Am I going to see Godzilla Minus One a third time, just because Toho International is releasing their black and white cut in the US? Yes. Yes, I am. It’s that good. And I trust writer/director/VFX artist Takashi Yamazaki when he says the following:
“I was very happy that the North American audience embraced GODZILLA MINUS ONE and gave us positive feedback such as “it was incredible! ,” “it was scary!,” and “it made me cry!” And now I am very pleased to be able to release a black-and-white version for North America as well. GODZILLA MINUS ONE /MINUS COLOR will bring a new and visceral experience to audiences and I hope they will tremble with a new kind of terror!”
“GODZILLA MINUS ONE/MINUS COLOR is not just a simple black and white version. Our colorist took the time and care to go through a very meticulous and complex process. The black-and-white images make Godzilla look very realistic and documentary-like, which leads to even more fear. Even though we have seen GODZILLA MINUS ONE many times, we felt that something completely different appeared here -and it’s very scary! So this is not only for those who liked GODZILLA MINUS ONE but also those who are seeing it for the first time – they should definitely see this black-and-white version. Especially the scene at the beginning where Godzilla appears in the night – it is so terrifying that it made my knees shake!’
Whether color or black and white, it’s a moving film. You have until February 1st to see it, because Toho International will be taking it out of movie theaters after that. Why? Because they leave us wanting more.
Apologies, too, if the trailer below does not play for you. Toho International gave press the video to post, but did not release the copyright restriction (so far).
