Mothra (1961) Blu-ray steelbook from Mill Creek

[lhb412]

Watched both versions of the film and all the extras. I'm gonna make a pronouncement: third best NA kaiju release on Blu after Criterion's Godzilla '54 and Mill Creeks Daimajim trilogy.

Note: Columbia's trailer titles the film "Mothra: The Monster God." Did they use this title anywhere else?

[Benjamin Haines]

I finally got this and it is glorious! These HD transfers look absolutely fantastic. Both the Japanese and US versions are rich and vibrant with a beautiful helping of film grain. There is a mild amount of print damage but that just adds to the feel of looking at a classic film print without ever overbearing the image. The steelbook packaging with the slipcover is top-notch.

It was also great to listen to the audio commentary by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski again. I hadn't listened to this particular commentary in years and it's terrific! It's packed with information delivered in a relaxed manner without straying too far from what's transpiring onscreen. They talk in depth about how the original story came to be, how Tomoyuki Tanaka would brainstorm ideas and hire writers to flesh them out as stories, and how Shinichi Sekizawa changed things about the story substantially when he wrote the screenplay. They describe the original story's ending in detail and even read from several contemporary critic reviews of Mothra. This commentary also features a number of audio excerpts including Jerry Ito from a 2004 interview and Hiroshi Koizumi from a 1999 interview, as well as two excerpts from Clifford Harrington, a New Kirk City extra who describes living in Japan and appearing in many films that needed foreign-looking actors. There's also a great section in which Ed & Steve read some of Columbia's "seat-selling slants" from 1962, some really out-there ideas that Columbia recommended for theaters to sell the movie. It's a very insightful and comprehensive commentary overall.

From the presentation of both versions of the film to the special features to the packaging, this is one of the best releases to date for one of the finest kaiju movies of all time.

Note: Columbia's trailer titles the film "Mothra: The Monster God." Did they use this title anywhere else?

I don't think so. What's weird is the middle of the trailer calls it Mothra: The Monster God and then at the end of the trailer it's just Mothra.

The big HD images in the gallery are a real treat too.

[Gojira69]

I really am liking my Mothra Steelbook. This is the first steelbook I've felt worth buying. Are there any other kaiju steelbooks I should know about?

[klen7]

^ just Legendary (and maybe a few German releases) that i know of

[O.Supreme]

I really am liking my Mothra Steelbook. This is the first steelbook I've felt worth buying. Are there any other kaiju steelbooks I should know about?

There's this one coming in a couple months:

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=22196

[Joseph Goodman]

This apparently sold an estimated 17,069 copies in its first week: https://www.the-numbers.com/weekly-bluray-sales-chart

[Benjamin Haines]

^ That is fantastic! It's great to see a classic kaiju masterpiece like Mothra make such a splash in North America. I'm sure that Mothra's inclusion in Godzilla: King of the Monsters this year was the perfect primer for Mill Creek's release.


I'll be very interested to see if Criterion's Godzilla set charts similarly.

[rortiz77]

Yes, it's been on backorder in a lot of online store (besides Amazon, of course) since release.

[kiryugoji04]

I saw it in the wild at Best Buy the other day, which made me very happy. I didn't realize it was so widely available to the masses!

[Heiseigodzilla425]

I saw it in the wild at Best Buy the other day, which made me very happy. I didn't realize it was so widely available to the masses!

That's great news, since I think originally Best Buy wasn't planning on having these in their physical stores. Glad to know that this release is apparently popular enough for Best Buy to make it available in stores.