Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954–1975 (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

Never in a million years did i ever think a collection like this would ever see the light of day. If you like me grew up in the 80's, you grew up with the godzilla movies being a staple of tv. In the nYC area they were always shown on two of my local stations that would normally run syndicated stuff. We grew up with the American cuts of the films. Schlocky but fun. If you're looking to relive that experience youw ont find it here. Instead this will be like rediscovering Godzilla for you. This entire collection has only the original Japanese versions of the films. with subtitles. Upon seeing the Japanese films for the first time I was shocked. The American films were cut so much as to be almost totally different movies. The schlock factor disappears, and the movies are way more coherent and some of them even turn from camp into serious explorations of certain themes. One movie that i used ot watch over and over again as a kid was Godzilla vs Megalon. One of the schlockiest in the entire Godzilla canon. But when I watch the original, im surprised to see there's actually a cohesive plot and a serious attempt at drama as well. Are all the original versions better? No there are some movies where I think the American version might have been better and the original plods along a little bit, but those movies are few and far between--for the most part there are more hits than misses. Also this collection is COMPLETE. if you ever tried collecting the Godzilla movies previously on dvd you know that there were certain movies that had gone out of print and if you managed to somehow find a dvd they were going to cost you hundreds of dollars. Here for one low price you can have the entire original Godzilla collection from Godzilla all the way to Terror of Mecha-Godzilla. For the most part this collection is not going to replace your old "Godzilla Collection" dvd box set and other dvd's you may have been able to get separately. You need ot keep those old dvd's because they have the American versions and you may want to revisit the versions of thes emovies you grew up with. This new Criterion Collection set should probably be gotten in addition to old dvd's you already have. If you can only choose one then go with this set as you will have a complete set at least. There are 2 American movies included here--the Raymond Burr version of Godzilla is included as an extra on the first disc. The American version of King Kong vs Godzilla is the default "main version" in the collection because of US copyright laws. You will find the original Japanese version included separately, almost hidden away, as part of the Extras disc (disc 8). All movies are given the excellent and respectful treatment Criterion is known for. These movies have never sounded or looked better. The picture is clean with no visible age artefacts on the film. The subtitles are done well and in no way distract from the movie or come across as obnoxious in their placement on the screen. I wish there was a second mega collection like this one from Criterion collecting the Heisei and Millenium eras. Unfortunately for that to happen we will have to wait for Toho to once again get the rights to the more modern films. To close--i give this collection a wholehearted recommendation. Get this set right away before it goes out of print!!

If you want a definitive collection of every version of the Godzilla Showa-era movies, you will be disappointed to learn that the English version of the films are missing other than Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956) and the English international version of King Kong vs Godzilla. Those are the only two English version movies available, all the other films are the original unedited cuts of the Japanese versions of the movies with subtitle options. This collection most notably contains the original Japanese version of King Kong vs Godzilla which a majority of the world beyond Japan has never before. If you are a serious die-hard Godzilla fan then this collection is a must-have item. It is a beautiful book with interesting essays about the Showa series, a large collection of special features that have never been seen outside Japan, beautiful artwork that captures the fun and zany, yet incongruous tone of the Showa-era overall, and the films look and sound much better than any old DVD versions you must have in your possession already. I'm very pleased that the honor of Criterion Collection spine number 1000 went to the entire collection of the Showa Godzilla films widely regarded in the West as "bad films," and their inclusion in the Criterion Collection is some nice validation for the people who love these movies. It says to me "these films should be judged by a different merit of quality, it's not that they are 'bad films,' rather they are and important time capsule of pure entertainmentvalue." I almost passed on getting this set, as I already own all of the Godzilla movies on DVD and it seemed redundant, but the collection of supplementary materials, higher quality transfers, fully uncut original Japanese versions of every film (many I had never seen), and the convenience of having the entire era in one case, made me change my mind and I'm glad I did. If the only version of Godzilla you love is the goofy dubbed versions of your childhood, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, however this likely won't be the collection for you. There are plenty of DVD and Blu Ray copies of the English versions of the films available out there. If you do have an interest in the original Japanese version of Godzillas first two decades worth of movies and want an interesting and attractive collector's piece, this is an absolute buy and you shouldn't hesitate.

My first sight of Godzilla was at a drive-in theater playing "Ghidrah- The Three Headed Monster" (and yes it was spelled "Ghidrah" and not Ghidorah). I was six. Godzilla has come a long, long way. I loved this year's "Godzilla: King of the Monsters". So, for someone with a 50 years or so acquaintance with Japan's most famous movie monster is Criterion's Godzilla The Showa series worth the price? Absolutely. Here is why I think this is an excellent deal (for the record: I got mine from Amazon for about half the list price). 1. The book: large size, hardcover, sewn binding, glossy pages, interesting cover surface, and eye-catching illustrations and information, on each of the 15 movies. The book without the movies would be a nice collector piece but as a combined set: Awesome. 2. The movies: I have never seen "Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster" on Blu-ray. Even though it is the subtitled Japanese release I am OK with that. Too cool for words. Wow. Also, my favorite "Mothra vs. Godzilla" on blu-ray also great. The original Japanese version of "King Kong vs. Godzilla" oh my, what a treat and in Blu-ray. The original soundtrack I have to say was somewhat uneven but seeing this in the original version (compared to the US cut) also too cool for words. Some reviews do not like subtitles, but it was nothing compared to my long-time love of the character and this set. I could go on about so many parts of this, but it would be more of the same. I think any long time Godzilla fan like me would love this set and my wife got this for me as an early Christmas present. I think this is also the first time the entire 15 movie original run is put together in one set (I could be wrong - but I haven't seen one). Overall, I give it an A+ (Awesome and then some).

Must-have for any Godzilla fan! The artwork is incredible and the history information is all very intriguing too! 15 movies in this decently-sized package and I couldn't have asked for anything better!

This a great collection of the Showa Era Godzilla movies! It has good bonus features for Godzilla junkies to dive deeper into the franchise. All the movies have the original subbed and dubbed versions. So both fans of the original Japanese cuts. And the translated dubbed versions get what they want. The movies have good quality production value for a Blu-ray transfer. Along with even having the original version of King Kong vs Godzilla from 1962! Plus the artwork on the inside of the “book” containing the films. Are gorgeous to look at as well.

Gojira is an amazing monster and this is an amazing collection!

Been a Huge Godzilla fan all of my life and this does not disappoint. First the shipping. AI (Amazon Idiots) which is amazons own delivery people can destroy anything they get there hands on. It looks like at some point it was sitting on something and the sides weighed down.so it is bowed. It was shipped in its manufacturing box so at least not an padded envelope. The packaging. While this makes a great coffee table book, It is so large that it cannot be stored with other DVD/BLU Rays. It would have been better if they shipped the discs in blu ray cases and the book was just there as a coffee table book. I ended up taking the discs and putting them in 2 4 disc cases and creating my own covers. The movies. I have only watched the first couple but they are very clean. The only issue is at start up they are very grainy through the opening credits and then clean up fairly well. I was worried at first but it was not bad. Language. I do not like to read movies. Only half of the movies come with the English dub. It would have taken very little to include the English dubbed track for all the movies. I know they have them as the TOHO Master series came with both. Overall a great set for the original movies. The Packaging which I had assumed was a Bluray sized book is really its only downside along with the missing English dubs but then that is listed so you know up front what you get.

If you’re considering a Criterion collection of the Showa-era Godzilla films, you probably already know whether you want the movies. What makes this particular edition worth talking about is the presentation. This doesn’t really feel like a conventional Blu-ray box set. It’s an enormous, beautifully designed coffee-table book that happens to contain the films. The artwork throughout is fantastic, with bold interpretations of Godzilla and the different movies, making it enjoyable to flip through. It feels like something designed to celebrate the entire era rather than just package 15 movies together. The written material is equally worthwhile. The essays provide history and context around the films, their production and the evolution of Godzilla over these two decades. Even if you’re already familiar with the movies, there’s enough background here to give you something new to appreciate the next time you watch one. I especially like that the book gives the collection a sense of progression. Moving through it feels like moving through the Showa era itself, with the artwork and writing giving each film its own place within the larger history of the series. It’s also simply a beautiful object. This is the rare movie collection I’m happy to leave out rather than hide on a shelf with the rest of the Blu-rays. For me, that’s the real appeal of this edition: the films may be why you buy it, but Criterion turned the collection itself into something worth owning. This would be a perfect gift for a Godzilla fan.

Si están considerando comprar el producto tomen en cuenta que es un libro grande, está impreso en pasta dura, incluye una pequeña reseña en cada página así como una ilustración diferente para cada película; al final del libro contiene cada película dentro de una pestaña para que no se salgan (algo así como un sobre), sin duda es para coleccionistas, si lo recomiendo.

This is the coolest looking thing in my movie collection for sure. It's very awkward size and I'll likely need to buy a special wall mount shelf for it, but it's so cool. Awesome book, with poster and writeup for each movie. Discs all stored in the back, first movie alone and rest are 2-3 movies per disc. I enjoyed the first movie, and I'll be getting into the rest. Wasn't cheap but worth it for the collection and how cool it is. But again won't fit on your shelf with other movies

Per chi ama e colleziona Godzilla (da film a gadget a qualsivoglia altra cosa), non può farsi sfuggire una collector's dei primi 15 film. Sì, sono presenti tutti e quindici film dell'era Showa (la prima era). I sottotitoli in inglese sono presenti in tutti i film, tranne in uno soltanto (se non ricordo male King Kong vs. Godzilla, in cui non è presente l'audio originale giapponese e nemmeno i sottotitoli in inglese, in quanto il film è interamente e solo in lingua inglese). Questa cosa l'ho trovata un poco fastidiosa, ma va bene lo stesso. E' l'unica collection, in cui sono presenti tutti e quindici i film e non potevo non averla. Faccio presente che tutti i blu ray sono region A e non leggibili sui lettori europei, a meno che si possieda un lettore multiregion o specifico region A. Se avete un masterizzatore blu ray collegato al pc (interno o esterno che sia), potete facilmente vederli.

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BE CAREFUL I YOU'RE BUYING THIS: This is Region *A*. If you're not from region A you need a region free player. It is a beautiful set of high quality. Very nice display piece and it feels peaceful knowing I can watch these whenever on BR and not have to search on the internet everytime.