Criterion Laserdiscs

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jedgeco · #76 Post by **jedgeco** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:19 pm

domino harvey wrote:someone should start ripping all these OOP Laserdisc commentaries. I'd be happy to host them online if it's a matter of there not being anywhere to put them up.

I'll "donate" my files (Graduate, Ambersons, Damage, Taxi Driver, Sweetback, Se7en, maybe Crash) if someone's willing to host them. Be nice if we could combine a mirror of the pre-DVD site w/ downloadable commentaries.

jedgeco · #77 Post by **jedgeco** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:36 am

Matt wrote:Jun-Dai used to host an archived version of Criterion's old site that had all the laserdisc info and essays. It seems to be gone now.

The Internet Archive hasa copy of Jun-Dai's site. Most of the links for the essays I tried still work, but a few were dead.

porquenegar · #78 Post by **porquenegar** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 2:23 am

I have a ton of Criterion LDs. What is the best way to rip the commentaries? I'm considering getting some sort of fancy audio/video capture card but am also looking at getting a DVD Recorder. I've been waiting for the DVD Recorders able to record HD Broadcasts to drop in price.

exte · #79 Post by **exte** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 2:45 am

I'm sure I posted this a few pages back, no? Just take a y-connector from radio shack or best buy (rca males to 1/8" plug), and connect from your laserdisc audio out to line-in on your computer.

Anyway, it's the software that matters as you want to edit the different sides together seamlessly, raise or lower the volume if need be, and delete long batches of silences (Star Wars releases, for what they're worth)... Tell us how it goes!

As for my commentary days, they're springing up again in new fashion. Folks, I may just be able to get them transcribed through a special software! How's Seven Samurai for you, or Coppola's take on The Godfather!? Yup!! Or why not the laserdisc titles that never got transferred over? Sharing those would be far easier, and I would be a lot more comfortable with the idea of text vs. mp3/wma...

porquenegar · #80 Post by **porquenegar** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 3:14 am

Interesting. What software are you using to capture and edit the audio files?

exte · #81 Post by **exte** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:05 am

You can use anything, even the recorder that comes with Windows. Just take action by buying the y-cable, and you'll see what suits your needs...

CSM126 · #82 Post by **CSM126** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:43 am

porquenegar wrote:I recently picked up Supercop on ebay. I have a love for the Hong Kong action cinema genre and it was only $5. Anyway, I was shocked to see that it was dubbed and had the ridiculous American soundtrack. I cringed when the inevitable "Everyone Was Kung Fu Fighting" track came on. To be honest, the original Cantonese soundtrack was available but english subs weren't and sadly I don't understand Cantonese.

I know this is obscenely old by now, but I still felt like I should post this: The disc does have English subtitles if you turn on closed captions on the TV. Yeah, they will have that annoying black background like all CC, but they are there if you want to watch with the original soundtrack (and who wouldn't want to? "Kung Fu Fighting"? *Cringe*)

kevyip1 · #83 Post by **kevyip1** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 11:20 pm

Here is Side 1 (25MB MP3) of the King Kong commentary on Megaupload, a good place to upload big files to.

kevyip1 · #84 Post by **kevyip1** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:48 pm

A few people have already downloaded my King Kong commentary side 1, so let me know when any of you are ready to exchange.

I have the following Criterion commentary:

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Boyz N The Hood
The Graduate
It's a Wonderful Life
King Kong
The Magnificent Ambersons
Taxi Driver
Ugetsu

I'm looking for any of the other commentaries (refer to Criterion FAQ), but would like the following the most:

Tootsie
Blackmail
Cat People
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The Last Picture Show
Menace II Society
Rome, Open City
Singin' in the Rain
Some Like It Hot
The Wizard of Oz

You may upload your stuff to megaupload like I did. You may P.M me the link(s) privately if you prefer. Or, if you are generous, post the link(s) here publicly.

P.S. I also have "Silence of the Lamb" Criterion DVD commentary.

Awesome Welles · #85 Post by **Awesome Welles** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:47 am

Did anyone ever make the Ambersons commentary available on line? I would love to hear it.

Thanks!

kevyip1 · #86 Post by **kevyip1** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:37 pm

I have the Ambersons commentary. Do you have anything for exchange (see my last post)?

Awesome Welles · #87 Post by **Awesome Welles** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:16 am

I have nothing to trade.

kevyip1 · #88 Post by **kevyip1** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:39 am

FSimeoni wrote:I have nothing to trade.

What about all the unwatched DVDs? I will accept any out of print gems.

Awesome Welles · #89 Post by **Awesome Welles** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:53 am

I have It's a Wonderful Life to trade, I will make it public if you do the same for Ambersons. I don't see why everyone doesn't make their commentaries public.

exte · #90 Post by **exte** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:49 pm

Cause people paid through the nose for their lasers?

kevyip1 · #91 Post by **kevyip1** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:17 pm

FSimeoni wrote:I have It's a Wonderful Life to trade, I will make it public if you do the same for Ambersons. I don't see why everyone doesn't make their commentaries public.

Did you just PM me (under a different name?) about trading "It's a Wonderful Life"? The PM doesn't mention what to trade it for.

That poster hasn't given me the IAWL commentary yet. So if you beat him to it, then I'll get you the Ambersons track.

jakebartel wrote:
kevyip1 wrote:Here is Side 1 (25MB MP3) of the King Kong commentary on Megaupload, a good place to upload big files to.
Thank you very much for posting this. I only wish i had something to exchange in return. I understand that there was a time (and maybe there still is) that these laserdiscs were very expensive to get a hold of and I truly appreciate any of the commentaries people are able to provide. I only wish there was a way for me to help.

Would anyone be against setting up a sort of donation program for the people who provide the commentaries? Something sort of like podcasts use? I would be sure to donate for each person who provided a new commentary.

Thank you again for providing King Kong side 1 and I look forward to more if anyone wants to provide them

Some of the laserdiscs can be had cheaply at ebay (while some not so cheaply). If I were to accept donation, then I'd be inclined to ask for ebay prices of those discs. If I did, people would think that they might as well spend the money on ebay instead and get the whole disc.

a.khan · #92 Post by **a.khan** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:05 am

I'm interested in acquiring DVD commentaries from the following laserdiscs. Can anybody assist?

Bad Day at Black Rock (Sturges)
Crash (Cronenberg)
The Fisher King (Gilliam)

Edit: To clarify, I am willing to pay you. Feel free to PM me. Thanks.

Anonymous · #93 Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 5:22 pm

I was wondering if anyone had any idea what the missing titles are from the laserdisc list. These spine numbers are missing entirely from any listing I can find online:

14, 46, 51, 56, 58, 61, 63, 80, 87, 88, 89, 91, 92, 97, 102, 111, 159, 167, 172, 180, 188, 191, 199, 205, 208, 214, 224, 235, 240, 251, 252, 253, 268, 269, 272, 278, 281, 297, 322, 330, 333, 342, & 374-381

Dharma conspiracy or were the spine numbers just assigned by a Godard fanatic?

colinr0380 · #94 Post by **colinr0380** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 7:35 pm

Not sure, looking at an old print out of the Criterion website page listing the Laserdiscs there are also these spine numbers left unused:

90, 104, 110, 179, 181, 186, 193, 194, 197, 198, 200, 201, 206, 217

I'm not sure if it means anything more than having troubles with their numbering system. Criterion used to have huge gaps in their DVD numberings too although I have noticed that they have become more consistent in recent years. The most notable gap being leaving spine number 1 free, logically put down to waiting until Grand Illusion was ready, but often spine numbers a little further ahead were announced long before the gaps got filled in (similar to early on with MoC, that used to cause all manner of speculation that because there were three unannounced spine numbers between one release and another that this had to mean a whole slew of associated releases by the same director, and so on). I just guess it was the consequences of schedules changing and something announced having to be pushed back or some projects being ready for release faster than others?

Either way it looks like the Laserdisc numbering was a little muddled - all those discs in two different editions (the CAV of The Seventh Seal being '10' and the CLV edition being '10A' and so on). Something that shows that even Criterion might have gotten confused was numbering both the 'CAV' edition of Akira and Letter From An Unknown Woman under the same spine number, 151!

exte · #95 Post by **exte** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:59 pm

LDDB.com?

Elephant · #96 Post by **Elephant** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:44 pm

skidge wrote:14, 46, 51, 56, 58, 61, 63, 80, 87, 88, 89, 91, 92, 97, 102, 111, 159, 167, 172, 180, 188, 191, 199, 205, 208, 214, 224, 235, 240, 251, 252, 253, 268, 269, 272, 278, 281, 297, 322, 330, 333, 342, & 374-381

I have an old list I put together ages ago:

159 was the destroyed pressing of Prince of Tides--I always heard that 40 or so didn't get sent to the incinerator. 342 was Costa-Gavras' Z, no? 374-381 was always rumored to have been a big Godzilla boxed set. The rest I have no idea about.

colinr0380 wrote:90, 104, 110, 179, 181, 186, 193, 194, 197, 198, 200, 201, 206, 217

I know I posted this on the first incarnation of the Criterion forum eight or so years ago, and I think I posted it again in this very thread, but all these were ultimately unreleased: Caesar and Cleopatra (90), Green for Danger (104), Spirit of the Beehive (110), A River Runs through It (179), A Few Good Men (181), City of Hope (186), Bridge over the River Kwai (193), Easy Rider (194), Lady from Shanghai (197), 198 came out and was Robocop, On the Waterfront (200), The Elephant Man (201), Polanski's Macbeth (206), and The Firemen's Ball (216).

Obviously who knows if all of this is accurate or to what degree, but since a number of these titles eventually came out on Criterion DVD, it's probably not too terribly wrong. Even the super-mainstream titles make sense in the context of what Criterion was releasing on LD.

CSM126 · #97 Post by **CSM126** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:39 am

Green for Danger was released, I'm pretty sure. After all, the disc was reviewed.

mf9design · #98 Post by **mf9design** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:13 pm

I have Crash and the ultra rare 3 disc version of The Game.

I was about to sell them. I guess I could hook them up to my computer and capture the commentary tracks. The one from Crash is really interesting but alas, I'm lazy.

If anyone wants to buy them from me along with my Sony LD Player (dual sided player with original working remote, let me know).

#99 Post by **mfunk9786** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:15 pm

The custom Taxi Driver DVD posted on certain filesharing sites using the Criterion LD commentary is a real gem. If you know how to capture the commentary - you should certainly utilize your knowledge! It's worth it.

porquenegar · #100 Post by **porquenegar** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 4:04 pm

mfunk9786 wrote:The custom Taxi Driver DVD posted on certain filesharing sites using the Criterion LD commentary is a real gem. If you know how to capture the commentary - you should certainly utilize your knowledge! It's worth it.

I'm still playing around with it. The problem I'm having appears to be that there is no amplification between my LD player and my computer. I can record the audio and make MP3 but the quality is pretty bad. I haven't had time to really mess with it in the last couple of months though. I own somewhere around 2/3 of the criterion LDs.

Criterion Laserdiscs

Missing Spine Numbers

Re: Missing Spine Numbers

Crash, The Game