Daimajin Thread

[Vakanai]

^Yeah, one of them drowned in the river, I believe.

I thought so, and it was so shocking to me at the time because I couldn't believe they'd kill a kid in a movie like that - but then it kind of never got referenced after really in the ending. At least I don't remembering it being addressed.

[CrimsonBloodX]

I remember watching the first two films many years ago and liking Return of Daimajin more than the first film, but after re-watching both films and watching Wrath of Daimajin for the first time last month, not only did my opinion changed and I now like the first film more than Return, but I also like Wrath more than Return. There just something about the third film that grabs me more than the second. I think I like the plot, characters and setting more.

[Spuro]

I remember watching the first two films many years ago and liking Return of Daimajin more than the first film, but after re-watching both films and watching Wrath of Daimajin for the first time last month, not only did my opinion changed and I now like the first film more than Return, but I also like Wrath more than Return. There just something about the third film that grabs me more than the second. I think I like the plot, characters and setting more.

Wrath also changes things up a bit from the first movie. Return of Daimajin is good, but its story follows the first film almost beat-for-beat.

[Vakanai]

I remember watching the first two films many years ago and liking Return of Daimajin more than the first film, but after re-watching both films and watching Wrath of Daimajin for the first time last month, not only did my opinion changed and I now like the first film more than Return, but I also like Wrath more than Return. There just something about the third film that grabs me more than the second. I think I like the plot, characters and setting more.

Wrath also changes things up a bit from the first movie. Return of Daimajin is good, but its story follows the first film almost beat-for-beat.

I do like the setting of Return more - something about so much of it being on or near water made it more memorable to me.

[Terasawa]

4K transfer + the Mill Creek release's superior presentation of the English dub.

[canofhumdingers]

4K transfer + the Mill Creek release's superior presentation of the English dub.

At work and can’t listen right now. What makes you say the mill creek dub is superior? And superior to what? The Arrow release?

[Terasawa]

4K transfer + the Mill Creek release's superior presentation of the English dub.

At work and can’t listen right now. What makes you say the mill creek dub is superior? And superior to what? The Arrow release?

Superior to Arrow's presentation of the same dub, yes. The Mill Creek presentation is crystal clear whereas Arrow's is notably less pristine (probably from optical instead).

[Mac Daddy MM]

And I ressurect this thread!

Just got the Arrow Blu-Ray set and watched all three films for the first time in a solid 8 years. I used to barely be able to remember anything about these movies because they were never really my cup of tea. But now... Gotta' say, I like them a lot more than I used to. Really excellent films and the miniature work really gives Eiji Tsuburaya a run for his money. I LOVE the snow in Wrath and really wish we'd see more blizzards during rampage scenes. Really added a lot to the movie to make it stand out compared to 1 and 2.

This is also the first time I watched them dubbed and that might also be influencing my new appreciation for them. I've always been a dub man over subs for most things (excluding Ultraman and some Asian horror movies like The Host where the dub voices really grate me).

[Terasawa]

This is also the first time I watched them dubbed and that might also be influencing my new appreciation for them. I've always been a dub man over subs for most things (excluding Ultraman and some Asian horror movies like The Host where the dub voices really grate me).

I think the dubbed version of the first movie is very well-produced. Aside from the child character, the voice acting is very good, and the lip sync is on point. (Not sure how Arrow handled it, but the sync on the Mill Creek set was screwed up.) The dubbing in the American version of the second film is also good, but I couldn't get through the third film in English.

[Angilasman]

^ Keith Aiken specifies in the booklet included with the Arrow set that when Mill Creek ordered their dub for movie #3 the first version that the dubbing studio completed was deemed unacceptable and not used!

I wonder just what this dub studio was? To me, it really sounds like the kind of quickie, low-quality dubs that might be produced for foreign language news programs and game shows and the like distributed on various cable and satellite channels internationally. You know, the kind where there's not even really effort to match the lip movements? Maybe with the original audio still barley audible underneath? That's my theory, anyway.

[Terasawa]

^ Keith Aiken specifies in the booklet included with the Arrow set that when Mill Creek ordered their dub for movie #3 the first version that the dubbing studio completed was deemed unacceptable and not used!

I wonder just what this dub studio was? To me, it really sounds like the kind of quickie, low-quality dubs that might be produced for foreign language news programs and game shows and the like distributed on various cable and satellite channels internationally. You know, the kind where there's not even really effort to match the lip movements? Maybe with the original audio still barley audible underneath? That's my theory, anyway.

Shades of the Reptilicus anecdote - Sid Pink delivers the film as promised to AIP (who would release almost anything at this point), only for Nicholson and Arkoff to deem it unacceptable.

And nice info, thanks! I remember SciFi Japan posted a decent clip before the Mill Creek set was released --so decent that I was actually eager to check out the full dubbed version--but I was so disappointed by the finished product that I couldn't even get a third of the way through it. I can't imagine how bad the previous version was that it was rejected. Also, I know it's not a Media Blasters production, but I've always equated this dub with their contracted redub of The Mysterians (produced by Bang!Zoom). Both are older films that were dubbed quite poorly in the 21st century for home media... I'm not sure if there's a correlation there besides that, though, because it requires me to watch either of those dubs again.

Kadokawa unearthed a Hong Kong dub of the second Majin last year, and there's sorta circumstantial evidence that there once existed an export version of the first one too. A similar version of the third version should be considered a possibility, even in lieu of any evidence of it -- if such a version did exist, it really couldn't be worse than the Mill Creek-commissioned dub.

[Chrispy_G]

They should just go to US Dubbing studios for those sort of things. Funimation's Dub for Shin Godzilla was a LITTLE "anime sounding" in terms of the performances, but I actually really love that Dub. It is a treat to hear familiar anime Dub actors portraying characters in a Godzilla movie

Funimation (Now Crunchyroll) isn't the only US-based Dubbing company they could go for in those situations.

[Terasawa]

They should just go to US Dubbing studios for those sort of things. Funimation's Dub for Shin Godzilla was a LITTLE "anime sounding" in terms of the performances, but I actually really love that Dub. It is a treat to hear familiar anime Dub actors portraying characters in a Godzilla movie

Funimation (Now Crunchyroll) isn't the only US-based Dubbing company they could go for in those situations.

This is precisely what Media Blasters did for the aforementioned redub of The Mysterians. That was done by Burbank's Bang Zoom!, and despite the presence of some great actors, that was a truly awful dub.

[Chrispy_G]

They should just go to US Dubbing studios for those sort of things. Funimation's Dub for Shin Godzilla was a LITTLE "anime sounding" in terms of the performances, but I actually really love that Dub. It is a treat to hear familiar anime Dub actors portraying characters in a Godzilla movie

Funimation (Now Crunchyroll) isn't the only US-based Dubbing company they could go for in those situations.

This is precisely what Media Blasters did for the aforementioned redub of The Mysterians. That was done by Burbank's Bang Zoom!, and despite the presence of some great actors, that was a truly awful dub.

I don't know if that means the process is automatically always going to yield an awful result.

Is the proposition just "if a movie is too old a modern dub can't work under any circumstance"

So what is the cut off? Do we need to make sure to dub a film within 5 years of its release or it "just can't work"?

Is 10 years too long? 20? At what point does it reach the threshold of "Don't even bother trying"...

It all just seems a little arbitrary.

I appreciate the reasons why it would be difficult, getting freshly modern recorded dialogue from modern performers to dub an international film from the 50s...that is no simple task to make that "period Dub" sound appropriately vintage.

But I mean...does that mean "just don't do it ever because it's hard"....I think I would still take THAT over no Dub at all.

[Mac Daddy MM]

They should just go to US Dubbing studios for those sort of things. Funimation's Dub for Shin Godzilla was a LITTLE "anime sounding" in terms of the performances, but I actually really love that Dub. It is a treat to hear familiar anime Dub actors portraying characters in a Godzilla movie

Funimation (Now Crunchyroll) isn't the only US-based Dubbing company they could go for in those situations.

This is precisely what Media Blasters did for the aforementioned redub of The Mysterians. That was done by Burbank's Bang Zoom!, and despite the presence of some great actors, that was a truly awful dub.

Whaaaaaat!?

You mean you don't like such amazing lines such as "They're all burning... FROM THE GROUND UP!?" and "Good news! This will please you!"

[Terasawa]

They should just go to US Dubbing studios for those sort of things. Funimation's Dub for Shin Godzilla was a LITTLE "anime sounding" in terms of the performances, but I actually really love that Dub. It is a treat to hear familiar anime Dub actors portraying characters in a Godzilla movie

Funimation (Now Crunchyroll) isn't the only US-based Dubbing company they could go for in those situations.

This is precisely what Media Blasters did for the aforementioned redub of The Mysterians. That was done by Burbank's Bang Zoom!, and despite the presence of some great actors, that was a truly awful dub.

I don't know if that means the process is automatically always going to yield an awful result.

No I agree, it wouldn't necessarily always be the case (although I don't care for the prospect of any more re-dubs). I was just acknowledging one instance where it has been done that way (major U.S. post-pro facility with professional voice actors) where the result was a disaster.

[Chrispy_G]

This is precisely what Media Blasters did for the aforementioned redub of The Mysterians. That was done by Burbank's Bang Zoom!, and despite the presence of some great actors, that was a truly awful dub.

I don't know if that means the process is automatically always going to yield an awful result.

No I agree, it wouldn't necessarily always be the case (although I don't care for the prospect of any more re-dubs). I was just acknowledging one instance where it has been done that way (major U.S. post-pro facility with professional voice actors) where the result was a disaster.

Fair enough, and I don't mean to be hyper gung-ho and defensive about the prospect.

I'm just of the opinion that...even if any and all rights and headaches were sorted, a number of the classic kaiju films would only be available in English in heavily altered forms.

Like, you get Godzilla Raids Again as it was originally. Only with subtitles....or you get the odd mutation that is "Gigantis, the Fire Monster" with a "Godzilla Raids Again" title card slapped on.

I just don't agree with those being the only options. Shouldn't we be able to have a proper Dub of that film? MUST we resort to heavy edits and alterations to the work just to get an English language option?

It's just a little frustrating as someone who switches between a preference for Dub and Sub

I apologize to all for derailing the thread.

[Mr. Yellow]

Im playing catch up...the Arrow release,..how many different versions are there?

[G-Matt]

Im playing catch up...the Arrow release,..how many different versions are there?

There was the inital limited box set, then a standard release.

[Mr. Yellow]

Right....but are they the same? No extra features?