6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The Tokyo sewer system is an oozing mess after a radioactive liquid turns people into slimy blobs that float down the drains following a rainstorm. To add to the havoc, the gelatinous masses then begin to reproduce. The blobs are ultimately destroyed in a fire that lights up the city.
Starring: Yumi Shirakawa, Kenji Sahara, Akihiko Hirata, Eitarô Ozawa, Koreya SendaForeign | 100% |
Horror | 38% |
Sci-Fi | 9% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Japanese: LPCM 2.0 Mono
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (A, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Note: This version of this film is available as part of Eureka! Entertainment's Ishirō Honda Double Feature: The H-Man + Battle in Outer
Space.
Ishirō Honda lived a long and eventful life that saw him forge a really remarkable career in the Japanese film industry. Though being at least
intermittently associated with such legends as Akira Kurosawa, Honda may forever be best remembered for his relationship with another “legend”
of
sorts: Gojira (note that the link points to a long ago release,
because
that’s one I personally reviewed). Honda was instrumental in developing what a lot of folks think of as the “modern” kaiju film, having
not
just helmed the first (and several subsequent) Godzilla outings, but also Rodan and the recently reviewed
Mothra. While all of those kaiju entries probably at least flirted with a science fiction ambience, Honda also made films
which
were inarguably firmly within a sci-fi idiom, including The Mysterians,
as
well as both of the films Eureka! Entertainment’s Masters of Cinema series has aggregated together here in this release. This collection in fact
mirrors
the Mill Creek
Entertainment The H-Man / Battle in
Outer
Space release put out for the North American market last year, at least in terms of the content of the features included.
The H-Man is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment's Masters of Cinema imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. This looks at least similar if not identical to the version Marty reviewed that was released by Mill Creek Entertainment, but as was also the case with my recent Mothra Blu-ray review, which referred to Marty's previous review of that film courtesy of a Region A release, my scores for video and audio vary somewhat. I'm a bit less generous than Marty was in terms of the video presentation, and a bit more generous in terms of the audio presentation. (You'll note I also seem to like the film a bit more than Marty judging by our slightly different scores.) This film has a lot of dark sequences, and while grain is appealing and there are no serious compression issues, shadow detail is often less than optimal, and it tends to degrade even more when optical effects are involved. The element looks slightly faded, so that reds can veer just a tad toward dirty brown-orange, and flesh tones can look kind of dowdy and brown as well. That said, a lot of the nightclub material in particular pops pretty well, all things considered, and detail on some of the costumes is precise looking as well. There are numerous if minor signs of age related wear and tear throughout.
The H-Man features LPCM 2.0 Mono tracks in either Japanese or English (the English language version features a "Perspecta Stereophonic Sound" credit, but the press sheet accompanying the check discs mentions mono audio, and I certainly didn't hear any true separation in the English language track). Both tracks offer a typically slightly boxy and shallow sound, one that lacks consistent depth in the mid- to low ranges in particular, but which deliver fine fidelity overall in terms of dialogue, effects and music. Optional English subtitles are available.
The H-Man is admittedly goofy, and its slimy "villain" will probably remind folks of another 1958 opus The Blob. Technical merits are generally solid, and the commentaries very appealing, for those who are considering a purchase.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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2014
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1962
1957
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1957
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1986
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2006
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リング0 バースデイ / Ringu 0: Bāsudei
2000
1962
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2014
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1970
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1972
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1981
1955