Jan 31 2025 70 mins
GAMERA: THE GIANT MONSTER (1965) d. Noriaki Yuasa (Japan)
GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE (1995) d. Shusuke Kaneko (Japan)
Japan’s second-most iconic kaiju (aka the Other Big G), Gamera evolved from a destructive force to a heroic protector of humanity. The early Showa era films (1965-1980) established Gamera, a giant, turtle-like creature, as a friendly figure for youngsters while also showcasing him battling various monstrous threats. Often lighthearted and less serious than their Godzilla counterparts, Gamera’s reputation as the “friend to all children” made him a beloved character around the world.
In 1995, the franchise was rebooted with the Heisei trilogy, comprised of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995), Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996), and Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999), which gave the series a darker, more mature tone. This trilogy redefined Gamera as an ancient, powerful protector of Earth, tackling complex themes alongside epic monster battles and state-of-the-art special effects.
Throughout the Gamera series, several memorable monsters have appeared as adversaries to the titular turtle kaiju, including Gyaos, Barugon, Viras, Guiron, Zigra, Jiger, Legion, and Iris. These foes, each with unique abilities and characteristics, ensured that every onscreen battle was a breath-taking, earth-shaking, cityscape-breaking smackdown, while maintaining the franchise’s unique blend of adventure, fantasy, and spectacle.
Join AC and his awesome panel of G-guests (Joyce Boss, Dave M Gray, Stan Hyde, Mark Matzke) as they celebrate 60 years of the twenty-ton terrapin, GAMERA!!
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JOYCE MIHARA BOSS teaches world literature and cinema, myth, and Japanese popular culture at Wartburg College. Her academic publications and presentations have focused on various topics related to Godzilla, yōkai, global fandom, and Japanese religion and folklore.
DAVE “M” GRAY is currently a test subject in a subterranean mad science lab and allowed to send proofs of life to Raiders of the Podcast (raidersofthepodcast.blogspot.com or anywhere you podcast) and Twitch (twitch.tv/sh4ggyr4nd) weekly.
STAN HYDE teaches, examines, and consults on international film programs for students (International Baccaluareate's Film Course), as well as writing about model making, film history, and some fiction. He is winner of the Mangled Sky-Scraper Award for helping bring G-FEST, the annual Godzilla Convention in Chicago to life since 1995, and is a 2021 Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association Hall of Fame recipient for his work with science fiction conventions, clubs, and fanzines.
MARK MATZKE is the narrative voice of numerous Small Town Monsters documentaries such as “Sasquatch Unearthed.” He's featured on STM's YouTube series "UFOs Revisited,” and has written for Stephen Bissette’s upcoming “Cryptid Cinema 2,” Nostalgia Digest and G-FAN.
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