Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

i'm just getting into showa gamera. i'm looking at the reviews at shrineofgamera.com, and seeing all the different titles of the US releases and getting a little confused plus if i understand correctly, there were a lot of video releases because a lot of companies thought they were in the public domain?

is there a comprehensive list somewhere that details all of the different north american versions, as well as the different video/DVD releases and how they compare?

I'm not sure,but what i would do if I were you is go to Suncoast (probably other stores too) and get "Japanese Monster Movies" Vol. 1 and 2. The video quality is like an EP VHS tape,and it's pan and scan,but you get four movies in each volume,for 10 bucks!
The movies are:
Gammera the Invincible
Gamera Vs. Guilion
Gamera Vs. Barugon
Gamera Vs. Jiger
Gamera Vs. Viras
Gamera Vs. Gyaos
Gamera Vs. Zigra
Gappa the Triphibian Monsters

Like I said,the quality isn't great,but 8 movies for twenty bucks is hard to argue with. Later,if it turns out you're a big fan,you can always import a better quality DVD. From what I understand,every R1 version is pretty much crap.

Alpha Video:

Gammera the Invincible
War of the Monsters
Destroy All Planets
Attack of the Monsters

Retromedia:

Destroy All Planets/Attack of the Monsters double feature (OOP)
Gamera vs. Monster X/Monster From A Prehistoric Planet double feature
Return of the Giant Monsters/The Magic Serpent double feature

(it should be noted that the Retromedia releases are overpriced, and just as bad quality as the Alpha Video & other assuming-PD releases).

Diamond Entertainment

Japanese Monster Movies Vol. 1 -
Gammera the Invincible
War of the Monsters
Destroy All Planets
Attack of the Monsters

Japanese Monster Movies Vol. 2 -
Gamera vs. Gaos (Sandy Frank dub version)
Gamera vs. Monster X
Gamera vs. Zigra (Sandy Frank dub version)
Monster From A Prehistoric Planet

Vintage Home Entertainment

Gamera: The Ultimate Collection - (far from "ultimate")
Gammera the Invincible
War of the Monsters
Destroy All Planets

Digital 1 Stop

50 Movie Sci Fi Classics set -
(includes "Gammera", "Destroy All Planets" & "Attack of the Monsters")
Gammera the Invincible/Attack of the Monsters double feature

My conclusion:

The boots I have (sourced from the flawless region-2 DVDs) totally BLOW-AWAY this crap. None of the Showa Gamera DVDs that are out now are lisenced anyways, so really they're only good for the dubs and seeing if you like the movie enough to buy a better copy.

the worst Alpha is WAR OF THE MONSTERS. it's pretty washed out. the rest look decent, all things considered (Alpha "stole" two from RetroMedia). RetroMedia usually adds some nice extras on their discs, and i appreciate what they do.

granted, it would be nice if they had pristine 35mm prints to use, but for the price they are all fun and not nearly as bad to watch as some fans would have you believe.

David

Neptune Media licensed the films from Sandy Frank, the Hearst Corp. had them in the late 90s. Bill chose to use the superior AIP dubs instead of the various ones SF had used.

these AIP movies must be PD, because i am sure whoever held the rights would have stepped in by now.

David

I think that companies like Alpha video just assume that they are PD because MGM's eights expired. They should be with Kadokawa, and they should stop the crappy releases we've been getting.