First Week In July

The week is ending on a financial high note for me.

First, copies of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan made it to G-FEST XVII and are selling. See report. I had to FedEx them to Chicago as Kevin Ratliff of Monsterland Toys had to depart for Chicago before the original shipment arrived at his home in Kentucky.

Secondly, I've new claim assignments in my adjuster job that were assigned to me yesterday. Those will keep me happily busy.

Those, plus my "parachute" job of patrolling "the wilds of Malibu" are keeping me afloat. (Malibu had a spectacular sunset last evening, too bad I didn't have my camera with me.)

My daughter Amber's car (she calls "Sergio") sprung a cooling system leak that cost $500 to repair. She and I split the cost, but I had to dip into the funds I was holding for Nebraska property taxes that are due in September. Drat!

So far, the summer has been relatively mild temperature-wise. I have to put on a jacket in Malibu about an hour or two after the sun sets and the San Fernando Valley has also seen milder-than-usual (for summer) temperatures. I haven't had the need to turn on the air conditioner, which saves me money on the electric bill.

Finally, you may be wondering who the lady in the autographed photo is. She's Fay McKenzie, who starred in westerns during the 1940s, many with Gene Autry. She also appeared as the upset movie producer's wife in the Peter Sellers classic comedy, The Party (1968). Her son Tom is one of my co-workers out in Malibu and he arranged to have his mom send me an autographed photo. The end of my shift in Malibu is very enjoyable as Tom comes on duty at 11:00 PM and we talk about Hollywood before I head for home. He's got hundreds of stories to tell, most of which are hilarious.

I told Tom that he must be adopted as his mom was so pretty in her starlet years. He got a good laugh out that one. She's now in her 90s, but is doing very well. Tom says she's in better shape than he is, and he's pushing 60. He's also an actor, but has to work security to make ends meet. Acting jobs are hard to come by due to the economy and the studios have cut back.

One of our co-workers looked at the picture and asked, "Which one's your mom?" Yes, I work with a bunch of comedians.

That's it for the week. I should have more weeks like this.

Whew! What A Relief! Monster Japan Travel Guide Makes It To G-FEST And Selling

Above, Yuu Asakura with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." This picture was sent to Monsterland Toys for their table disply. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

What a relief! Monsterland Toys called me this morning and told me the FedEx package with The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan made it to G-FEST yesterday and they're selling! (Actually, I had no doubts about the last part!)

I've asked Kevin Ratliff of Monsterland Toys to send a cell phone photo of is display. I had sent him a large photo of Yuu Asakura (the one at top) so he could use it to help draw attention to The Guide.

Thus far, reports from attendees say that it is a good show. However, dealers aren't too pleased about the set-up for the dealers room and there's major problems concerning parking. This is especially troublesome as many dealers have big trucks or trailers they have to park. There are some indications that either space isn't available or that lots are charging ungodly amounts to park.

Otherwise, the reports out of Chicago are good.

Michelle Trachtenberg All Grown Up

Regular readers know that I am a contributor to the Monster Island News blog.

Ken Hulsey has a profile article on actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy's kid sister on Buffy, The Vampire Slayer.

Today, Michelle is all grown up and fans of Buffy and Michelle will enjoy this profile piece.

To read it, go here.

Topless Mermaid Sighted In Malibu!

The Fourth of July was relatively uneventful at work in Malibu.

But yesterday was a little more interesting.

While locking up and patrolling the clubhouse and pool areas of one of the communities I'm in charge of during the first 20 min. of my shift, I saw a college-age girl swimming underwater in the big swimming pool. I didn't think much about it, but then I noticed something else.

She as swimming topless!

I saw her swim underwater to the opposite end of the pool from where I was. Then, she surfaced and a friend handed her bikini top to her. She immediately put it on while looking at me (looking at her) and smiling.

First time I've seen a topless mermaid live and in-person. I gave one of the owners of the community a good laugh when I related the story to him.

Later that evening, I went to check the shower and sauna rooms of one community. I opened the door to the men's shower/sauna room and there sitting in the sauna with about 3-4 males, was a bikini-clad girl. I motioned "Out!" with my thumb and she complied with no argument.

What a job!

Monster Japan Travel Guide En Route To G-FEST XVII

Above, Yuu Asakura. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A snag occurred when the United States Postal Service didn't deliver the shipment of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan to Kevin Ratliff of Monsterland Toys before he left for G-FEST VII in Chicago.

Along with the shipment of travel guides, Ratliff also didn't receive a shipment of DVDs before departing to Chicago. It appears that the Independence Day holiday caused problems with the mail service.

Fortunately, word got to me soon enough for me to send copies of the travel guide to Kevin's hotel in Rosemont via Federal Express. He'll be receiving them tomorrow.

Therefore, Monsterland Toys, as promised, will have copies available to fans at G-FEST XVII.

Brad Sherman Uses Gestapo Tactics On Opponent At Jewish Temple

An interesting incident happened last night at a townhall meeting with Congressman Brad Sherman.

Mark Reed, Sherman's Republican opponent, was removed from the meeting by security guard thugs and officers of the LAPD.

Mark Reed's campaign issued this press release:

CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE MARK REED REMOVED FROM PUBLIC TOWN HALL WITH INTIMIDATION AND THREATS BY ARMED GUARDS AND LAPD



Northridge, California (July 7, 2010) - Mark Reed, Candidate for Congress in the 27th Congressional District, was in attendance at a public town hall hosted by his opponent, incumbent Congressman Brad Sherman, this evening when private armed security guards escorted Mr. Reed off the property. There LAPD officers waiting on the street threatened to arrest Mr. Reed if he did not immediately enter his vehicle and leave the area. As a constituent of the 27th District, Mr. Reed was within his rights to attend. He was not disruptive.



The meeting was being held at Temple Ramat Zion in Northridge California. It was a public forum open to all constituents of California's 27th Congressional District. The topic of the event was the Middle East, specifically, terrorism, US-Israel relations, and Iran's nuclear weapons program. The town hall was hosted by Congressman Sherman and featured Gil Artzyeli, Deputy Consul General of the State of Israel.



As the event was getting underway, Matt Dababneh, Congressman Sherman's District Director, along with an armed guard and two unarmed security guards, informed Mr. Reed that he could not display a sign on his vehicle. Mr. Reed removed the sign from the premises. The sign was then displayed on a van across the street legally parked on public property.



When Mr. Reed entered the temple, he was confronted by Lane Sherman, the Congressman's mother, who informed him that he was "Not welcome there", that he "should leave", and that he was a "bad man." An insult she repeated multiple times. Mr. Reed notified Mrs. Sherman and other bystanders that he was "there to listen." He also reminded Mrs. Sherman that Congressman Sherman has been "ignoring his requests to debate."



During the event, Mark Reed was quietly listening to the public discourse and comments. He was not disruptive. He did not attempt to engage Mr. Sherman or Mr. Artzyeli in dialogue. He was not campaigning inside the event.



At the end of the public forum, Mr. Reed went outside. Several of his fellow constituents engaged Mr. Reed in discussion about the event and the positions offered by Mr. Sherman. At that time, Frank Guzman, a private security officer employed by the temple from Nastec International Security, asked Mr. Reed to leave. Mr. Guzman was armed. Another armed guard, two unarmed guards, and a woman who claimed to be a staff member of the temple, accompanied Mr. Guzman in his request. When Mr. Reed inquired as to the cause for his ejection, the guard simply replied that it was private property and he had to go. Mr. Reed accommodated the request. The guards escorted him to the street.



When Mr. Reed stepped onto the public street, officers of the LAPD confronted him. The officers informed him that he had to "leave immediately or he would be arrested." When Mr. Reed inquired about the reason for his removal from a public area, the officers only responded with increased threats of arrest. Fearing they would take him into custody, Mr. Reed entered his vehicle and left.





Eyewitness Jack Marino of Burbank said, "Mark was talking to a group of people. Next thing I know, there's a group of people moving Mark down the pathway and out of the temple. I saw the guard and a woman in a blue shirt." When he went into the street, Mr. Marino adds, "I saw Mark's truck, and there were two (police) cruisers there."



Eyewitness David King of North Hills said, "A woman from the temple told Mark he had to leave right away or he would be arrested."



When asked about Mr. Reed's behavior at the event, eyewitness Jay Stern of North Hills said, "From everything that I have seen, if there was a disturbance or a concern, I don't know how Mark got fingered. Because he was standing at the back of the hall. I saw him. He didn't do anything. The next thing I know, he's not there."

If the above account is true and correct, it is interesting that Sherman's office and campaign are employing gestapo tactics (as in Abraham Ribicoff's "Gestapo tactics on the streets of Chicago" line from 1968) on his opponent, especially since the public event was being held at a Jewish temple.

Oh, the irony!

Obama Appoints Marxist As Administrator For Medicare/Medicaid

President Barack Obama is appointing Donald Berwick to be the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator while congress goes into recess.

This recess appointment is causing a furor as Berwick is clearly a radical socialist/Marxist. Berwick made remarks in London at the National Health Service conference on July 1, 2008.

At that conference, Berwick said:

Sick people tend to be poorer and that poor people tend to be sicker and that any health care funding plan that is just equitable, civilized, and humane must, must redistribute wealth from the richer among us to the poorer and the less fortunate. Excellent health care is by definition redistributional. Britain, you chose well.

Remember Obama's "redistribution of wealth" comments to Joe the Plumber back in the 2008 campaign?

He is also an "expert" on rationed healthcare. As Jake Tapper of ABC News pointed out:

In an interview last year with Biotechnology Healthcare, Berwick said society makes decisions about rationing all the time, and that the "decision is not whether or not we will ration care -- the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open. And right now, we are doing it blindly."

How's that hope and change working out for you?

Spotlight On Kyoto Station

Above, Kyoto Station as seen from a window of a shinkansen train car. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Spotlight On Kyoto Station

Category: Japan Travel

by Armand Vaquer

The spectacular battle between Gamera and Irys in Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys (released by ADV as Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris) took place in the cavernous Kyoto Station in Kyoto, Japan.

It is Japan's second largest train station (after Nagoya Station). The station was built to celebrate the 1,200th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto. Kyoto Station opened in 1997. The station's construction cost was $1.25 billion.

Kyoto Station was conceived by architect Hara Hiroshi. The futuristic design was criticized when it was first announced as Kyoto is mainly known for its traditional Japanese architecture. The station is 70 meters high and 470 meters from east to west, with a total floor space of 238,000 square meters.

The enormous size of Kyoto Station's interior was big enough to fit both Gamera and Irys in the movie.

Returning from touring Miyajima Island and Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park, 2004's G-TOUR members were in awe over the massive interior of the station upon entering it.

Kyoto Station is covered in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

For more information and photographs of Kyoto Station, go here.

Monsterland Toys At Monster Bash 2010

Kevin Ratliff at Monsterland Toys took this photo at his booth at the 2010 Monster Bash convention.

Kevin captioned it: "The Vagasky gang..."

You will note a particular item of interest (to me) displayed on the table to the right.

Monster Bash was held last week in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Monsterland Toys will have The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan available in the G-FEST XVII dealers room this coming weekend.

Errands, Etc.

Above, Henry's Farmers Market.

Sometimes it's funny how running errands can turn out unexpectedly good.

Today, I had to go to the Promenade mall in Woodland Hills to pay a department store bill that's due today. I was almost at the mall when someone yelled my name from the street and saw that it was Patti, with whom I worked with at Western General Insurance Co.

We met up at the Promenade's parking lot and caught up on a few things. It's been a while since I've seen her and it was good seeing her again. She works for an insurance company across the street from the Promenade mall, so I gave her one of my business cards and a brochure of the independent adjusting company I work for. Maybe we'll get some business from them. (When I got home, I notified the boss of this little p.r. thing and she'll follow up with Patti in a week or two.)

After paying my bill, I headed to Ventura Blvd. At Ventura Blvd. and Topanga Canyon Blvd. is Henry's Farmers Market. I've never been to Henry's before and a friend, Heather, started working there about a couple of weeks ago. I needed some eggs anyway, so I figured I'd stop in and surprise her. I met Heather out in Malibu a few months ago and we've become good friends.

I was immediately impressed with the store when I walked in. They have a huge stock of produce, meats, dairy and other products. And, their prices were good. I bought a dozen large eggs for $1.19. Not bad!

When I called my boss when I got home, I mentioned Henry's and she said she loves shopping at the nearest one to her (somewhere near Rancho Cucamonga). She said she knows people who would travel 30 miles just to shop at Henry's out there.

When I got to the checkstands, I located Heather at one of them and got in line. She was preoccupied with customers ahead of me, and I stood behind a sign that would block my face from her view. When she finished with the customer just ahead of me, I stepped up and she didn't notice me at first, but she flashed a big smile when she saw me and grabbed my hand.

I told her that the store was very impressive and liked it. Before I left, she said she'd text me later.

If you have a Henry's Farmers Market near you, you should stop in. And, if you shop at the one in Woodland Hills, look up Heather and tell her I sent you!

July 4th In Malibu

Another Fourth of July has come and gone.

I spent the evening/night hours at work in Malibu. I expected the locals in the gated communities to be going completly crazy (from what I was told about past years). Didn't happen.

For the most part, the residents were well-behaved. There was some drinking going on, but there were no incidents in the communities that could be described as major. The girls in the communities were out and about in their bikinis. It is starting to seem that "California Girls" by Katy Perry (below) is becoming an anthem in Malibu.



I did have to eject a pretty bikni-clad lass out of one men's sauna rooms. But that was it.

When night fell, the fireworks displays could be seen originating from 2-3 directions. In the back of my mind, I was concerned that some idiot would set the hills above Malibu afire. Fortunately, no one did.

Traffic wasn't bad. It seemed it was at a typical weekend beach level. Memorial Day weekend was a zoo.

I also spent some time visiting a lady friend at her residence in Zuma Beach. She has a spectacular view of the ocean and beach from her living room window and sliding doors.

Bikinis and fireworks. Who can complain?

More Christine Nguyen Photos

by Armand Vaquer

Photographs Courtesy of Don Glut

To help celebrate Independence Day, here's some more firecracker photos of Christine Nguyen.

Frontline Entertainment's writer/director/producer Donald F. Glut sent over some more photos of Christine Nguyen from their recent photo session for your viewing enjoyment. A couple of them had been posted previously, but these are larger photo files.

Above, this is a new photo of Christine in Don's den.

Above, this shot of Christine and "The Donald" was posted previously, but this is a much larger version.

Above, Christine poses while holding an Apatosaurus bone from Don's collection.

Above, this photo of Christine was posted previously, but this is a larger version.

Above, Christine sports a t-shirt from Chicago's Field Museum, which has one of the most extensive dinosaur fossil collections in the world. This photo should be "PG" enough to post here.

To see his page of collection photographs, some featuring Christine, go here.

Channeling George Reeves

Channeling George Reeves

by Armand Vaquer

One of the qualities that enamoured fans of the Adventures of Superman was George Reeves's way (as Superman or Clark Kent) of speaking to children.

One example came at the end of "The Birthday Letter" in 1951 when Superman speaks to Kathy Williams just before he flies her to the fair. He had a friendly, soothing tone of voice. Many kids growing up during the 1950s looked to him as a "father figure."

Above, from "The Birthday Letter."

Another example came in 1953 when he tied to convince Ann Carson that there's really a Superman in "Around The World With Superman." Again, George used a soothing, friendly tone of voice in speaking to Ann.

Above, George Reeves and Judy Ann Nugent from "Around The World With Superman."

Last night, I had a call to respond to at one of the communities in Malibu that I patrol. The situation was that a nine-year-old girl was screaming for hours, was abusive to her mother and locked herself up in the bathroom. This call came around 11:00 PM.

I arrived at the residence and found the mother to be at her wit's end. She told me that she and her husband are going through a divorce and that there's a restraining order on him as he's abusive. The girl is exhibiting abusive behaviors. As this is a holiday weekend, the mother tried to contact any support agencies, counselors, shelters. Either they were closed for the weekend or they were already booked up.

The mother is 47 (I told her she looked about 35, which brought a smile to her) and is a psychologist. She lamented that her training should have prepared her on how to handle her daughter. I told her as this involves an immediate family member and emotions are involved, that changes the dynamic on this.

In the beginning, the mother was reduced to being an emotional wreck, crying and cowering on the floor. At the time, I thought that she just needed an outlet to unload her troubles. So we started talking about life experiences and dealing with ex-spouses and incorrigible children. Channeling George Reeves, I spoke in a similar, soothing tone. She said that kids are growing up too fast these days and are now engaging in sexual activity at nine years of age. I recounted the story of a couple of months ago of the two sixteen-year-olds I caught in the mens shower/sauna room at one of the communities I patrol. Her mood began to change from utter despair to having a good laugh as I recounted the incident. We talked for almost a half hour. She said, "You have a lot going for you!" I asked, "How so?" She replied, "Because you have heart!"

About twenty minutes into our discussion, the daughter came out of the bathroom and stood on the staircase just inside the entryway of the apartment. Channeling George again, I spoke to her and she was responsive and began smiling. Her mother was amazed as usually the child is afraid of people in uniform. I told her that maybe she senses that I'm just a "harmless little fuzzball" (as Rush Limbaugh describes himself).

I told the girl that we know she's going through a rough time right now, but things will get better soon. I told her that family break-ups are hard on kids. I told her my daughter made it through and just received her Bachelor's in Biology.

I left the mother and daughter in a far better mood than when I arrived. They were smiling and laughing when I left. The call took close to forty minutes to complete, but the goal was to defuse the situation so that the neighbors can sleep in peace.

Thanks to using George's manner in speaking to the mom and her daughter, I think I accomplished my "good deed for the day." Thanks, George!

Happy Birthday, Michelle Branch!

My favorite female singer, Michelle Branch, is celebrating her 27th birthday today.

On Twitter, she made this comment:

Well, I'm 27 today. It's a popular age for musicians to croak so I hope I survive the curse!

I'm pretty sure she will, it really depends upon one's lifestyle.

Happy Birthday, Michelle!

How To Get Rid Of A Dead Dog In New York

A friend of mine just returned from vacationing in Kentucky to visit his son and to meet his son's girlfriend.

Apparently the girlfriend hit it off with my friend and his wife as she told them this story of one of her girlfiends:

My son's girlfriend Jackie told us this story about one of her girlfriends. This girl, Amy, was in New York City for three months working as an intern during college. The girl was fortunate enough to be able to housesit for some family friends who were out of the country. As it happened, the family’s dog, an 80-pound golden retriever, died while she was there, alone. She called the family and told them what happened; they told her to take the dog to the vet. Easier said than done, Amy’s only a 100 pounds, so she put the dog in a garbage bag and then into a suitcase. Wheeled the suitcase out the door, down to the subway and to the station near the vet. Problem was at this station, there were stairs and she couldn’t haul the suitcase up the stairs. But to the rescue came some fellow, who helped her drag the suitcase up the stairs – then knocked her down and took off with the suitcase!

Okay, I don’t know if this story is true, but Jackie says this really did happen to her friend. Personally, I really hope it’s true; I’d have paid money to see the reaction on the guy’s face when he opened the suitcase.

I also hope the story's true.

July Already?!

July already?!

This year seems to be whizzing by at hyper-speed. It all started with my mom's final illness and passing in January and getting The Monster Movie Fan's Guide to Japan launched. It was a slow start due to my mom's passing, but things have picked up and are rolling along quite nicely.

The photo shoot in March with Yuu Asakura was accomplished and was enjoyable. The photos from that shoot have been nice eye-catchers for the Guide. I plan to do a second round of promotional photos this fall. The shoot with Yuu seems to making her a "household name" in kaiju fan circles.

Another shocking death occurred in March, when my friend Mitch's wife Denise died of a blood clot to her lung. She was only 55. We've known her since college.

Things seemed to be getting better when I got re-acquainted and involved with Ally. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a "bum steer" since I found she was weaving a tangled web of lies. I ended that. It's better to find out about things sooner rather than later. The fortunate off-shoot of that was I gained a good circle of friends. So, sometimes there is a silver lining to some dark clouds.

The job in finishing up my mom's estate matters was completed in May. So now, for the first time in my life, I am a "land baron." I have a lot to learn about the agriculture industry. My farm's tenant has been a big help and has been the Buffalo County, Nebraska agriculture agencies and (surprise!) the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.

At least I am getting more insurance claim work these past few months than I did at the final quarter of 2009. My "parachute job" of patrolling Malibu is helping to supplement my income and guarantees that the bills are paid. If the insurance work were more steady and reliable (not sporadic), I'd be able to drop the patrol job. At least I am working in a beautiful area and have had some interesting experiences (as recounted in my Tales of Adventure In Malibu).

Will the second half of 2010 be better? Who's to say? But as far as I am concerned, it couldn't be any worse than the first part of the first half. But, I am expecting it to be much better. While the first half of the year did have its pluses, my mom's unexpected death still cast a major pall over those months.

As soon as I receive the funds, I am immediately making my reservations for a return trip to Japan. This will be the first time in three years since I've set foot there. It will be nice to get back to the Land of the Rising Sun. I can use the R & R and visit with friends there.

Although J. D. Lees and I had a falling-out last December, the Guide will be available at G-FEST XVII next week at Monsterland Toys' booth in the dealers room.

I am also looking forward to a major political shift this coming November when the general elections are held. Conservatives have been winning their primary battles over RINO Republicans. The stimulous/porkulous bills have been failures. Obama has shown he's inept as a leader in his handling of the Gulf oil spill. The economy is either stalled or sinking again. It doesn't look good for the political elites. Once a new congress is installed, maybe the excesses of the past year and a half can be reversed and get this economy moving forward again.

The current news of former Vice President Al Gore's alleged sexual assault on a masseuse is both disgusting and hilarious. He's beyond creepy if the allegations are true. No wonder Tipper left him.

As of now, I am feeling optimistic.

Christine Nguyen At The House of Glut

Above, Christine Nguyen this week at The House of Glut. Photo courtesy of Don Glut.

Producer/director/writer Donald F. Glut of Frontline Entertainment completed a photo shoot of Christine Nguyen this week at his Burbank home, which is also a museum of dinosaur artifacts, science-fiction & horror movie memorabilia and various other interests.

The photo shoot had been delayed due to Christine's busy schedule. This week, she's been at work on "MILF," a comedy from The Asylum.

Above, Christine Nguyen and Don Glut. Photo courtesy of Don Glut.

Christine starred in Glut's The Mummy's Kiss: Second Dynasty in 2006.

Glut has an amazing collection of dino artifacts and movie memorabilia. Whenever he can, he checks out auctions and sales of dino artifacts to add to his collection.

To see his page of collection photographs, some featuring Christine, go here.

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Available At G-FEST XVII!

Attendees for this year's G-FEST XVII in Chicago will be able to pick up a copy of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan at the Monsterland Toys booth in the dealers room.

So be sure to stop by Monsterland Toys and pick up a copy while supplies last!

Above, Yuu Asakura. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Wonder Woman: New Look and Direction

Source: DC Comics' The Source

My mom is probably spinning in her grave.

DC Comics has announced that Wonder Woman has a new look and a new direction:

Starting today, Wonder Woman will appear like you’ve never seen her before.

As you may have seen in THE NEW YORK TIMES, bestselling artist and DC Comics Co-Publisher Jim Lee has redesigned her costume for the modern era, just in time for BABYLON 5 creator and critically acclaimed writer J. Michael Straczynski and artists Don Kramer and Michael Babinski to launch the Amazon Princess into an exciting and epic new era of adventure.

Starting with their story in WONDER WOMAN #600, which is in comic shops today, JMS and Kramer will begin a run that is both forward-looking and true to the legendary character, planting her firmly in the modern era. But enough about what I have to say. Mr. Straczynski took some time out of his schedule to lay out some of his plans for WONDER WOMAN right here on The Source.

My mom was an avid Wonder Woman reader in the 1940s and she occasionally read the comic in the 1960s (the Ross Andru & Mike Esposito years) whenever I bought one.

The general consensus is that this "costume" looks too 1990s. What do you think?

To read the entire article, go here.

Armand's Endorsement Posted At Greg Smith's Campaign Website

Above, Greg, Kelsey and Missey Smith.

Greg Smith, who is the GOP nominee for the Kansas House in District 22, posted my endorsement of his candidacy on his campaign website last month. To see his posting, go here.

Regular Rancho readers will know that Greg is the father of Kelsey Smith, who was kidnapped and murdered three years ago (it's hard to believe that three years has already gone by) just after her high school graduation. Her case caught national attention. Fortunately, her killer was caught and convicted and is now serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole in Kansas.

Kelsey's case also caught my attention since I also have a daughter who wants to be a veterinarian, as Kelsey aspired to be.

I have corresponded with Greg since that time and had followed the trial of Kelsey's killer. Greg impressed me with the way he and his family rallied in the wake of Kelsey's death to turn a horrible, life-changing tragedy into something that will benefit the public good. They formed the Kelsey Smith Foundation whose mission is to educate young women in personal safety.

Also, since that time, Greg has been a tireless advocate in getting the Kelsey Smith Act enacted all around the country. The Act would require cell phone provider companies to fully cooperate with law enforcement in locating missing persons.


Greg and Missey Smith's efforts were recognized last year when they received a FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (above).

Greg is a real go-getter and would be a great asset in the Kansas House. This is one endorsement I was proud to make.

The Case of the Missing DVD

The Case of the Missing DVD

by Armand Vaquer

An alert fan discovered today that the Retromedia DVD, Destroy All Planets 2010 has "mysteriously vanished" from Amazon.com's website.

No doubt this may be due to the issues Ryan Clark and other fans raised pertaining to the rights issue at Amazon.com and several kaiju-oriented message boards.

This is probably a cautionary move on Amazon.com's part until the rights issues are resolved.

UPDATE: The DVD is still being offered at Amazon.com.

FOR THE RECORD: Kaiju historian August Ragone commented on several message boards about the rights issues. I had quoted him as he has the most knowledge on Japanese movie companies, DVD & screening rights and many other facets. As his comments are on several public message boards, I took the liberty in quoting him. Unfortunately, I should have given him a "head's up" first. It was not my intention to box him into the fray which may give someone the impression that this was an "August vs. Retromedia" situation. It wasn't. He also expressed that he'd like to also hear what Carl Craig has to say in his commentary. He was only speaking as a fan and not in any official (or otherwise) capacity with his role in Shout! Factory's Gamera releases. I apologize if that is the impression given.

IN 11 DAYS, MONSTERS WILL ROAM INDIANAPOLIS

Source: Famous Monsters Convention News Release

Here's the latest news about the 2010 Famous Monsters Convention:

IN 11 DAYS, MONSTERS WILL ROAM INDIANAPOLIS

MORE GUESTS ANNOUNCED! SPECIAL UN-AIRED IRWIN ALLEN FILMS TO BE SCREENED! AND A NEW PILOT BEING FILMED RIGHT AT THE FM CON!

Get your tickets online to AVOID THE LINES!

The Famous Monsters Convention arrives in Indianapolis, IN July 9-11, 2010. With only 11 days to go, more guests have been added to the monstrous weekend, and several very special presentations.

But first, we are sad to announce that Lori Cardille (Day of the Dead) will be unable to attend our 2010 show. All of us at FM wish her the best and a very speedy recovery. And now for a barrage of good news, Bela Lugosi, Jr. (Son of Dracula), Kevin Burns (Girls Next Door; The Telling; Biography), Bridget Marquardt (Girls Next Door; The Telling), Nick Carpenter (The Telling), Billy Gram (One for the Fire) and Sal Lizard (I Am Legend; The Box) have been added to our guest list.

Bela Lugosi, Jr., the son of Dracula, played by legend Bela Lugosi, will introduce the new line of Lugosi Wines at the FM Con in the spirit of keeping his father's memory alive. Limited samples will be provided. Kevin Burns (The Girls Next Door, Kendra and Holly's World) is a prolific producer of nearly 600 hours of critically acclaimed and award-winning television. As a studio executive at 20th Century Fox, Burns produced pilots for updated versions of Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel (2002) and Lost in Space, directed by John Woo (2005), both of which will be screened for the convention's attendees. The Telling (2005), intended as an "homage" to several horror anthologies will also be screened at the weekend show, followed by a panel with Burns, writer Joe Lessard, director Nick Carpenter (The Ghost Whisperer, My Name Is Earl), and actor and producer Bridget Marquardt (The Girls Next Door, Bridget's Sexiest Beaches).

Marquardt, who rose to fame as one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends, is a big fan of the genre films and culture and will also be signing complimentary autographs for fans. With her beau, director Nick Carpenter, Marquardt will also be filming her new pilot Just Add Bridget at the FM Con on Friday. The new show will chronicle her adventures as a high-end party planner and designer with Carpenter.

The featurette anthology Monsterama, including a special one dedicated to Basil Gogos will also be screened. A fun-filled tribute to the sci-fi and creature feature movies of yesteryear, Monsterama shows previews of genre movies for the '40s and '50s.


With just about 90 guests attending the return of Famous Monsters Convention, this is one event not to be missed! Purchase your tickets online at www.CaptainCo.com to avoid the long lines and receive early admittance into the monster event of the summer.

"When there's no more room in Hell, the dead will walk Indianapolis."


Famous Monsters Convention
July 9-11, 2010
Wyndham Indianapolis-West Hotel
Indianapolis, Indiana

www.famousmonstersconvention.com

Order Tickets Online

Media Contact:

Famous Monsters of Filmland

P.O. Box 19123

Encino, CA 91416

convention@famousmonsters.com

About Famousmonsters.com

Famousmonsters.com represents the web entity of Famous Monsters of Filmland. Visitors can quickly and easily navigate between op-eds, video, news and reviews from our staff, exclusive interviews and columns from industry insiders and professionals, photo galleries, and much more.

FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND (words and distinctive lettering design) is a registered trademark of Philip Kim. Reproduction or use of the FM name or logo in any manner, including but not limited to internet "tribute" sites without express prior written permission from the trademark owner is strictly prohibited. All contents of website ©2008 Philip Kim. For more information visit: www.famousmonstersoffilmland.com.

Dark Shadows Festival In Burbank

Just got home a while ago and found in the mailbox the mailer from The Dark Shadows Festival about this year's convention in Burbank.

This year's convention, "Dark Shadows In The Sun" will be held July 16, 17 & 18 at the Burbank Airport Marriott (the site for Monsterpalooza). Weekend admission is $30.00 (available until July 10, thereafter at the door only) and they will have a special banquet Sunday, July 18 with Barnabas Collins himself, Jonathan Frid. The cost is $50 and reservations and payment must be received by July 10. Frid's autographed photograph (from the original negative) will be available only to those attending the banquet. The autograph will be personalized.

Also attending this year's show are David Selby, Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott, John Karlen, Marie Wallace, Jerry Lacy, Roger Davis, Kathleen Cody, Robert Rodan, Chris Pennock, Lisa Richards, Jim Storm, Bob Cobert, Sy Tomashoff and Michael Brockman.

For additional information, go to www.darkshadowsfestival.com

Additionally, on Friday, July 16, at 12:30 p.m., Jonathan Frid will be honored with a handprint in cement ceremony at the historic Vista Theater in Hollywood. Following this, House of Dark Shadows (1970) will be screened. Admission to this event is $10.00.

"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.

"Destroy All Planets" Rights Battle Brewing

A new controversy is brewing over whether or not a Gamera DVD being issued by Retromedia is legitimate or not. Cries of "bootleg" are being posted at the Monster Zero message board. Is it?

The movie in question is Retromedia's DVD of Destroy All Planets 2010 which features a commentary by one of the movie's stars, Carl Craig.

At issue is whether Retromedia has the rights to issue the U.S. version of this movie. Shout! Factory is slated to release the same movie (the subtitled Japanese version) in a few months and this is seen by some as a bit of one-upsmanship by Retromedia.

The movie was originally released in 1968 by Daiei, which was bought out by Kadokawa Pictures.

According to August Ragone, noted kaiju film historian and who is involved in the Shout! Factory's Gamera DVDs, posted at the Monster Zero Message Board:

Meanwhile, doing a copyright registration check at the Library of Congress website, shows that Destroy All Planets was re-registered by Orion Pictures (who owned the AIP catalogue at the time). Orion was bought out by MGM, which still has all of the original materials in their vaults. But, a friend at MGM tells me that the rights reverted back to the Japanese owners (vis-a-vis Kadokawa through their ownership of Daiei).

And he adds, "This [the Retromedia DVD] was released under the assumption that it is Public Domain. Kadokawa claims that all the rights to any version of the GAMERA films have reverted back to them."

Fred Olen Ray, who is the owner of Retromedia, said this in a response to Ryan Clark's review post at Amazon.com:

Since this program only became available yesterday it's physically impossible for "Ryan" to have seen it or even have received a copy of the DVD. Your "review" is a lie and obviously fueled by a personal agenda. Retromedia was the first company to ever present the AIP-TV Gamera films to the public on DVD and quickly became the source of material for all the cheap DVD labels that flooded the market afterwards. Retromedia also successfully initiated and won a copyright case based on their release of DESTROY ALL PLANETS, so your claim of illegality is BS as well. This DVD doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't. It's simply the best edition of the AIP-TV version of the film ever released on DVD and it has an actors commentary track with star Carl Craig. That's all it advertises as being and that's what it is. Next time try watching the film first before rendering your "opinion", and if you happen to work for a rival DVD company, I'd have to say I'm disappointed... these kind of smear tactics are nothing less than juvenile.

[Note: Ryan Clark never claimed to have viewed the DVD nor received a copy of it.]

In a comment post at the Classic Horror Film Board, Ragone took note of Ray's assertion of rights with:

Fred Olen Ray (who is Retromedia) has retorted to Ryan's comments on the Amazon page (Ryan is just a fan, and not an employee of Shout!), where Ray asserts that "Retromedia also successfully initiated and won a copyright case based on their release of DESTROY ALL PLANETS, so your claim of illegality is BS as well." I'd like to see the paperwork on that, because the rights to the AIP Gameras reverted back to them [i.e., Kadokawa Pictures. - Armand] once their contract with AIP expired. Now, I'm not accusing anyone of any wrong doing, but I'm curious to sort out the truth here (and not through second and third-hand parties).

If all U.S. rights to this film reverted back to Kadokawa (by virtue of buying Daiei), then Retromedia would be in hot water. However, if Fred Olen Ray is correct in claiming that he has the U.S. rights over the U.S. version (and can provide the paperwork to back that up), then he should be able to continue to offer the movie. At this point, no back-up material has been provided by Ray (he's welcome to send it me me and I'll be happy to post it).

As to the claim that Destroy All Planets (the AIP U.S. version) is in the Public Domain, Ragone posted this at Monster Zero:

Dubious Comforts* on the Classic Horror Film Board wrote: ...there exists a copyright registration to Destroy All Planets which precedes Retromedia's and Alpha's 2003 claims ("new soundtrack material" and "DVD box cover" respectively) by more than 10 years. Just look up document V2840P133 on the Library of Congress web site. The catalog only includes registrations from 1978 and onward, so there may be additional records prior to 1978.

[*"Dubious Comforts" is the handle of a member of the Classic Horror Film Board forum. - A.]

He continues in a subsequent post:

Copyright records, as well as a proper notice on the film's title sequence, show that the work is not public domain. The Library of Congress has guidelines pertaining to duration: http://www.bitlaw.com/copyright/duration.html

To see the CHFB thread for the above quotes, go here.

As August Ragone posted several times on this topic, "the plot thickens."

It will be interesting to see how this one plays out. The courts may have to be the ultimate decider in this matter.

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Now Listed At TripAdvisor.com

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is now listed at TripAdvisor.com in their Japan and Los Angeles resources sections.

TripAdvisor.com attracts over 46 million visitors per month who are searching for vacation ideas, hotels, attractions, restaurants and other travel-related items of interest. Fellow travelers are able to rate and review different attractions, hotels and services.

To view the listing, go here.

WSJ/NBC News Poll Points To Disaster For Democrats

Confidence in President Obama and outlook for the United States is waning, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News Poll. (Click here for the full poll results.)

62% of adults feel that the country is on the wrong track, which is the highest number since 2008. Also, more people disapprove of the job Obama is doing than approve.

57% now favor replacing their elected representative in congress, which is a bad omen for incumbents, particularly Democrats. This is the highest number in 18 years.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

For Democrats, the results underscore the potential for major losses in November. Both parties have been forced to contend with an anti-establishment wave this year. But Republicans, through strong fund raising and candidate recruitment, have put enough seats in play in the House and Senate to give the GOP a realistic shot at winning control of both chambers.

Even confidence in the job President Obama is doing by Democrats is in decline. 17% of Democrats now disapprove of Mr. Obama's job performance. This is the highest of his presidency.

This is good news for Republican candidates such as Mark Reed, who is running against a Democrat incumbent in a usually solid Democratic district in the San Fernando Valley. Reed emailed me tonight, "Without the Democrat and Decline to State [vote], we came within 5,700 votes [during the primary election] of the incumbent. We can and we will restore America for the people."

Unless something earth-shaking occurs, the Democrats will be facing disaster in the November elections.

Democrats Vote To Raise Taxes On Capital Gains and Dividends

The Democrats continue their march to dismantle the U.S. economy.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-So. Carolina) reported a few minutes ago:

Democrats just voted 57-40 to raise taxes on capital gains and dividends which could kill over 680,000 more jobs.

November can't come soon enough!