Audio commentaries and Special Features

GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS Blu-ray (Arrow Video, 2020); Audio commentary by Steve Ryfle & Ed Godziszewski; audio commentary produced by Steve Ryfle

GODZILLA: THE SHOWA ERA FILMS, 1954-1975 Blu-ray boxed set (Criterion Collection, 2019); Essay, “Reign of Destruction,” by Steve Ryfle

MOTHRA – Steelbook Edition Blu-ray (Toho/Mill Creek Entertainment, 2019); Audio commentary by Steve Ryfle & Ed Godziszewski

GEORGIA, GEORGIA DVD (Scorpion Releasing, 2012); Audio commentary by Stig Bjorkman, Dirk Benedict, and Steve Ryfle; audio commentary and special features produced by Steve Ryfle; Liner notes by Steve Ryfle

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS Blu-ray & DVD (Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock, 2012); Audio commentary by Ed Godziszewski and Steve Ryfle; audio commentary produced by Steve Ryfle

GOJIRA: THE ORIGINAL JAPANESE MASTERPIECE Blu-ray (Classic Media, 2009); Audio commentary by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski; audio commentary produced and edited by Steve Ryfle

ICONS OF SCI-FI: TOHO COLLECTION DVD set featuring MOTHRA and BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2009); Audo commentaries by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski; audio commentaries produced and edited by Steve Ryfle

GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (Classic Media, 2007); Audio commentary by Steve Ryfle, with Ed Godziszewski, Stuart Galbraith IV, and Bob Burns; audio commentary produced by Steve Ryfle

GOJIRA: THE ORIGINAL JAPANESE MASTERPIECE DVD set featuring GOJIRA and GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS (Classic Media, 2006); Audio commentaries by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski; audio commentaries produced by Steve Ryfle; liner notes by Steve Ryfle

GODZILLA (British Film Institute, 2006); Audio commentary by Steve Ryfle, Ed Godziszewski, and Keith Aiken

GODZILLA VS. MEGALON (Media Blasters, 2012); Audio commentary by Stuart Galbraith IV and Steve Ryfle; audio commentary produced by Steve Ryfle

ZPG: ZERO POPULATION GROWTH (Kino Lorber, 2016); Audio commentary by Steve Ryfle; audio commentary produced by Steve Ryfle

J.D’S REVENGE (Arrow Films, 2018); Featurette, “Here Lies J.D. Walker” co-produced by Steve Ryfle

PENITENTIARY II (Vinegar Syndrome, 2018); Audio commentary by David F. Walker and Steve Ryfle; audio commentary produced by Steve Ryfle

YONGARY, MONSTER FROM THE DEEP (Kino Lorber, 2015); Audio commentary by Steve Ryfle and Kim Song-Ho; audio commentary produced by Steve Ryfle

THE ULTIMATE SAMURAI: MUSASHI MIYAMOTO (Animeigo, 2010); Audio commentary by Stuart Galbraith IV; audio commentary edited by Steve Ryfle

TORA-SAN: COLLECTOR’S SET 1 (Animeigo, 2009); Audio commentary by Stuart Galbraith IV; audio commentary edited by Steve Ryfle

RASHOMON (BFI, 2014); Audio commentary by Stuart Galbraith IV; audio commentary edited by Steve Ryfle

BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY (Arrow Video, 2015); Audio commentary by Stuart Galbraith IV; audio commentary edited by Steve Ryfle

GODZILLA BOX SET (Classic Media, 2008);

MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA (Classic Media, 2006); Audio commentary by Ed Godziszewski and Steve Ryfle; audio commentary produced by Steve Ryfle

Reviews

GOJIRA (Classic Media DVD)
“…I can’t overstate the importance of Ryfle and Godziszewski’s commentary track… [It] explains and reveals important information about its production, its artistic design, and its cultural history. The duo manages to reveal both context and subtext, talking about subjects as varied as the presence and importance of an orphan in the Yamane home, the ways that the cinematography augments different performances in the film, and the historical and practical origins of Gojira’s trademark bellow.”
–Todd Gilchrist, Sci Fi Wire

 

“Each film has its own audio commentary by well-informed Godzilla fans Ed Godziszewski and Steve Ryfle. For two people not involved with either production, these are fantastically thorough looks at the original films  legacies. I found their commentary for the American cut more interesting than the original simply because of the challenges adapting the film for a new audience presented. It’s also on this track that they’re joined by a special guest who provides even more insight into the movie, the identity of whom I won’t spoil by mentioning here. Two very solid supplements.”
–Dustin McNeill, DVDActive

 

“The DVD set comes with … commentaries on both films by Godzilla experts Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski. These are the best bonuses … both are excellent and really delve into the history and detailed making of the films… they are well informed, fast paced, and non-fellatric in their opining.”
–Dan Schneider, Cosmoetica

 

“Film experts Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski offer full-length commentaries for each version that are pretty extraordinary in their scope and depth. They’ve done an incredible amount of research, and it shows. Plus, there’s zero dead air, nothing self-serving, and no nervous chatter … Everything they have to say seems substantial. They point out body doubles in the Americanized version, talk about the film’s reputation and whether it’s deserved or not, address Burr’s involvement and the story of how Gojira came to be Americanized, address controversies, point out factual inaccuracies in the films, and comment on differences between the two versions and how it effects the underlying theme of the movie: peace!”
–James Plath, Movie Metropolis

 

GODZILLA (BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE DVD)
“[F]irst-rate commentary track by Ed Godziszewski, Steve Ryfle and Keith Aiken, a trio of genre aficionados with a number of Godzilla-themed publications between them. Scene by scene, they guide viewers through minute details, informative anecdotes and production histories, as well as the occasional on- screen goof resulting from the film-makers’ limited special effects resources. These commentators hold an obvious reverence for the material that makes for a pleasant listen (numerous jabs at the subsequent US version suggest that they regard it with a firm disdain). Their most sobering insights are those that help us situate the film with the political impulses behind its creation.”
–Mike Dillon, Film International

 

GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (CLASSIC MEDIA DVD)
“Steve Ryfle’s commentary on the American version is the sort of sarcastic stuff you’d expect from MST3K, with remarks like: “Wherever this footage came from, it should have stayed there,” as some obviously faked footage of prehistoric dinosaurs comes on screen. He’s also full of information; my favorite gem is that no critics at the time even noticed that Gigantis was a Godzilla sequel, though many moviegoers did. Ryfle brings in guests to discuss specific aspects of the movie such as the suitmation actors or the musical score; he also plays a couple of vintage radio ads.”
–James A. Stewart, DVD Verdict
“The English version of the film comes with the option of commentary by Godzilla guru Steve Ryfle. Simply put, this is one of the most entertaining commentaries I’ve heard in a long while. Packed to the brim with stories about the production, Ryfle comments on and critiques this lesser version of Godzilla Raids Again, at times feeling like an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. He also calls on a few guests to chime in with comments, but Ryfle is the star of the commentary. A marvelous supplement.”
–Dustin McNeill, DVDActive

 

ICONS OF SCI-FI: TOHO COLLECTION
“Battle in Outer Space and Mothra have informative commentary tracks by kaiju experts Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, who come in well-prepared (as they did on Classic Media’s line of Toho monster movies on DVD) and also riff, good-naturedly, on the quirkier aspects of the films. (Battle, as they point out, doesn’t have the greatest script, but hearing the stock lines delivered in Japanese, rather than the comatose English of the dubbed version, makes all the difference.)”
–Bob Cashill, Popdose
“Extras include commentary by two authors who have written books about Toho and Japanese monster movies, Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski. Apparently the two men are preparing to publish a biography of Japanese director Ishiro Honda as a joint effort. They talk over the English language print of Mothra, and both versions of Battle in Outer Space. The two men offer significant information on the productions, and even call other participants on the phone during the commentary to add color and authenticity. These are two of the best commentaries I have heard this year for DVD.”
–Brett Cullum, DVD Verdict
“The other extra is a fine and informative audio commentary on both versions by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski. These two gentleman are the foremost Godzilla experts and their comments on Battle in Outer Space and Mothra (The H-Man does not have an audio commentary because there was only budget enough to do comments for two of the three films) are on the same  excellent level they produced for Classic Media’s Godzilla DVDs from a couple of years ago… [Their Mothra] audio commentary is especially informative as to the script development from the original treatment to what was finally put on the screen as well as the political symbolism of having a country called “Rolisica” in the film stand in for America and Russia (both bitter Cold War rivals at the time the film was shot).”
–Joe Cascio, DVD Drive-In
“In terms of special features we get two commentaries, one on Mothra and the other on Battle in Outer Space, by Japanese sci-fi historians Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski. These guys know their shit, and each commentary is a blast to listen along with. Really good stuff. Another good thing is that each of the three discs includes the original unedited Japanese versions of the flicks and the English dubbed versions. Solid!”
–Uncle Creepy, Dread Central