Criterion streaming Godzilla films + Criterion Showa Box Set

[Tamura]

The German, Italian and US releases are all separate lineages via Toei, who was advertised as the film's distributor on the international poster.

EDIT: The Italian and German posters use the same art and the same incorrect/made up cast members. They might have been picked up and localized by the same entity in Europe, just released through different distributors depending on the country, sort of like a state's rights release in the US. AIP still probably picked up the film separately.

[mikelcho]

Thanks! That answers one question.

Now for the other one: do you know if the film ever made it to the U.K. and Ireland as well as West Germany and Italy? (I say West Germany (and please correct me if I'm wrong) only because I don't know if East Germany permitted films like this into their country.)

[Tamura]

Nope, and that was a West German release. Czechoslovakia and Poland released a lot of kaiju films, but I'm not sure about the GDR, and I don't know if a restriction had anything to do with it. Some countries just didn't get much exposure to the canon.

[Terasawa]

A German friend once told me he was pretty certain no kaiju movies were released in East Germany, however, he wasn’t entirely certain. I haven’t looked into the possibility anymore than that.

[Rody]

Regarding the two Mechagodzilla artworks for the set: if Criterion had switched the two artists I think it would have worked a lot better.

[Godzilla Vinyl Mania]

Just ordered the box set on Amazon. Price is down to $112 plus free shipping. Had $15 gift card as well so it was a good deal.

[Chrispy_G]

Despite some of the lacking elements of this set, I WOULD be cool with Criterion doing a pair of matching sets for the Heisei and Millennium Series. Provided that they improved(AKA provided Toho was more allowing) on the things fans didn't love about this set.

Dubs all around, multiple audio commentaries, doing whatever it takes to make sure G1985 and G2000 are included. Fresh HD transfers/restorations all-around by Criterion themselves.

A guy can dream.

[tbeasley]

Not to be that guy and harp on it again but is it bad I like these Mondo posters more than the Criterion artwork?



(^ Why wasn't Powell's IDW art this good?)





https://mondoshop.com/blogs/news

[canofhumdingers]

Those are fantastic, with the exception of the second G’54 poster (too XTREEM!!!111 for my tastes) and the DAM poster which is clearly just a bunch of X-plus figures.

But the rest are all phenomenal.

[The Octopus]

Those posters are great. That Ghidorah one is awesome.

[Jetty_Jags]

I actually scored the purple Megalon Variant, looks great in person.

[Rody]

The DAM Mondo poster looks like someone traced a bunch of X-Plus figures; so as nice as it looks, it's just as "bad" as the Criterion MvsG 1964 poster (my 2nd-least-favorite in the set).
The rest are pretty snazzy.

[Jetty_Jags]

The DAM Mondo poster looks like someone traced a bunch of X-Plus figures; so as nice as it looks, it's just as "bad" as the Criterion MvsG 1964 poster (my 2nd-least-favorite in the set).
The rest are pretty snazzy.

I actually really like that one I’m curious as to what makes it the second worst in your opinion?

[Terasawa]

Mondo's DAM poster also uses the Champion Festival title, which I think is a strange choice.

[G-MAN]

The DAM Mondo poster looks like someone traced a bunch of X-Plus figures; so as nice as it looks, it's just as "bad" as the Criterion MvsG 1964 poster (my 2nd-least-favorite in the set).
The rest are pretty snazzy.

Wouldn't go that far, nowhere near as bad as the criterion design for MvG. As that looked like someone traced them very sloppily and then didn't bother to add detail. Not to mention they used the 2003 designs.

At least the DAM poster pretty much features designs accurate to that film. Though with it being Mondo and how much they charge for prints. I find it stupid that they approved that

[Jetty_Jags]

I really don't understand the dislike for the mothra vs godzilla artwork. You guys are acting like the art has to directly use the designs in the film, and can't use more general designs for the characters, which is what the mvg art does (no it doesn't use to 2003 designs either). The idea that there cannot be any artistic liberties in the designs is kind of goofy, especially when the official poster for the film doesn't use the designs in the film, at least not for godzilla.



Added in 23 minutes 16 seconds:
Furthermore, many of the beloved Noriyoshi Ohrai posters use concept art, character abstractions, and other artistic liberties to represent the films. He uses 54 for Godzilla returns, the mothers in the gvm poster is about as visually different from what’s in that movie as the criterion one is in the 64 film, mechagodzilla looks entirely different not mentioning yellow orb rodan. Space Godzilla has rainbow colors, and Destoroyah is no where near as flexible or skinny as he’s depicted in the poster.

Now I’ll agree I think Ohrai is a better artist, and that his posters are more visually impressive. But the collection wanted pop art, and that’s what the mvg poster is. I can understand not thinking the art is very good (I’d disagree) but to say it’s bad because it doesn’t utilize the correct designs not only is silly, but puts some of the franchises best posters in the same bucket.

[LegendZilla]

^I am really digging that GTTHM poster.

[tbeasley]

Yeah now that I think about it I prefer Sophie Campbell's DAM art -

[eabaker]

Yeah now that I think about it I prefer Sophie Campbell's DAM art -

For sure. I'm not always a big fan of Campbell's, but I think that piece is a lot of fun, and in some ways sells the movie I always wished DAM were. The Mondo one is pretty bland by comparison.

[MaxRebo320]

The artwork in the Criterion set is the least of my problems with it, really. I think they're all pretty unique, and don't have to be "accurate" (Like Godzilla destroying the city on the TOMG poster) to still get across the feeling of the film. The Invasion of Astro Monster one is kind of fugly though, I will admit.