It is great to see these old Gamera movies on dvd! This one has always been my favorite of the series, and is an excellent film for kids. If you can find the retromedia double feature disc, which includes ATTACK OF THE MONSTERS as well, I recommend that one instead. The picture is much better, not as blurry and faded, and the menu is not just a still picture like this one. But this edition is ok for the price!
Gamera double feature ...could be better.
I was glad to see "Destroy All Planets" (Gamera Vs. Viras) finally get released to video for the first time, but disappointed with the quality. The film print has yellowed and the hue has shifted slightly red. Bit of a drag, because it's the better of the two movies. "War of the Monsters" (Gamera Vs. Guiron) the second film, was taken from a good quality print. The colors are rich and vibrant, and the transfer is very sharp. Both movies are on the same side of a dual-layered disk. Each flick has six chapters, and amusing menu screens. As an extra perk, there are two collections of promotion stills and Japanese movie posters. Both films have the original A.I.P. soundtracks, which are far superior to the versions re-dubbed by Sandy Frank in the 1980's. Unfortunately, these movies were released directly to television and mastered on 16mm, so the prints are somewhat grainy, and not widescreen. But what do ya want? We're talking about a giant fire-breathing, saber-toothed, prehistoric, flying turtle here. I predict this disk will end up being a collector's item, like the Simitar-Godzilla DVDs that sold out. If you're a Gamera fan, get this before it disappears.
Let the Battle Begin
First off for 6-8 dollars for this dvd the really is nothing to complain cus your getting an gamera vs viras which is kinda rare due it never been release before.GAMERA is back again when he runs into you can say a ALien ship which they want to invade earth to steal its resources and claim it as there own.Gamera destroys the first ship but they sent another ship to complete the mission but when it comes down to it the leader has to take care of the situation itself and fights gamera to the end.Basically the showa series showed more action and not a lot of kid action as in some other gamera flicks.The monster action was very great and showed good special effect even they look cheesy you have to remind yourself that this was made a long time ago.The showa gamera series mark it self as entertaining the kids rather then a mature older audience thats why you see alot of kids acting a big part in every gamera series.This was indeed one of the best Gamera series to get so I would highly recommend it.
This fourth entry in the Gamera series found the titanic turtle paralleling the cuddly direction of his competitor Godzilla. When two young, star-gazing children investigate a spaceship that has practically landed in their backyard, they are whisked away to Terra, our undiscovered tenth planet whose two "groovy spacegirls" are all that remain of a once-superior alien civilization. But the boys soon discover that their seemingly friendly hosts have sinister plans in mind for them. Never fear, for Gamera comes to save them, flying through space to battle the spacegirls' guardian Guiron, a giant, rhino-like beast possessing a razor-sharp steel blade for a snout. This movie is truly suited for young children, for older kids, and especially for adults will chortle at the... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Noriaki Yuasa DVD Release Date: Released the 18 November 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Gamera must stop destroying things and save japan from the horrid Barugon, a gigantic lizard with a mile-long tongue that shoots a frosty, fire-extinguisher-like blast. Barugon also emits a killer rainbow (??!) from out of it's back! Gamera isn't in it as much as I'd like, but the battles are cool. The first half of the movie is about the plight of a group of thieves who unwittingly release Barugon from it's "egg". It grows at an alarming rate, wiping out all in it's path! Can Gamera stop this grumpy reptile in time? Watch and be astonished... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Kojiro Hongo DVD Release Date: Released the 24 June 2003 Usually ships within 24 hours
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Shot in black and white, this 1965 Japanese monster movie was the Daiei company's answer to Toho's famous Godzilla series. A skirmish between U.S. and unknown "enemy" planes results in an atomic explosion over the Arctic which unthaws and unleashes the giant flying turtle Gamera, who eventually settles into Japan to wreak havoc while seeking out hydro-electric sustenance. However, this fire-eating (and breathing) behemoth displays a compassionate streak when he saves the life of a young boy who nearly falls to his death from a toppled lighthouse. Panicky scientists and military officials vainly try to find ways to destroy Gamera while the boy seeks to bond with his misunderstood reptilian hero. Like many of its celluloid Japanese monster brethren, Giant Monster Gamera... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Noriaki Yuasa - Sandy Howard DVD Release Date: Released the 20 May 2003 Usually ships within 4 to 6 days
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I don't expect the type of features I would see on a collector's edition of Citizen Kane when I am getting a dvd of a classic monster film, however some basic respect to the consumers' intelligence would be nice.
First, it would be nice if this were done in wide screen format, instead of the obvious pan and scan. It is easy to detect from the title sequences which are cut off at the edges. I am sure that the fight scenes in particular would be much more effective if we could see the entire picture the director intended.
Second, it would also have been nice if the transfer had been done in a professional manner. The prints have obviously not been cleaned, and the transfer equipment not maintained. At times I felt as if I was watching old home movies when I was a kid as flakes of debris... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Haruyasu Noguchi DVD Release Date: Released the 20 January 2004 Usually ships within 24 hours
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This 2001 Godzilla feature from Japan's Toho Studios, released as part of the mighty monster's 50th anniversary, is a visually impressive and action-packed entry in the long-running franchise, but also one with a fast and loose re-interpretation of its history that may displease some stalwart fans. Writer-director Shusuke Kaneko (who previously revitalized the Gamera series) erases everything that occurred after 1954's Godzilla and re-imagines the beast as a mythical creature harboring the souls of the Japanese victims of World War II; its attack is challenged by three "Guardian Monsters": Mothra, perennial villain King Ghidorah (here reinvented as hero) and B-list player Baragon (from Frankenstein Challenges the World). The retooling, while imaginative, is supported by... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Shusuke Kaneko DVD Release Date: Released the 27 January 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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