Potential 4K Kaiju films

[gvamp]

With GINO supposedly getting a 4K release in May it got me wondering about other domestic 4K releases. Could Sony or any other company that owns the Toho Goji films, even put out 4K releases at this time considering Toho themselves hasn't started doing domestic releases? I could have sworn that Toho but a damper on US BD releases so as not to have Japanese consumers import those releases instead of getting the Japanese domestic releases considering with BD both USA and Japan share the same region code.

That being said I can see G14 getting a proper 4K release closer to the release of G2. With this release we'd get proper contrast and brightness due to HDR so those that have an issue with the film being to dark *shouldn't* have that issue any more.

As for proper Toho Godzilla film releases I would expect Toho to probably start pumping those out either this year or next when the kaiju train is really moving.

What are my fellow TKers thoughts on potential 4K Goji or other kaiju for that matter releases?

[UltramanGoji]

No US company will put out 4k transfers of the Toho films before Toho does, that's a guarantee. Like you said, importing is a big issue for Japanese home media manufacturers because prices are so high over there (something like 4000y for a normal film?). They're gonna do their own transfers and then MAYBE send them to the US rights holders for release.

I think we can definitely expect a G14 4K, hopefully in a Special Editon pack with deleted scenes.

[GodzillaFan1990's]

I recall the Heisei Gamera Trilogy had been released in 4K in Japan.

[SonOfGorgo]

I recall the Heisei Gamera Trilogy had been released in 4K in Japan.

The trilogy really need a wide international rerelease. Maybe in March 2020 for the 25th anniversary of GotU

[goji1986]

We'll get nothing from the Japanese series until Toho either okays it or has put out their own domestic releases. Plus, even when they do decide to start upgrading, we have a long way to go until any release. As it stands right now, every film has only had 1 minute restored to 4K, minus complete restorations for G54 and KKvG.

Another thing to consider is that Bluray has not taken off in Japan like it has here; most consumers still buy DVDs (hence the exorbitant price tag for Blu over there), so on can only imagine how long it will take for them to adopt 4K.

We maaaayyy have some luck in the form of Criterion's long-awaited release of the Showa films, but that's all dependent on whether or not they create 4K masters for those blurays (based on several of their releases, they either do 2K or 4K). And even then, it may be a long time before we see them at full resolution because Toho is Toho.

Regarding Gamera, that box set was still a 1080p Bluray release, but they used brand new 4k masters for it.

[omgitsgodzilla]

I'd say the Monsterverse films are quite likely candidates. The only reason I can imagine they haven't released G'14 in 4K yet is because they're waiting to tie in with KotM somehow.

Criterion seem like the only people who might do it before Toho, but they don't do 4K at the moment.

I suppose there's an incredibly slim chance Universal might do it with KKvG given the new restoration, but that would require them to care about it beyond just bringing back the cut they already own every time a major release coincides with a new format. I hope they do, though, if Criterion isn't working on it -- obvious benefits aside, we could get a more accurate subtitle script into wide circulation. SpaceHunterM's translation of the official German subs shows that the old Video Daikaiju subs on virtually every pirated copy out there are pretty much worthless.

A US release of the new Heisei Gamera transfers, 4K or otherwise, would be great, especially if it gets us a reissue of Gamera the Brave without the defective English dub track.

[gvamp]

Another thing to consider is that Bluray has not taken off in Japan like it has here; most consumers still buy DVDs (hence the exorbitant price tag for Blu over there), so on can only imagine how long it will take for them to adopt 4K.

DVD also took awhile to take off in Japan. I believe it wasn't until 2004 when DVD fully took off in Japan. They still where into LDs for the longest time.

[GodzillaBurgh]

Still wanting that 4K KING KONG VS. GODZILLA.

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

Still wanting that 4K KING KONG VS. GODZILLA.

Certain people already have recordings of it but they aren't willing to share it

Also, Shin Godzilla already has a UHD Blu-Ray, I recommend just importing that and playing it with an .srt file through a USB thumbdrive, assuming your player lets you do that. Doubt Funimation is gonna do UHD anytime soon.

[omgitsgodzilla]

Certain people already have recordings of it but they aren't willing to share it

Couldn't be me

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

Couldn't be me

Giv

[gvamp]

Still wanting that 4K KING KONG VS. GODZILLA.

Certain people already have recordings of it but they aren't willing to share it

Also, Shin Godzilla already has a UHD Blu-Ray, I recommend just importing that and playing it with an .srt file through a USB thumbdrive, assuming your player lets you do that. Doubt Funimation is gonna do UHD anytime soon.

From my understanding Toho wouldn't let them do a 4K release stateside. Hopefully that changes as Toho does more 4K releases.

[BabyG1975]

I saw somewhere on Twitter somebody said that Godzilla vs. Hedorah and I think it was Godzilla vs. Gigan were completely restored in 4K is that true?

[Joseph Goodman]

I saw somewhere on Twitter somebody said that Godzilla vs. Hedorah and I think it was Godzilla vs. Gigan were completely restored in 4K is that true?

Let me guess, someone saw @pasinpasin post pics of his TV playing the Godzilla 4k Project and thought this meant there were more restorations?

[BabyG1975]

No it was just a message saying like

"These films have been remastered:

Gojira
King Kong be Godzilla
Godzilla vs Hedorah
Godzilla vs Gigan(I think)
Godzilla (1998)
Shin Godzilla
Godzilla King of the Monsters"

[goji1986]

No it was just a message saying like

"These films have been remastered:

Gojira
King Kong be Godzilla
Godzilla vs Hedorah
Godzilla vs Gigan(I think)
Godzilla (1998)
Shin Godzilla
Godzilla King of the Monsters"

Only the titles in bold are in 4K.

[Servanov]

While it isn't an official release, there are plans by fans (a.k.a. me and RedMenace) to do a couple 4k restorations of Godzilla movies.

[Godzamera]

Will they be up on archive.org ?

[Tohosaurus]

No it was just a message saying like

"These films have been remastered:

Gojira
King Kong be Godzilla
Godzilla vs Hedorah
Godzilla vs Gigan(I think)
Godzilla (1998)
Shin Godzilla
Godzilla King of the Monsters"

Only the titles in bold are in 4K.

This. But also, TMK only Godzilla (1998), Shin Godzilla, and GKOTM (2019) are actually available on 4K Blu-ray anywhere globally. Shin Godzilla is only available on 4K Blu-ray in Japan. The only other kaiju movies from Japan I can think of available on 4K Blu-ray anywhere would be Gamera, where in Japan there's a 4K Blu-ray box for the Heisei trilogy and Gamera the Brave.

[Servanov]

Will they be up on archive.org ?

Once the restorations are completed, we will be uploading them to archive for sure, as well as some other choice places.