1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

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yoloswegmaster
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1000 Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975

#1 Post by yoloswegmaster » Sun Jul 14, 2019 3:16 pm

Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954–1975

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In 1954, an enormous beast clawed its way out of the sea, destroying everything in its path—and changing movies forever. The arresting original Godzilla soon gave rise to an entire monster-movie genre (kaiju eiga), but the King of the Monsters continued to reign supreme: in fourteen fiercely entertaining sequels over the next two decades, Godzilla defended its throne against a host of other formidable creatures, transforming from a terrifying symbol of nuclear annihilation into a benevolent (if still belligerent) Earth protector. Collected here for the first time are all fifteen Godzilla films of Japan's Showa era, in a landmark set showcasing the technical wizardry, fantastical storytelling, and indomitable international appeal that established the most iconic giant monster the cinema has ever seen.

Godzilla

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Godzilla (a.k.a. Gojira) is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It's also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama, made in Japan at a time when the country was reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing in the Pacific. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population's fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning almost thirty sequels. A thrilling, tactile spectacle that continues to be a cult phenomenon, the original, 1954 Japanese version is presented here, along with Godzilla, King of the Monsters, the 1956 "Americanized" version.

Godzilla Raids Again / King Kong vs. Godzilla

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Toho Studios followed the enormous success of the original Godzilla with this sequel, efficiently directed by Motoyoshi Oda as a straight-ahead monsters-on-the-loose drama. An underrated standout among the Showa Godzilla films, Godzilla Raids Again introduces the monster-versus-monster format that would dominate the remainder of the series, pitting Godzilla against the ferocious, spiny Anguirus as the kaiju wreak havoc in the streets of Osaka in a series of elaborate set pieces that succeed in upping the ante for destruction.

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After his first two cinematic rampages, Godzilla was revived as an adversary for the Hollywood import King Kong. When Kong is discovered on a remote island by a publicity-hungry pharmaceutical company, the giant ape is set on a collision course with Godzilla, and Japan braces for a double dose of devastation. Both the Japanese-release version and the U.S.-release cut were rousing hits, cementing Godzilla's status as a series-worthy star.

Mothra vs. Godzilla / Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster / Invasion of Astro-Monster

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Godzilla faces off against the benevolent insect monster-god Mothra in this clash of the titans, a crossover battle between two of Toho Studios' most popular monsters—the last in which Godzilla would figure as a malevolent villain rather than a fearsome hero. Mothra vs. Godzilla marks a creative high point in the Godzilla series, with pointed social commentary from director Ishiro Honda, a masterful score by Akira Ifukube, and astonishing special-effects work by Eiji Tsuburaya.

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After laying waste to an alien civilization on Venus, the three-headed, lightning-emitting space monster Ghidorah brings its insatiable thirst for destruction to Earth, where fierce foes Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra must join forces in order to deal with the unprecedented threat. An electrifying screen debut for Godzilla's archenemy Ghidorah, this film also marks a turning point for the series, as the first time the King of the Monsters acts to protect the planet.

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Aliens from Planet X make an irresistible offer to the people of Earth: let them borrow Godzilla and Rodan to help defeat King Ghidorah, and in return they will provide a cure for all known human disease. But the aliens’ duplicity is soon revealed, as they deploy all three monsters in their quest to conquer Earth. This retro romp, featuring American star Nick Adams, stands as a high point in the Showa Godzilla series.

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep / Son of Godzilla / Destroy All Monsters

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The first Godzilla film directed by Jun Fukuda, who would go on to direct four more, is fast-paced and light in tone, and builds to a riveting race-against-time finale. On a secluded island in the South Seas, a group of castaways stumble upon a paramilitary organization whose nefarious nuclear activities threaten the world at large—and set the stage for kaiju clashes involving Godzilla, Mothra, and the giant crustacean Ebirah.

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In director Jun Fukuda's second Godzilla outing, secret weather-control experiments create a radioactive storm and Godzilla must rescue monster hatchling Minilla from the giant mutant insects that result. Featuring a buoyant score by Masaru Sato and impressive wirework by special-effects director Sadamasa Arikawa, Son of Godzilla is lively, comic, and timely in its addressing of contemporary anxiety about worldwide food shortages.

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The original Godzilla team of director Ishiro Honda, special-effects supervisor Eiji Tsuburaya, and composer Akira Ifukube reunited for this kaiju extravaganza, which features no fewer than eleven monsters. Set in the remote future of 1999, when the people of Earth have achieved world peace by confining destructive creatures to Monsterland (until an alien race intervenes), Destroy All Monsters mounts a thrilling display of innovative action sequences and memorable images that have made it a favorite for generations of viewers.

All Monsters Attack / Godzilla vs. Hedorah

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Director Ishiro Honda returned again for the first Godzilla movie expressly for children. Economizing by reusing effects shots from other films in the series, All Monster Attack tells the story of Ichiro, a lonely latchkey kid who finds solace in his dreams of befriending Minilla, the titular progeny of Son of Godzilla, whose parent is also often absent. In this thoughtful, human-scale story, boy and monster learn together what it means to grow up.

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Intended to address the crisis levels of pollution in postwar Japan, Godzilla vs. Hedorah finds the King of the Monsters fighting an alien life form that arrives on Earth and steadily grows by feeding on industrial waste. Director Yoshimitsu Banno infuses the film with equal parts ecological horror, humorous monster antics, and sixties psychedelia straight out of San Francisco, making for a truly unique—and divisive—entry in the series.

Godzilla vs. Gigan / Godzilla vs. Megalon

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An alien invasion prompts a tag-team battle between Godzilla and Anguirus, the planet protectors, and King Ghidorah and the new monster Gigan, a cyborg with scythe-like claws, an abdominal buzz saw, winglike back fins, and pincerlike mandibles. In this action-packed film, which veers from the sublime to the ridiculous, the cockroachlike aliens—disguised as humans—use Gigan and King Ghidorah as weapons of conquest in their plot to take over a contaminated Earth.

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Nuclear testing unleashes mayhem on the undersea kingdom of Seatopia, causing a series of environmental disasters that nearly wipes out Rokuro, the schoolboy protagonist at the center of this film. To exact revenge, Seatopia unleashes Megalon, a gigantic beetle with the ability to fire ray beams and napalm bombs. Meanwhile, Rokuro's brother creates Jet Jaguar, a flying robot with a built-in moral compass. The inevitable matchup of Godzilla and Jet Jaguar versus Megalon and Gigan decides the world's fate.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla / Terror of Mechagodzilla

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Godzilla's evil twin Mechagodzilla first reared its head in this Jun Fukuda–directed film. A robot designed by aliens to conquer Earth, the enduringly popular villain has since been resurrected by Toho Studios several times. With the help of earnest direction, spectacular pyrotechnics, and guest appearances by veteran genre actors, this film recaptures the feel of the sixties Godzilla movies.

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In Godzilla's last gasp of the Showa era, aliens retrieve Mechagodzilla's remains and rebuild it with the aid of an unhinged biologist (a scenery-chewing Akihiko Hirata), in hopes of defeating Godzilla for possession of planet Earth. This film marked the return of director Ishiro Honda, who had retired years earlier, disheartened by the increasingly kid-friendly approach of the series. For this final entry, Honda steers the King of the Monsters back into grim territory, interweaving an alien-invasion plot with a tale of tragic romance.

EIGHT-BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION COLLECTOR'S SET FEATURES

• High-definition digital transfers of all fifteen Godzilla films made between 1954 and 1975, released together for the first time, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks
• High-definition digital transfer of Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956), the U.S.-release version of Godzilla; and the 1962 Japanese-release version of King Kong vs. Godzilla
• Audio commentaries from 2011 on Godzilla and Godzilla, King of the Monsters featuring film historian David Kalat
• International English-language dub tracks for Invasion of Astro-Monster, Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and Terror of Mechagodzilla
• Directors Guild of Japan interview with director Ishiro Honda, conducted by director Yoshimitsu Banno in 1990
• Programs detailing the creation of Godzilla's special effects and unused effects sequences from Toho releases including Destroy All Monsters
• New interview with filmmaker Alex Cox about his admiration for the Showa-era Godzilla films
• New and archival interviews with cast and crew members, including actors Bin Furuya, Tsugutoshi Komada, Haruo Nakajima, and Akira Takarada; composer Akira Ifukube; and effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai
• Interview with critic Tadao Sato from 2011
• Illustrated audio essay from 2011 about the real-life tragedy that inspired Godzilla
• New English subtitle translations
• Trailers
• PLUS: A lavishly illustrated deluxe hardcover book featuring an essay by cinema historian Steve Ryfle, notes on the films by cinema historian Ed Godziszewski, and new illustrations by Arthur Adams, Sophie Campbell, Becky Cloonan, Jorge Coelho, Geof Darrow, Simon Gane, Robert Goodin, Benjamin Marra, Monarobot, Takashi Okazaki, Angela Rizza, Yuko Shimizu, Bill Sienkiewicz, Katsuya Terada, Ronald Wimberly, and Chris Wisnia

black&huge
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Re: Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#2 Post by black&huge » Sun Jul 14, 2019 4:29 pm

yoloswegmaster wrote:
Sun Jul 14, 2019 3:16 pm
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Might turn out to be the big 1000

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Feego
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Re: Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#3 Post by Feego » Mon Jul 15, 2019 1:12 am

If Criterion announces the Godzilla set for an October release, it will also coincide with TCM's airing of (I'm guessing?) all of the classic Godzilla films every Friday that same month.

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Yaanu
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Re: Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#4 Post by Yaanu » Mon Jul 15, 2019 11:38 pm

According to Godzilla-Movies.com, not only will there be a WB/Legendary panel at San-Diego Comic-Con on 19 July to discuss upcoming their Monsterverse and the upcoming "Godzilla vs. Kong", but Toho themselves will have a presence on the showfloor with a Godzilla-themed booth.

If Criterion is indeed announcing a Gojira box set, it may be that they're postponing all of their October announcements to drop in tandem with this panel.

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DRW.mov
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Re: Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#5 Post by DRW.mov » Mon Jul 15, 2019 11:46 pm

Probably more likely that the Godzilla set will be announced independently of the October slate much like the Olympic and Bergman boxes, but this panel looks like the ideal venue.

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HitchcockLang
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Forthcoming: Godzilla Megaset

#6 Post by HitchcockLang » Tue Jul 16, 2019 4:03 pm

So I know it’s confirmed that Criterion has most if not all of the Showa Godzilla films. A question to those who understand rights and relationships better than I: is there ANY chance (even a small one) that Criterion would be able to work out a deal through Toho with Sony and the handful of other stray US rights holders to do a complete Godzilla box with the Heisei and Millenium films as well (and maybe even Shin Godzilla and the Netflix anime trilogy)? It sure would be nice for all the Japanese Godzilla to finally be available under one umbrella in North America. That would be an announcement worth a SDCC announcement. Or is that just totally outside the realm of possibility?

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dwk
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Re: Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#7 Post by dwk » Tue Jul 16, 2019 4:12 pm

Probably not. Godzilla 1984 is still with Kraken and Godzilla vs. Biollante is still with Miramax. I believe the rest are with Sony, but their rights to a number of them are expiring soon:
GODZILLA VS KING GHIDORAH (Renewal Date: 2019)
GODZILLA AND MOTHRA (Renewal Date: 2019)
GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA II (Renewal Date: 2023)
GODZILLA VS SPACE GODZILLA (Renewal Date: 2023)
GODZILLA VS DESTOROYAH (Renewal Date: 2023)
REBIRTH OF MOTHRA (Renewal Date: 2023)
REBIRTH OF MOTHRA II (Renewal Date: 2023)
REBIRTH OF MOTHRA III (Renewal Date: 2025)
GODZILLA 2000 (Renewal Date: 2025)
GODZILLA VS MEGAGUIRUS (Renewal Date: 2023)
GMK (Renewal Date: 2023)

kekid
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Re: Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

#8 Post by kekid » Tue Jul 16, 2019 7:36 pm

Graphist wrote:
Tue Jul 16, 2019 7:07 pm
Who to blame for the delays? Amazon and Bezos probably with their 2 Prime Days.… Or maybe Criterion is going for a suspenseful drama. When they finally drop the bomb(s) they are hoping the waves would reach Patagonia.
This probably falls in the category of "Why don't they release only what I want?", but the news of the annual box-set being Godzilla has created a wave of massive disappointment in me. I am sure there are many ardent fans of Godzilla, and I am happy for them. But I would not have dreamed a month ago that in preference to box sets of Kiarostami, Kurosawa, Ray, Chaplin, Ozu, and some others, Criterion would choose Godzilla. Not since the Complete Zatoichi box have I felt so let down. Godzilla following Bergman has the feeling of Trump following Obama. My advanced apologies to all those that this would offend (both on behalf of Godzilla and on behalf of Trump). If this is the wave that is causing the delay...what can I say?

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domino harvey
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Re: Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

#9 Post by domino harvey » Tue Jul 16, 2019 7:38 pm

I mean, I felt similarly unenthused about the Olympics set on the other side of the Bergman set too. I have no interest in a Godzilla box either, but I’m sure it will make a ton of money and allow future Bergman-type ventures, so try to look on the bright side

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Big Ben
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Re: Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

#10 Post by Big Ben » Tue Jul 16, 2019 8:22 pm

Godzilla films, regardless of uh, quality do have a cultural significance. While said significance on a broad scale is debatable I'm quite certain the notion that this set will sell is not lost on Criterion. If it sells well it means we can get more things in the future that while have great artistic merit do not have the same broad commercial appeal. I happen to love Godzilla and will have no issues picking this up. No it's not Ozu or Naruse but I'd be lying to myself if I said I didn't derive some amusement from watching grown men in monster suits beat the shit out of each other.

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Graphist
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Re: Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

#11 Post by Graphist » Tue Jul 16, 2019 8:38 pm

I hear you, Kekid, but I’ll have to agree with Domino on this. For the company to stay in business they realized they needed to widen their selections to be able to bring in more money so they could keep doing what they love to do — preserve and release the real and true gems. I hope I don’t sound ignorant, but when they announced the Police Stories I wasn’t jumping from joy myself but I suspected Chan would sell and sell well. (Which reminds me, the other day when as I was paying for my copies of the BRD and Grey Gardens, the B&N cashier, a guy in his 30-40s, thought he would share his excitement of purchasing the Police Story set with me.)

When they announced the Olympic set I knew I wasn’t going to order it. But several months later I did and now I am happy I did.

We’ll have to wait and see what the whole Godzilla boxset is all about and what extras they would be including.

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Brian C
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Re: Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

#12 Post by Brian C » Tue Jul 16, 2019 9:07 pm

I think it's funny that releases like the Godzilla set are assumed to be Criterion just doing what they have to do to pay the bills, as if the films occupy such a low place in culture that they have to be rationalized somehow.

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Luke M
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Re: Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

#13 Post by Luke M » Tue Jul 16, 2019 9:38 pm

I think this movie is bad so Criterion must've released it so they can release something I like.

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domino harvey
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Re: Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

#14 Post by domino harvey » Tue Jul 16, 2019 9:52 pm

Brian C wrote:
Tue Jul 16, 2019 9:07 pm
I think it's funny that releases like the Godzilla set are assumed to be Criterion just doing what they have to do to pay the bills, as if the films occupy such a low place in culture that they have to be rationalized somehow.
There’s a difference between people acknowledging a set will sell and saying it has “a low place in culture”— no one here has been disrespectful

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Brian C
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Re: Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

#15 Post by Brian C » Tue Jul 16, 2019 10:00 pm

domino harvey wrote:
Tue Jul 16, 2019 9:52 pm
There’s a difference between people acknowledging a set will sell and saying it has “a low place in culture”— no one here has been disrespectful
I think my paraphrase was more than fair considering that one poster specifically made an analogy between the Godzilla set and Trump and another contrasted it to the "real and true gems."

But I'm not worked up over this. I just think it's amusing that people have such a hard time accepting that Criterion releases a wide range of films probably because they like them and not because they're whoring themselves out for sales. We go through this every time Criterion releases a popular film that doesn't fit a narrow arthouse/canon mold.

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Graphist
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Re: Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

#16 Post by Graphist » Tue Jul 16, 2019 10:22 pm

I am not discounting the Godzilla box set yet or the whole genre for that matter but pretending to think men in hot and heavy rubber suits hitting each other for my amusement should be considered as highly as films of Tarkovsky, Bergman or Ozu that I would never do.

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dwk
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Re: Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

#17 Post by dwk » Tue Jul 16, 2019 10:35 pm

Don't forget that Criterion had plans to release a number of these Godzilla titles on laserdisc. Someone there is a fan.

I'd never assume that any foreign film released by any label is a money grab. I've heard a number of people that run labels mention that it is really hard to get genre fans to buy foreign films. So, while Godzilla has a loyal fanbase, it wouldn't surprise me if the Bergman set ends up being the bigger moneymaker of the two. (Especially when you factor in that the Bergman set is region free, while Godzilla will no doubt be region locked.)

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Brian C
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Re: Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

#18 Post by Brian C » Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:03 pm

Graphist wrote:
Tue Jul 16, 2019 10:22 pm
I am not discounting the Godzilla box set yet or the whole genre for that matter but pretending to think men in hot and heavy rubber suits hitting each other for my amusement should be considered as highly as films of Tarkovsky, Bergman or Ozu that I would never do.
I mean, it kind of sounds like you're discounting the genre. But obviously I am forced to respect your ever-so-refined taste in canonical directors.

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Big Ben
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Re: Quarantined Monthly Guessing Thread

#19 Post by Big Ben » Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:26 pm

Brian C wrote:
Tue Jul 16, 2019 9:07 pm
I think it's funny that releases like the Godzilla set are assumed to be Criterion just doing what they have to do to pay the bills, as if the films occupy such a low place in culture that they have to be rationalized somehow.
That's not precisely what I mean, if you were at all referring to me. Godzilla certainly isn't Ozu nor is he Tarkovsky but to deny that his films wouldn't sell better than both of those men is quite silly in my opinion. I think it would also be foolish to deny that there are drastic differences in structure, plot and style. Ozu and Tarkovsky were of course, meticulous and a film like Godzilla vs. Megalon was shot in something like three weeks. I absolutely do not believe that Godzilla belongs in a low place in culture but rather that these films appeal to a much broader (Although occasionally overlapping group of people.) audience. It would be absolutely mental to deny that Godzilla is a pop culture icon much in the same way John Hughes' films are. No, Godzilla fighting a giant sea lobster isn't the same as Tarkovsky meditating on the nature of existence but I really don't want every film in the collection to be the latter. But I also very much don't want it to just be the former either.

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soundchaser
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Re: Forthcoming: Godzilla Megaset

#20 Post by soundchaser » Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:27 pm

I like the implication in the above post that Godzilla is his own auteur.

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domino harvey
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Re: Forthcoming: Godzilla Megaset

#21 Post by domino harvey » Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:27 pm

Why won't he destroy only the cities I want?

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Re: Forthcoming: Godzilla Megaset

#22 Post by Brianruns10 » Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:31 pm

Between the Godzilla films and his Kurosawa appearances, surely this would make Takashi Shimura the actor with the most films in the collection, wouldn't you think?

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Big Ben
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Re: Forthcoming: Godzilla Megaset

#23 Post by Big Ben » Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:33 pm

soundchaser wrote:
Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:27 pm
I like the implication in the above post that Godzilla is his own auteur.
Correct. He has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to acknowledge his cinematic contributions and auteurship.

Image

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Yaanu
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Re: Forthcoming: Godzilla Megaset

#24 Post by Yaanu » Wed Jul 17, 2019 12:09 am

Personally I don't mind a Godzilla box set, but I'd rather that it be treated as a standalone release like the Bergman box set or AK100 box set or the Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films box set, rather than a full spine release.

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movielocke
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Re: Forthcoming: Godzilla Megaset

#25 Post by movielocke » Wed Jul 17, 2019 1:36 am

Brian C wrote:
domino harvey wrote:
Tue Jul 16, 2019 9:52 pm
There’s a difference between people acknowledging a set will sell and saying it has “a low place in culture”— no one here has been disrespectful
I think my paraphrase was more than fair considering that one poster specifically made an analogy between the Godzilla set and Trump and another contrasted it to the "real and true gems."

But I'm not worked up over this. I just think it's amusing that people have such a hard time accepting that Criterion releases a wide range of films probably because they like them and not because they're whoring themselves out for sales. We go through this every time Criterion releases a popular film that doesn't fit a narrow arthouse/canon mold.
True, in the podcast, they talk about seventies disaster movies (the question prompts with terrible titles, and Kline counters with towering inferno and Poseidon adventure and that they’ve discussed it internally and would jump at the chance to do one—which leads to an off the cuff musing that Kline would love to see their edition of the rock upgrades to Blu-ray)

I watched the next three Showa films on filmstruck and they were all pretty terrible, but it was fun watching them, and I’ll probably buy the set (and sell it after watching everything else). These are fun films, like the two police story films, and it’s a nice change from de rigeour dour/ depressing that many folks seems to represent “real” film arts.

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