Haven't seen any threads on this little gem. "Brother From Another Planet" was released on HD DVD in Japan on 2/27. With the Bee movie thing, I thought it's nice to have "something cool on HD DVD" on the way, since that seems to be rare nowadays.

This was fairly rare on VHS for a time, and was recently re-released on DVD by MGM. I thought it was quite odd they picked this movie to release in HD.

Has anyone seen this? Liked it?

Do you have a link to a store that has this in stock?

I haven't heard anything about this and there is nothing on Amazon or HMV JP

Sounds like a B movie title. What the heck is it about?

I have seen some import HD DVD info sites outside of Japan listing this release but I have seen absolutely no info about it on Japanese sites or Japanese online shops. Haven't seen it in any B&M stores either.

I doubt this has actually been released. I didn't see any "pre-release announcements" about it in Japan either, but I wonder where those HD DVD info sites got the info about this from.

There seems to have been a DVD release on 27-Feb, which is based on some HD master but I think there is no HD DVD release.

Found this recent DVD release from Amazon Japan:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B0011WCRPM/

This is the DVD release at HMV Japan:
http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail/2689037

Some Japanese stores claimed that this is an HD DVD release but most claim it's a DVD release from some HD master.

Play-Asia has it listed as an HD DVD and so does Neowing:
http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=HNTS-3

Most other stores list it as DVD. I think it's a case of mislabeling in some stores that has caused some confusion.

Too bad it's not coming out on HD (or even Blu). That was a classic 80's movie featuring Joe Morton.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087004/

I still remember the feet.

Just emailed Play-Asia to verify which version they have. They list the HD DVD as kannisto said but I want to verify before ordering.

Cdjapan has it listed as an HD-DVD www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=HNTS-3
Hope this HD-DVD includes John Sayles audio commentary from MGM DVD.

What I ordered was an HD DVD from Play Asia. I hope they're not selling me a DVD for $43.00! I think you can get the US MGM DVD for 9.98!

If it turns out to be HD DVD, might be pretty rare...

What I ordered was an HD DVD from Play Asia. I hope they're not selling me a DVD for $43.00! I think you can get the US MGM DVD for 9.98!

If it turns out to be HD DVD, might be pretty rare...

Emailed Play-Asia today to verify if that was an HD DVD version on the site. They emailed back saying its out of stock. Hope you got the HD DVD and not SD for the amount of scratch you paid.

I still remember the feet.

Me too, those feet are hard to forget. And, as we saw, hard to find shoes for.:)

The reason why I think this is not an HD DVD is that it seems to be released by a small label "M3 Entertainment" who typically seem to release rather obscure DVDs and the HD DVD information sites that list everything related HD DVD in Japan don't list this as HD DVD at all. I went to the homepage of M3 Entertainment and it seems it was not updated for the last 8 months or so.

Some sites list this release as having mono sound and 4:3 image :)

The product code seems to be HNTS-3. Most findings with that search key from Japanese sites say it's a DVD release from HD master.

Some examples of those:

http://nttxstore.jp/_II_D112339449
http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/guruguru/hnts-3.html
http://www.discstation.co.jp/VSSHOP/cgi/DS_goods_item.aspx?ns=HNTS-3
http://www.dvd.netyokocho.jp/catalog/HNTS-3/
http://www.boople.com/bst/BPDVDdispatch?av_cd=1080098127

Homepage of M3 Entertainment:
http://www.m3e.co.jp/

New releases listed on first page are from July last year!

The stores listing it as HD DVD with this product code HNTS-3 are definitely in the minority but there are 2 or 3 such stores.

Thought at first this was a HD DVD of the movie Brother in Space, which I was able to find on a Japanese laserdisc some years ago. (It's an E.T. rip-off, starring Martin Balsam).

anybody ever figure out what the deal with this "supposed" HD DVD is?
Did anybody ever receive it?

I still have a VHS copy of this movie. There is some nice music and interesting characters in the movie. It was directed by John Sayles who also did:

Jurassic Park IV (TBA) (screenwriter)
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) (co-writer)
Honeydripper (2007) (writer/director)
Silver City (2004) (writer/director)
Casa de los Babys (2003) (writer/director)
Sunshine State (2002) (writer/director)
Limbo (1999) (writer/director)
Men with Guns (1997) (writer/director)
Lone Star (1996) (writer/director)
Men of War (1994) (writer)
The Secret of Roan Inish (1994) (writer/director)
Passion Fish (1992) (writer/director)
City of Hope (1991) (writer/director)
Eight Men Out (1988) (writer/director)
Matewan (1987) (writer/director)
The Brother from Another Planet (1984) (writer/director)
Baby It's You (1983) (writer/director)
Lianna (1983) (writer/director)
The Howling (1981) (screenwriter)
Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980) (writer/director)
Alligator (1980) (screenwriter)
Piranha (1978) (screenwriter)

Unfortunately, it is NOT an HD DVD. It's a regular old DVD. Pretty expensive for such an old movie! Haven't watched it yet, but box says 4:3! The $10 MGM dvd is Anamorphic.

Oh well...


Yep 4x3, hard-coded subs, crap transfer. Thanks Japan!