Gamera vs. Viras

"Civilization is in chaos..."

1968 1h 21m JA

😐

5.6

MID

⭐

4.6

IMDB

★5.6TMDB · 94★4.6IMDB · 1,935

AdventureActionScience FictionFamily

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

As alien invaders plot to conquer the Earth, two Boy Scouts steal a mini-submarine and discover Gamera in their midst. Transported to the alien's spaceship, the Scouts are menaced by the evil inhabitants, including Viras, a squid-like monster that grows to colossal size to battle Gamera.

“Civilization is in chaos...”

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Cast

Kōjirō Hongō
Scout Master Mr. Shimida
Tôru Takatsuka
Masao Nakaya
Carl Craig
Jim Morgan
Michiko Yaegaki
Mariko
Peter Williams
Dr. Dobie
Kōji Fujiyama
Self-Defense Force Commander
Mari Atsumi
Junko Aoki
Junko Yashiro
Masako Shibata

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Noriaki Yuasa
Writers: Nisan Takahashi
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

81 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

58 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Part of the "Gamera (Showa) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Noriaki Yuasa, shot by Akira Kitazaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Kenjiro Hirose. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Shoji Sekiguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Noriaki Yuasa directs. Akira Kitazaki behind the camera. Kenjiro Hirose scores. Shoji Sekiguchi cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

181 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $0.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
358 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Part of the "Gamera (Showa) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
6Directed by Noriaki Yuasa, shot by Akira Kitazaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Kenjiro Hirose. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Shoji Sekiguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Kōjirō Hongō and Tôru Takatsuka and Carl Craig carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "Civilization is in chaos...".
11IMDB entry: tt0063000 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Only 94 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
13Classified under 9 themes, including "monster", "turtle", "sequel", "alien".

The technical file

Cinematography: Akira Kitazaki
Original score: Kenjiro Hirose
Editing: Shoji Sekiguchi
Production design: Tomohisa Yano
Runtime: 81 min · 1h 21m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $56,000
Original language: JA
IMDB: Gamera vs. Viras (1968)
IMDB rating: 4.6/10 · 1,935 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Part of

Gamera (Showa) Collection

Gamera (ガメラ) is a giant turtle kaiju (giant monster) from a series of popular giant monster films produced by Daiei Motion Picture Company in Japan. Created in 1965 to rival the success of Toho Studios' Godzilla during the daikaiju boom of the mid-to-late 1960s, Gamera has gained fame and notoriety as a Japanese icon in his own right.