Article: 7
Date: 5/18/08
Year: 1984

The Return of Godzilla (1984)  Company: New World Video (1985)  Country: United States  Category: Slip Cover This was the first release the popular The Return of Godzilla (1984) saw on video within the borders of the United States. The front cover features the American poster for the film, while the sides both feature a black background with the title of the film in a yellow-orange rectangle. The back is crowned with two images from the American release of the film and, below that, is a quote from a reviewer. The quote itself has to make any self-loving Godzilla fan's heart warm and fuzzy: "Godzilla makes Rambo, Eastwood, Bronson and Schwarzenegger look like mere swizzle sticks." Below the quote is a rather accurate synopsis which features a nice head shot of Godzilla from the movie's poster.

The Return of Godzilla (1984)  Company: StarMaker Entertainment Inc. (1992)  Country: United States  Category: Slip Cover This 1992 Starmaker VHS release is the first installation in Godzilla's Heisei saga and is disputed as one of the best films in his long running history. The cover of this box features Godzilla, in his most menacing incarnation in the Heisei era, looming over an exploding Tokyo with the Super X and numerous fighter jets in the foreground attempting to halt his destructive rampage. It also sports the American tagline for The Return of Godzilla (1984): "The Legend is Reborn". The back showcases only two in-film stills: one of Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) among military personnel looking on and a shot of Godzilla strolling down a Tokyo street. The title and tagline are once again displayed on the back as with other StarMaker releases. The description incorrectly states that Godzilla originally attacked in 1956 when in fact he attacked in 1954 (with the former being the American release date of the film) and it also says that Steve Martin is "once again caught in Godzilla's destructive path" when in fact he's in the Untied States the entire movie. Both sides are the same: cover art at the top, title running down the rest of the way. For those that prefer the "Godzilla 1985" moniker over "The Return of Godzilla", this is an excellent addition to any collection.

The Return of Godzilla (1984)  Company: Anchor Bay Entertainment, Inc. (1997)  Country: United States  Category: Slip Cover Yet another release of The Return of Godzilla (1984) in the United States, this version's cover art is simply uncalled for. Anchor Bay, in ALL of its prior releases, displayed an undying love for the 1984 version of the monster king. But when it comes to the movie that actually stars the 1984 incarnation... they pull a 180 and decide to use the 1968 Godzilla! The world of Anchor Bay is truly backwards when it comes to the kaiju VHS. I mean, it's not even uncalled for; it's just plain wrong! Like all other boxes from Anchor Bay, it does utilize the correct version of Godzilla, but only in the background. In the foreground, Showa Godzilla (converted to a hue of the greenest of greens) unleashes his trademark red atomic flame... wait... something about that doesn't sound quite right. Then again, maybe they were going for a nod to the 1970's cartoon Godzilla; but even then, that makes the front cover an epic, super-sized fail. Truly, when it comes to VHS box art, Anchor Bay drops the ball. Moving on, the sides of the box are exactly the same as any other Anchor Bay release. The one side has the title while the other has a piece of the Godzilla 1985 poster. To form the entire poster, all of the Anchor Bay releases need to be placed in the proper order (or non-proper order, considering this release needs to find itself placed BEFORE Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964) to form a non-Picasso variation of the image). The back features a single still of Mr. Martin holding an image of Godzilla (a scene not once found in the movie itself) and a rather accurate synopsis.

The Return of Godzilla (1984)  Company: Manga Home Video (1998)  Country: Spain  Category: Clam Shell The front cover for Manga Home Video's release of The Return of Godzilla (1984) uses a familiar teaser poster of the film, with a glorious red Godzilla decimating Tokyo in a sea of fire. As with Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975), the box's tagline attempts to cash in with the release of GODZILLA (1998). The poster's artwork continues onto the back, where 4 pictures of Godzilla are present (one of which was used quite inappropriately for the company's previous release: Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)). The synopsis is mostly accurate, even though it refers to Shockirus as an insect rather than the more accurate taxonomic classification of a crustacean (specifically a copepod).