New Arrival Godzilla (Blu-Ray, #594)

Godzilla(a.k.a.Gojira) is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. Its also a remarkably humane andmelancholy drama, made in Japan at a time when thecountry was reeling from nuclear attack and H-bombtesting in the Pacific. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire populations fears,became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawningmore than thirty sequels. A thrilling, tactile spectaclethat continues to be a cult phenomenon, the original 1954 Japanese version is presented here, along withGodzilla, King of the Monsters,the 1956 Americanized version.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• High-definition digital restoration ofGodzilla, King of the Monsters,Terry Morses 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 legendaryGodzillascore composer Akira Ifukube
• Featurette detailingGodzillas photographic effects, introduced by special effects director Koichi Kawakita and special effects photographer Motoyoshi Tomioka
• Interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato
• The Unluckiest Dragon,an illustrated audio essay featuring historian Greg Pflugfelder describing the tragic fate of the fishing vesselDaigo Fukuryu Maru,a real-life event that inspiredGodzilla
• 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