Media Blasters

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HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

#1 Post by HerrSchreck » Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:21 am

Media Blasters, then find the line you are interested in.

I'm surprised there's no thread for these guys, especially since we have anime fans and fans of J-Horror. I've a profound (and I mean PROFUCKINGFOUND... just today I couldn't resist plugging a hole in my collection by buying the incredibly stupid SON OF GODZILLA) weakness for bad Kaiju and J sci-fi pictures running up from the original GOJIRA & RODAN to the 70's when that first cycle ended.

I'm going to speak from my own personal experience with their Tokyo Shock line, through which Toho seems to be distributing their sci-fi Honda films (and others) in R1 from premium restored elements. From their fabulous treatment of THE MYSTERIANS, the gorgeously photographed and exotically lush & bizarre MATANGO ("Attack of the Mushroom People"), VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE (Toho's first attempt to capitalize on the Gojira craze with a new monster, but in widescreen), DOGORA (indeed the strangest monster ever in the Toho line.. not an easy task considering the fabulous MATANGO), and the forthcoming ATRAGON (1963, aka KAITEI GUNKAN), this company is kicking ass all over the block.

I was initially very impressed with the Columbia Tristar Godzilla ("50th Anniversary") releases of a good portion of the run of Godzilla movies not released by the Sony line (which, aside from the 2-disc special ed of the 1954 GOJIRA, are in the old 1970's analog US TV transfers with no Japanese soundtracks). These columbia discs are hi-def mastered, widescreen anamorphic, and with both language tracks available with excellent subtitles The highlight for me is the greatest Godzilla sequel ever made, the breathtakingly bizarre GOJIRA VS HEDORAH (aka in US Godzilla vs The SMOG MONSTER) with an absolutely stunning transfer which cause the wonderfully colorful cinematography to crackle with life via the inserted oddball cartoons, screensplits into dozens of frames, trippy musical numbers with upside down skeletons & dancing fish heads, etc.

Now comes Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock, showing off Ishiro Honda's non-Godzilla works of sci-fi and fanstastic horror that boggle the mind with their utter strangeness. Look at DOGORA, the floating jellyfish from space preying on carbon! Look at the mushroom people of the sublime MATANGO-- and remember, this trippiness is prior to the hippie era (which soaks 1973's HEDORAH to the bone).

These are the films where Honda gets to show off his directing chops, far more than the endless Godzilla sequels which became silly & child-oriented in later cases, especially after Honda surrendered the reins to Jun Fukuda. And Media Blasters really does them justice with restored elements, anamorphic progressive transfers, commentaries, lectures, docs and other copious extras, all at a great price. If you're a fan of soaking in this kinda stuff like me, keep an eye on these guys. They've hardly made a wrong move, at least from what I've seen on the Tokyo Shock sub-label.

DVD Beaver reviews:

Matango

The Mysterians

Dagora

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tryavna
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 4:38 pm
Location: North Carolina

#2 Post by tryavna » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:15 pm

Just wanted to add that Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock also released Hideo Gosha's brilliant Goyokin. As Beaver points out, it's non-progressive, but it doesn't appear to me to be a PAL->NTSC port. A reviewer on Amazon claims that the subtitles don't do justice to the poetic dialogue, but as a non-Japanese speaker, I didn't find them problematic at all.

I just watched this film over the weekend and found that it compares favorably with the Kobayashi films that Criterion released in the past couple of years (e.g., Hara-Kiri and Samurai Rebellion). Well worth picking up!

The Old Dark Arthouse
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#3 Post by The Old Dark Arthouse » Mon Apr 23, 2007 3:02 am

Has anyone else noticed that the MB site often simply does not work? Tonight, I can't get anything but a black page with a fragmented Real Media player imbedded, playing some song I don't recognize. The site has been often down or "under construction" or simply non functional many times in the past.

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HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

#4 Post by HerrSchreck » Mon Apr 23, 2007 3:33 am

I'm getting a landing page saying "Hacked, Backdoor and Jackal".

Something definitely not normal. I'm waiting for these guys to finally get out the breathtakingly bad 'FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD" (I E FRANKENSTEIN VS BARAGON) so I do check in from time to time. I'm a shameless believer in the accidental avant garde qualities of golden age kaiju. Not to mention occasional total excellence like DAIMAJIN.

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colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK

#5 Post by colinr0380 » Mon Apr 23, 2007 6:33 am

HerrSchreck wrote:I'm waiting for these guys to finally get out the breathtakingly bad 'FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD" (I E FRANKENSTEIN VS BARAGON) so I do check in from time to time.
Have you seen the Video Watchblog post about the disc? It looks like a very strange film!

I think it is the difficulties with navigating the site that have kept me from getting many of the films, but I have been getting into the company recently. I've picked up Matango and The Mysterians (and I agree with you Schreck about the strange qualities of that type of sci-fi monster film. The sound effects and crazy dubbing stood out for me half-watching the Godzilla films as a kid in the middle of the night!) and a few of the Joe D'Amato films, but I get the impression that I'd find a lot of films I'd really want to check out if I could just get around the site!

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manicsounds
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

#6 Post by manicsounds » Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:45 pm

Image

That's one I'm excited about, coming in August

Image

dvdbeaver has a great review on this one. 3 versions of the film. more than you could ever hope for, or want.

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HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

#7 Post by HerrSchreck » Fri Oct 05, 2007 7:06 pm

I bumped into FRANKNSTEIN V BARAGON aka FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD on the shelves at J&R downtown yesterday and am just now completing another installment of my Childhood Kaiju Heaven, courtesy Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters. The disc is excellent. You wont believe the amount of promo and nostalgia material for the movie on the disc.

These guys totally rule. I'm also very pleased that they are including the US-generated English dub (via Titra/Titan... the guys who did that sublime MOTHRA VS GOJIRA aka GODZILLA VS THE THING dub... where the characters speak English in that stooooooopit "approximated Japanese accent".. so hilarious) on this, like we all saw on the 4:30 movie after school in our childhoods here in the 1970's US TV. Typically, as in DOGORA, ATRAGON (dont get me started on that awful 2006 english dub on MYSTERIANS), they provided the Toho-made english tracks, which are far less enjoyable than the US-produced ones, and the US ones were the ones we all saw here on TV when we were kids. (For those who dont know what I mean, Toho started to create their own English dubs for our market to make sales of the films simpler... but most US distruibutors gave one listen and said "Uh.. no thanks.. we'll do our own.") Another company who distributed otherwise fabulous Godzilla flicks with wonderful hi-def anamorphic transfers was the Columbia TriStar 50th anniversary releases, providing the Toho-generated English soundtrack (in addition to the original Japanese) to a slew of them... thus depriving us of the English version of the song "Save The World" from my favorite Godzilla sequel of all time, GODZILLA V HEDORAH aka GODZILLA V THE SMOG MONSTER. Although I will say the dialog dub itself is not too bad. And the Japanese version of that song is pretty cool too.

Between Tokyo Shock/Blasters, and SOny releasing the original and import versions of GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN, MOTHRA V GODZILLA, GHIDORAH THE 3 HEADED MONSTER, INVASION OF THE ASTRO MONSTER, plus the coming ALL MONSTERS ATTACK (so horrible! irresistable!) and TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA, the Golden Age kaiju fan is really getting his fucking itch scratched.

Now we just need someone to cough up BATTLE/OUTER SPACE, GORATH, and WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS. And a very solid transfer of all 3 DAIMAJIN's.

Kaiju question:

can anyone tell me what golden age Gamera movie (in color) featured a little boy or girl who somewhere in the film, I think in the beginning, who started dancing and some baby monster or other started to imitate and dance along with him? Its been driving me nuts for years....

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J Wilson
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#8 Post by J Wilson » Mon Oct 08, 2007 11:12 am

The DAIMAJIN trilogy is being re-released in Japan with English subtitles on Oct 26. Assuming these are the same transfers as the previous set (covers are the same), they look absolutely great, 16:9 transfers on all. They're about $25 a pop on Amazon Japan right now.

And that RICA film a couple posts above is pretty bad, but sort of enjoyable on that level. The lead actress is borderline incompetent, but the film was written by Kaneto Shindo and directed by Ko Nakahira of CRAZED FRUIT fame, which may make it of interest to some. Don't expect the pinky violence equivalent of ONIBABA. The two sequels are coming out from Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock as well.

Media Blasters is bringing out LATITUDE ZERO later this year in a two-disc edition as well.

WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS is coming from Classic Media, the same people who did all the recent Godzilla titles, though no date has been announced. No doubt sometime after the Godzilla films are wrapped up.

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Steven H
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:30 pm
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#9 Post by Steven H » Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:20 pm

J Wilson wrote:And that RICA film a couple posts above is pretty bad, but sort of enjoyable on that level. The lead actress is borderline incompetent, but the film was written by Kaneto Shindo and directed by Ko Nakahira of CRAZED FRUIT fame, which may make it of interest to some. Don't expect the pinky violence equivalent of ONIBABA. The two sequels are coming out from Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock as well.
I've seen some of those later Nakahira films he did in Hong Kong (including his HK remake of Crazed Fruit) and they are POOR, difficult to watch, and available through the Shaw Bros collection with English subtitles. Chaplin's A Countess From Hong Kong had better lighting. That being said, I haven't seen Rica, but if those other films from just a few years earlier are any indication... surely not much to miss.

However, Nakahira's Only On Mondays I liked much more than Crazed Fruit (and it stars the beautiful Kagi Mariko some may recognize from Shinoda's Pale Flower.) Hopefully someone will get this out someday (the Japanese DVD looks great.)

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HerrSchreck
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#10 Post by HerrSchreck » Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:36 pm

J Wilson wrote:Media Blasters is bringing out LATITUDE ZERO later this year in a two-disc edition as well.

WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS is coming from Classic Media, the same people who did all the recent Godzilla titles, though no date has been announced. No doubt sometime after the Godzilla films are wrapped up.
Great news. Thanx for the heads up.

zombeaner
Joined: Sun Aug 27, 2006 2:24 pm

#11 Post by zombeaner » Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:43 pm

What the hell is going on with Zebraman. This is the most under appreciated Miike film, and Media Blasters have had the rights for nearly two years it seems.

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Cold Bishop
Joined: Tue May 30, 2006 9:45 pm
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#12 Post by Cold Bishop » Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:55 pm

zombeaner wrote:What the hell is going on with Zebraman. This is the most under appreciated Miike film, and Media Blasters have had the rights for nearly two years it seems.
It seems to be playing the country right now (was in Portland a week ago), so I suspect a release is soon.

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HerrSchreck
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#13 Post by HerrSchreck » Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:50 pm

Just a heads up that Tokyo Shock has released a 3-pack TOHO PACK BOX SET for under 30 bucks of MATANGO, MYSTERIANS, and the ressurected rare VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE. All are in beautiful widsreen progressive transfers. I could say "just for MATANGO & MYSTERIANS alone its worth the price but the fact is theyr'e all worthwhile. Good extras, subtitled commentaries, alternate english dubs (though not the US-produced Titra ones we saw on tv growing up, at least for us here in USA). I suspect they'll create another one for the sublime DOGORA and ATRAGON with FRANK V BARAGON, once that last one has a bit to sell on its own terms & generate revenue w the hardcore fans whove been waiting so long. Reality is they have a very reasonable pricetag on their own. I love what these guys are doing... doing it w a lot of love.

So nobody knows the golden age monster film (I think it has Gamera, with that triangle head monster whose brain heatsup above the eyes & shoots deadly rays, and Im sure its in color) where the little kids and the baby monster dance?

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J Wilson
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#14 Post by J Wilson » Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:33 pm

HerrSchreck wrote:So nobody knows the golden age monster film (I think it has Gamera, with that triangle head monster whose brain heatsup above the eyes & shoots deadly rays, and Im sure its in color) where the little kids and the baby monster dance?
Sounds like it could be GAMERA vs GYAOS. Gyaos has the triangular head and the beams, I know that much.

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Nihonophile
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#15 Post by Nihonophile » Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:36 pm

Best Buy has the Toho pack for $20 dollars.

The best deal from Media Blasters is the Steckler "midnight movie" 4 pack. Best Buy has it for $15. Rat Phfink, Incredibly Strange Creatures, The Lemon Grove Kids, and The Thrill Killers are all in the set. These discs all come with commentaries and usually an interview with Steckler as well. He is fun to listen to so I recommend this set even if you don't love all the films.

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Cold Bishop
Joined: Tue May 30, 2006 9:45 pm
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#16 Post by Cold Bishop » Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:23 pm

Image

This guy, perhaps?
Last edited by Cold Bishop on Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
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#17 Post by colinr0380 » Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:17 pm

According to the Outcast Cinema blog Media Blasters will be releasing the fourth film in the Sukeban series, Girl Boss Revenge in February (one of the other entries, Girl Boss Guerilla, was in Panik House's Pinky Violence set).

Other interesting news from the blog is that Discotek is releasing the notorious Star Of David with a commentary by the director! Bohachi is also mentioned as a future release, but they do not mention from which company.

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porquenegar
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 7:33 pm

#18 Post by porquenegar » Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:04 am

J Wilson wrote:WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS is coming from Classic Media, the same people who did all the recent Godzilla titles, though no date has been announced. No doubt sometime after the Godzilla films are wrapped up.
That's great news. Now I can officially retire my P&S LD of this.

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HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

#19 Post by HerrSchreck » Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:25 pm

Just a head's up on Space Amoeba, a bizarro entry from Toho, directed by ishiro Honda and with music by Ifukube. A bizarro space blob of energy drops from space and takes hold of various sea creatures, a turtle, and a dude. Some of the strangest Toho classic-era Kaiju action you'll see, except for perhaps Dogora... which is cool as all get-out (Dogora that is. Space Amoeba is flat out odd.)

Nontheless a great disc as usual from Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters. If you're a fan of this stuff like I am, you cant go wrong.

Savant on the disc.

Next for tweezing-- the even stranger Legend of Dinosaurs and Monster Birds...

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Ben Cheshire
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:01 am

Re: Media Blasters

#20 Post by Ben Cheshire » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:59 am

Is it just me who's had Ichi the Killer BD on preorder kept watching it get pushed back. I've only been aware of it since about a month ago, but It was supposed to come out around Nov 24 (pushed back several times since from 2008...) and on release day Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters let retailers know that they hadn't done their homework and it would be another couple of months late. Pushed into early 2010 now.

Considering the http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompar ... killer.htm lack of detail in the Tokyo Shock DVD, and its different colour scheme (more correct? I've not seen the movie), and the question of whether Tokyo Shock are capable of producing a blu ray (if they have, I'm just not aware of it), what are the chances that this will be a good disc?

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manicsounds
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Media Blasters

#21 Post by manicsounds » Sat Nov 28, 2009 7:13 pm

I guess we will see how they do once they release "Versus" on BD, which is next month, I believe.

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manicsounds
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Re: Media Blasters

#22 Post by manicsounds » Tue Dec 13, 2011 2:35 am

Apparently, Toho wasn't happy that Media Blasters' release of Godzilla - Destroy All Monsters Blu-ray and DVD, and might be pulled from the shelves. Apparently, they weren't happy with the amount of added bonus material on the disc. This is a reason that their next release 'Godzilla VS Megalon" is on hiatus.

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dwk
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Re: Media Blasters

#23 Post by dwk » Tue Dec 13, 2011 2:59 am


Stuart Galbraith IV
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 4:16 am

Re: Media Blasters

#24 Post by Stuart Galbraith IV » Fri Feb 03, 2012 10:03 pm

I researched, wrote, and recorded an audio commentary track for Media Blasters with my pal Steve Ryfle, for that pantheon of cinematic art, GODZILLA VS MEGALON. We did some of our best work on this title, but in a flash of spectacular foolhardiness, they screwed up and now the disc and our hard work in all likelihood will never see the light of day, to say nothing of the generous contributions of members of the original cast and crew, who really made this track something special.

Media Blasters has also been making one meaningless promise after another to pay me for above-and-beyond work Steve and I delivered way back in October. (I’ve been hearing the wire/check’ll go out next week for the last nine weeks.) As some of you know, they recently laid-off 60% of their staff, and my own theory is that they’re simply out of cash, partly because of the financial mess they themselves created with these two Toho titles.

Regardless, I’ve been writing professionally for 23 years, and never in my experience have I encountered a more incompetent and dishonest home video label. It’s been one unbelievably lame excuse after another, unreturned voice-mails and unanswered emails, a refusal to own the problem and treat it with any sense of urgency. In short, a total lack of professionalism. A word to the wise: Media Blasters CANNOT BE TRUSTED to pay its bills.

And so, this week Steve Ryfle and I informed Media Blasters’ John Sirabella and Carl Morano that unless I am adequately compensated they cannot legally use our commentary track even if Toho finally approves every other extra feature on the disc. As with Toho and its unlicensed extras, I’ve not signed off on the commentary’s use. If necessary I’m prepared to fly to New York to get an injunction to block its release and/or have copies pulled from distribution a la DESTROY ALL MONSTERS.

If this statement seems harsh, you’ve probably never been ripped off like this. Steve and I spent the last two months quietly trying to resolve this issue with a minimum of fuss, but at every step Media Blasters made it clear they just can’t be bothered. So …

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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Media Blasters

#25 Post by knives » Fri Feb 03, 2012 10:14 pm

I knew they were shady, but dang that's unfortunate. Hope you can get some sort of compensation for your work.

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