‘The Green Slime’ Blu-Ray Review – A Ridiculously Campy Sci-Fi Outing With Charm

After a perilous mission to a huge asteroid, a crew returns to its space station, unaware that a bit of ooze from the asteroid clings to a crewman’s uniform. The green goop grows – into murderous, tentacled monsters. And as station members fight to live, gunk from the monsters’ wounds turns into more monsters! That’s the story. Now enjoy as our heroes fight to preserve Earth and, unintentionally, our own senses of humor with a movie that Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called “one of the funniest made-in-Japan sci-fi monster movies ever.” Kinji Fukasaku, whose later work was championed by Quentin Tarantino, directs. The world would be a far more bleak and joyless place without marvels like The Green Slime.

For thoughts on Green Slime, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Green Slime was released on Blu-Ray in 2017 courtesy of the Warner Archive in a stunning 1080p transfer derived from a 2K scan of the Interpositive. As is typical with films of this vintage, there is a small bit of variance when opticals are utilized thanks to the technical process of the time. Still, the footage primarily skews closer to the illusion of watching a modern movie – if only modern movies could feel this tactile. The filmic quality is deftly maintained with a glorious amount of natural grain that yields spectacular detail. Colors radiate off the screen with an impeccable vibrancy that never fails to capture the otherworldly hues. The production design takes on an antiseptic and metallic appearance, but there are key flourishes that wake up the frame. We did not spot any digital anomalies such as compression artifacts or banding. Warner Archive has done stellar work here. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a fabulous DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that appropriately preserves the original soundscape without a hiccup. One of the most unexpected elements of the film is the rocking title song that has been stuck in our heads for days. From the moment it comes on, it blares out with strong fidelity. Dialogue is crisp and clear without being overshadowed by sound effects like the alien effects. The more active moments create a spacious track that is more nuanced than you might consider. This track provides a presentation clear of any major blemishes or digital anomalies that would encumber the viewing experience. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for those who desire them. 

Special Features

• Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here. 

Final Thoughts

Green Slime is a perfectly low-rent sci-fi outing that is charming in its dated qualities. The dialogue is absolutely ridiculous, but the practical effects deliver the throwback artistry that we appreciate in a movie such as this. The movie is not very good, but it hits the spot if you want a movie that represents this era of campy sci-fi filmmaking. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a stunning A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. If you have an affinity for the film, the presentation will leave you happy. 

Green Slime can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.