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Posted: 31 Dec 2019, 21:30 

Hello!

I'm thinking of picking up the Blu Ray but the UK 101 release doesn't appear to have the Sensurround track. The Shout Factory USA Blu and the German Koch Blu both have the Sensurround track.

For me this is a critical component. Yes, Rollercoaster is a great film, but I would LOVE to experience the Sensurround track. Crank the subwoofer up and destroy the foundations of my house!

Do any of the LD releases carry the Sensurround track? For that matter do any releases of Earthquake or any other Sensurround films have said audio tracks on their LD releases?

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Posted: 03 Jan 2020, 11:46 

Tightly curated?? Are you joking right? They look like the most random titles I could think of> all look weird and great though, congratulations

Yep. Tightly curated to me! :lol:

My rule of thumb is to try and buy discs unavailable on other formats, or perhaps OOP and too expensive on other formats. Also curiosities, oddball stuff, interesting stuff and then things like Cannon, Vestron, New World Cinema, Guild sub par movies. That Dirk Benedict and Linda Blair film for me was a must. I bought Blue Tornado on DVD the other day, starring Dirk Benedict and Patsy Kensit. It turned out to be directed by Dario Argento's favourite editor (worked on Demons and Demons 2 etc etc). it was surprisingly good. Figured I'd give Ruckus a try. Ye can't beat a bit of Face from the A Team in films! :mrgreen:

If it's available on Blu Ray or UHD that is where I start first. If not I go to DVD. Then VHS or LD (whichever is cheaper/better print/different cut etc). Or I mix it all up depending on what the cut/commentary/extras etc are. A good example being The Thing. I bought the HD-DVD of that too. Still looking for the LD of it with the extra commentary on it (I think it's on a 1998 R1 DVD too so I bought that for now).

Then finally there's just the other 'stuff'. Oddball documentaries. Weird subjects. OOP anime (Goddam!!, Urban Square and Future War 198X - which was worked on by Toshio Maeda! - and other 80's/90's anime are my favourites). 3D stuff. Odd music projects, the Canyon project for example. I got an AC-3 demodulator a while back from Japan. I have to run it on a step down transformer and it's hassle just for the couple of AC-3 titles in my collection, but feck it, I'm curious to see how it all works and sounds like.

I think there's lots to see and explore on different formats that may otherwise never see the light of day again. That's the joy of LD collecting for me, and why I think of my collecting habits/collection as tightly curated. :thumbup:


Ordered and to arrive shortly: Hercules in New York. Schwarzenegger's first American film, iirc. Pan and Scan, mono analog. Can't wait!
It's hilarious that they both dubbed over his voice in that movie, and credited him as "Arnold Strong".

Have fun with it. It's a real kick & a laugh.

I have this on R2 DVD from years ago. It was released by Hollywood DVD. The quality of the transfer is really good too (the video, not Arnold's voice :lol: ).

The opening credits have Arnie listed as Arnold Strong (Mr Universe)! The cover makes a big deal about it being the first time his real voice is heard. You know what is odd though? I can't seem to find the film with Arnie's voice dubbed over. Is that present on a separate channel on the LD? If so I would love to pick up a copy as I can't find the dubbed version anywhere.

"I'M TIRED OF ZE SEM OLD PLACES! ZE SEM OLD THINGS!" :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Posted: 08 Jan 2020, 11:23 

Nice, always wanted that Starflight One but now collecting habits have changed and I no longer want it but I know its a cool one.

I love 70's disaster films! :lol: I couldn't wait and watched Rollercoaster uncut yesterday. The 101 Films Blu looks like the Shout Factory release (it uses the same extras as they are copyright/presented by SF). The bitrates seem to match too. Still going to get the German Blu as it has a whopper bitrate and the all-important Sensurround audio track that apparently the LD releases don't have. Still a superb film to this day. Timothy Bottoms is awesome as 'The Young Man'. I didn't realise the daughter in the film is a very young Helen Hunt!

Yeah Starflight One was on my list for the longest time but it was about tracking it down. I don't think there was a US or EU release on LD? I know there is a German DVD of it, but I don't think the transfer is very good. Maybe someone else will know?

In my opinion it's the kind of film that is crying out for a boutique Blu! I'd also add The Last Chase and Killer Fish to that list. Maybe a boutique Lee Majors box set!? Imagine! :o

Mannequin I think already has a Blu release. However I think it may be a slightly different version on the Japanese LD. I'm not 100% sure. I picked it up for the retina-shattering sleeve colour and because I don't seem to watch anything made after 1999. :lol:

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Posted: 15 Jan 2020, 14:27 

I bought a copy about 3 weeks ago of Deathstalker III. A very lucky find in my opinion. I am looking for Deathstalker IV now but I think that wasn't released on LD was it?

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Posted: 01 Feb 2020, 13:42 

Hello.

I thought to share this blog post I wrote here. Hopefully to inspire folks who may be looking for new films to watch.

For no reason at all I ended up watching a film a day over January 2020 and posted the results (ranked in order) and shared some thoughts on what I watched.

Anyone else done something similar over a month or more?

http://thecoter.ie/2020/02/01/film-a-day-january-2020-challenge/

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 Post subject: Re: Angel Cop?
Posted: 02 Apr 2020, 20:24 

Oh my! I didn't see they have Orange Road on Blu Ray too! I love the work that went in to putting Angel Cop out there. 50 passes of a Betamax tape and the rest of the work too. Unreal. Stuff like this needs supporting else it will be lost forever. Support these boutique labels!

Just saw Vinegar Syndrome has a 4K UHD release of Rad coming in May that is using the original camera negative. Not just that, Dynamo is coming to Blu Ray in May too. Argh! My poor wallet.

Well, it's not really the time to be buying stuff during a pandemic... :oops:

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Posted: 05 Apr 2020, 20:56 

Apologies I can't answer your question, but have a question for you you might know the answer to. Why is the Japanese Laserdisc of Hackers so expensive?

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Posted: 21 Apr 2020, 22:03 

here's a few I received this week.

https://i.imgur.com/fM149Mw.jpg

Mr. Billion is one I didn't expect to find on LD. Big fan of Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. This one is only otherwise on German Blu Ray.

https://i.imgur.com/oSaYj0J.jpg

Blind buy. Never seen it.

https://i.imgur.com/3LSNTvH.jpg

This one doesn't seem to be too common and I can't find it on a format better than LD.

https://i.imgur.com/IyR0LIb.jpg

This cost me 49p! More a curio buy than anything.

https://i.imgur.com/9Ks3Tal.jpg

Never seen it. Always wanted to.

https://i.imgur.com/4jR3omq.jpg

This one will sit proudly alongside my Japanese LD!

https://i.imgur.com/6kXUbkH.jpg

This showed up at the exact time I am trying to learn more about Squash. Instabuy.

https://i.imgur.com/jZcznea.jpg

Love football. Curiobuy.

https://i.imgur.com/zXmYvsE.jpg

Another blind Curiobuy.

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 Post subject: Cursed Films
Posted: 26 Apr 2020, 22:24 

There are about 5 or so episodes so far.

The Exorcist
The Crow
The Twilight Zone
The Omen
Poltergeist

It is very interesting because there are interviews with the people who were there when things happened on set. Except John Landis.

I couldn't believe they showed the Vic Morrow accident. That one was horrendous. I didn't think they would show it.

Interesting stuff anyway. It is on Shudder.

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 Post subject: Re: Cursed Films
Posted: 27 Apr 2020, 10:50 

I have a feeling the Exorcist episode is going to be much like The Omen episode. A lot of speculation and tabloid sensationalism surrounded both those films. Reports of curses, people getting sick in cinemas and walking out. Sure things like that still happen today. Remember the frenzy around Crash? Or what about The Passion Of The Christ? OK so they are not horror films but as is mentioned in one of the episodes, when you compartmentalize this stuff in to:

Horror films with a curse/accident/sensationalist rep
Non-horror films with a curse/accident/sensationalist rep
Horror films without a curse/accident/sensationalist rep
General films

It kind of brings about a question/answer of the whole curse nonsense being exactly that, pure nonsense. Things happen, life happens. Choices are made. Mistakes are made. The real problem is the media and the frenzy that gets whipped up around something (not just films). That's where the problem lies. Gutter press and gullible public.

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 Post subject: Re: Akira 4K Remaster
Posted: 27 Apr 2020, 22:55 

Someone has posted a 4K HDR sample on YouTube.

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Posted: 30 Apr 2020, 08:40 

Nearly everything on Gr€€dBay is overvalued. Half the people on it think hoarding old tat will pay for their retirement.

It won't.

In the future, a lot of stuff will end up as photos in history books or museum relics because the new generation has no emotional attachment to the stuff that older generations treasure or feel nostalgic towards.

In the case of media, games, books etc, it is all digital. A throwaway society built on capitalism and materialism.

They just don't, and won't care. People will end up dying with their tat.

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Posted: 01 May 2020, 09:17 

gypsy wrote:
Going to watch Top Secret shortly.


Hello. Is this the potato farm?

Yes, I am Albert Potato.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Posted: 03 May 2020, 18:14 

..and when they eventually flip them to some chinless wonder they'll end up with nothing but comebacks because the disc will be rotten.

Failing that so much time will pass that a DVD, Blu or UHD or Streaming Service will put a better quality version out there. Thus making their hoard worthless.

Look at Rad for example, arriving on UHD very soon from the original camera negative no less.

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 Post subject: Re: Mannequin (1987)
Posted: 06 May 2020, 21:14 

I was looking for the opening song for ages and didn't know there was never a soundtrack released for Mannequin, thus no release of In My Wildest Dreams exists.

Go on. Go look for it and continue reading this when you give up. :lol:

Someone found a studio recording of the song here. Enjoy.

https://outrageoussoundtracks.blogspot.com/2015/07/mannequin-mannequin-one-move-2015.html?m=1

EDIT: I've downloaded the file and checked it out. It's the real deal! The transfer from the studio cassette is superb. Excellent quality. An actual soundtrack holy grail uncovered! :clap:

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Posted: 08 May 2020, 16:25 

1min30secs I was almost certain the background music was about to break in to Mr Mister!

SO TAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEE...........THESE BROKEN WIIIIIIIIIINGSS!!!!

etc

:D

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Posted: 13 May 2020, 22:49 

Eight Hours Of Terror.

Another whopper film by Seljun Suzkui. Get it watched!

My mediocre review of it here if anyone cares:

My ★★★★ review of Eight Hours of Terror on Letterboxd https://boxd.it/18Q1iJ

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Posted: 18 May 2020, 21:58 

Celebrated the return of my beloved 925 this evening by watching one of my favourite Laserdiscs.

The 1992 Hanshin Tigers NPB season story and highlights.

The disc comes complete with a results sheet from their 1992 fixtures.

Baseball is awesome (I'm a Mets fan since the early 80's and I have a soft spot for the A's and Dodgers too. Even though the Dodgers are from Brooklyn originally!!!). I love NPB too. Who doesn't when the NPB produces talent like Ichiro Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani?

I'm not a Hanshin Tigers fan, apart from what their fans done to a statue of Colonel Sanders. :lol:

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters fan here. Purely on the basis that Hokkaido is one of my favourite parts of Japan, especially in Winter.

Adding an NPB disc to my collection was hard. They don't seem to come up for sale, unless I am looking in the wrong places?

This is a great disc. Very high quality picture, I genuinely believe it is on par with a DVD. Really well mastered.

https://i.imgur.com/2o0o2xM.jpg

Anyway, I can't find this in the LDDB. Shall I add it?

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Posted: 24 May 2020, 23:54 

Dug out my Virtual Drug discs this evening to run through my capture setup. I've written about these and other video graphic features extensively on my crappy blog here: http://thecoter.ie/2017/04/08/world-of-cyberdelia/

I hadn't seen these discs for some time so sat down to watch Virtual Drug: Nature's Ecstasy (Flower+Wave). It's pot luck if you can pick up a copy of these discs with both, or at least one pair of the glasses present and intact!

The effects from the refractive glasses combined with the graphics on screen are still remarkable even today. My Ambilight LED television makes these discs even more immersive too! I think I have them all except one that was released on DVD (I have Virtual Drug 2001, it's the other one with the white cover who's name escapes me that I don't have). There is even a Blu Ray Virtual Drug too (see my blog article for more). I also did not realise that Christopher Currell was involved with Nature's Ecstasy Flower+Wave. I thought he left the Virtual Drug project after the second volume, Virtual Drug: Ecstasy. Flower+Wave was the third volume in the series, four in total. Virtual Drug: Flash Zone followed. I have that too on LD. The VHS edition came with an incense burner and incense! I've meant to pick it up for years but just keep letting copies slip by as I have the LD already.

This is what I collect Laserdiscs for. Stuff like this that you just cannot experience anywhere else as most of it is not on better formats. Pick these discs up if you get a chance.

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 Post subject: Zoom U-44
Posted: 27 May 2020, 13:11 

Hello.

I've had a little read around with regards making bit perfect captures of AC-3, DTS and Digital audio tracks on Laserdisc. I saw mention of the ESI U24 XL being a good choice for the job, as well as a few other internal cards (no use to me, I don't have a desktop computer). I was going to get an ESI U24 XL when I spotted a bargain deal for a Zoom U44.

This thing looks like it is more than capable of doing the job. Just wanted to post about it here to raise awareness and also see what anyone else thinks? It's a bit much buying one new, but if you can find a good used one for a good price, this thing looks like it has serious potential.

When it arrives, I'll try out capturing an AC-3 track (True Lies) and a random Dolby Digital track and report back. Anyone else tried the Zoom U44 or similar?

https://www.zoom.co.jp/products/production-recording/audio-interfaces/u-44-handy-audio-interface

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Posted: 02 Jun 2020, 14:08 

Killer, The: Special Edition #211 (1989) (Uncut) [CC1363L]

Received from the international shipping-friendly USA yesterday. Watched the whole thing and some of the extras on Side 5 last night.

The buzz on this one is 100% valid. This is the very best edition out there at the moment (although I've not been able to compare it to the absurdly expensive Criterion DVD of the same transfer. Picture-wise it is superb. Presented in it's original aspect ratio and with clean, clear colours. At times this felt to me like I was watching a DVD it was that good.

It's a shame that Criterion didn't do any restoration on some of the film dirt and damage. Perhaps the technology available today wasn't quite as good back in 1993. Still, this is head and shoulders above the horrific Blu Ray disc that was put out not so far back. That print looked like it had been dragged through a hedge backwards and tossed in to a bath of vinegar. And either the print is incredibly soft, or the telecine operator was having a nervous breakdown while scanning the reels. Horrific stuff.

The sound is superb. I personally preferred the digital track to the analog one. I didn't test out the John Woo commentary track but I'll certainly give that a listen another day. It's a shame this one doesn't have an AC-3 track. That would have been a nice 'to have' but you can only use what has been made available to you.

The extras disc appears to be really well done (I've only seen half of Side 5 so far). The whole thing is presented on a STEP button basis. Ergo you press the STEP forward or STEP backward buttons on your remote control to navigate the still data pages. A nice touch is the data pages are interspersed with video clips which are accessed by pressing PLAY when prompted and immediately bring you back to the data feed once they finish.

The whole thing is nicely put together and logically thought out in terms of navigating the extras (which are chapter based) and large, easy to read text that works well with the limitations of how still images are accessed and presented on Laserdisc.

The film itself should need no introduction. It's excellent. Although I am more of a fan of Hard Boiled when you push me to choose between the two. Both are legendary films though in their own right. Also the extras on the LD edition reveal some insight in to Hard Boiled. For example, did you know the opening Jazz music in Hard Boiled was originally going to be used in The Killer for the opening scene where John is playing the saxaphone at the nightclub with Jenny? The whole intro and music were scrapped and a new opening was filmed.

There does exist a Taiwan print that is even longer than the Criterion LD version, but John Woo states in the extras on this edition that to him, the cut presented on the Criterion print, is his definitive and preferred version of The Killer.

That'll do for me. Thanks John. :thumbup:

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 Post subject: Re: Zoom U-44
Posted: 02 Jun 2020, 22:30 

DISCO! I sussed it out! A bit of reading at trusty Doom9 pointed me in the right direction.

I was getting confused that all I was capturing in Reaper was the AC-3 tone. This is the audio container tone apparently (excuse my ignorance if I phrased that wrong). What I needed to do was capture the tone and then run it through Besplit to unpack it all to an *.ac3 file.

This is the output, captured at the correct sampling rate, with the correct SPDIF clock sync. Also, just to be absolutely sure my Zoom U-44 can do what I hope it can do, I swapped out the Toslink and used the digital coaxial input. This also proves (from another post I made here on the forum) that my suspected broken APD-2 Coaxial output port and cables do actually work. Hooray!

Here is the Besplit output from my 57 second True Lies AC-3 sample capture. As you can see, 5 channels, 384kbps as is expected and required by law!

[00:00:00:000] +------- BeSplit -----
[00:00:00:000] | Input : ac3test.wav
[00:00:00:000] | Source Sample-Rate: 48.0KHz
[00:00:00:000] | Channels Count: 5, Bitrate: 384kbps
[00:00:00:000] | Output : ac3test.ac3
[00:00:00:000] +---------------------
[00:00:57:216] | Writing ac3test.ac3
[00:00:57:216] +---------------------
[00:00:57:216] Operation Completed !
[00:00:01:000] <-- Process Duration

Here is the unpacked AC-3 file in all it's glory! I opened it in Audition 2020 CC in the hopes of getting the full file information, which indeed it gave me as you can see below. The only thing I messed up on was I set the L/R digital input to be the same inputs so it didn't record the other channel. I can fix that easily enough though when I record it again.

The Zoom U-44 seems to be working perfectly and is recording Digital Stereo and AC-3 correctly. Hooray! :mrgreen:

https://i.imgur.com/asUboAU.png

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 Post subject: Re: Fawlty towers is racist
Posted: 12 Jun 2020, 19:09 

just don't say anything bad about Manuell, he's from Spain.

Manuel is from Barcelona. Barcelona is not in Spain. :thumbup:

Barcelona is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain.

Barcelona is not in Spain. :thumbup:

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 Post subject: Re: Fawlty towers is racist
Posted: 12 Jun 2020, 19:23 

je280 wrote:
teddanson wrote:
rein-o wrote:
just don't say anything bad about Manuell, he's from Spain.


Manuel is from Barcelona. Barcelona is not in Spain. :thumbup:


Gotcha :thumbup: .


:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

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 Post subject: Re: Fawlty towers is racist
Posted: 12 Jun 2020, 20:51 

Ha, this piqued my interest. I placed a buy order from a shop here. :)


Well done gypsy. You cant go wrong! :thumbup:

Thanks for the tip too. I just bought the box set on eBay too. Complete with 'heartbreak tax' to Ireland.

Decided to get in before the scalpers ruin it for everyone.

I wish there was an easier way to get Only Fools and Horses fully uncut. Impossible task though.
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