Your favorite Laserdisc side break? (1 Viewer)

[Christopher_J_F]

I was watching the new Alien box set recently and it reminded me of something that I had forgotten about and it put a big smile on my face…

Ok, this topic will be for a very few of you and probably disappear pretty fast (unless It get’s a lot of “All side breaks suck! It ruins the flow of the movie! What’s a laserdisc?” All of which would miss the point of this thread completely. And of course there are those that have to be funny and cut and paste some of the above quotes and put a little smiley or something after it… if you’ve been here long enough you know what I mean…whatever…)

ANYWAY, for those that DO understand what I’m talking about (Veterans from the old “OAR before DVD” wars like myself. You know, the people who smile if they ever see a turtle on it’s back…) probably have a couple fond memories of how particular side breaks were handled.
My ABSOLUTE favorite was on the US Fox LD of ALIEN 3.
Ripley runs into the mess hall yelling “It’s here!” interrupting one of Andrews “Rumor Control” meetings. The Alien momentarily pops out of the ceiling and takes Andrews to the horror of the other inmates – one of which picks up a chair to use as a weapon and says “F+++!!!” as the stare at the empty hole the Alien came from. Andrew’s stress relieving bouncy ball bounces out of the frame while blood is still dripping out of the ceiling…
*CUT TO BLACK – ON TO SIDE B*
One of the inmates VERY nervously mopping up the left over blood as he keeps looking up at the ceiling to see if the Alien will grab him next!
Friggen’ HILARIOUS!

Anyone else?

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Christopher,

When I read your thread title, Alien 3 was EXACTLY what popped into my mind.

In some cases, Criterion chose side breaks that pratcially enhanced the film. The CAV version of 2001 has great side breaks, particularly at the end of side 2. The astronauts pose for a photo in front of the uncovered moon monolith. An ear-piercing shriek overcomes the astronauts, who fall to their knees covering their ears. CUT TO BLACK.

 

[ScottR]

I only remember the bad ones! Universal breaks were horrible! They added a slow fade to black where there wasn't supposed to be one.....I hope the new Schindler's List dvd doesn't have one.

 

[Keith Paynter]

Alien3 is the best, but I have to applaud Image for their editing of Vestron's Moroeder cut of Metropolis, as Freder is trapped in the room with many doors, and exhausted, he sees something on the floor - CUT - we see a piece of Maria's torn clothing. Mind you, with the constant music track, it's difficult to find a clean break anywhere.

One other that bears mention is how Disney handled their side breaks for the CAV disc of Aladdin. Not simply content to cut footage for side breaks, they went as far as allowing music cues to naturally dissolve in black (in the film, they would be transitional during scene changes). The down side (for those of us who have been archiving LD's on DVD and tape) is that these music transitions are cut cold and lost when editing together for dubs to tape or DVD.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

One of the ones I remember best was on the release of ONF FROM THE HEART on RCA/Columbia. The side break was right in the middle of a musical number: two characters are rushing towards a door - the music is swelling - they reach the door - and then.... cut to black - "End of Side one". Side Two starts with the reverse angle of the shot and the cymbal clash that accompanies it as they burst through the doorway. It utterly destroyed the continuity of the moment.

 

[Rob Gillespie]

I can think of a lot of really bad ones. Warner's Blade Runner DC had three terribly-placed breaks.

 

[Lyle_JP]

I thought all of the side breaks for Criterion's CAV Pulp Fiction were great except for the very last one, which was a fine place to put it, but had a fade added to it that was inappropriate.

Watching that disc, you almost feel like QT timed the film in the editing room for eventual presentation on CAV LD.

-Lyle J.P.

 

[Blaine Skerry]

The one bad one I remember is the old P/S CATCH 22laserdisc. It was cropped even tighter than the VHS version and the side break came virtually with a character in mid-sentence. Thankfully it was released in widescreen on DVD a couple of years ago.

 

[MattHR]

ALIEN 3 is my favorite example of a great LD side-break. It actually enhances the scene. Having been an LD collector since 1979, I can't help but remember the points in the films on DVD where the LD side-break would have been. Especially on the INDIANA JONES films, which I had the CLV and CAV versions. I can remember every side-break of all versions. In the early days of DVD, from years of habit with LDs, I'd catch myself getting up from the couch to change sides on cue. Those were the days...

 

[Grady Reid]

The widescreen version of A Clockwork Orange had the best. If you're familar with the movie, it can easily be split into three parts- and that's what Warners did with this three-sided presentation.

 

[Aaron Garman]

On the Star Wars SE, in Empire, the break from side 2 to 3 was interesting. Luke knocks Vader off the platform, shuts off the light saber and jumps down. Then, cut to black. And yes, I hated that fade stuff Universal did. I remember it being very odd when I watched Back to the Future. I almost miss side breaks because it gave me time for the restroom or snacks.

AJG

 

[RobertR]

I'm a bit mystified by this. Why can't you simply use the pause button on your DVD player? Why does a side break have to be spoon fed to you?

 

[pitchman]

I always got a real kick out of the Beetlejuice side break...

 

[GuruAskew]

While it's not a laserdisc, the break between DVD's on "The Godfather Part II" is perfect. The movie was never screened with an intermission but it was considered and the point that seperated discs was designed for theatrical intermission.

 

[L. Anton Dencklau]

..

 

[Aaron Garman]

I could, but that's no fun now is it?

AJG

 

[Casey Neutron]

One of my least favorite side breaks is on the RESERVOIR DOGS disc:

Mr. Blonde asks "What'd Joe say?" Then you have to flip the disc to hear Nice Guy Eddie's answer.

 

[Eric Meske]

Yeah, that was the same disc that didn't have any chapter stops. Ahh...the (not so) good old days.

 

[Peter M Fitzgerald]

My favorite LD side breaks were both for comedies, where the breaks enhanced violent sight gags:

RAISING ARIZONA -- Nick Cage's boss, Sam McMurray, is running away from him, yells out "I PITY YOU!!", promptly (and painfully) runs into tree trunk. Cut to black (side break).

UNCLE BUCK -- John Candy punches-out the drunken party clown, the clown pops back up (like one of those inflatable "punch-em" clown toys), shakes off the effects of the blow, Candy delivers second punch. Cut to black (side break).

 

[RobertR]

Hmmm, I guess you consider going to potty a fun time activity....