Arrow Video has announced a massive new collection of Japan’s Gamera films, the wild kaiju series about a turtle-like prehistoric creature that even gives Godzilla a run for the money.
Featuring 12 films spread over eight Blu-ray discs, from his debut in 1965’s Gamera, the Giant Monster through to 2006’s Gamera the Brave,
Gamera: The Complete Collection also includes a 130-page comic book, an 80-page book, Gamera’s Map of Japan (in Japanese and English), collector art cards for each film, and more.
Check out the full specs and incredible packing below, along with a new trailer for the collection.
Gamera: The Complete Collection is out on August 18 (North America) and August 19 (Europe) and is available for pre-order now.
COLLECTOR’S EDITION BOX SET CONTENTS
- Limited collectors’ edition packaging, housed in a large-format rigid box, fully illustrated by Matt Frank
- Casebound, fully-illustrated disc book containing eight Blu-ray discs
- High Definition (1080p) versions of all twelve films, with lossless original Japanese audio and a complete collection of English dub tracks, including classic American International dubs on the Showa-era films remastered from original MGM elements
- Hardback 130-page comic book including a full-colour reprint of the four-issue Gamera comic series originally released by Dark Horse Comics in 1996, and the first-ever English-language printing of the prequel comic The Last Hope by Matt Frank and Joshua Bugosh
- Perfect-bound 80-page book including a new retrospective on the series by Patrick Macias, an archive interview with Noriaki Yuasa by David Milner, kaiju X-ray illustrations by Jolyon Yates, Fangoria set reports on the Heisei trilogy by Norman England, and a viewers’ guide to the English-dubbed versions of the films
- Double-sided four-panel poster of “Gamera’s Map of Japan” in both Japanese and English
- Collectors’ artcards for each film, featuring new artwork by Matt Frank
DISC ONE – GAMERA THE GIANT MONSTER
- High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gamera the Giant Monster, with lossless original Japanese and dubbed English mono audio, and optional English subtitles
- Commentary and newly filmed introduction by August Ragone
- High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gammera the Invincible (Blu-ray premiere), 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
- High Definition (1080p) transfers of Gamera vs. Barugon and Gamera vs. Gyaos, with lossless original Japanese and dubbed English mono audio, and optional English subtitles
- 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
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DISC THREE – GAMERA VS. VIRAS / GAMERA VS. GUIRON
- High Definition (1080p) transfers of Gamera vs. Viras and Gamera vs. Guiron, with lossless original Japanese and dubbed English mono audio, and optional English subtitles
- Choice of three different versions of Gamera vs. Viras via seamless branching (72-minute Theatrical Version, 81-minute Director’s Version and 90-minute US Extended Version)
- Commentary on Gamera vs. Viras by Carl Craig and Jim Cironella
- 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
- High Definition (1080p) transfers of Gamera vs. Jiger, Gamera vs. Zigra and Gamera Super Monster, with lossless original Japanese and dubbed English mono audio, and optional English subtitles
- Commentary on Gamera vs. Jiger by Edward L. Holland
- Commentary on 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
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DISC FIVE – GAMERA THE GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE
- High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gamera the Guardian of the Universe, from a 4K restoration by Kadokawa Pictures
- Original Japanese and dubbed English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio, with optional English subtitles
- Commentary by Matt Frank
- Newly filmed introduction by August Ragone
- A Testimony of 15 Years: Part 1, the first in an epic three-part documentary interviewing cast and crew of the Heisei Trilogy
- Interviews with director Shusuke Kaneko and SFX director Shinji Higuchi, filmed by Jörg Buttgereit in 2002
- Extended 90-min interview with Shinji Higuchi from 2001, focusing on the trilogy’s special effects
- Behind the scenes featurettes tracing the film’s production from announcement to release
- Alternate English credits
- Trailer and image galleries
DISC SIX – GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF LEGION
- High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, from a 4K restoration by Kadokawa Pictures
- Original Japanese and dubbed English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio, with optional English subtitles
- Commentary by Kyle Yount
- Newly filmed introduction by August Ragone
- A Testimony of 15 Years: Part 2, the next part of the documentary interviewing cast and crew of the Heisei Trilogy
- On-set footage from the shooting of the film’s main unit and special effects filming
- Behind the scenes featurettes tracing the film’s production from announcement to release
- Alternate English credits
- “Lake Texarkana” comedic dub track
- Trailer and image galleries
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DISC SEVEN – GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS
- High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, from a 4K restoration by Kadokawa Pictures
- Original Japanese and dubbed English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio, with optional English subtitles
- Commentary by Steve Ryfle & Ed Godziszewski
- Newly filmed introduction by August Ragone
- A Testimony of 15 Years: Part 3, the final part of the documentary interviewing cast and crew of the Heisei Trilogy
- Newly filmed interview with Kaho Tsutsumi about the DNA Tokasatsu exhibition in Tokyo, by kaiju historian Edward L. Holland
- Behind the scenes featurettes tracing the film’s production from announcement to release
- Deleted Scenes
- The Awakening of Irys (Remix), a montage of behind-the-scenes footage and work-in-progress special effects footage
- Alternate English credits
- Spoof commentary by “Gamera” & “Soldier No.6”
- Trailer and image galleries
DISC EIGHT – GAMERA THE BRAVE
- High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gamera the Brave
- Original Japanese and dubbed English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio, with optional English subtitles
- Commentary by Keith Aiken & Bob Johnson
- How to Make a Gamera Movie, a featurette hosted by director Ryuta Tasaki
- Behind The Scenes of Gamera the Brave, an all-access on-set documentary
- The Men That Made Gamera, a documentary looking back at the series from start to finish, featuring interviews with cast and crew
- Opening Day Premiere, a featurette showing the cast and crew presenting the film at its first showing
- Kaho’s Summer, an interview with the film’s young star
- Special Effects Supercut, a montage of effects shots overseen by FX supervisor Hajime Matsumoto
- Trailer and image galleries
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