Godzilla Showa Classics – Volume 1 Movie Collection Boxed Set.
The Original Monster of Mass Destruction…
Godzilla, the King of monsters. What started out as a tale warning of the dangers of nuclear war became a 28-movie global phenomenon that has been everywhere from Marvel comics, to an American cartoon series, all the way to the 1998 Hollywood movie. He also brought us the coolest monsters ever: the fearsome three-headed King Ghidorah, the giant chicken-headed Gigan and the psychedelic pipe-toking Hedorah, amongst many others.
Features the following films:
Godzilla: 50th Anniversary Edition
Mothra vs Godzilla
Godzilla: Invasion of the Astro-monster
Godzilla vs Ebirah
Son of Godzilla
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters
Special Features:
Original trailers
Stills gallery
Release date Australia
November 12th, 2009
Number of Discs
6
Length (Minutes)
620
Language
Japanese, English
Subtitles
English
Supported Audio
Dolby Digital Surround 2.0
Dolby Digital Surround 5.1
Brand
Godzilla
Studio
Madman
Series
Godzilla
Boxed Set
Yes
Country of Production
Japan
Genres
Action
Adventure
Movie Format
DVD
DVD Region
Region 4
Edition
Box Set
Box Dimensions (mm)
136x190x27
UPC
9322225078321
All-time sales rank
Top 5000
Product ID
3641268
Godzilla Showa Classics – Volume 2 Box Set
Godzilla Showa Classics – Volume 2 6 Disc Movie Collection DVD Boxed Set.
The Original Monster of Mass Destruction…
Godzilla, the King of monsters. What started out as a tale warning of the dangers of nuclear war became a 28-movie global phenomenon that has been everywhere from Marvel comics, to an American cartoon series, all the way to the 1998 Hollywood movie. He also brought us the coolest monsters ever: the fearsome three-headed King Ghidorah, the giant chicken-headed Gigan and the psychedelic pipe-toking Hedorah, amongst many others.
Features the following films:
Godzilla: All Monsters Attack
Godzilla vs Hedorah
Godzilla vs Gigan
Godzilla vs Megalon
Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla
Terror of Mechagodzilla
Release date Australia
November 12th, 2009
Number of Discs
6
Length (Minutes)
488
Language
Japanese, English
Subtitles
English
Supported Audio
Dolby Digital Surround 2.0
Dolby Digital Surround 5.1
Brand
Godzilla
Studio
Madman
Series
Godzilla
Boxed Set
Yes
Country of Production
Japan
Genres
Action
Adventure
Movie Format
DVD
DVD Region
Region 4
Edition
Box Set
Original Release Year
2009
Box Dimensions (mm)
135x190x30
UPC
9322225078338
Product ID
3641269
The Criterion Collection
Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954–1975
Box Set
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.
Films In This Set
Godzilla
1954
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
Godzilla Raids Again
1955
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.
New cover illustration by Katsuya Terada
King Kong vs. Godzilla
1963
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.
New cover illustration by Arthur Adams
Mothra vs. Godzilla
1964
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.
New cover illustration by Angela Rizza
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
1964
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.
New cover illustration by Monarobot
Invasion of Astro-Monster
1965
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.
New cover illustration by Benjamin Marra
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
1966
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.
New cover illustration by Simon Gane
Son of Godzilla
1967
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.
New cover illustration by Robert Goodin
Destroy All Monsters
1968
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.
New cover illustration by Sophie Campbell
All Monsters Attack
1969
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 Monsters 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.
New cover illustration by Jorge Coelho
Godzilla vs. Hedorah
1971
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.
New cover illustration by Geof Darrow
Godzilla vs. Gigan
1972
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.
New cover illustration by Becky Cloonan
Godzilla vs. Megalon
1973
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.
New cover illustration by Ronald Wimberly
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
1974
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.
New cover illustration by Takashi Okazaki
Terror of Mechagodzilla
1975
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.
New cover illustration by Chris Wisnia
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 transfers of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, the 1956 U.S.-release version of Godzilla;
and the 1962 Japanese-release version of King Kong vs. Godzilla, presented with its original 4.0 surround soundtrack.
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
Featurette detailing Godzilla’s photographic effects
Toho Unused Special Effects Complete Collection, a 1986 documentary featuring archival making-of footage; scenes deleted from films including Destroy All Monsters, King Kong vs. Godzilla, and Mothra vs. Godzilla; and interviews with Honda, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, special-effects director Teruyoshi Nakano, and others
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
