Warning from Space – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1956
Director: Kôji Shima
Writers: Gentaro Nakajima, Hideo Oguni
Cast: Keizô Kawasaki, Toyomi Karita, Bin Yagisawa, Shôzô Nanbu, Bontarô Miake, Mieko Nagai, Kiyoko Hirai, Isao Yamagata

Release Date: October 12th, 2020 (UK), October 13th, 2020 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 86 Minutes 40 Seconds (Japanese version), 88 Minutes 2 Seconds (US version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: PG (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (Japanese version), LPCM Mono English (US version)
Subtitles: English (Japanese version), English SDH (US version)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

“As Japan is rocked by mysterious sightings of UFOs over Tokyo and large one-eyed aliens attempting contact, scientists collaborate to investigate the unexpected rise in extraterrestrial activity. Unbeknownst to them, one of the aliens has already assumed human form and is about to deliver a very important message that could be humanity’s last hope for survival.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.5/5 (Both Versions)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers: “The original Japanese version of Warning from Space is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1 with its original mono soundtrack. The high-definition master was supplied by Kadokawa Pictures. Additional quality control and optimization took place at R3store Studios and Bad Princess Productions. Due to the condition of the film material, some photochemical issues remain, such as occasional density fluctuation and flicker.

The dubbed American version was reconstructed by Arrow Films using the HD master of the Japanese version as the source for the majority of the video. An archive SD master of the American version was used as a cutting guide. The English dubbed audio was restored and conformed from the original optical track by Deluxe. Selected 35mm internegative film elements, including English language opening credits and specially shot inserts of English language newspapers, were scanned at EFILM and restored by R3store Studios. The original optical soundtrack and selected 35mm elements were accessed through the kind courtesy of Metro Goldwyn Mayer, in association with Kadokawa Pictures.

Additional picture grading, restoration, and audio remastering work supervised by James White and James Flower, Arrow Films.”

Warning from Space comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.8 GB

Feature: 22.5 GB (Japanese version), 20.7 (US version)

The information provided about the transfers perfectly details the limitations of the source. Although the sources are not optimal, the results are easily the best Warning from Space has ever looked in all of its home media incarnations. While there are some density-related issues, the image generally looks crisp, the colors look very good, there are no issues with compression, and the grain remains intact, albeit it looks thicker in some scenes. The source for the English-language version is comparable.

Audio: 3.5/5 (LPCM Mono Japanese, LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. Outside of some minor distortion-related issues, this audio track sounds very good; dialogue comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced. Although this track is limited range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented. The English-language track is comparable.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (48 images—stills/posters), a teaser trailer (2 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a scene-select audio commentary with Stuart Galbraith IV, author of Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo!, the US release version of Warning from Space, including a newly restored English dub track (88 minutes 2 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono English with removable English SDH), reversible cover art, and a 32-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Seeing and Believing written by Nick West, an essay titled Words of Warning written by David Cairns and information about the transfers.

Summary:

An alien being warns humanity about an approaching meteor that is on a collision course with Earth, which will result in the planet's destruction upon impact.

The most intriguing debate surrounding extraterrestrials is not about their existence. It centers on whether they would arrive in peace or with destructive intentions. That said, there are many sci-fi films with hostile aliens that come to Earth with the intention to destroy. Warning from Space takes an opposite approach, with the aliens taking on the role of saviors of humankind.

Although there had been sci-fi films in Japan prior to Warning from Space, particularly Godzilla (Gojira), Japanese sci-fi cinema was still in its infancy in the 1950s. The primitive special effects in Japanese cinema clearly highlight this point. In fact, these shortcomings in special effects are ultimately what have allowed these films to endure over time.

Although Warning from Space includes all the elements that have come to define 1950s sci-fi cinema, it also features notably dated special effects that now appear campy. One has to wonder what viewers in the 1950s thought when they saw a starfish-shaped alien that is clearly a person in a costume. Nonetheless, the film is a unique creation, unlike anything that came before or after it.

The thing that immediately grabs you while watching Warning from Space is that there’s no protagonist. The well-constructed narrative features several characters that are equally important to the story at hand. Fortunately, not focusing on one character works in Warning from Space’s favor. Ultimately, Warning from Space is the type of film that you are either going to dislike or be enthralled by.

Arrow Video gives Warning from Space its best home media release to date. Highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer