comment #1

MarkVH says ...

Jeff, I remember you (or somebody) printing that quote verbatim and I always took it to mean that del Toro was referring to the collectibility of Laserdiscs vs. DVD - meaning that they were less mainstream-y and, hence, the true collector's format. I don't recall it having to do with the look of the film at all, but more how they're sought out by the hardcore collector vs. a mass consumer audience.

comment #2

rgmax99 says ...

I remember when I purchased my first DVD player, and I still had an LD machine. After watching a few DVDs over the months, I slapped on the LD of A PURE FORMALITY. After experiencing DVD for those weeks, the LD looked muddy and similar to a VHS copy.

I first thought it was a bad transfer job, but the other LDs had the same look. My eyes had promptly been adjusted or fooled.

What the LD was to VHS, the DVD was to LD.

comment #3

p.Vice says ...

Anything even remotely touching del Toro's name needs to be instantly filed in the dimwit category. The "vinyl to CD" comparison is about an analog playback source vs. a digital playback source and how that relates to how music is originally recorded.

That might be the equivalent to the film vs. digital argument, but not really LD vs. DVD... unless you're completely superficial and becuase LDs are big like records and DVDs look like CDs... duh!!

comment #4

CinemaPhreek says ...

Some pretty short memories here.

There were only a few discs in the beginning that matched LD's for IMAGE quality. Sound, I will readily admit DVD was superior to LD on average. But most of those early DVDs did not take advantage of the format. Many were single layer and so many looked soupy if there was too much visually going on to be effectively encoded (I still have that first HIGHLANDER dvd to back that claim up).

These days, DVD is so much clearer and sharper. Now, I just miss those great slipcases and box sets. The last hurrah for LP size artwork. Its sorely missed.

comment #5

Monument says ...

When I was a kid we had a crappy TV and couldn't afford a Laser Disc player, Beta, VHS what have you. But every so often my Dad would rent a LD player (back when you could do that kind of thing) and bring home random movies. The only one I can distinctly remember watching on Laser Disc was that Wilie Nelson movie Barbarosa. Good memories, but I'm not going to go buy a used player anytime soon.

comment #6

Rich S. says ...

One of Altman's points is dead-on. In the beginning, and for the longest time, you simply could not get films letterboxed on VHS. The only letterboxed VHS title I had was Ben Hur, and that was only for the chariot race.

The thing Altman doesn't mention is that in the early days of VHS, it took a long time for many films to reach "sell through" status, if they ever did. You could buy an LD of Big Trouble in Little China for $25 while the VHS was still priced at $90 for the rental market.

Those were the two things that pushed me to LDs. and now they're ubiquitous on DVD.

comment #7

The Bandsaw Vigilante says ...

"There were only a few discs in the beginning that matched LD's for IMAGE quality. Sound, I will readily admit DVD was superior to LD on average. But most of those early DVDs did not take advantage of the format. Many were single layer and so many looked soupy if there was too much visually going on to be effectively encoded (I still have that first HIGHLANDER dvd to back that claim up)."

Ugh...that first HIGHLANDER DVD was a totally cocked-up picture compression job right from the start, and gave breast cancer to passing Chihuahuas.

The "10th Anniverary" LD was still the reference source for years afterward, until the new DVD finally came out a few years ago.

That said, I'm anxiously awaiting the eventual Blu-Ray release for that flick.

comment #8

MarkVH says ...

Yeah, I remember when my local Suncoast used to stock a section of Letterbox VHS tapes, and shopping in that section was like knowing a secret that nobody else knew.

Altman's article for me also brought back incredibly fond memories of being an early DVD adopter. My display wasn't great and I didn't have a surround system, but I felt like the coolest kid around having a player when nobody else I knew did. Ten years (good God!) and almost 1,000 DVDs later, it doesn't quite seem so joyous.

comment #9

George Prager says ...

I heard that they're going to call the Elliot Spitzer/Ashley Duprel movie BIG TROUBLE IN A LITTLE VAGINA.

Anyway...I saw a lot of Laser Discs back in the day. They had a nice warm and fuzzy look and sound to them. I miss them.

The EASY RIDER LD is a keeper. Fonda, Hopper and Paul Lewis (I think) provide the commentary. During the commune scene, Hopper points out a woman and says that it is Carrie Snodgress. Fonda and Lewis say it's not. I trust Fonda and Lewis. Hopper who was drunk, stoned and borderline pyschotic during the shoot is sure it is.

On the dvd, it is Hopper alone providing the commentary: "That's Carrie Snodgress, Neil Young's wife..."

comment #10

corey3rd says ...

Where's the love for the RCA SelectaVision? Isn't that the 8-Track?

http://www.cedmagic.com/home/rca2-160.mov

comment #11

btwnproductions says ...

I still own maybe 200 LDs, including titles that may never see the light of legit DVD release, like ANDY WARHOL'S BAD, or films with never-to-be-reduplicated extras, commentary tracks, etc. I collected probably three times that many from 1988-1999. There was, and is, a specialness to LD that DVD, however good it is, lacks.

comment #12

count.olaf says ...

Can we be sure he's not referring to the relative size? A CD and DVD are the same diameter and a vinyl record and laserdisc are the same (so close) diameter. I'm sure he's big on measurements.

I like to think he was stating something matter-of-factly and everyone else took it to mean something deeper.

comment #13

count.olaf says ...

oops...p.vice already beat me to it at the end of his comment.... apologies!

comment #14

jse33 says ...

Thankfully we have Blu-ray now. Nothing else gets us as close to the theatrical presentation as possible. DVD video quality becomes fuzzy once you experience crystal clear 1080p. And now audio won't be cramped by disc space. You want lossless audio? You got it.

comment #15

idiotwind says ...

i have an eclectic LD collection, about 700 titles, many not on DVD.

i would love to sell the lot real cheap or donate to an institution that might use them. i will throw in an almost-new Pioneer 909 player, the kind that plays both sides without flipping. Remember them?

comment #16

CinemaPhreek says ...

corey3rd - man, does that bring back memories. With those big plastic cases. And nothing but Paramount releases (it seemed)

I used to ride my bike over to the Parkland Plaza to TV/appliance/repair place just to watch their demo films (mostly STAR TREK - THE MOTIONLESS PICTURE) and dream about owning one. But I would have had to rake a lot of yards to get scratch they wanted for it.

comment #17

corey3rd says ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEd5h4wci70&feature=related

Now this is the goodness in action. I remember one guy on my dorm room floor renting it so we could watch "The Kids Are All Right."

comment #18

supertaster says ...

how profound!!

you used to say "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him think" and you don't say it anymore??

YOU USED TO SAY "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him think" and you stopped saying it!!!???

He used to *say* "You can lead a HORSE to WATER...............but you can't make him THINK" and he doesn't say it anymore!!!!

comment #19

MPNeeb says ...

The one thing LD still has over DVD is the concept of Special Editions.
When an LD did a Special Edition, it was, special.
Commentary, long documentaries, trailers...
Most DVD SEs are... not so special.
For every loaded LOTR or Criterion, there are a bunch of lame DVDs that have an extra flash of boob or .5 second blood spurt that are also laden with some lame "gimmick" title.
I wouldn't trade the quality of DVD, but I do miss the weight a cool SE like 'Alien' gave to your movie collection.