Monster from Green Hell Blu-ray - Jim Davis / Robert Griffin

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Creatures from Green Hell")

Directed by Kenneth G. Crane
USA 1957

From the era of giant bugs and atomic testing comes this low budget howler about mutant wasps. When scientists try to understand the effects of radiation on earth creatures, the result brings them to an area of Africa known as "Green Hell," where wasps have mutated into monsters! Jim Davis, who would someday star in the TV series Dallas, plays Dr. Quent Brady, the scientist who starts the whole mess. The film also stars Vladimir Sokoloff (The Life of Emile Zola, Mission to Moscow) as the skeptical Dr. Lorentz, and Joel Fluellen (A Raisin in the Sun), as Arobi, who warns Brady to beware of the African location. The locals don't call it "Green Hell" for nothing! Co-written by Louis Vittes, who gave us the classic, I Married a Monster From Outer Space.

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A test rocket carrying wasps to outer space, to study the effects on them of weightlessness and radiations, crashes out of control back to Earth, into the jungles of Africa. The two astrobiologists in charge of the test mount an expedition to the Darkest Continent to retrieve their experiment, only to find the wasps have grown to giant size which are panicking all forms of life as they quest for food.

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Theatrical Release: May 17th, 1957

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Review: Film Detective - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Film Detective - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:09:56.817
Video	1.85:1 / 1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 41,037,053,692 bytes Features (both): 17,834,926,080 bytes Video Bitrate: 30.00 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1570 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1570 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 256 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 256 kbps / DN -31dB Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 256 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 256 kbps / DN -31dB
Subtitles	English (SDH), Spanish, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Film Detective 1.85:1 / 1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 41,037,053,692 bytes Features (both): 17,834,926,080 bytes Video Bitrate: 30.00 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Full length commentary track with Artist and Author, Stephen R. Bissette • Original essay, 'The Men Behind the Monsters,' by Author, Don Stradley • 'Missouri Born: The Films of Jim Davis,' an original production by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures (14:41) Blu-ray Release Date: March 8th, 2022 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 10

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Film Detective Blu-ray (April 2024): Film Detective have transferred Kenneth G. Crane's Monster from Green Hell to Blu-ray. It is said to be a new 4K restoration. Offered are both a 1.33:1 aspect ratio presentation or one in widescreen 1.85:1. Both are in 1080P. We've compared a few screen captures below. Mostly there is inordinate headspace shown in the 1.33:1 but you do get to see bit more of the lesser-seen creatures. There is plenty of stock footage representing Africa - nabbed from Henry King's 1939's Stanley and Livingstone with Spencer Tracy. This has a tendency to look poorer in terms of contrast and detail. There are also instances with visible vertical scratches. So it can be inconsistent overall but the final two minutes are in a, drab, color! It's as good as we are likely to get.

NOTE: We have added 58 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Film Detective use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (16-bit) in the original English language. Monster from Green Hell has effects; some science-related equipment, a rocket launch, discombobulated natives etc. Ohh.. and those buzzing (more like humming) giant wasps. Mostly unremarkable but there is an occasionally intense score by Albert Glasser (Tormented, The Cyclops, Attack of the Puppet People, Abilene Town, The Spider, I Shot Jesse James, Behind Locked Doors) sounding clean and supportive. Film Detective offer optional English (SDH) or Spanish subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Film Detective Blu-ray offers a new commentary, for both ratios, by Stephen R. Bissette (author of Cryptid Cinema: Meditations on Bigfoot, Bayou Beasts & Backwoods Bogeymen of the Movies.) He discusses the instances of stop-motion animation, the re-used footage from MGM films (notably Stanley and Livingstone) - giving of examples of where this was done in other projects, he talks about this print and its color conclusion (for the first time), citing Bill Warren's Keep Watching the Skies!: American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties, The 21st Century Edition. Stephen has done his research and tells us about other giant insect sci-fi fantasy films, how Monster from Green Hell was on TV for decades - and much more... It's a thorough commentary. Daniel Griffith's 'Missouri Born: The Films of Jim Davis,' has 15-minutes with C. Courtney Joyner (co-author of The Savage B's: A Tribute to B-Horror) discussing the career of Jim Davis best known for his roles in television Westerns. Lastly the package has liner notes with an essay, 'The Men Behind the Monsters,' by author, Don Stradley (Slaughter in the Streets.)

Kenneth G. Crane's Monster from Green Hell is not premium fare - but often we like that out of this genre. There are giant wasps (mostly one of its heads) looking quite monstrous, intrepid scientists, African Safaris - one of the remarkable factoids about Monster from Green Hell is the female character of Lorna was played by Barbara Turner who had a successful writing career with credits on Richard Lester's 1968 Petula, 1983's Cujo and 2000's Pollock (with Ed Harris) among others. She is also the mother of actress, par-excellence, Jennifer Jason Leigh (eXistenZ, The Machinist, Kansas City.) The Film Detective Blu-ray has a 50's 'giant bug' feature, in two ratios, the lesser-seen color ending, commentary, featurette and booklet. Fans of the genre will get some happiness. I did. Enjoy.