Gamera: The Showa Era

Released: 25th January 2021. As giant monsters rampaged through the Japanese cinematic landscape during the “kaiju boom” of the mid-1960s, Daiei Studios introduced a new character to the screen that would be embraced for generations: Gamera, the giant, flying, fire-breathing turtle, and friend of all children! Buried under the Arctic ice for several millenia, the colossal chelonian is unleashed upon Japan, leaving havoc in his wake. After becoming an unexpected box office sensation, Gamera returned several more times, leaping to the world’s defence against a motley assortment of evil creatures, from the death-ray-shooting flying terror Gyaos, to the knife-headed alien menace Guiron, to the underwater invader Zigra! SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS • High Definition (1080p) transfers of all eight Showa-era Gamera films on Blu-ray  • Lossless original Japanese and dubbed English mono audio for all films  • Optional English subtitles for all films  • Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Frank DISC ONE – GAMERA THE GIANT MONSTER • Commentary and newly filmed introduction by August Ragone  • High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gammera the Invincible, the American theatrical version of the film, with lossless mono audio and optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of hearing  • Remembering the Gamera Series, an archive featurette from 1991, including interviews with director Noriaki Yuasa, writer Nisan Takahashi and others  • Interview with Noriaki Yuasa, filmed by Jörg Buttgereit in 2002  • Gamera Special, an hour-long best-of compilation supervised by Noriaki Yuasa in 1991  • Alternate English credits  • Trailer and image galleries DISC TWO – GAMERA VS. BARUGON / GAMERA VS. GYAOS • Commentary on Gamera vs. Barugon by August Ragone & Jason Varney  • Commentary on Gamera vs. Gyaos by Stuart Galbraith IV  • Newly filmed introductions to both films by August Ragone  • High Definition (1080p) transfer of War of the Monsters, the shorter American edit of Gamera vs. Barugon, with lossless English audio  • Alternate English credits for both films  • Trailer and image galleries DISC THREE – GAMERA VS. VIRAS / GAMERA VS. GUIRON • Choice of three different versions of Gamera vs. Viras via seamless branching  • Commentary on Gamera vs. Viras by Carl Craig and Jim Cirronella  • Commentary on Gamera vs. Guiron by David Kalat  • Newly filmed introductions to both films by August Ragone  • New featurette with actor Carl Craig showing his souvenirs and props from Gamera vs. Viras  • Highlights from the G-FEST X convention in 2003, featuring Noriaki Yuasa and Carl Craig  • The 4th Nippon Jamboree, a promotional film for the Boy Scouts of Japan directed by Yuasa in 1966  • Alternate English credits for both films  • Trailer and image galleries DISC FOUR – GAMERA VS. JIGER / GAMERA VS. ZIGRA / GAMERA SUPER MONSTER • Commentary on Gamera vs. Jiger by Edward L. Holland  • Commentary by Gamera vs. Zigra by Sean Rhoads & Brooke McCorkle  • Commentary on Gamera Super Monster by Richard Pusateri  • Newly filmed introductions to all three films by August Ragone  • Alternate English credits for all three films  • Trailer and image galleries