Just kidding! It's Mothra, by Inishiro Honda, 1961. Yup, I got the Icons of Sci-Fi: Toho Collection. If my apartment had really kick-ass air conditioning, and I myself had two or three Oxycontins, I'd obviously be enjoying the best afternoon ever with this stuff, but helas, such is my physical discomfort at the moment that I can only deal with this material piecemeal. Dave Kehr has a typically thoughtful and informative review of it here, which doesn't deal with the set's biggest problem—its cheap-ass packaging, rightfully deplored over at DVD Beaver. A single case with a longer center spindle on which you have to pile each of the three discs. Handle with care indeed.
How dare you trick me into thinking you were talking about the Master of Masters, Renoir.
Glenn, I am sorry you are in pain! Ice will help inflammation AND lousy AC. I must also cry foul, however; I was all set to cozy up with a set of thoughts on Renoir. I thought, “He wasn’t kidding about being Mr. Nice Guy this week, he’s picking only the best!”
The packaging is cheap to be sure, but it’s OK with me if Sony wants to put discs out in manila envelopes as long as they keep issuing library titles. With the current industry crisis, Fox/MGM has pretty much disappeared, Paramount is essentially only doing old CBS shows, and Universal seems even more clueless than ever. It’s down to good old Warner Home Video and Sony to keep the faith among the majors(and who would have expected that from Sony even a couple of years ago?). At a time like this, people shouldn’t be discouraged from buying the Honda set because it lacks a piece of plastic.
Believe me, I weren’t trying to do no discouragin’; fact is, Sony’s been cutting back on review copies, so I spent my own increasingly scant scheckels on this item, and am glad I did. I just want anybody doing same to be extra careful on first opening the case, as the discs are sometimes likely to pop out!
This is an absolute must-have trio, particularly THE H-MAN which is as good a sci-fi horror film as ever made. Honda was a master of widescreen atmosphere. I’d prefer cooler cover art, but I’m happy we get this set at all.
Dave,
Aside from Warner and Sony Home Video, the one other bright spot in recent weeks are the new titles released under the “Backlot Universal Series” label. “Lonely Are the Brave” (the only one I’ve had to chance to watch so far) was given a beautiful transfer.
Please Universal Santa, how about “Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here” this holiday season…
Let us not forget Criterion, for not only continuing to put out world classics, but also giving some love to underappreciated American catalog films like THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE and the upcoming DOWNHILL RACER.
Speaking of filmmaking gods and cinematic monsters, and “The Golden Coach”, I’ve always wondered what Jean Renoir really thought when watching films directed by his friend and collaborator, Eugene Lourie, such as “The Giant Behemoth” and “Gorgo”.
Probably the same thing Kurosawa thought watching his dear friend Ishiro Honda’s Toho monster movies…and since Honda acted as AD for him, he musta loved the Godzilla films!