Classic Kaiju still missing on Region 1 DVD

[Goji]

^Ah, okay. Yeah, there are two subtitle tracks; one that corresponds to the Japanese audio, and another that matches the English dub ("dubtitles").

I may be able to help you get the Sci-Fi versions. Shoot me a PM, and we'll figure something out!

[Goji]

Woops, somehow I didn't even see your replies before. Sorry about that!

Oh ok I see your point it seems like that I've rented a VHS of it a long time ago that had the title card I believe it most have been the Video Treasures tape that included that.

You are correct, sir. The Video Treasures release has it. There are also some unofficial releases of the film on VHS, one of which actually being under the GIGANTIS title on the box (!)

Huh it did seem like that version has been lost before it's was ever released. Probably the most rare of the International dubs.

It played in the Philippines as late as 1980, but not much else is known about where it was released/played.

Alirght thanks for thanks for that info I thought that there was a major issue with the AIP dub I haven't watched it all the way through and I've heard some things about it freezing up pretty bad so I got concerned there for the longest time.

No problem!

Yeah I've heard that there were some minor differences here and there that helps. I've been looking for the Sci-Fi cut of that along with Gigan, Megalon and Mechagodzilla forever in a day. I'm just reffering to different versions of these films both big and small.

Gotcha. I hope the guide that Tamura, CT Himes and I worked on, helped you out.

But, he was reffering to Classic Kajiu missing on Region 1 DVDs. So, I know about the dubbing being the same I was meaning that different versions still haven't been released to home video on DVD. Also I was reffering to the perceptive of both different dubbing and cuts being made to the flims. That's why I put them on my list. GOMI was edited a little more than hard bitch line there were some bloody scenes that they cut and only the human violents was cut in GVSM still there are more cuts in it like you said.

Ah, okay, gotcha.

That's another one from Sci-Fi I'm trying to find. Odd how Tri-Star would do things like this.

They worked with whatever materials Toho gave them, and for whatever reason, they didn't include the speech bubbles. It's possible Toho gave them textless elements, because all of the credits are redone.

Once again another Sci-Fi print I'm trying to find. I'm not meaning to sound rude or anything I'm just trying to explain what I did here. At the same time though your doing an excellent job on helping explain these things. I though the White credits were from the UK VHS version of the film.

You're not being rude at all, sir. Sorry about any misunderstandings on my end!

The white credits were previously only seen on the UK VHS, you're right, but then they popped up as an extra on the Media Blasters's MEGALON, which surprised a lot of us.

I would so agree with you 100%. Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster also had it's edits just like Godzilla on Monster Island and Godzilla vs. Megalon dubbing is the same on thiis one as well. It was also edited like GONMI and GVSM. Once again mainly human violant and probably a few monster violents. It doesn't have as many edits as GVSM but has more than GOMI. However, I do like your idea I feel that Toho needs to give films like this one a deluxe edition BD\DVD release. I want the same for Gigan and Megalon even Hedorah and many others.

Agreed! That would be fantastic.

From what I've heard Sci-Fi aired two uncut versions with the only difference being the title card. One was from 94-01 and the MG was from 02-06. Yet another Sci-Fi version I'm on the hunt for.

You're right. I have a recording from Sci-Fi's Tokyo Under Siege marathon in '94, and it features a "new" COSMIC MONSTER title card in the style of the international title card. The movie is uncut, and the missing lines are there, but I *think* this "version" was only ever aired in fullscreen.

[Gojira69]

Godzilla Raids Again (With Gigantis title card.)

Toho won't allow it. They insist that the movie have the video generated RAIDS AGAIN card for home video releases from now on. The only way to "get" it would be to acquire one of the rare VHS releases, a TV recording, or an actual print itself.

I was fortunate to be able to record this off of local TV when Mr. Lobo did his schtick to Gigantis. He doesn't talk over the movie, so that's a plus. I used video extraction to off-load it from my hacked Direct TV Tivo to my computer hard drive.

[Space Hunter M]

What I want to know, is did Toho use entirely different elements from Video Treasures for their master, or did they just use VT's master and place a new title card on it? Any similar/identical reel change marks on the VT tape?

[Terasawa]

What I want to know, is did Toho use entirely different elements from Video Treasures for their master, or did they just use VT's master and place a new title card on it? Any similar/identical reel change marks on the VT tape?

I think Video Treasures used Toho's video master. This must have been before Toho created the new "GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN" title card.

Here's another (rare) US release of GIGANTIS from 1997. (Picture from Monstrula.de)

[Brian R Culver]

What I want to know, is did Toho use entirely different elements from Video Treasures for their master, or did they just use VT's master and place a new title card on it? Any similar/identical reel change marks on the VT tape?

I think Video Treasures used Toho's video master. This must have been before Toho created the new "GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN" title card.

I was under the impression that the video masters used for the VT tapes of GRA and the three Sterling Godzilla films were created by Alan Enterprises (the US rights owner from sometime between 1970-1981 until 1986) using prints supplied by the previous US owners that were transferred with modified “The End” cards. The earliest use of these transfers I’m aware of was circa 1984-6 on one of the movie channels, possibly Showtime.

In 1986 the Alan Enterprises catalog was bought by CST Inc. who licensed the 4 Godzilla films to Video Treasures. I personally never saw the revised title version of GRA until after the VT tapes came out, so it’s not clear whether they or AE made the change.

[Space Hunter M]

Thanks Brian, that makes definite sense. I know all three Walter-Reade films were sold closely together as far back as '84, but I never knew the exact copyright holder's identity.

[Godzilla6014]

Another one that should probably be brought up is Terror of Mechagodzilla mainly because keep in mind it had several verisons both cut and uncut just like with the three Cinema Shares titles however, I know that Terror was pretty legittly released in both versions by Classic Media in 2002 and 2008. Outside of some scenes that seem brefly cut out like the kids being stomped on by Titanosaurus and Katsura's breast while she was in the alien's hospitible. It still almost seemed like the 2008 release of the English version didn't show either of those except real breifly. The 2002 one however, I'm pretty sure was the cut version.

[Space Hunter M]

The CM 2002 release is sourced from one of UPA's video masters of the cut Bob Conn edit, even though they had created a mostly uncut version themselves in the late '70s (reconstructed for the CM '08 DVD). To make matters more confusing, early theatrical prints of the Bob Conn edit are rumored to be entirely uncut!

Also, including video generated home video versions, TERROR has no less than seven individual English title cards.

#1. Original international version: http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 9824_n.jpg
#2. UPA TV version: http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 7282_n.jpg
#3. Bob Conn theatrical version: http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 2274_n.jpg
#4. Video generated UPA title v.1.1 (Actually the Bob Conn edit): http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 9760_n.jpg
#5. Video generated UPA title v.1.2 (Pictured Below) http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-s ... 1287_n.jpg
#6. Video generated UPA title v.2.0 http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-s ... 6038_n.jpg
#7. UK "Monsters From an Unknown Planet" title.

[Godzilla6014]

Those are cool I've not studied this one as much so thanks for the info. Um however, The Monsters From an Unknown Planet one doesn't have I link right by it.

[Goji]

^ The title screen for that one is extremely hard to come by, since it only gotten a lone PAL VHS release in England, in 1980.

http://www.tohokingdom.com/articles/ima ... derann.htm

[Tamura]

Isn't it weird to think TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA got a VHS release only 5 years after premiering in Japan?

[Godzilla6014]

Isn't it weird to think TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA got a VHS release only 5 years after premiering in Japan?

Yup that's pretty strange.

[Brian R Culver]

Also, including video generated home video versions, TERROR has no less than seven individual English title cards.

#1. Original international version: http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 9824_n.jpg
#2. UPA TV version: http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 7282_n.jpg
#3. Bob Conn theatrical version: http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 2274_n.jpg
#4. Video generated UPA title v.1.1 (Actually the Bob Conn edit): http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 9760_n.jpg
#5. Video generated UPA title v.1.2 (Pictured Below) http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-s ... 1287_n.jpg
#6. Video generated UPA title v.2.0 http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-s ... 6038_n.jpg
#7. UK "Monsters From an Unknown Planet" title.

Nice list!

Just to be thorough, mention should be made of the Paramount "white box" VHS releases which didn't have a title at all!

[Godzilla6014]

Also, including video generated home video versions, TERROR has no less than seven individual English title cards.

#1. Original international version: http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 9824_n.jpg
#2. UPA TV version: http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 7282_n.jpg
#3. Bob Conn theatrical version: http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 2274_n.jpg
#4. Video generated UPA title v.1.1 (Actually the Bob Conn edit): http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a ... 9760_n.jpg
#5. Video generated UPA title v.1.2 (Pictured Below) http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-s ... 1287_n.jpg
#6. Video generated UPA title v.2.0 http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-s ... 6038_n.jpg
#7. UK "Monsters From an Unknown Planet" title.

Nice list!

Just to be thorough, mention should be made of the Paramount "white box" VHS releases which didn't have a title at all!

Huh? I don't own that one but huh what do you mean?

[Brian R Culver]

Huh? I don't own that one but huh what do you mean?

The early Paramount VHS releases (first around 1983-4 and reissued in 1989) does not have a title card of any kind on the transfer.

[Godzilla6014]

Huh? I don't own that one but huh what do you mean?

The early Paramount VHS releases (first around 1983-4 and reissued in 1989) does not have a title card of any kind on the transfer.

Well that's weird how that happend I wonder why they did that? Funny there was a VHS tape I brought from ebay that the seller claimed it was the Godzilla on Monster Island version of Gigan so I brought it and put it in. It was a rip off as, the same thing happened after Godzilla breathed his atomic breath is skiped over to Gengo showing artwork of his monsters to his boss no title card or credits and the part of Godzilla firing at the camera wasn't there. I figured it it was just some random guy in his basement that took the international dub and cut it bad. Good thing I'm getting a refund. Oh yeah then around Christmas I thought a got a UAV tape of Godzilla vs. the cosmic Monster and the idiot that sold me the tape recorded buck Henry over it think god I did a way with that one to and got a better tape which had the real movie and not that crap on it.

[Goji]

Huh? I don't own that one but huh what do you mean?

The early Paramount VHS releases (first around 1983-4 and reissued in 1989) does not have a title card of any kind on the transfer.

Yeah, that was bizarre. That release was my first exposure to the film, though with such an explosive opening, I don't think I even noticed.

[Space Hunter M]

I almost completely forgot what the Bob Conn credits looked like. I didn't even remember the jumps in the music, or the censored bloodshed.

[Goji]

Haha, neither do I. I don't think I've even watched it since 2007, at least. I may bust it out soon though, for old time sake though. Really wish a letterboxed version existed on home video.

I had to watch the Cohn cut for 20 years, and getting the CM 2008 disc was like watching the movie for the first time. I was actually pretty shocked by just HOW much was actually cut. The Cohn version is borderline incomprehensible in it's final moments.