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Late Night Movie House: Akira Takarada

2 May

May 2, 2013

akira takarada

I met Akira Takarada at the Chiller Convention last weekend. There was a bit of a language barrier. I do not speak Japanese and he, despite traveling to the USA for the weekend, didn’t spend not one minute or so on that there  airplane learning how to speak good American-like words. Sheesh, just another foreigner coming to our country to take money from his fans at a horror convention.

But I kid.

Akira Takarada is a legend in Japan. Here he is lauded for his roles in the original Godzilla and some of the other Godzilla franchise films. I had him sign my King Kong Escapes poster because I just love that thing.

akira poster

The man is amazingly polite and respectful. He was dressed in a sharp suit and at nearly 80, was in better shape than I ever have been. He bowed to everyone, took pictures with everyone- as many as you wanted- and even beckoned my brother to take a picture with him, for free.

And I think he looks like an Asian Bob Barker. You decide.

akira bob

As I said, he is a legend in Japan and, it seems, here to. This was his first American signing and there was a huge line to see him. And the fans? They recited lines to him, discussed their favorite scenes with him, one even acted out a Godzilla fight scene for him, all of which his assistant translated.  The man was the very soul of refinement and respectability.

And now, on with the show!

AKIRA TAKARADA SINGS!

AKIRA TAKARADA IN THE ORIGINAL GODZILLA TRAILER!

AKIRA TAKARADA (edited out of) KING KONG VS. GODZILLA SET TO METALLICA’S MASTER OF PUPPETS

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Picture Postcard: Stilt Man

1 May

May 1, 2013

One of the great things about the Chiller Convention is that lots of people dress up and walk around in costume. While there were not as many this years as there were last year, they made up for it in creativity. There was a woman dressed as Darryl from The Walking Dead, and tons of woman in varying degree of dress showing off their cleavage. However, one man stood head and shoulders above all the others.

Literally. He was on stilts.

I first saw Stilt Man in his civilian identity. I was on line to buy a soda and right behind me was a normal looking guy who bought a beer. I went outside to get some air and drink my soda, he went outside and drank his beer. And then, with the beer telling him what a great idea it must be, he put on his stilts.

Photo Apr 27, 2 43 15 PM

He looked for all the world like he was going to examine the flowers. I was sure he was going to reach in and pull out another beer. That is, until he put on his robe and mask.

Photo Apr 27, 2 54 33 PM

After that he could be seen all over the convention, Death in a yellow robe, looming over the rest of the visitors, sometimes waving his arms in a menacing way or making mystical gestures with his hands.

Photo Apr 27, 3 12 09 PM

And for this convention, it was totally normal.

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