Monday, December 19, 2011

GAMERA '96 / Daiei Studios - 1996

Welcome to Monster Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. We deliver the goods with tonite's offering, movie two in director Shusuke Kaneko's awesome Gamera trilogy. Alternate title is GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF THE LEGION.

The story starts a year after Gamera's battle with Gyaos, a weird cluster of meteorites crash-lands in Japan, followed by unexplained phenomenon and disasters. It finally becomes clear that Earth has been invaded by a colony of insect-like creatures from another world. These creatures, known as the Legion, begin to savage the countryside before Gamera enters the scene.

Kô Ôtani composed the music, he worked on the entire GAMERA trilogy and GODZILLA, MOTHRA AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK.

Letz bring our fuzzy little fiend and button pusher, that 7-eyed freek, Ralphie The Tarantula!.. Ralphie has joined us so that we can get this show started. Eegah!! gave us a musical soundclip that celebrates Gamera's victory at the end of the film! So, push the big red 'GO' button there next to the bus stop, now, Ralphie! Here's a cool tune from... GAMERA '96!

The Japanese really began to create some great music in the nineties, most notably in their anime series. COWBOY BEBOP is a good example, my favorite piece is the ending theme from OUTLAW STAR.

After the strange meteors hit, creatures begin coming to the surface. This crowd on the subway are the first ones to encounter the things!

Then, this giant unknown structure appears from under the earth!

Some of the soldiers quote verses from the Bible, predicting the appearance of Gamera!!

This movie's all about the monsters, but, there is this cute girl reporter we get to see from time to time.

All Hell's starting to break out in Japan.

Gamera takes a direct hit from the hideous thing from another world! The giant alien creature design is based on an actual giant crab species that inhabits the oceans surrounding Japan!

Then, it unleashes a barrage of destruction on the city!

The military responds to the location of the problem...

Only to be completely annihilated!! Just look at that freakin' thing!

Gamera recovers from injuries sustained in the battle and takes off to relocate it's nemesis!

The special effects are absolutely stunning and totally amazing, unbelievable!! Speaking of nemesis, the thing here looks like 1983 British Quality Comics' NEMESIS THE WARLOCK!

These shots are plain awesome.

Gamera knows what must be done, so, starts collecting electrical energy from the atmosphere...

The power is concentrated within it's body cavity!

Gamera turns the creature into ash with this intense blast!

Portrait of a winner!

Okay, now the kids join in!..

3 comments:

Prof. Grewbeard said...

this is my favorite of the Heisei Gamera films, it's everything a giant Japanese monster movie should be!

Exeter said...

WoW!
I never heard of this one!
It does look pretty cool!
Thanks!

Brian D. Horrorwitz said...

I watched this again recently. Great movie! And the Blu-Ray is dirt cheap!

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