Showa Gamera, anyone?

[JVM]

So besides the overuse of stock footage what reasons do people hate Super Monster?

[shinmattiathekaiju]

So besides the overuse of stock footage what reasons do people hate Super Monster?

The really bad written story and characters.(At least Kinnikuman makes a cameo)

And its sad not having the dvds of the original movies but instead,you get a version where some characters humiliates the movies with a funny commentary

[therealmccoy]

So besides the overuse of stock footage what reasons do people hate Super Monster?

That's a good question. I can see how some people would dislike other aspects of that movie. The acting is mediocre, with stale characters and annoying kids (which is something the Showa Gamera movies are famous for), and the story is generic. I didn't think the kid was the most annoying, though; that award goe to the little shit from Zigra. But hey, how many other enjoyable monster movies are like that? I think one of the biggest things is that this movie was pretty much worse than the rest, and the rest weren't that great to begin with. I don't know, other than that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I can't discredit anyone for it.

[gilamonster]

Odd that there are complaints with the story. I think Super Monster is a lot better than Viras and Zigra story wise. It matches up with Guiron in terms of sheer ridiculousness.

Now, I have a question about Super Monster Gamera... what's up with the anime sequences involving a train traveling through space and a space battleship? Acording to this rewiev those have no context whatsoever... do they?

The train is from Galaxy Express 999 and the battleship is from Space Battleship Yamato. Both were popular manga and anime series back in the 70's (the TV show being done by Toei), and both had feature length films released around that time (also done by Toei). I'm not entirely sure on the connection between Toei and Kadokawa though.

[Irys X]

Ya know, Super Monster can be fun. I like the plot better than Zigra or Viras. It wasnt great but it was actually more cohesive. Especially Zigra. If it wasnt for MST3K i would have actually screamed at the screen. And am i the only one who thinks that the super hero women and even the alien woman were pretty hot? Though that manga stuff was completely random. Anyway, dont hate it. Its not like my disdain for All Monsters Attack. Wasnt even a great drop in quality. Just a lotta stock footage. Yeah, id rather just watch Gamera vs Barugon or Gamera vs Gyaos. On a side note, what is with Gamera vs. Guirion? I dont see that much gore in most horror movies.

[therealmccoy]

I think they did a decent job at tying in the stock footage with the rest of the movie in Supermonster. Shoot me. There were a few plot devices, such as Gamera returning to the beach for his control device (stock footage of Viras), and his travel through space to fight Guiron again; and they even said, "meanwhile, on the planet where the monsters are kept..." So, besides the overuse, which was an understatement, it actually wasn't a huge eyesore. Even after seeing all the movies that it borrowed from, I wasn't particularly phased by it. It is by no means a great way to make a movie, but it served it's purpose better than some others I've seen the overuse of stock footage in.

And yes, I thought the spacewomen were hot.

[Irys X]

Good. Now that i think about it, theres a lot of hot space women in the Gamera movies. They really take it up a notch with the bikini lady in Zigra though. Another reason why i think the showa Gameras are a little out of place. They have things mainly for adults but plots only very young kids can stomach. Oh well. Still entertaining.

[therealmccoy]

Good. Now that i think about it, theres a lot of hot space women in the Gamera movies. They really take it up a notch with the bikini lady in Zigra though. Another reason why i think the showa Gameras are a little out of place. They have things mainly for adults but plots only very young kids can stomach. Oh well. Still entertaining.

Gawd... She was hot. You had said earlier about the gore. I don't get it either. Seeing Gamera get stabbed in his belly almost all the way through (Gamera vs. Viras), or seeing him get his shell cut open (Gamera vs. Guiron), or seeing Gyaos getting bit on the neck and bleeding out of his ear seems like it would be unsettling to a younger kid. Maybe that's why they tried to make it different colors.

[Irys X]

Probably. If Gyaos's insides were red I think most good parents wouldve taken their kids out of the theater when Guirion started chopping him up into little pieces. That whole movie too with the hot space women (again ) who wanted to eat the kids brains. Kinda creepy.

[therealmccoy]

I forgot about Guiron slicing him up. That was, even as a grown person and as lame as it was, pretty nasty to me, and it makes perfect sense why they cut it out for release over here ( at least in one version; I think the Sandy Frank version). Every time Gamera got shot, he bled like a stuck pig, but I guess times were different back then, and parents weren't as conscious about stuff like that as they are now.

[tymon]

Gyaos's insides were red I think most good parents wouldve taken their kids out of the theater when Guirion started chopping him up into little pieces. That whole movie too with the hot space women (again ) who wanted to eat the kids brains. Kinda creepy.

^What..the..hell? Now I'm really curious to see these films...

[therealmccoy]

^What..the..hell? Now I'm really curious to see these films...

OOPS! Didn't mean to spoil it. But it's nothing to scream about; as I said, the SFX were pretty lame in that shot. It was funny, though.

[wataru]

The part with Space Gyaos being sliced and diced I believe is cut out of the US release.

[therealmccoy]

The part with Space Gyaos being sliced and diced I believe is cut out of the US release.

I know, but there were two versions, one was the Sandy Frank dub, and then another one, and one has it cut out, but the other one still has it.

[Irys X]

Yep. One of the releases. And if you're gonna watch a showa Gamera movie, unless u have supernatural powers for suspension of disbelief, I suggest you watch the MST3K version, at least for the later ones. I couldnt stand watching dubbed Gamera vs. Zigra after the scene with the random homeless guy with a radio whos... well, youll see for yourself. Still pretty fun movies though.

[wataru]

The Sandy Frank VHS has it.

The Alpha Video (which I have) DVD doesnt.

The Shout! DVD has it

The bootleg I bought in 2009 has it.

[Goji]

It's present only in the original Japanese version, the Sandy Frank version, and probably the rumored international version that may exist.

It was cut out of the AIP version titled ATTACK OF THE MONSTERS (featured on the Alpha Video DVD).

[Irys X]

With good reason.

[Rody]

Thanks to Goohead.com, I have been able to watch Giant Monster Gamera through Gamera vs. Jiger in original Japanese/subtitled.
Unfortunately, I haven't been impressed.
The Showa Gamera films are, in all honesty, boring. The pacing is poor, the actors lack any emotion, and the battles are very slow. It's a problem when even during the monster fights, you're thinking, "come on, get on with it."

[Legion1979]

Man, I see the Showa series way different. The first two are kind of boring, but the rest are great fun.

Even Super Monster.

That's my feelings too. I WANT my Gamera movies to be balls out insane with annoying kids, goofy monsters, kids screaming monster anthems and insanity in general.