Battle in Outer Space is coming to Blu-Ray... I think...

[XvGojira]

[canofhumdingers]

I realize this is pretty far off topic and I hope I’m not breaking board rules by saying this:

I often see people talk about nazis in association with nationalist/nationalism. But I like to remind people that’s only the first half of the acronym... the other half is socialist. It was the National Socialist German Worker’s party.

History is important, and ACCURATE history is REALLY important!

Anyway, carry on.

I did rewatch BiOS (via dvd) recently. I’ve been revisiting (or hunting down anew) lots of Honda’s non-Godzilla films while I’ve been reading the awesome birography by Ryfle and Godziszewski. I’ll probably keep an eye out for the blu Ray to go on sale. It’s not a great film, but I wouldn’t mind upgrading my copy if I see a good deal. The destruction effect sequences are pretty epic.

[lhb412]

^ It's generally accepted that the Nazis' socialist bona fides are rather shakey, while they've been triple A certified in the categories of facism and nationalism (with a blue ribbon in 'ethno-nationalism').

Speaking of socialists: I'm surprised that Sekizawa wrote Bios. I thought it was a Takeshi Shimura joint.

[Benjamin Haines]

There's a really good 1977 called Hitler: A Career that goes into chilling detail about how masterfully Adolf Hitler rose to power by manipulating nationalist feelings among the German population and mobilizing demographics of his own country's people against others. It's currently available on Netflix and it's worth watching for everyone no matter your national heritage. It's interesting to get a historical perspective on the Third Reich that was produced just 32 years after the end of WWII. Ignoring history is how humanity repeats the same mistakes of the past.

But yeah, Kain, it's really not a good idea to hurl Nazi hyperbole at just any type of assholeish behavior in this day and age, not when we're living in a time in which Americans feel comfortable marching with swastika flags on the streets of Virginia.

[lhb412]

^ Always fascinating to see documentaries of historical events made closer to the time period of those events (and howsabout those old newsreels that TCM often shows?). Thanks for the recommendation.

[canofhumdingers]

[jellydonut25]

[canofhumdingers]

I hadn’t watched it in ages (maybe since I first got the dvd when it came out). I had a thoroughly good time revisiting it. It was certainly made more enjoyable by the facts that I had recently read the section about the film in the Ishiro Honda biography and I had just seen First Man (a great movie, btw!) at the theater, and it was pretty amusing to watch and compare a film made before 1969 about going to the moon after watching a VERY historically accurate film about the real moon landing.

It’s not a film I’d keep in frequent rotation, but I found it quite entertaining for a “once-every-5-or-more-years” kind of classic sci-fi film. And the destruction sequences really are quite spectacular.

[lhb412]

Of all of Honda's 'Earth vs. invading alien force' movies (Mysterians, this, Gorath, and Atragon) this one feels the least appreciated, probably because there's no kaiju?

[jellydonut25]

[Benjamin Haines]

It's been years since I've watched Battle In Outer Space and I think I've only watched it two or three times since I got Sony's Toho Icons DVD set in 2009. I should give it another go soon. Since I watched Godzilla 2000 on November 3, I've been rewatching a lot of kaiju/toku films whenever I've had the chance. In the last couple weeks I've watched The Return of Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Biollante, Mothra, and I've watched Rodan twice. I freaking love that movie and it's so short that it's easy to squeeze into the day.

I remember Battle In Outer Space as a pretty tedious slog outside of the signature action sequences. Eiji Tsuburaya and Akira Ifukube are each at the top of their game but the plot and the overall film just didn't make much of an impression on me. I vastly prefer The Mysterians. That's one of my favorite Toho flicks and I've watched it more times than I can count since 2005. I've still never seen Gorath.

[DannyBeane]

BiOS is a great movie to watch when I need to fall asleep. It knocks me out fast. I really enjoy the Mysterians though.

[Zack Metoyer]

Glad to see some love for The Mysterians, one of my favorite films of all time. Don't really get the hate for BIOS, though. What it lacks in humanity, it makes up for with an endless stream of retro coolness. Plus I feel the film was really on Anno's mind when directing Shin -- I don't think it's coincidence that he chose that same music for his own epic laser finale.

Gorath is by far Toho's most ambitious science fiction film. The scope is unparalleled. The Antarctic and Tokyo miniatures are divine. You must repent of your sins and watch it immediately.

[lhb412]

Just watched my copy, and aside from the unfortunate dubtitles it's a solid release. Besides the print damage inherent to the source the transfer is pretty great! Made me appreciate some of the really solid affects shots that Tsuburaya abd company pulled off... of course, the added definition weakens some of the effects as well. It's easy to see how the miniature Tokyo in the finale was made of flimsier material, and extensively pre-cut in order to be shredded by the alien weapon (which is the highlight of the movie).