Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

As we all know, next year, 2005, will be Gamera's 40th anniversary. Considering companies are already getting into gear (especially Sony) to celebrate the Big G's big year with an explosion of Goji merchandise, I wonder if this will have a positive effect on Gammy's 40th.

Hopefully, Kokodawa-Daiei will have a new Gamera film prepared for Gamera's anniversary next year. If this occurs, could it, coupled with the previous year's Godzilla merchandise and publicity increase, present as insentive for an American company (*ahem* Sony *ahem*) to purchase the US rights to the showa Gamera films (other than the few currently owned by others) for beautiful widescreen, original language DVDs?

As far as I know, Daiei was never as uptight about their films as Toho, and would supply them for much cheaper prices as well. I'm not sure if the new Kokodawa-Daiei operates in the same manner, but I'm sure they would be more than anxious to start business with a large American company for US distribution of the older Gamera films at their disposal.

The question is, will there be enough incentive next year for this type of deal to occur?

Gamera is obscure, but *if* a company (ADV? Sony?) bought the rights to release the Showa Gamera movies (unless Neptune Media still has them), they could release them in two "2 disc, four movie" DVD sets.

First 2-disc DVD set:

Gamera / Gamera vs. Barugon
Gamera vs. Gyaos / Gamera vs Viras

Second 2-disc DVD set:

Gamera vs. Jiger / Gamera vs. Guiron
Gamera vs. Zigra / Space Monster Gamera

Or something like that, therefore the company saves on packaging and such things, and doesn't have to release them singularly (which very likely wouldn't even cut even), or as "double feature" DVDs, in which you would end up with "Zigra/Space Monster Gamera", which would be a bit iffy IMO.

What do you guys think?


and... n-n-n-noo...

There shouldn't be a Gamera 4! Gamera 3 should just be left how it is, as a "leave the viewer hanging" sort of ending.. it's just so much more powerful leaving it open-ended like that.. y'no?

It's doubtful that a major company like Sony would want to release films that are public domain in the U.S. and have already been released by crappy companies like Alpha and Retromedia.

And as others have said, Gamera lacks the broad name-brand recognition of Godzilla.