Godzilla showa/heisei movies in 4K (in Japan...)

[Dai]

Looks like most of the showa and heisei Godzilla movies are getting 4K and remastered blu-ray releases in Japan between Oct-Dec 2023.

https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/feature/godzilla_4K_ultra_hd

Before anyone gets too excited, bear in mind that these don't have English subtitles, as per usual for Japanese releases. I just hope this will prompt Criterion to release an upgrade of their disappointingly uneven showa set, or for anyone else to licence them for a western release. I don't have a 4K TV, but I would absolutely buy new releases of the movies that had those awful splice marks on the Criterion set.

[Benjamin Haines]

Toho has restored ten Godzilla movies in 4K so far (that we know of). King Kong vs. Godzilla was the first one to air on Japanese television back in 2016 and Toho later released that restoration on 4K disc and regular blu-ray disc in 2021. That was also the year when 4K restorations of G'54, MvsG, GT3HM, MZ, DAM, Hedorah and Biollante all debuted on Japanese television.

Toho is releasing separate 4K and regular BRD editions of both G'54 and MvsG on October 25, followed by GT3HM, MZ and DAM on November 22, and then Hedorah and Biollante on December 20.

They've also announced that Megalon and G'84 have been restored in 4K and will air in Japan on November 3 along with Toho's existing HD transfers of GxMG and GFW. No word on disc releases for those restorations but here's an ad for the upcoming broadcast which includes some side-by-side comparisons for G'84: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tH_cd5_mhw

Toho has also done 4K restorations of Rodan, The Mysterians, Mothra, Matango and Frankenstein vs. Baragon but none of them are scheduled for disc releases yet.

There's no telling how long Toho will wait before letting any company release these restored transfers on disc outside of Japan. Maybe around 2030? Toho might be finished restoring the rest of the Godzilla movies in 4K by then.

[lhb412]

Honestly, I wouldn't mind if Criterion waited a considerable number of years if it takes that long to get these various Toho films the presentations they deserve.