Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

All right now. As news on Classic Media's upcoming R1 release of Mothra vs. Godzilla including the US version in cropped widescreen format came about, I read a post by somebody saying they could just watch the US version in widescreen on the Simitar VHS. I know that the Simitar DVD had the US version in (non-anamorphic) widescreen, but I was always sure that the VHS was fullscreen. At least, that's how I remembered it. So I just assumed that person meant to say Simitar DVD instead of VHS.

But as time went on, I read more and more posts by people saying things like "At least I've still got the widescreen Simitar VHS", "Thank God the Simitar VHS is widescreen", "I'll just copy my widescreen Simitar VHS to DVD", and so on. What the hell!? If memory served me correctly, I was certain that the Simitar VHS was fullscreen.

Then last night, I decided to just go ahead and pull out my copy of the Simitar VHS (which I haven't watched in many years) and see for myself. And yes, as I remembered, it is fullscreen.

So what the hell is this? Did Simitar mass-produce widescreen VHS tapes of the US version of MvsG and I somehow got stuck with the only copy that's in fullscreen?

Simitar's sales sheet lists the various formats:


The widescreen VHS tapes were sold separately and in sets. The DVDs and videos were available in different sets, including a boxed set that had an extra video about special effects in the movies.

Wow - all the stores around me at the time must have only stocked the EP tapes [possibly some of the SP pan & scan] - I don't remember seeing any of Simitar's widescreen VHS releases.

I have the Simitar VHS of Monster Zero and the DVD's of Mothra and Godzilla's Revenge. Mothra and Revenge looked fine to me, no noticeable pixelation.

Ricky