DVD Collectors Online

Gamera: The Giant Monster, a review by Danae Cassandra

Gamera: The Giant Monster  (Daikaiju Gamera)
Year of Release: 1965
Directed By: Noriaki Yuasa
Starring: Eiji Funakoshi, Harumi Kiritachi, Junichiro Yamashita, Jun Hamamura
Genre: Science-Fiction, Action, Disaster, Tokusatsu, Kaiju

Overview:Fires On The Plain), find a way to stop this invincible supermonster . . . or is mankind doomed?

Directed by Noriaki Yuasa (who would oversee all eight of the original Gamera entries of the 1960s and 1970s) and created by the same studio that brought Zatoichi to the screen, Daiei's titanic terrapin became the only true rival to Toho's King Of The Monsters. Gamera was able to hold its own at the box office and secured a place in the hearts of kaiju eiga (Japanese monster movie) fans around the world.

Now, for the first time on DVD, Shout! Factory presents the original Japanese version of Gamera with new English subtitles and anamorphic widescreen from an all-new HD master created from vault elements!

My Thoughts:
Introducing Gamera! His origin story! See him rudely awakened by the blast of the bomb! See him bring destruction as he goes forth in anger! and hunger! He breathes fire! He flies! Watch mankind tremble as they realize their weapons are ineffective!

In truth, not a bad opening film. More than a bit of a rip-off of Godzilla, but Gamera isn't created by the bomb, he's simply awakened by it. He's a force of nature rather than mutated by man's weapons. The story's very thin, but we have lots of scenes of Gamera rampaging and causing destruction. Fun kaiju film, and if you're going to watch the old Gamera films, I'd definitely start with the first one.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3/5

(From Gamera! on February 27th, 2016)

State Of Play, a review by Jon

State Of Play
4 out of 5





(From Jon's Random Reviews on January 24th, 2010)

Angel Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: "Angel" skips about the same time as "Buffy" did. Buffy has been dead for three months and Angel has been mourning in a monastery in Sri Lanka for about the same time. Now he's back and on his first hunt he kills an acquainted vampire before he recognizes her. But he also knows her boyfriend James and he wants vengeance.

My Opinion: On one hand I find it a pity that they jumped over these three months, on the other hand we would have only seen a broody and solitary Angel. The episode itself wasn't that interesting and a bit weak for a season opener.

Synopsis: Cordelia now gets visions that physically hurt her and several of it in a very short span of time. It is unclear why the "Powers That Be" would suddenly hurt Cordelia but Angel does anything in his powers to quickly finish the assignments.

My Opinion: I am quite interested in that prisoner. He could be a formidable enemy or we could never see him again, both is possible in "Angel". If it was not settled until now, now it's clear that it is a bad idea to try to blackmail Angel.

Synopsis: A number of demons are arbitrarily killed and there is no pattern to be seen. Some of them are dangerous, some of them are totally harmless. As it turns out, Gunn's old gang is somehow involved in this.

My Opinion: I think it's historic irony that a group of black people tells other living beings that they don't belong here, that they have no right to live. Granted, demons are indeed no humans but blacks also were told that they were less worthy. The world is grey, it's not black/white and neither is it separable into good/evil.

Synopsis: Angel and the gang investigate in a case were a number of men mysteriously died. Everything points to a certain gym  - or to the building opposite of it.

My Opinion: I love body-switch episodes. They are always fun because the actors can behave in a way which their usual role doesn't allow. It's also nice to see the confusion that comes out of such switches. The best body-switch episode I've ever seen was a "Farscape" episode.

(From Angel Marathon on February 17th, 2008)