Laserdisc features not on DVD (1 Viewer)

[roven97]

Well, I found a thread related to this, but the last post was in 2003!

So what I want to know is, what Laserdiscs have had features that are missing on the DVD versions? Which Laserdiscs are worth getting if they can be found? I know alot of the Criterion LD were released on DVD by the studios themselves. Which of these suffered from these instances? Heck, for that matter, what Criterion LD are also on Criterion DVD but have different or missing features??? Same with non-criterion.

I'm hungry for special features. It's a shame that these get lost in the new formats!!!

phil

 

[Arnie G]

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...d.php?t=141534

 

[David_B_K]

Did you mean for your thread to be about Criterion Laserdiscs/DVDs only?

 

[Bob Furmanek]

The laser discs which I produced of: AFRICA SCREAMS, JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, THE BELLBOY, THE ERRAND BOY and THE PATSY have loads of extras which have not appeared on DVD - including outtakes, production stills, trailers, etc.

 

[roven97]

no, not criterion only. All LD/DVD's. Sorry if there was confusion...

 

[David_B_K]

I can add a couple. THE BIG COUNTRY (1958). This included the entire Jerome Moross score on an analog track (and face it, the score is the most memorable part of that film). There was also an audio essay by a musicologist about Moross and the score on another analog track. Also, some commentary/interview material featuring Charlton Heston and Burl Ives, and a period feature that was shot during filming. The liner notes had a good interview with Saul Bass, in which he explained how he achieved the striking title sequence. In contrast, the DVD is totally barebones.

HENRY V (1989) had a "making of" documentary that was left off the barebones DVD.

 

[Edward Weinman]

I have dozens (and dozens) of MGM Studio musicals, on laser, from the 40's-50's that have not seen the light of DVD...nor do I expect to see them in the near future (unless WB decides to go, full force, in evaluating the entire MGM library under their control).

 

[jim_falconer]

The two most glaring I can think of:

1) 1776 (Pioneer laserdisc has 15 more minutes of footage not on DVD)

2) Jet Pilot (Universal laserdisc has film presented in proper 4X3 aspect ratio, while DVD is cropped at 1:85 - 1)

 

[Jerome]

but why have you open a new thread since there is already one ?

 

[cafink]

Probably because the last post in the other thread was from 2003.

 

[Kevin M]

So why not just post there with a few examples and re-start that thread rather than take up the space, with a new redundant thread, that the HTF owners continually reminds us they don't have a lot of?

 

[roven97]

I figured that many of the titles listed in the old post are incorrect as of today, 2007. So, it would be nice to get a clean updated list from people that better reflects the current slate of DVD's on market.

 

[roven97]

Here is a list of some of the LD's that I have found on different sites and such that have special edition DVD's out as well. Anyone know if any of the supplements on these LD are still missing on the DVD versions? Especially since there have been many versions of some of these on DVD.

Also, anyone know what the supplements that are missing are?

the LD list

Halloween - The Criterion Collection (CAV)
Raging Bull and Taxi Driver - Criterion's CAV
Dr. No - The Criterion Collection (CAV)
From Russia With Love - The Criterion Collection (CAV)
My Fair Lady Boxed Set
The Princess Bride: Criterion
Goldfinger - The Criterion Collection (CAV)
Criterion Dr. Strangelove
King & I (Box Set) 20th Cent./Fox
Ultimate Oz Boxed Set
12 Monkeys - complete commentary (Keith Paynter)
Frighteners Signature Collection
# E.T. Signature Collector's Edition (1996?)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Criterion
Close Encounters of the Third Kind - 1998 Special Edition
Desk Set
49th Parallel
The Thin Man movies
A Nightmmare on Elm Street - Elite Special Edition THX
Tombstone: Director's Cut
# Jungle Book 30th Anniversary Edition
Cinderella - Exclusive Archive edition
The Godfather Trilogy Boxset
Alice in Wonderland - Exclusive Archive Collection Boxset
Pinnochio Boxset
Fantasia
Sleeping Beauty Boxset
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Mary Poppins (Image THX CLV edition)
Hunchback of Notre Dame CAV Box
Bambi CAV THX
King Kong Criterion CAV
# Sling Blade - Criterion
Superman: The Movie
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Ghostbusters
Peter Pan
Se7en - Criterion
THUNDERBALL box set with the WORLD OF JAMES BOND documentary

Thanks gang.

 

[TravisR]

I believe there's some deleted scenes that didn't make either DVD release.

 

[Kevin M]

I still think updating the older thread would have been just as easy, however there is one that I know of right now because I finally ported it over to DVD+R from the LD and that would be the 1996 LD of Easy Rider which has a commentary with Peter Fonda, production manager Paul Lewis & Dennis Hopper on the phone (seriously).
It is much more fun and informational (albeit rather self-congratulatory) than the gap-filled solo track that Hopper did for the DVD.

 

[Ray_R]

VERY correct you are about The Frighteners: Peter Jackson's Director's (Fun) Cut DVD porting over every extra from the Signature Collection laserdisc. Although that actually the storyboards are on the same side as the film of course. One of the greatest film documentaries ever made. The day of release of which I purchased it on, I watched the entire thing. Great fun.

 

[Jay Pennington]

I also prefer updating existing threads rather than making new ones. But onward:

The TOY STORY LD box set has one or two Pixar shorts that aren't available elsewhere, IIRC. At the very least, it has the original version of Knick Knack with the generously endowed character.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

If anyone remembers DVDAngle, I wrote a column (12 to 5, clever eh) there about this very subject, back in 2000 when Laserdiscs were not such a faint memory.

Firstly, the footage missing from 1776 is nowhere near 15 minutes, but I'll get to that in a minute.

The first column was about Fantasia. An excerpt:

In the case of Fantasia, (and unfortunately many of Disney’s animated DVD releases) the film has been altered – but at least this time it was for an excellent reason. In order for Disney to restore the original roadshow version had to dub in a voice actor for Deems Taylor in the restored scenes, as the audio had been lost. What they chose to do was entirely redo the entire narration track.

The 1990 documentary is hosted by Michael Tucker, and called “Making of a Masterpiece”. The one on the DVD is called “The Making of Fantasia – The Concert Feature” and narrated by David Odgen Stiers. So how can you tell the difference between the two? Mainly just see by who is hosting or narrating - I know the old one has been shown on Disney Channel from time to time. It’s a shame they didn’t model the new one on this old one, because it’s simply much better done. In the new doc they talk about the silent film actor that the sorcerer is based on, in the old one they show you his picture.

The next one was on Boogie Nights, referring to the 2000 New Line reissue DVD

Originally, the set was to include everything from the Criterion Laser as well, but Julia St. Vincent, Director of Exhausted, balked at its inclusion, and so rather than pay her off, New Line canned that part of the disc, though it was included on review copies and other early test runs of the disc.

Then I did a gigantic piece on 1776, which in word runs about 13 pages, and includes every single change between the theatrical cut to the Pioneer LD edit, and then between that LD version and the DVD Director's Cut.

I'll include some of that below, but long story short, the 1991 Pioneer edition was put together by Joe Caps, who posts on this forum, and can give more details of its making if he is so inclined. This version was put together by putting back everything SHOT for the film that could be found. In addition the film was finally mixed to stereo as recorded, and a few closeups were inserted for long shots.

I have had multiple in depth conversations with 1776's director, Peter Hunt, about his version for DVD. His position towards the versions is that, after the 141 minute butchering, the 177 minute Pioneer cut was such an improvement, he was happy to overlook the things reinstated that he was less than happy about.

But when the DVD version was being prepared, he had the chance to at last prepare the true Director's Cut. I pleaded with him til I was blue in the face to at least put the trims (and extention of one song) that had appeared on the LD in as extra material, not in the film, so that people could retire their laserdiscs. But they weren't, either due to an error at Sony or because he didn't wish it. I stopped worrying about it once the ship sailed so to speak.

The LD also has a different commentary to the DVD (The LD featuring Joe Caps and Peter Hunt) which is a must listen to for fans.

from my article on the differences from LD to DVD:

The latest, and likely final version of 1776 to come out contains the 166-minute Director’s Cut, supervised by Peter Hunt. At first glance, it would appear that this version is 11 minutes shorter than the version found on the Pioneer and Columbia Laserdiscs, but 8:48 of this was the new Intermission and Overture, so really only about three minutes have been removed for the DVD.

The Director's cut also ADDS a bit of film that wasn't located for the LD cut, so even that version isn't fully complete.

Other Titles I mentioned that are still relevant all these years later, Evita Criterion, The Game Criterion, It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Ghostbusters Criterion had a different deleted scene not on the DVD, Men In Black had a different commentary, I don't know if the Get Shorty commentary ever was released on DVD.

If anyone wants to read the full articles, feel free to message me with your email and I'll send them along, since the DVDAngle site is long gone.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

ALSO

I forgot about Peter Bogdanovich's Texasville, which had nearly 40 minutes added to the Laserdisc Director's Cut. With 1776, I called Sony and alerted them to the longer cut. They then stopped the relelase of the 141 minute version, and spent 18 months restoring the picture and sound for the DVD.

Unfortunately I got to MGM too late for the DC on Texasville, as they'd already gone to pressing the discs. I have hopes that someday they will do a deluxe Last Picture Show/Texasville package with this superior cut and the commentary that Bogdanovich almost recorded (Pioneer also produced this LD, and cut the budget at the last second, requiring the commentary to be cancelled)

 

[Joe Caps]

I was the producer of the special edition of 1776. When I started to find the missing scenes, I was going to include them as a supplement.
The director, Peter Hunt, insisted that I put them all back in the film. As I went along, rough copies of every edit was sent to Mr. Hunt for his approval. I had to. Both Pioneers legal department and sony demanded this.
At no time did Hunt voice displeasure at any edit or additional material. Indeed, for legal purposes, release of the dvd was held up five months so that Hunt could look at the material more times and we could make any changes he wanted.
Later, I was sorry I found any of it, as he was publicly telling people that I had many changes against his will and he was fixing all of this for the dvd - the dvd with incredibly dull colors and even duller sound. ( take my sound from the laser nd put blankets over your speakers - the effect is the same as hearing the newer dvd.)
A pity, as this is Hunts ONLY feature film - the rest is all tv stuff.