Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

HEODRAH is not a "Dubtitle" job, although the translator felt that he wanted to use Ken's line from the Toho International Dub, "Bang! That's wild!" -- the original Japanese is "Baan! Sugoi na?" ("Bang! That's fantastic!"). So, that's acceptable (it fits in the context of the time period). But, there also seems to be a couple of flubs in the subtitle script, minor, but kind of amatuerish:

Columbia/TriStar seems to have used a hybrid of the Japanese print and the Toho International Print -- when there are on-screen Japanese title cards (as in the photos of the heavenly bodies), they used the Toho International print with his English supertitles above the Japanese -- and in one instance, it is repeated in the subtitles, but the person doing the timing catches this, and quickly scrolls to the next subtitle! Sloppy!

While Yukio's "March of 1 Million" is shown in supertitles, Ken Yano's haiku is not... Odd. They went far enough to have a print without Ken's on-screen haiku, but then didn't remove the translation of Yukio's banner in the blacked-out nightclub... Strange. They did a good job, but just are a step above half-assed.

But, the subtitle script is about 95% as accurate and correct to the film, as far as a subtitle script can be. One super-plus is that the words used in the "politicial cartoons" are translated for the first time (perviously, I would have to tell people what they said when watching the film -- which I think adds to the enjoyment, if one understands everything presented in the film).

Great transfer -- a little artifacty in places (which was surprising) -- they could have gone all the way with just using the original Japanese prints, which is a mistake not to, I think (they are now creating third and fourth versions of these films) -- to remove the on-screen English text.

They also could have somehow gotten permission to use the AIP voice tracks -- but this must have been too much work for such a "Z-Grade product" (as Columbia/TriStar Home Video's people look upon these films; Sony buys it, and the Home Video department is required to release it). Talk about a missed opportunity.

The English subtitles are very good, but they could have polished the script a little more, and checked it for flubs (mentioned above) before rendering them. Also, while translating signs and other things (like the text in the cartoons), they could have gone the extra mile and translated the DAMN SONG that appears a HUNDRED TIMES during the movie! Sheesh, you think that would be something someone would say, "You think we should translate this?"

Hell, I would have done it for them gratis! "Dear birds, dear fish, where have you gone? Dear dragonflies, dear butterflies, where have you all gone?"

Columbia/TriStar Home Video presentation of GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH: Good effort, but lazy presentation keeps this from being the definitive English-language release.

Oh, they keep using that CRAPPY old Toho Internation Logo! Columbia/TriStar: STOP, PLEASE STOP! The Japanese logo looks so much better! By using this grainy logo, it makes the film look CHEAP -- HEY! Use the original Japanese logo! AnimEigo doesn't seem to have a problem with keeping the original prints intact for their releases, why can't you?

No Toho doesn't; they'd like to use them, but they are fearful of being sued by whomever was associated in producing those tracks, so they won't use them.

For HARDCORE FANS the dubs will be obsolete, but for the GENERAL MARKET, in which these films play to, and are marketed for, they will still be chided for the bad dubbing. Until the Toho International versions are eliminated, or substituted with competent dubs, this perception will continue to plague the overseas versions of these films.

So what if I am being nitpicky? It's my right as a consumer to demand quality product -- otherwise, future products cannot improve. Standards must be met. Sony is not meeting those standards. They are a professional company, so their standards should be higher. It's sad when fansubbers can do a better job, isn't it?

There's no reason why the Sony discs shouldn't be as good as Toho's R2 -- it's a simple matter of sending over the digital transfers. I not even asking for extras -- just quality prints, quality subtitles and quality mastering. Don't even get me started on the garrish DVD jacket design and amatuerish menu design (which I admit, is a quibble).

If you want to accept crap, that's your business; I demand better for my hard-earned dollar -- not a SUPER DELUXE presentation with all the bells and whistles, just a caring job (see MGM's PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES for a stunning example of this).

BTW, the theme song is played five times in HEDORAH: at the start of the film, when Hedorah lands, after Godzilla starts fighting Hedorah (and the sludge comes down the nightclub stairs), after Godzilla destroys the second Hedorah (while ripping it apart) and as a durge when Godzilla retreats at the end of the film (against a red sky, and montage of pollution). ;p

OMG--it looks BETTER than the Japanese version?!


Finally, some payback.

Wow, I'm surprised there's a difference in picture quality. Sony's has superior color and the details show through much better, but it is a tad dark. Not a problem in the lighted/daytime scenes but the night scenes seem to hide what's happening. Would've been nice if Sony's techs [or whomever did the color correction] brightened up the night scenes a closer to what the R2 is [and hopefully kept the better coloring and details]

James, how DO you do it? Excellent comparisons, as always!

Indeed, it seems that Sony's discs often offer the better transfers when compared with Toho's. Just take a gander at Ballard's R1 GMK DVD review and his comparisons of Sony's GMK disc and Toho's on his forums! Absolutely astonishing!

Someone in the DVD forum did a comparison of the GvsMG DVD and the Sony comes off as much better too: http://www.clubtokyo.org/discuss/viewtopic.php?t=6743