Blu-rays from The Land of Light: ULTRAMAN GEED and UTLRAMAN ORB Now Available from Mill Creek Entertainment!

IT'S A DAMNED GOOD TIME TO BE A TOKUSATSU FAN! MILL CREEK DEBUTS TWO MORE ULTRAMAN TV SERIES ON BLU-RAY DISC!

Having already released the two shows that started the neverending Ultraman phenomenon (i.e. ULTRA Q and ULTRAMAN), Mill Creek just released two of the newer Ultraman TV series (and feature-length films) onto Blu-ray, namely ULTRAMAN GEED and ULTRAMAN ORB. This is the first time both series have been available (legitimately) in North America, and I'm super excited to check them out! While I am a bit disappointed that Mill Creek didn't do Steelbook releases for GEED and ORB, I'm honestly just happy I can finally add them to my collection! Let's take a closer look at these modern Ultra-shows, shall we Vault Dwellers?!

ULTRAMAN GEED (2017) & ULTRAMAN GEED: CONNECT THE WISHES (2018)

Series Synopsis: This is a story of a hero who inherits the genes of the evil Ultraman Belial. Despite suffering from repeating setbacks and despair of knowing the secret of his birth and cruel fate, Ultraman Geed never loses sight of friendship and strong will to become a true hero. The story unfolds through the spiritual growth of the protagonist who seeks for the meaning of his own life and finds the place where he belongs, through fighting against evil and his own cursed destiny, to become a hero of justice

Movie Synopsis: Gigantic Mechanical Brain Gillvalis and the Galactron Army, intent on wiping out all intelligent lifeforms in the universe, close in on Earth. Riku Asakura heads for Okinawa, where there are said to be clues to the “Red Steel” sought by Gilbaris. There, Riku encounters Ail, who realizes that he is Ultraman and assigns him an important mission. Meanwhile, the Galactron Army begins attacking Okinawa in search of the “Red Steel.” Ultraman Geed, Orb, and Zero rush to Earth, but Geed’s hasty actions in sticking to his mission put the Ultraman team in even more danger in ULTRAMAN GEED: CONNECT THE WISHES!

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 697 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio - Japanese DTS-HD 2.0 Lossless Audio

Extras:

• 28-page collectible booklet!
• Digital Redemption on movieSPREE!

Mill Creek's Blu-ray set of ULTRAMAN GEED is now available wherever Blu-ray discs are sold, and should cost between $20 - $40! If you're on the fence about picking it up, you can preview the first ten minutes of the pilot episode below. If that makes up your mind for you, then you can order yourself a copy from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from MILL CREEK ENTERTAINMENT!

ULTRAMAN ORB (2016) & ULTRAMAN ORB: LEND ME THE POWER OF BONDS (2017)

Series Synopsis: Naomi has had the same strange dream since she was young: visions of a giant of light battling a giant monster. With her interest sparked by those dreams, she starts the paranormal phenomena tracking website called “SSP” with her friends Jetta and Shin. One day the trio is on the tail of a mysterious animal suspected of causing strange meteorological activity. They encounter the Cyclone Lord Monster, Maga-Basser! Naomi is blasted by vicious winds but rescued by the vagabond, Gai Kuernai. By using his Orb Ring, Gai is able to "Fusion Up" into ULTRAMAN ORB, a warrior of light from a distant galaxy!

Movie Synopsis: A mysterious item is delivered to paranormal investigators SSP. SSP members Naomi, Jetta and Shin determine that it is a transformation device… the X Devizer that housed Ultraman X both during and after his merging with Xio agent Daichi Oozora (Kensuke Takahashi). Gai Kurenai (Hideo Ishiguro), the human form of Ultraman Orb returns from his wanderings to search for X… unaware that this is just the first sign of a new threat to the Earth. The villainous space witch Murnau has allied with Ultraman Orb’s arch enemy Jugglus Juggler to use the Dark Ring she now possesses!

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 695 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio - Japanese DTS-HD 2.0 Lossless Audio

Extras:

• 28-page collectible booklet!
• Digital Redemption on movieSPREE!

ULTRAMAN ORB (and its feature film) are also available now from Mill Creek, and should cost between $20 - $40! Before you add this Ultra-Blu to your collection feel free to peep out the pilot episode preview below. If it sells you on this incarnation of Ultraman, then pick up a copy from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from MILL CREEK ENTERTAINMENT!

SHUWATCH!: ULTRA Q and ULTRAMAN Make Their Region A Blu-ray Debuts on October 15th!

MILL CREEK ENTERTAINMENT IS FINALLY RELEASING THE FIRST TWO ULTRAMAN SERIES ON BLU-RAY, IN STANDARD & STEELBOOK EDITIONS!

 

I am a lifelong Godzilla fan - Always was and always will be. And I have much love for all of the King of the Monsters' kaiju co-stars, Gamera, Daimajin, and everything in between. But surprisingly, I never became a diehard Ultraman fan. A large part of that was availability: Aside from the 90s Ultraman: Towards the Future series (featuring the heroic Jack Shindo and his war against the Gudis) I didn't really get to experience the gigantic alien from the Land of Light until I was an adult.

It was in my 20s that I finally got to see the original Ultraman series, as well as most of Ultraman Tiga, which were both quite enjoyable. But at that time, those were the only ones widely available. But the seemingly impossible has finally happened Vault Dwellers: Mill Creek Entertainment announced in July that they had obtained the distribution rights to Tsuburaya Productions' various Ultraman series, and all became right with the world!

And as of this Tuesday, they will be churning out each complete series of Ultraman, starting with ULTRA Q and the original ULTRAMAN series that followed! If you're a big tokusatsu / kaiju eiga fan as I am, then you'll want to read more about these upcoming Blu-ray sets! (And order them too!)

ULTRA Q (1966)

Synopsis: The classic series that launched the Ultraman franchise!

After co-creating the iconic movie monsters Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra for Toho Studios, special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya launched his own company, Tsuburaya Productions. The first production under his new label was ULTRA Q, a 28-episode series that brought the theatrical spectacle Tsuburaya had become known for to television.

The black & white sci-fi drama focused on Mainichi Shimpo photojournalist Yuriko Edogawa (Hiroko Sakurai - Ultraman), Hoshikawa Airlines pilot/SF writer Jun Manjome (Kenji Sahara), and his co-pilot Ippei Togawa (Yasuhiko Saijo), who partnered to investigate mysterious events occurring in and around Japan. These phenomena often involved aliens and giant monsters, many of whom would return in future Ultraman shows and movies.

One of the most expensive TV programs produced in Japan up to that time, ULTRA Q was a ratings smash that paved the way for Tsuburaya Productions' first color series... ULTRAMAN!

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Black & White | 716 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Audio - Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

Extras:

• NEW! HD Restoration of the complete, original Japanese broadcast edits!
• Lossless DTS-HD Master Audio
• 28-page collectible booklet!
• Digital Redemption on movieSPREE!
• Available in Standard & Steelbook Packaging! 

Mill Creek's ULTRA Q: THE COMPLETE SERIES will be available on Blu-ray on October 15th! The Standard Edition should cost between $18 - $24 and can be obtained from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, or DIABOLIK DVD! The Steelbook Edition will cost a tad more - between $24 - $32 - and can also be ordered from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, and DIABOLIK DVD!

ULTRAMAN (1966 - 1967)

Synopsis: 

ULTRAMAN, a giant alien from the Land of Light in Nebula M78, enters Earth's atmosphere in pursuit of an escaped space monster. In the skies above Japan he accidentally crashes into a Jet VTOL piloted by Hayata, a member of the Science Special Search Party (SSSP), an international research and defense agency that protects the world from monsters and aliens of all shapes and sizes.

To save Hayata, Ultraman merges his life force with the dying human and vows to stay and fight for peace on Earth. Now, whenever the Patrol faces a threat too great for them to handle, Hayata transforms into Ultraman to save the day!

ULTRAMAN was Tsuburaya Productions' first color series, a sci-fi action adventure drama that dominated the ratings during its initial 1966-67 broadcast run in Japan. The show was quickly licensed for release in America, airing in syndication for nearly two decades. Colorful, fast-paced, and packed with memorable heroes, creatures and incredible special effects, ULTRAMAN was the foundation for a phenomena that continues to this day.

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 988 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Audio - Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

Extras:

• NEW! HD Restoration of the complete, original Japanese broadcast edits!
• Lossless DTS-HD Master Audio
• 28-page collectible booklet!
• Digital Redemption on movieSPREE!
• Available in Standard & Steelbook Packaging!

Mill Creek's Blu-ray set of the original ULTRAMAN series will also arrive at retailers on October 15th! The Standard Edition will cost between $18 - $24 and is available to order from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, and DIABOLIK DVD. The Steelbook Edition costs between $24 - $32 and is also available to order from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, or DIABOLIK DVD!

WANTED ON BLU-RAY: THE LAST DINOSAUR (1977)

WANTED ON BLU-RAY:
THE LAST DINOSAUR (1977)

Not Rated | Color | 106 minutes 

With JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM about to hit theaters, I've been feeling nostalgic for the dinosaur films of my youth. During my early childhood, I became enamored with dinosaurs, which made me the "weird kid" throughout grade (and middle) school! I read books about prehistoric creatures, drew pictures of them, and naturally watched cartoons AND movies featuring those "terrible lizards." I just couldn't get enough!

From KING KONG and DINOSAURUS! to BABY: SECRET OF THE LOST LEGEND and THE CRATER LAKE MONSTER, I watched anything and everything that contained any sort of prehistoric fauna. And out of those dozens of films, there's one in particular that left a lasting impression to this day: THE LAST DINOSAUR!

Synopsis: During a routine mission aboard "The Polar Borer," an exploratory laser-drill used in seeking oil reserves under the polar ice caps, the crew members made a history-shattering discovery: There is a prehistoric world beneath the Earth's crust, teeming with life! A geologist named Chuck Wade (Steven Keats) is the sole survivor of the expedition, and tells the world during a press conference that a T-Rex ate the rest of his crew!

Realizing that a Tyrannosaurus head would be one hell of a trophy to hang on his wall, Thrust puts together a new expedition made up of Chuck, a Massai tracker named Bunta (Luther Rackley), Dr. Kawamoto (Tetsu Nakamura), and a Pullitzer Prize-winning photographer named Frankie Banks (Joan Van Ark) who secures herself a spot on the trip by getting "Thrusted." With his team assembled, Maston leads them underground to bag himself a T-Rex!

And here I always thought Denver was the Last Dinosaur...

Naturally things do not go well for the would-be hunters as they soon find themselves way in over their heads. Their intended quarry turns out to be nigh indestructible, and after losing a few colleagues, Thrust takes things personally! Chuck and Frankie try to talk some sense into the vengeance-fueled hunter,  but he'll not hear of any plans to escape because he is on a mad mission to kill the Tyrannosaurus by any means necessary!

THE LAST DINOSAUR is the result of an odd pairing of Tsuburaya Productions, known for their tokusatsu shows (primarily Ultraman) and Rankin/Bass, best known for all of those claymation Christmas specials you watch every holiday season! Together they crafted a rather gloomy adventure tale with laughable suitmation dinosaurs and a somewhat catchy theme song. While it isn't a great movie by any stretch, I have fond memories of watching this cult oddity in my youth and would love to see it given a little TLC for a change!

Availability: After failing to find a distributor, THE LAST DINOSAUR premiered on ABC on February 11, 1977 in a truncated 95-minute cut. After that, it would be released on VHS by various distributors in the 1990s, before finally being released on (Region Free!) DVD by The Warner Archive Collection back on May 9, 2011. It has the same uncut version of the film that Toho released on DVD two years earlier, but lacks any special features.

Current Rights Holder: Obviously Warner Bros. owns the U.S. rights at the moment (hence the DVD release I just mentioned). However, Shout! Factory has been dipping into the Warner vaults as of late (as evidenced by several of their recent and upcoming Scream! Factory titles) so I wouldn't be shocked if they did a nice little release of this one down the road. Only time will tell I suppose.

Normal people watching this scene: "Which dinosaur will win?!"
Me watching this scene: "The cattle there must be ENORMOUS!"

Blu-ray Wishlist:

• Both cuts of the film, remastered in 2K!
• Audio commentary by a kaiju film expert/historian, such as August Ragone.
• Interviews with any surviving cast members or crew. From what I've seen Joan Van Ark and Luther Rackley seem to still be alive. I'm not sure if screenwriter William Overgard is still around, but it'd be great to hear about his involvement with this film, as well as THE BERMUDA DEPTHS, and his stint as a writer on Thundercats! 
• An interview with Producer Jules Bass (of Rankin/Bass). 
• Poster & Stills gallery (w/ theme song on a loop)
• The supplemental materials from the Toho disc (featuring visual-effects supervisor Kazuo Sagawa) with English subtitles.
• Original Theatrical Trailer

I'm not sure if THE LAST DINOSAUR has built up enough of a cult following for any label to bother giving it a Blu-ray release, but we can only hope! If you also want this odd-ball dinosaur epic in HD, then let the powers that be at The Warner Archive Collection know by bugging them on social media. Hit them up on Facebook and/or Twitter, and maybe bother Shout! Factory on Facebook as well, just to let them know some of us are interested in a Blu-ray release for this title!