Gamera vs. The Deep Sea Monster Zigra (Japanese Version) (1971)

aka's: Gamera Tai Shinkai Kaijû Jigura/Gamera vs. Zigra/
ガメラ対深海怪獣ジグラ

In the future of 1985, a moonbase is destroyed by an undersea spaceship called Zigra, which has a cluster of colored balls on its head. Later, at Sea World, dolphins are dying mysteriously. The Zigra ship then kidnaps two men and two children and starts causing earthquakes. The two captured six-year-olds somehow manage to outwit the Zigra X Woman (Eiko Yanami) and help their incapacitated fathers escape. Later, the Zigra X Woman, who can use her eyes to put people into comas, chases them all over Sea World but can't seem to catch them. Finally, Gamera shows up and battles Zigra, who has now revealed its true form, a giant deadly space shark. Stars Koji Fujiyama, Daigo Inoue, Reiko Kasahara and Arlene and Gloria Zoellner. This is the Japanese language version of Gamera vs. Zigra (also available here at Rare Movie Collector). (In Japanese language, with English subtitles).

This film comes from a rare widescreen import print, which is of far superior picture quality to the U.S. version.

Zigra, in his full shark mode, resembles a Goblin shark, a rare species of deep sea shark found most commonly near Japan.

Gamera vs. Zigra was the only classic Gamera film not released in the U.S. until the advent of home video. All the previous Gamera films had been picked up for theatrical distribution or for television. Gamera vs. Zigra first appeared in the U.S. back in 1987, via video tape, long after its Japanese release.

NOTE: This was to be the last Gamera film made just Before the Daiei Motion Picture Film Company officially went bankrupt in 1971 despite a minor co-op formed with the Nikkatsu Motion Picture Company called Dai-Nichi Eiga. The studio had plans to produce more Gamera films and the next in line for production (slated for a 1972 release) was a film called Gamera vs. Garasharp. Unfortunately, the film never made it out of its pre-production stage. A monster costume for Garasharp was in fact constructed, but never used.