Guide to Toho Film/TV Distributors

For the discussion of Toho DVDs, Blu-Rays, CDs, streaming services, VHS, and other formats where Toho films and soundtracks can be found.
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TheSecondComing
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by TheSecondComing »

It looks like Janus Films has made a play at Gojira.

http://www.janusfilms.com/films/1856

Not only that, Criterion currently has a blank listing for Motoyoshi Oda, director of GRA.

https://www.criterion.com/people/125671-motoyoshi-oda

According to the post I was reading about these, Classic Media was bought by Dreamworks, renamed "Dreamworks Classics" and made a subsidiary of Dreamworks Animation. NBC/Universal bought Dreamworks Animation last year, so one would imagine NBC/Universal as owning the UPA/Golden Books Godzilla rights.

Here's an article about the purchase from last August:

http://corporate.comcast.com/news-infor ... cquisition

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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by goji1986 »

TheSecondComing wrote:It looks like Janus Films has made a play at Gojira.

http://www.janusfilms.com/films/1856

Not only that, Criterion currently has a blank listing for Motoyoshi Oda, director of GRA.

https://www.criterion.com/people/125671-motoyoshi-oda

According to the post I was reading about these, Classic Media was bought by Dreamworks, renamed "Dreamworks Classics" and made a subsidiary of Dreamworks Animation. NBC/Universal bought Dreamworks Animation last year, so one would imagine NBC/Universal as owning the UPA/Golden Books Godzilla rights.

Here's an article about the purchase from last August:

http://corporate.comcast.com/news-infor ... cquisition
If I'm not mistaken, Janus is an offshoot of Criterion (or vice versa), who sub-licensed Godzilla 54 from then-Classic Media to put out their Bluray release of the film in 2012. I'm guessing they either renegotiated for theatrical rights from NBC/Universal (with whom they have a long-standing relationship) or struck a new deal entirely straight from Toho (probably unlikely). Still, an interesting development!
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by tbeasley »

Jun Fukuda now has a page.

Curiouser and curiouser...

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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by goji1986 »

So the plot thickens...

Just playing devil's advocate -- with regards to Jun Fukuda, some 60s-era spy films he directed (and starring Akira Takarada) called IRON FINGER and GOLDEN EYES were once available to stream via Criterion on Hulu. Not sure if they've moved to their new paid FilmStruck service since I don't have a subscription, but it could be possible that they're prepping those films for physical release.

Concerning Oda, he directed a film called LADY FROM HELL, which was written by Akira Kurosawa, as well as some Toho horror films.



The prospect of a Criterion-backed rerelease of the UPA/Golden Books films would be amazing, but the listing of Fukuda either throws a wrench into it or potentially sweetens the pot depending on how you look at it. The only kaiju film director in the UPA collection (GKOTM, GRA, MvG, GTTHM, MZ, GR, TOMG, Rodan, and WOTG) besides Honda is Oda. Fukuda still has 2 G-films unreleased on Bluray -- SON OF GODZILLA, and GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA '74.

Criterion announces their upcoming releases at around the halfway point of each month. If something is gonna be happening G-related, we'll likely know by October 15th with a release date of sometime in January. Fingers crossed!
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by King of the Monsters »

My dream would be a collection of Toho's more obscure science-fiction films that have yet to see a U.S. release, similar to the "When Horror Came to Shochiku" set that Criterion released. Outside of Godzilla Raids Again, Oda also directed Invisible Man, a very early Toho SF film that has been eluding fans for a very long time. Fukuda directed The Secret of the Telegian and ESPY, neither of which to my knowledge is available legitimately on home video in Region 1. If Honda is included in the set as well maybe we could get a release of The Human Vapor too.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by Mr_Goji_and_Watch »

I'd love for Criterion to release some Golden Age monster films but it will probably be a whole lot of nothing regarding those.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by goji1986 »

https://www.facebook.com/CriterionColle ... 1524875565

The January releases have been announced (right on schedule!). Sadly, nothing Godzilla related (there's nothing even remotely japanese this time around).
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by UltramanGoji »

goji1986 wrote:https://www.facebook.com/CriterionColle ... 1524875565

The January releases have been announced (right on schedule!). Sadly, nothing Godzilla related (there's nothing even remotely japanese this time around).
Strange to see Breakfast Club on that list.

Also no Night of the Living Dead yet... :(
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by tbeasley »

We've heard it all before (the rights being too dispersed, Toho being a hassle to work with), but I can't help but think if Criterion could pull off that 25 film Zatoichi set then a 15 film Showa Godzilla set can't be out of the realm of possibility.

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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by goji1986 »

Starz has added a WEALTH of Showa films for streaming, including the CM collection and...get this...SON OF GODZILLA and GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA 74. Plus the Criterion logo is showing up on the thumbnails for several of them, including Destroy All Monsters, Mothra vs Godzilla, and more!

EDIT:
It appears as though Criterion is behind all of it. This explains the Fukuda and Oda entries on their site.
Last edited by goji1986 on Wed Nov 01, 2017 2:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by UltramanGoji »

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

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TheSecondComing
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by TheSecondComing »

Where did those pics come from? Real neat, I had a feeling Criterion was making a big play.

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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by UltramanGoji »

TheSecondComing wrote:Where did those pics come from? Real neat, I had a feeling Criterion was making a big play.
Those are from the STARZ streaming search.

Holy shit I'm so excited.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by Mr. Yellow »

So...apart from being streaming what does that mean?
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by UltramanGoji »

Mr. Yellow wrote:So...apart from being streaming what does that mean?
Potentially this could mean Criterion is releasing these films to DVD/Blu-Ray although nothing has been confirmed and the only supporting evidence we really have is some of the directors' names are up on the Criterion website.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by Mr. Yellow »

Well, isn't THAT interesting. Figures right after I finally pick up DaM on Blu lol.
"Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy. They do not attack people because they want to, but because of their size and strength, mankind has no other choice but to defend himself. After several stories such as this, people end up having a kind of affection for the monsters. They end up caring about them." - Ishiro Honda

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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by Mr_Goji_and_Watch »

Really hoping this doesn't end up being nothing and we get some good video transfers. That's all I ask from Criterion.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by UltramanGoji »

Reportedly, the subtitles on the streams are NOT the Classic Media ones, so stuff like “Don’t utter strange voice” are gone.

WOTG is also the International export dub, so all the missing Frankenstein references are back.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by Mr. Yellow »

That...is a good thing.
"Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy. They do not attack people because they want to, but because of their size and strength, mankind has no other choice but to defend himself. After several stories such as this, people end up having a kind of affection for the monsters. They end up caring about them." - Ishiro Honda

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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by GalacticPetey »

Hot damn. I don't want to jump the gun, but if these got physical releases, oh boy. Not only would we have all G films on Blu Ray in the states, we would have most of the Showa series chock full of great extras on top on great quality. Not to mention Rodan and the Gargantuas.

I know I might be getting my hopes up, but the idea of all of these films on Blu-Ray with the Criterion treatment is very appealing.
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