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Article: 7
Date:
5/18/08
Year:
1955

Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

 Company: Video Treasures, Inc. (1989)
 Country: United States
 Category: Slip Cover

The front features an unusual artist's conception of one of the most famous publicity stills from this film., The description on the back is a nice short summary of the film, although the ongoing confusion of what each species is actually called continues as Anguirus (here called "Angilas") is referred to as an "Angilosaulus". This print is rare as it actually features the "Gigantis" title card.
Credit: Brandon Lusk

Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

 Company: Westcoast Motion Pictures (Year Unlisted)
 Country: Chile
 Category: Clam Shell

Westcoast's cover for Godzilla Raids Again (1955) features artwork that was used in some US releases of the film; with a drawing of Heisei Godzilla's head (Trendmasters-style) added in the corners. For some reason, the synopsis contains spoilers (such as Anguirus' death) and states that Anguirus had attacked Japan before. There is also a poster for Godzilla (1954) being used as a kind of extra (quite inappropriately too). The running time listed is 82 minutes, yet the featured film happens to be the US version of film, which runs under 78 minutes. A US trailer for King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) (also released by Westcoast) is shown before the film begins; a nice gesture from the company (and possibly the only redeeming factor of this release, which even has spelling mistakes in the subtitles).
Credit: Hank Xavier

Half Human (1955)

 Company: Rhino Home Video (1990)
 Country: United States
 Category: Slip Cover

Half Human has gained notoriety among kaiju fans for its obscurity. Ishiro Honda's original cut has never been released on video outside of bootlegged tapes. Unfortunately, the inferior Americanized version is the only cut available, and even that's become hard to find. In recent years, this tape has become a collector's item for Japanese and American fans who want to catch a glimpse of this rare Toho classic. (On a side note, my copy of the tape was purchased from a library, and the box was cut into several pieces to fit in a clamshell case. Using Photoshop, I was able to restore the slip cover to its former glory.)

The front cover, while somewhat simplistic, is also rather stunning. The monster artwork is from the film's theatrical poster, and it's nicely accented by yellow rays. The two taglines (also from theatrical ads) paint an evil portrait of the monster, although the creature is more or less depicted as being a misunderstood prehistoric hominid in the film itself. Aside from a few typos, the synopsis on the back (from Michael Weldon's Psychotronic Video Magazine) accurately describes the film. Of course, this being the Americanization, none of the Japanese cast is credited. The runtime is listed as 78 minutes, however the film itself is only 63, give or take a minute for promos on either side of the movie.

Credit: CT Himes

Half Human (1955)

 Company: Panda Films (1993)
 Country: France
 Category: Clam Shell

Released by Panda Films under their “Ze Craignos Monsters” collection in 1993, Half Human (1955) is a film that was never released theatrically in France. This version features dubbing by American actor John Carradine, and the film is subtitled in the French language. Unfortunately, the image quality of this print is rather poor. Jean-Pierre Putters, who wrote the summary on the rear cover, is none other than the founder of the famous French magazine "Mad Movies", which is devoted to horror films the world over.
Credit: Baptiste Pujolle