GodzillaĀ (a.k.a.Ā Gojira) is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. Itās also a remarkably humane andĀ melancholy drama, made in Japan at a time when theĀ country was reeling from nuclear attack and H-bombĀ testing in the Pacific. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire populationās fears,Ā became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawningĀ more than thirty sequels. A thrilling, tactile spectacleĀ that continues to be a cult phenomenon, the original 1954 Japanese version is presented here, along withĀ Godzilla, King of the Monsters,Ā the 1956 āAmericanizedā version.
- High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
- High-definition digital restoration ofĀ Godzilla, King of the Monsters,Ā Terry Morseās 1956 reworking of the original, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
- Audio commentary for both movies by film historian David Kalat
- Interviews with actors Akira Takarada and Haruo Nakajima and special effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai
- Interview with legendaryĀ GodzillaĀ score composer Akira Ifukube
- Featurette detailingĀ Godzillaās photographic effects, introduced by special effects director Koichi Kawakita and special effects photographer Motoyoshi Tomioka
- Interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato
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The Unluckiest Dragon,Ā an illustrated audio essay featuring historian Greg Pflugfelder describing the tragic fate of the fishing vesselĀ Daigo Fukuryu Maru,Ā a real-life event that inspiredĀ Godzilla
- Trailers
- English subtitle translation
- PLUS: An essay by critic J. Hoberman
"GODZILLA" (a.k.a. "GOJIRA") (c) 1954 Toho Co., Ltd. "GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS" (c) 1956 Toho Co., Ltd. Godzilla, Gojira, the character designs and King of the Monsters are trademarks of Toho Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz