Gehara: The Dark and Long Hair Monster
aka Chohatsu Daikaiju Gehara aka Long-Haired Giant Monster: Gehara
2009
Directed by Kiyotaki Taguchi
Gehara is a made for TV short that is the brainchild of cult entertainer Jun Miura, who wrote the screenplay. Special effects guru Shinji Higuchi supervised production on the short film, and it was directed by Kiyotaka Taguchi (who also did the independent kaiju film G.) It aired on Japan’s NHK network in February 24th, 2009. It hit the internet thanks to a Japanese YouTube-like site, and thus TarsTarkas.NET was able to watch it.
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Two drunk guys on a boat are out being drunk guys on a boat when suddenly the boat is rocked. And not in the “If this boat is a rockin’, don’t come a knockin'” type way! Outside, a giant mass of hair is rising up from the ocean depths. They freak, and soon the hair is smashing in and grabbing them as the boat is getting smashed up. It is a giant monster with long creepy hair!!!!!!
The monster roars as the boat burns and we get credits. It is Gehara in case you weren’t sure and thought it might be another hairy monster.
Hideo Akihara is so intrigued by the story on the news he rushes to the hospital, where a survivor is being interviewed in bed, he is hairless. The victim has an irresistible urge to rip off the hair of others, which he does to one unfortunate guy. Hideo then stumbles across a shrine in the woods filled with bald dudes who seem to worship a hair monster. (The head priest is played by Tomorowo Taguchi.) They chase him, but then they all see the smashed trees that betray the monster’s presence.
A happy couple at an oceanside cliff get chomped by Gehara as their camera takes pictures. Now there is photographic proof of the monster, and soon the world’s news is abuzz about the exploits of Gehara. Hair-covered wreckage is found all along the coasts of Japan.
Gehara attacks a building in Tokyo, smashing stuff up and getting on the news. As people flee, tanks roll in to start blasting the beast. Soon everyone starts getting sick from the smell of burning hair. Some white guy with terrible Japanese comes in with a plan.
The plan is…a giant fan! Soon the smell is blown away, the hair is blown back, a lady’s skirt is blown up (to cheers) and buildings are being blown apart! Is it safe to say this blows? Muhaha, obvious jokes are the best jokes. Gehara is then blasted by tanks, falls over, and crashes under buildings. People cheer, but then the monster gets up and heads to the forest.
Gehara is bombed by some jets…and then collapses in the lake. Gehara is dead.
And another monster movie comes to an end, and the kanji tells us it is The End!
Wait! A UFO smahses through the END kanji and flies to the lake! Squeaky-voiced aliens who are Xiliens crossed with those robotmen you can see in the park performing for spare change declare they are taking Gehara, and the film goes all Godzilla vs. Monster Zero as Gehara is tractor beamed out of the lake. Then movie turns into extended trailer mode, as it becomes a preview for a Part 2 that I don’t know if it will get made. Gehara is attacking again, the aliens are demanding things (and squeaking), and humanity is doomed unless Momoko does something with a scroll/Beta Capsule something. Will she become Ultraman-girl? With hair? There are lots of explosions and stuff set to epic music.
So is that a preview of what might come if they get more money? Or is it coming, because they already films a lot of things blowing up to get that stuff made? We shall see, but for now I will say this is pretty good for a quick short. Too bad the better-looking stuff appeared to just be a preview.
Rated 7/10 (Drunky, culty, hairy, tangly, explosiony, pointy, homagey)
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