Criterion streaming Godzilla films + Criterion Showa Box Set

[miguelnuva]

Could the remainder of the Heisei series ever be released on Criterion?

When Toho decides they want them to.

[Angilasman]

Aha! Seems only two Toho Criterion releases have come out between the Godzilla/Seven Samurai 4Ks a few months ago and the Showa set in late 2019. One was Tokyo Olympiad in June 2020, and that was already released as part of a set of Olympic documentaries Criterion put out in 2017. The other was the Juzo Itami movie, The Funeral, released in mid '22. Now, I have no proof, but I wonder if that movie wasn't also licensed years earlier along with Itami's other best known film, Tampopo, which they released in '17?

Ha! Apparently Criterion has had the rights to all 11 of Juzo Itami's films for years. A bit of totally circumstantial evidence for the pile that there was some sort of Toho freeze at Criterion for a few years. Apparently all the Itami films have recently had 4k restoration, so hopefully we'll get a box set...

Anyway, although I'm not expecting Criterion to be allowed any of alternate American release versions of the Godzilla films I am holding out the tiniest flicker of hope that the Champion Festival cuts might appear. I read a review of the Mothra vs. Godzilla 4k and apparently the Champion version is a 4k scan without the additional cleanup the main feature had, so you see the minute scratches and imperfections and such.

[Legion1979]

The Champion Festival cuts would be nice, but I'd much rather see the raw and unused effects rolls get ported over, as well as some other extras that allow us to see decades old monster footage most people have never seen.

Not getting my hopes up for any of it though.

As a refresher, this was everything that's on the DAM 4K disc...

Trailers (all 2:30)
* original trailer*
* original trailer without text overlays*
* export trailer*
* Champion Festival trailer

Behind the scenes footage (1:22)*

Footage of school children meet and greet (1:43)*

Champion Festival version (1:14:07)

Production art to finished film Inoue spotlight (11:48)

8mm movies
* Atragon (4:46)
* Destroy All Monsters 1 (4:43)
* Destroy All Monsters 2 (4:43)

Unused and alternate effects footage (15:04)*

Interview with Yukiko Kobayashi/Kyoko Manabe (18:44)

Narrated storybooks
* Sea God Manda (2:55)
* All Giant Monsters Attack (2:32)
* Giant Monsters Olympics (2:41)

[goji1986]

...

Anyway, although I'm not expecting Criterion to be allowed any of alternate American release versions of the Godzilla films I am holding out the tiniest flicker of hope that the Champion Festival cuts might appear. I read a review of the Mothra vs. Godzilla 4k and apparently the Champion version is a 4k scan without the additional cleanup the main feature had, so you see the minute scratches and imperfections and such.

The Toho 4K does include the “raw” scan of the Champion Festival version of MvG, and it has great color and no DNR applied…but it’s in HD, not 4K.

[Angilasman]

^ Ah, okay (still cool!)

[G-MAN]

Rumor has it that Mothra vs Godzilla on 4K is next up and being announced soon…

Do you have a "source" for this rumor?

Found the source on a Facebook post. It’s from a Twitter account known for making fake announcements for engagement.

I mentioned this a few posts back

[UltramanGoji]

Do you have a "source" for this rumor?

Found the source on a Facebook post. It’s from a Twitter account known for making fake announcements for engagement.

I mentioned this a few posts back

Sorry, missed your post initially.

[G-MAN]

Found the source on a Facebook post. It’s from a Twitter account known for making fake announcements for engagement.

I mentioned this a few posts back

Sorry, missed your post initially.

No worries. Same account is making another claim with absolutely no source or proof as per usual about Ghidorah

[Angilasman]

You know, I could see Mothra vs., Ghidorah, and Astro-Monster as a set... but I'd rather have 'em as singles.

[StreamOfKaijuness]

The Champion Festival cuts would be nice, but I'd much rather see the raw and unused effects rolls get ported over, as well as some other extras that allow us to see decades old monster footage most people have never seen.

Not getting my hopes up for any of it though.

Based on Criterion's upcoming Godzilla vs. Biollante release, it looks like they're able to include some of the extras from Toho's 4K discs but not all of them.


These are the Japanese-made extras included on Criterion's Biollante release according to their website:

• Making-of program from 1993 featuring director Kazuki Omori and special-effects director Koichi Kawakita, among others

• Short documentary from 1993 about the Biollante and Super X2 vehicle concepts

• Deleted special effects

• TV spots and trailers

And these are all of the extras on Toho's Japanese Biollante 4K disc:

• The Making of Godzilla vs. Biollante (48:59), the same documentary previously included on Toho's 1993 laserdisc and 2002 DVD and later included with English subtitles on the Echo Bridge and Lionsgate discs. This documentary includes all of the movie's deleted scenes during its runtime. This is definitely the making-of program from 1993 listed in the Criterion disc's extras.

• Four brief featurettes narrated by Kawakita showcasing concept maquettes: the Super-X2 (1:01), an unused Biollante design (0:36), another unused Biollante design (0:46), and Biollante's rose form (0:41). These were also previously included on Toho's 1993 laserdisc and 2002 DVD and later included with English subtitles on the Echo Bridge and Lionsgate discs, for which they were compiled into one featurette titled Behind the Design. This is definitely the short documentary from 1993 about the Biollante and Super-X2 vehicle concepts listed in the Criterion disc's extras.

• Alternate & unused SFX footage (6:11), a dialogue-free compilation of raw footage shot by Kawakita's SFX crew, set to music from the film's score. It includes the burning of the rose-form Biollante prop, the shot of the mutated-form Biollante roaring which was composited into the scene, Godzilla reacting to Biollante's spores falling from the sky without the VFX composited in, and the unused stop-motion animation of Godzilla battling Biollante. This featurette is very likely the deleted special effects listed in the Criterion disc's extras.

• Interview with monster sculptor Fuyuki Shinada (43:27), recorded on September 22, 2023 and featuring several behind-the-scenes photos. This is not listed in the Criterion disc's extras.

• Two Japanese TV news segments from 1989 covering the film's production: "Godzilla Returns After 5 Years" (1:44) and "Godzilla Appears In Osaka!!" (1:43). These are not listed in the Criterion disc's extras.

• Godzilla vs. the Monster Corps. - You Too Can Become Dr. Godzilla (65:41), a series retrospective and behind-the-scenes promotional special that was originally released on VHS in Japan on December 27, 1989, and I think it might have aired on Japanese TV several weeks prior. This is not listed in the Criterion disc's extras.

• An audio-only featurette (5:59), which I think might be a compilation of radio spots. There are two for Godzilla vs. Biollante and one for Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, with the latter having much less voiceover narration and no sound effects. They each play over a black background with an image of a movie poster and a bit of text. This is not listed in the Criterion disc's extras.

• A total of 13 promos including the "Godzilla 2" teaser (0:13), the early teaser featuring stock footage from the original film (0:33), the standard teaser (0:44), the longer teaser (1:05), the "Godzilla's Trajectory" teaser featuring footage from several prior Godzilla movie trailers (2:36), the main theatrical trailer (2:04), the English-dubbed export trailer (2:04), a textless version of the English-dubbed export trailer (2:04), and five TV spots (0:18 each). Trailers and TV spots are listed in the Criterion disc's extras so hopefully it will have all 13 of these.

As a refresher, this was everything that's on the DAM 4K disc...
...
8mm movies
* Atragon (4:46)
* Destroy All Monsters 1 (4:43)
* Destroy All Monsters 2 (4:43)
...
Narrated storybooks
* Sea God Manda (2:55)
* All Giant Monsters Attack (2:32)
* Giant Monsters Olympics (2:41)

Thanks for the rundown. To clarify, those 8mm films don't have the same titles as the movies from which their footage was sourced. Rather, they have the same titles as those illustrated storybooks! After Toho spun off their video department into a separate company called Toho Eizo in 1971, one of Toho Eizo's earliest productions was a series of ten 8mm films for retail sale, all released in 1972 and comprised of footage from Toho's catalog of fantasy films with new titles and narration. This is just my guess but I think those 8mm films and the illustrated storybooks with the same titles were sold together as bundles, which would explain why Toho has always kept those 8mm films and narrated storybook featurettes paired together whenever they've included them on any DVD, BRD or 4K releases.

These are Toho Eizo's 8mm films from 1972:

• Mach Monster Rodan (マッハ怪獣ラドン, Mahha Kaiju Radon), made of footage from Rodan

• Mothra Attacks Tokyo! (モスラアタック東京！, Mosura Atakku Tokyo!), made of footage from Mothra

• Monster Giant Sanda (怪獣ジャイアント サンダ, Kaiju Jaianto Sanda), made of footage from War of the Gargantuas

• Monster No. 1 Godzilla (怪獣No.1[ナンバーワン]ゴジラ, Kaiju Nanba Wan Gojira), made of footage from All Monsters Attack

• Giant Dragon Manda (巨竜マンダ, Kyoryu Manda), made of footage from Atragon

• Space Monster King Ghidorah (宇宙怪獣キングギドラ, Uchu Kaiju Kingu Gidora), made of footage from Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster

• Godzilla Goes to Space! (ゴジラ宇宙へ行く！, Gojira Uchu e Iku!), made of footage from Monster Zero

• All Monsters Assemble! (オール怪獣集合せよ！, Oru Kaiju Shugoseyo!), made of footage from Destroy All Monsters

• Jumbo Monster Island (ジャンボ怪獣島, Janbo Kaijuto), made of footage from Space Amoeba

• Monster Olympics (怪獣オリンピック, Kaiju Orinpikku), made of footage from Destroy All Monsters

[Angilasman]

My Diabolik order of Biollante 4K is prepping for shipment (these specialty stores often break street date!).

[Angilasman]

Got mine! Can't wait to dig in...

There's a suprise within the packaging that I don't think was advertised. If you want to be suprised, avoid reviews and whatnot!

[airforce111]

Got mine! Can't wait to dig in...

There's a suprise within the packaging that I don't think was advertised. If you want to be suprised, avoid reviews and whatnot!

what the surprise pm me

[Angilasman]

Got mine! Can't wait to dig in...

There's a suprise within the packaging that I don't think was advertised. If you want to be suprised, avoid reviews and whatnot!

what the surprise pm me

Spoiler:

the booklet is actually a foldout poster with a new painting by Eric Powell of rose form Biollante with Godzilla in the background. The essay/liner notes are printed on the back.

[Angilasman]

Well, ended up being a day late in actually digging in because I spent most of yesterday hunkering down for severe weather that never showed! Anyway...

Unsurprisingly, this is a substantial upgrade over what we had before. Even if you don't have 4K and just watch the Blu-ray (the 4k edition has both discs) you're talking far greater detail, better color, and if any artificial de-noising has been done (Japan is a bit notorious for this) it's been lightly applied, retaining a filmic look with visible grain. It hasn't been scrubbed into looking artificially shiny and new if that's what worries you. It still looks 1989, you know? I had fun spotting the tiny details that were invisible before; specks of dirt on the lens, beads of water, dripping monster slime...

Haven't gone through all the extras yet. Only listened to a bit of Samm's commentary; sounds good, she's a pro. Haven't read the essay. As for the extras licensed from Toho we have two featurettes that were included in the previous North American release, and two new-to-us inclusions. The first is a 7 minute reel of unused effects shots in HD (but unrestored) that only overlaps a bit with the deleted shots featured in the behind the scenes doc. The second is a complete collection of teasers, trailers, and TV spots that really suprised me (watch 'em to find out why!).

Funny thing, even though the hour-ling making of special and the concept design featurette are standard def, shot-on-video affairs even they are substantially better looking than their Echo Bridge presentations! They were both blurrier and noisier on the old disc.

I hope this is the standard for further Criterion releases. Presentation of the film, mix of new and licensed extras, great original art, and a suprise in the packaging that really made me smile when I saw it. If only every entry in the series gets this much respect!

[goji1986]

The second is a complete collection of teasers, trailers, and TV spots that really suprised me (watch 'em to find out why!).

It’s the inclusion of the international version of the trailer, isn’t it? With the English dub. That also happens to feature different VA’s for some of the cast than what’s in the actual dub.


I saw the review on DVDBeaver

It’s nice that a majority of the special features are being ported over from the Toho UHD. Shame that the original Stereo mix is excluded as well as the dub, which doubly stings given the inclusion of that trailer.

[Angilasman]

The second is a complete collection of teasers, trailers, and TV spots that really suprised me (watch 'em to find out why!).

It’s the inclusion of the international version of the trailer, isn’t it? With the English dub. That also happens to feature different VA’s for some of the cast than what’s in the actual dub.


I saw the review on DVDBeaver

One of several unusual and surprising ads for this movie included on this release!

[Angilasman]

There's a tiny Godzilla logo I've never seen before in the bottom back cover copyright matter. Is this the replacement for the classic Godzilla stamp?

[goji1986]

Had a few days to look over this, here are my thoughts:

This is a decent port of the Japanese UHD. Don’t have the means to do a 1:1 comparison but the PQ is comparable. I’m sure the Criterion release has a higher bitrate as it is the only element on the 4K disc compared to the Toho single disc release. It’s unfortunate, though, that the trailers are on the Blu-ray as they are in 4k on the Toho release.

Speaking of the trailers, Criterion does a major fumble by only numbering them instead of giving their proper names (which would give them context, as some are highly repetitive with the only change being “Coming to Theaters” and “Now in Theaters” text).

Haven’t listened to the whole commentary but I found it off-putting that, 10 minutes in, the commentator is still talking about ROG.

Toho UHD has better audio options - the original theatrical stereo mix as well as the 5.1 remix (which the Criterion labels as 5.0) and audio commentary by Kazuki Omori. The exclusion of the latter was a big missed opportunity on Criterion’s part as these commentaries can be way more insightful than what can be given by film scholars (though the exclusion is probably due to Toho).

Neither release has the English dub (which we all knew) but it’s equally frustrating given the inclusion of the international export version of the theatrical trailer — and that, too, is worthy of discussion as some of the voice cast is actually different than the final film

Overall this is far from definitive but a cheaper option than porting over the Toho UHD, and a definite visual upgrade from the Echo Bridge Blu-ray.

[Legion1979]

Haven’t listened to the whole commentary but I found it off-putting that, 10 minutes in, the guy is still talking about ROTG.

What's ROTG?