Gamera vs. Gyaos

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Gamera vs. Gyaos

Original Japanese poster
Japanese 大怪獣空中戦 ガメラ対ギャオス
Hepburn Daikaijū Kuchu Kessan: Gamera tai Giyaosu
Directed by Noriaki Yuasa
Produced by Hidemasa Nagata
Written by Nisan Takahashi
Starring Kojiro Hongo
Kichijiro Ueda
Naoyuki Abe
Music by Tadashi Yamauchi
Cinematography Akira Uehara
Editing by Tatsuji Nakashizu
Studio Daiei Film
Distributed by Daiei Film (Japan)
AIP-TV (USA)
Release dates
  • March 15, 1967 (1967-03-15)
Running time 87 minutes
Country Japan
Language Japanese

Gamera vs. Gyaos (大怪獣空中戦 ガメラ対ギャオス Daikaijū Kūchūsen: Gamera Tai Gyaosu, Giant Monster Midair Battle: Gamera Versus Gyaos, released in the U.S. as Return of the Giant Monsters) is a 1967 Kaiju film directed by Noriaki Yuasa and written by Nisan Takahashi. It is the first Gamera film to feature the Kaiju character Gyaos, who would later become Gamera's most popular rival to date as the character would later be used for Gamera: Guardian of the Universe and Gamera the Brave.

Gamera vs. Gyaos was released in the United States by AIP-TV as Return of the Giant Monsters, and later by Sandy Frank as Gamera vs. Gaos. It was one of five Gamera films to be featured as episodes of the movie-mocking television show Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Plot

Express Engineering Corp is building a highway in the forest near Mt. Fuji. Challenged by local villagers, foreman Shiro Tsutsumi and his crew are plagued with protests and sabotage. Nearby, a survey team from the UN is killed when their helicopter is destroyed by a sonic beam emitted from a cave in the mountains. A small boy, Eiichi Kanamura, grandson of the village elder Tatsuemon Kanamura, finds reporter Okabe snooping around. Okabe and Eiichi check out a strange light which leads them to the cave where Gyaos, a giant flying monster, is currently residing.

Running for his life, Okabe ditches Eiichi at the cave, but runs into Gyaos who devours him. Shiro and his crew arrive just in time to see a battle between Gamera and Gyaos (with Eiichi in the middle). During the battle, it is realised that Gyaos cannot withstand fire. Realising this, Gamera grabs the young boy and gets him to safety. After alerting the public about Gyaos and his abilities, zoologist Dr. Aoki investigates Gyaos' prehistoric origins. The public is put on alert. But after another battle with Gamera, Gyaos seems to be the victor (as Gamera tends to his wounds at the bottom of the sea). After the defenders use light flares to draw Gyaos's attention, annoying him, the monster annihilates the Japanese Self-Defense Force and heads for Nagoya.

Gyaos wreaks havoc in the city until Gamera shows up, fighting the flying beast. After another battle, Gamera holds Gyaos in the water while the sun rises. But Gyaos, sensing his mortal danger, chooses to sever his own foot in lieu of death and flies off. A plan is put into effect that would draw Gyaos into the sunlight after experiments reveal that the sun causes the severed foot to shrink. The Defense Force constructs a rotating platform with a giant bowl of artificial blood on it. Gyaos, landing on the platform and drinking the artificial blood, will be held in place by the centrifugal force and not be able to get off before the sun rises. The plan ultimately fails. It all comes down to a final showdown between Gamera and Gyaos which ends when the sun rises, and the weakened Gyaos is killed when Gamera drags his archenemy into the crater of Mt. Fuji. Afterwards, Gamera is then seen flying off of Mt. Fuji and heads home.

Cast

  • Kojiro Hongo as Foreman Shiro Tsutsumi
  • Kichijiro Ueda as Tatsuemon Kanemaru
  • Reiko Kasahara as Sumiko Kanemaru
  • Naoyuki Abe as Eiichi Kanemaru
  • Taro Marui as The Mighty Tetsu
  • Yukitaro Hotaru as Hachikou
  • Yoshiro Kitahara as Dr. Aoki
  • Akira Natsuki as Self-Defense Force Commander
  • Kenji Oyama as Police Division Director
  • Fujio Murakami as Dr. Murakami
  • Koichi Ito as Public Road Corporation Director
  • Teppei Endo as Public Road Local Affairs Director
  • Shin Minatsu as Okabe
  • Teruo Aragaki as Gamera, the titular monster character
  • Gyaos, the main monster villain and Gamera's archnemesis

DVD releases

Image Entertainment

  • Released: June 8, 2004
  • Aspect Ratio: Full screen (1.33:1)
  • Sound: English mono
  • Region: 1
  • Note: Features the American version of the film, Return of the Giant Monsters. Double feature with The Magic Serpent.

St. Clair Entertainment

Shout! Factory

  • Released: September 21, 2010
  • Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)
  • Sound: Japanese mono and English mono
  • Region: 1
  • Note: Features the original Japanese version of the film with English Subtitles, Original AIP dub and Hong Kong-produced international dub, and a Publicity Gallery on Production Stills.

Mystery Science Theater 3000, Volume XXI

  • Released: August 2, 2011
  • Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (1.33:1)
  • English mono
  • Region: 1

References

    External links

    Mystery Science Theater 3000

    Gamera
    Shōwa
    Heisei
    Millenium
    Kaiju
    Films directed by Noriaki Yuasa
    1960s
    1970s
    1980s
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