Mill Creek H-Man/Battle In Outer Space double feature Blu!

[Angilasman]

Perhaps this is another case of modified dubitles; where the existing subtitles were used as a base and someone went through the whole movie and only changed things when the actual dialogue was too different?

[omgitsgodzilla]

It's a very weird and unnecessary amount of extra effort to go to when a complete, accurate translation exists. Especially surprising coming from Mill Creek.

[Shokara]

The only logical explanation I can come up with, and it's pure speculation, is that they actually have to pay someone to change the subtitles, and that pay is based on per character. Doing it this way perhaps keeps that cost down, but like I said, I'm just guessing here. I more than likely don't know what I'm talking about.

[omgitsgodzilla]

Okay, here's the deal: What I'm positive of is that at no point do the Mill Creek subtitles actually use the corrected DVD subtitles. Only a handful of lines throughout the film are identical between the two scripts, probably coincidentally.

What I'm pretty sure of is that the vast majority of the film is dubtitled. There are a lot of lines throughout that differ from the corrected DVD subs in ways that two different direct translations probably wouldn't account for -- more casual or conversational phrasing, or entirely different meaning. There are also the tell-tale "ghost" lines where English dialogue was dubbed in where there was none in Japanese.

The two excerpts quoted in the article do, in fact, differ from the dub, but they aren't taken from the corrected DVD script. They are basically accurate, but they aren't the same. They also appear to be more or less isolated: The narration after the SPIP returns to Earth, which occurs between the two examples, is taken verbatim from the dub, as are the very last lines of the film.

Basically, the Mill Creek subs occasionally switch from dubtitles to accurate translations that don't originate from the corrected Sony subs, but not consistently when the dub differs from the Japanese dialogue, and they never stay switched. There may be more instances of this than are pointed out in that review, but I'd have to watch the dub with the Japanese version subs in order to catch them all.

[Terasawa]

That's really weird and arguably unnecessary of them.

[Godzamera]

https://www.tohokingdom.com/blu-ray/h-m ... eek20.html


"Biggest praise is the condition of the source used. Yes there is grain present, but it's not overwhelming while generally scratches and other source damage is rare."


"Chief among these is the source damage. This goes beyond the grain, which is more overt here than in H-Man..."


oh my god he's an idiot

the reviewer thinks that grain is source damage

[eabaker]

While the second example is ambiguous in its syntax, in the first it seems like grain is being counted outside the category of source damage.

[Godzamera]

While the second example is ambiguous in its syntax, in the first it seems like grain is being counted outside the category of source damage.

Yeah, but this reviewer always makes grain out to be source damage. Anyone who is aware of the filmmaking and restoration processes will know that grain is not a problem.

[Terasawa]

From the screenshots I think the more obvious problem is digital noise, which is often mistaken for grain.

[omgitsgodzilla]

I just finished watching the US version with the Japanese version's subs -- the film is mostly dubtitled, but a lot of lines are retimed or removed to match the Japanese dialogue more closely. About halfway through, you start getting properly translated dialogue, but it still frequently reverts to dubtitles. Sometimes it switches almost every other line.

[Angilasman]

Well, not ideal - but at least it's an improvement over the Sony Blu-ray (and my first pressing DVD set, as I had no idea they corrected them later).

[G-MAN]

Well, not ideal - but at least it's an improvement over the Sony Blu-ray (and my first pressing DVD set, as I had no idea they corrected them later).

Yeah I still find it so odd that Sony didn't bother to include the Japanese cut. And instead opted to edit the Japanese audio to match the American cut

[Terasawa]

Well, not ideal - but at least it's an improvement over the Sony Blu-ray (and my first pressing DVD set, as I had no idea they corrected them later).

Yeah I still find it so odd that Sony didn't bother to include the Japanese cut. And instead opted to edit the Japanese audio to match the American cut

Wha..? Both versions are identical in content.

[Shokara]

Well, not ideal - but at least it's an improvement over the Sony Blu-ray (and my first pressing DVD set, as I had no idea they corrected them later).

Yeah I still find it so odd that Sony didn't bother to include the Japanese cut. And instead opted to edit the Japanese audio to match the American cut

Wha..? Both versions are identical in content.

I think what G-MAN means is that Sony's "Icons of Sci-Fi: Toho Collection" DVD set from 2009 included both the separate Japanese and American prints on the Battle in Outer Space disc, preserving both versions' respective audio as well as their respective Japanese and English text title sequences. Meanwhile, Sony's made-on-demand Blu-ray from several years ago simply opted to only include both the Japanese and English audio tracks synced to the American print without including the Japanese print. Yes, both the Japanese and American prints are identical in content save for audio and title sequences, but the 2009 DVD set went out of its way to include both prints regardless of that while the made-on-demand Blu-ray didn't. Mill Creek's Blu-ray goes back to the 2009 DVD set's approach.

[MAX Studio]

Good to hear. I ordered it yesterday from Amazon, and it will be here tommorow!

[G-MAN]

Yeah I still find it so odd that Sony didn't bother to include the Japanese cut. And instead opted to edit the Japanese audio to match the American cut

Wha..? Both versions are identical in content.

I think what G-MAN means is that Sony's "Icons of Sci-Fi: Toho Collection" DVD set from 2009 included both the separate Japanese and American prints on the Battle in Outer Space disc, preserving both versions' respective audio as well as their respective Japanese and English text title sequences. Meanwhile, Sony's made-on-demand Blu-ray from several years ago simply opted to only include both the Japanese and English audio tracks synced to the American print without including the Japanese print. Yes, both the Japanese and American prints are identical in content save for audio and title sequences, but the 2009 DVD set went out of its way to include both prints regardless of that while the made-on-demand Blu-ray didn't. Mill Creek's Blu-ray goes back to the 2009 DVD set's approach.

Yes

[Shokara]

Something worthy of note about this Blu-ray set. The American version of The H-Man, while it preserves the English text opening title sequence and all of the alternate footage of notes and signs written in English, for some reason the "The End" title card is the Japanese text version. This wasn't the case with the 2009 "Icons of Sci-Fi: Toho Collection" DVD set from Sony which does have the English text "The End." Also odd, the German Blu-ray release does preserve the English "The End" for the American version.

[G-MAN]

Something worthy of note about this Blu-ray set. The American version of The H-Man, while it preserves the English text opening title sequence and all of the alternate footage of notes and signs written in English, for some reason the "The End" title card is the Japanese text version. This wasn't the case with the 2009 "Icons of Sci-Fi: Toho Collection" DVD set from Sony which does have the English text "The End." Also odd, the German Blu-ray release does preserve the English "The End" for the American version.

Yeah I noticed that myself and was wondering if that might have been an error due to Sony or Millcreek. Cuz the German and dvd sets were utilizing the HD master Sony made.

[Angilasman]

My copy finally showed up. The reversible cover is awesome!

[G-MAN]

My copy finally showed up. The reversible cover is awesome!

Yeah I really loved that aspect myself and is definitely how I have mine on the shelf