Criterion streaming Godzilla films + Criterion Showa Box Set

[SpiderZilla]

They're banned in Japan. That's not up for debate. What do you think "refuse to release domestically" means?

To me, “banned” implies it would be a crime for anyone to sell any copy of the film while “refuse to release domestically” implies that the distributer is no longer selling new copies but private sales of used copies are OK.

[MaxRebo320]

Toho was listing PON in their sales catalogs in the early 2000s, IIRC...but with reverse-importing (something they're already super anal about) only increasing, I wouldn't ever expect it to get a home video release anywhere. While I personally disagree with the decision they've made with it and Half Human, it is one I can respect...albeit it is strange they have no issue with their fascist WWII propaganda films (ones Tsuburaya had direct involvement with) being available on DVD...

While I certainly wouldn't mind either a Honda boxset or an even bigger one comprised of as many SFX titles as possible, it will obviously be a compromised release just like their Godzilla set. Just for fun, let's see how a potential Honda set would go, using Starsteam's post:

-Rodan - Japanese version only
-The Mysterians - Japanese version only (I guess MAYBE the terrible Bang! Zoom dub could be included...but we're probably better off without it)
-Varan the Unbelievable - Japanese version only (maybe the reconstructed TV cut as a bonus feature, but unlikely)
-The H-Man - Both Toho and Columbia versions, thanks to Sony
-Battle in Outer Space - Ditto The H-Man
-The Human Vapor - Japanese version and possibly Brenco cut, thanks to MGM, though the quality will be poor.
-Mothra - Ditto H-Man/BIOS
-Gorath - Ditto Human Vapor
-Atragon - Japanese version and International dub
-Matango - Japanese version and International dub
-Dogora - Japanese version and International dub
-Frankenstein vs Barugon - Japanese version only (Toho was at one point fond enough of the AIP to release a lousy recon as a bonus feature, but I feel those days are numbered)
-The War of the Gargantuas - Japanese version and International dub (likewise with FCTW)
-King Kong Escapes - Both versions thanks to Universal
-Latitude Zero - International version and possibly Japanese version
-Space Amoeba - Japanese version and International dub

[Mac Daddy MM]

If they would do another set, I just can't wait to see what horrendous artwork gets slopped together for them and how the old Tokyo Shock DVDs will feature more special features. As I said in the Hugbox server, I can't wait to see FCTW artwork with Boris Karloff era Frankenstein fighting it out with GMK Baragon.

[mikelcho]

I don't know; I thought the artwork for each film in the era was good! I especially liked the ones for King Kong vs. Godzilla and Destroy All Monsters. Which ones did you consider terrible, may I ask?

[Mac Daddy MM]

I don't know; I thought the artwork for each film in the era was good! I especially liked the ones for King Kong vs. Godzilla and Destroy All Monsters. Which ones did you consider terrible, may I ask?

The box art with G89 especially. Art is fine, but the fact the artist was blatantly too lazy to even check out what they were drawing... Ones that come to mind as being top teir trash: Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, Godzilla's Revenge, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla Raids Again...

[eabaker]

Continued debate about the quality of the art in this set contributes nothing of value. No more of it.

[_JNavs_]

I would argue the quality of the art in this set, and almost any other film set, contributes directly toward whether someone would purchase or choose to ignore the content, which can be found elsewhere, no?

[eabaker]

I suspect that most people buy movies... for the movies, actually. And I certainly hope nobody is buying or not buying sets based on other people's opinions on the artwork. Regardless, at this point, years after the set's release, there's absolutely no point in ongoing discussion of that issue, which is a completely subjective matter of personal taste. Unless somebody is adding a significant new insight on the subject, there's no reason to address it any further.

[Mac Daddy MM]

So how about those awesome menu designs as well?

[Goji]

I'm more mystified how anyone could consider the art for GRA "bad" by any stretch, but anyway..

It's hard to get excited about a Honda tokusatsu set for obvious reasons, but I really wouldn't mind having those films in HD at this point. I think it's safe to say we'd see more burying of U.S. versions, though; specifically WOTG, FvsB and (sadly), Rodan. While there isn't anything to suggest Toho has the same ill will toward the U.S. version of that as they do others, we do know that they don't have proper materials for it. Criterion did let Toho use outside materials for Godzilla King of the Monsters!, specifically for the U.S. credits, so it really depends on how they feel about a particular version of a film still being in circulation.

You'd think that with no in-house (international) version of Rodan available, Toho would allow Criterion to attempt to restore the U.S. version (Apparently there are several collectors that have technicolor prints), but..Toho gonna Toho. Their decisions have no rhyme or reason when it comes to this kind of stuff. Certain versions of films are just suddenly not okay for some arbitrary reason we'll never know; even when said version includes footage exclusive to it *cough* the Frontier Missile sequence *cough*. It's an absolute mess. To think what the Godzilla set could have been is depressing (as far as 1st world problems goes, of course), but I digress.

[Legion1979]

It's ridiculous that Toho has been trying so hard to push Godzilla as this massive international superstar and is licensing the monster to any company that even glances at the character...yet when it comes to the movies themselves and how they're presented outside Japan, they're so up their own ass that we can't get anything truly great.

[mikelcho]

You know, it seems to me that we shouldn't be looking a gift horse in the mouth too much concerning the Criterion set. After all, Toho could've said "No" and not done it at all. The fact that we have this is something we should be thanking them for. Yes, it does have flaws, some more noticeable than others, but always remember, even a Stradivarius violin is not perfect. Nothing is.

As far as one of those flaws - the gum issue in the box - that's on Criterion, I think. I also think one could possibly send it back to them and have them fix it, if one asks them politely.

[G-MAN]

You know, it seems to me that we shouldn't be looking a gift horse in the mouth too much concerning the Criterion set. After all, Toho could've said "No" and not done it at all. The fact that we have this is something we should be thanking them for. Yes, it does have flaws, some more noticeable than others, but always remember, even a Stradivarius violin is not perfect. Nothing is.

As far as one of those flaws - the gum issue in the box - that's on Criterion, I think. I also think one could possibly send it back to them and have them fix it, if one asks them politely.

Sorry but no. We can't be complacent and just accept what we are given when it's so substandard. And yeah they could've said no during the initial deal. But criterion paid for the rights to these just like they've done alot of.the other Honda Sci-Fi films. It's not like they just handed these off to them and were amazing to work with I'm sure. Among other possible issues. Not to mention people seem to forget that this a product that we pay for. You are free to voice complaints and issues with it.

I mean sure at a certain point there's only so much that can be done. But this is most likely the last time the majority of these films will be released in te states. As I don't foresee criterion doing any 4k releases of these films down the road. Or even upgrades to any of the films. Even if they do have access to a version of the 4k 54 master. And that's a major reason why the flaws of this set are hard to get over at times.

But even then criterion should've treated this better than they do some of their foreign film boxsets where they feature such a large amount of films. In that they shouldn't have compressed three films or even two to a disc. I mean these are still better than what toho has offered officially so far outside of KKvG. But the encodes aren't the greatest at all and feature some drastic bitrate dips that affect the presentation with the usual type of artifacts.

[rob559]

You know, it seems to me that we shouldn't be looking a gift horse in the mouth too much concerning the Criterion set. After all, Toho could've said "No" and not done it at all. The fact that we have this is something we should be thanking them for. Yes, it does have flaws, some more noticeable than others, but always remember, even a Stradivarius violin is not perfect. Nothing is.

As far as one of those flaws - the gum issue in the box - that's on Criterion, I think. I also think one could possibly send it back to them and have them fix it, if one asks them politely.

I did contact them awhile ago about the glue flaw. They know about it and did send me a replacement case, but the replacement was as bad as my original. I did get a plastic multi disc case for storage.

[canofhumdingers]

Sometimes it’s fun to throw fuel on a fire…
Today my kid wanted me to sit and draw Godzilla with him. When I got done with my picture it struck me that, with a little refinement, it would feel right at home in the criterion set… lol

[Rody]

That's actually some pretty good composition, honestly speaking.

[G-MAN]

You know, it seems to me that we shouldn't be looking a gift horse in the mouth too much concerning the Criterion set. After all, Toho could've said "No" and not done it at all. The fact that we have this is something we should be thanking them for. Yes, it does have flaws, some more noticeable than others, but always remember, even a Stradivarius violin is not perfect. Nothing is.

As far as one of those flaws - the gum issue in the box - that's on Criterion, I think. I also think one could possibly send it back to them and have them fix it, if one asks them politely.

I did contact them awhile ago about the glue flaw. They know about it and did send me a replacement case, but the replacement was as bad as my original. I did get a plastic multi disc case for storage.

Honestly that's what I did as soon as my set arrived.

[canofhumdingers]

I just watched the Criterion Ebirah disc for the first time ever. The subtitles had a couple interesting tidbits but nothing super revelatory the way some of the other films were. But overall I’ve got to say I’m really glad I have the Kraken disc with the Sony transfer.

Of course it’s sharper and more detailed but it also doesn’t suffer from some pretty onerous technical problems seen on the Toho mandated criterion transfer. The criterion Hi-Vision transfer had a couple instances of stuttering frame rates where they clearly slowed down the video to accommodate missing frames so the sound didn’t get out of sync. Also, right at the climax as the switch drops one last time and the island begins to explode the entire frame flashes bright green for several frames. And it’s not part of the film, it’s clearly some sort of digital video error as it’s a perfectly uniform green screen. I wondered if it was just a problem with my disc but I checked the stream on HBO Max and it has the same green screen at the same point.

[Legion1979]

Toho needs to hurry up with getting the 4k versions of these movies done and getting them on disc. I've only seen two of their remastered films so far (KKvsG and DAM) and its literally like watching these movies for the very first time.

[canofhumdingers]

Toho needs to hurry up with getting the 4k versions of these movies done and getting them on disc. I've only seen two of their remastered films so far (KKvsG and DAM) and its literally like watching these movies for the very first time.

For sure. I’ve managed to find copies of most of the 4K broadcasts. But (with the exception of KKvsG) they’re all rips from cable, downscaled to 1080p and then heavily compressed to be posted online. And even with all that reduction in quality they STILL absolutely blow away the copies we have on official Blu ray. It’s astonishing.