Today, UK home video distributor Arrow Video announced that they will be releasing Gamera: The Complete Collection in North America. The release will feature the entire Gamera film series that consists of 12 films: the original 8 Showa Era films, the Heisei Trilogy, and finally Gamera the Brave. The Complete Collection will feature all twelve uncut films with dual audio (Japanese and English). In addition, the will feature 4K restorations for some films, as well as bonus content like commentaries and interviews. Furthermore, it will feature a hardcover trade of the 1996 Dark Horse Gamera comics, artwork by Matt Frank, and more. Below is the full in-depth description for the release and bonus content:
Gamera: The Complete Collection
Showa Era (1965-1980):
- Gamera the Giant Monster (1965)
- Gamera vs. Barugon (1966)
- Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967)
- Gamera vs. Viras (1968)
- Gamera vs. Guiron (1969)
- Gamera vs. Jiger (1970)
- Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)
- Gamera: Super Monster (1980)
Heisei Era (1995 – 1999, 2006):
- Gamera: Guardian of the Universe
- Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (The Real Guardian of the Universe)
- Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (Absolute Guardian of the Universe)
- Gamera the Brave (2006)
Packaging, Bonus Features & Books:
- Limited collectors’ edition packaging, housed in a large-format rigid box, fully illustrated by Matt Frank
- All twelve uncut original Japanese versions of the films in high definition, with lossless Japanese and English audio
- 4K restorations of the critically acclaimed Heisei trilogy (Gamera the Guardian of the Universe, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris)
- Hours of new and archive bonus features, expert commentaries (including August Ragone, David Kalat, and Steve Ryfle & Ed Godziszewski), interviews with cast and crew, and the worldwide Blu-ray premiere of Gammera The Invincible (the American theatrical version of the first film)
- Hardback 120-page comic book including a full-color 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, kaiju X-ray illustrations by Jolyon Yates, and much more!
Also, we reached out to Matt Frank for a quote on his contributions to the set:
Gamera is the true underdog of the kaiju universe. He’s not as famous as Godzilla, but he has an amazing rogues gallery and three of his movies are some of the absolute best in the genre. And I get to be a part of that legacy now… and the feeling is indescribable. I am so proud of my work on this set and here’s hoping it helps folks remember that Gamera is really neat!
Pre-orders for Gamera: The Complete Collection are currently available on Amazon. The list price for the set rivals Criterion Collection’s Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films Blu-Ray release for $179.99. Orders for Gamera: The Complete Collection are scheduled to release on July 28, 2020.
Source: Arrow Films
