1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

Discuss releases by Criterion and the films on them. Threads may contain spoilers!
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
HitchcockLang
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 1:43 pm

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#326 Post by HitchcockLang » Tue Dec 08, 2020 1:19 pm

For years I have scoffed at people who complain about blu-rays housed in envelope/slot packaging since blu-rays have such a nice scratch resistant coating. I have had blu-rays shipped to me loose clattering around inside a plastic box and still look pristine when I inspect them. Well I guess karma is getting me.

I took my Godzilla set off the shelf this week and saw that disc 2 had slipped a bit too deep into its pocket (I've seen this kind of thing before with other sets so no big deal) but when I went to retrieve it from its pocket it wouldn't budge. I pulled and pulled and the disc would not come out. I had to pull as hard as I could and kind of pivot the disc back and forth until it finally came out. The edge of the disc was thickly coated in adhesive and the whole surface of the disc is now scattered with several light but noticeable scratches.

I'm guessing the adhesive holding the layers of cardstock together to create separation between the disc pockets came unglued allowing the disc to fall below the bottom of its pocket and get mired in that adhesive. It's a pretty big bummer for such a large, expensive and lavish set. I haven't reached out to Criterion yet but I'm wondering if there's even a point. I'm sure they would replace the disc for me but putting a new disc into the same packaging would result in the same problem with the new disc. Somehow I doubt they would replace the whole set or send me a new empty package even.

Orlac
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:29 am

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#327 Post by Orlac » Tue Dec 08, 2020 1:48 pm

I hope Arrow's Gamera doesn't get the same problem!

User avatar
acroyear
Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2012 10:22 pm

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#328 Post by acroyear » Sun Mar 07, 2021 4:39 pm

18 LP Box set of Showa-Era Godzilla soundtracks coming in April via Light In The Attic Records

hanshotfirst1138
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 6:06 pm

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#329 Post by hanshotfirst1138 » Mon Mar 08, 2021 6:05 am

acroyear wrote:18 LP Box set of Showa-Era Godzilla soundtracks coming in April via Light In The Attic Records
Is there a CD version for those of us living in the 21st century :p?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#330 Post by knives » Mon Mar 08, 2021 11:07 am

CDs are 21st century?

User avatar
Big Ben
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:54 pm
Location: Great Falls, Montana

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#331 Post by Big Ben » Mon Mar 08, 2021 12:35 pm

Bruh are there Mp4s?

But seriously if you're a fan of Ikafube's music this might be a real treat. Given how stingy Toho can be about everything this might be worthwhile for collectors!

User avatar
J Wilson
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:26 am
Contact:

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#332 Post by J Wilson » Mon Mar 08, 2021 1:56 pm

hanshotfirst1138 wrote:
Mon Mar 08, 2021 6:05 am
acroyear wrote:18 LP Box set of Showa-Era Godzilla soundtracks coming in April via Light In The Attic Records
Is there a CD version for those of us living in the 21st century :p?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Google "50th Anniversary Godzilla Soundtrack Perfect Collection." It's a series of box sets released in Japan a few years ago that cover the entire series chronologically (through Final Wars, at least).

hanshotfirst1138
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 6:06 pm

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#333 Post by hanshotfirst1138 » Thu Mar 11, 2021 7:03 am

J Wilson wrote:
hanshotfirst1138 wrote:
Mon Mar 08, 2021 6:05 am
acroyear wrote:18 LP Box set of Showa-Era Godzilla soundtracks coming in April via Light In The Attic Records
Is there a CD version for those of us living in the 21st century :p?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Google "50th Anniversary Godzilla Soundtrack Perfect Collection." It's a series of box sets released in Japan a few years ago that cover the entire series chronologically (through Final Wars, at least).
Wow! Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

User avatar
TheKieslowskiHaze
Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2020 10:37 am

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#334 Post by TheKieslowskiHaze » Sat Mar 27, 2021 10:37 am

Slant Magazine's ranking of every Godzilla movie is fun for a glancing perusal.

Obvious number one, but I like the high placement of Godzilla vs. Destroyah, which might be my favorite Toho entry aside from the original. I also like the high placement of the 2014 American movie, a film I think is legitimately terrific.

Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#335 Post by Calvin » Thu Apr 01, 2021 5:36 pm

Toho have announced a 4K UHD release of King Kong vs Godzilla for Japan. Almost certainly without English subtitles. It's not particularly suprising given the tie-in opportunity with the new film but I'm surprised that they're not upgrading the original Godzilla along with it.


User avatar
colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#337 Post by colinr0380 » Sat Feb 19, 2022 6:39 am

This has just been brought to my attention by the latest issue of Otaku USA magazine: a 5 minute film created for Godzilla Fest 2021 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Godzilla vs Hedora, done in the classic rubber suit and model city style. Directed by Kazuhiro Nakagawa, assistant director on the two Attack on Titan live action films, Shin Godzilla and the recent Shin Ultraman.

User avatar
Mr Sausage
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:02 pm
Location: Canada

Invasion of Astro-Monster (Ishiro Honda, 1965)

#338 Post by Mr Sausage » Mon Mar 14, 2022 9:21 am

DISCUSSION ENDS MONDAY, March 28th

Members have a two week period in which to discuss the film before it's moved to its dedicated thread in The Criterion Collection subforum. Please read the Rules and Procedures.

This thread is not spoiler free. This is a discussion thread; you should expect plot points of the individual films under discussion to be discussed openly. See: spoiler rules.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

I encourage members to submit questions, either those designed to elicit discussion and point out interesting things to keep an eye on, or just something you want answered. This will be extremely helpful in getting discussion started. Starting is always the hardest part, all the more so if it's unguided. Questions can be submitted to me via PM.

User avatar
therewillbeblus
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm

Re: Invasion of Astro-Monster (Ishiro Honda, 1965))

#339 Post by therewillbeblus » Mon Mar 14, 2022 11:28 am

I didn’t wind up voting for this so I can’t promise I’ll watch it, but hopefully the handful or so of people who did will contribute. If anyone has a discussion question to keep in mind during a viewing, that might motivate me to engage in it like a project with context- from a distance, it seems like the kind of film that would benefit from proactive points for consideration!

Orlac
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:29 am

Re: Invasion of Astro-Monster (Ishiro Honda, 1965))

#340 Post by Orlac » Mon Mar 14, 2022 12:52 pm

This was only of the first Godzilla films I saw, on UK VHS. The 98' tape was dubbed in English (mostly, a stray line was still in Japanese!) but began with the Japanese trailer, which confusingly mostly featured SPX footage from the previous film Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster (which was not part of the tapes reissues in the Uk, and I wouldn't see that until the Channel 4 broadcast a year later).

It's rather lightweight in the monster stakes, with the Big G not appearing until the 50min mark, and it's the first of the series to rely on recycled footage from earlier movies - most notably from the original Rodan film. And twice the script makes reference to scenes we only hear about (Nick Adams waking to see an alien in his bedroom; King Ghidorah attacking the USA).

The human stories hold up well. Nerdy Tatsui's attempts to win over his prospective brother-in-law is rather charming, and considering he probably didn't have a clue what was going on, Nick Adams manages to come across as an ammusingly likeable comic-book hero - compare him to Russ Tamblyn in War of the Gargantuas, who seems hopelessly lost.

Interestingly, the US and UK versions contain a rare change that actually improves the film. The use of the eerie flying saucer music makes a better title cue than the bombastic military cue that opens the Japanese version, especially as the first half of the movie is more moody mystery, and less monster battle extravaganza.

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Invasion of Astro-Monster (Ishiro Honda, 1965))

#341 Post by knives » Mon Mar 14, 2022 6:04 pm

therewillbeblus wrote:
Mon Mar 14, 2022 11:28 am
I didn’t wind up voting for this so I can’t promise I’ll watch it, but hopefully the handful or so of people who did will contribute. If anyone has a discussion question to keep in mind during a viewing, that might motivate me to engage in it like a project with context- from a distance, it seems like the kind of film that would benefit from proactive points for consideration!
I’m not sure if this is what you’re looking for, but I’ve been curious about how Honda’s representation of space age optimism connects to his earlier worries about nuclear power? Do the films evidence a change in his perspective or rather a nuance about the good destructive properties can bring?

Perhaps that question is even more strongly applicable to films like The Mysterians, but it definitely fits here as well.

User avatar
therewillbeblus
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm

Re: Invasion of Astro-Monster (Ishiro Honda, 1965)

#342 Post by therewillbeblus » Mon Mar 14, 2022 7:38 pm

That's a very interesting question, and honestly makes me want to run through the series with it serving as my focal point of analysis, but I'm not sure I can fairly assess this film on that notion given that I've only seen the first Godzilla from his work. I could always just compare this to that, but he made a variety of related/franchise films between and that questions demands a more carefully observed change over the course of a decade of technological advancement and distance from WWII trauma in postwar Japan! So much processing probably happened in that period

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Invasion of Astro-Monster (Ishiro Honda, 1965)

#343 Post by knives » Mon Mar 14, 2022 8:08 pm

Without a doubt. Honda’s a complex figure. Not gonna stop anyone from exploring him more.

Orlac
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:29 am

Re: Invasion of Astro-Monster (Ishiro Honda, 1965)

#344 Post by Orlac » Thu Mar 17, 2022 4:54 pm


Orlac
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:29 am

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#345 Post by Orlac » Fri Jan 27, 2023 7:57 am

I now have the Toho 4K of King Kong vs Godzilla and it looks and sounds amazing. All the problems of the old DVD and BD transfers, both with picture and sound, are gone for good.

Not English friendly, but it's King Kong vs Godzilla dagnabbit!


User avatar
yoloswegmaster
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 3:57 pm

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#347 Post by yoloswegmaster » Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:51 pm

Bit of a strange question but do I need to watch the all the previous films that come before Destroy All Monsters if I want to watch the latter? I'm asking this because the local theater is showing it and I would like to watch it despite only having watched the original Godzilla film.

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#348 Post by knives » Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:53 pm

Nah, the movies are almost entirely self contained.

User avatar
Big Ben
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:54 pm
Location: Great Falls, Montana

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#349 Post by Big Ben » Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:56 pm

yoloswegmaster wrote:
Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:51 pm
Bit of a strange question but do I need to watch the all the previous films that come before Destroy All Monsters if I want to watch the latter? I'm asking this because the local theater is showing it and I would like to watch it despite only having watched the original Godzilla films.
No. While the Godzilla films have some degree of continuity between them the story is nowhere as densely layered as say, Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. It's goofy, dumb fun and should be enjoyed as such.

User avatar
Michael Kerpan
Spelling Bee Champeen
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:20 pm
Location: New England
Contact:

Re: 1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#350 Post by Michael Kerpan » Mon Apr 03, 2023 3:18 pm

Kaneko's (post-Showa) Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack struck me as pretty grim and serious (more like the original film) -- is that true of other post-Showa entries?

Post Reply