'Godzilla (1954)' Gets Criterion Blu-ray Treatment

Ishiro Honda's original king of movie monsters will be unleashed on Blu-ray this January!

In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection will release 'Godzilla (1954)' on Blu-ray on January 24.

'Godzilla' 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 still reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing.

The Blu-ray will feature a new 1080p digital transfer, uncompressed mono soundtracks, and supplements include: Audio commentary by David Kalat (A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series); New high-definition digital restoration of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Terry Morse’s 1956 reworking of the original, starring Raymond Burr; Audio commentary for Godzilla, King of the Monsters by Kalat; New interviews with actor Akira Takarada (Hideto Ogata), Godzilla performer Haruo Nakajima, and effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai; Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube; Featurette detailing Godzilla’s photographic effects; New interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato; The Unluckiest Dragon, an illustrated audio essay featuring historian Greg Pflugfelder describing the tragic fate of the fishing vessel Daigo fukuryu maru, a real-life event that inspired Godzilla; Theatrical trailers; and a booklet featuring an essay by critic J. Hoberman.

Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95.

You can find the latest specs for 'Godzilla (1954)' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where It is indexed under January 24.