with Morio again to adapt “CHIHAYAFURU” into animation.

Takuya Tsunoki began his career in animation at Madhouse.  As a young producer, he is with the studio today to help it create the future of animation.  Tsunoki has been involved in projects such as “NANA,” “KAIJI ULTIMATE SURVIVOR” and “CASSHERN SINS.”  He is making his debut as a production producer on the critically acclaimed “CHIHAYAFURU.”  Tsunoki is currently preparing an upcoming TV series with the Madhouse production team.

The Madhouse team joins the previously announced Anime Expo 2012 line-up that includes composer Yuki Kajiura/”FictionJunction;” anime-inspired heavy metal band ANIMETAL USA; Culture Japan’s Danny Choo; Fate/Zero” creative team Hikaru Konda, Ei Aoki and Rikiya Koyama; animation director Tatsuo Sato; voice actors Ryo Horikawa, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Jamie Marchi, Monica Rial, Steve Blum, Joel McDonald and Ian Sinclair; Japanese pop star LiSA, Lolita fashion designer Cyril Lumboy, Lolita model Misako Aoki; Tokyo-based Gallery of Fantastic Art and popular cosplayer Jessica Nigri.

About Anime Expo

Now in its 21st year, Anime Expo is North America’s larges celebration of anime, manga and Japanese pop culture. Anime Expo gives fans the rare opportunity to meet and hear from some of the most famous anime, manga, musical, game, and fashion artitsts from Japan. AX 2012 will feature and exciting schedule of exclusive screenings; artists’ panels; live concerts; cosplay; dance parties, karaoke, and video competitions; non-stop video gaming and unsurpassed shopping from more than 3,000 vendors. AX 2012 takes place June 29-July 2, 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. To register or for more information, please visit www.anime-expo.org. Connect with Anime Expo on Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube.

About the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation

The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to popularize and educate the America public about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more popularly known by its entertainment property, Anime Expo®. For more information, please visit www.spja.org.