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Godzilla DVD/Blu-Ray Guide: Showa Series, Part 2

Today I’ll be talking about the second half of the Showa Series of Godzilla films. There are 15 total films, spanning from 1954-1975. The 1950s and 1960s are considered to be the series at its peak. Now Big G faces one of his greatest foes: the ‘70s. Yes, Godzilla’s films were in decline by this point, but you’ll want these DVDs/Blu-rays to complete your collection.

Read Part 1 here.

Time to dive in!

The Showa Series, Part 2 (1969-1975)

All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla’s Revenge)

gs_revenge_sim_frontSimitar

As I said about Simitar’s other releases in part one, they were worthy efforts at the time, but they don’t hold up. Godzilla’s Revenge is usually listed as the worst of the Japanese Godzilla films, but that’s largely due to the goofy dubbing. That’s the only version of the film on this DVD, though it is in widescreen. The special features are the same as the Simitar DVDs: trailers for other G-films made by Simitar in the style of American B-films in the 1950s, an image gallery, and a trivia game that plays clips from the film. Long out of print and not worth finding unless you’re a hardcore collector.

gs_revenge_cm_frontSony

A barebones, full-screen DVD most likely produced to make a quick buck. No special features. Don’t bother unless you’re cheap.

 

 

 

796019802697.1.zoomClassic Media

As usual, Classic Media gives even the worst G-film the star treatment. Widescreen presentation. Both the Japanese and American versions of the films (although aren’t that dissimilar other than the dubbing and credits). Special features that include a commentary and a biography on director Ishiro Honda. This is the one to own.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (aka Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster)

Godzilla_vs._HedorahSony

Easily the weirdest Godzilla movie for many reasons (Japanese hippies, cheesy environmental theme song, random animated sequences), not the least of which being this scene. Once available only as an out-of-print VHS from the defunct Orion Home Video, Sony released it on DVD in 2004. It has no special features beyond a few trailers for other Sony films, as usual. It has dual-language tracks, including a new English dub since this is the unedited Japanese version. Unfortunately, the film’s (in)famous theme song, “Save the Earth,” remains in Japanese unlike in the original dub. Still, it’s a solid release.

godzilla-hedorah-blu-rayKraken Releasing

It you must have a Blu-ray, look no further. The Sony DVD is a little harder to find, but other than the inclusion of the film’s original trailer, this is essentially the same as the former (except the exclusion of the Sony trailers).

 

 

Godzilla vs. Gigan (aka Godzilla on Monster Island)

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This is pretty much the same story here as with Sony’s other 2004 Godzilla DVDs, though with a few things worth noting. The subtitles are basically transcripts of the dubbed dialogue as opposed to direct translations of the Japanese dialogue. The other issue is since this is the international version of the film, it doesn’t include the comic book-style speech bubbles that appear over Godzilla’s head when he “talks” to another monster; there’s only garbled noises, making those scenes confusing. They were dubbed—yes, dubbed—in the English language version. (You can watch the scenes with speech bubbles on YouTube, though).

godzilla-gigan-blu-rayKraken Releasing

Essentially the same as the Sony DVD (minus the Sony trailers), although my research says the picture quality isn’t quite as good (I own the DVD and not this). Like the other Kraken Releasing Blu-rays, it includes the film’s original trailer. If you want a Blu-ray, buy this.

 
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Godzilla vs. Megalon

g_vs_megalon_passion_front g_vs_megalon_alpha_front 51FFKbtSG9LVarious Bootlegs

The many bootlegs of these films is one of the main reasons I felt the need to write this guide. Most of them are hack jobs made for quick cash. Godzilla vs. Megalon has the most by far. My understanding is the dubbed version fell into public domain for a while, making it the Night of the Living Dead of the Godzilla franchise. It was released multiple times on VHS by different companies. The DVD era saw several unlicensed releases, all of which are awful. I know because I owned one of them: the Passion Productions DVD (pictured above). The video looks murky at best. The audio is terrible. Heck, I couldn’t select anything on the menus half the time, and I paid around $25 (maybe more) for it on eBay! I regret donating the DVD to a thrift store because that means I might’ve subjected someone else to that garbage. I want to spare you that misery. So, if you find any Megalon DVDs that look like those above, AVOID THEM!

gvmegMedia Blasters/Tokyo Shock

This, GIGA readers, is the one you want. It took years and a lot of finagling, but Media Blasters finally gave this, arguably the most-watched Godzilla movie, an official release, albeit amid a soap opera. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in part one with Destroy All Monsters, Toho put the kibosh on that release and this one because they didn’t approve the special features. The release was delayed for nearly a year, and even then only a bare-bones DVD was put out. Ironically, some copies containing special features were accidentally printed and released. These go for a pretty penny on Amazon.

This week, the Blu-ray was finally released after months of negotiations with Toho, but it has none of the special features. (Destroy All Monsters is being re-released, too, but also without special features). I’m annoyed. I was looking forward to getting what I expected to be a deluxe Blu-ray. I’d buy one of the leaked “golden-ticket” DVDs, but I don’t have that much money to burn. What the heck, Toho? Why are you being jerks?

(Please wait while nerd rage subsides…)

Anyway, if you don’t own a copy yet, go for the Blu-ray.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (aka Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster, Godzilla vs. the Bionic Monster)

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Remember what I said about Sony’s other 2004 DVDs? Same story here: widescreen presentation, dual language tracks, and a few mostly unrelated trailers. There’s a humorous omission in the subtitles, though. In a scene where a scientist talks about his special pipe, the crazy-sounding metal it’s made of is subtitled, “a???” Either the translator forgot to add it before the disc was released or he didn’t bother to figure out how to write it. Some people—like me—may find this humorous.

Terror of Mechagodzilla

Terror_of_mg_simitarSimitar

The same as the company’s other G-film releases (see All Monsters Attack above), except it isn’t presented in widescreen. It’s long out of print, so forget about it.

 

 

 

terror_of_mg_cm_frontSony

The same unimpressive, bare-bones treatment as the other similar DVDs. Ignore it.

 

 

 

 

terror-of-mechagodzilla-dvd-5nfgdxcpClassic Media

This is arguably Classic Media’s best release next to Gojira/Godzilla, King of the Monsters. It includes the original Japanese version, which is the biggest plus. However, unlike with the other DVDs, the American version in this one is the “extended” cut shown on television. It contains most of the original footage (except for some brief nudity during a medical operation) and a “history of Godzilla” sequence made by editing together footage from several 1960s Godzilla flicks. This was done to pad out the film to fit into a two-hour time slot. Both versions are in widescreen (except for the aforementioned “history of” sequence, but the aspect ratio switches when it’s done). It includes an entertaining commentary and an image gallery, but no other special features, which is the only downside. This is a must-have.

Next Time on the Godzilla DVD Guide:
Toho reboots Godzilla before the Americans do! (Those hipsters).

Cinema Sit-Down, Movies/TV

Bringing Balance to Nature: A Review of “Godzilla”

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

A decade after his last starring role, Godzilla, the King of the Monsters, returns to the big screen. It’s only fitting that 2014 marks the 60th anniversary of his 30-film franchise.

After meeting his distraught father in Japan, a young American soldier journeys back to the States only to be caught in a clash of colossal creatures. (How’s that for some Stan Lee-style alliteration?)

 

(WARNING: SPOILERS THROUGHOUT)

Last summer, Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim proved that the kaiju (giant monster) genre still has life in it. It was one of my favorite films of 2013. That’s not surprising since I’ve been a fan of such movies since I was in high school. Toho’s Godzilla films were my particular favorites. With a few exceptions, these movies are my guilty pleasures. Watching stuntmen in rubber monster suits beating each other up amid model cities is great fun.

When I heard Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures had acquired the rights to make a new “Big G” film, I was simultaneously excited and nervous. Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich’s infamous 1998 remake, while fun, was over-hyped and missed the essence of the character. It was more a remake of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (ironically one of Godzilla’s influences), but then I heard Gareth Edwards, the director of the fascinating indie film Monsters, would be helming this new movie. Not only is he a Godzilla fan, he knows how to create a great-looking film with a compelling story and good characters on a shoestring budget.

I was not disappointed.

This film plays with expectations. Its trailers made it appear that Bryan Cranston would be the hero, or at the very least a major player. His character is obsessed with learning the truth behind the nuclear “accident” that killed his wife, but he dies within the first 30 minutes! From there the focus shifts to his son, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. His story is simple but compelling : get home to his family. However, it’s a perilous one reminiscent of Homer’s The Odyssey in that he battles monsters during his long journey.

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This film is all about build-up and suspense. Much like Edwards’ Monsters, the characters often find themselves with, as he put it, “the Spielberg movie happening just over the hill.” It takes its time revealing the creatures, especially Godzilla. We catch glimpses of them but don’t get a full-body shot. During Godzilla’s first two encounters with the MUTO, the camera cuts and only pieces of the battles are seen. In fact, a MUTO is completely revealed before Godzilla is. When Big G does appear, it’s a slow reveal with the camera panning up from ground level. However, Edwards pulls out all the stops for the climax when Godzilla battles not one but two MUTOs. It’s then that Godzilla unleashes his trademark atomic fire breath. It’s masterful pacing rarely seen in a summer blockbuster.

Godzilla also proves, like Cloverfield before it, that giant monsters can be scary. Edwards intentionally shows the monsters from the ground level most of the time, like the audience is looking up at them. This is especially effective if the film is viewed in IMAX (which is how I saw it). The scariest sequence is a night scene where a soldier lies still on a bridge to avoid a skulking MUTO.

Hardcore fans may object to the CGI special effects. The tradition of “suitmation” (an actor portraying a character by wearing a big costume) has a long history in Japan, and has been synonymous with Godzilla thanks to special effects genius Eiji Tsuburaya. Plus, the CGI creature in the 1998 remake left quite a stigma (which is parodied in Godzilla: Final Wars). But here the special effects are used sparingly. In fact, the creatures’ screen time is almost minimal, which make the effects stellar since more money was invested in fewer sequences. Spit shoots from Godzilla’s mouth when he roars, his muscles flex whenever he moves, and his nostrils flare when he confronts MUTO. The old rubber suits will always have their homespun artistry and charm, but Godzilla has never looked this alive.

Credit must be given to the film’s creature designers. Unlike the overgrown iguana of the 1998 film, this new Godzilla still resembles the rubber suits of old with a “realistic” look. The MUTOs in many ways harken back to other classic Toho creatures like Rodan,but also resemble the alien beasts in Monsters. They’re more than worthy of admission into the Toho pantheon.

Akira Ifukube’s classic Godzilla theme is sadly absent. This may disappoint many fans since the composer’s music was Godzilla’s soul. On the other hand, they’ll be delighted to see Ken Watanabe play, Dr. Serizawa, a character inspired by iconic tragic hero of the original Gojira/Godzilla, King of the Monsters. However, he doesn’t have an eye patch, which is sad because Watanabe would’ve looked great in one.

This film is to Pacific Rim what The Dark Knight Rises is to The Avengers in 2012.  Avengers is fun and colorful, Dark Knight Rises is gritty and serious, both are great examples of their genre in spite of their differences. The same is true for Pacific Rim and Godzilla;they’d make for a great double feature.

In the words of Blue Oyster Cult, “Go, go, Godzilla!”

Final Grade: A-