Rodan and War of the Gargantuas (1956 / 1970)

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HerrSchreck · #1 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:08 pm

I'm such a sucker for this stuff...

The R1 Sony - Toho double feature is coming (I have a slightly early copy) on Sep 9.

At long last, War is available in R1 widescreen, in the UPA dubbed version as well as original subbed Japanese... along with the subbed & dubbed versions of Rodan.

Included on the Rodan disc (it's a 2 disc set) is a great documentary called Bringing Godzilla Down To Size, focusing on the art of creating all those miniature sets and the craftsmen who executed them, featuring interviews not only with Tsuburaya's & Ishiro Honda's sons (both of whom work in the biz today), but the 3 primary Godzilla suit actors from the orignal Gojira, thru golden age, on thru the 80's and up to the present "millenium Gojira" suit actor. The best part is the interviews with Haruo Nakajima who is still alive, who stalks and stomps around in his dress clothes illustrating his Godzilla Attack Walk.

After the original Gojira 2-disc set, this has got to be the best Classic Media release.

Jameson281 · #2 Post by **Jameson281** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 5:19 pm

HerrSchreck wrote:I'm such a sucker for this stuff...

The R1 Sony - Toho double feature is coming (I have a slightly early copy) on Sep 9.

Sony had nothing to do with this release. It's just Classic Media, distributed by Genius.

HerrSchreck · #3 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 12:01 am

Yeah, it's kinda like a reflex, since the originals were all thru sony, and the first restored edition-- the Gojira which shares the same black pak, & font as the series and looks just like the above edition-- to call these R1 Toho - Sony.

But you're correct.

Tootletron · #4 Post by **Tootletron** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 6:50 am

Really looking forward to the Bringing Godzilla Down To Size documentary. I bought the Godzilla Collection that Classic Media put out, and it was really well done, and the best US dvd release Godzilla has ever had.

kind of wish the doc could've been on a dvd with another Godzilla movie or something.

HerrSchreck · #5 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:14 pm

Caps & synopsis.

skeets kelly · #6 Post by **skeets kelly** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:46 pm

i thought sony owned classic media?

anyway, they're doing a great with these so far. too bad they're skipping over king kong vs. godzilla, though.

jsteffe · #7 Post by **jsteffe** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:53 pm

I thought WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS was soooo cool when I was a kid! When you see one of the giant twin apes (Mr. Green?) chewing up people and spitting out their clothes (I remember a flower print dress!), it's clear the stakes are higher than the stereotypical rubber suit stomping around miniature sets.

Now as to whether it's actually a "good" film, that's exactly the wrong question to ask if you're contemplating a RODAN/WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS double feature DVD in the first place!

I also remember GODZILLA VS. THE SMOG MONSTER having some disturbing violence.

Jameson281 · #8 Post by **Jameson281** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 6:32 am

skeets kelly wrote:i thought sony owned classic media?

anyway, they're doing a great with these so far. too bad they're skipping over king kong vs. godzilla, though.

Sony Wonder distributed Classic Media's product for a while, but Sony never owned them.

CM isn't really "skipping" KK vs. G, since they can't release it; it's controlled in the U.S. by Universal.

HerrSchreck · #9 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 5:51 pm

jsteffe wrote:I also remember GODZILLA VS. THE SMOG MONSTER having some disturbing violence.

My favorite Godzilla sequel, with a dazzling HD transfer in the Sony dvd

too bad they're skipping over king kong vs. godzilla, though.

It's already out (alas not with the original Japanese dub, though, but at least in widescreen) from Universal. Illustrates the difference between Sony & Universal... all the SOny releases (released prior to these Classic Media driven special editions, and with no overlaps), i e Godz v Hedorah, v. Gigan, v. Mechagodzilla, v The Sea Monster, etc, are in excellent HD transfers and feature the original subbed Japanese as well as English dubs (the Toho english dubs though, not the TV dubs we grew up watching on the 4:30 Movie's Monster Week). The catalog is looking pretty good now.

Fucking Uni.. thank god they only have rights to the two Kong-connected flicks (one being KK v Godz). Between Classic Media, Sony, Tokyo Shock, and Uni, the Golden Age (including rarities like Space Amoeba, Varan, Dogora, Atratgon, Mysterians, etc) titles are pretty well accounted for except for v. Megalon... which sux poo anyhow. (Not that I wouldnt snatch the shit RIGHT up.)

A great time to be a Kaiju fan. Even Daimajin is out.

Scharphedin2 · #10 Post by **Scharphedin2** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 6:35 pm

As always, thanks for the eyeopener, Schreck. Here is hoping that some day you will do a more detailed "Ultimate Kaiju" thread, with a walk through of the films in the genre, and their availability on DVD.

skeets kelly · #11 Post by **skeets kelly** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:37 pm

universal released kk v. g? in the US?

huh. when was this?

i have a copy of the japanese dvd w/english subs that i guess i'll hold onto until someone here does it right.

manicsounds · #12 Post by **manicsounds** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 5:39 am

Both were released in 2005 by Universal, but again, only with English.
The red tape around the titles don't seem to hold them together well...

HerrSchreck · #13 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:25 pm

Bingo-- that would be the "two KKong related titles" I was talking about.

Visually/transfer-wise they're up to snuff w the Sony Tristars and the Classic Media se's, except they feature only the english dubs and no orig Japanese. But they're nice ws transfers.

Tootletron · #14 Post by **Tootletron** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:28 pm

HerrSchreck wrote:Bingo-- that would be the "two KKong related titles" I was talking about.

Visually/transfer-wise they're up to snuff w the Sony Tristars and the Classic Media se's, except they feature only the english dubs and no orig Japanese. But they're nice ws transfers.

I've always heard that the King Kong vs Godzilla dvd looks like dogshit?

HerrSchreck · #15 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:35 pm

Not true-- it's fine.

Quot · #16 Post by **Quot** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:47 pm

Does the KK v G feature both endings? I've only seen the US one where Kong wins.

Jameson281 · #17 Post by **Jameson281** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 5:13 am

Quot wrote:Does the KK v G feature both endings? I've only seen the US one where Kong wins.

The notion that there are two endings, one with Godzilla winning, is an urban legend. Kong wins in both the American and Japanese versions. It is unfortunate that the Universal disc does not have the Japanese version, as that has much more character development and more satire of television and advertising, and none of the dull American newscaster footage.

I've always heard that the King Kong vs Godzilla dvd looks like dogshit?

Maybe you are thinking of the old GoodTimes DVD? I never saw that, but it was reportedly a pan-and-scan atrocity. The Universal disc is, as others have said, a fine transfer of the U.S. cut.

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