When I was a kid one of the things I looked forward to the most on the weekends was the Creature Double Feature, which aired on a TV station out of Boston, channel 56. Every Saturday the station would air two movies back to back drawn from a stable that included the Universal Horror movies from the 1930s to 1950s, the 1950’s Hammer Studios and American International Pictures films, along with a healthy does of early Roger Corman horror films and, most importantly to me, the Toho Studios “giant monster/man-in-suit” films from the ’50s through the ’70s. This is where I developed a great affinity for the early monster and horror films and also where I discovered Godzilla. I was an instant fan of the giant green monster, but he would take a back seat once I saw the first Gamera film. The gigantic turtle has been my favorite of all the Japanese giant monsters since then. Now, Shout Factory has released a great edition of the film Gamera: The Giant Monster and I couldn’t be happier.
This first film was produced by Daiei Motion Picture Company, a rival of Toho Studios. Having learned that the public liked their giant titular monsters to be heroic as opposed to mindlessly destructive, Gamera is initially introduced as the latter before becoming the former, after a fashion. In a theme that would run through all of the Gamera series, he is befriended by a young boy who is able to somewhat communicate with him and when he thinks the kid might be in danger, that’s when we see Gamera really loose control. Added to that is the legend that there was a whole race of Gameras alive when the lost city of Atlantis thrived and they only went away when the city was lost. Gamera is the only one that has lain dormant and in that respect he is like a lost, frightened child, except, of course, one that can lay waste to an entire city in a matter of minutes. All of this story is wrapped up in a not-at-all veiled condemnation of the then Cold War between the US and the Soviets as the proceedings are set in motion by the Americans shooting down a Soviet plan that has strayed into our airspace in the Arctic. Revived monster decimating most of Tokyo hi-jinks ensue.
This superb DVD is presented for the first time in North America in its unedited original version, with English subtitles and is in anamorphic widescreen taken from an all-new HD master. Personally, I like my classic monster and horror movies in black and white and this new transfer is crisp and clear. Accompanying the DVD is a twelve page booklet featuring an essay by series director, the late Noriaki Yuasa and biographies of each of the characters featured in the film. The highlight of the booklet is a double page feature on Gamera’s anatomy which shows an internal diagram and text to explain how he is able to do what he does. The Special Features give us a terrific retrospective on the entire Gamera franchise that is as enjoyable as the feature presentation. Also included is an informative audio commentary from August Ragone, author of Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters and a great Publicity Gallery.
This is another outstanding Special Edition courtesy of Shout Factory and belongs in the DVD library of not only movie aficionados, but also those who, like me, grew up spending Saturday afternoons with their friends eating popcorn and glued to the TV for a few hours watching giant monsters wreak havoc upon unfortunate Tokyo. Now, as adults, the scathing commentary on the US War Machine and war in general are much more readily apparent, but that doesn’t take away from how much fun Gamera: The Giant Monster was and still is.
