"Jason and the Argonauts": Upgrading from DVD to Laserdisc (1 Viewer)

[Jeff_HR]

I just recently picked up the Criterion release of this film on Laserdisc from eBay. I think of it as an upgrade of sorts over my DVD since the LD has more extras including a Ray Harryhausen commentary.

 

[John Koehler]

Yes, the Criterion LD is a real treasure. I bought the DVD but ended up giving it away as a gift. The LD issue remains unsurpassed, as in many other cases where the LD production overall showed more care and attention than many sell-through DVD issues (an example being Forbidden Planet on LD from Criterion vastly superior to the DVD).

As long as I have a local guy who can keep my LD players in good repair! I will have to transfer my best LDs to DVD-R before too long, I guess.

 

[Eric Paddon]

This is one title I have never bought the DVD of because there is frankly nothing on the DVD to recommend if you already have the Criterion LD.

 

[oscar_merkx]

well for some of us, there is only the dvd and no laserdisc. how come the RH commentary is not on the dvd

 

[Dome Vongvises]

well for some of us, there is only the dvd and no laserdisc. how come the RH commentary is not on the dvd

I'm guessing lawyers.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

The DVD is from Columbia, the LD was from Criterion. Since Criterion rarely licenses out their extras to other studios, that's why their commentary isn't present on a Columbia DVD. Columbia should have had Harryhausen do a new one for the DVD.

 

[alan halvorson]

I haven't checked, but there a possibility that the dvd matts some picture on the top and bottom compared to the LD, as has happened to several other Harryhausen films. That's why I'm keeping my Pioneer Mysterious Island LD - not only does it show more, but it looks better.

 

[Eric Paddon]

Actually it isn't a Harryhausen commentary on the Criterion LD it's narrated by film buff Bruce Eder.

 

[Damin J Toell]

Actually it isn't a Harryhausen commentary on the Criterion LD it's narrated by film buff Bruce Eder.

The commentary track on the Criterion LD has both Mr. Harryhausen and Mr. Eder.

DJ

 

[Dick]

But it's not merely the excellent commentary that isn't carried over to the DVD. The "night sequences," such as Jason's ascension to visit the gods and the capture of the harpys, were color and brightness-corrected for the Criterion but look like daylight again on the mediocre DVD.
Columbia has treated its Harryhausen DVD titles with distain - or at the very least indifference - in my opinion.