Re: Stop Motion much better than CGI

>
> Who has current theatrical distribution rights on the Toho films?  And is
> it possible to get prints with the earlier and better dubbing job?  I
talked
> to Swank and they have some 16mm prints in doubtful condition but had no
> notion of where to get it in 35.
> --scott
> -- 

A whole bunch of companies. Many of the old rights long ago expired and
reverted back to Toho, and have since been re-licensed out to different
outfits, though not all the titles have re-appeared.

Rialto Pictures will be distributing the original Japanese "Gojira" (1954)
with English subtitles to arthouse/independant/repertory houses in the
spring/summer of 2004.  http://www.rialtopictures.com/godzilla.html (to be
updated)

The American Cinematheque will be doing some sort of restrospective at the
Egyptian Theater sometime in 2004.

Columbia has in 35mm:

THE H-MAN (1958)
BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE (1959)
MOTHRA (1961)
GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA II (1993; Toho international English dub)
GODZILLA VS SPACE GODZILLA (1994; Toho international English dub)
GODZILLA VS DESTOROYAH (1995; Toho international English dub)
REBIRTH OF MOTHRA 3 (1998; Toho international English dub)
GODZILLA 2000 (1999) (with an incredible directional dialogueicious SDDS-8
mix that pretty much no one got to hear)
GODZILLA VS MEGAGUIRUS (2000; Toho international English dub)
GODZILLA-MOTHRA-KING GHIDORAH (2001; Toho international English dub)

Toho themselves has at their LA office 35mm prints of:


GODZILLA (1954; Japanese language with English subtitles)
THE MYSTERIANS (1957)
INVASION OF THE ASTRO MONSTER (1965; it's Toho's "International" English
version of MONSTER ZERO, though I believe it has the exact same dub as the
US version featuring Nick Adam's own voice)

EBIRAH, HORROR OF THE DEEP (1966; Toho international English dub of GODZILLA
VS. THE SEA MONSTER)
SON OF GODZILLA (1967; Toho international English dub)

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (1968; Toho international English dub) One of the worst
dubs ever done (and knowing the quality of most dubs that's saying a lot!),
the rights Orion inherited from AIP on this reverted back to Toho even
before MGM bought them out, so the status of the original US dub (one of the
better ones out there) is unknown.

GODZILLA VS HEDORAH (1971; Toho international English dub) Same situation as
above. Apparently Toho does have a print of the old AIP version in LA... but
it's a faded 16mm print.

GODZILLA VS GIGAN (1972)
GODZILLA VS MEGALON (1973)
TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA (1975; Japanese language with English subtitles)

An outfit called Classic Media inherited the rights for all the Toho films
that UPA (the Mr. Magoo people) distributed, and even went so far as to
renew the old deals with Toho, but I don't know if theatrical bookings are
part of it. http://www.classicmedia.tv/pages/contact.html has several ways
to contact them to find out.


The UPA titles are:

GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS! (yup, the original US version starring
Raymond Burr and a bunch of guys with their backs turned to the camera
doubling Takashi Shimura)
RODAN (listen closely you can hear Paul Frees and George Takei dubbing the
same guy in different scenes!)
GODZILLA VS. THE THING (originally distributed by AIP for UPA, so it's the
same dub and edit)
MONSTER ZERO
FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD (also now showing in HDTV on the VOOM
satellite service)
WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS (ditto)
GODZILLA'S REVENGE
TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA (though at least as of '98 they had nothing but an
old edited video master of this one)