I received my very first laserdisc player this week with a bunch of films. I won't keep them all, but have started going through them. I've watched Jungle Book The Bear (seems to be suffering from disc rot on one side as it seems very streaky/smeary) Boogie Nights (the documentary was really eye-opening) Planning to watch Trainspotting tonight.
I watched some youtuber review the 1995 Fist of the North Star and I realized something.
The Laserdisc doesn't look bad because it's a poor transfer. The Laserdisc looks bad because the movie looks bad. The cinematography is all dark and murky and shot in low light and low contrast, something which just doesn't play nice with composite video.
watched my second copy of Calfornia Girls which while not great is a lot better than the first copy I have. Also Robot Carnival isn't bad but now I need the BD of it. wish I had my laserdisc copy though since the picture is jumpy at times.
I've tried once I finished David the Gnome which ends weirdly. Is Wisdom of the Gnomes which is hard to get into since I have never seen it before or familiar with it. It's kinda of annoying so I have stopped watching it. they didn't set up the world as well or why its about a judge. David was better even with its many flaws.
Just got done watching Coming 2 America. Had a blast! LOTS of fan service here. Don't want to spoil it for anyone who was waiting for this film today, just to say if there are things you are hoping to see in it, it's all there.
Excellent fan service film, though probably not for anyone who didn't watch the original film way back first time round. A lot of it may be lost on some folks perhaps.
There's some ropey CG here too, oh and there is an omission, but i don't care. Everything I wanted to see in the film was here and I had a great time with it. I'll watch it again a few times in future but one thing is certain, it doesn't top the first film. You always knew that anyway, so it's not a let down.
For reasons unknown, pulled the original Star Trek pilot "THE CAGE" out of the grotto.....
Bigwigs wanted to dump the series before it began i learned recently viewing a documentary about Leonard Nimoy. They eneded up hiring new actors while keeping Spock and taking the actress playing captain Pike's "number 1" XO and demoting her to "RN Chapel" for the ongoing series.....
Enjoyed "The Cage", been decades since revisiting. Really enjoyed the story and different faces then used to from the ongoing series.
I was not born when it originally aired. Thank goodness they kept Roddenberry's project alive ! Thank you Lucille Ball for bankrolling the venture ! ! !
Long live the Tribbles !
Cheers to the membership
_________________ Acta Non Verba ..... Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum .... Si Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc ......
Dragon Inn is a good film. I recently watched (being trying to watch Dreams lately but not in the mood-have seen it several times anyway) it and having forgotten what A touch of Zen was like which I need to rewatch but its in KY with most of my other criterions- I absolutely enjoyed it. King seems masterful and there needs to be more wuxia in the collection since I love Samurai flicks but those can get old and looking at Kurosawa the films I enjoy the most are more normal fare than Samurai. MY favorite director in the collection is Ozu but I have most if not all asian films save for several that I need to get.
Deep Blue Sea 2 - not too too bad if you liked the first one. Deep Blue Sea 3 - ok this one was absolute rubbish. Anna - not too too bad if you like late Luc Besson films.
_________________ Coming Soon Derman Labs Anything Of Substance
Watched The Thing last night for the first time. I have the film on Laserdisc, the Signature Series edition. Though I opted for the Blu Ray with the DTS HD MA track instead. Very pleased I went with the Blu as the audio track on it is absolutely sensational (even on my pokey little setup). The audio is so wide and varied yet so full. It's a real beefy track with some superb use of panning and excellent effects. I pulled out the Laserdisc to compare the audio on it and it holds up really well. To be honest I have the Laserdisc solely for the uncensored commentary track, got it on DVD too as there's a specific edition that has the uncensored track and all other editions are censored.
As for the film I enjoyed it a lot. It did lull a little in the middle for my liking, but I loved the how quickly the paranoia ramped up. I think the dog deserved an Oscar, what a superb animal and kudos to the trainer too because every move that dog made on camera was spot on. Wilford Brimley was awesome in it, I was disappointed that he didn't mention just once that he had Diabeeytus though.
The practical effects were the star of the show though, some of which hold up really well some 40 odd years later. Proof if any were needed that practical effects and good makeup can eclipse the shadow of CGI when done right. The ending was great too, it left a bit open to interpretation!
Great film. Not a five star stellar epic for me, but very close. And that minimal soundtrack by the way, I hope it won awards. Aside from the dog I think it was the star of the film. The sheer dread those simple low notes can conjour! It summed up the mood of the film perfectly. The paranoia, the dread, the fear, the tension, being cut off from civilization and so on. Brilliant stuff.
It's supposedly coming to 4K UHD in the first half of 2021. Day 1 purchase for me if it's been done correctly.
Watched The Thing last night for the first time. I have the film on Laserdisc, the Signature Series edition. Though I opted for the Blu Ray with the DTS HD MA track instead. Very pleased I went with the Blu as the audio track on it is absolutely sensational (even on my pokey little setup). The audio is so wide and varied yet so full. It's a real beefy track with some superb use of panning and excellent effects. I pulled out the Laserdisc to compare the audio on it and it holds up really well. To be honest I have the Laserdisc solely for the uncensored commentary track, got it on DVD too as there's a specific edition that has the uncensored track and all other editions are censored.
As for the film I enjoyed it a lot. It did lull a little in the middle for my liking, but I loved the how quickly the paranoia ramped up. I think the dog deserved an Oscar, what a superb animal and kudos to the trainer too because every move that dog made on camera was spot on. Wilford Brimley was awesome in it, I was disappointed that he didn't mention just once that he had Diabeeytus though.
The practical effects were the star of the show though, some of which hold up really well some 40 odd years later. Proof if any were needed that practical effects and good makeup can eclipse the shadow of CGI when done right. The ending was great too, it left a bit open to interpretation!
Great film. Not a five star stellar epic for me, but very close. And that minimal soundtrack by the way, I hope it won awards. Aside from the dog I think it was the star of the film. The sheer dread those simple low notes can conjour! It summed up the mood of the film perfectly. The paranoia, the dread, the fear, the tension, being cut off from civilization and so on. Brilliant stuff.
It's supposedly coming to 4K UHD in the first half of 2021. Day 1 purchase for me if it's been done correctly.
Opinion - One of several masterpiece works from the legendary John Carpenter.
He was renowned for doing his synthesizer soundtracks. His short bits on Escape from New York still inspire me. A true creative titan. Often wonder how he is aging and if he still has any mothballed projects ready for execution.....
Gonna need to revist THE THING .....
Thanks for the inspiration ....
Cheers to the membership.....
_________________ Acta Non Verba ..... Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum .... Si Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc ......
That minimal synth track in The Thing is just brilliant. I had to change my underwear before the end of the opening sequence!
SPOILERISH STUFF AHEAD
After watching the film I had a look at an interview with Keith David. He makes a really interesting, speculative observation theat They Live could be viewed as an inadvertant sequel to The Thing. He's looking at it from the perspective that if the thing survived in Childs or MacReady that in They Live the thing is the next evolution. It's already here and inhabiting bodies. I thought that was a pretty cool observation, one I hadn't really thought about before.
I definitely urge folks to try out the Blu with the DTS HD MA track on it, it really is very good. Just bring a spare pair of pants for that utterly terrifying soundtrack. I can't heap enough praise on it and the beauty of how much despair it brings in such simplicity. It somehow reminded me of that scene in Westworld (the 70's classic, not the HBO nonsense) where Yul Brynner is chasing yer man down the long, deserted hallway and all you can here is his footsteps quickening up. If that was me being chased by a psychotic Yul Brynner android then POO WOULD COME OUT. Loved it.
Yeah, but I've read both stories that both these movies come from and both are great stories and films in their own.
The story for They Live, Eight O'Clock in the Morning was really well done cheap sci-fi and a great quick read, I think I need to pull that one off the shelf again to read.
Who Goes There is just an all around classic and I've been meaning to read that one again too, last time I read it I was I believe 12 or 15 and need to revisit that one.
Carpenter was really able to know a good story from the early years of pulp sci-fi.
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Thanks list
, i think its the first Home Release to have Dolby Digital AC-3?
thanks again ldfan
