A stage greeting to commemorate the 4K HDR Dolby Cinema revival screening of "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" (1995), the first film in the "Gamera" monster film trilogy, was held at Marunouchi Piccadilly Dolby Cinema (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo) on November 22nd, featuring actor Shinobu Nakayama and director Shusuke Kaneko. Nakayama played the role of ornithologist Mayumi Nagamine in the film, for which she won the Japan Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Nearly 30 years after its 1995 release, Nakayama shared her thoughts on the film.
Nakayama was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Blue Ribbon Awards, while her sister Miho Nakayama won Best Actress for her role in the film "Love Letter," making them the latest sisters to win awards together. Nakayama said with tears in her eyes, "That was the first and last time we (sisters) appeared on a public stage together. We were able to stand on such a glorious stage together. I would like to thank everyone for allowing me to meet Gamera, the director, and Mayumi Nagamine, and for allowing me to stand on stage with my sister. Thank you."
Director Kaneko said about the Heisei Gamera trilogy, "If I missed this opportunity, I'd never be able to make a monster movie again. I absolutely wanted to do it, so I accepted. There was no option but to turn it down. I gathered an excellent staff, and (special effects director) Higuchi Shinji created some brilliant visuals. Shinobu also worked on the first three films." Looking back on the filming, Nakayama said, "I was filled with joy at being able to make a monster movie."
Gamera is a monster modeled after a turtle that appears in the special effects film "Gamera the Giant Monster," released by Daiei in 1965. He is a child who protects people from danger to the Earth and a champion of justice, and he spins around and flies in a disc-shaped form. Since "Gamera the Giant Monster," a total of eight films have been produced as the "Showa Gamera" series, including "Space Monster Gamera." Other series include the Heisei Gamera trilogy and "Gamera: Little Braves." In 2023, the anime "GAMERA -Rebirth-" was released on Netflix.
The Heisei Gamera trilogy, created by director Kaneko, special effects director Shinji Higuchi, and screenwriter Kazunori Ito, consisted of "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" (1995), "Gamera 2: Attack of Legion" (1996), and "Gamera 3: The Awakening of Iris" (1999). "Gamera 2: Attack of Legion" and "Gamera 3: The Awakening of Iris" will also be screened again in 4K HDR Dolby Cinema.
