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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (May 2024): Kino have transferred three 'Sci-Fi Chillers' to Blu-ray; The Unknown Terror from 1957, 1958's The Colossus of New York and Destination Inner Space (1966.) They are cited as being from a "HD Masters by Paramount Pictures – From 4K Scans". We compared the Olive DVD to their own Blu-ray of The Colossus of New York, back in 2012, HERE - and below. The Olive transfer is 1.78 as opposed to original 1.85 and there are still no subtitles or extras of any kind on that older release. There is more information in the Olive frame at the top but the 1080P quality seems about the same. They all look quite adept - good contrast on The Unknown Terror in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Texture and detail are pleasing - realistic colors on, the odd-ball, Destination Inner Space. They don't look very dynamic or crisp but gave me reasonable viewings on my system without egregious flaws. No complaints. 

NOTE: We have added 89 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-rays, Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel tracks (24-bit) in the original English language. There are a few sci-fi related effects; gurgling foam in The Unknown Terror - laboratory equipment and zapping death ray in The Colossus of New York - and undersea exploration in Destination Inner Space. They come across quite modestly. The Unknown Terror score is by Raoul Kraushaar (often credited as Ralph Stanley) who is has done film compositions for Curucu Beast of the Amazon, Invaders From Mars, She Should Have Said No, Billy the Kid vs. Dracula, Dirty O'Neil, September Storm - 3D, Fritz Lang's The Blue Gardenia etc) + Dave Kahn (Back from the Dead, Island of Lost Women, The Cool and the Crazy). The Colossus of New York score is by Van Cleave (Conquest of Space, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, The Colossus of New York, The Space Children, William Castle's Project X, and twelve The Twilight Zone episodes, among others) with a brooding lone piano throughout - and for Destination Inner Space by Paul Dunlap (Finger Man, Black Tuesday, How to Make a Monster, The Angry Red Planet, Shack Out on 101, Portland Expose, Big House U.S.A., Target Earth, Park Row, Cry Vengeance.) Generally the scores are dramatic and atmospheric - very clean in the lossless. Kino offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A'-locked Blu-rays.

The Kino Blu-ray offers new commentaries for all three films; by film historian Stephen Bissette (author of SR Bissette's Brooding Creatures) on The Unknown Terror / by Tom Weaver(A Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde: Interviews with 62 Filmmakers,) with input from Larry Blamire and Ron Adams on The Colossus of New York / and David Del Valle and Stan Shaffer on Destination Inner Space. Bissette talks about production companies Emirau Productions and Regal Films, director Charles Marquis Warren (including pronunciation of his name), cast Charles H. Gray, John Howard, Mala Powers, Paul Richards, May Wynn etc. and a Freudian description of the expanding foam with other astute observations. Tom Weaver talks about producer William Alland (Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Deadly Mantis) and his past interview with him using a voice dramatization, how the film blends 'brain takeover' and robot concepts, the score and much more. It is at his usual highly informative level. David Del Valle (Six Reels Under) and Stan Shaffer (You Should Have Been with Me) talk about Destination Inner Space including underwater environments comparing it to Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea TV series, Jacques Tourneur's War Gods of the Deep and Creature from the Black Lagoon with the gill-creature. They talk about the cast - Scott Brady being Lawrence Tierney's brother and much more. I always enjoy David's Hollywood gossips anecdotes. Also included as supplements are two Sidebars on The Colossus of New York and Destination Inner Space - which are on-camera with Tim Lucas (Pause. Rewind. Obsess. One Man’s One Year Escape into Cinema) and Steven Bissette. The former one last over an hour and they talk about it being one of the last of 50's classic sci-fi efforts in theatrical release - shown as a double-bill with Jack Arnold's The Space Children. They discuss producer William Alland's collaboration with Arnold, low budget double-bills, AIP, Corman and so much more. The sidebar on Destination Inner Space , which shared a theater premiere with Frozen Alive, and has a discussion on people like Irwin Allen, the miniature worked used in the film, the effectiveness of the 'creature' (looking a bit like a Sid and Marty Krofft creation,) with plenty of comparables. I can appreciate both of the gentleman's overloaded workspaces. My own would lean to Stephen's more cluttered than Tim's more organized. Anyway, a nice feature - I hope they do more 'sidebars'. Lastly are 17 similar-genre trailers including one for The Colossus of New York.

I enjoyed all three of Kino's 'Sci-Fi Chillers' on Blu-ray. The Colossus of New York is reminiscent of the iconic Donovan's Brain and/or The Brain that Wouldn't Die (dark labs with living brains in jars) but adds the Klaatu-like robot from The Day the Earth Stood Still. Two of the film have Mary Ellen "Mala" Powers; The Unknown Terror and The Colossus of New York. She attended the Max Reinhardt's Junior Workshop when she was 9-years old. Noir devotees might recall her from Outrage and City That Never Sleeps. I also had an eye on May Wynn (The Caine Mutiny) in the first film of the boxset. I've always been a fan of the older version of Sheree North - a favorite of director Don Siegel appearing in Madigan, Charley Varrick and The Shootist. Ohh and there's Gary Merrill (Mysterious Island, All About Eve; where he married his costar Bette Davis!) also in Destination Inner Space.  Fun genre appeal. Kino Blu-ray package has three 50-60's sci-fi efforts, each with a new commentary and two Lucas / Bissette 'sidebars' running over 1.5 hours. Easy buy for fans.

Gary Tooze