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Godzilla Collection[Widescreen Fullscreen] - DVD

SKU: 8590447 | Release Date: 11/20/2007

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Format: DVD
Length: 583 minutes
Genre: Foreign Films
Studio: UNKNOWN

Synopsis

Includes:

Gojira (1954)

Gigantis the Fire Monster (1955)

Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956)

Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster (1964)

Godzilla vs. Mothra (1964)

Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (1965)

Godzilla's Revenge (1969)

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

Gojira
One of the longest-running series in film history began with Ishiro Honda's grim, black-and-white allegory for the devastation wrought on Japan by the atomic bomb. As his visual metaphor, Honda uses a 400-foot-tall mutant dinosaur called Gojira, awakened from the depths of the sea as a rampaging nuclear nightmare, complete with glowing dorsal fins and fiery, radioactive breath. Crushing ships, villages, and buildings in his wake, Gojira marches toward Tokyo, bringing all of the country's worst nightmares back until an evil more terrible bomb -- capable of sucking all the oxygen from the sea -- returns the monster to its watery grave. The original film is chilling, despite some rather unconvincing man-in-a-suit special effects, and brimming with explicitly stated anti-American sentiment. All of that was removed for the U.S. release directed by Terry Morse. It was replaced with bad dubbing and tedious added footage starring Raymond Burr. The resulting edit was just another monster movie, but was still popular enough to assure future Toho Studios monster films a wide American release. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Gigantis the Fire Monster
Tsukioka (Hiroshi Koizumi) and Kobayashi (Minoru Chiaki) fly scout planes for a small fishing fleet, based in Osaka. A mechanical problem forces Kobayashi to set his plane down on remote Iwato island, and as he and Tsukioka are trying to make repairs, they are drawn to the sound of a horrendous conflagration and discover two enormous dinosaurs battling each other amid the snowy wastes of the island. After successfully taking off, they report their findings to the government in Tokyo, and Dr. Yamane (Takashi Shimura) determines that one of the dinosaurs is the same species as Godzilla, and both creatures are just as dangerous as the first Godzilla. The two dinosaurs' battle and chase carries them across the ocean and to Osaka, where they destroy the city, and in the process, Anguirus is killed and incinerated by Godzilla, who escapes out to the sea. Tsukioka and Kobayashi are later flying a patrol when they spot Godzilla on a frozen island. Kobayashi's plane is hit by the monster's incendiary breath and he is killed, and as his plane crashes, a small amount of ice rains down on the creature. Tsukioka gets an idea from his friend's death and directs the military aircraft to fire their missiles -- which have proved ineffective when used directly against Godzilla -- at the icy slopes. Godzilla is soon overwhelmed and buried by the ever-rising cascade of ice, and the dinosaur is frozen solid and immobile in the center of the glacier-size sheet of ice. Motoyoshi Oda's Gojira No Gyakushu (aka Godzilla Raids Again, 1955), issued in Japan six months after the original Gojira and released in America redubbed as Gigantis the Fire Monster four years later, was about as different from its predecessor, Ishiro Honda's Gojira (1954), as could possibly be imagined. Where Honda's film, from a screenplay co-authored by Takeo Murata and the director (based on a story by Shigeru Kayama), found a good balance and linkage between the larger story of the monster's appearance and attacks and the human side of the story, Oda's movie never finds that balance. It offers far too disjointed a plot, involving a pair of pilots, the women they love, the sighting of a second Godzilla and the giant ankylosaurus Anguirus, and their city-destroying battle in Osaka, and even the escape of a group of prisoners. The presence of Takashi Shimura in the Japanese edition of the movie, very briefly reprising his role as Dr. Yamane, only serves to highlight the difference in quality between the two movies and the decided creative poverty of the second film. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Godzilla, King of the Monsters
Filmed in 1954 as Gojira, this grandaddy of all Japanese giant-reptile epics was picked up for American distribution two years later, at which time several newly filmed inserts, featuring Raymond Burr as reporter Steve Martin, were rabetted into the original footage. In both the Japanese and American versions of Godzilla, the story is basically the same: a 400-foot amphibious monster, brought back to life by underwater nuclear testing, goes on a rampage in a tinker-toy Tokyo. An eccentric scientist (Takashi Shimura) does his best to destroy the beast with his heretofore discredited invention, the Oxygen Destroyer. Though Godzilla is apparently disintegrated in the climax, this didn't prevent Toho Studios from grinding out an endless series of sequels with the title character becoming less destructive and more lovable with each subsequent film. Hampered by a low budget which precluded stop-motion animation, special-effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya was forced to rely upon an actor (Haru Nakajima) in a rubber Godzilla suit. Incidentally, the name "Gojira", a combination of "gorilla" and "kujira", is Japanese slang for "big clumsy ox" and was allegedly the nickname of one of the Toho stagehands. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster
A true "monster rally," this Japanese special-effects smorgasbord stars no fewer than four "A"-list movie monstrosities. Once again, the citizens of Tokyo are subjected to an ill-tempered atomic mutant. This time it's the triple-headed Ghidrah, who breathes electric volts in all directions. Coming to Tokyo's rescue is faithful old Mothra, but Ghidrah proves too much for the outsized insect, even with the ubiquitous "Peanuts" (Emi and Yumi Ito) acting as Mothra's cheerleaders. Fortunately, Godzilla and Rodan stop fighting each other to help Mothra vanquish Ghidrah. The climactic battle royal takes place high atop Mount Fuji (how do those monsters cast shadows on the sky like that?) Lots of fun, Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster surprisingly yielded no immediate sequels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Godzilla vs. Mothra
Ishiro Honda directed this fourth Godzilla film (the second for Mothra), which is bogged down at the start by an uninteresting set-up involving corporate intrigue and a pair of boring reporters. Godzilla's first appearance is not very impressive, as he rises from a sandy beach looking distinctly the worse for wear since his last outing in Kingukongu Tai Gojira (1963). The miniscule Peanut Sisters (Emi Ito, Yumi Ito) are around again, looking for one of the giant eggs which their moth goddess is always losing, and the usual heavy-handed moralizing about mankind's destructive nature is very much in evidence. Other than the peculiar set decoration on an irradiated island which looks as if it fell out of a 1930s adventure movie, the first 50 minutes or so are quite weak. After that, however, the toy tanks start firing, the natives start fleeing, the beasts start battling, and the film starts to be entertaining. The fight scenes are well-staged, given the clumsiness of the participants, and stand as some of the best such sequences of the 1960s. The eventual capture and electrocution of Godzilla in a giant net is nicely handled as well. This installment was followed by the much more interesting San Daikaiju: Chikyu Saidai No Kessen (1965), the first of the space-oriented entries in the series. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Godzilla vs. Monster Zero
Toho's bid to merge the Godzilla series with their popular alien-invasion films resulted in this entertainingly goofy entry. The plot involves the discovery of the mysterious Planet X in our solar system, leading to a joint U.S./Japanese space exploratory mission. The explorers bump into some aliens with no fashion sense whatsoever (even for 1965), who claim their planet has been under constant attack from the powerful Monster Zero -- also known to Godzilla fans as Ghidrah, the three-headed monster from the previous year. The aliens suggest a deal with the Earthlings: if they can "borrow" Godzilla and Rodan to help rid their planet of Ghidrah, they will cure all of humankind's diseases in return. Of course, this is actually an elaborate ruse to rid the Earth of its monstrous defenders, leaving it vulnerable to invasion. As always, it's up to a handful of resourceful characters -- including token American Nick Adams and series regular Akira Takarada -- to save the day and return Earth's monsters for the requisite city-smashing finale. After a slow start, this movie serves up a good portion of flashy pyrotechnics and noisy monster-grappling but lapses into several moments of deliberate silliness (particularly Godzilla's goofy Irish jig) and rampant use of ill-fitting footage from previous monster installments. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Godzilla's Revenge
The most unashamedly childish entry in the Godzilla franchise is basically a vehicle for recycled footage from previous Toho productions. The framing story involves a precocious little boy (Tomonori Yakazi) whose real-life traumas include harassment by bullies and kidnapping by a gang of bank robbers. He escapes these dilemmas mainly by taking frequent naps, during which he dreams of journeys to Monster Island to partake in Godzilla's exploits. He also befriends Godzilla's son, Minya, offering him some advice on how to defeat the monsters which have been pushing him around. Apparently the boy draws some kind of inspiration from these dreams and finds the bravery to outwit the kidnappers and make peace with the bullies. There is little worthwhile for Godzilla fans here, and all others will be completely confounded by the incoherent story. Highlights include the monster Gabara (who has the head of a cat!) and Minya's hilariously dubbed voice. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Terror of Mechagodzilla
A race of malevolent aliens bent on world domination unleash the ultimate weapon of destruction on mankind, leaving them with no hope for survival but the power of the mighty Godzilla. Their galaxy dying, the endangered aliens discover a planet that could save them from extinction if it wasn't already populated. In order to solve that significant problem, the scheming extraterrestrials construct Mechagodzilla, a 400 foot destroyer of worlds armed with powerful lasers and guided missiles. As Godzilla prepares to face off against his powerful intergalactic doppelganger, the traitorous Professor Mafuni lends his genius to the aliens to create the mighty Titanosauraus. Titanosauraus is a massive amphibious dinosaur that Professor Controls via a biomechanical connection with his android daughter Katsura. But just as it begins to appear as if all hope has been lost for both Godzilla and the human race, Interpol agents discover that Titanosauraus has one weakness that may give the Godzilla the crucial edge that he needs in order to emerge victorious. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Version Details

Languages/Sound

Eng/Japanese

Subtitle Languages

Eng

Additional Features

Gojira/Godzilla. King of the Monsters: Un-cut, original Japanese version and English-dubbed version, Making of Godzilla suit and godzilla; Story development featurettes, audio commentary Godzilla Raids Again: Japanese and English versions, Art of Suit acting featurette, audio commentary Mothra vs. Godzilla aka Godzilla vs. the Thing: Japanese and English versions, Akira Ifukube featurette, audio commentary Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster: Japanese and English versions, Tonoyuki Tanaka featurette, audio commentary Invasion of Astro-Monster aka Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero: Japanese and English versions, Tomoyuki Tanaka featurette, audio commentary All Monsters Attack aka Godzilla's Revenge: Japanese and English versions, Ishiro Honda featurette, audio commentary Terror of Mechagodzilla: Japanese and English versions, Women of Godzilla featurette, audio commentary

Chapters

Disc #1 -- Gojira - U.S. Version
1. Opening Titles [2:03]
2. Attack on the Eiko-Maru [1:03]
3. Missing at Sea [4:34]
4. Sole Survivor [3:27]
5. Myth of the Monster [1:16]
6. A State of Emergency [4:11]
7. Analysis of the Aftermath [3:59]
8. Atom Breeds Monsters [8:29]
9. The Navy Responds [2:13]
10. Secret Research [7:11]
11. Science vs. Nature [5:23]
12. Destruction From the Deep [5:18]
13. A Daring Plan [1:32]
14. To Study or Destroy [2:40]
15. Godzilla Attacks [4:50]
16. Unstoppable Rampage [2:31]
17. Live From the Scene [4:53]
18. Air Strike [2:58]
19. The Human Toll [1:49]
20. An Ultimate Weapon? [6:39]
21. A Moral Dilemma [3:22]
22. Never to Be Used Again [3:36]
23. Weapon of Choice [3:22]
24. Danger of the Deep [8:16]
Disc #2 -- Gojira - Japanese Version
1. Opening Titles [2:03]
2. Attack on the Eiko-Maru [1:03]
3. Missing at Sea [4:34]
4. Sole Survivor [3:27]
5. Myth of the Monster [1:16]
6. A State of Emergency [4:11]
7. Analysis of the Aftermath [3:59]
8. Atom Breeds Monsters [8:29]
9. The Navy Responds [2:13]
10. Secret Research [7:11]
11. Science vs. Nature [5:23]
12. Destruction From the Deep [5:18]
13. A Daring Plan [1:32]
14. To Study or Destroy [2:40]
15. Godzilla Attacks [4:50]
16. Unstoppable Rampage [2:31]
17. Live From the Scene [4:53]
18. Air Strike [2:58]
19. The Human Toll [1:49]
20. An Ultimate Weapon? [6:39]
21. A Moral Dilemma [3:22]
22. Never to Be Used Again [3:36]
23. Weapon of Choice [3:22]
24. Danger of the Deep [8:16]
Disc #3 -- Godzilla Raids Again
1. Island Rescue [10:19]
2. Indestructible Monsters [6:49]
3. Godzilla Invades Osaka [7:23]
4. The Blackout Begins [10:09]
5. Monsters on Land [4:39]
6. Consumed by Fire [3:54]
7. Reduced to Rubble [6:38]
8. Great New Catch [4:07]
9. World Emergency [5:39]
10. Hunting Godzilla [8:12]
11. Plan of Attack [3:54]
12. Successful Mission [6:19]
1. Island Rescue [10:32]
2. Indestructible Monsters [7:21]
3. Godzilla Invades Osaka [6:41]
4. The Blackout Begins [10:16]
5. Monsters on Land [4:58]
6. Consumed by Fire [3:37]
7. Reduced to Rubble [7:10]
8. Great New Catch [4:17]
9. World Emergency [6:08]
10. Hunting Godzilla [8:44]
11. Plan of Attack [4:36]
12. Successful Mission [7:04]
Disc #4 -- Mothra Vs. Godzilla
1. Introduction [1:23]
2. Hurricane Sized Egg [8:34]
3. Greed and Little Girls [9:11]
4. Give Us Back the Egg [4:45]
5. Godzilla Incubator [12:18]
6. Send in the Fleet [5:44]
7. Radioactive Island [10:09]
8. Money Problems [6:10]
9. Scrambled Eggs? [10:37]
10. Hatch-y Tune [8:42]
11. Save the Children [10:27]
1. Introduction [1:49]
2. Hurricane Sized Egg [8:43]
3. Greed and Little Girls [9:10]
4. Give Us Back the Egg [5:23]
5. Godzilla Incubator [12:12]
6. Military Orders [3:45]
7. Radioactive Island [10:40]
8. Money Problems [6:15]
9. Scrambled Eggs? [10:40]
10. Hatch-y Tune [8:48]
11. Save the Children [11:08]
Disc #5 -- Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster
1. Assassination Plot [6:45]
2. Meteorite Showers [8:13]
3. God of Happiness [6:15]
4. Identifying the Princess [5:15]
5. Rodan [4:43]
6. Doomed Voyage [5:38]
7. Princess in Danger [9:10]
8. Call for Help [10:39]
9. The Real Princess [8:45]
10. Monsters Unite [9:43]
11. Home in Ruins [7:15]
12. Back to Reality [3:05]
1. Assassination Plot [8:09]
2. Meteorite Showers [8:01]
3. God of Happiness [6:45]
4. Identifying the Princess [4:11]
5. Rodan [3:08]
6. Doomed Voyage [10:23]
7. Princess in Danger [8:26]
8. Call for Help [14:50]
9. The Real Princess [8:55]
10. Monsters Unite [9:44]
11. Home in Ruins [7:16]
12. Back to Reality [3:03]
Disc #6 -- Invasion of Astro-Monster
1. Magnetic Disturbances [8:54]
2. Planet Exploration [7:10]
3. Demon of the Galaxy [8:33]
4. Superior Beings [10:19]
5. The Two Civilizations Meet [8:28]
6. Historical Battle [6:20]
7. Curious Earthlings [6:00]
8. Changing History [3:59]
9. Eliminating All Offenders [5:04]
10. No Way Out [9:09]
11. The Attack Begins [9:58]
12. Robots Lose Control [9:06]
1. Magnetic Disturbances [8:54]
2. Planet Exploration [7:10]
3. Demon of the Galaxy [8:33]
4. Superior Beings [10:19]
5. The Two Civilizations Meet [8:28]
6. Historical Battle [6:20]
7. Curious Earthlings [6:00]
8. Changing History [3:59]
9. Eliminating All Offenders [5:04]
10. No Way Out [9:09]
11. The Attack Begins [9:58]
12. Robots Lose Control [9:06]
Disc #7 -- All Monsters Attack
1. Introduction [1:51]
2. Ichiro's Reality [10:14]
3. Monster Island [7:20]
4. Bank Robbers [10:25]
5. Rock Lobster [8:35]
6. Godzilla My Dad [9:01]
7. Godzilla & Son [6:54]
8. Crime Doesn't Pay [10:24]
9. Ichiro Our Hero [4:38]
1. Introduction [1:49]
2. Ichiro's Reality [10:14]
3. Monster Island [7:20]
4. Bank Robbers [10:25]
5. Rock Lobster [8:35]
6. Godzilla My Dad [9:01]
7. Godzilla & Son [6:54]
8. Crime Doesn't Pay [10:25]
9. Ichiro Our Hero [4:38]
Disc #8 -- Terror of Mechagodzilla
1. Introduction Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla [10:26]
2. Submarine Disaster [6:36]
3. Mugal Treachery [12:38]
4. Katsura & Akira [6:23]
5. Katsura's Pet Titanosaurus [13:04]
6. Titanosaurus Attack [6:33]
7. Dr. Mafune's Cyborg [9:59]
8. Team Mechagodzilla Vs. Godzilla [9:12]
9. Titanosaurus' Weakness [13:57]
1. Introduction Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla [4:30]
2. Submarine Disaster [6:35]
3. Mugal Treachery [12:38]
4. Katsura & Akira [6:24]
5. Katsura's Pet Titanosaurus [13:04]
6. Titanosaurus Attack [6:34]
7. Dr. Mafune's Cyborg [10:16]
8. Team Mechagodzilla Vs. Godzilla [9:12]
9. Titanosaurus' Weakness [13:58]

Godzilla Collection: AMG Review
AMG

Includes:

Gojira (1954)

Gigantis the Fire Monster (1955)

Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956)

Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster (1964)

Godzilla vs. Mothra (1964)

Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (1965)

Godzilla's Revenge (1969)

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

Gojira
While you might have a hard time convincing most people, Inoshiro Honda's Gojira -- the film whose success launched the long-running Godzilla series and helped to make Japanese monster movies one of the nation's best known exports -- is actually an intelligent and somber parable about the legacy and consequences of the atomic bomb, told from the perspective of a people who had witnessed its impact firsthand only nine years earlier. Unfortunately, the film's serious intentions are muffled in the American release version, which has not only been dubbed and re-edited, but features new footage of Raymond Burr as American newsman Steve Martin (a name that started getting laughs of its own about 22 years after the film arrived in the States), acting alongside a handful of Asian extras who keep popping up in increasingly surreal contexts. While the U.S. cut still holds on to some of the original's dark tone, it mostly trivializes a film that deserves better; while still a low-budget monster movie, Honda's original Gojira manages to convey a genuine respect for the gravity of the issues it raises (leaving little doubt that its fire-breathing monster is, in this context, a stand-in for the bombs which leveled Hiroshima and Nagasaki), as well as a compassion for both the victims and the emotionally wounded people who left scars upon their nation while fighting the menace. If the opportunity to see Honda's original Japanese-language version of Gojira presents itself, it's a simple but powerful work well worth your time, while the Americanized cut manages to save the cut-rate spectacle but leave out what gave the original film its resonance. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Gigantis the Fire Monster
No reviews available.

Godzilla, King of the Monsters
No reviews available.

Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster
No reviews available.

Godzilla vs. Mothra
No reviews available.

Godzilla vs. Monster Zero
No reviews available.

Godzilla's Revenge
No reviews available.

Terror of Mechagodzilla
No reviews available.

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Godzilla Collection[Widescreen Fullscreen] - DVD

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