Italian Gwangi?

[Roselaar]

I visited the exhibit Dino Makers this week, based on the brilliant tome Paleoart: Visions of the Prehistoric Past by Zoe Lescaze (comes highly recommended!). I found something unexpected.

There was a wall of vintage movie posters, among them this print of the Italian version of The Valley of Gwangi, on loan from the renowned EYE Film Museum in Amsterdam.
In itself a cool thing to see, but look at Gwangi's appearance, which differs considerably from the American movie poster...



Any idea as to what prompted this change? I can't imagine Gwangi actually looks different in the Italian version of the film, though I haven't seen it.

In short: what the heck?!

[RobinGoodfellow]

This is the official italian version of Gwangi:



But Italy is well-known for alternative movie-posters.. 

[Roselaar]

Hmm, also a bit different from its American counterpart. But aside from his ginormous size, Gwangi himself at least looks like he does in the movie, unlike on the other poster...

[Justin_]

The artists would have probably had just a few stills and maybe the US posters for reference. They wouldn't have seen the film.
Even this US poster takes quite a bit of license with Gwangi's size, and the second of those Italian ones has copied it.



Also, I don't remember Gila Golan getting quite such a torn dress at any point in the film as shown in those Italian posters, although it's been a while since I watched it.

[Roselaar]

Exaggerating size is one thing, but adding spikes and armor to Gwangi? Where's the line between misinformation and blatant false advertising?

[Crackington]

I suspect that Justin is right and that the the artist hadn't seen the film. They then decided to do their own thing and came up with a new species, an Allocanthus 🙂!

[CityRaptor]

Sure that classification is right? I mean he even got a tail club.

[Crackington]

Can't  see it myself, but if it is there then perhaps it's an Allokylosaurus instead?

[CityRaptor]

Perhaps. The club can be seen behind the people as Gwangi's tale goes behind them, as if he is planning to either wrap it around them or hit them from behind with his club.

[Crackington]

Looked again and so it is! That's quite a beast, looks like Godzilla and Anguirus's love child!

[Roselaar]

Perhaps. The club can be seen behind the people as Gwangi's tale goes behind them, as if he is planning to either wrap it around them or hit them from behind with his club.

Now I want to see the alternate cut of the movie where Gwangi looks and behaves like this! I don't mind Italian dubs for fun's sake.

[CityRaptor]

A smarter, better armored Gwangi? Yep, sounds fun.

[RobinGoodfellow]

I did a quick research over the web.
The alternative movie poster of Gwangi was created from a USA edition (where Gwangi had a club-tail but not spikes)





https://www.monstersinmotion.com/cart/bluray-item-list-uv-c-1_456_498/valley-of-the-gwangi-1969-bluray-p-23156.html

[Roselaar]

I should check my DVD cover, I never bothered to notice if "my" Gwangi has a club tail or not.

[Takama]

This is my Copy of the film



Tail Club on my Gwangi

[bmathison1972]

@Gwangi is Italian? I thought he lived here in the US! 

[CityRaptor]

Haha, very funny.

I missed out on the opportunity to get the DVD when it was released in Germany, but from pictures found on the net, he has the club here, too:

[Gwangi]

@Gwangi is Italian? I thought he lived here in the US! 

I'm an American Gwangi, no ankylosaur armor on me. 

I have the same DVD that Takama has and sure enough, there's a tail club. I can't believe I never noticed that.

[Justin_]

In this Japanese poster they've tipped him back so he's balancing on the curve of his tail, but they haven't added the feet which should now be visible.


I didn't know about this precursor to Gwangi, The Beast Of Hollow Mountain.

[Gwangi]

I've seen The Beast of Hollow Mountain. It's not as good as Gwangi but it's worth checking out.