Gorgo [ Blu-Ray, Reg.A/B/C Import - Spain ]

For fans of the sci-fi film Gorgo, this is a pleasure to see.

mythique

First, let me congratulate you on finding the 4K version of Gorgo. I really wish Amazon would list all their 4K discs together. I think this popped up when I was checking my cart out with Robot Monster. I had no idea this had been released in 4K (ditto for the recent Invaders From Mars).I'm assuming the majority of you are familiar with this film. Unlike director Eugene Laurie's two previous giant monster movies (Beast From 20,000 Fathoms and The Giant Behemoth), Gorgo forgoes stop-motion animation, choosing instead the 'man in monster suit' approach. Incredibly, with the exception of a few scenes which fail miserably, this works out quite well. In a nutshell, sailors capture baby dinosaur and sell it to a circus in London. Angry momma shows up and wrecks the city to free her offspring.According to Vinegar Syndrome, this "4K UHD Disc contains the 77 minute feature presentation of Gorgo presented in HDR and newly restored from its 35mm original camera negative ..." Overall, color, contrast, and detail are noticeably improved over the bluray. However, my one complaint with Gorgo is that HDR10 seems to have been used sparingly, which is a shame because when done properly HDR can have a dramatic effect (Dolby Vision would have been better). Also, there are several scenes, particularly in the beginning of the film, where there is so much film grain present the picture appears soft. There is also a minor instance where a small tear is visible, something that could have easily been repaired digitally. The mono soundtrack and the majority of features found on the included Blu-ray have been carried over from the 2014 BD released by VCI Entertainment.If you're a fan of monster movies, this belongs in your collection. I think we're lucky that movies such as Gorgo are receiving the 4K treatment. Personally, I feel obligated to purchase these discs. If they don't sell, there's no incentive for more 4K releases, and there's a plethora of films of love to own in 4K before streaming takes over.

GORGO, film vu il y a plus de 20 ou 25 ans à la télé et que je voulais revoir. Pas déçu, du grand spectacle et de l'action sans arrêt, de bons acteurs, des effets spéciaux très corrects pour l'époque et le charme, évidemment, du monstre géant qui écrase des maquettes, avec un bonhomme en costume de monstre, j'adore ! Je recommande pour les nostalgiques et même les enfants d'aujourd'hui, qui peuvent encore être émerveillés.

Accompagnato da una discreta sezione riservata ai contenuti speciali, uno dei più famosi film di mostri giganti approda finalmente in formato DVD grazie a Pulp Video. Con un ritmo narrativo a scandire la oltre ora e dieci di visione, vi attendono scontri in mare, un messaggio ecologista e ovviamente, una sequela di storiche attrazioni turistiche londinesi rase al suolo dalla forza distruttiva della creatura. Al servizio di tanto ingenuo divertimento che sembra ancora funzionare, a oltre cinquant'anni dalla realizzazione del lungometraggio, in seguito alla cui uscita, qualche anno dopo, in Italia venne ridistribuito Il figlio di Godzilla di Jun Fukuda con il truffaldino titolo Il ritorno di Gorgo.Per i nostalgici doc, poi, la sezione extra del disco, al di là di una galleria fotografica e di un breve filmato atto a mostrare il restauro della pellicola, riserva trailer, lobby cards, una serie di immagini raffiguranti modellini di Gorgo e un fumetto in lingua originale.

Sin duda "Gorgo" es un film de serie B británico, con buenos efectos especiales en la destrucción de Londres y no tan acertados en los monstruos. Su guión, como suelen adolecer los títulos ingleses del género, es muy esquemático, con personajes muy superficiales, pero el resultado tiene verdadero encanto y, sobre todo, un desenlace inesperado en esta clase de historias, pues por una vez el gigantesco dinosaurio marino no es destruido. Gana él y con toda razón.

BOTTOM LINE: A treat for fans of giant creatures on the rampage, GORGO has never looked better than here on this nicely-done restoration Blu-ray. Worth buying, and definitely worth a double-dip if you own it on DVD or VHS tape. This Blu-ray belongs in your collection if you're a fan of this kind of stuff. 4 STARS.THE STORY: Volcanic eruptions off the coast of Ireland releases a prehistoric beastie from its watery tomb. Enterprising Yanks capture the thing and haul it back to merry old England, intending to exhibit it and rake in a ton of money. Unfortunately for them it turns out the monster they've caught is just an infant... and Mama Gorgo is hot on Junior's trail. Nothing, not missiles, rockets, fire, bombs nor anything else the British army can throw at this big cranky mother will stop her until she's rescued her baby. Can you say "London Bridge is falling down?"THOUGHTS: If you enjoy giant monster movies then GORGO is nothing you haven't seen before but it's done quite well and the change of scenery and a cast of non-Japanese actors make for an interesting diversion. The effects are on par with any Golden Age Godzilla flick. Acting is straightforward, serious and well done, for the most part. Surprising that this flick didn't spawn a sequel or two, especially considering the popularity of the prolific Godzilla and Gamera movies at the box office at the time this was released.THE BLU-RAY: I've owned this film in several versions over the years: taped off a late night TV broadcast, a factory VHS, DVD, a slightly better Special Edition DVD... and now on Blu-ray. Well I can tell you that someone has finally done this fun old film justice! I was never really a big fan of this film and often couldn't get through it in a single sitting. Pretty sad since it only runs 78 minutes. I kept upgrading, hoping to get something that wouldn't end up looking like a 27th generation dupe, but to no avail. :-(Now comes this new-to-Blu edition. The folks at VCI have really done a nice job of restoring GORGO. In the special features section there's a side-by-side comparison of the restoration work done for this edition, seen in split screen next to what we've all suffered through up until now. The difference is literally night & day. Underwater scenes and daytime outdoor shots really highlight the dramatic improvement that this upgrade offers. Sadly, the focus isn't as sharp as I'd prefer, but I gotta say that this new GORGO Blu-ray is worlds above everything that's come before it. I can finally watch this from beginning to end now without losing interest. Maybe all this time is was just because the film elements looked so washed out and degraded?? The hi-def picture is beautifully restored (no more film scratches or faded, murky footage); the mono sound thunders nicely, (especially the rousing musical score) and there are no annoying pops or crackles anymore.I mentioned the extras earlier... Well my friends, if you love extra bonus goodies then you are in luck here! This new GORGO Blu-ray has several of them and they're all pretty sweet! There are nicely arranged picture galleries of production stills, lobby cards, pressbooks, other promo materials, and more. Two classic old GORGO comics are thoughtfully reproduced from cover-to-cover: issue #1 of the full-color hand drawn comic, (featuring artwork by Steve Ditko!), and a fumetti comic (word balloons over B&W photographs from the film), which is in Italian. And last, but certainly not least, is an all-new "making of" documentary that gives a very nice overview of the genesis, production and history of everything GORGO. Well done guys! THIS is how a classic monster movie home release should be done.

As this US Blu Ray edition is not region locked fans of Gorgo should snap this up now. After years of dodgy DVD and VHS releases this edition sparkles in comparison. By today's standards some younger viewers may struggle with the occasional grainy image from time to time however this edition is as near to the original 1961 theatrical release as possible and should be welcomed by collectors as the best version ever.It's a big, bold colourful movie which never fails to deliver as central London is torn assunder by a rampaging sea beast searching for her captured offspring; the main attraction at a circus in Battersea Park! At the time the BBFC considerd that the finale showed too many very frightened people being crushed by the toppling buildings and collapsing tube stations so they slapped an "X" certifiate on it preventing anyone under the age of 16 being admitted to showings.Thankfully the producers threw in everything but the kitchen sink and we have monsters of the "rubber suit" variety, stock shots (with no regard to whether the were filmed in day or night) and an over the top commentry for the climatic scenes to delight anyone who appreciates vintage monster films. The sight of Gorgo tearing through Soho and Picadilly Circus after demolishing Tower Bridge and The Houses of Parliament will no doubt keep fans of the genre more than happy for a long time.Forget CGI and common sense, this is absolutely glorious!