General Gamera Thread

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

Part of the reason they held off on kaiju destruction was so more of the budget could towards producing absolutely god tier designs and kaiju action in a series that already has some of the best cinema has to offer. Fewer scenes yes, but all of them perfection.

[tbeasley]

What helped too is they built the special effects sets in components and filmed certain shots and sequences separately while the Godzilla movies would just build one big set and throw the suit actors in there. (From what I understand anyway)

[Terasawa]

What helped too is they built the special effects sets in components and filmed certain shots and sequences separately while the Godzilla movies would just build one big set and throw the suit actors in there. (From what I understand anyway)

That's true for the most part, although even in Kawakita's films they'd sometimes build "modular" elements of the set that they could move in and out for different camera set ups. For example, a big portion of the Fukuoka set in SpaceGodzilla had open space for the monster fights, but they could wheel in crystals and buildings where necessary. Mostly they avoided that by shooting at a low angle, to conceal the barren parts of the set.

I think the way it was done in the Heisei Gamera series was out of necessity, because they didn't have the sound stages to devote to multiple miniature sets, but of course it worked out beautifully for them.

[LSD Jellyfish]

While not affecting the overall movies quality, Iris's design and abilities are way too cool for the limited amount of time we see them in action. Again, this doesn't affect my opinions on G3, but I do get what LC is saying by wishing we could have seen a bit more of what it was capable of in a more traditional "Gamera vs. Iris" film.

[cloverfan98]

While not affecting the overall movies quality, Iris's design and abilities are way too cool for the limited amount of time we see them in action. Again, this doesn't affect my opinions on G3, but I do get what LC is saying by wishing we could have seen a bit more of what it was capable of in a more traditional "Gamera vs. Iris" film.

I'd agree with that. I would have loved to see more too.

[Chrispy_G]

I love that the Gamera franchise represents such extremes within the genre.

On one end, you get some of the very best Kaiju films ever made, and quite arguably the best Kaiju Trilogy of all time(not that there are too many solidified "trilogies" in the genre)....and then you get charming camp like Gamera vs Guiron, and also bottom of the pit nothing productions like Gamera: Super Monster.

Like...compared to something like Godzilla, you sort of get 'lower lows' but also 'higher highs'. Of course you also get a good gradient of films in between, too.

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

Love the visual style and those gloriously detailed miniatures.

[Voyager]

Love the visual style and those gloriously detailed miniatures.

Gotta love that Shell branding.

[Spuro]

Wow, I didn't even notice Shell until I saw this screencap.

[BlankAccount]

See now that's product placement that isn't intrusive or forced and feels natural.

[Chrispy_G]

As a kid, noticing the Shell logo was a fun moment for me...it made the shot feel so much more real.

Now like 16 years later I get the very very very obvious pun.

[Terasawa]

Is it a pun or a fortunate coincidence? The Japanese words for shell (as in a seashell, like the Shell brand) and a turtle's shell are different.

[Chrispy_G]

Intentional or not, I love it.

[edgaguirus]

Probably unintentional, but a funny coincidence.

The visuals for the Gamera trilogy were well done. They made both city and country scenes look convincing.

[tbeasley]

GOTU was a quantum leap in depicting kaiju/tokusatsu in the same way Jurassic Park was with dinosaurs.

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

GOTU was a quantum leap in depicting kaiju/tokusatsu in the same way Jurassic Park was with dinosaurs.

So much so that Kawakita got drunk off his ass after he first saw the movie and how outclassed he was effects and visuals wise.

[daveblackeye15]

Hm I kinda hope that's true.

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

Hm I kinda hope that's true.

Have to scroll down a bit towards the SpaceGodzilla image to find it.
https://www.tohokingdom.com/interviews/ ... _2018.html

But to save you the trouble:
"Ironically, the first Godzilla movie I ever saw in a theater in Japan was Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994), which was truly awful on just about every level. Steve Ryfle and I saw it together, with maybe three other people in the theater. Steve sat a row or two behind me, and about halfway through the picture, I turned around and said to him, "For this we came to Japan?" Fortunately, during that same trip, we were also invited (again, on separate nights), to cast and crew screenings of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995). This was in December 1994, three months before it even opened in Japan, so we had no idea what we were in for. I certainly assumed it was going to be something a little bit better than Gamera: Super Monster (1980). Of course, it was a revelation; more so considering it was made for a fraction of the cost of Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. After the screening, I was taken to a bar that was a popular hangout for special effects guys, and who should wander in but Koichi Kawakita, the special effects director of SpaceGodzilla. He was totally blotto, could barely stand, and obviously had come from the same screening and realized his world had changed overnight."

[tbeasley]

Hm I kinda hope that's true.

Alcoholism isn't funny.

[daveblackeye15]

Well I said 'kinda.' I mean as a kid I liked the Heisei Godzilla but as an adult I do realize they were kinda rushed out and I appreciate just how the craft got better and better with each Gamera movie. I don't Heisei Godzilla but I have realized its weakness'. 1984/85 and Biollante are still great.