G-Fest XVI ( and a couple of meals )

This past Saturday ( July 4th ), the sixteenth annual G-Fest, celebrating all things Godzilla, was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rosemont IL, just down the road from Chicago's O'Hare Airport. As I'm a lifelong fan of Japanese science-fiction films, this convention was a "must go" event for me, especially since this year's special guest was Kenji Sahara, the actor who has appeared in more of Toho Studio's sci-fi and monster epics than any other. 

Heading north through Chicago enroute to Rosemont at lunchtime, I decided to make a first-time visit to Wolfy's on Peterson Ave., but because of the holiday, I got "travelin-manned" and had to find an alternate. My next stop was Byron's Dog Haus on Irving Park Road; luckily this place was open.  

My Chicago-style hot dog was very good, but would have been even better, not to mention more authentic, if it had been served on a steamed poppy-seed bun. The fries were good too.

With lunch out of the way, I continued on to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, the site of G-Fest XVI...

Once inside, my first stop was the sign-in desk where I paid my twenty-five bucks for a one day attendence ticket.

Just before entering the crowded dealer's room, I encountered an attendee who was proudly showing off the big ( about two feet tall ) radio-controlled Godzilla figure that he had just paid five hundred and fifty dollars for.

As a life long Godzilla fan and junkie - "Oh, no, they say he's got to go, GO GO GODZILLA! Oh, No!  There goes Tokyo, GO GO GODZILLA!"

Seriously.  I grew up on Friday late night Creature Feature and Godzilla.

The dealer's room at G-Fest is always a wonderland of goodies for the kaiju fan with deep pockets ( "kaiju" is the Japanese word for monster. ) This year, there were eighteen dealers from all over the US selling merchandise, primarily toys, pertaining to Japan's cinematic behemoths. The vast majority of the items for sale were manufactured by Japanese companies.  

Here, Godzilla "poses" with his electrically-charged enemy Gabara.

I sure wish that I had bought one of these when I had the chance.  

Gamera posters for sale at a bargain price...

After I finished checking out the dealer's room ( where, I am proud to say, I resisted the temptation to spend any money ), I explored a number of display rooms. In the first one, I found the upper half of a homemade Mechagodzilla costume that was worn in the G-Fest costume contest a few years ago.

I grew up in Westchester Il outside of Chicago.  my Grandparents lived in town by the corner of Cicero and Diversey.  As a kid they couldnt get me to eat a hot dog.  I just couldnt stand them.  The sad tale was that in my parents house we would have been lucky to have a squirt bottle  of Frenchs' yellow mustard.  yes i was taught that a dog got only a squirt of catsup and an optional dab of pickalilly!
my Grandfolks were German immagrants.  Not only were ther 5-6 types of mustard but also fresh horseraddish..After my revalation I was hooked.  All around the area were luch counters as well as Vienna Sausage cart and a little shack on the corner.  The shack was awesome!15 cents for a poppy seed bun, tomato wedge, and pickle spear!  As a fat kid i could down 4 of them at 8 years old!  He also had a little pot of hot tamales on the counter.  Thanks, the picture of  the hot dog stand brought back great memories!

The next room that I entered was one that I was really looking forward to, the modelers display room. Many kaiju fans, both young and old, are talented model builders; some, like my longtime friend Bill, have the skill necessary to build incredibly detailed monster models from scratch. Others take commercially available kits, mostly imported from Japan, and customize them, creating an entirely new model.          

This diorama of urban destruction Godzilla-style is a real beauty; it's incredibly detailed. My only gripe with it is that the advertising signs are in Japanese, but the architecture of the buildings is strictly American.

Here is what I consider to be the jewel of this year's modelers contest. This diorama features all eleven of the giant monsters that "starred" in Toho's ultimate kaiju epic from 1968, "Destroy All Monsters".    

The film features all of Toho's big name mon-stars ( Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah ) as well as many of their lesser known beasties ( Varan, Spiga, Gorosaurus, Manda, etc. )    

Very interesting.  As I said on another thread, Bob.  You take me to places I've never seen.  And in this case, to an event that I never even knew existed.

nocarolina -

Jus' sayin'

Yeah, Travelin Man, I'm one of those. Ya wanna make somethin' out of it ?  ;~) 
And wait until "Godzilla Vs. Triumph" hits the theaters next year. Boy, are YOU gonna feel stupid!!!     

Please let me know when the ceremonial banging of the plastic toys begins.

Who would win an epic clash between Godzilla and Andy Griffith?
 
Brad

As it was time for the autograph session with Toho kaiju star Kenji Sahara to begin, I headed over to the area where Mr. Sahara would be greeting fans ( with the aid of his interpreter. ) The convention people passed out numbered slips to the attendees that determined in what order people got to meet the veteran actor, who has more than twenty science-fiction film credits to his name. Mr. Sahara's sci-fi film career began with an unbilled bit part in the first Godzilla film, "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" ( "Gojira" in Japan ) in 1954, followed by the lead in "Rodan" in 1957. He stayed busy from the late '50s to well into the '70s in such films as "The H-Man", "Godzilla vs. The Thing" ( aka "Godzilla vs. Mothra" ), "The Mysterians", "Son of Godzilla", "Destroy All Monsters", "Yog - Monster from Space" and " Godzilla's Revenge". In the '90s, he had cameo roles in some of the more recent Godzilla films, such as "Godzilla Vs. Space Godzilla" in 1994. The slip that I was issued was #245, which meant that I had a long wait ahead of me, but eventually I arrived at the head of the line...

Back in 2001, I attended a movie and TV nostalgia convention in New Jersey where one of the guest celebrities was retired actor/stuntman Haruo Nakajima. Wearing a rubber and foam suit weighing well over a hundred pounds, Mr. Nakajima "portrayed" Godzilla in the first nine films in the series ( 1954 through 1972. ) Other Toho monsters that he's played over the years include Rodan, Magma, Varan, Mogura and Gaila. I made the trip to NJ solely to meet Mr. Nakajima, and it was one of the most exciting events of my life. Meeting Mr. Sahara and being photographed with him was equally as thrilling.

TTM - Apparently, you're trying to make a point, but I can't begin to guess what that might be.  :-o      Brad - Andy would surely beat Godzilla because, from what I've heard down in Mount Airy, Andy is a helluva lot meaner!    

Great report, nocarolina. My friend introduced me to "The Mysterians" and "Destroy All Monsters" last year. Both very FUN movies.

I actually got to see the original, Raymond Burr-less Godzilla on the big screen a few years back. Very good movie.

improviser, I'm always glad to learn of another roadfooder who appreciates these silly ( but fun ) movies. Of course, silly and fun certainly don't describe 1954's "Gojira" ( "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" to those of us on this side of the Pacific Ocean. ) Godzilla's first film is a dark, somber and intense movie that is, to my knowledge, the only giant monster film to ever show the grim aftermath of a monster's attack on a city; an overcrowded hospital filled with the dying victims of Godzilla's fury, their screams of agony punctuated by the sounds of children crying for their dead parents as Akira Ifukube's haunting musical score is heard. It's too bad that the Godzilla movies eventually evolved into a series of 'monster versus monster' films that were aimed at a juvenile audience ( I still love them though. ) I've been lucky enough to see the uncut and undubbed version of "Gojira" ( pronounced GO-zhee-rah ) in a theater twice, and have just recently added it to my DVD collection.    

As much as I hated to miss the costume contest that evening ( homemade outfits of everything from Godzilla to Ultraman ), I left G-Fest to meet up with a group of my fellow kaiju fans for dinner. Our destination was the Chicago Kalbi Restaurant on Lawrence Ave., on the city's northwest side. 

The Chicago Kalbi is a Japanese/Korean restaurant where large groups can dine in private "rooms", and the customers prepare their own meals on an in-table hibachi.  

I ordered a dish called bulkogi, which is strips of ribeye beef served with white rice and a mildly spicy dipping sauce on the side.  

Here you see my rather pathetic attempt to use chopsticks properly...

After dinner, I said goodbye to my friends and headed over to the Pickwick Theater in Park Ridge IL for a special late night showing of 1964's "Godzilla vs. The Thing" ( nowadays better known by the more appropriate title "Godzilla vs. Mothra" ) and 2008's "Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit", which is the only Japanese movie so far to combine slapstick comedy with giant monsters.

During the waiting time for the first film to begin, a head shot of Godzilla occupied the screen, and a number of the theatergoers decided to pose for pictures with their favorite kaiju...     

Finally the first film started, and the audience registered their approval at the top of their lungs. G-Fest guest Kenji Sahara has a sizable role as a villain in "Godzilla vs. The Thing/Mothra/Whatever", and his initial appearance on-screen caused the crowd to go slightly berserk. Both films recieved a very enthusiastic reception from the crowd, especially the Godzilla film, which is considered by fans to be one of the best in the series.    

It was 1:30 AM when the second feature ended; I made the hour-long drive back to Lansing and called it a night ( zzzzz... ) The convention continued through late Sunday afternoon, but it was without my participation - I slept all day. See y'all next year at G-Fest XVII....

Awesome write up nocarolina - and PACKED with pictures!

I love the old 50's, 60's, 70's monster movies.  Always have.  And I'm also a big fan of Kalbi.  It's always fun to sit around the table chatting an grilling.  Promotes a slow food dinner focusing on both the food and conversation.

Thanks, WarToad. Besides the Japanese stuff, another big cinema passion of mine is sci-fi and horror pictures from the 1950s, especially the low budget stuff like "It Conquered the World" and "Monster from the Ocean Floor". I have almost every sci-fi, horror and fantasy film from that decade in my DVD collection; there were over two hundred and I'm missing less than a dozen. There was a lot of good stuff of that nature in the '60s too. The '70s, not so much. My collection also contains virtually all of the classic Universal horror films from the '30s and '40s, as I grew up idolizing Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr. ( stuff like this is why I have "The Incredible Shrinking Savings Account"! )   

I'm right there with you.  I have a large collection of Zatoichi (The Blind Swordsman) DVDs going, mostly all 60's, early 70's stuff, as well as any and all classic Toho samurai and monster films.

Bob, your trip reports are always interesting.  I am not a Sci-Fi fan,  but appreciate others passions. 

Thanks, susanll. I appreciate your appreciation!   WarToad - I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but on August 18th, Sony is releasing a three disc box set featuring "Mothra", "The H-Man" ( one of my favorites ), and "Battle in Outer Space". The DVDs will contain both the original Japanese and the American versions of the three films, and Amazon.com is already accepting pre-orders for the set. 

Looks like a good time-my Bob was always in to hot wheels, and he went to many conventions around the country.He, of course, never reported on the food. He did sell tons of cars, though.

WarToad


I'm right there with you.  I have a large collection of Zatoichi (The Blind Swordsman) DVDs going, mostly all 60's, early 70's stuff, as well as any and all classic Toho samurai and monster films.

Zatoichi! I've got to get back on my Zaitoichi kick, add them back to my netflix queue. I've seen a few, but the one that most stands out is Zatoichi vs. meets Yojimbo. Loved it.
 
Anybody here a fan of the Lone Wolf and Cub movies? Also known as the Baby Cart series. Great stuff.

improviser

WarToad


I'm right there with you.  I have a large collection of Zatoichi (The Blind Swordsman) DVDs going, mostly all 60's, early 70's stuff....

Zatoichi! I've got to get back on my Zaitoichi kick, add them back to my netflix queue. I've seen a few, but the one that most stands out is Zatoichi vs. meets Yojimbo. Loved it. 

 
A few exceptional episodes you should look for, and personal favorites:
 
Zatoichi's cane sword (1967)
Zatoichi and the Chess Expert ((1965)
Zatoichi and the Doomed Man (1965)


 

I'm familiar with Zatoichi, but I don't think I've ever seen one of his movies ( can't say for sure... my memory ain't worth squat nowadays. ) My interest in samurai films is pretty much limited to Daiei Studios' Daimajin series. Those three movies contain some of the best special effects that I've ever seen in any Japanese film. 

What this country needs is a return of a good ol' fashioned Creature Feature.

Bob,

WOW!!! How did I miss this thread???? I have been incredibly busy to such a degree that I did not realize that I missed the Fest. I always think about it every July 4th and how I will miss Comic Con this year too.
You gave a great overview of the fest and succeeded in making me jealous. What people don't realize is that some of the simplest appearing toys are very expensive. ..And the ones that look real good are astronomical.
I always love the models....

As a major fan, Kenji Sahara and Harou Nakajima would be great to meet. Without them, these films would never have been as good as they were. I have a few Nakajma as Godzilla figures...
Its funny, I think you covered every monster, though I am not sure Hedorah (the Smog Monster) was among the toys. That is one of the better kaiju films in a weird way.

People should know that The War of the Gargantuas ( Sanda and Gaila) is famous for the nightclub scene with the lady singing " The Words Get Stuck in my Throat" just before the beast picks her up and tries to swallow her.  It was covered by Devo...

TOHO:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6EN4xg6qY

DEVO:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I32dcY6Okg&feature=related



mark

Mark, I'm glad that you enjoyed my G-Fest report. You're sure right about the prices on those kaiju toys and figures from Japan. I've seen first-timers to the fest pick up a vinyl figure of recent vintage ( an 8" Baragon, for example ) from a dealer's table, look at the price and then drop it like a hot potato; they expected a price like fifteen or twenty dollars, only to have the price tag say ninety-five bucks or more. Definitely not an inexpensive hobby. Meeting Kenji Sahara was quite a thrill for a lifelong "Gojira-phile" like myself; a friend of mine who's traveled to Japan extensively over the years was fortunate enough to meet producer Tomoyuki Tanaka and legendary kaiju director Ishiro Honda before they passed away. I had to laugh when you mentioned the song from "War of the Gargantuas" - that tune is just soooo awful!

Since I inadvertently excluded Hedorah from the kaiju parade, here's my chance to make it up to him...

Thanks for the inclusion.    Gyaos is cool too and probably the price tag on it is about $25++ for something that doesn't do anything. I want two...

I always recommend that when in NYC, everyone should check out Pomme Frittes on 2nd Ave. Right next to it is is a great store Toy Tokyo. They carry every cool hip, trendy toys from Japan. There is a great section for Godzillas. That is a very pricey display.



mark

So...Are you into Godzilla or not?

Hello nocarolina!

Thanks for your travel report, very interesting to read and to see the photos...

Here 2 sites in german language, you will like them.

http://www.monstrula.de/

http://www.madmags.de/

Kind regards

Michael

chewingthefat - Where in the world did you ever get such a ridiculous idea?    Michael - Thanks for the websites. Even though I can't read more than a couple of words in German, they were still interesting ( great photos and posters. ) 

You are welcome, nocarolina!

The german language com. about this stuff is very strong, I prefer the classic movies like Frankenstein, Wolfman, Dracula, the Godzilla stuff was never my affair, sorry.

I prefer this: http://www.veoh.com/brows.../watch/v2116399ph45zzA

CU in the cinema...!

Michael

Michael, I share your love of the classic Universal horror films. I have all of them in my DVD library, except for "Jungle Woman" and "Jungle Captive", and I'll get those eventually.