ALL THINGS 'GODZILLA' ON DVD AND BLU-RAY!!!!! (1 Viewer)

[Nebiroth]

Well, both Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla and Godzilla vs Destoroyah are in 1.85:1 - as are the Japanese releases by Toho themselves. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Godzilla vs King Ghidorah or Godzilla and Mothra: Battle for Earth which are both pan and scan, which is why I ignored that release and bought the Australian single disc editions from Madman, which are anamorphic OAR (and original language intact also) As I recall, the other Sony Godzilla discs were all single titles. Incidentally, the 8-disc set from Classic Media is available for an astonishingly cheap $22 from Amazon just now...

 

[Joe Karlosi]

OK this is really going to be anal, but here goes.. I just discovered that the Classic Media DVDs have been re-issued with new packaging; that is, those older thin "book style" editions have been replaced my the more standard plastic 'amaray case'. (The front cover art is the same). I saw only INVASION OF ASTRO MONSTER and TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA at my local store, and I bought them both again because I MUCH prefer the plastic amaray cases on my shelves rather than the original "book style". Those things were too thin and always opened up and did not seal. I also hated that cardboard slip-over band that wrapped around them. Problem is, how can I get the CM titles I'm missing in these new cases? If I buy them online there is no guarantee I won't get the same old "book" ones I already own. Well, I said it was anal!

 

[Vic Pardo]

For MEGALON, I took the advice of what I'd read online and high-tailed it over to my local FYE store, where I took the chance of re-buying it, and I lucked out and got the Extras Version.

I did the same at my local FYE and had the same happy result. I still have all my fan-sub VHS editions of the 1990s Godzillas (and many older ones as well), all the way up to GODZILLA 2000, which had a different title originally. I can't remember it now and the tape is buried in a box at home. I, too, would like to see proper re-releases of the 1990s Godzillas in their original aspect ratio and in Japanese with English subs. And let's do the three 1990s Mothra films while we're at it, although the priority would be lower on those.

 

[Nebiroth]

1990's as in the latter half of the Heisei series or the first of the Millenium ones? It's a shame that the two Mothra Rebirth films released by Sony in the double-bill lacked the Japanese language track

 

[TheSteig]

Being a Godzilla fan and rumors around I hope this is the year we do get some Godzilla movies on blu ray finally. I bet with the new movie Im sure that we will see some. I don't know why but I bet Final Wars will be one of them..
Id rather have the older stuff but I love the Classic Media box set.
Media Blasters will finally do a blu for Godzilla vs Megalon now that the issues they had have hopefully passed ..

 

[JeffT.]

"If we continue conducting nuclear tests it's possible that another 'Godzilla' might appear somewhere in the world again..."

I was just thinking about this particular discussion thread! It must have been because of the new year (2014). Point-of-fact I recently viewed GODZILLA VS. THE SEA MONSTER (1966) over the holidays. Excellent video transfer!

Considering how commercially exploitable (especially with its aggressively vocally loyal "global" following) this particular movie franchise is it's surprising how few titles have made the transition into the bluray medium so far (there were a few good gems albeit one completely disappeared almost immediately after its release) .

I'd also like to see many of the "classic" kaiju titles made available in bluray. As has been suggested something will (doubtlessly) surface.

Classic Media (with the aid of the Toho Studios vaults) did a good job and it would be g-r-e-a-t to see this particular series transferred onto bluray. Before these particular DVD releases it had been ages since I had last seen GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (1955) aka GIGANTIS THE FIRE MONSTER (1959).

I still hold hopes of the original untampered Japanese version of KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1962) being unleashed (stateside) in all its fully restored and digitally remastered anamorphic widescreen glory.

(I certainly must have said this somewhere here before) I am amazed that a joint Japanese-U.S. coproduction (done on a grandly Olypean scale a la MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS) hasn't attempted to remake this 1960s theatre mega-blockbuster "battle-of-the-century" hit all over again. Only this time coming up with a much more powerfully formidable King Kong as a worthy opponent (and please no silly gimmicks with electricity this time).

For 2014 think...G-O-D-Z-I-L-L-A!!!!!!



Jeff T.

 

[TheSteig]

Funny, that picture you showed was never in any Godzilla movie, I think that it was supposed to be for a US Version of Godzilla Raids Again I believe The Volcano Monsters. Its a very cool picture by the way

 

[Ruz-El]

We need Criterion to get the rights to the classic series and do a Zatoichi style boxset. I only managed to get the first 2 or 3 of the Thin Book style DVDs, but would love to get a complete set on blu in region one.

 

[JeffT.]

In response to our friend Russell's message posting the Classic Media GODZILLA BOX SET is still available for $24.99 (U.S.) from AMAZON.COM.Provided is a weblink to the AMAZON.COM online merchandise webpage for more (exciting) details:http://tinyurl.com/godzillaboxsetI am assuming this is what was meant by the "bookstyle" DVDs.After making my (recent) message posting I realized that 2014 is the Godzilla's 60th anniversary so something must be surely be in-the-works.Someone mentioned (in the discussion thread) a good DVD/bluray release of GODZILLA 1985 (1984) which I will certainly second (among others).It also appears the Sony Corporation has exhausted (or lost) its rights to its catalogue of Godzilla which likely accounts just why some of its DVD releases are now out-of-print.Jeff T.

 

[Ruz-El]

In response to our friend Russell's message posting the Classic Media GODZILLA BOX SET is still available for $24.99 (U.S.) from AMAZON.COM.

Thanks for the link Jeff, I have seen that boxset around. I'm holding a grudge against it since it came out after I had already bought 3-4 of the titles separately ha ha. At this point if I'm going to re-buy some of the titles I'd rather do it in Hi-Def.

There's more than 8 classic films though too right? Or am I tripping them up in my mind? I'm a bit of a noob with Godzilla. Always liked the character from a pop culture stand point but could never find the movies. I think the only one readily available in my area growing up on VHS was the 1985 one and Mothra.

 

[SWFF]

I do reviews for a couple of sites and my contact at Sony told me at the end of last year that they are planning to release blu-rays of the Godzilla flicks they own some time this year.

 

[bgart13]

In what country?

 

[SWFF]

Here in the US.

 

[bgart13]

Not from them directly though, I'd think? Perhaps Mill Creek?

 

[SWFF]

I asked Mill Creek once. They do not have any Godzilla films from Sony. Besides my contact would have told me had they farmed them out to anyone. My question to her was, "Would you happen to know if Sony plans to release any of their Godzilla movies to blu-ray next year? I was curious if they might, since that new Godzilla flick is coming out then."

Her response: "Yes, plans are in the works, but no dates confirmed at this time…"

 

[JoHud]

Good news if Sony's planning to release something. Their other Toho releases have included dual native and English dubbed versions, including footage cut from the American release.

 

[JeffT.]

In response to Russell's inquiry:

Shōwa Era (Classic) Series (1954 - 1975)

01) GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS (1956) aka GODZILLA (1954)

02) GIGANTIS THE FIRE MONSTER (1959) aka GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (1955)

03) KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1963)

04) GODZILLA VS. THE THING aka GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA (1964)

05) GHIDRAH (or GHIDORAH) THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (1964)

06) INVASION OF THE ASTRO-MONSTER aka GODZILLA VS. MONSTER ZERO (1965)

07) GODZILLA VS. THE SEA MONSTER (1966)

08) SON OF GODZILLA (1967)

09) DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (1968)

10) GODZILLA'S REVENGE aka ALL MONSTERS ATTACK (1969)

11) GODZILLA VS. THE SMOG MONSTER (1971)

12) GODZILLA VS. GIGAN aka GODZILLA ON MONSTER ISLAND (1972)

13) GODZILLA VS. MEGALON (1973)

14) GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA (1974)

15) TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA (1975)

If Sony can release the original batch it had under its auspices in the bluray medium that would be great!

I just watched GHIDRAH THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (1964) over the weekend and the main female cast members were uniformly nice (especially Akiko Wakabayashi who went on to appear as the ill-fated Aki in the 1967 James Bond epic YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE).

Surely every distributor who can will milk this 60th anniversary for all that it's worth. We're certainly doing our part right here!



Jeff T.

 

[SWFF]

The Classic Media owned Godzilla movies are now with Dreamworks. They bought CM a year or two ago.

 

[Ruz-El]

there we go! We need a boxset with all 15 with the two version of the King Kong one. License it through Shout Factory or Criterion! Seriously, it's going to be niche regardless of the new one coming out since I saw a blurb on it last night on ET and it sounds kind of corny and crap now despite that initial cool trailer.

 

[SWFF]

Dreamworks Animation Agrees to Acquire Classic Media