GIANT MONSTER BARAN: Finally got to see this one

[Chris K.]

If their is one Toho 50's monster film that has been forgotten, it's GIANT MONSTER BARAN. It was released in the U.S. back in 1962 as VARAN THE UNBELIEVEABLE, which it's American distributors shorned 40 minutes of footage that featured the main Japanese characters in place of actor Myron Healey instead, removing the one scene of the monster Baran flying and replaced Akira Ifukube's grand score with stock Albert Glasser music from EARTH VS. THE SPIDER and WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST (both 1958)!

Yet after seeing the original version of GIANT MONSTER BARAN, I can tell you it's more worthwhile than VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE cut. Most video releases of VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE were in EP mode. Worse, the transfers were taken from 16mm television prints that were badly (and I mean BADLY) panned-scanned from the Toho-Pan-Scope 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio. Adding more insult to injury, while the U.S. footage was clearly shot, the Japanese footage was badly printed and had a dark, murky quality to it that made Baran hard to make out. Eiji Tsuburaya's effects work was also ruined as optical explosion effects were poorly added on whenever Baran was fired at; clearly not up to Tsuburaya's standards and it shows since it was added by optical effects man Howard A. Anderson (who proudly takes credit). And even adding some more insult to injury, the American version refused to give one single Japanese crewmember or performer credit! To sum it up: Ouch!

But after seeing GIANT MONSTER BARAN, it's worth the watch. In it's original Toho-Pan-Scope, it's a grand view. The picture is more clear and the effects work is well done in the widescreen format. And Akira Ifukube's score is great and can't see why the dumbass U.S. distributors removed it: it's a damn fine score. So if you have seen it, please put in your imput.

Next review coming up: Bruno Mattei's SHOCKING DARK. Is this 1989 sci-fi/horror flick worth the watch due to it being a rip-off of ALIENS (1986) and THE TERMINATOR (1984)? Or is it just plain bad? After all, this is from Bruno Mattei!

[Haze]

I would like to actually see this one but can't find it. I am a huge fan of giant monster rumbles from toho and this is one of the few I have not seen.

[Foywonder]

BARAN or VARAN, doesn't matter which name it's under of which print of the film it is because both are extremely tedious and downright boring. I'd have to rate VARAN/BARAN as being the worst of the Toho kaiju movies. Cool monster, terrible movie.

[Flangepart]

Well, could be argued, Sir Foy, to each his own. The emotional connection to the human stars is tenuious, to be sure. Thats part of the films weakness.
Still, as Chris said, its soooo much better then the U.S. version, its the only version i'll watch.

[StatCat]

The US verson is probably the worst US release of any of the toho movies. I've only seen the Japanese version. Its pretty good but not the greatest. Especially like the parts where varan is under water and he looks quite strange.