Gamera 4: Truth

Gamera 4: Truth Directed by Shinpei Hayashiya Producer Shinpei Hayashiya Written by Shinpei Hayashiya Music by Kow Otani, Tadashi Yamanouchi Distributor Daiei Rating Unrated Budget ¥???,???,??? Box office ¥???,???,??? Running time 45 minutes (estimate)

Gamera 4: Truth (ガメラ4 真実,   Gamera Fō Shinjitsu) is a fan-made sequel to Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris. It has never been released on home video, and is rarely shown in public since a series of free screenings in Japan in 2003.

Plot

The story picks up where Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris ends, with the JSDF rushing to confront the swarm of Gyaos invading Japan. Squadron after squadron of fighter jets fall before the monsters. A wounded Gamera takes off from the burning ruins of Kyoto to join the midair battle, where he spins off wild mana shots that pick off a few Gyaos. The tide of the battle turns when the survivors are joined by Albino Gyaos, a more powerful, all-white version of the Hyper Gyaos. All take aim and fire their supersonic beams on Gamera, plunging him to a watery grave.

Following the battle, the Japanese government enlists the help of Nagamine and Osako to help the military search for the new monster. After locating it, the JSDF deploys a large force of tanks, rocket launchers, and helicopters, but the Albino Gyaos proves too strong for them. Later, the Albino Gyaos attacks the hotel Osako is staying at, and he is presumed dead in the rubble. Finally, the military pits a heat ray tank, the SGPM-2, against Gyaos, but it too fails miserably.

One of the ancient Gamera skeletons is given mana power from the earth and regenerates into a new Gamera. Landing in Yokohama Bay, Gamera lays waste to everything in sight. Albino Gyaos arrives to attack Gamera, and the two engage in a climactic clash, with the former deploying an energy shield and the latter unleashing a pair of plasma sabres. The new Gamera eventually prevails over his arch nemesis, yet does not return to the sea. Instead, he continues on a rampage, stomping and burning everything from Yokohama to Shinjuku. The JSDF launches a last-ditch offensive in Shinjuku using more SGPM-2s, but Gamera easily thwarts the attack. Suddenly, a huge explosion erupts from Gamera, and central Tokyo is reduced to smoldering ruins.

Afterwards, Osako turns up alive in Okinawa - as far away from Tokyo as possible - wondering how he always manages to survive such calamities. As he hobbles away, a news broadcast is overheard which mentions that the new Gamera opened a crater one kilometer wide and four hundred meters deep in the center of Tokyo. The Japanese and U.S. military found many unclassified prehistoric eggs deep within the crater.

Staff

Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.

• Directed by   Shinpei Hayashiya
• Produced by   Shinpei Hayashiya
• Music by   Kow Otani, Tadashi Yamanouchi (stock)

Cast

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

• Yukijiro Hotaru   as   Osako
• Unidentified actress   as   Mayumi Nagamine
• Shinpei Hayashiya   as   Mr. Saito

U.S. Release

The only known screening of Gamera 4: Truth in the United States was a 2014 invite-only event held on the final day of G-Fest XXI in Rosemont, Illinois. Director Shinpei Hayashiya, a guest at the convention, introduced the film.

Gallery

Main article: Gamera 4: Truth/Gallery.

Trivia

• At least one showing of the film in Japan was preceded by three animated shorts called "Gametaro," parodying both Gamera and the Hamtaro franchise.
• Stills from Gamera 4: Truth were used to promote the Kickstarter of Kaiju Gaiden, a long-delayed documentary about independent kaiju films. Shinpei Hayashiya was among the filmmakers interviewed. Producer Mark Jaramillo has shown clips from Gamera 4: Truth at G-Fest panels, although it is unknown whether they will appear in the documentary itself, should it ever be released.
• Most of the music from the film is taken from Kow Otani's Gamera scores, with a track from Tadashi Yamanouchi's work on Gamera playing during the giant turtle's Tokyo rampage.

External Links

• 2003 review of the film by Alan Colosi
• Review of the film and account of the G-FEST XXI screening by Steven Sloss

References

This is a list of references for Gamera 4: Truth. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: ^[1]