Greatest Laserdiscs/LD's with Exclusive Content (1 Viewer)

[David Olstein]

Has anybody put together a guide to "essential" laserdiscs -- either laserdiscs of films not yet available (or unlikely to become available) on DVD or laserdiscs with exclusive content? I'm already familiar with the 12 to 5 column on DVD Angle, but there hasn't been any new columns in quite a long time.

I've already put together a short list of LD's with exclusive content:

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (longer version)
The Alamo (original Roadshow version)
1776 (extended version, including scenes not found in new director's cut laserdisc)
Glengarry Glen Ross (Jack Lemmon commentary track)
Winchester '73 (James Stewart commentary track)
The Frighteners (director's cut, commentary, documentary)
Scream (unrated director's cut)

I guess you'd have to add the Star Wars laserdiscs and many Criterion Collection LD's have haven't been reissued as Criterion DVD's. And if Song of the South was ever available on LD, you'd have to add that too.

 

[ChuckDeLa]

Well, I know that I've been thinking about getting a LD player just so I can spend massive $$ on eBay getting "The Compleat Tex Avery".

I don't suppose we'll ever see it on DVD. :frowning:

I, too, would be very interested in a list like this.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Not to kill this thread, but the following link points to a thread in the HTF Software Archives that deals with this topic...

Must-Have LD's

Perhaps there are other additions that can be made in this thread?

- Walter.

 

[ChuckDeLa]

Thanks Walter... but that link is over 2 years out of date. A lot has changed in DVD since then.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Chuck, there haven't been a lot of changes in LD though.

The point being that while some of that material may be irrelevant at this time, due to changes in DVD. ( Jackie Brown finally being released, for instance. ) It remains relevant as a partial list of some of the exclusive content / title releases on Laser disc.

For myself, the main attraction of Laser isn't the few big titles unavailable on DVD, but rather the tons of older 'classic' titles still unreleased on DVD. Since the focus of the thread is greatest / exclusive content I won't bother to list the noirs, dramas, and many other older Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount, Fox, RKO, & MGM titles that immediately come to mind ( including those in my LD collection. ) that are unreleased on DVD.

Once again, I urge anyone who has additions to the linked list, to please post them.

- Walter.

 

[Matt Stone]

Some that I've picked up sonce getting into LDs:
-Jaws: Signature Collection
-Halloween: Criterion Collection
-ET: Signature Collection
-Hearts of Darkess (Apocolypse Now Doc)
-Goldfinger Deluxe THX Edition
-Thunderball Deluxe THX Edition
-Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Criterion Collection
-Toy Story CAV Box
-Twin Peaks Season 2 Boxes
-Twin Peaks Pilot with European Ending

Check in my sig, there may be more good ones in there...but this is all I can think of right now.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

For starters:

BARON MUNCHAUSEN Criterion
TAXI DIVER Criterion
RAGING BULL Criterion
GRADUATE Criterion
FORBIDDEN PLANET Criterion
DR. STRANGELOVE Criterion
2001 Criterion
DEAD RINGERS Criterion
MIDNIGHT COWBOY Criterion
PLAYER Criterion
SHORT CUTS Criterion
WIZARD OF OZ Criterion
WIZARD OF OZ MGM box with commentary
DR NO - FROM RUSSIA - GOLDFINGER Criterions

HEAVENLY CREATURES Theatrical cut
SUSPIRIA original soundtrack
SUPERMAN Theatrical cut original soundtrack

POLICE SQUAD! -- IN COLOR
MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. (random eps only)
REN & STIMPY
LOONEY TUNES (various box sets and individual discs)
TOM & JERRY (3 box sets)
TEX AVERY (box plus various individual discs)
lots of DISNEY SHORTS still

HARD DAY'S NIGHT Criterion
HELP Criterion
SALO Criterion
(easier to find than their OOP DVD counterparts)

 

[Jeff D Han]

It's unfortunate that we may never see the Criterion
laserdisc titles re-released on DVD.

If we get lucky enough to see re-releases
Let's have SLING BLADE, TRAINSPOTTING,
TOOTSIE, TAXI DRIVER and RAGING BULL
Criterion (I would even settle for special
edition studio releases).

 

[Patrick McCart]

The Willy Wonka LD featured a music-only track, as did the LDs for many of the Bond films.

The LDs for Snow White and Wizard of Oz had music/effects tracks. Although, you can buy both music tracks on CD. (PCM is much better than DD 2.0 for this purpose)

 

[Michael St. Clair]

There are just too many to count! Titles that nobody ever mentions...'Ransom' on LD is a longer 'special' edit...18 minutes longer. 'Flirting with Disaster' was censored on DVD towards the end, not the LD though. The '7th Voyage of Sinbad' is full frame (as presented in many/most theaters) and lets you see all the animation...and has an optional Stereo remix (Herrmann!) by our very own Joe Caps.

I guarantee you a list of laserdiscs with content not on DVD would number in the hundreds, if not more.

 

[Al Shing]

Just rewatched my copy of "Tokyo Pop (1988)", starring Carrie Hamilton (RIP). I didn't realize that Tokyo Pop was written and directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, who is an exec producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), and directed the BTVS feature in 1992.

Viewed from 15 years after the release, Tokyo Pop is still applicable today. Ok, I doubt that a band featuring a gaijin singing "Do You Believe in Magic" would sell in Japan, even in 1988, but the closing song by the Japanese male lead would work as a J-Pop song today.

When I first bought the movie, I had only been to Tokyo once, and this served to remind me of my time there. Several more visits and an acquired taste for J-Pop later, I view the movie in a different light, and appreciate it even more than when I first saw it.

I would really like to have this movie in 16:9 enhanced and Dolby Digital 5.1 on a DVD, but I don't know what is holding it up.

 

[Tom Blizzard]

------- Wow, you don't wana miss Criterion's CAV LD of
"Singin In The Rain". Ron Haver's commentary is tops. Much, much better than the new dvd special edition.

 

[GregoryP]

The Special Edition laserdisc of Hellraiser has a different Clive Barker Commentary, still photos, and various interviews none of which are on the DVD.

Gregory

 

[Duncan Jones]

I am waiting to take delivery of the Criterion Baron Munchausen which is CAV all the way through and stuffed with extras plus a Trainspotting SE with deleted scenes and commentary.

The King Kong Criterion LD has a very good commentary andis worth looking out for. I have both the Man From Uncle box sets and the three box sets of Buster Keaton which are worth having.

 

[Tom Blizzard]

The King Kong Criterion LD has a very good commentary and is worth looking out for.

Yes, I believe the commentary on that one is also by Ron Haver. Very, very interesting! Is that correct Duncan???

 

[Damin J Toell]

Yes, I believe the commentary on that one is also by Ron Haver.

Yes, it was by Ron Haver, and it was the first ever audio commentary released on home video.

DJ

 

[Mark_Wilson]

I've heard the James Stewart 'Winchester '73' commentary was the first. In fact WSR says as much in the current issue.

 

[Damin J Toell]

I've heard the James Stewart 'Winchester '73' commentary was the first. In fact WSR says as much in the current issue.

I can't explain why WSR would say that, but it isn't true.

DJ

 

[JeremySt]

I reccomend re-reading WSR, because it does not say the Winchester '73 was the first, I think it said that the james stewart commentary was the first produced by Universal Studios.

 

[Mark_Wilson]

From memory, it said the concept was credited to the person the article was in memorium of and that it was first implemented on Winchester '73. Being WSR I took it with a grain of salt.