In 1964, Daiei tried to make a horror film about giant rats attacking Tokyo using real, lice-infested rodents. The health department shut it down, leaving the studio scrambling. With miniatures already built, the effects director was told to come up with something… anything… to salvage the project. He pitched a movie about a giant flying, fire-breathing turtle. The executives laughed… and then said yes. And so, Gamera The Giant Monster hit theaters in 1965 and the rest is history. Before he was the “friend of all children,” Gamera was a desperate gamble by a struggling studio trying to survive the kaiju boom. In this video, I take a deep dive into the making of Gamera, the Giant Monster, the 1965 film that launched Japan’s second most iconic giant monster franchise. From its chaotic production history and budget constraints to its blunt political messaging and the strange charm of Its English dubs, we explore everything that makes this movie more than just a Godzilla knockoff. We’ll break down the film’s Cold War subtext, the chaotic creation of Gamera’s suit and special effects, and how Daiei Films went from filming license-infested rats to launch a giant turtle into space. There’s a surprising amount of heart built beneath the stock footage, muddy cinematography, and awkward child protagonists. This is Also the first entry in my full Gamera retrospective series, so if you’re into kaiju history, Showa-era filmmaking, or just love strange old monster movies, this one’s for you… 🔔 Subscribe to Firewood Media for more kaiju retrospectives, indie film deep dives, and strange internet drama. 💬 Let me know your favorite Gamera film in the comments—especially if it’s one of the strange ones. ► Part 2: Gamera vs. Barugon coming soon ► BUY OUR MERCH: https://firewood-media.creator-spring.com #Gamera #Kaiju #MonsterMovies #FirewoodMedia #ShowaEra #Godzilla #GiantMonster #Gammera #Daiei #Tokusatsu #Retrospective #FilmHistory #MovieAnalysis Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWt-qgIjac3_pm4YKj-ODYA/join Thank you for watching and consider checking out the other films and music videos on our channel! We Have released two feature films, a vast collection of short films, music videos, and weekly uploads. If you are interested in watching them, here are a selection of links… PESTICIDE: https://youtu.be/JUGUbJQo8bE S2D MUSIC VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ecSQbMREO5M CAREER MINOR LEAGUER: https://youtu.be/5DYLbgSqtvM Twitter: https://twitter.com/firewoodmediatv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firewoodmediatv/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@firewoodmedia Bandcamp: https://firewoodmedia.bandcamp.com/album/pesticide
8 Comments
What if the rats didn’t have lice tho?
Gamera is cool. Thank you lice covered rats.
Thats honestly kinda funny
not gonna lie. if that was the pitch given for gamera. I probably would have laughed as well. Not sure if i would have approved it, but then again. Hindsight is 20/20. I'm glad it got approved. Gamera is one of my all time favorite kaijus next to godzilla
Here’s another interesting fact about this film. It would’ve been titled “Giant Horde Beast Nezura,” and was set to feature a kaiju named Nezura brought to life using suitmation, while regular-sized rats were played by real rats. The Nezura kaiju was envisioned as a large creature, possibly man-sized, using a rubber suit in traditional Tokusatsu style. Although no confirmed full suit was completed, there’s evidence suggesting one was designed and partially built before the project was cancelled.
In late December 2020, a biopic titled “Nezura 1964” was released that dramatized the development of the film, featuring cast members from the Gamera franchise. Since there was no existing material for Nezura’s design, the team created a new suit from scratch.
This design bears a striking resemblance to Jiger from "Gamera Rebirth," which was released a few years later. It's possible that Nezura influenced Jiger’s design in the anime. This connection is further emphasized by the smaller Jiger cannibalizing each other in "Gamera Rebirth," a planned plot point for the unmade movie, which, ironically, also happened with the live rats during production for that film.
Looks like it was almost rats
Thats interesting. I always remembered Daiei as a department store in japan. Had no idea they produced Kaiju movies!
The more you know