MST3K Story: Joel thanks everyone for their calls and announces that Crow will soon be unfrozen. Servo wonders what Crow will think of his “dynamic mighty voice”. Finally thawed in time for the New Year, Crow is very annoyed after being shown what was done to him. Later, Joel receives his first transmission from the mad scientists who shot him into space: Dr. Clayton Forrester and Dr. Lawrence Erhardt. Joel wants to know when he can come back to Earth and the Mads say they’ll let him come down if he does a different show for them; one that involves being trapped deep in the transatlantic trench and watching nothing but Jacques Cousteau movies. Joel passes. The movie begins to make Joel very unhappy and the Bots are unable to cheer him up. Even viewer calls fail to do the trick. Just as Joel begins to feel better, they play a message in which the caller thinks Gypsy is a male. This makes her very upset. Late in the movie, midnight approaches and Joel and the Bots take time to discuss their hopes for the New Year. They then try to do a countdown, but are interrupted by Movie Sign. At the conclusion, Crow give the film a “claw up” while Servo thinks it’s “mediocre at best”. Joel wants to know why Japan has the jet planes used in the movie, since they’re supposed to be demilitarized since the war. He then announces next week’s movie before everyone says their goodbyes.
Gamera Vs. Zigra Story: A spaceship appears near the moon and attacks the International base there. Meanwhile, earthquakes are occurring all over the Earth. Two marine biologists and their children are kidnapped and taken aboard the spaceship. It is inhabited by a lone female humanoid. She states that they are from the planet Zigra and that they intend to conquer the Earth. The adults are hypnotized, but the children orchestrate an escape. They return to Earth where Gamera appears and takes them to safety. Gamera engages the alien spacecraft in battle and destroys it. The Zigra monster, a shark-like creature, survives and grows to enormous size. It ultimately defeats Gamera by turning him on his back. Meanwhile, the alien female, who had followed the children to Earth in order to kill them, is captured. She turns out to be a scientist who has been possessed by the Zigra aliens after being captured on the moon. Using her knowledge, along with that of the now-awakened marine biologists, Gamera is successfully revived and the Zigra monster defeated.
MST3K segments written by Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Josh Weinstein, Jim Mallon & Kevin Murphy
MST3K segments directed by Vince Rodriguez
Gamera Vs. Zigra written by Nisan Takahashi (as Fumi Takahashi)
Gamera Vs. Zigra directed by Noriaki Yuasa
Gamera Vs. Zigra music by Shunsuke KikuchiMST3K Guest Cast: none
Gamera Vs. Zigra Cast: Eiko Yanami (Space Woman), Reiko Kasahara (Henry’s Sister), Koji Fujiyama (Tom), Isamu Saeki, Shin Minatsu, Yasushi Sakagami, Arlene Zoellner, Gloria Zoellner
LogBook entry by Philip R. Frey
Notes: Dr. Forrester is named after Dr. Clayton Forrester, a hero from the 1953 film The War Of The Worlds.
The famous “Gamera” song from #312 – Gamera vs. Guiron finds its origins in a riff from this episode.
Eiko Yanami also appeared in the film MSTied in episode #K06 – Gamera vs. Gaos (re-used in #308).
Reiko Kasahara also appeared in the films MSTied in episodes #K06 – Gamera vs. Gaos and #K08 – Gamera vs. Guiron (re-used in #308 & #312, respectively).
Koji Fujiyama also appeared in the films MSTied in episodes #K04 – Gamera vs. Barugon, #K05 – Gamera and #K06 – Gamera vs. Gaos (re-used in #304, #302 & #308, respectively).
Director Noriaki Yuasa directed all of the Gamera films used on MST3K except Gamera vs. Barugon.
Screenwriter Nisan Takahashi wrote all of the Gamera films used on MST3K.
Shunsuke Kikuchi’s music can also be heard in the film MSTied in episode #K08 – Gamera vs. Guiron (re-used in #312).
This film was re-used in #316 – Gamera vs. Zigra.
Gamera vs. Zigra is the last in the original series of Gamera movies.
Notable Riffs: “Eeee! Tongue in the ear from a killer whale.”
“Nice jammies, babe.”
“He can’t hurt you. He’s in an entirely different shot.”
Gamera Vs. Zigra original release date: 1971, as Gamera tai Shinkai kaijû Jigura