Criterion streaming Godzilla films + Criterion Showa Box Set

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UltramanGoji
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by UltramanGoji »

According to August Ragone, Kraken Releasing has lost the rights to Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, and Godzilla vs. Gigan. He also estimates Janus/Criterion is looking to grab those films and the release would be around Spring 2020 to coincide with Godzilla vs. Kong.
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by Godzillian »

Man criterion is really snatching up those Godzilla titles. Hopefully they make our wait worth it
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by Terasawa »

Janus is also apparently making these titles available for screening so be on the lookout at your local repertory theaters.
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by goji1986 »

That is great news.
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by Joseph Goodman »

Terasawa wrote:Janus is also apparently making these titles available for screening so be on the lookout at your local repertory theaters.

Where did you find out about this?

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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

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Joseph Goodman wrote:
Terasawa wrote:Janus is also apparently making these titles available for screening so be on the lookout at your local repertory theaters.

Where did you find out about this?
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In all seriousness, though, if there's an official source for this stuff I'd love to see it
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

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UltramanGoji wrote:According to August Ragone, Kraken Releasing has lost the rights to Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, and Godzilla vs. Gigan. He also estimates Janus/Criterion is looking to grab those films and the release would be around Spring 2020 to coincide with Godzilla vs. Kong.
Am I the only one that hopes that this means that Shout! Factory will be able to release the MST3K version of Sea Monster?
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

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UltramanGoji wrote:According to August Ragone, Kraken Releasing has lost the rights to Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, and Godzilla vs. Gigan. He also estimates Janus/Criterion is looking to grab those films and the release would be around Spring 2020 to coincide with Godzilla vs. Kong.
I would like to ask: what about "The Return of Godzilla"?

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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by UltramanGoji »

Wario94 wrote:
UltramanGoji wrote:According to August Ragone, Kraken Releasing has lost the rights to Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, and Godzilla vs. Gigan. He also estimates Janus/Criterion is looking to grab those films and the release would be around Spring 2020 to coincide with Godzilla vs. Kong.
I would like to ask: what about "The Return of Godzilla"?
Those three were acquired back in 2013/2014 while ROG was only acquired around 2015/2016, so the license likely still has some time left on it.
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by Terasawa »

MikeSTZillak wrote:
UltramanGoji wrote:According to August Ragone, Kraken Releasing has lost the rights to Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, and Godzilla vs. Gigan. He also estimates Janus/Criterion is looking to grab those films and the release would be around Spring 2020 to coincide with Godzilla vs. Kong.
Am I the only one that hopes that this means that Shout! Factory will be able to release the MST3K version of Sea Monster?
No, you’re not the only one that hopes to see that MST3K episode on DVD, but I don’t see how that’s possible under these circumstances. (Or any circumstances for the next several decades.)
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by Godsteigman »

Now Im thinking this set will have every Godzilla film from the Showa era, as IMHO the 1962 Kong vs Godzilla could also be in this set, Im feeling a likeness toward it . at least I hope so
I really am getting the feeling that this may well be the complete ultimate Godzilla showa collection. fingers crossed
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

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What’re the odds of the non-Godzilla Toho films as well?
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by UltramanGoji »

Mr. Yellow wrote:What’re the odds of the non-Godzilla Toho films as well?
Slim.

A few Honda films would probably make up an Eclipse set (Rodan, WOTG, maybe Mothra?) but the big grab is the Showa Godzilla series. I don't see Criterion going out and grabbing all the old Media Blasters titles, for example.
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

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Joseph Goodman wrote:
Terasawa wrote:Janus is also apparently making these titles available for screening so be on the lookout at your local repertory theaters.
Where did you find out about this?
It was posted on Facebook in the group "Kaiju & Tokusatsu on Video."

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Mr. Yellow wrote:What’re the odds of the non-Godzilla Toho films as well?
They definitely have Rodan and WOTG. I agree with UltramanGoji that they likely won't go out of their way to license all the other films (especially Yog, Dogora, etc.) and I don't really believe they'll include the two titles they have in a Godzilla set.
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by Mr. Yellow »

I didn’t think they’d include them in the Godzilla set, just hoping for Blu-ray of the others. I’ve been holding off on tracking down the OOP DVDs.
"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: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by Chrispy_G »

Wow....this is glorious news. I've been in the camp of 'Get Criterion as many of the films as possible' since 2017. A full Showa Box Set from them would be amazing. Then maybe we could get some kind of Sony/Funimation/Shout Factory situation to get the Heisei and Millennium films in a big collection.

I was REALLY hoping and pulling for the idea of getting a Box Set for the 65 year anniversary......BUT if November 3rd rolls around and we at least get an ANNOUNCEMENT for the set coming a few months down the road.....I'll take that any day of the week. Timing it for the release of Godzilla vs Kong makes just as much sense, if not more. That is the current pinnacle point for the MonsterVerse.

I would love US and Japanese versions, and to get the International Dubs as well as the Titan/Titra Dub options. The US versions of Raids Again, Mothra vs, Ghidorah, Monster Zero, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla's Revenge, Megalon, and Terror of MechaGodzilla all have audio commentaries that exist(DAM and Megalon were not OFFICIALLY released)....I'd much rather get the archival commentaries included and then get a handful of new commentaries than to lose the vintage commentaries in favor of new commentaries for the same films.

With Godzilla on the cusp of reaching a level of global popularity he's never seen before....I can't think of a better company to be the custodians of his cinematic past than Criterion.
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by Joseph Goodman »

Terasawa wrote:
It was posted on Facebook in the group "Kaiju & Tokusatsu on Video."

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That sounds promising...

Meanwhile, there's this spotted in Criterion's promo video for the opening of the Criterion Channel:

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...and this preview image of the channel's main site:

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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by Godzilla 1986 »

REALLY hoping this news is legit and Criterion snatches the Kraken releases for a box set. It only makes perfect sense that they would, though it would be pricey as all hell, but damn would it be worth it. My only hope is that Sony gives up the licenses to the Heisei and Millennium films; Criterion would do so much more with them. And somehow wrangle KKvG and ROG into their fold. Imagine three COMPLETE box sets of every film, each with different versions/dubs, special features, commentaries and crisp audio and visuals. Given the spastic home video releases over the last 30/40 years, this would be a dream come true.
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by UltramanGoji »

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, lol.

Criterion’s interest in the Showa films is likely due to their prevalence in 20th century Western pop culture. These films are the ones a majority of the worlds population remembers being shown on late nite TV and at the local drive-in. The Heisei and Millennium films just don’t have that broad mainstream (well, as mainstream as Criterion releases are) appeal.
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Re: Criterion and Starz streaming Godzilla films

Post by omgitsgodzilla »

UltramanGoji wrote:Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, lol.
But then we'll have nothing to talk about!

In other news, though, the Criterion Channel is up and running. A couple of the Godzilla movies have pretty obvious ghosting for some reason (Astro-Monster, for one) and some are dubbed-only, but they're there.
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