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Varan the Unbelievable Directors: Ishirô Honda, Jerry A. Baerwitz Number of Items: 1 Format: Black & White Audience Rating: Unrated Studio: Media Blasters, Inc Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2005-05-10 Buy from Amazon

Customer Reviews: Total numer of reviews: 12 Average rating: 3.0 "Varan (Jpn title Baran)" The original japanese release version is the ONLY one to see and I've rated THAT one. It has much of the same flavor & atmosphere of the original Godzilla in some respects. It is longer, more atmospheric and scarier. Still a man in a suit, it was quite well done for its time. "Might Have Been Good If It Wasn't Butchered" In case you're wondering, here are the changes made: 20-30 minutes completely cut including Varan flying. New scenes with American actors put in. Main characters changed to Myron Healy and his wife. Akira Ifukube's score cut. Shots of Varan blurred. Poor editing. What seems like a good monster movie is chopped down to a somewhat boring yarn. The monster is cool looking, although he is sluggish. Varan doesn't have much screen time either. This dub most resembles Godzilla, King of the Monsters. The focus shift, inserted American-made scenes, and since the Japanese characters are just nonentities, they didn't even bother dubbing their dialogue. Real cheap... Anyway, get the movie subtitled. "What you should know about this DVD release for Varan." This is not the American version titled "Varan the Unbelievable" that was released in the USA in 1961. This will be the original 1958 Japanese version "Daikaiju Varan" (Giant Monster Varan), so none of the edited footage and story involving the American naval officer on the "island of Kunish Hiroshima" will be present in this. Also, for those that're only familiar with "Varan the Unbelievable", since this will be the original Japanese version there will be lots of footage you've never seen such as Varan's flying sequence, and you will also get to hear Akira Ifukube's original musical score. And just so you know, this DVD will more than likely be bilingual so there will likely be a dub, though it's possible it'll be a brand new English dub recorded in LA by studios and actors that most often dub anime (Japanese animation) as was the case with the recent DVD of The Mysterians. There'll also likely be a few nice extras on this like Media Blasters'/Tokyo Shock's impressive DVDs for The Mysterians and Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People. "Definately NOT the Myron Healey version!!" This DVD release is the original Japanese version and not the butchered American version with added scenes of Myron Healey as a US soldier investigating a salty island lake. This version is so different you wont believe it. The plot is completely different. It takes place in the mountains, not on an island. There is just no comparing the two versions. They are nothing alike. It would have been nice if they had included the american TV version on this disc for comparison, but alas. They don't even kill the monster in the american version. Come to think of it, They really didn't even use very much of the original footage in making the American version. "Never Thought This One Would Be on DVD" A U.S. Navy Commander is on the island of Kunish Hiroshima to do anti-saline experiments in a salt water lake. The locals believe that the lake is the home of a monster which they fear and worship. As the experiments proceed, Varan is awakened and goes on a rampage. I recorded "Varan the Unbelievable" many many years ago from one of the local late shows and pull it out every once in a while when I in the mood for an old Japanese made movie. It is pretty much the remake of Godzilla with some elements of Rodan thrown in. I like these old "Godzilla like movies" and probably rate them higher than most other would. I never thought this one would ever come out on DVD.