Criterion Collection Godzilla 4K + Blu-Ray

Godzilla (a.k.a. Gojira) is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It’s also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama, made in Japan at a time when the country was reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing in the Pacific. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population’s fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning more than thirty sequels. A thrilling, tactile spectacle that continues to be a cult phenomenon, the original 1954 Japanese version is presented here, along with Godzilla, King of the Monsters, the 1956 “Americanized” version.

Product Features

• Format: 4K UHD + Blu-ray
• Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
• Audio: Uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• Language: Japanese
• Subtitles: English
• Number of Discs: 2 (1 4K UHD disc and 1 Blu-ray disc)
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Release Year: 2024
• Original Release Year: 1954
• Studio: Toho Co., Ltd.
• Region: Region A

Special Features

• New 4K digital restoration with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• High-definition digital restoration of Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956) with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• Audio commentary for both films by film historian David Kalat
• Interviews with actors Akira Takarada and Haruo Nakajima, and special effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai
• Interview with composer Akira Ifukube
• Featurette on Godzilla’s photographic effects, introduced by special effects director Koichi Kawakita and special effects photographer Motoyoshi Tomioka
• Interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato
• The Unluckiest Dragon: An illustrated audio essay about the real-life tragedy of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru
• Theatrical trailers
• Essay by critic J. Hoberman