Which Godzilla movies does Classic Media have rights to?
 

I was looking to pick up some of the Godzilla titles already out on DVD, but wanted to hold off on the ones that Classic Media plans to release. I have the five titles they've already released.

According to godzillaondvd.com:

Classic Media has the license in US and Canada to distribute the following Godzilla movies- GOJIRA/GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS, GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN, MOTHRA VS GODZILLA/GODZILLA VS THE THING, GHIDORAH THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER, INVASION OF ASTRO MONSTER/MONSTER ZERO, ALL MONSTERS ATTACK/GODZILLA'S REVENGE, and TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA- so those are the only Godzilla titles we can release on DVD. All the Classic Media DVDs will have the American and Japanese versions and be packaged in the hardcover cases like GOJIRA.

I just watched their Invasion of Astro-Monster this morning. They did such an awesome job with that masterpiece. I REALLY wish they could secure the rights for Godzilla 1985. I'd love to have a release with both versions of that film together.

Don't forget the great European version of G1985 (no Dr Pepper ads, thank you).

Does classic media own the rights to Rodan? I thought I read that somewhere before

Am I remembering correctly that Classic Media said they would release a box set after the movies were all released or am I thinking of a previous Godzilla set that never materialized?

Yes, Classic Media has rights on RODAN as well as WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS. I believe GODZILLA'S REVENGE (now called ALL MONSTERS ATTACK) and TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA are due out in September.

A big boxed set is due out after that sometime, though I don't know when. (Maybe in early 2008?) This is at least one BIG extra planned for that boxed set.

i wish they had the rights to the new ones too. colombia/tristar hasn't upgraded any of the crap dvds for some of the titles like godzilla 2000, godzilla vs spacegodzilla etc. i've been holding out and only buying the other ones which have the japanese tracks and original aspect ratio.

i'm holding out on the classic media stuff because i also read that a major boxed set with all the titles will be released later.

aw great, maybe I should just stop buying them individually and wait for the Box set... good grief. Rodan! Rodan! Rodan!

I hope they can secure rights to some of the other ones in the future. They have done such a great job on the releases so far. I just watched Invasion of the Astro Monster a few nights ago and was amazed by how nice of a transfer they had, and this was watching the American version. I'll still eventually go back and watch it again in the Japanese version. I'm hoping to have time this weekend to watch Ghidorah The Three Headed Monster.

I can't wait for the next two, I was really excited when I watched the trailer at the beginning of the disc where they showed those two as coming soon.

I wish they could do them all, especially King Kong vs. Godzilla, which apparently got butchered into oblivion for its American release.

I am also holding right now, and wait for the big box set...

I can't hold out. Too big of a Big G fan. But if the big box has loads of new features I'll happily upgrade. I know talk of bootlegs is frowned upon here, but for the newer Godzilla films that are butchered in R1 I've been buying copies of the uncut Jap versions for around $10 on ebay. I won't link anything, but it's a good idea for those of you that want the "real" editions.

Me too. It'd be great if CM made the bonus disc available seperately though (like directly from their website or something).

King Kong vs. Godzilla is the one title that is locked up virtually forever by it's current U.S rights holder (Universal). They only have the rights to the severely edited U.S. version though, so the chances of getting a legit R1 version of the unedited Japanese version stateside are nill.

Looks like September is going by without the 2 Godzilla titles....

Are the rights to RODAN owned by CM? If so, is there a longer, Japanese-language cut? The 70-min. U.S. version seems awfully short.

CM do own the rights to Rodan (Radon, if you want to get technical). I would assume once they decide to release this it will include both cuts of the film, much like the Godzilla releases do.

I received an email from Amazon touting a 11/20/07 pre-order for:

Godzilla Collection

I know there was talk of repackaging the Godzilla releases with possible extra features. Any idea what this might contain?

That Amazon listing has it listed as a Genius Products release. That's not Classic Media is it? Is Genius part of The Weinstein Company?

I just glanced at the listing and it says it's Classic Media - but isn't 8 discs not enough?

That's interesting. When I checked the listing when I made my earlier post it said Genius Products. So, maybe this is the real deal. I agree with you DaTimster, 8 discs doesn't seem like enough. 6 discs (including 2 discs for Gojira) have been released already and at least 4 more should be forthcoming, right?

Actually, if memory serves me correctly, GOJIRA is not going to be in the box. It's only going to be the six films after that. So at a single disc a piece, that would mean two bonus discs.

And CM had said that there was going to be exclusive material to the box.

I hope that's true. I've bought all the discs as they have been released, but have only opened Gojira. So the others should be fairly easy to ebay or regift, since I must own the "exclusive bonus" material.

Genius Products and Classis Media are in business cahoots, so basically same thing.

Many moons ago, Classic Media said there might be exclusive content for the box set. But that was almost two years ago when the box set was scheduled to come out along side the 2-Disc Gojira release. Who knows what they have planned now.