Gamera vs. Barugon

Gamera vs. Barugon (大怪獣決闘 ガメラ対バルゴン Daikaijū Kettō: Gamera tai Barugon, lit. "Giant Monster Duel: Gamera vs. Barugon") is a Japanese kaiju movie produced by Daiei Motion Picture Company, released in theaters on April 17, 1966. It is the second Gamera film and second Shōwa film. It was directed by Shigeo Tanaka and written by Nisan Takahashi. Taking place six months after the events of Gamera, the Giant Monster, a meteor crashes into the Z-Plan trap, freeing Gamera who heads to Kurobe Dam to feed off the hydroelectric power and fire as he destroys it. Meanwhile three thieves, Keisuke Hirata (Kojiro Hongo), Kawajiri (Yuzo Hayakawa) and Onodera (Koji Fujiyama) who travel to New Guinea to retrieve a huge opal that was hidden in a cave by Keisuke's brother, Ichiro (Sho Natsuki), during his time in World War 2 before he was captured and put in POW camp. The locals warn the men that disaster will befall if they enter that cave. Onodera turns on the other two men once the opal is found, leaving them for dead. However, as his ship sails back to Kobe, the opal turns out to be an egg and the creature Barugon soon grow quickly to giant proportions once he hatches and attack the city. Soon the two monsters have a head on fight at Osaka.
The movie is a notable entry in the Gamera franchise for several reasons. It's the only Shōwa Gamera film not to be directed Noriaki Yuasa who previously directed Gamera, the Giant Monster and would return to directorial role for the rest of the Shōwa era though he was director of special effects for this film. It is the first Gamera film to not prominently feature a child actor as one of the stars. It is the first Gamera movie to feature another monster as well as the first to feature Gamera fighting another monster. It is the first film to have Gamera playing an "anti-hero" role instead of a purely antagonistic role, something that would be repeated in 1999 by the successor company, Daiei Film Co., with their Heisei era film, Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris. It is the first Gamera movie to be in color. Finally it was the first Gamera film to be released in theaters as double feature, this one being double billed with Daimajin, another kaiju movie also by Daiei Motion Picture Company that would go on to have two sequels of its own and become a trilogy all in the same year. Many of the Shōwa Gamera entries after this one would also be double features upon their release.
=Revolvers=
==Nambu Model 60==
A flash paper firing prop revolver resembling snub-nosed Nambu Model 60 is used prominently by Onodera (Koji Fujiyama) throughout the film, such as to scare away the village locals in New Guinea. Later Onodera gets into a gun fight with JGSDF soldiers where amazingly neither is hit as he attempts to steal a diamond being used in a trap for Barugon.
=Rifles=
==M1 Carbine==
Throughout the movie Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces are seen carrying M1 Carbine rifles. Though many of the scenes are at dark making them hard to make out. Two soldiers are forced to fire their rifles as Onodera opens fire on them to steal a diamound being used in a trap to lure Barugon into a lake to drown it. Amazingly not one shot from either side hits anyone.
=Machine Guns=
==Sumitomo M2HB Machine Gun==
Several Type 61 and M24 Chaffee tanks are seen with Sumitomo M2HB mounted on them as they battle Barugon before being frozen by the monsters strange ice breath.
=Artillery=
==M114 155mm howitzer==
M114 155mm howitzer join the fight against Barugon though the monster proves impervious.
==Unknown Self-propelled Howitzer==
Several self-propelled guns fight aid the tanks in their battle only to fall victim to Barugon's ice breath.
=Autocannons=
==M61 Vulcan==
Mitsubishi F-104J Starfighters unleash missiles on Barugon after the tanks and Howitzers fail. The gun port for the M61 Vulcan can be seen on the left side of the nose, though they go unused.
=Grenades=
==MK 2 Grenades==
Early in the movie the thieves are seen with hand grenades that resemble the western Mk 2 hand grenade. Interestingly the thieves had removed the thieves had removed the spoon, instead rigging it with a longer fuse that sticks out and must be lit with a match or lighter. Onodera (Koji Fujiyama) uses them to cause a cave in, trapping his fellow thieves when he betrays them.
=Miscellaneous=
==Unidentified Police Revolver==
As two civilians slip and nearly fall down the stairs as they rush to a subway for shelter, two cops catch them before they fall, with one's revovler swinging around in his holster. It is somewhat difficult to tell what make it is though.
Category:Movie
Category:Science-Fiction
Category:Japanese Produced/Filmed
Category:Gamera