Daikaijû kûchûsen: Gamera tai Gyaosu (1967)

User Rating:

2.7/10   

Director:

Noriaki Yuasa

Writer:

Nisan Takahashi (writer)

Release Date:

15 March 1967 (Japan)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

A gigantic bat emerges from a volcano to terrorize Japan and only one thing can stop it...Gamera!

Plot Keywords:

Gamera | Japan | Volcanic Eruption | Scientist | Young Boy

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Kojiro Hongo	...	Foreman Shiro Tsutsumi
Kichijiro Ueda	...	Tatsuemon Kanamura
Reiko Kasahara	...	Sumiko Kanamura
Naoyuki Abe	...	Eiichi Kanamura
Taro Marui	...	Mite-no-Tetsu
Yukitaro Hotaru	...	Hachiko
Yoshiro Kitahara	...	Dr. Aoki
Akira Natsuki	...	Self-Defense Force General
Kenji Oyama	...	District Police Commissioner
Fujio Murakami	...	Dr. Murakami
Koichi Ito	...	Road Company Chairman
Teppei Endo	...	Road Company Local Affairs Director
Shin Minatsu	...	Okabe the Photographer
Teruo Aragaki	...	Gamera

Also Known As:

Boyichi and the Supermonster
Daikaijû kuchusen: Gamera tai Gaos
Gamera vs. Gaos (USA) (reissue title)
Gamera vs. Gyaos
Giant Monster Mid-Air Battle: Gamera vs. Gaos (Japan: English title)
Return of the Giant Monsters (USA) (dubbed version)

Runtime:

86 min | USA:87 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Daiei Studios

Trivia:

This is the first film in which Gamera bleeds.

Quotes:

Army officer: Dr. Aoki, as a zoologist what would you say the beast is? Would you say it's a bird, or is it a reptile?
Dr. Aoki: I would like to say there isn't any recorded history of it...let's just call it a monster.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Siu hap Cho Lau Heung (1993)

See the original AIP-TV version and not the horrible Sandy Frank version!

DAIKAIJU KUCHUSEN: GAMERA TAI GYAOSU is considered by the average monster movie fan to be the best and most enjoyable in the Gamera series. However, their are two English language versions of this film. One is by AIP-TV that is titled RETURN OF THE GIANT MONSTERS. The other is by Sandy Frank as GAMERA VS. GAOS. But I feel that if you are interested in seeing this film in Engish format, I suggest that you should see the AIP-TV version. Now if you are asking, "Why is their two versions of this film", here is the story.

DAIKAIJU KUCHUSEN: GAMERA TAI GYAOSU was picked up for release by AIP. AIP felt that the Gamera series was not very profitable through theatrical screenings. AIP already released DAIKAIJU KETTO: GAMERA TAI BARUGON (1966) to television as WAR OF THE MONSTERS by AIP-TV. So DAIKAIJU KUCHUSEN: GAMERA TAI GYAOSU was released by AIP-TV as RETURN OF THE GIANT MONSTERS. After that, AIP-TV's version was considered to be lost.

In 1985, Sandy Frank was re-releasing five Gamera films with new Engish dubbing. Frank released his version of DAIKAIJU KUCHUSEN: GAMERA TAI GYAOSU as GAMERA VS. GAOS and it dissapointed greatly. The dubbing of Frank's version was poor and not effective while the AIP-TV version is considerably better.

RETURN OF THE GIANT MONSTERS features a new monster called Gyaos, a bat monster that fires a laser beam that can cut anything in half. Gyaos is awakened by an active volcano and fights Gamera. It is later discovered that Gyaos can be destroyed by sunlight and it is up to Gamera to destroy Gyaos. Now add in a subplot about villagers trying to get more money from a road company and a little kid that is saved by Gamera from Gyaos and you have a pretty good film that is entertaining and has some neat special effects.

GAMERA TAI UCHU KAIJU BAIRASU (1968) is the next in the Gamera series that was released directly to television by AIP-TV as DESTROY ALL PLANETS.