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Monster Zero - HD reconstruction (Released)

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 (Edited)

mz

The Monster Zero reconstruction is available now!

The 1080p HD reconstruction of the original US version of Monster Zero is completed and available to download! Have a look on the spleen or send a private message for details.

Notes on this release:

  • The Toho transfer had its contrast and saturation boosted to alleviate its flat appearance.
  • This version was synchronized to the Simitar widescreen DVD to ensure accuracy, but uses the Classic Media audio (synchronized to the Simitar audio) to avoid some volume and balance inconsistencies in the Simitar audio.
  • The opening Henry G. Saperstein/UPA logos, most of the opening credits, and the Lake Myojin/Washigasawa location titles were carefully digitally recreated.
  • The expository text at the beginning, the English newspaper headlines, the English insert of Namikawa’s letter to Glenn and the end title card are presented using a combination of the Simitar DVD (to retain the entire image) and the Classic Media DVD (to reduce artifacting around the text itself).
  • The Toho transfer is typically missing a handful of frames at the beginning and end of each reel. Where the missing frames couldn’t be compensated for in a satisfactory fashion, the sound/sync reference was trimmed to match what was there.

Original post:

Well, now that Ghidrah is out and hell year is over, looks like it’s time to move on to Monster Zero! So far all I’ve done is create the project file, add a rip of the Simitar DVD that I’ll be using as my guide and possibly the source for certain parts, and create usable rips of the Classic Media DVD and the Japanese Blu-ray. I’ll probably be approaching this in much the same way I did Ghidrah, only the syncing process will probably not take nearly as long, since only minimal edits were made to the film for the US version.

After this project’s done, I may take on a couple simple projects before moving on to the others I have planned. Depending on the level of interest, I may also undertake the recreation of the export version of this film, titled Invasion of the Astro-Monsters, which features a slightly different soundtrack and a few bits the Monster Zero version cuts out. (I’ll be working from an SD reconstruction provided by ultrase7en from Toho Kingdom, so I can’t really vouch for the absolute accuracy of what I’ll be creating, but it’ll be an interesting side project.) I’ll probably open up a poll on that one when I finish this first version. What I’ll almost definitely be doing is creating a new, more accurate version of my AIP Destroy All Monsters reconstruction based on some info provided by Space Hunter M - specifically, I’ll be taking a different approach to the splices in the reference copy and correcting some other small errors and issues with the old version.

But first, there’s Monster Zero. I’ll be starting by syncing the HD Japanese footage to the Simitar DVD, which is the best source available that’s actually taken from a US film element (unlike CM’s DVD). Then there’s the matter of recreating the logos, title and credits in HD in as many cases as possible. There are a few spots where I’ll have to revert to SD sources, but since the title and credits mostly appear over static backgrounds, I’ll be able to recreate the vast majority. There are also a couple of unique visuals during the film proper in the US version; I predict I’ll be able to recreate some of them, but others (I’m thinking of Namikawa’s note and possibly the newspaper headlines) will have to be left in SD. For the final touch, I’ll be comparing the quality of the Simitar and Classic Media audio tracks, and if the CM track is any better I’ll probably sync that up to the film.

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YAY us!!! I’m very excited. Thanks for doing these justice.

😃

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I haven’t yet gotten in touch with him about it; I hope so, but it’s entirely up to him.

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Well I finished syncing the Japanese HD footage to the Simitar DVD late last night, or early this morning, and in addition I’ve recreated the “Henry G. Saperstein Presents” and UPA logo cards at the beginning of the film. I’ve also set up the backgrounds for the recreated opening credits.

What’s left to do, then:

  • Recreate the opening credits
  • Deal with the other US version visuals (location cards, newspaper headlines, “The End”) either through masking, recreating or just substituting the SD shots
  • Add the Classic Media audio since the Simitar audio has this weird volume inconsistency where most of the film is quiet, then the second-to-last reel is a lot louder, then the last reel is a little quieter and also skewed to one side for some reason
  • Add grain to the whole thing, render, test, upload

Also I’m pleased to announce that Video Collector will once again be preparing Blu-ray art for this project. He hasn’t sent me anything yet, but as always I’m excited to see what he comes up with.

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God Save Pop Punk said:

Well I finished syncing the Japanese HD footage to the Simitar DVD late last night, or early this morning, and in addition I’ve recreated the “Henry G. Saperstein Presents” and UPA logo cards at the beginning of the film. I’ve also set up the backgrounds for the recreated opening credits.

What’s left to do, then:

  • Recreate the opening credits
  • Deal with the other US version visuals (location cards, newspaper headlines, “The End”) either through masking, recreating or just substituting the SD shots
  • Add the Classic Media audio since the Simitar audio has this weird volume inconsistency where most of the film is quiet, then the second-to-last reel is a lot louder, then the last reel is a little quieter and also skewed to one side for some reason
  • Add grain to the whole thing, render, test, upload

Also I’m pleased to announce that Video Collector will once again be preparing Blu-ray art for this project. He hasn’t sent me anything yet, but as always I’m excited to see what he comes up with.

Very exciting on all fronts. 😃

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Hi there. This place has NO search so I am giving up on scrolling through hundreds of threads to only run into non responsive folks. I like what you do, and I know you might be able to help me or through me to the proper people to help me on my way. I am trying to accomplish the following and I need to know what are the best programs and where can I find the proper tutorials to learn what I need to know. Maybe there are some hisson in this place I just had not dug into. Your help on the matter would be much appriciated because once I know these skills I will also be of a great artistic help here in authoring, menus, artwork etc. :::

  1. For a Mac user what is the best Blu Ray and Dvd authoring program out there? I cannot seem to find one on a torrent or a download. And the ones it seems Criterion, vinegar Syndrome and the like use are REALLY expensive and hard to locate. Any software you can recommend that allows for scripting and creative freedom on making cool menus.

  2. I need to learn how to extract the audio and video files in a store baought blu ray disk. For instance, I want to undo the Neil Young Archives Vol 1 set, grab all of the video goodies and make a disk or two of JUST that material.

  3. I cannot seem to be able to use Tsmux to make an MKV into a BDAV or whatever it is called so that I can burn and watch it on my player. Last time I tried this I made a 3 dollar Indiana Jones 35MM print disk, with no audio. 😦

So, to sum up, I want to learn these skills so that I can author my own disks for the community. I just keep running into road blocks. Im running 10.11.11 El Capitan

PS, your work is STUPENDOUS please keep uploading it at My Spleen! 😉

"Ollie, wontcha speak to me…?

“I have nothing to say.”

L&H

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I’m afraid I know next to nothing about authoring and burning discs on Windows, let alone on a Mac; I know broadly what codecs are the right ones for Blu-ray but that’s about it. Someone else on here might be able to help you, though!

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 (Edited)

GrindhouseGuru said:

Hi there. This place has NO search so I am giving up on scrolling through hundreds of threads to only run into non responsive folks. I like what you do, and I know you might be able to help me or through me to the proper people to help me on my way. I am trying to accomplish the following and I need to know what are the best programs and where can I find the proper tutorials to learn what I need to know. Maybe there are some hisson in this place I just had not dug into. Your help on the matter would be much appriciated because once I know these skills I will also be of a great artistic help here in authoring, menus, artwork etc. :::

  1. For a Mac user what is the best Blu Ray and Dvd authoring program out there? I cannot seem to find one on a torrent or a download. And the ones it seems Criterion, vinegar Syndrome and the like use are REALLY expensive and hard to locate. Any software you can recommend that allows for scripting and creative freedom on making cool menus.

  2. I need to learn how to extract the audio and video files in a store baought blu ray disk. For instance, I want to undo the Neil Young Archives Vol 1 set, grab all of the video goodies and make a disk or two of JUST that material.

  3. I cannot seem to be able to use Tsmux to make an MKV into a BDAV or whatever it is called so that I can burn and watch it on my player. Last time I tried this I made a 3 dollar Indiana Jones 35MM print disk, with no audio. 😦

So, to sum up, I want to learn these skills so that I can author my own disks for the community. I just keep running into road blocks. Im running 10.11.11 El Capitan

PS, your work is STUPENDOUS please keep uploading it at My Spleen! 😉

Though this isn’t the proper thread for this question I’d say you might want to give this a try.

http://blog.bluray-player-software.com/how-to-make-a-blu-ray-disc-on-mac-with-se-506ab/

Good luck with your project.

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 (Edited)

Sorry I thought I was doing a private message. Thank you Jetrell for the help. Encore looks like a good program. 😃

"Ollie, wontcha speak to me…?

“I have nothing to say.”

L&H

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Just went through and synced up the CM audio, added the grain and all that, looks like it’s pretty much done! I’ll be starting a test render in a minute here. It’ll probably be a while yet before the actual release, though; I’m still waiting on the cover art and Video Collector’s bought a German poster he wants to use for one of the variants that hasn’t arrived just yet. In the meantime, though, I’ll probably post some more BTS/shitpost videos to tide you guys over.

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Awesome. Are you posting this on the spleen?

"Ollie, wontcha speak to me…?

“I have nothing to say.”

L&H

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Naturally. I should probably go get in touch with a mod to get it approved first, as is apparently protocol for fan edits and the like.

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I cant wait! Very excited.

aka nostromo777 on myspleen

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The custom cover art is part of why I love these alongside the work Red has done. The Godzilla community is very lucky to have this tandem effort doing such awesome things.

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i check this thread seveal times daily… the suspense is killing me

*checks “notify me when someone replies”

aka nostromo777 on myspleen

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Finally!

The delay has been all my fault. The first three covers were finished nearly three weeks ago but I wanted to add one with the German poster. I couldn’t find any good images of it online so I ended up ordering the actual poster on eBay ($58 shipped, but what can you do?). After some unnecessary delays in the post, I finally received the poster yesterday and here at last are all the covers and discart for Red Menace’s MONSTER ZERO restoration project.





These will be included in the actual upload, but drop me a message and I’ll set you up directly.

Thanks for everyones’ patience.

Visit my *NEW* Star Wars on Video Collection site:

http://www.swonvideo.com

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Those look fantastic. Thank you for your hard work.

aka nostromo777 on myspleen

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Absolutely amazing work VC … just wow.

😃

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Just got a message on Tumblr from someone saying they’d seen these covers; didn’t realize they’d gotten done. They look fantastic, and I love the variety. I think my favorite’s the German poster, but I really like the VHS cover aesthetic as well. Guess I’d better go download these and upload the reconstruction!

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God Save Pop Punk said:

Just got a message on Tumblr from someone saying they’d seen these covers; didn’t realize they’d gotten done. They look fantastic, and I love the variety. I think my favorite’s the German poster, but I really like the VHS cover aesthetic as well. Guess I’d better go download these and upload the reconstruction!

Was it Ray that messaged you, LOL.

I do love the German Poster cover as well. It’s my favorite of the bunch but they’re all awesome.

😃