MST3K 308 - Gamera vs Gaos

The Movie

Synopsis

A volcanic eruption rouses a huge triangle-headed vampire bat monster called Gaos, who has an ultrasonic yellow beam with laser-like cutting power and a craving for death and destruction. Giant heroic flying turtle Gamera appears and battles Gaos on two occasions, but he is forced to withdraw both times after being badly injured.

Gamera is cheered on by a boy named Itchy (aka Eiichi). The military tries to burn Gaos with huge flamethrowers, but the monster's steaming armpits put the fires out. Scientists speculate that sunlight might be harmful to the giant bat-like creature, which would explain why it only appears at night.

A plan to lure Gaos by placing a blood-like substance on top of a rotating restaurant is implemented. The scientists hope that the spinning action will disorient Gaos and that he will be unable to return to his underground lair when the sun rises. The plan works, at first, until the restaurant’s spinning mechanism breaks, and Gaos escapes. Gamera finally defeats Gaos by making him fly too close to the sun.

Information

• This is the first film in which Gamera bleeds.

See Episode K06

The Episode

Host Segments

Prologue: The Bots annoy Joel with raspy-voiced characters from pop culture.

Segment One (Invention Exchange): Gypsy does her impression of the NBC Sunday Night Mystery Movie. The Mads sport Self-Image Printers that reveal a person's true persona. Joel makes a Fax Machine-Kleenex Dispenser and blows getting the cure for the common cold.

Segment Two: Joel tries to demonstrate how the viewers can make a cool Gaos of their own, only to be sabotaged by Crow and Tom Servo.

Segment Three: The SOL crew attempts to put on the "Gameradamerung", but are interrupted by Movie sign.

Segment Four: Joel tries to spin plates as Gaos the Great on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Segment Five: Joel and the Bots ponder better ways to get rid of Gaos than the turntable-fountain of blood combo in the movie. Crow encourages viewers to send in ideas of their own.

Stinger: The comic relief guys make weird faces.

Trivia

• Michael J. Nelson wrote the plate spinning music, which he entitled: “Opus 4, Number 23, Plate Spinning Song”

Callbacks

• “Rex Dart, Eskimo Spy.” (Godzilla vs. Megalon)
• “It’s pretty good!” (The Side Hackers)

Goofs

• Joel blows his reading of the name “Brenda Vacarro.”

Obscure References

• "I love to laugh! Long and loud and clear!" -Crow T. Robot

Crow quotes the Marry Poppins character Uncle Albert, played by Ed Wynn. Crow also imitates Wynn's distinct vocal style.

• "Mucilage tastes just like sweet honey!"

Mucilage is an adhesive made from vegetable gum or product.

• "What's the buzz? Tell me what's happening." -Joel Robinson

Joel says a lyric from "What's the Buzz" from the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, albeit in a spoken word style.

• "My wings are like a shield of steel!"

The catchphrase of the obscure superhero Batfink, who would say this when using his metal wings to protect himself from danger.

Video releases

• Commercially released on DVD by Shout! Factory in August 2011 as part of Volume XXI, a 5-disc set along with Gamera, Gamera vs Barugon, Gamera vs Guiron, and Gamera vs Zigra.
  • The DVD includes Gamera Obscura: A Brief History by August Ragone and a theatrical trailer.
• As of now, Shout! Factory lost the rights to the Gamera episodes, so the MST3K Vs Gamera box set is out-of-print