Other Releases Available:

Releases Reviewed:

Here are a few details on the first Gamera movie which I own under the title “Gammera the Invincible.”

As best as I can tell, since I am far from being a Gamera expert, this Americanized version is available on DVD by itself and in several multi-packs, one of which I'll detail below. The original movie is also available in a robust release by itself under “Gamera The Giant Monster.”

I got mine in the Chilling 20 pack.

Video:

1.33: This is the TV standard ratio. The image is rough being trashy, fuzzy, washed out, and very grainy.

Audio:

1.0 mono: You'll have to put up with some humming, crackles, pops, and skips. The dialogue boarders on distorted because of the poor levels.

Packaging:

The disc comes in a paper sleeve that lives in a plastic case. You can get more details about the set as a whole by checking out the Chilling (20 pack) guide.

In case I wasn't clear before, this is the Americanized version of the original film.

Extras:

There are no extras of any kind.

Other Editions:

“Gamera The Giant Monster” from Shout Factory is by far the best release. It offers a vastly cleaner transfer (based on the screenshots I saw) plus some extras. However, it's not going to offer you the Americanized version of the movie if that is what you're looking for.

For that you will need to get “Gammera the Invincible” from Alpha Video or Synergy. It is 1.33 full-screen, does not mention any remastering, and lists no extras. There are no audio specs given either, so I assume it is plain mono.

None of the multi-packs appear to offer anything more than the 20 pack I have.

Final Thoughts:

If you're looking for the Americanized version specifically then just go with whichever deal offers you the best bargain. If you want the best possible version of the original film then definitely go with the Shout Factory release.