Gojira on Blu-ray: a disappointment

Ok, I was warned...

Imagine my delight several months ago when I learned that the legendary 1954 Toho Kabushiki-kaisha (東宝株式会社, a.k.a. Toho Studios) film, GOJIRA (ゴジラ, a.k.a. "Godzilla"), the seminal film of my life, would be released in the U.S. in a high-definition transfer on Blu-ray disc on the Classic Media label. I have already seen a number of HD transfers of black and white films and many have been spectacular, including Sir Carol Reed's The Third Man (1949), Robert Wise's The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull (1980) and others. With the prior deluxe two-disc DVD release by Classic Media of the subtitled 1954 Japanese original -- the first time it appeared on a commercial U.S. DVD -- along side of the famed 1956 U.S. version (not only dubbed into English but re-cut and featuring new scenes with the late Raymond Burr), one would have assumed that this Blu-ray issue would be quite fine. (This, even considering the fact that they were not using -- according to several reports -- one of the near-mint condition/digitally cleaned and restored, Toho master prints.)

Kingu Kongu tai Gojira - Great for convalescing!

While at home recuperating, I find myself drifting back and forth between work on projects for my company, Mitra Creative, where I have the concentration, and watching something from my vast collection of DVDs (cinema, music, etc.).

This afternoon's treat was one of my all-time favorites, King Kong vs. Godzilla (キングコング対ゴジラ, Kingu Kongu tai Gojira). I've been a fanatical Godzilla (ゴジラ Gojira) fan since childhood and expanded that love and fascination to almost all aspects of Japanese cinema.

Today was like a return to my childhood on a "sick day" from school. Me at home, eating Progresso chicken noodle soup and watching KK vs. G! Here, via YouTube, is the trailer, featuring Godzilla, King Kong, the direction of Honda Ishiro (本多 猪四郎), the special effects work of pioneer, Tsuburaya Eiji (円谷 英二), and the glorious music -- whatever was left in the U.S. version (they cut a lot of it and replaced it with music from previous U.S. monster films... ick!) -- of the great Ifukube Akira (伊福部 昭):