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4K UHD Blu-ray |
The US version on the German DVD (= identical to the US VHS) was compared with the US Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.
In central Korea, earthquakes suddenly shake the landscape – initially mysterious, but soon the cause is revealed to be a prehistoric monster: Yongary, a giant reptile whose energy source is gasoline. As the quakes move closer to Seoul, observers discover that Yongary is approaching the heart of the country and soon threatens the city. Scientist Il-woo notices that Yongary shows an aversion to ammonia when a tank of the chemical is damaged. Together with his sister Icho's child, he develops a stronger ammonia formula that initially stuns the monster – a glimmer of hope, but Yongary comes back to life... Yongary, Monster from the Deep is a passable monster movie from South Korea that clearly follows the familiar kaiju formula of its Japanese role models. The ingredients are right: an awakening monster, destruction in the big city, and desperate scientists searching for a solution. However, the film lacks the technical sophistication found in comparable Japanese productions of the time. This is particularly evident in the scene where Yongary breathes fire – the metal pipe clearly visible in the monster's mouth looks clumsy and robs the effect of any credibility. A particular curiosity is the scene in which Yongary starts dancing – presumably intended as a humorous interlude, it now comes across as unintentionally funny. Despite these weaknesses, Yongary, Monster from the Deep offers solid entertainment for fans of classic monster movies and an interesting insight into South Korean genre cinema of the 1960s. The film was released on Blu-ray for the first time in the US by Vinegar Syndrome. It contains the US version of the film, as the original South Korean version is unfortunately no longer complete. At the time, the complete original film material was sent out for the international version and has been lost ever since. Only 48 minutes from a worn theatrical copy have survived. The Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray appears to contain the same version that was previously released on DVD by MGM. This version is slightly longer than the “old” US version found on various budget DVDs and on the German DVD released by Marketing Film. In the old version, two scenes were rearranged and some footage is missing, presumably due to film breaks or severely damaged source material. For comparison, the US VHS from Orion was also available, which is identical in content to the US version on the Marketing DVD. The bonus material on the Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray includes the 48 minutes preserved from the original Korean version. Although these scenes are available in HD resolution, they appear to be from an older transfer: the image is interlaced and seems to be an SD upscaling.
Picture comparison: US version (DVD):
US version (Blu-ray):
Running times:
[00:00:00][00:00:00]
The Blu-ray starts much earlier. The opening music can be heard against a black screen. The stars and the universe appear. The camera pans to the side. First the moon becomes visible, then the Earth.
BD: 1:23 min. [00:12:16][00:13:40] The jet in the air drops something. A brief flash of light can be seen.
BD: 6 sec. [00:27:50][00:29:20] After the police officer reports via radio that the mountain is about to explode, there is a cut to the command center. The scientists and generals look shocked. One man says that Yongary is not a myth after all and suggests that the general call for some tanks. In the DVD, this scene was moved back a little.
BD: 12 sec. [00:28:03][00:29:45] In the DVD, the previous scene comes after the policeman reports that Yongary has appeared.
In the Blu-ray, the policeman can still be seen.
DVD: 12 sec. BD: 1 sec. [00:48:56][00:50:28] The soldier explains to Il-woo that he is too late and that Yongary is about to be attacked by guided missiles at any minute. This dialogue is repeated in the Blu-ray. Apparently, the English dubbing is missing here.
BD: 8 sec. [00:49:24][00:51:03] The people in headquarters can be seen earlier. Soon-a storms into the room.
BD: 7 sec. [00:53:52][00:55:37] Icho can be seen earlier. He runs into the lab and looks around.
BD: 11 sec. [00:55:37][00:57:34] The DVD skips the scene where Yongary is shot with rockets. In the Blu-ray, this follows at [00:58:05], i.e. after the helicopter has spread the powder over Yongary.
Yongary can be seen earlier in the Blu-ray.
DVD: 33 sec. BD: 1 sec. [00:56:39][00:58:05] Here, the Blu-ray shows the scene in which Yongary is shot at. However, the rockets can be seen earlier.
BD: 2 sec. + 32 sec. [01:09:44][01:11:44] Yongary can be seen longer after he gets back up.
BD: 2 sec. [01:17:28][01:19:27] In the DVD, the picture freezes when the rocket is visible at the end.
In the Blu-ray, the music continues to play during the black screen.
DVD: 7 sec. BD: 10 sec. |
