DUBS!!!! HELP!!!!!

[franzilla]

So I'm in need of a comprehensive list of all the different English dub tracks to the Showa films. Toho dubs vs international vs various distributor's in house tracks. I gotta get up on this. I'm sure there's someone on this board with an encyclopedic knowledge of this or there's a comprehensive listing somewhere online. For example, the U.S. DVD release for Godzilla vs The Sea Monster isn't the same as the dub I grew up with on my vhs tape. Gone is the way they utter my favorite line "Oh, are you da robba?" I just want to put names to the dubs that I grew up with, so that I can know which versions and releases are going to have the audio tracks and line readings the way they were seared into my young mind. Also, all the versions of Destroy All Monsters I have employ what I think is referred to as the "international" dub of the film, which has been ridiculed (and rightly so!) by other fans in the past, claiming that the AIP (?) dub from the releases in the 60s and 70s is far superior.

HELP!

[Specium Ray]

I would be really interested to see a list like that. Godzilla Vs. Megalon just isn't the same without the MST3K treatment.

[jellydonut25]

To my knowledge (and I'm not one of the ones with encyclopedic knowledge), there's an international dub for every single film in the franchise, but many of those will never be seen here in the US. Notable films on that list which we'll likely never see the international dub would include:
Gojira
Godzilla Raids Again
King Kong vs. Godzilla
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Godzilla 1985
Godzilla 2000
The various cuts and edits to make the US-specific versions of those films have carried through over the years and that's the dub that has lived on in US home video releases. For pretty much all those movies above, the US version isn't JUST a straight-up dub of the Japanese cut. All except G2K add in scenes that weren't in the Japanese release and cut scenes that were, and G2K trims things and alters the score.

Anything (except G2K) from Godzilla vs. Biollante on forward IS the international dub, so you never need to bother yourself with seeking out a non-existent Titra/Titan/AIP dub.

Then there's Ghidrah, Monster Zero, Godzilla's Revenge, Gigan, Megalon, Mechagodzilla, and Terror of Mechagodzilla for which no Titra/Titan/AIP dub exists, so you don't have to fret. There are a couple unique things missing from some of these movies like title cards (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla has a Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster title card and nothing released by Sony (Gigan, Mechagodzilla) has the Japanese title card) floating around in the ether somewhere, but that won't likely affect your enjoyment of the film overall.

So what you're really left asking about are the following movies:
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Son of Godzilla
Destroy All Monsters
Godzilla vs. Hedorah

These movies all had dubs done by Titra (who later became Titan) commissioned by AIP, and as of right now, VHS rips are the only surviving versions of them (aside from maybe some superfan out there having a film print somehow)...EXCEPT for Destroy All Monsters. The AIP dub of DAM was included on Media Blasters' initial pressing of the disc. Your ability to get the disc will depend on your ability/willingness to spend upwards of $50 for a movie just to get a dub.

So, a LIST of the Godzilla movies would look something like this:
1.) Gojira/Godzilla King of the Monsters (KOTM is the US version, and the Japanese Gojira with subs is available in the US - the Criterion release is likely the best version, but also available from Classic Media. Blu-ray or DVD)
2.) Godzilla Raids Again (US version and Japanese with subs available in US from Classic Media on DVD Only)
3.) King Kong vs. Godzilla (only the US version is available in the US. On DVD/Blu-ray. Japanese version not available in the US)
4.) Mothra vs. Godzilla (US version and Japanese with subs available from Classic Media on DVD only) Dub IS an AIP dub.
5.) Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (I'm not 100% sure if the dubbed version is US specific, though it does feature some scenes shifted around. Available dubbed and Japanese with subs. Classic Media DVD only.)
6.) Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Classic Media on DVD only)
7.) Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (International version and Japanese with subs available from Kraken on blu-ray and DVD...Titra/Titan/AIP dub only surviving on VHS rips)
8.) Son of Godzilla (International version and Japanese with subs OOP on DVD in the US. If you want to spend $50+ on a Sony DVD, you can have it....Titra/Titan/AIP dub only surviving on VHS rips)
9.) Destroy All Monsters (International version and Japanese with subs available from Media Blasters on blu-ray and DVD...Titra/Titan/AIP dub available on OOP first-pressing disc)
10.) Godzilla's Revenge (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Classic Media on DVD only)
11.) Godzilla vs. Hedorah (International version and Japanese with subs available from Kraken on blu-ray and DVD...Titra/Titan/AIP dub only surviving on VHS rips)
12.) Godzilla vs. Gigan (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Kraken on blu-ray and DVD...does not include unique feature of Japanese version, which is Manga-style text bubbles above kaiju as they converse)
13.) Godzilla vs. Megalon (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Media Blasters on blu-ray and DVD)
14.) Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (Dub and Japanese with subs OOP on DVD in the US. If you want to spend $100+ on a Sony DVD, you can have it)
15.) Terror of Mechaogdzilla (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Classic Media on DVD only)
16.) Godzilla 1985 (Unavailable on R1 DVD/blu-ray in any version)
17.) Godzilla vs. Biollante (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Lions Gate on blu-ray and DVD)
18.) Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Sony on blu-ray...DVD version is dub only and cropped to 4:3 ratio)
19.) Godzilla vs. Mothra (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Sony on blu-ray...DVD version is dub only and cropped to 4:3 ratio)
20.) Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Sony on blu-ray and DVD)
21.) Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Sony on blu-ray...DVD version is dub only)
22.) Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Sony on blu-ray...DVD version is dub only)
23.) Godzilla 2000 (US version and Japanese with subs available from Sony on blu-ray...DVD version is dub only)
24.) Godzilla x Megaguirus (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Sony on blu-ray and DVD)
25.) GMK (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Sony on blu-ray and DVD)
26.) Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Sony on blu-ray and DVD)
27.) Godzilla Tokyo SOS (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Sony on blu-ray and DVD)
28.) Godzilla Final Wars (Dub and Japanese with subs available from Sony on blu-ray and DVD)

I bolded the ones you're asking about in terms of the dubs.



As for MST3K versions, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster has never been released, and Godzilla vs. Megalon had some weird rights thing where Rhino essentially released it (on MST3K Collection Volume 10) without permission, and so had to pull it and re-release with a different movie instead of Godzilla vs. Megalon. If you REALLY want the MST3K version of Megalon on DVD, it'll only run you $500 or more.


This discussion of course does not include any sort of downloading or what have you as such discussion is explicitly frowned upon by Monster Zero.

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

Very comprehensive list there Jelly, but I may add ONE thing. There is indeed an International dub for Godzilla 1985, under The Return Of Godzilla. I've seen it and it uses a lot of the voices heard in the Hong Kong action films of the late 70s and early 80s, sans Ted Thomas (Kubota) and Christ Hilton (Chairman). Overall its not too bad really.



Dr. Hayashida is voiced by the same guy who voiced Dr. Mafune in Terror of Mechagodzilla, and Naoko was voiced by the woman who dubbed Minmay in the Macross movie.

[jellydonut25]

Well, I said there's an international dub for pretty much EVERY movie, but we're never likely to see it on a US release for G85...or maybe we are? or not? who the hell knows? Let's see if that movie ever even gets a US release...

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

[lhb412]

[Benjamin Haines]

I think Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster was the first Godzilla movie to have a complete English dub commissioned by Toho for international sales purposes. It was done by William Ross' Frontier Enterprises along with the international dubs for Son of Godzilla and Destroy All Monsters.

Does anyone know if it was Frontier Enterprises or a different company that recorded the international dubs for Matango, Atragon, Dogora, or Space Amoeba?

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

[Benjamin Haines]

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

[jellydonut25]

So, prior to Monster Zero no international dub exists? What about when KKvG is sold in the UK or something? Do they get the US version?

[DannyBeane]

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

[H-Man]

[Benjamin Haines]

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

[H-Man]

[EricDent]

One thing to mention about Smog Monster is that both versions released on DVD (the earlier Sony one and the later Kraken one) don't have the infamous "Save The Earth" song in English on the dub version.

Not sure if the VHS tape had it or it just was aired on TBS with it in English.
You can still find it on YouTube in its full English version.

Also if you hunt, you can still find Godzilla 1985 on VHS.
Of course it's just the dub version.

I personally saw a copy of the non New World Pictures version.
Can't remember who it was by, but it had a very green colored Godzilla on the front.

Glad I held onto most of the harder to find stuff, especially the Destroy All Monsters first print with all those extras they got in trouble for.

Also IIRC only one of the "full screen" Sony DVD versions is correct.
I think it didn't say "this film has been formatted to fit your screen" on Godzilla & Mothra the Battle for Earth.

[O.Supreme]

[H-Man]

[EricDent]

Also I got the recent Blu-Ray and there doesn't seem to be subtitles for that song.
Unless you turn them on, which gives subtitles for the whole movie...