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bdev

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Join date
8-Dec-2005
Last activity
2-Mar-2008
Posts
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Post
#209666
Topic
Info: The Criterion Laserdisc Preservation Thread
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/209666/action/topic#209666
Time
I just uploaded the mp3 of the aforementioned King Kong commentary again to rapidshare if anyone wants to check it out who didn't get it last time.

http://rapidshare.de/files/20490038/KK_criterion_commentary_mp3.mp3.html

I never went back and figured out how or why the commentary went out of sync with the DVD. I don't know if something on my end (LD player not in pitch or me splicing the parts together haphazardly) or if it's because the new DVD's use a different print than Criterion had at their disposal. According to Jeff Rovin's 1993-1994 edition of The Laserdisc Film Guide, "The Criterion edition of King Kong was made from a source cobbled together from various prints to get the best overall image available at the time [but] there isn't a shot in these editions that can touch the Turner disc," which was "made from a recently discovered 35mm print." I don't know which print they are using for the great DVD's out now, but it must be this superior print or something even better discovered since. Maybe that's the cause of the discrepency.

ShiftyEyes, does the commentary get progressively more out of sync as the DVD goes on, or does it suddenly jump out of sync as if my splices were just bad? I meant to make notes of where I spliced the sides together, but I neglected to.

-bdev
Post
#178853
Topic
King Kong (1933) - Criterion Commentary (Released)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/178853/action/topic#178853
Time
Yeah. I would like to do a LD transfer, but alas no video capture hardware.

The disc is NTSC as far as I know, so I don't know why the audio would get out of sync like that. It could be the player I suppose.....just some cheap industrial LD player that I found at a thrift store for 15 dollars. Maybe it plays it too fast. I don't even know if that's a techincal possibility or not.

by the way, if anyone else wants the file, just PM me your email address and I can send it via yousendit.com or give me your AIM address and I can transfer it to you directly.

--bdev
Post
#178208
Topic
King Kong (1933) - Criterion Commentary (Released)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/178208/action/topic#178208
Time

hey guys,

I just finished capturing the Ronald Haver commentary off the Criterion Laserdisc and was wondering if anyone was interested in it. I have leeched quite a few things off of you guys from myspleen, and just wanted to give something back that to my knowledge hasn’t been offered here before and isn’t on any DVDs anywhere. <span class=“Italics”>note:</span> I have only been reading this forum for a few months, so it might have been put out sometime, but it didnt’ come up in the search box.

I was contemplating posting it on a newsgroup somewhere, but I don’t really want to do that and be labelled a source in some lawsuit, plus I have no idea how to do that anyway. PM me if you would like it, and I can send it to you on AIM or something.

Also, if someone has some webspace and bandwidth and would like to post it for people to download, that might be a little more secure than just throwing our IP addresses all around the usenet.

I have the raw wav that is 506 MB, a flac file that’s 293 MB, and a 128 kB/sec mp3 that’s 91.2 MB.

Here’s what I wrote in the nfo file:

<span class=“Italics”>This is a laserdisc audio capture of Ronald Haver’s commentary for Merian C. Cooper’s “King Kong” (1933) from Criterion’s release. It has the distinction of being the first commentary ever published with a home video, opening with the lines, “Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m Ronald Haver, and I’m here to do something that we feel is rather unique. I’m going to take you on a lecture tour of King Kong as you watch the film.”</span>

<span class=“Italics”>As far as commentaries go, it’s not all that great. He doesn’t even directly reference the image that is on the screen for twenty minutes or so, but since it was the first commentary and not available on any DVD to which I have access, I decided to capture it and share it. The stories are second hand from Cooper, and Haver seems to do his best to suck all the fun out of them. Very professorial.</span>

<span class=“Italics”>Also, please realize that this has not been modified to sync up with any DVD’s video stream, so it’s more just for audio use only. I suppose you could play both simulataneously, but the audio might get off at the side changes of the LD. If you want to hack it up to make it match the video, knock yourself out.</span>

Let me know if you’re interested,
–bdev

Post
#168747
Topic
Idea &amp; Info: Combining all the Criterion Efforts?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168747/action/topic#168747
Time
I have been preparing to do a few criterion transfers, but have been met with problems on the laserdisc player end of it. They keep breaking!

A site that people interested in this undertaking can peruse is Chaumurky's Site. It is, as the header of the page claims, a copy of the Criterion website around 1999 before they gutted all of the information in favor of the DVD collection. The good thing about this website is that it clearly spells out the extra features on each of the discs, so anyone interested in doing these transfers can make sure that they aren't copying something that has been released subsequently on another studio's DVD release.

I have the following Criterion LD's that I have been waiting to transfer:
Bram Stoker's Dracula -- a unique Coppola commentary, editing workshop that I want to adapt to DVD format, and an isolated score found nowhere else.
Ghostbusters -- deleted scenes. not sure if they have been released on other releases, but it's one of my favorite childhood movies.
Carrie -- commentary not found anywhere else.
Shine -- director commentary not found anywhere else
Boyz in the Hood -- a commentary, but I'm not sure if it's on the DVD. I bought this one for a few dollars off eBay without really looking into the disc's contents. One of those "combine shipping now!" deals.

I have even gone far enough as to make artwork for the Dracula transfer that I'm waiting to do. Dracula Cover I also have a 40+ page booklet written with historical, filmic, and literary articles about all the various Dracula incantations.

If people are looking for projects to do concerning the Criterion Laserdiscs, here are some highlights from the collection:
Boogie Nights - One of their last releases. It has a commentary and documentary that haven't been released on DVD yet.
Help! and A Hard Day's Night - various extra features. The AHDN DVD is pretty good. Not sure if there are any Criterion extras that didn't make it out.
Robinson Crusoe in Outer Space - NO DVD AVAILABLE! If someone can shell out the 200 dollars this can fetch on eBay, it would be an awesome transfer. This one has been widely (and poorly) bootlegged by various Asian outfits. The skill of some of the people on here could do it justice. Reportedly (can't remember the source on this), there are no more remaining negatives of this film, so the LD is essentially the last time this is going to see release unless Criterion secures the rights again.
Raging Bull - The CAV edition has a Scorsese commentary that hasn't been released elsewhere. I read somewhere that it is one of the more candid of his commentary.
Taxi Driver - see Raging Bull. same thing.

Anyway, if people with the proper hardware start looking at these, make sure you get the CAV release. Criterion released both deluxe CAV releases brimming with extras and barebones CLV relases. The CLV releases are usually denoted by having an "A" after the spine number.

That's enough of me for now. Later,
--Brad

ps - here's a spreadsheet of all of the laserdisc titles minus the ones that were subsequently released on DVD and minus the CLV editions of the same movie. (actually, the titles are on there; they're just hidden) --Brad