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

[Lord Dalek]

At this point, I'd just want to see Criterion to cut through the tape and get us the original subbed KKvG. It'll never happen of course alas.

 

[Ruz-El]

At this point, I'd just want to see Criterion to cut through the tape and get us the original subbed KKvG. It'll never happen of course alas.

I was really hoping for more Criterion Godzilla blurays after they did that first film. I'll happily re-purchase the first film in a complete boxset if they do one similar to the Zatoichi one. ARE YOU LISTENING CRITERION! Lets have Godzilla be a 2014 version of the Zatoichi release!

 

[Ruz-El]

Oh, and any complete set should go full Toho include the Mothra films and any other monster films that fit in I don't know about.

 

[JeffT.]

There can be no doubt who the real star of this film is!

GODZILLA (1954) has a stature that the succeeding films don't quite have which is why it was such a ripe property for The Criterion Collection Series (of course this independent DVD-bluray distributor could release another Godzilla title and make my comment totally invalid but I don't think so).

The "Japanese" language version of KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (released in Japan in 1962) would be appropriately in line with this company's usual modus operandi and it is likely that if any stateside company attempted to release it then it would certainly be Criterion. So I wouldn't (entirely) dismiss the idea (which is sound).

It is somewhat curious that Toho Studios itself isn't doing its utmost to exploit this valuable franchise commercially as much as it could be in the lucrative DVD and bluray markets. This is the 60th anniversary and one month is almost already gone. We'll just have to see what develops in the upcoming months.



This is the best looking Godzilla in the classic series to be sure.

Jeff T.

 

[John Sparks]

So what is missing that's not out on SD yet?

Godzilla 1985(Return of Godzilla)
Gorath
Rebirth of Mothra III

 

[TheSteig]

Half Human I dont think is on any official DVD either

 

[JeffT.]

In itself this discussion thread has received a good response albeit Godzilla "standard" DVD releases are pretty much becoming a thing-of-the-past with the trend-demand at this particular juncture point-in-time is toward bluray disc pressings.

I'd like to know what happened to the shortlived Media Blasters' DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (1968) BLU-RAY EDITION single disc set which was removed from the market almost the moment it was released and if it will be made available once again. I bought one copy but would very much like a back-up.

Jeff T.

 

[SWFF]

Media Blasters mentioned on their Facebook page months ago that their "problems" with Toho have been cleared up and that at some point they will press more DESTROY ALL MONSTERS blues.

 

[Lord Dalek]

So what is missing that's not out on SD yet?

Godzilla 1985(Return of Godzilla)
Gorath
Rebirth of Mothra III

Prophecies of Nostradamus (but that's never gonna come out on dvd).

 

[mdnitoil]

The issue with Media Blasters was that DAM went to market without every bit of material on the discs being signed off by Toho. They basically gave them a cease and desist, which is what happened. A year later, Media Blasters puts out a bare bones Godzilla vs Megalon disc because they couldn't get Toho to sign off on all the extras. This time, the Media Blasters guys let slip the special edition master image to replication and about 500 get out to the public, all in the bare bones packaging. Presumably, Toho was unimpressed a second time.

So, Media Blasters saying they have their Toho issues resolved means that they are suggesting Toho has signed off on all the DAM extras from the original and can now press/sell more copies. Since nobody has seen this thing back on the market, you can decide for yourself what the truth is.

 

[SWFF]

Momentarily forgot about this thread and started a whole new one for the GODZILLA blu-rays. Oh, well. Anyway I got this press release sent to me this morning:
KRAKEN RELEASING LICENSES
“GODZILLA ® VS. HEDORAH™”,
“EBIRAH™, HORROR OF THE DEEP” &
“GODZILLA® VS.GIGAN™”
January 21, 2014 - 1967 may have been the Summer of Love, but 2014 will be the Summer of Godzilla®, and Kraken Releasing is spreading the kaiju (giant monster) goodness with the first U.S. Blu-ray release of three classic films featuring the world’s most famous giant reptile. Also available on DVD, and including both the English dubbed and original Japanese versions with English subtitles, these are three of the big G’s wildest adventures ever and showcase why, sixty years after his atomic birth at Japan’s Toho Studios, Godzilla® is still one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry!
The fun begins as 1971’s Godzilla® vs.Hedorah™, released theatrically in the U.S in 1972 as Godzilla® vs. the Smog Monster, pits Godzilla® against the forces of pollution in the form of a constantly mutating, acid-spewing behemoth from outer space. With eye-popping 1970’s “mod” costumes, hairstyles and psychedelic visuals that include conventional cel animation alongside the special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano, Godzilla® vs. Hedoarh™ director Yoshimitsu Banno’s ecologically focused take on the world’s greatest monster is easily one of the most unique films in the series and required viewing for any giant monster fan or cult film enthusiast.
What happens when three major movie monsters slam dance in the South Seas? The answer is 1966’s Ebirah™, Horror of the Deep, originally released in the U.S. in 1968 under the title Godzilla® Vs. The Sea Monster. Pairing Godzilla® and another of Toho’s most popular kaiju, the giant moth Mothra™, against a wide variety of adversaries, including the titular sea monster, giant birds and a mysterious terrorist organization, the wet and wild widescreen spectacular was directed by Jun Fukuda.
Finally, 1972’s Godzilla® vs. Gigan™ ups the giant monster ante once again with a series of tag team battles featuring four classic kaiju. Released theatrically in the United States in 1977 as Godzilla® on Monster Island and again directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano, the film unites Godzilla® and spiny ally Anguirus™ against two of the series’ most popular opponents: the three headed monster King Ghidorah™ and the new alien cyborg Gigan™.
About Kraken Releasing: KRAKEN RELEASING is a new international video distribution label specializing in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror genre entertainment for mainstream audiences. Together with sister labels MAIDEN JAPAN (TOKYO MAGNITUDE 8.0, PAT LABOR, ROYAL SPACE FORCE) and SWITCHBLADE PICTURES (BIG BAD MAMA-SAN, ATTACK GIRLS SWIM TEAM VS. THE UNDEAD) Kraken’s goal is to bring the best filmed entertainment from around the world to our customers.

About Section23 Films:
Section23 Films provides home video marketing and distribution services for a variety of companies, including Sentai Filmworks, Switchblade Pictures, Maiden Japan and AEsir Holdings. With its special focus on genre entertainment, Section23 Films distributes some of the very best anime, martial arts, and horror titles on the market today.

 

[mdnitoil]

I'll wait and see on these. The Sony DVDs are already pretty good and already had the dual languages. About the only thing that would excite me is if they manage to get their hands on the Titra dubs instead of the sanctioned Toho international dubs. Frankly, I have pretty low expectations as these are probably just a rehash of the Toho Blu's and Sony DVDs.

 

[TheSteig]

Well since we havent had a USA release of these films on blu ray, I do want to read the reviews..and if they are the same transfers with the uncut versions with English subs, I will get these since these will be higher resolution

 

[JeffT.]

I checked my records and (apparently) I did have the now out-of-print Columbia-Tristar DVD editions of GODZILLA VS. THE SMOG MONSTER aka GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH (1971) and GODZILLA VS. GIGAN aka GODZILLA ON MONSTER ISLAND (1972) but haven't a clue just what became of them (!?).

Anyway these can be reclaimed on bluray now!

This is the kind of news I hoped for to appear in this discussion thread.

Keep up the fine work!



Jeff T.

 

[Vic Pardo]

I have the Japanese version of KKVG on VHS. And the AIP version of G VS. SMOG M on VHS also.

 

[JeffT.]

Which version of KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1963) do you prefer?

The "longer" 1962 Japanese version with the actual Akira Ifukube music score? Or the awkwardly "restructured" 1963 U.S. version with its rerecorded Universal Pictures 1950s SF film stock music library?

I neglected to mention that KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1963) was the first Godzilla epic to be produced in colour.

It is also great that GODZILLA VS. THE SEA MONSTER (1966) is coming out on bluray! The previous Columbia-Tristar Pictures DVD video transfer was outstanding in all of its digitally remastered and fully restored w-i-d-e-s-c-r-e-e-n magnificence! This Godzilla film was never theatrically released stateside but started making its appearance on syndicated television airings in the early 1970s. Apparently it was initially conceived to feature the "Japanese" King Kong but (fortunately) wiser thinking prevailed and Godzilla was worked in the storyline instead. It is interesting to see what became of Godzilla after INVASION OF THE ASTRO-MONSTER aka MONSTER ZERO (1965). Like GHIDRAH (or GHIDORAH) THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (1964) it was originally distributed by the Walter Reade Sterling Organization.



Jeff T.

 

[TheSteig]

I love all the Sony DVDs and I hope the blu rays are upgrades to be even better.Sony did a great job with them using uncut prints for all of the movies they released to DVD. I hope "the Kraken" use the poster art for the blu ray sleeves. I very much prefer the Japanese versions of all the Japanese films..
I also read about Kong supposed to have been the noble monster in Ebirah. You will notice Godzilla taking a fancy to Kumi Mizuno - that is the trait of Kong being interested in chicks

 

[SWFF]

UPDATE: GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH, VS. GIGAN, VS. EBIRAH (blu-rays) are streeting May 6th! Some more Godzilla news... according to the SciFi Japan FB group Classic Media will be RE-RELEASING their current crop of G flicks on DVD this year. NO blues just re-releases. Damn.

 

[Jack P]

Too bad the AIP English dubs can't be included on these releases as well like we had on the Destroy All Monsters Blu-Ray. They were always much superior to Toho's own so-called 'International' dubs. Nontheless I'll be getting this group of Blu-Rays.

"King Kong vs. Godzilla" is a much better film in its Japanese version. The US scenes, unlike the Raymond Burr inserts in the first film, do not complement the Japanese footage well because the US team didn't realize the original was supposed to be a comedy.

 

[JeffT.]

The Classic Media batch comprises some of the choicest "classic" films in the series but unfortunately they (all) require massive restoration work and digital remastering which is (likely) why they are not being made available in the exacting bluray medium.

Most of us went to see KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1963), which was a spectacularly commercially great concept (if not all that well executed), thinking of it as a "serious" film. So this is really Toho's miscalculation on the approach taken with it. This is why I ultimately prefer GODZILLA VS. THE THING aka GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA (1964) which (sensibly) takes itself much more seriously and is a beautifully realized piece-of-work for this kind of film. Many consider it the very best in the series!

At the conclusion of GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (1955) aka GIGANTIS THE FIRE MONSTER (1959) Godzilla is buried alive under an avalanche of ice chunks apparently permanently subduing him.

In KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1963) we see Godzilla emerging from an iceberg floating at sea. The connotation in the U.S. version is that the titanic dinosaur is awakening from a "million" (or so) years hibernation albeit some U.S. military helicopter pilots immediately identify the emerging creature specifically as "Godzilla!".

Is this the selfsame Godzilla from GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (1955) or is it yet a "third" incarnation? I often wonder about this. I ask this realizing that strict continuity isn't these films' particular strong suit.
Anyway it seems that the DVD-Bluray distributors are doing their part to capitalize on the 60th anniversary.

Let's all keep our hopes open for the elusive GODZILLA 1985 (1984) in bluray.

Once again my sincere appreciation extended to those who has contributed to this discussion thread and kept us all well informed!



Jeff T.