Had a bit of the ick yesterday, so I stayed home from work, watched Godzilla movies, and bundled up under a blanket of cats. Quite therapeutic, this treatment. Today, much better, nearly 100%.
The recent Criterion DVD release of the original Godzilla arrived the other day, so I watched the Japanese version on Friday and spent yesterday's forced seclusion watching the Americanized version with Perry Mason. It's a winner of a DVD set, with beautifully restored prints of both films and lots of special features. To me, the incredible sound quality, particularly of the Japanese version, may be the package's most impressive feature. The booming footsteps and deafening roar is absolutely awe-inspiring. My full review of both the original Japanese film and its Americanized counterpart, based on the Classic Media DVD release from a few years back (which is hardly shabby in and of itself) can be found at my Daikaiju review page. The Criterion release surpasses it in quality, with some notable special features, including several documentaries and commentary by author David Kalat, but the Classic Media DVD's special features are also very worthwhile. It pays to own both sets. I think it's time to update my Godzilla DVD review....
Since I was under the weather (and under the aforementioned blanket of cats), just for good measure, I went on and watched the Japanese versions of Godzilla Raids Again and King Kong vs. Godzilla, and the U.S. version of Mothra vs. Godzilla (a.k.a. Godzilla vs. the Thing). Nothing like a little daikaiju therapy to put everything right again.
And yes, being smushed by cats helps too. A lot.
