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The H-Man/Battle in Outer Space

Take your pick, fellow kaiju geeks!  The latest double billing to hit the blu-ray market has a lot to offer fans of Japanese late 50's sci-fi flicks as both The H-Man (from 1958) and Battle in Outer Space (from 1959) make their blu-ray debut thanks to Mill Creek Entertainment.

 

"celebrates all things Ishirô Honda (Godzilla) and combines these two colorful and wild cult classics"


In one strange tale, people are disappearing and leaving only their clothes behind!  What could be the reason for this mutation?  In another, alien beings are attacking the earth through cataclysmic events and the nations of the earth must unite to chase off a common enemy from space!  Sound intriguing?  If so, then The H-Man/Battle in Outer Space release, predating both Star Wars and Independence Day, is definitely for you. 

This Sci-Fi Double Feature from Mill Creek Entertainment celebrates all things Ishirô Honda (Godzilla) and combines these two colorful and wild cult classics for one 5 Beer worthy release.  With special effects from Eiji Tsuburaya, these two films definitely do not disappoint radioactive enthusiasts, especially if you are at all into the mythos and the magic of kaiju flicks. {googleads}

Starring Yumi Shirakawa, Kenji Sahara, Akihiko Hirata, Makoto Satō, Korenari Senda, and Eitaro Ozawa as Inspector Miyashita, The H-Man begins as all atomic features in the ‘50s should: with a huge nuclear test cloud permeating the screen.  Suddenly, investigations into drug dealing lead to discussions about this "Ash of Death" as boats are found abandoned and people melted into radioactive goo with a mind of its own.  Don’t get slimed! 

People are dissolving left and right and, while the police don’t necessarily agree with the findings of the scientists, they can’t really argue with what they actually see when a bullfrog disappears in front of their very eyes.  Suddenly, they are all looking for a people-dissolving monster loose in the streets!

In the second feature, Battle in Outer Space, we have a science fiction flick whose influence extends to Star Wars, with an epic space battle at its conclusion as a series of events - helped by an anti-gravity beam - disrupt life on Earth.  We have everything from levitating bridges (which cause train wrecks), powerful waters which take ocean liners out of the water, flooding in Venice, and space stations imploding; all leading to frostbite for any and all survivors of these events.The H-Man/Battle in Outer Space

The earth is under attack! Starring Ryô Ikebe, Kyôko Anzai, and Yoshio Tsuchiya, Battle in Outer Space is what happens when we team up and stop attacking each other, aiming our atomic heat cannons at alien motherships instead.  Full of far-out effects and cool practical effects on lunar surfaces, Battle in Outer Space might be absurd, but it is wondrous, proving just how wicked the imagination can be when it comes to technical movie-making.

Two Toho flicks for a bottom dollar price?!  Count me in!

5/5 stars

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

The H-Man/Battle in Outer Space

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Mill Creek Entertainment
Available on Blu-ray
- June 9, 2020
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles
: See individual
Audio:
English 2.0 DTS-HD and Japanese 2.0 DTS-HD
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Mill Creek Entertainment invites fans of classic Japanese late 50's sci-fi a chance to step back in time and appreciate some cool practical effects as citizens of the earth must fend off some aliens and slime clings to walls, buildings, and people as a liquid creature attacks!  With no CGI effects, these two films show the genius wizardry of Godzilla’s Ishirô Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya with solid results!

Video: 

From Mill Creek Entertainment, The H-Man and Battle in Outer Space are both presented in their original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1, offering two separate cuts of each film. The English language edit of The H-Man runs 10-minutes shorter than the Japanese cut, but both cuts of Battle in Outer Space are the same 90-minutes. Details and color saturation levels are pretty decent, resulting in better-looking transfers than their previous DVD incarnations.  The H-Man gets the better shake of the stick, though, as it looks brighter and cleaner and less muddy than Battle in Outer Space does.

Audio:

Audio for each film is presented in English 2.0 DTS-HD and Japanese 2.0 DTS-HD sounding clear overall. English subtitles are also available for the English language versions of each film. The English subtitles for the Japanese versions are the exact same as the English language dubs which is a bit of a letdown for purists.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • It is the sole Special Feature on these two discs: A commentary track by authors & sci-fi historians Steve Ryfle & Ed Godziszewski.  It is found on the English version, but their commentary track is packed full with lots of cool facts and information about the film.

Special Features:

  • None

Blu-ray Rating:

  Movie 5/5 stars
  Video  3/5 stars
  Audio 3/5 stars
  Extras 1/5 stars

Overall Blu-ray Experience

3/5 stars

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[tab title="Art"]

The H-Man/Battle in Outer Space

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