The Green Slime Blu-ray - Luciana Paluzzi

directed by Kinji Fukasaku
USA / Japan / Australia 1968

After a perilous mission to a huge asteroid, a crew returns to its space station, unaware a bit of ooze from the asteroid clings to a crewman’s uniform. The green goop grows – into murderous, tentacled monsters. And as station members fight to live, gunk from the monsters’ wounds turns into more monsters! That’s the story. Now enjoy as our heroes fight to preserve Earth and, unintentionally, our own senses of humor with a movie that Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called “one of the funniest made-in-Japan sci-fi monster movies ever.” Kinji Fukasaku, whose later work was championed by Quentin Tarantino, directs. The world would be a far more bleak and joyless place without marvels like The Green Slime.

****

Designed as an unpretentious fantasy adventure for sci-fi and action fans, The Green Slime was a fun Saturday matinee in its day but compared to contemporary films in the same genre, it looks more and more like a parody. "The Green Slime" are clearly actors in monster suits - some of the goofiest you'll ever see - and the dialogue is consistently leaden with such cliched moments as the station's doctor (Ted Gunther) trying to save the slime from destruction: "Don't kill it, it's a magnificent discovery!" It also doesn't help that the film is burdened with a romantic triangle subplot - Gamma III nurse Lisa (Paluzzi) is torn between former boyfriend Jack (Horton) and current beau Vince (Jaeckel) - that continually brings the action to a grinding halt.

On the plus side, the special effects, miniature sets and art direction have an almost childlike innocence about them; the theme song is a catchy psychedelic rock 'n roll number by Richard Delvy (someone needs to release this as a single); the go-go party scene conjures up fond memories of sixties hairstyles and fashions; and Robert Horton and Richard Jaeckel deserve some kind of award for playing their roles absolutely straight without laughing.

Excerpt of review from TCM located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 19th, 1968

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Comparison:

Warner Home Video (Warner Archive Collection) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray

1) Warner - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray RIGHT

Box Cover
Distribution	Warner Home Video Region 0 - NTSC	Warner Archive - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:30:00	1:30:09.862
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.21 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	2.4:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 24,546,587,100 bytes Feature: 23,827,150,848 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 31.39 Mbps
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Bitrate Blu-ray
Audio	Dolby Digital 1.0 (English)	DTS-HD Master Audio English 2024 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2024 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles	None	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: Widescreen - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • None DVD Release Date: October 26th, 2010 Keep Case Chapters 30	Release Information: Studio: Warner Archive 2.4:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 24,546,587,100 bytes Feature: 23,827,150,848 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 31.39 Mbps Edition Details: • Trailer (2:13) Standard Blu-ray case Blu-ray Release Date: October 10th, 2017 Chapters: 8

Comments

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

ADDITION: Warner Archive - Region FREE - Blu-ray October 17':

'Camp' is an aesthetic style and sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its ironic value.

'Kitsch' is the appeal to uncultivated taste because they are garish in nature or considered by other people to be ugly, without style but enjoyed or appreciated in an ironic or knowing way or because it is exaggerated and obvious. Kitsch is also related to the concept of 'camp', because of its humorous and ironic nature.

I coveted the original Warner DVD so much and it's been almost exactly 7 years since it was released. I was accustomed to those SD colors - slightly embellished but suiting the film... perfectly. Warner's new Blu-ray has a high bitrate and is in 1080P. It is in the 2.4:1 aspect ratio and shows slightly less information on all 4 sides of the frame. Colors shift - mostly warmer and the presentation looks significantly smoother in-motion. With this film, though, some may prefer the less-perfect image quality - finding it more suitable to the film's strong kitschy values. Hey, maybe a Laserdisc or even 35mm, of a damaged print, would be most desirable way to see The Green Slime?

Audio is in a DTS-HD Master mono track (24-bit) and upgrades the film's cheesy effects and the score by Charles Fox (The Laughing Policeman, Barbarella, Dying Room Only) and Toshiaki Tsushima (Three Outlaw Samurai, Sword of the Beast, Battles Without Honor and Humanity) plus the film has music by George Kleinsinger, Pierre Arvay, John Scott, Arnold Freed and, of course, the delicious 'theme' by Sherry Gaden and Richard Delvy. It sounds great - authentic and, slightly, out-of-sync at times but the film's soundstage adds significantly to the film value. The lossless augments the 'camp' and my addiction. The Blu-ray offers optional English (SDH) subtitles - see sample below - and the Warner Archive Blu-ray disc is Region FREE.

Only a trailer as an extra - and it's as fitting a 'come on' as you might anticipate. Somehow a commentary might detract from the film's nostalgic illusion. I'm happy with just the trailer.

Sometimes less is more. There was no way I wasn't going to own this but will always keep my DVD. A must-own film... either you know or you don't.

***

ON THE DVD: This is the real-deal folks - there isn't any filler here - it's all monsters, gore, slimey ooz, hi-tech space station models and if that's not enough what about Bond Thunderball SPECTRE hottie Luciana Paluzzi! Huh?

It's standard single-layered but progressive and anamorphic transfer in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio looking surprisingly good. This is labeled under the Warner's new "Re-mastered Edition" marquee and is certainly impressive considering. Black levels and colors are strong while detail is consistent with minimal impinging noise. Lots of colorful effects. The disc supports the film with a fine video transfer - I don't have any complaints - as I don't suppose this will ever reach Blu-ray (Hmmm... I guess I can request).

The mono sound is decent but unremarkable and there are no subtitles offered. The title song "Green Slime" by Richard Delvy is the BEST! (I mean that - wait till you hear it!) There are no supplements - not even a trailer - which is a shame I'll bet any trailer for this film is super-cooool.

The glaring inaccuracies like 'fire burning in the vacuum of space' are just enough to elevate this masterwork to whole other class of hokiness. The Green Slime has just become one of my favorite films. I'm addicted to its nostalgic charms - I had so much fun in my viewing and I can't wait to show my buddies one 'guy night' with a mini-keg and massive bowls of heavy-buttered popcorn. Ohhh... and potato chips - yea, love potato chips. DON'T miss this gem folks - it's a prize!

- Gary Tooze

DVD Menu

Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray