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A long-lost Kaiju movie from the 1960s, Srs Cinema has announced this week that they’ve hooked The Whale God for release here in the United States, and it’s coming soon.

Exclusively reported by Sci-fi Japan, “This is the first official North American release for The Whale God, which has also been marketed internationally under the title Killer Whale.”

The Whale God was originally released by Daiei in 1962, and it “features stunning life-size practical effects” that you can preview in the black & white film’s trailer down below.

In the film, directed by Tokuzo Tanaka, “Once a year, the quiet fishing village of Wadaura in Southern Japan is in a turmoil. The whalers have always concentrated their efforts to try and catch a Killer Whale which is easily twice as large as an ordinary leviathan, and passes by in the offing at the same time every year.

“Shaki, whose grandfather,...

Shout! Factory has come back strong this week with two new DVDs in their recent acquisition of the Gamera franchise. And they’ve taken the next four films in the series and made two double feature DVDs, which makes for a fun and balanced viewing session.

Gamera Vs. Gyaos (or Gamera Vs. Gaos here in the States) from 1967 is the direct sequel to Gamera Vs. Barugon has Gamera playing more of a hero role this time around, helping Japan fight a new threat to the land, Gyaos, who is a huge bat creature. How could you go wrong with Gamera fighting a gigantic vampire bat? You really can’t, to be honest, and we have some typical battles between the two throughout the film. As usual, mankind somehow awakens/irritates this evil and it starts to devour people and destroy anything in its path. Gamera tries to protect Eiichi Kanamura,...

When I was a kid and I saw Gamera Vs. Barugon for the first time, I was a bit confused. Not by the film itself, but I had to ask my uncle if this Barugon was the same as the Baragon that battled rival Godzilla. My uncle looked at me, smiled and said some words that still stick with me to this day. He said, “You know way too much about films. You’ve learned well and will probably surpass me soon enough.” Cut to 20 some odd years later and I’m giving my uncle tips on which films he needs to check out. So when I told him I was reviewing Gamera Vs. Barugon, the second film in the classic Gamera series, he patted me on the shoulder and said he couldn’t wait to read it.

On to the review at hand, Barugon is a great creature for Gamera to battle.

Gamera vs. Barugon Directed by: Shigeo Tanaka Written by: Nisan Takahashi Starring: Koji Fujiyama, Kojiro Hongo, Kyoko Enami, Takuya Fujioka Barugon is the most grounded monster in the original Showa Gamera series, a beast that shoots ice from the tip of its tongue and a rainbow from its back. That says something for what was to come next. It's important that Barugon (not to be confused with rival Toho's creation Baragon) provides something to look at, something that makes him interesting, because he dominates this film. Despite the title, the infamous flying, flame-spitting terrapin Gamera is physically on-screen for all of about ten minutes the entire movie. In fact, the opening sequence, detailing Gamera's escape from the Z-Plan rocket used to remove him from the planet in the original film, is all rather pointless in terms of story and progress, although it is quite a sight. Arriving back on Earth,...

The company that has given us countless goodies this year including a bevy of Roger Corman titles along with the resurrection of Gamera, Shout! Factory, is not only one of the first out of the gate with its San Diego Comic-Con news, but Shout! is ready to tackle the show with a vengeance!

From the Press Release

Shout! Factory returns to Comic-Con International San Diego 2010 with a stellar lineup featuring upcoming and current home entertainment juggernauts that will be showcased in a special panel discussion, media appearances, special signings, interactive fan activities and Comic-Con exclusives at the Shout! Factory booth (#3749, main show floor) throughout the convention. Fan favorite filmmakers, creators and select stars from Shout! Factory’s branded properties scheduled to attend include: Roger Corman, Julie Corman, Joe Dante (Piranha, Trailers from Hell, Gremlins), Allan Holzman (Galaxy of Terror, Forbidden World), Sid Haig (Galaxy of Terror, The Devil’s Rejects), Mary Woronov (Death Race 2000,...

Any day when we can report on a new classic Gamera flick getting the treatment that it deserves is a good one, and Shout! Factory has just dropped the 411 on upcoming release of Gamera vs. Barugon.

From the Press Release

"Returned from his exile into space, Gamera is the last survivor of a species of colossal chelonians, rumored to have originated 8,000 years ago from the lost continent of Atlantis. This titanic terrapin is feared by adults and loved by children.

Hot off the heel from the excitement of fan favorite Gamera, The Giant Monster – Special Edition DVD, Shout! Factory will unleash the second film in the original series, Gamera vs. Barugon – Special Edition on July 6, 2010. The DVD contains a collectible reversible cover, a special booklet featuring an essay by actor Kojiro Hongo, audio commentary with August Ragone and Jason Varney, publicity galleries and widescreen presentation of the original movie from...