Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 5, 2014 20:26:38 GMT -5
Non-release news: Keith Aiken confirmed that Godzilla 1985 will not be available this year, so don't count on a release for that. So that film goes with the Classic Media titles in the pile of films that won't see blu-ray this year.
Still waiting on news for: Son of Godzilla Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla Godzilla 2000 Godzilla; Mothra; King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
But these might possibly be saved for home media tie in.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 7, 2014 13:38:28 GMT -5
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 15, 2014 18:37:16 GMT -5
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 17, 2014 13:22:21 GMT -5
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Post by angilasman on Mar 17, 2014 20:47:27 GMT -5
Yup, gonna be spending a lot of money in coming months.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 17, 2014 23:03:28 GMT -5
I've got them all pre-ordered. That's nearly $150 in Godzilla DVDs and blu-rays.
And with the MST set coming out...soooo much money...
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 19, 2014 10:29:42 GMT -5
Heads up: Word on the street is that Echo Bridge is losing their Miramax library, and Godzilla vs. Biollante with it. So that disc will soon be out of print (right before the new movie too, so sucks for them).
It might make its way to another DVD studio eventually, but if you don't have this ultra cheap release you might want to pick it up.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 20, 2014 12:23:35 GMT -5
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 29, 2014 10:21:55 GMT -5
I just read a post by Keith that confirmed that Kraken did not license Son of Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and have no current plans in doing so. Why they would skip out on a popular title like Mechagodzilla, I couldn't tell you.
Maybe if the discs sell well they'll change their minds, but those titles are currently up in the air. Who, if anybody, will make a grab for them? The damn near broke Media Blasters? The ambitious Shout Factory? Some other company?
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Post by angilasman on Mar 29, 2014 18:40:15 GMT -5
^I assume Kraken just got those three to test the waters.
Considering that 'Kraken Releasing' is a newly created label from Section 23 films, and considering that the Kraken is a mythical sea monster, I'd say the intention from Section 23 is for this to be a label for Japanese monster movies.
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Post by reaperg on Mar 30, 2014 9:47:20 GMT -5
Now there's a guest list for G-FEST in Chicago this July:
Katsuhiko Sasaki ("Godzilla vs. Megalon", "Terror of Mechagodzilla") Tomoko Ai ("Terror of Mechagodzilla") Koichi Kawakita (special effects director for the 90s films) Don Frye ("Godzilla: Final Wars") Yuji Sakai (sculptor of some fine G-dioramas which I own)
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Apr 4, 2014 23:38:31 GMT -5
My package with King Kong vs. Godzilla and King Kong Escapes was delayed, though I should have it by Monday. I've been hearing both good and bad things about it. Here's hoping the menu system is less crappy than the one Universal used in that Jackie Chan movie I just bought. If symbols instead of words are their new thing, they can go screw themselves.
But I'm hearing new details on the May 6th releases. It seems that the Kraken releases will be international versions with English credits, the same versions that Sony released in 2004. Bad news for Japanese language purist, but if the picture is as good as Sony's they'll be spectacular.
On the flip side, Keith Aiken asked Sony about their new discs and it seems instead of international versions they'll be using Toho's original Japanese cuts, with Japanese opening and closing credits. Unfortunately they might very well be using Toho's subpar transfers for all eight films.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Apr 8, 2014 15:47:24 GMT -5
I'm a little late with letting you all know about the new King Kong vs. Godzilla and King Kong Escapes releases, but Amazon picked a hell of a time to use a new delivery service (OnTrac or something) and they couldn't find my house, so I got my package a week late.
Anyway, Universal definitely didn't put a whole lot of effort into these. I imagine they didn't need a menu since they just feature the movie, but I can't help but feel that the space they saved on the disc could have been best served by finally releasing the Japanese version. Of if they don't want to spend the extra buck, they could have put both movies on the same disc and saved the consumer a few dollars.
At least the pop up menu actually uses words though. That puts it ahead of that lousy copy of Chinese Zodiac I bought from Universal last week (though that one had special features).
Picture wise, the movies definitely look good in hi-def. I kind of wish the prints were better though. Both films are littered with scratches (King Kong Escapes is surprisingly moreso than King Kong vs. Godzilla) and KKvG features heavy grain (but it's good to know it wasn't DNRed). There are also slight print flaws that can be seen whenever a camera shot changes. I'm not sure if any of this was present on the previous releases, but I had never noticed them at the time.
Overall it is exactly what they set it out to be: An overpriced tie-in for a quick buck on the new movie. But since King Kong vs. Godzilla is notoriously one of the most poorly preserved Godzilla movies ever, just seeing it in high definition alone makes it a worthwhile to have. And King Kong Escapes is ridiculously fun and uses a lot of delightful colors. I'm not happy with paying $14 for these, but if you can find a copy with a single digit price tag, I'd say they're worthwhile.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Apr 30, 2014 13:48:51 GMT -5
My copy of Godzilla: The Series arrived yesterday. I have only watched the first episode, and it looks to be in pretty good shape. I wouldn't call it a must-own, since a lot of fans disown the 98 take on Godzilla and while the show has a cult fanbase, the honest truth is the show is mediocre. It's rather ho-hum in concept, has dodgy continuity with the film it fallows (Nick's characterization is far different, Audrey is somehow suddenly promoted to reporter after quiting her job as a secretary, Hicks is a major instead of a colonel), and has very little desire to actually be something special, something shows like Batman and Gargoyals were achieving at the time. It's watchable and amusing at times, but the 70s series had more personality.
Also worth noting, I started my Godzilla-thon today. Two a day until Gareth Edwards' film comes out, starting with Godzilla, King of the Monsters and Godzilla Raids Again (and yes it will include the 98 film). I was originally going to do one a day, but I pushed it back and doubled it to coincide with Sony's releases so I have Japanese copies of the Heisei films. Always a pleasure to visit Godzilla-land, so this will be fun.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on May 6, 2014 17:49:12 GMT -5
My package with the Kraken and Sony blu-rays came in this morning. I was unable to watch anything extensively, but I skimmed the Kraken releases before I went to work. The movies look gorgeous, especially Sea Monster. The roughest one is Gigan, which looks a little dim, but other than that these are must owns. Plus the Hedorah trailer refers to him as "ninja monster." That was hilarious.
Only real flaw I can say is that I can't get the dub to switch to Japanese audio on the main menu for some weird reason. The option is there on all three but they just won't work. If you want to watch these in Japanese, you're going to have to switch them with the audio button on your remote.
I started the Sony discs but wasn't able to skim all of them. King Ghidorah is the same print Sony used 15 years ago, just in widescreen. It looks flat and faded, but it's watchable. Mothra is a similar print, but the subtitled English title is a different font. The picture is pretty damn good on that one.
I'll get the rest tonight.
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