GODZILLA BOX – THE SHOWA FILMS 1954-1975 (CRITERION
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GODZILLA BOX – THE SHOWA FILMS 1954-1975 (CRITERION COLLECTION) [Blu-ray] [2019]
What is CriterionCriterion Collection is a dedicated video publishing company of important classic and contemporary films from around the world in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. No matter the medium from laserdisc to DVD and Blu-ray to streaming. Criterion has maintained its pioneering commitment to presenting each film as its maker would want it seen, in state of the art restorations with special features designed to encourage repeated watching and deepen the viewer’s appreciation of the art of film. 14 Responses |
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It’s the essential collection for Godzilla fans, set out in a large annual style book with gorgeous art. I would absolutely not hesitate to purchase a set of the different eras if Criterion put it together.
I bought this for my daughter who is addicted to Godzilla and she loves it!
The book is good quality and nicely laid out, then of course there are the many films.
A great buy!
Ok, this is not cheap and probably one for a birthday or Christmas? Great quality film transfers , including English dubbed options. Best enjoyed in original Japanese with the subtitles I think . Really great packaging.
Brilliant boxset that has all the original toho studios classics from Godzilla’s first appearance in 1954 up to The Terror of Mechagodzilla in 1975. If you are backtracking the history of Godzilla this boxset is where most of the original monsters appeared for the very first time.
I enjoyed these movies very much as a kid and still found them to be fun, entertaining, and a good laugh revisiting them as an adult.
Criterion have done an excellent job in compiling them.
The packaging of the boxset is in a large scale “book format” which makes stacking it on your blu ray shelf a bit tricky, but this minor issue is surpassed by the fact that I don’t have to track down each individual movie, as they are all on this compilation.
A great buy.
I absolutely love this set and it even includes the rarely seen King Kong vs godzilla Japanese cut. If you love monster movies and haven’t seen these then this is a must I know the price is hefty but the films are worth it and it great to see this series gets the love it has here, I’m really hoping criterion release the others in the series
Most of these movies have never been available in the UK so to have them together in one set, all with the original japanese versions, is a dream come true.
My only gripes are:
– The sheer size of the set is a challenge for most bookcases
– The discs need a bit of pivoting to take out of their sleeves.
If anyone from Criterion happens to read this, please do the Heisei seriea next!
Fantastic Showa Godzilla box set. Especially for the sale price of just over a hundred pounds. Extremely large box set with the 8 discs in the back. Hard to display properly on a shelf ( which is my only gripe) would be nice to see criterion bring two standard size box sets out at a cheaper price for people on a budget. Just like Arrow have done with their Gamera box set. I’m hoping one day either Criterion or Arrow will have the rights to bring out the Toho Godzilla movies out from the 80s as we haven’t had a release over in this country ye
You get 36 pages in the book, with a 3 page essay on Godzilla movies and the impact they made on Japanese cinema, then you get two pages for each movie, one page of text about the movie and one full page of stunning full colour artwork.
The movies come on 7 Blu-Ray discs with an 8th disc with extras:
Disc 1: Godzilla the original movie plus the American re-edit and extras.
Disc 2: Godzilla Raids Again & the American version of King Kong vs Godzilla
Disc 3: Mothra vs Godzilla, Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster & Invasion of Astro Monster
Disc 4: Ebirah Horror of the Deep, Son of Godzilla & Destroy All Monsters
Disc 5: All Monsters Attack & Godzilla vs Hedorah
Disc 6: Godzilla vs Gigan & Godzilla vs Megalon
Disc 7: Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla & Terror of Godzilla
Disc 8: Original Japanese version of King Kong s Godzilla and extras.
The price may be a little high but the quality is astounding, the picture on the Blu-Rays is almost too good, you can actually see the strings holding everything up in clear quality.
Some of the movies are extremely goofy, the infamous flying drop kick from Godzilla vs Megalon and the flying Godzilla from Godzilla vs Hedorah and All Monsters Attack is just a compilation of fights from other movies with a plot about a little boy who dreams he is friends with Godzillas son. Most of the movies are presented in the original Japanese with English subs, the only movies that have English dubs are: Invasion of Astro Monster, Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs Megalon, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla and Terror of Mechagodzilla.
Great fun and the only way you can get most of these movies here in the UK.
Been looking get all the old Godzilla films on disc and also on region 2 for the UK,then out comes a box set on Bluray i was very pleased and able to watch on a UK player even though a lot of them were subtitled very enjoyable. The price was very dear but then if you look around not a lot of the original films are UK playable mostly are USA and require a multi region player and can be pricey.So when you way up the cost and playability of the films the price doesn’t to be that bad in the end and being on bluray which is a bonus well worth it.
This is essential for all Godzilla fans! Yes it could be better (every movie could have had a English dub) some of the transfers can have issues (splice cuts) but the majority of the movies look the best I have seen for the early Godzilla movies! The fact you have them in all one package is mind blowing considering that TOHO have consistently stopped or withheld the rights to these movies over the years. The packaging is GORGEOUS but BIIIGGGG find a suitable place to store it, it WONT fit on the shelves!! I highly recommend this set, move quick, before TOHO say “No go oh” again and they disappear agai
Excellent artwork except maybe for Minilla. Presented as an a3 sized book with info on each film. Japanese with subtitles bar king Kong vs Godzilla which is American version. The original Godzilla has both Japanese and american version. Picture quality varies a lot. Godzilla raids again is very mediocre but it is over 60 years old. A bit pricey at 150 but for a Godzilla fan it is a must buy.
This set only has the English dubs of a few of the movies, so if you’re a dub fan then possibly skip this or keep your old DVD’s and such, personally I don’t care, I always have and always will watch the Jap versions, that being said I don’t mind a couple of the English dubs for the ones that don’t change anything but the voices.
As for the packaging, I initially thought it was stupid and was frustrated that I can’t just put it on my shelf with my other movies.. But when I finally had it in my hands I quickly fell in love with it, it looks so cool and feels high quality, still.. Wouldn’t mind being able to store it on my shelf with my other blu rays and DVD’s… But oh well.
As for image quality, the films vary, some look gorgeously clear and reveal so many details previously hidden by limitations, others still look a good amount better than any DVD’s but just not quite as sharp as others in the set, like the original Gojira looks great! And is so much more immersive than it has ever been, but then you put in Godzilla Raids Again and it just looks… Still fantastic and the best the film has ever looked, but just not as sharp as a lot of blu rays I’ve had, same for Mothra Vs Godzilla, The best I’ve ever seen the film look!… But Ghidorah The Three Headed Monster looks crisper and more detailed in comparison, and sadly for me my favourite Godzilla movie ever (second only to the original Gojira) Son of Godzilla, is one of the ones that still looks fantastic but just not as crisp as it could be.
Even with these points though I love the set to bits! And being able to own and see these films in the best quality I ever have in my life (even the slightly less crisp ones) is an amazing feeling, one problem I’ve personally always had with the Godzilla movies is there’s so much movement and hectic explosions and stuff on screen that it always made it hard to focus on things properly when coupled with the low resolution of DVD’s, VHS’s or anything, for me personally, and having them on this blu ray set finally fixes my problem!! I can finally feel very immersed into these films, see details that I’ve never been able to see previously and overall just make me enjoy these films more than ever. 🙂
I will note that you can also see strings and the lines between the images of the sky on the walls of the set and stuff, it’s much more apparent that they’re just on a set when you can see more detail, I have never noticed this with lower resolution releases… Which some people might dislike that they can see this, but not me! I love it! I love seeing how movies were made and what special effects techniques they used, it’s a huge part of what I love about watching film.
Well worth my purchase!
In conclusion, if you’re a major Godzilla fan like myself looking to upgrade your DVDs, this is for you. If you know someone who is a super Godzilla geek and want to really treat them, this will certainly do the job. If you are just casually interested in Japanese monster movies or are buying something to entertain the kids, this is NOT for you. Save your money.
Criterion went out of their way to present the legendary film series in a way that would look fantastic regardless of where you put. There are fifteen films in total spread across eight bluray discs. Of course this all starts with the 1954 original movie and includes series classics like Mothra vs Godzilla, Ghidorah The Three Headed Monster and Godzilla vs Mecha Godzilla. The book is made of a fairly sturdy material with nice thick glossy paper and is absolutely massive. The book is around fourteen inches tall and looks quite cool in person. Each page of the book features some beautiful coloured artwork, an extended essay with information in regards to the films etc.
The bluray discs themselves features a reasonable amount of features and extras. There’s trailers, audio commentaries by historian David Kalat, lots of archival interviews from Ishiro Honda, filmaker Alex Cox about the making of this box-set and more with others including cast members. The American release of the 1954 film is featured as well as the original Japanese version of King Kong vs Godzilla (located on a bonus disc). Those looking for English dubbing might be a little disappointed. They are only available for a handful of films (Astro-monster, Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, Megalon, Mecha Godzilla and Terror of Mecha Godzilla) but are still there in all their cheesy goodness.
The hi-definition transfers of the films are pretty good for the most part. They’re certainly an improvement on the old blurry muddy DVDs. You’ll notice that the original 1954 film is considerably sharper but retains all the scratches and film damage from previous releases. The others aren’t quite as bad but could have been improved had Toho let Criterion do their thing. But unless you’re an overly fussy collector who has thirty different copies of each film from all over the world, this will serve you well and will look good doing it. An added bonus is the brand new subtitle translations which flow very well and look very sharp on the screen. They’re bright and very easy to read, great for those watching with the original Japanese audio.
As a box-set, it isn’t quite as impressive as the Zatoichi collection but it definitely comes in a VERY close second. It is absolutely stunning to look at and looks pretty good on the television. As a Godzilla fan who has waited the majority of his life to own official UK releases, this is worth every penny and I think other fans will feel the same way.