Godzilla (1954)

[The Dark Uniter]

Godzilla (The Criterion Collection) Blu-ray

Gojira Blu-ray Review


This is their photo on their Facebook page:


Discuss!

[agent999]

It would be nice if it had the US version as a bonus, also the see it to believe it "Cozzilla" version from Italy!

[The Dark Uniter]

That would nice if they did include "COZZILLA"; the bootleg for it is in such horrible quality! Godzilla had heavy print damage on the original Classic Media DVD. I'm curious to see on how they'll restore the film or if they'll use Toho's HD masters. Same with the "King of the Monsters" print; I wonder will they find a complete cut of that version. Some prints of "King of the Monsters" had opening logos and credits missing. I'm also wondering if they're porting the extras from the Classic Media release. So many questions to be answered!

[Harlock415]

Oh Hells Yeah! If they are doing it they must have a good print and hopefully some nice supplements.

[lkmg]

One of my all-time favorite monsters. Hope to see some official news on the release soon.

[manicsounds]

Originally Posted by Harlock415

Oh Hells Yeah! If they are doing it they must have a good print and hopefully some nice supplements.

It's a dupe positive print they have in the picture.

[The Dark Uniter]

Blu-ray/ DVD News: Criterion to Obtain Rights to Godzilla (1954) - YouTube

Basically, more thoughts of what I think of the announcement.

[Blu Titan]

Great news as the 2009 Classic Media release is very poor.

[OrlandoEastwood]

I brought it up about two months when Criterion put up Godzilla, King of the Monsters on Hulu. They even had a mock cover art placed on Hulu's site, but it wasn't Gojira, it stated Godzilla King of the Monsters.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Roninblues

It wouldn't take much effort to surpass the current BluRay.

In the US. The Japanese BD looks nice. I wonder if Criterion will get their hands on the Toho masters? If so, you guys should be happy with it.

[OrlandoEastwood]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

In the US. The Japanese BD looks nice. I wonder if Criterion will get their hands on the Toho masters? If so, you guys should be happy with it.

I doubt it if they got that film print that's in that picture. Also, they better be remastering the U.S. Edit too.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by The Dark Uniter

Basically, more thoughts of what I think of the announcement.

[madlost1]

If and when this release happens it will be an immediate pick up for me. I held out on the first blu release because of the PQ.

[fitprod]

Let's hope this actually happens this time. I remember back in 1996 or 1997 there was a an announcement for a batch of Godzilla LDs from Criterion, and they never happened. The deal with Toho fell through.

fitprod

[OrlandoEastwood]

CRITERION FINDS US VERSION OF GODZILLA!
35mm Fine-Grain of GKOTM Discovered

My buddy, August has a report.

Yesterday, I posted the fantastic news that the Criterion Collection had slyly announced, with a simple photo, that they will be prepping a DVD/BD release of the original Japanese version of GODZILLA aka GOJIRA (1954) — see previous blog post — and while, it seems, that Honda's seminal film will be getting a much-needed restoration, some have been asking if the corresponding US version helmed by Terry O. Morse, GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS! (1956), starring Raymond Burr, will be included in this release. Previous home video releases of this film — and all versions screened on television, cable, and online in the last 30 years — have been culled from the same, edited telecine transfer of a 35mm master, prepared in the early 1980s by Henry G. Saperstein's UPA (United Productions of America). Unfortunately, Toho has nothing for the US version (barring the cropped "cinemascope" version released in Japan in the late 1950s), and since there was nothing else readily available, Classic Media used this very same three decade-old transfer for their 2006 release.

What was delted? UPA's transfer is missing the original "Jewell Enterprises" logo at the top of the film (printed over Toho's sunburst logo), seen in early television versions (before UPA's acquisition), a starring and directed by card after the opening title, and the original — and full — ending credits sequence, which appeared between the fade out and "The End" title card. While Classic Media's release, reinstates the original ending credits sequence (taken from a 16mm print owned by a private collector), it was placed after the "The End" title card. But, the Jewell Enterprises logo remained absent. While several fans have 16mm prints of the original television transfer of GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS! — some complete, others not — the search for 35mm elements, or at the very least, an uncut 35mm theatrical print, had proved an elusive creature. While there are several private (and notable) collectors who do have 35mm prints of this film, most of them wish to remain nameless, out of fear that their prints will be confiscated (which has indeed happened to collectors in the past).

So, Criterion put the call out to film collectors, everywhere, to help locate 35mm elements for GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS! Startlingly, within 24 hours, through the auspices of several fans — working together and respecting the anonymity of the source — according to "insiders", a veritable Rosetta Stone, something far better than a 35mm print has been located: A 35mm Fine-Grain Print! "So, what does that mean?", you might ask. It's actually quite big deal, really. Why? The following explanation is from the article, "Duped Negatives" and "Lavender Prints": Understanding Film Restoration from The Picture Show Man:

Sometimes called a "fine-grain sub-master", or "protection print", or "lavender print", or "purple print" (because the fine-grains of the film have a slightly purple color to them). These are positive prints, made from either camera negatives or dupe (duplicate) negatives, using film that has a low contrast, extremely fine-grained emulsion. They are made expressly and exclusively for the purpose of making another dupe negative, and are not meant to be shown. (In fact, the projected image quality of these prints is poor compared to a timed projection print, and the perforations have a slightly different shape than projection prints.)

In plain English, this means that the next best thing to finding an original Interpositive (the first "positive print" made from the Camera Negative) — a first-generation print! So, while celebrating this early may be premature, I'm going to start popping the Champagne corks (or maybe some Champipple) — because a transfer from this Fine-Grain should prove to be stunning in comparison to what has been previously available to us, especially once such a transfer gets a Criterion Touch digital restoration! Many of you out there may not quite grasp the monumental thing that has happened here. This is an earth-shaking, screen-shattering thrill! This is big news, towering and tremendous — akin to the discovery of a Missing Link — and is more fantastic than I ever thought possible, to paraphrase Burr's character in GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS!

In the meantime, let's keep our fingers crossed for Criterion, but not hold our collective breath (we don't want to jinx this). But still, so far, this really has been a "tale to stun the mind!"

Stay tuned for more updates as they become available!

[Chiyo_chichi]

Very very exciting.

Fingers crossed we get a stunning King of the Monsters release along with a Gojira transfer that's finally worthy of it's name.

[OrlandoEastwood]

They need to make it a 2 disc set. Have both films take up the space of the disc. I know Criterion will blow Classic Media out of the water. The size of Gojira on the original Blu-ray release is 18.93 GB.

[The Mad Mule]

Neat! I've never seen Godjira/Godzilla, and seeing it faithfully remastered into part of the Criterion catalog would be the perfect time to see it. I can wait a few more years....

[OrlandoEastwood]

This probably won't be out for another year. If they just got the film from Japan and found the 35mm of Godzilla, King of the Monsters; then that means they got a lot of work ahead of them.

[madlost1]

I don't care how long it takes them as long as we eventually get it I'll be happy.

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