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Monster Mondays: Jurassic Park III (2001)

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With the success of The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), it seemed pretty obvious that film would not be the last in the franchise.  In June 1998, a third Jurassic Park film was confirmed by Universal Pictures, with a release targeted for the summer of 2000.  Unfortunately, the same big problem that faced the writers for the previous film remained: what could possibly happen next?

With no third novel on which to base the new film, the plan was to bring Michael Crichton on to write the script. Crichton, however, left the project very early on to continue working on writing novels.  Likewise, Steven Spielberg decided not to return as director, insteading becoming the executive producer and passing the baton to director Joe Johnston, who had made the successful Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) and Jumanji (1995).

Writing the film proved to be a major challenge.  The script went through several reworkings, even after construction had begun on sets and casting had started.  In the end, principal photography commenced without a finalized script.

The basic premise of the film is pretty simple.  A wealthy couple hire Dr. Alan Grant and his assistant, Billy Brennan, to join them on a chartered flight over Isla Sorna so that he can teach them about the dinosaurs they see.  When they get to Isla Sorna, however, the plane lands.  The couple, it turns out, are not wealthy.  They are actually divorced and have come to the island to search for their missing son.  Of course, they all end up stranded on the island together and have to find a way to get off before they are eaten by the island’s dinosaur residents.

Despite the issues in the writer’s room, Jurassic Park III is a brisk and fun little adventure film.  Though it lacks the depth of the previous two movies, the film delivers on dinosaur action sequences.  Stan Winston’s animatronics are top notch, with the gigantic Spinosaurus being an awe-inspiring practical special effect.  The final encounter our protagonists have with the Spinosaurus happens in a river, and the animatronic is truly life-like as it thrashes and splashes around alongside the human actors.  The CGI is also pretty good for the most part, though it is noticeably weak in a few shots.

While The Lost World: Jurassic Park brought back Ian Malcolm and John Hammond from the first film, with Lex and Tim Murphy getting a small cameo, Jurassic Park III brings back Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler, with both Sam Neill and Laura Dern returning to reprise their roles.  It is nice to be reunited with these two characters again, though fans were a little disappointed to learn that Dr. Sattler had married some boring bureaucrat rather than Dr. Grant.  

Replacing the Tyrannosaurus rex as starring carnivore this time is the Spinosaurus, a decision I think was a bit of a mistake.  Spinosaurus was first described by German paleontologist Ernst Stromer in 1915 from very incomplete remains discovered in Egypt in 1912.  In April 1944, this only specimen of Spinosaurus was destroyed as Britain bombed Munich.  Only a handful of highly incomplete Spinosaurus specimens were found in the years between World War II and the making of Jurassic Park III, meaning very little was known about the dinosaur prior to the making of the film.

New discoveries in the years since Jurassic Park III was released has shown that the depiction of Spinosaurus in the movie is terribly inaccurate.  We now believe Spinosaurus was semiaquatic and hunted primarily fish.  In keeping with this semiaquatic lifestyle, Spinosaurus was adapted to live in the water much more so than it was for living on land.  It had shorter hind legs than most other therapods, meaning it was probably not a very fast runner, and it had a flat, paddle-like tail to help with swimming.  The shape of the sail on its back is now also believed to be much different than the semi-circle shown in the movie.  Perhaps one of the most controversial moments in a Jurassic Park film comes when the Spinosaurus battles and kills a Tyrannosaurus rex, impossibly snapping the Tyrannosaurus’ muscular neck with its narrow fish-catching jaws.

Also getting its chance to shine is the pterosaur Pteranodon, which briefly appeared in the final shot of The Lost World: Jurassic Park.  Despite the name Pteranodon literally meaning “wing toothless”, the animals on screen are depicted as having sharp teeth lining the inside of their beaks.  Similar to Spinosaurus, Pteranodon was actually primarily a piscivore and spent its life in and around water.  Still, there is no denying the scene in the aviary is one of the highlights of the film. Interestingly, this scene is adapted from a scene in the first Jurassic Park novel that did not make it into the earlier movies.

Where Jurassic Park III really falters, however, is its ending.  After returning some stolen eggs to a Velociraptor pack, the characters run out of the jungle and are greeted by the military.  After all that had come before, including two major clashes with the Spinosaurus, it all just feels anti-climatic.  Worse yet is the reappearance of Billy, who is all bandaged up in the military helicopter after his encounter with the Pteranodon.  It feels a little too neat and tidy, and it lacks any final sense of tension.

Jurassic Park III is a deeply flawed Jurassic Park sequel which likely suffers from its inability to pin down a final script before shooting started.  Its portrayal of the Spinosaurus borders on crossing the line from animal to monster, and its lackluster ending sucks the air out of its sails rather than leaving a strong last impression with viewers.  Still, the film is fun, and its short running time keeps the movie from becoming bogged down.  While not as strong as the previous two films in the franchise, Jurassic Park III is an entertaining movie that is definitely worth watching.

Monster Mondays: Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

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A submarine searching for the remains of Mechagodzilla is attacked and destroyed by a dinosaur.  Marine biologist Akira Ichinose (Katsuhiko Sasaki) and INTERPOL agent Jiro Murakoshi (Katsumasa Uchida) go to the house of the reclusive Dr. Shinzo Mafune (Akihiko Hirata), a scientist who once claimed to have discovered a dinosaur in the sea many years ago and was laughed out of academic circles.  When they arrive at Dr. Mafune’s house, his daughter Katsura Mafune (Tomoko Ai) tells them Dr. Mafune is dead and that she burned all his notes.

In reality, Dr. Mafune has reached a deal with the alien invaders from the Third Planet of the Black Hole.  The aliens had once saved Katsura after a fatal lab accident by turning her into a cyborg.  Now they are rebuilding Mechagodzilla and hope to control the dinosaur Dr. Mafune discovered, called Titanosaurus, to help in their effort to conquer Earth.  While helping the Third Planet of the Black Hole aliens with Mechagodzilla, Dr. Mafune remarks that Mechagodzilla is inferior to Titanosaurus because Titanosaurus has a real brain.

Meanwhile, Katsura strikes up a relationship with Akira Ichinose, giving him Dr. Mafune’s notes on Titanosaurus which she did not burn.  He tells her of a plan to send a research submarine to search for Titanosaurus.  She informs the aliens and her father, who then send Titanosaurus to attack the submarine.  Before Titanosaurus can destroy the sub, however, the crew accidently discovers the dinosaur is sensitive to supersonic waves.

A supersonic wave oscillator is constructed incase of an attack by the aliens using Titanosaurus.  Dr. Mafune unleashes Titanosaurus without the permission of the aliens and the supersonic wave oscillator is destroyed by Katsura.  Godzilla arrives and confronts Titanosaurus, and Katsura is shot by the authorities as she flees the area.  Dr. Mafune releases control of Titanosaurus, who heads back to the sea, leaving a confused Godzilla behind.

The aliens once again save Katsura, but as they rebuild her they implant a controller for Mechagodzilla inside her, based on Dr. Mafune’s advice that the robot requires a real brain to be most effective.  The aliens order Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus to attack Tokyo, leading to mass destruction and death as they push their way into the city.  While efforts are underway to quickly repair the supersonic wave oscillator, Godzilla arrives in Japan again to confront Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus.

Terror of Mechagodzilla marks the end of the first cycle of Godzilla films, called the Showa Godzilla series by fans.  Japan divides history by each emperor’s reign, with Emperor Hirohito’s reign called the Showa Era (1926-1989), Emperor Akihito’s reign called the Heisei Era (1989-2019), and Emperor Naruhito’s reign called the Reiwa Era (2019-Present).  The films from Godzilla (1954) to The Return of Godzilla (1984) were all made in the Showa Era of Japanese history, but as The Return of Godzilla launched a distinct new continuity in which the next six films were released in the Heisei Era, it acts as the start of the Heisei Godzilla series.

After the release of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), Toho held a contest for people to submit stories for the next Godzilla film, and the winner was a woman named Yukiko Takayama.  Though the story she originally sent in was altered somewhat prior to filming, largely due to budget constraints, her original core concept was retained.

There are two key characters at the heart of Terror of Mechagodzilla, and they are Katsura and Titanosaurus.  Tomoko Ai does a wonderful job portraying Katsura, a young woman caught between wanting to pursue her own dream of living a normal life with Akira Ichinose, and her loyalty to her father and his goal of vengence on humanity for destroying his career.  The fact she is a cyborg, a combination of flesh and machine, is a nice reflection of the team up between Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus, and the idea of implanting Mechagodzilla’s controller inside her raises the stakes nicely in the final moments of the film when it becomes necessary to destroy her to stop the robot.

Titanosaurus is somewhat of a throwback to earlier Toho monsters, like Anguirus and King Kong, in that he is a giant animal without any superpowers.  As the 1970s progressed, Godzilla’s foes generally came with a long list of outlandish weapons, but Titanosaurus fights using close-range hand-to-hand combat.  His design feels natural and is very well suited to his ocean environment.  Titanosaurus’ roar consists of a loud elephantine trumpeting sound, and he often snorts like a horse, creating a diverse and life-like feel to his vocalization.  In Yukiko Takayama’s original story, there were going to be two creatures called Titans that eventually merge, but this was changed for the final film to just Titanosaurus.

Returning to the director’s chair one final time is Ishiro Honda.  Honda had directed seven of the previous fourteen Godzilla films, including Godzilla (1954), as well as much of Toho’s other key monster output during the Showa Era including Rodan (1956), Mothra (1961), Matango (1963), and War of the Gargantuas (1966).  Honda’s return to the series is a welcome one, bringing with it the darker tone of earlier giant monster movies.  After Terror of Mechagodzilla, Honda would shift his career to helping his close friend Akira Kurosawa with his film projects.

Terror of Mechagodzilla was released in Japanese theatres on March 15, 1975.  Toho had the film dubbed into English in Hong Kong and Bob Conn Enterprises theatrically released an edited down version renamed The Terror of Godzilla in North America in the summer of 1978.  A nearly uncut version of the film, under the title Terror of Mechagodzilla, was released to television in the fall of 1978 and had a prologue added on that was composed of footage from a few previous Godzilla films.

Throughout the VHS era and into the early DVD era, only the heavily edited U.S. theatrical version was released to home video, albeit with its title corrected to Terror of Mechagodzilla.  In 2008, Classic Media released both the original Japanese version and extended North American TV version on DVD.  All of these earlier releases of the film are now out of print.  The original Japanese version of Terror of Mechagodzilla, with Toho’s English dub as an alternate audio option, is currently available as part of The Criterion Collection’s Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975 Blu-ray set.

Monster Mondays: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

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Nami Kunigami (Barbara Lynn), an Azumi priestess in Okinawa, has a vision that a giant monster will come and bring destruction.  Shortly after that, Masahiko Shimizu (Kazuya Aoyama) finds some mysterious metal while exploring a cave.

Archaeologist Saeko Kanagusuku (Reiko Tajima) meets Keisuke Shimizu (Masaaki Daimon), Masahiko’s brother, at another cave where ancient artifacts have been discovered.  There is a statue of the Azumis’ monster protector King Caesar and a prophesy warning that a monster will soon come to destroy the world, but two other monsters will rise up against it.

Professor Hideto Miyajima (Akihiko Hirata) identifies the metal found by Masahiko as space titanium.  Saeko is attacked by an intruder who wants the statue, but the intruder is driven away by Keisuke.

Godzilla appears at Mount Fuji and begins a rampage across Japan, but Anguirus arrives and attacks him, something that is unusual since Godzilla and Anguirus are friends.  Godzilla defeats Anguirus, sending the spiky monster fleeing for his life.

As Godzilla is attacking an industrial area, a second Godzilla arrives.  The second Godzilla blasts the first with his atomic ray, and the first Godzilla is revealed to be Mechagodzilla wearing a disguise.  Godzilla’s and Mechagodzilla’s energy rays collide, causing an explosion that knocks an injured Godzilla into the sea and damages Mechagodzilla.

It is soon discovered that Mechagodzilla is controlled by alien invaders from the Third Planet of the Black Hole.  Professor Miyajima, his daughter Ikuko (Hiromi Matsushita), and Masahiko are captured by the aliens and Professor Miyajima is forced to repair Mechagodzilla.  Keisuke and Saeko transport the statue back to Okinawa by ship so they can awaken King Caesar to fight Mechagodzilla, but are attacked again by an alien trying to steal the statue.  The alien’s attack is unsuccessful and he is fatally shot by INTERPOL agent Nanbara (Shin Kishida).

Eventually, the aliens launch Mechagodzilla again but the statue is used to awaken King Caesar.  King Caesar confronts Mechagodzilla and fights bravely, but isn’t strong enough to overcome the robot.  Just as it seems all is lost, Godzilla appears and joins forces with King Caesar against Mechagodzilla.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is an improvement over the previous two Godzilla films.  Stock footage seems to be limited to a few still images in Nami’s vision and a brief car explosion.  The plot is very fast paced, with the King Caesar statue acting as MacGuffin and much of the film’s action is built on attempts to keep or steal it.  The Third Planet of the Black Hole aliens are ape-like and disguise themselves as humans.  When killed, their disguise melts away revealing their true form underneath.  The film almost feels like a fusion of James Bond and Planet of the Apes with Godzilla, and it is a fun mix that keeps the viewer engaged in both the monster and human action.

Despite this, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla still shows the impact of a tight budget in its special effects sequences.  Nami’s vision consists of images involving Ghidorah rather than Mechagodzilla and is composed of stills taken from other movies.  Also, a rather silly and cheap looking second Godzilla costume is used for some scenes, usually the disguised Mechagodzilla.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla doesn’t really have much to say, but it does touch on some major cultural and historic issues regarding its Okinawa setting.  The Ryukyu Islands used to be under the control of the Ryukyu Kingdom and were their own nation.  At that time, the people of the Ryukyu Islands had their own distinct culture and languages.  The Satsuma Domain in Japan brought the Ryukyuan kings under their control in 1609 and the Ryukyu Islands were eventually annexed by Japan in 1879, turned into Okinawa Prefecture, and the Ryukuan people were assimilated into Japanese culture and language. 

When Mechagodzilla first appears in Japan disguised as Godzilla, Nami’s grandfather Tengan Kunigami (Masao Imafuku) prays that he will destroy the people of Japan for trying to conquer the Azumi people. This brief moment in the film hints at the history of Okinawa and how it went from independent nation to becoming part of Japan.

Also tying into the Okinawan setting of the film is King Caesar, who is based on the Shisa, stone statues that are common in Okinawa.  Unlike Mechagodzilla, who is loaded with weapons, King Caesar is only able to reflect energy beams back at his attacker with his eyes.  This has the effect of making King Caesar feel greatly outmatched by Mechagodzilla, which makes sense given the prophecy early in the film that two monsters will be needed to stop Mechagodzilla.  This is somewhat undermined, however, in that Godzilla is pretty much able to finish off Mechagodzilla on his own.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla was released in Japanese theatres on March 21, 1974.  Toho had the film dubbed into English in Hong Kong and Cinema Shares released Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla theatrically in North America in 1977.  They initially released the film as Godzilla vs. the Bionic Monster, but a threat of legal action from Universal Television over the title, due to their own The Bionic Woman television program, caused Cinema Shares to change the name of the film to Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster.  A few edits were made to the film for its North American release to remove some of the violence and swearing.

Toho’s uncut and dubbed international version of Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla with onscreen titles changed to English became the standard version released in North America during the VHS era.  In 2004, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment released Toho’s international version of Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla on DVD, and viewers could choose to watch it with the original Japanese audio or Toho’s English dub.  This release is now out of print.  The original Japanese version of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, with Toho’s English dub as an alternate audio option, is currently available as part of The Criterion Collection’s Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975 Blu-ray set.

Monster Mondays: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

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Nuclear testing close to the Aleutians has had a major geological impact on the Pacific region, including on Monster Island.  Also feeling the effects of nuclear testing is the undersea kingdom of Seatopia, which decides to release their god, a giant insect monster Megalon, to punish the surface dwellers for the destruction caused to them.

Inventor Goro Ibuki (Katsuhiko Sasaki) has created Jet Jaguar, an advanced humoid robot.  The Seatopians take control of Jet Jaguar and use it to lead Megalon around Japan.  Megalon is eventually taken to Tokyo, where he begins destroying the city.  Goro manages to regain control of Jet Jaguar and sends him to Monster Island to get Godzilla.  In response, the Seatopians contact M Space Hunter Nebula and ask them to send Gigan to help in their battle against the surface people.  

Jet Jaguar reaches Monster Island and informs Godzilla about Megalon.  Jet Jaguar then flies back to Japan ahead of Godzilla and locates the insect monster.  Goro finds he has lost control of Jet Jaguar, who suddenly grows to giant monster size and engages Megalon in combat of his own free will.  While Jet Jaguar and Megalon are fighting, Gigan descends from space and joins the fight.  Just when it seems like Megalon and Gigan will destroy Jet Jaguar, Godzilla arrives and a tag-team monster battle ensues.

Godzilla vs. Megalon is my pick for weakest Japanese Godzilla film.  Its story feels simplistic, the production feels rushed, the film is padded with stock footage, and its giant creatures are some of the most anthropomorphized ever in a Godzilla film.  And yet, I still can’t say I dislike the movie, or that it isn’t a fun watch.  Godzilla vs. Megalon remains a very enjoyable film despite its issues.

A new Godzilla suit was constructed for this film, reportedly built in only a week.  In keeping with his more anthropomorphized character, the design was made a bit cuter than previous Godzilla suits, with big eyes and puffy dorsal fins.  It is a far departure from the nightmarish nuclear horror that the character started as in Godzilla (1954), but I have to say I really like this design.  This suit would also be used in Toho’s superhero television show Zone Fighter (1973) during Godzilla’s guest appearances in the show.  The next two Godzilla films, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) and Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975), would also feature this Godzilla suit, albeit with some alterations that make him look less cute.

Like Hedorah and Gigan before him, Megalon is among the more outlandish foes Godzilla has faced.  Despite being a giant beetle-like insect, it only has four limbs, and its arms end in drill bits that rotate in a physics-defying way to allow the monster to rapidly burrow underground.  Still, Megalon can look very impressive when shot from the correct angle, and the way he is able to hide underground and spring out on his enemies is a fun battle tactic that is well executed by the special effects crew.

But it is Jet Jaguar, the size-shifting artifically intelligent robot with a grill-grin across his face, who is the real star of the movie.  Not only does he have his own theme song, but Jet Jaguar is at the heart of the plot, first being hijacked by the Seatopians to lead Megalon on its rampage of destruction across Japan, and then being taken back under the control of his inventor to get Godzilla.  In the final act of the film, Jet Jaguar suddenly becomes artificially intelligent, choosing on his own to grow to giant monster size and go into battle against Megalon while Godzilla is still making his way to Japan.  Despite the lack of logic behind Jet Jaguar’s actions and abilities in the film, the character has proved enduring, appearing in video games, toy releases, and the anime series Godzilla Singular Point (2021).

Though it is mostly light entertainment, Godzilla vs. Megalon is clearly attempting to say something about the negative effects of nuclear testing.  The nuclear testing in the film creates geologic disruption across the Pacific region, causing earthquakes on Monster Island and in Japan.  It also impacts Seatopia, with Seatopian Emperor Antonio (Robert Dunham) saying that a whole sector of the undersea continent was destroyed.  Unfortunately any attempt to criticize nuclear testing is somewhat undermined by the fact that Godzilla, a creature that is also the result of nuclear testing, thwart’s Seatopia’s retaliation against the surface people.  Also, Seatopia strangely chooses to attack Japan instead of the nations which actually conducted nuclear testing in the Pacific, like the United States or France.

Godzilla vs. Megalon was released in Japanese theatres on March 17, 1973.  Toho had the film dubbed into English in Hong Kong and Cinema Shares released Godzilla vs. Megalon theatrically in North America in 1976.  A few edits were made to the film for its North American release, though seemingly after the initial theatrical release but while it was still showing.  Godzilla vs. Megalon was everywhere on home video during the VHS era, though only in edited down dubbed versions rather than uncut.

Godzilla vs. Megalon did not see an official DVD or Blu-ray release in North America until Media Blasters released the original Japanese version of the film in both formats through their Tokyo Shock division, same as Destroy All Monsters(1968).  This 2014 release also had Toho’s English dub as an audio option.  Also like the aforementioned Destroy All Monsters release, some copies of the film ended up on the market with extra content that had not been approved by Toho. This release is now out of print.  The original Japanese version of Godzilla vs. Megalon, with Toho’s English dub as an alternate audio option, is currently available as part of The Criterion Collection’s Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975 Blu-ray set.

Monster Mondays: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

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Manga artist Gengo Kotaka (Hiroshi Ishikawa) is having trouble getting work, so his girlfriend Tomoko Tomoe (Yuriko Hishimi) suggests that he apply at World Children’s Land, a theme park that is under construction.  World Children’s Land is to be monster-themed, and the company wants to use Gengo’s monster ideas.

Gengo gets the job but, while walking to work one day, a woman fleeing from the building bumps into him.  She drops a tape, but gets up and runs away without coming back for it.  The woman, Machiko Shima (Tomoko Umeda), and her friend Shosako Kosugi (Minoru Takashima) find Gengo on his way home from work and tell him they are investigating World Children’s Land because her brother, Takashi Shima (Kunio Murai), went missing while working there.  They listen to the tape, but it is just strange beeping sounds.

After some sleuthing around, they discover that the people running World Children’s Land are cockroach aliens from M Space Hunter Nebula and are holding Takashi Shima captive.  The M Space Hunter Nebula aliens intend to conquer the Earth using the monsters King Ghidorah and Gigan as weapons against humanity.  The invasion begins, with Gigan and Ghidorah destroying a large part of Tokyo.  Soon, Godzilla and Anguirus arrive in Tokyo and a tag-team battle between the monsters begins to decide the fate of the world.

With the turbulence in the Japanese film industry continuing, the impact on the Godzilla series was becoming more evident. Godzilla’s outings were getting sillier and the tighting budgets were having an obvious impact on the quality of the films.  Godzilla vs. Gigan makes use of a lot of stock footage from Toho’s previous giant monster movies.  Likewise, almost the entire score consists of recycled music written by Akira Ifukube for Toho’s earlier monster films and the Mitsubishi Pavilion at Expo ‘70, which was held in Osaka.  The only new composition for the film is the “Godzilla March”, a song that plays as the film wraps up.

The main Godzilla suit used in the film is the one made for Destroy All Monsters (1968) and, after having been the primary Godzilla suit in three previous films, it is showing serious signs of wear and tear.  Thankfully a new Godzilla suit would be built for Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) and it would star in the final three Godzilla films of the 1970s.  

Sadly, Godzilla vs. Gigan would be Haruo Nakajima’s final performance as Godzilla.  Nakajima had been playing the character and other Toho monsters, such as Baragon and Gaira, since 1954.  The man in the Gigan suit opposite Nakajima, Kenpachiro Satsuma (credited as Kengo Nakayama), would take up the role as the main Godzilla actor from The Return of Godzilla (1984) to Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995).

Like Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971), there is an environmental message to this film, but it’s pretty minimal.  The cockroach aliens tell our main characters that they come from a planet that was once like Earth, but the dominant species destroyed it with pollution.  They then say Earth is heading toward the same fate.  There is also a jab thrown at humanity as a whole when the aliens say humans make great “receptacles” to hide their true cockroach form within.

Despite the silly plot, Godzilla vs. Gigan is very enjoyable if you are able to turn your brain off and let it do the driving. For the first time there is major monster gore in a Godzilla movie.  Gigan uses his stomach implanted buzz saw to cut Godzilla’s arm and Anguirus’ face, and also bashes Godzilla’s forehead in with his sickle arm.  Also, the monster action takes off at around the 49 minute mark, just a little over halfway through the film, and doesn’t let up for very long until the movie ends.

Cinema Shares released Godzilla vs. Gigan theatrically in North America in 1977 as Godzilla on Monster Island.  For this release, Cinema Shares just used the Toho provided dub recorded in Hong Kong and cut a swear word from a line of dialogue.  It also seems some monster gore was cut from the theatrical release as well, though details on how extensively the film was edited are hard to come by.

In 2004, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment released Toho’s international version of Godzilla vs Gigan on DVD.  This version had the onscreen titles changed to English, and viewers could choose to watch it with the original Japanese audio or Toho’s English dub.  The international version with the same two audio options was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Kraken Releasing in 2014.  Both the Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment and Kraken Releasing releases are out of print.  Only the original Japanese version of Godzilla vs. Gigan is currently available, and it is as part of The Criterion Collection’s Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975 Blu-ray set featuring the first 15 Godzilla movies.

Monster Mondays: Godzilla vs. Hedora (1971)

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A fisherman (Yoshio Yoshida) brings an unusual tadpole-like fish he caught in Suruga Bay to Dr. Toru Yano (Akira Yamanouchi).  While Dr. Yano investigates this tadpole, a giant tadpole monster is seen attacking two boats that have collided in the bay.  Dr. Yano goes diving in Suruga Bay to try to find the monster, leaving his son Ken Yano (Hiroyuki Kawase) playing on the shore.  Both Dr. Yano and Ken are injured by the monster, receiving what seems to be chemical burns after coming into contact with the creature.

Dr. Yano discovers the tadpole-like monster can separate into smaller such creatures, or merge with others.  It also seems to grow when it feeds on toxic pollution, with no obvious limit to how big it can get.  Ken suggests naming the creature Hedorah.

Hedorah’s next form, a giant quadrupedal sludge monster, comes ashore and begins inhaling the fumes being pumped out of the chimney of a factory.  Godzilla also comes ashore and engages Hedorah in battle.  Godzilla manages to drive Hedorah back into the sea and disappears into the ocean in pursuit of the monster.

Hedorah soon comes ashore again, this time in a round, flat flying form.  As it flies over Japan, is spews corrosive fumes, suffocating the people below it and dissolving the flesh off their bones.  Godzilla appears and attempts to stop Hedorah, but is also affected by the smog monster’s toxic fumes.

Dr. Yano discovers the only way to beat Hedorah is to dry it out.  He contacts the JSDF and instructs them to build a giant device for that purpose.  The plan is to try to get Hedorah between two electrodes and then quickly dehydrate him.

Hedorah reappears on Mount Fuji in his final form, an upright walking pile of gunk, with Godzilla close behind him.  Godzilla and Hedorah fight as the JSDF quickly puts up the electrodes, but the monsters battle their way through the electrical wires necessary to power them.  As the military tries to repair the wires, Hedorah is lured between the electrodes.  Godzilla blasts the electrodes with his atomic ray, allowing them to power up and start to dry out Hedorah.  Hedorah attempts to flee, but Godzilla flies after him, catching the toxic monster.  Godzilla brings Hedorah back to the electrodes and finishes him off, turning him to dust.

As the 1970s dawned, television was proving to be fierce competition for theatrical films in Japan, and it was beginning to have a major impact on the film studios.  Daiei Film, the company that produced the Gamera series and the Daimajin trilogy, collapsed into bankruptcy in 1971 shortly following the release of Gamera vs. Zigra (1971).  Other studios, like Toei Company, increased the amount of skin and violence in some of their films to levels above that which was permitted on television, allowing them to offer something distinctly different from what was on the small screen.  Nikkatsu Corporation, the oldest Japanese major film production company, went all in on the skin, producing almost exclusively erotic films from 1971 to 1988 in what they called their Roman Porno line.

Massive changes were underway at Toho too, but one thing that stayed the same, at least at the beginning of the 1970s, was that they were still producing Godzilla movies.  Pollution had become a major problem in Japan, and so the decision was made to have Godzilla face a monster that was the result of pollution and smog.  Godzilla vs. Hedorah is not subtle in its environmentalist message, hitting the viewer with images of people and Godzilla suffering disfiguring injuries as a result of contact or being in close proximity to Hedorah.  Human skeletons are left in Hedorah’s wake as he flies over urban areas, his pollution dissolving the flesh off anyone unfortunate enough to get caught underneath as he passes over.  In many ways, this almost mirrors Godzilla (1954) and the powerful way it made its point about radiation and nuclear weapons.

Unfortunately, Godzilla vs. Hedorah seems unsure whether it wants to be a horrific social commentary or children’s entertainment.  Ken Yano plays a key role in the film and Godzilla acts very human-like at points.  Also, near the end of the film, there is a scene where Godzilla flies after Hedorah, using his atomic breath as a kind of rocket propulsion to fly through the air.  The juxtoposition of these more childish elements alongside the graphic injuries suffered by Hedorah’s victims, including Ken himself, gives the film a very uneven tone.

Despite this unevenness, Godzilla vs. Hedorah has gone down as a cult classic.  It’s arguably the strangest Godzilla movie and is bursting with creative imagery, including dancing skeletons, people with fish heads, animated sequences, and a great multi-form monster in Hedorah.  Godzilla vs. Hedorah is not afraid to try new things for the series and is a lot of fun for it.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah was dubbed into English, including the catchy theme song, at Titra Studios in the United States and released in North America by AIP in 1972 as Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster.  Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster was released on VHS by Orion Home Video in 1989 and Simitar Entertainment in 1990.

In 2004, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment released Toho’s international version of Godzilla vs. Hedorah on DVD.  This version had English on-screen titles and viewers could choose to watch the film with the original Japanese audio or Toho’s own English dub, which had been recorded in Hong Kong.  The international version with the same two audio options was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Kraken Releasing in 2014.  Both the Columbia TriStar Home Entertainmentand Kraken Releasing releases are out of print.  Only the original Japanese version of Godzilla vs. Hedorah is currently available, and it is as part of The Criterion Collection’s Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975 Blu-ray set featuring the first 15 Godzilla movies.

Monster Mondays: All Monsters Attack (1969)

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Ichiro Miki (Tomonori Yazaki) is a young boy who is the victim of bullying by a kid named Sanko Gabara (Junichi Ito) and his gang.  Ichiro’s parents work long hours, so he is often left alone after school, though his toy inventor neighbour Shinpei Inami (Hideyo Amamoto) checks in on him regularly and gives him dinner.

While he is alone, Ichiro likes to nap and dream about visiting Minya on Monster Island.  Like Ichiro, Minya is bullied by a big green monster named Gabara and is too afraid to stand up for himself.

Meanwhile, the police are searching the area for some bankrobbers that are on the run.  The bankrobbers kidnap Ichiro from his apartment while he is alone and plan to use him as a hostage to get away from the police.

In his dreams, Ichiro sees Godzilla teach Minya to stand up for himself against Gabara, with the young monster eventually defeating his bully.  Ichiro uses the lessons he learned from Minya to fight off the bankrobbers and escape.  Ichiro runs to safety and the police arrest the bankrobbers.

The next day, Ichiro encounters his own Gabara and his gang again.  Ichiro stands up to Gabara and the two of them get into a fight, with Ichiro walking away victorious.

Toho’s decision to end the Godzilla series with Destroy All Monsters in 1968 didn’t last long and All Monsters Attack was released in Japanese theatres the following year, on December 20th, 1969.  Many fans consider All Monsters Attack to be the worst Godzilla movie because it is directly aimed at a child audience and reuses a lot of footage from previous movies to fill out the monster scenes, especially from Ebirah, Horror of the Deep and Son of Godzilla.  Despite that, there are some, including me, who think All Monsters Attack has a bit of an unfair reputation and is much better than most give it credit for.

All Monsters Attack is a fun little children’s movie and, at only 69 minutes long, the film moves very quickly.  Tomonori Yazaki does a great job portraying Ichiro, despite his young age, and is very easy to empathize with as he is picked on by bullies and suffers from loneliness while his parents work.  Likewise, Kenji Sahara and Machiko Naka, who portray Ichiro’s parents, both make you feel their pain as they are forced to be away from their son while they work.

The most obvious message in All Monsters Attack is aimed at the child audience and it is about learning to stand up to bullies.  At the beginning of the movie, Ichiro is afraid to stand up to his bullies, and offers very little resistance when they pick on him.  After seeing Minya learn to stand up to Gabara and beat him, Ichiro has the bravery not just to stand up to his own Gabara, but also to the bankrobbers that kidnapped him.  While it is a great message about learning to be assertive and push back against those that would happily keep you down, it is perhaps a little too optimistic.  Ichiro could have easily been killed by the bankrobbers, and standing up to the bullies could have ended up in him getting punched in the nose.

There is another message woven into All Monsters Attack just under the surface and it is much more relevent to the adults taking their kids to see the movie.  Ichiro’s parents both have to work long hours at the expense of the well-being of their family to make ends meet.  The morning after Ichiro’s ordeal with the bankrobbers, his mother promises him she won’t work late again.  Ichiro responds by saying they won’t have enough money if she doesn’t, and adds that he would like for his mom and dad to be home all the time, but he’ll be fine by himself.  Ichiro then runs out of the apartment to go to school, leaving his mother alone in the apartment crying.  It is a powerful portrayal of the effects of capitalist exploitation of the working class.

One other thing to note is the industrialized setting in which the film takes place.  Ichiro lives in an apartment in an area surrounded by pollution spewing factories and traffic.  At one point his father even mentions wanting to move away from such a polluted area, and his co-worker expresses concern Ichiro may get asthma.  But smog is a discussion for another Godzilla movie…

All Monsters Attack was released in North American theatres on December 8, 1971 by Maron Films under the title Godzilla’s Revenge.  The movie was going to be released under the title Minya: Son of Godzilla, but it was thought the movie would be confused with Son of Godzilla (1967), which was being broadcast on TV.  For its North American release as Godzilla’s Revenge, All Monsters Attack was dubbed into English and had the song which plays over the opening credits and one other scene changed to the jazz piece Crime Fiction by Ervin Jereb.

The dubbed version of All Monsters Attack was pretty much the only version of the film released in North America until 2008 when Classic Media released both the Japanese version and English dubbed version on a single disk DVD.  Only the original Japanese version of All Monsters Attack is currently available, and it is as part of The Criterion Collection’s Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975 Blu-ray set featuring the first 15 Godzilla movies.

Monster Mondays: Destroy All Monsters (1968)

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Monsterland in the Ogasawara Islands by the United Nations Science Committee.  Here, the monsters are prevented from going on destructive rampages and are studied.  The United Nations Science Committee also has a space program, with a base on the moon.

Suddenly communication with Monsterland is lost and the monsters begin appearing all over the world.  Rodan attacks Moscow, Gorosaurus attacks Paris, Mothra attacks Beijing, and Godzilla attacks New York, targeting the United Nations Secretariat Building with his atomic breath. 

It is soon discovered that the monsters and researchers who were at Monsterland are under the control of a race of aliens called Kilaaks.  The Kilaaks are controlling the Monsterland researchers with devices behind their ears and there are devices hidden around the world that are being used to control the monsters.

Eventually Godzilla, Rodan, Manda, and Mothra appear in Tokyo, destroying the city.  The Kilaaks are found to have a base under Mount Fuji.  A military operation is launched to destroy the base, but the armed forces are driven back by the monsters guarding it.

Captain Katsuo Yamabe (Akira Kubo) takes his crew on the Moonlight SY-3 spaceship to the moon and manages to recover the master control device from a secret Kilaak base there.  Earth takes control of the monsters and prepares for a final assault on the Kilaaks’ Mount Fuji base. 

Just before the attack can begin, the Kilaaks pull out their secret weapon to defend themselves: King Ghidorah!  A massive brawl ensues and the Earth monsters finally kill the golden three-headed space dragon.  With King Ghidorah defeated, Godzilla attacks the Kilaaks’ base, ending the alien invasion.

The post-war economic prosperity that had allowed the proliferation of giant monster movies in the earlier part of the decade had also allowed for an increasing number of Japanese households to own televisions.  By the late 1960s, it was easier and much more affordable to just stay home and watch programs like Ultraseven than to go see Godzilla or Gamera films in the movie theatres. In North America, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep and Son of Godzilla had been released directly to television, while Invasion of Astro-Monster still languished without a release at all despite being a Japanese-U.S. co-production starring Hollywood actor Nick Adams.  It was becoming clear that major changes were on the way for the Japanese film industry, so the decision was made to end the Godzilla series.

With the intention of going out on a high note, Destroy All Monsters was given a bigger budget than the previous few Godzilla movies, and it really shows.  There is a lot of special effects work in this movie, from giant monsters and miniature cities, to rocket ships and underground bases.  A total of eleven monsters from previous Toho movies appear in this film, though some just briefly: Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Anguirus, Gorosaurus, Manda, Baragon, Varan, Kumonga, and Minya. 

Destroy All Monsters was a major turning point in the series for a few reasons.  It marks the last time all four of the key men who created Godzilla in 1954 made a Godzilla movie together, as special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya would pass away in January 1970.  Also, this is the first film where Godzilla is depicted as a deliberate hero, and he would continue to be portrayed as a hero through Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975).

Unlike previous Godzilla movies which explored various Cold War concerns, Destroy All Monsters is a much more straight-forward monster movie.  There really isn’t much in the way of thematic subtext.  At most, there is a longing for a future in which humanity can overcome its divisions and collaborate as a species, internationally and without conflict, on furthering scientific and technological progress for the benefit of all.  Unfortunately it is a dream that we still haven’t realized nearly a quarter of a century after the film’s setting.

Destroy All Monsters was released in Japanese cinemas on August 1, 1968 and AIP released the film theatrically in North America on May 23, 1969.  For its North American release, the film was dubbed into English at Titra Studios in the United States and had a few very minor edits made to it.  Destroy All Monsters was released on VHS and DVD in North America in 1998 by ADV Films in uncut widescreen with Toho’s own English dub, produced at Frontier Enterprises in Japan, as the only audio option.  ADV released the same DVD with a CD of the film’s soundtrack as an extra in 2004 for Godzilla’s 50th anniversary.  These releases are all out of print.

Destroy All Monsters was again released in North America in 2011, this time on DVD and Blu-ray by Tokyo Shock.  This release was packed with extras and included the Japanese audio, Toho’s English dub, and the AIP dub.  Unfortunately, some of the content on the disks had not been approved by Toho and this release was quickly put out of print, with just a handful of lucky fans that picked it up immediately upon release getting a copy of it.  Tokyo Shock re-released the film on DVD and Blu-ray in 2014 without the extras or AIP dub, and this release is now also out of print.  The original Japanese version of Destroy All Monsters, with Toho’s own English dub as an alternate audio option, is currently available as part of The Criterion Collection’s Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975 Blu-ray set.

Monster Mondays: Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) [aka Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster]

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By Ben Dower

Ryota Kane (Toru Watanabe) is desperate to search for his brother Yata Kane (Toru Ibuki), who has disappeared while at sea.  He tries to join a dance contest to win a boat, but is too late.  He goes with two men who lost the dance contest to the harbour, where they sneak onto a boat.  Inside the boat they find bank robber Yoshimura (Akira Takarada) hiding, but decide to spend the night on board.

The next morning, they awake to find Ryota has stolen the boat and is searching for his brother.  They get caught in a powerful storm, which washes them to Letchi Island.  As they near the island, the boat is attacked and destroyed by a giant lobster named Ebirah, but they all make it ashore safely.

On the island, they find a secret terrorist organization called Red Bamboo that is producing nuclear weapons.  Red Bamboo is enslaving people from Infant Island and using them to make a yellow liquid that keeps Ebirah away from their ships.  

A woman from Infant Island named Daiyo (Kumi Mizuno) manages to escape her Red Bamboo captors and joins with Ryota and his friends.  They find Godzilla sleeping on the island and awaken him.  Godzilla confronts Ebirah, and after a quick skirmish the two monsters go their separate ways.

Yata is found and the friends come up with a plan to sabatoge Red Bamboo, free the captured Infant Islanders, and escape Letchi Island.  The enslaved Infant Islanders create a fake yellow juice that won’t repel Ebirah.  Godzilla rampages through Red Bamboo’s base, activiating a nuclear self-destruct sequence.  As Red Bamboo flees the island, Ebirah attacks and sinks their boat, the fake yellow liquid doing nothing to stop him.

Godzilla fights Ebirah once more, ripping the giant crustacean’s claws off, and Mothra arrives in time to fly the film’s heros and Infant Islanders to safety.  Godzilla also manages to escape the island just before it is destroyed by Red Bamboo’s nuclear bomb. 

After the interplanetary special effects tour-de-force that was Invasion of Astro-Monster, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep feels a lot more low key.  The film is set primarily on tropical island locations and has a much simpler plot than the two Ghidorah movies.  There are no scenes of major urban destruction, and both battles between Godzilla and Ebirah take place primarily in the water, something entirely new for the Godzilla series.

Part of the reason for the simplified special effects scenes is due to budget restraints.  In January 1966, a new monster television show began airing called Ultra Q.  Ultra Q was followed up in July 1966 by Ultraman, the first in a series of TV programs featuring a transforming giant alien that fights giant monsters.  With televisions now common in Japanese households and giant monsters regularly on TV, people had less of a need to go to the theatre to see giant monsters on the screen.  Add to that the fact Ebirah, Horror of the Deep was not a partially American funded co-production like Invasion of Astro-Monster, and it’s easy to understand why Toho was cutting budgets on their Godzilla pictures.

That’s not to say Ebirah, Horror of the Deep is a bad movie, because it isn’t.  What Ebirah, Horror of the Deep lacks in big budget monster action, it makes up for in human action.  The film has a real James Bond feel to it, with the over-the-top terrorist organization Red Bamboo pursuing our main characters all over Letchi Island.  The whole movie is just a lot of fun, from the dance contest at the beginning to the nuclear explosive climax.

Interestingly, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep was initially planned to be a King Kong movie.  The film was intended to be a co-production with Rankin/Bass Productions as a tie-in with their King Kong cartoon series.  Rankin/Bass, however, apparently rejected the script, so Toho just replaced King Kong with Godzilla and produced the film themselves.  Clues that this was intended to be a King Kong movie still remain in the finished film, such as the scene where Godzilla becomes fixated on Daiyo at one point.  Toho would eventually produce King Kong Escapes with Rankin/Bass the following year.

While the whole film is pretty fast-paced and light-hearted, there is still some social commentary present.  The “Red” in Red Bamboo is clearly an allusion to communism and bamboo is a plant most commonly associated with pandas and China.  Red Bamboo’s Captain Yamoto (Akihiko Hirata) also wears an eye patch with a dragon on it.  In the mid-1960s, China became a nuclear-armed state.  Red Bamboo is clearly meant as a commentary on China’s nuclear weapons development.

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep was released directly to television in the United States in 1967 as Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster by Walter Reade Organization.  It was edited slightly and given an English dub by Titra Studios in the United States.  This version was the only version distributed in North America for decades. 

In 2005, TriStar released Toho’s international version of Ebirah, Horror of the Deep on DVD.  This version had the onscreen titles changed to English, and viewers could choose to watch it with the original Japanese audio or Toho’s own English dub, which was produced at Frontier Enterprises in Japan.  The international version with the same two audio options was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Kraken Releasing in 2014.  Both the TriStar and Kraken releases are out of print.  Only the original Japanese version of Ebirah, Horror of the Deep is currently available, and it is as part of The Criterion Collection’s Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975 Blu-ray set featuring the first 15 Godzilla movies.

Monster Mondays: Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) [or ‘Godzilla vs. Monster Zero’]

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By Ben Dower

Astronauts Kazuo Fuji (Akira Takarada) and Glenn Amer (Nick Adams) are sent to investigate the newly discovered Planet X.  They meet a race of humanoid aliens who live underground in fear of Ghidorah, which is attacking the planet’s surface.  These Xillians request to borrow Godzilla and Rodan in order to drive Ghidorah away, and in exchange will provide Earth with a drug to cure cancer.

Tetsuo Torii (Akira Kubo) is an inventor who is in a relationship with Haruno Fuji (Keiko Sawai), Kazuo’s sister.  Though they want to get married, Kazuo isn’t keen on giving his blessing.  Tetsuo has invented a loud alarm, and it has caught the interest of Miss Namikawa (Kumi Mizuno) and the toy company she works for.

Astronauts Kazuo and Glenn come back to Earth and present the Xillians’ request to the authorities.  While the governments of Earth debate whether or not to allow the Xillians to borrow Godzilla and Rodan, Haruno and Tetsuo meet Kazuo at a restaurant and try to convince him to permit them to marry.  While at the restaurant, they see Glenn go on a date with Miss Namikawa.

The Xillians show up on Earth in flying saucers and trap Godzilla and Rodan, despite Earth not reaching an agreement with them.  The authorities on Earth agree to the deal for the cancer drug, and the Xillians take Godzilla, Rodan, Kazuo, Glenn, and Dr. Sakurai (Jun Tazaki) to Planet X.

Almost as soon as they arrive on Planet X, Ghidorah appears and attacks Godzilla and Rodan.  The two monsters fight back, quickly driving the space dragon away.  During the battle, Kazuo and Glenn sneak off and have a look around the Xillians’ underground base.  They discover that all the women on Planet X look like Miss Namikawa.  The Controller of Planet X (Yoshio Tsuchiya) forgives them for sneaking off and sends the humans back to Earth with a recording of how to make the cancer drug.

The recording turns out to contain an ultimatum demanding the complete surrender of the Earth.  Miss Namikawa reveals herself to be an Xillian spy, but says she really loves Glenn.  Just before she is destroyed for disobeying the Controller of Planet X and acting on her emotions, she slips a note into Glenn’s pocket.  The note informs Glenn that the Xillians can be injured by a sound, which Tetsuo realizes is the same sound his alarm makes.

The Xillians attack Earth using Godzilla, Rodan, and Ghidorah.  Kazuo, Glenn, Dr. Sakurai, and Tetsuo manage to interrupt the aliens’ control of the monsters and the sound of the alarm is broadcast around the world, forcing the Xillians into retreat.  Freed from Xillian control, Godzilla and Rodan turn on Ghidorah, driving him from Earth for the second time.

With Japanese monster movies proving to be profitable for their U.S. distributors, UPA had producer Henry G. Saperstein work directly with Toho to co-produce movies.  As part of this colaboration, Hollywood actor Nick Adams starred in Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965) and Invasion of Astro-Monster, and Russ Tamblyn starred in War of the Gargantuas (1966).  Nick Adams brings great energy and charisma to his role.  Despite speaking all his lines in English on set, there is still a real sense of chemistry with his Japanese co-stars, especially Akira Takarada and Kumi Mizuno. There is also a very brief kiss between Nick Adams and Kumi Mizuno, and it remains the only kiss in a live-action Japanese Godzilla movie to this day.

As with all good scifi, Invasion of Astro-Monster has relevant themes woven through it.  The Xillians take orders from the Controller of Planet X and are all of one mind under his rule, while humanity is full of individuals who each bring different skills to the table.  This portrayal of humanity’s diversity is enhanced by Nick Adams’ presence among the Japanese cast.  In 1965, the world was divided, almost to the point of nuclear war, between the communist nations and democratic ones.  It’s not hard to read the Xillians as a metaphor for a communist country and humanity as a stand in for a democratic one.

Also, the two main female characters in the film have men in their lives preventing them from marrying the man they love.  For Miss Namikawa, it is the Controller of Planet X and his imposed social order that is restricting her ability to marry Glenn.  For Haruno, it’s her brother who won’t allow her to marry Tetsuo.  Miss Namikawa ends up being destroyed for her forbidden love, but Haruno eventually receives her brother’s blessing after Tetsuo’s invention literally saves the world.

With much of the Americanization of Invasion of Astro-Monster being incorporated into the initial production, very little was changed upon its release in North America.  A few minutes were trimmed from the film, some music and sound effects were changed, and all the Japanese cast were given an English dub.  The English dub, which keeps Nick Adams’ original English delivery of his lines, is fantastic, and one of the few Japanese giant monster films in which I prefer the English dub over the original Japanese version.

For decades, the American version of Invasion of Astro-Monster was the only version distributed in North America.  In 2007, both the U.S. and Japanese versions of the film were released on a single DVD by Classic Media.  Invasion of Astro-Monster is currently available as part of The Criterion Collection’s Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975Blu-ray set featuring the first 15 Godzilla movies.  This Criteron Collection release of the film contains the original Japanese version and the English dub synced to the Japanese cut, reverting to the Japanese audio during scenes trimmed from the U.S. edit.  Unfortunately, there seems to be no cut available anywhere keeping the film as it was shot, with Nick Adam’s original English dialogue alongside the Japanese spoken by the rest of the cast.