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Article:
7
Date: 5/18/08
Year: 1954
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Godzilla
(1954) |
Company:
Video Treasures - Vestron Inc. (1983)
Country: United States
Category: Slip Cover |
| This
is the 1983 Vestron Video release of Godzilla
(1954), which is quite possibly this film's very first
stateside release. The cover features a colorized
still of Godzilla, while the rear summarizes the movie
and mentions the presence of Raymond Burr. The dubious
claim that Godzilla is 40 stories tall seems to be
derived from the infamous dubbing error, but the "pretty
Japanese lady scientist" line is the real head-scratcher
of the synopsis. Also featured is an out-of-place
still of Godzilla from Godzilla
vs. Megalon (1973). |
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Godzilla
(1954) |
Company:
VIP Video Club (1983) Country:
France Category: Clam Shell
Supplemental Inclusion: French
Poster |
| Released
by VIP Video Club in 1983, this French VHS of Godzilla
(1954) is basically a cross between the Japanese and
US versions of the film. The runtime is 8 minutes
longer than the latter, so the story has more detail
and fewer scenes with Raymond Burr. It should be noted
that this release is fully dubbed in French (no dialogue
remains in Japanese). The quality of the dubbing and
of the transfer are quite excellent. The synopsis
on the rear of the case roughly translates to the
following, "Awakened accidentally from from his
million year slumber by atomic experiments, Godzilla
emerges from the Pacific to devastate Tokyo in a nightmarish
revival of the flames of Hiroshima." This video
cassette includes part of the original French
poster, and on the back, one can find images of
the original US lobby cards. |
|
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Godzilla
(1954) |
Company:
Paramount/Gateway (1992)
Country: United States
Category: Slip Cover |
| This
is the one. The classic. The King. While the description
on the back pretty much sums up the idea of the American
version of the original Godzilla movie, at the end
it seems to come off as a recommendation for watching
the film. The cover sports a slightly-altered illustration
of Godzilla's famous Japanese poster stance (albeit
the slime-green coloration of the King of Monsters).
Also note the appearance of strange, small electric
currents trickling off of Godzilla's spines. The cover
boasts Godzilla savagely melting a fighter jet in
his very hand whilst Tokyo burns behind him (take
note of the sinking bridge, taken straight from the
film).
An illustration of Raymond Burr's character, reporter
Steve Martin, is seen in the front sternly clenching
his pipe in his mouth, completely oblivious to the
wanton destruction occurring right behind him. Also
take note of two characters from Son
of Godzilla (1967) present at the bottom
left of the front cover, Goro and Riko. Although,
Riko looks slightly altered, making her more masculine
and aged-looking. The usual caption sprawled along
Paramount's Godzilla releases is replaced with a
simple "Monster Classic". Overall, the
cover doesn't sport as many errors as other releases,
but still retains the corny atmosphere of the others. |
|
 |
Godzilla
(1954) |
Company:
GoodTimes Home Video (1995)
Country: United States
Category: Slip Cover |
| In
1995, Goodtimes released the American version of Godzilla
(1954), known as Godzilla, King Of The Monsters.
On the front cover, instead of using the Godzilla
from the movie, they used the Godzilla from Terror
of Mechagodzilla (1975). Holding a train
car in his hand, he stands in front of a generic city
skyline.
The title of the movie is cut in two parts. The
first part, "Godzilla", is located at
the top, mixed with caps and lower-cased light green
letters. The second part, "King Of The Monsters",
is located across the bottom, all in caps, colored
in red, and with a yellow outline.
On the each side of the box is the title of the
movie, all in black. Godzilla’s name in the
title is written like the one on top of the front
cover.
On the back of the cover, in the background, is
a generic city skyline. If you look closely at the
buildings on both the front and back cover, you
can see that they are the same. The title of the
movie is cut into two parts again. "Godzilla"
is located under the summary, and is written and
colored like the one on the front cover. "King
Of The Monsters" is located at the left side,
all in caps, and colored in black. On top of the
back cover, there are the words "Hail To The
King", colored in black.
One thing to note in the summary is that it states
this film ‘has spawned twenty sequels’.
Depending on exactly when this VHS was released
in 1995, it could have actually been twenty-one...
although it is more likely that (since Godzilla
vs. Destoroyah (1995) was released in December
of that year) that there were only twenty fully-released
sequels at the point this VHS was released. |
|
 |
Godzilla
(1954) |
Company:
Filmax Home Video (1998)
Country: Spain
Category: Clam Shell |
| Released
by Filmax Home Video in 1998 to cash in with the US
GODZILLA
(1998), this cover features a popular production still
of Godzilla chewing a train, with the film's title
in Spanish: "Godzilla, Japan beneath the Monster's
Terror". Quoted are both Steven Spielberg and
Quentin Tarantino (quite possibly to raise attention).
The back cover shows a fistful of stills from the
movie, as well as its full cast and crew; and also
a very vague synopsis. This was the first time the
film was released uncut in Spain. Filmax has brought
several Tokusatsu films to VHS in its original aspect
ratios and has managed to pull the best a VHS can
give in terms of quality, only hurt by the fact these
films are horrendously dubbed in Castilian. |
|
 |
Godzilla
(1954) |
Company:
Simitar Entertainment, Inc. (1998)
Country: United States
Category: Slip Cover |
| The
year 1998 was a big year for Godzilla, as the American
movie GODZILLA
(1998) was about to be released in theaters. For this
reason, Simitar and other companies were releasing
Godzilla films on video in massive quantities. One
of Simitar’s releases was the American version
of Godzilla
(1954), known more commonly in the US as Godzilla,
King of the Monsters.
The front cover seemingly emulates the Godzilla
from The
Return of Godzilla (1984). At the very
top are the words, ‘The Original Godzilla
Movie’. This quote makes it seem like that
this is the original Japanese version, which it
isn't. The title of the movie is cut into two parts:
‘Godzilla’ is located up at the top
and ‘King Of The Monsters’ is located
down at the bottom. Each side of the box displays
a thumbnail version of the art work from the front
cover, along with the movie title.
On the back cover, between the movie title and
summary, are the words, ‘In original glorious
Black and White’. There are three pictures
from the movie. The first picture is Godzilla firing
his Atomic Ray, the second features Steve Martin
(Raymond Burr), and the third still reveals Godzilla
amidst a burning Tokyo.
In the summary, it states that, ‘Dr. Serizawa
has discovered a weapon that could destroy all life
in the bay-including Godzilla. But which disaster
is worse, Godzilla’s fury, or the death of
Tokyo Bay?’ |
|
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Godzilla
(1954) |
Company:
Simitar Entertainment, Inc. (1998)
Country: United States
Category: Slip Cover
- DIGITALLY REMASTERED EDITION
- |
| The
case for the digitally remastered version of Godzilla
(1954) boasts very few aesthetic differences from
its non-digitally remastered counterpart of the same
year. The front cover image is expanded (the artwork
of which is, by the way, a stunning piece with no
unneeded distractions); the rear cover features a
greenish, textured background; and finally, all of
these changes are punctuated by Godzilla's so-called
"Stamp of Approval". Content-wise, this
release features a video art gallery, a collection
of trailers, and also a documentary. |
|
 |
Godzilla
(1954) |
Company:
Classic Media Inc. (2002) Country:
United States Category:
Slip Cover |
| This
is Classic Media's release of the American version
of Godzilla
(1954), starring Raymond Burr. The cover shows Godzilla
roaring over a blurry image of a city. In the background,
Steve Martin, Emiko Yamane and Dr. Serizawa are looking
down at the beast. Also in the background, there are
some stills of Godzilla peering into a birdcage and
Godzilla grasping a train in his enormous maw. One
thing that should be noted in the description is that
it says Godzilla is a 400 foot Tyrannosaurus rex.
Of course, Godzilla is far from looking like a T-rex
in any way, and is less than half the height listed
(although the dub is misleading in this regard). |
|
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Godzilla
(1954) and Godzilla vs. Megalon
(1973) |
Company:
GoodTimes Home Video Corp. (1996) Country:
United States Category:
Slip Cover |
| The
first thing to notice about this particular 2-pack
slip cover is the lavish, yet cheesy layout. Godzilla
faces off against Megalon, spouting a stream of flames
amidst the vista of a rocky atoll near an unknown,
possibly Pacific island (while the blurry and greenish
facade of the King of Monsters himself fades into
the flame-colored sky above the combatants). The front
of the cover also sports some pretty cheesy Microsoft
Powerpoint-esque fonts.
The back of the cover features some strange movie
"covers" for the featured films. The first
of the films' synopses (which are expectedly corny
and somewhat erroneous) is accompanied by a tweaked
image of the Megaro-Goji (colored a bluish-green)
standing in front of a generic city skyline while
holding a train car, while the cover for the entire
2-pack itself is utilized for the other synopsis'
still. |
|
 |
Godzilla
(1954), Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975), and Godzilla
Trailers and Sci-Fi Monsters (1998) |
Company: Simitar Entertainment, Inc. (1998)
Country: United States
Category: Slip Cover |
| In 1998,
Simitar released a 3-tape set of Godzilla (1954), Terror
of Mechagodzilla (1975), and their own exclusive: Godzilla Trailers and Sci-Fi Monsters (1998).
The illustrations for the two included movies are
rendered quite well, and the tapes themselves are
recorded in EP mode (as opposed to Simitar's minority
of SP Godzilla releases). The bonus video includes
a fine documentary of sci-fi trailers, represented
on the case by more of Simitar's signature artwork. |
|
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Seven Samurai (1954) |
Company:
Public Media Home Vision (1994) Country:
United States Category:
Slip Cover |
| This mid-1990's cover for Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) almost sells the movie too much with its praise, which is saying something for a film that is generally regarded as one of the best Japanese movies ever made. Generous amount of critical quotes aside, this release was an uncut, two VHS release of the movie that featured the film in its original Japanese with English subtitles. |
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