Gamera - The Sandy Frank Dubs. Win on tape! Awesome sauce!

[wataru]

So I was thinking today I want to track down and preserve the Sandy Frank dubs of the Gamera films. But Im not a video nerd like most people here.

Does anyone know which Gamera films were dubbed by Sandy Frank and what formats theyre available in? (besides MST3K)

[gvamp]

Sandy Frank did a dub for Gamera, Gamera vs Barugon, Gamera vs Gyoas, Gamera vs Guiron and Gamera vs Zigra basically the MST3K Gamera flicks.

[o.supreme]

Does anyone know which Gamera films were dubbed by Sandy Frank and what formats theyre available in? (besides MST3K)

You know MST3K is the only way these need to be preserved right?? j/k I know you have been very vocal about how much you like these (even if you are the only one).

Anyways the audio used in the Sandy Frank Versions of Gaos, Guiron, & Zigra are on the DVD's released by Shout Factory last year. There has been no official R1 dvd release of Gamera, or Barugon with the Sandy Frank used audio sans MST3K.

[wataru]

Has Gamera or Barugon been released on VHS as the Sandy Frank dub?

And I already have every single episode of MST3K downloaded, including the public access episodes.

[o.supreme]

Yes. I actually got all 5 Sandy Frank Gamera films at KB Toystore back in 1989, they were 2 bucks each on VHS (because these were the only versions avaialable at the time, I have long since discarded mine however). You can find used copies on Amazon or eBay:

http://www.amazon.com/Gamera-VHS-Eiji-F ... 526&sr=1-6

http://www.amazon.com/Gamera-Vs-Barugon ... 563&sr=1-4

[wataru]

Yes. I actually got all 5 Sandy Frank Gamera films at KB Toystore back in 1989, they were 2 bucks each on VHS (because these were the only versions avaialable at the time, I have long since discarded mine however). You can find used copies on Amazon or eBay:

http://www.amazon.com/Gamera-VHS-Eiji-F ... 526&sr=1-6

http://www.amazon.com/Gamera-Vs-Barugon ... 563&sr=1-4

Oh man that's just evil. Luckily the last paycheck in December I have no bills to pay so I can order all these. I think I have the Sandy Frank DVD releases of the other films.

[Goji]

Sandy Frank did a dub for Gamera, Gamera vs Barugon, Gamera vs Gyoas, Gamera vs Guiron and Gamera vs Zigra basically the MST3K Gamera flicks.

Close..but Sandy Frank didn't dub all of these.

GAMERA VS. BARUGON and GAMERA VS. GYAOS were dubbed by Axis International, who dubbed the 70's Godzilla films, and BIOLLANTE. There are a lot of familiar voices. Ted Thomas who dubs Dr. Kubota in GIGAN can be heard all over the place in GYAOS.

GAMERA, and ZIGRA were dubbed by Sandy Frank themselves. GUIRON doesn't sound like the other Sandy Frank dubs, which leads me to believe it was possibly dubbed somewhere in Asia (but not by Axis Int.)

wataru, you'll be happy to know that most of these dubs appear on the Shout Factory disks (as previously mentioned by o.supreme). The only ones that didn't end up on the Shout disks are the Sandy Frank dubs for GAMERA and BARUGON (by Axis Int.), so those two you'll want to put on a DVD-R.

The strange thing about all of those public domain Gamera DVD releases that came out over the years is that some contain the AIP-TV versions of the films (not counting those that weren't released by Sandy Frank, like GAMERA VS. VIRAS, aka "DESTROY ALL PLANETS"), but some films which were released by AIP-TV, like GYAOS, are the Sandy Frank versions(!). It's odd, and can get pretty confusing.

Anyways, I hope this helps.

[wataru]

Ok so just give me a list of the titles that Sandy Frank dubbed and what medium theyre available on...

[Goji]

The "Sandy Frank dubs" for GAMERA and BARUGON are only available on VHS.

The GYAOS, GUIRON and ZIGRA dubs are available on the Shout DVD's.

[wataru]

So Sandy Frank never did Viras or Jiger?

[Goji]

^ Nope. They never released those. AIP-TV did release them in the 60's, but I believe they were dubbed in Europe (Rome, I think).

[wataru]

Do you know what versions are on the St Clair Vision set ?

So
Gamera - VHS
Barugon - VHS
Gyaos - DVD Shout!
Jiger - None
Guiron - DVD Shout!
Viras - None
Zigra - DVD Shout!
Super Monster Gamera - None

??

[o.supreme]

but some films which were released by AIP-TV, like GYAOS, are the Sandy Frank versions(!). It's odd, and can get pretty confusing.

Actually there are 2 dubs for "Gyaos" also (The Shout factory DVD has both the AIP-TV one released as "Return of the Giant Monsters", and the international dub released by Sandy Frank as "Gamera vs Gaos". All the unlicensed R1 dvd versions released prior to the SF! released used the "Return" AIP-TV dub

Do you know what versions are on the St Clair Vision set ?

I believe they are all AIP-TV versions

So
Gamera - VHS
Barugon - VHS
Gyaos - DVD Shout!
Viras- None
Guiron - DVD Shout!
Jiger- None
Zigra - DVD Shout!
Super Monster Gamera - None
??

Yes that is the only present way to see the 5 Showa Gamera films Sandy Frank released.

[wataru]

Ok so I can get Gyaos, Guiron and Zigra from Shout! Factory.

Then Im going to track down Gamera and Barugon on VHS and do some tape transfers, see if I can clean anything up.

Shame Jigar, Viras and Super Monster never got Sandy Frank-erized. Sandy Frank dubs were probably the majority versions most people got exposed to Gamera, via MST3K or VHS tape.

[Goji]

Make sure you get new copies of the Sandy Frank tapes, because the EP mode ones are pretty bad quality.

SP mode versions of them exist, but I'm sure tracking them down would be a nightmare.

[wataru]

It would be worth it!

:determined look, ocean waves crash behind him, fist in air:

[o.supreme]

It's a Shame Gamera, Barugon, Gaos, Guiron & Zigra got Sandy Frank-erized.

fixd

Sandy Frank dubs were probably the majority versions most people got exposed to Gamera, via MST3K or VHS tape.

THAT I will agree with simply because these were the ONLY versions released on VHS and seen on MST3K. It wasn't until 1997 when Neptune Media painstakingly tried to release restored versions of the AIP TV versions on VHS, and only succeeded in getting 2 done. However many fans had already seen them on TV decades before.

[wataru]

It's a Shame Gamera, Barugon, Gaos, Guiron & Zigra got Sandy Frank-erized.

fixd

Sandy Frank is like the Christopher Columbus of the Gamera world. He brought the joy of rubber suited fighting turtles to the US! Respect him! Also respect bootleggers for we brought you Heisei Godzilla before those VHSs came out.

Sandy Frank and Bootleggers. The Lewis and Clark of daikaiju eiga in the USA.

[o.supreme]

Sandy Frank is like the Christopher Columbus of the Gamera world. He brought the joy of rubber suited fighting turtles to the US! Respect him!

You can like him all you want, "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings" . However I prefer to stick with AIP-TV, who, like the Vikings brought the Gamera films to the US long before Sandy Frank

Also respect bootleggers for we brought you Heisei Godzilla before those VHSs came out.

A little off topic, but OK. I'll tell you some of my fondest memories involved going to SDCC each year from 1992-2001 and getting my Heisei bootleg VHS fix whether it was Godzilla, Gamera, or Mothra. I dont have many, but I have no opposition to obtaining a bootleg of any film I cannot get through conventional means. I know you are a proud supporter of piracy. I just think it would be simpler to make all media (music, DVD's, movies, video games,etc...) "Region Free". Blu-Ray is a step in the right direction (going from 10 regions with DVD down to 3), but it still isn't perfect yet, so there will still be a market for bootlegs.

[wataru]

Im going to start every thread I create with this image.