NAME:
Viras (バイラス Bairasu)
FIRST APPEARS IN:
Gamera vs. Viras, 1968
DESIGN FEATURES:
– squid-like exterior
– phallic tentacles
– snappy bird beak
– glowing eyes that constantly
dart around in a panic
SKILLS AND QUIRKS:
– telepathy
– turning his head into
a deadly weapon
– sucking the life from
his underlings
– kidnapping kids
– being used as a surfboard
MONSTER SOUNDS:
Gamera vs. Viras is a pretty frustrating entry in the Gamera series (although not the most frustrating). It features a lot of lazily recycled footage from previous entries, even going as far to clash black and white footage with colour. While this is rather infuriating, the film does feature a fun collection of spaceship-dwelling villains, brilliant set and prop design, and its titular tyrannical, telepathic monster, Viras, is quite the treat. He’s also has the ability to string a sentence together – a rare skill few kaijū possess.
Viras stands alongside weirdos like Hedorah as one of the oddest looking kaijū in monster movie history. A deformed squib with the face of a bird, there’s something strangely creepy about the big lug. Even before he slices the heads off his underlings and expands to kaijū-size, he sports an underlying menace. Oh yeah. About the head slicing thing… here’s his insane transformation scene:
Gamera’s battle with Viras, which takes place in the film’s final few minutes, lacks any sort of threat to Gamera’s victory. The battle is mostly one-sided. Gamera even utterly humiliates Viras by riding him like a fucking surfboard. Viras does however turn the tables briefly by violently goring Gamera.
But it’s all over rather quick. Gamera saves the day. Viras falls to his death rather unceremoniously. The film ends, even though it feels like Viras has a few more gorings left in him. Like everything in Gamera vs. Viras, the battle is a mixed bag. It features wildly memorable moments, but would surely leave even the most forgiving kaijū lover unsatisfied.
Still, Viras the monster is a delight. As is the way with most Gamera foes, Viras would never been seen again on the big screen. It’s disappointing that he was unable to get a rematch with Gamera, but his singular appearance only makes him more unique.
