Laserdisc Collection Part 54: December 2023 Year End Roundup!

#laserdisc #physicalmedia #criterion
This is my next installment of Laserdisc collection updates. I cover all the discs I've picked up for the rest of 2023. this turned out to be quite a bit with several trades and discs from fellow members of the Laserdisc Wolfpack, plus some more incredible local finds from various lots that have appeared in local stores.
This video includes boxsets, classic studio titles, Criterion Collection releases, Disney titles, Roan Group, Japanese imports, director's shelf titles, late releases, interactive game discs, DADC Austria non rotters, and even one of the ever elusive squeeze anamorphic discs!

[@cradio52]

I’m watching the premiere but I gotta go still have to finish later, but I just gotta say that I love these videos! So much useful technical and historical info, not to mention the countless LDs that I didn’t even know existed. Kudos!

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thanks for dropping by!

[@Riddler95]

Lots of great titles are shown in this Laserdisc Collection Update video! That Criterion CAV Edition of The Rock is a real gem! I love how Disney kept releasing CAV Editions of their animated features so late into the life of LaserDisc!

[@RNGTR]

Wow how good is that Fugitive Squeeze find ?! Good work man!!

[@tombaker4586]

Love your channel and your wonderful mind/spirit. Keep surprising us.

[@OliverHarper]

I was wondering the other day if you were going to do a new LD update video, and to my surprise you have! Good find on The Fugitive Squeeze LD, I spent a week once on eBay going through all the listings of the film hoping someone would've listed the Squeeze release not knowing what it was for peanuts but sadly no luck as of yet. Im also working on an update LD collection video that should be out later this week.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thanks and I can’t wait to see your update!! You have no idea how many Fugitives I’ve checked over the years just to make sure…it’s an embarrassing amount. The Warner anamorphic titles are like the few record pressings I always check every random copy for: you never know until you find one so you’re compelled to check every last bin copy.🤦🏻‍♂️😂 I hope you can find one. They’re incredibly elusive but scouring for that rear cover blurb is all you can do.

[@dvdmike007]

Disclord loved that GWTW disc

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

That’s what really got me interested in it a long time ago. I’ve been curious about it ever since.

[@joem5909]

I never realized how rare that late edition CAV of The Little Meremaid was. I found it a couple years ago at Half Price for $6.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

It’s so darn elusive. Trying to get a copy that wasn’t over $30 on eBay has taken me a number of years. I think because it’s also a 1998 pressing where there were much fewer copies made.

[@timothymathetes]

Hey man. I just wanted to say thank you for helping me find the best version of The Terminator blu ray.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Glad I could help!!!

[@MixologistMilo]

Very best for new year and thanks for all the laserdisc content you’ve provided! 👏✊

[@bencool5823]

The Al Jolson collection you have is gold 📀 do you know if the films are uncut because I know some of the Warner archive DVDs are cut🎶

[@enemyofbohemia]

Happy New Year! Always enjoy these LD updates! Recently the record store near me has been stocking amazing discs for insanely cheap prices. I recently got the director's cut of The Alamo for five bucks, in pristine condition. I'd been made aware of that release's importance thanks to one of your other updates. I've been rediscovering LD thanks to those. Also found the 1992 LD of The Time Machine with a stereo mix that is different in several ways from the later DVD that I was most familiar with.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Awesome! The Alamo roadshow box is ultra important and almost never pops up. Thanks for mentioning THE TIME MACHINE. I've been meaning to revisit it and also compare the LD to later versions. Happy New Year to you as well!

[@daveandreahoward8203]

Great job!

[@daveandreahoward8203]

Awesome!

[@clintonrawls]

You should do a video on your Bond adjacent shelf! I’ve got some obscure films myself so it will be fun to see what all you have.

[@just_delightful]

I got the rock criterion dvd on my way home from spending spring break in the hospital with mono. I didn't watch that dvd a ton but damn that movie has held up, especially with how bad new movies are.

[@tylerm6207]

What do you use to transfer Laserdisc content to DVD? Or at least capture the audio commentaries?

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Currently I’m just able to do audio. I use a USB audio capture device for coax digital and analog.

[@matthewgaudet4064]

The Star Wars Kuraray pressings are great. Why the US pressing is so much more common i have no idea. The Japan pressing for the US Market can confirm its rot free. I'm finding that its very difficult to fine the CAV pressing for the THX Little Mermaid. I have found 3 different copies of the CLV, which i held off from getting because i want it in CAV. I was able to find a completely perfect copy of Fantasia Japan set with OBI, and discs and plate. And of course the booklet had to have mold. So i passed on it. I had to stop buying Indiana Jones discs i got way too deep in it, i wanted to get the entire Japan rental trilogy, i had bought the Temple and Last Crusade Hong Kong laserdiscs, and the Korean Temple of Doom. I had my eye on the perfect collection of Space Battleship Yamato, and the Japan Star Trek 1-6 set. Ultimately for Christmas i bought the Tenchi Muyo AC3 THX set. Because its something i've long wanted.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

The Faces discs are all supposed to be superNTSC as well. Collecting Indy variants is very addictive!

[@matthewgaudet4064]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader, i forget to mention i came across some Japan Kurosawa boxes, with a Hi-Vision master but on standard laserdisc, maybe someone can explain why they would bother if its not a Muse disc.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

@@matthewgaudet4064 wow I’m not sure. I guess it’s an early version of a 4k master on a BD.😂

[@matheus5230]

Do you have the Close Encounters laserdisc that allows one to select which scenes will be in the movie, creating your own cut of the film?

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

No I have the Criterion CLV. That’s such a cool attempt at branching for back then on the initial CAV set but it’s well known to work very poorly with most players.

[@matheus5230]

​@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusaderIt’s a very clumsy system that doesn't really work well, but a cool attempt nevertheless! Agreed!

[@andysummersthxcinemaandmyc7748]

1:03:50 the rotitive , had once sold it 2000 for sake of those rubbish dvd , well maybe the dvd not so bad saw it at one few uk local as then very few still had SR-D early DA10 decoders , local premiered it from what i recall the DA10 was on loan to see if local ABC was interested in buying it , not till 1997 i think with DA20 as DA10 reported had snag issues saw it three times SR-D via JBL 4675A five screen , single 4645 , unknown surrounds not matters cinema is now home to the pigeons , i like pigeons not played dvd in no years now , i refuse to buy rubbish bluray or rubbish 4k now , pigs lipstick disc format with rubbish near field mixes to me if dvd was , was side by side with SR-D would spectrum show both with same frequency response , not that i really care anymore , i'm retired projectionist UCI , warner bros and no longer care anymore

[@matheus5230]

Happy New Year!

[@hardnine]

Wow you're a r.e.m. fan also..have you seen the bluray version of Road Movie came with Monster 25 anniversary set?it has a 5.1 audio option..would love to hear your thoughts

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

I have! I talked about Road Movie some in my review of the New Adventures 25th anniversary set where it was duplicated somewhat. I did a bunch of comparisons between the original, Monster set and New Adventures set and for me the pcm stereo of the original release is the best audio but the Monster set has a new transfer for the picture. I need to get the Up set and do a review. I might go back and do video reviews for some of the previous sets. When they’ve done bonus material those have been great but the actual album remasters not so much.

[@joem5909]

These are my fav videos Spencer. Only have 170 disc's so far but love collecting LD's.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thank you! Once you start it’s so much fun you can’t stop! Aaaand then everyone around knows you as “that Laserdisc guy”…😂

[@Laserdreamz]

Multi movie box sets where a disc is cross pollinated by 2 movies drive me mad.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

It bothered me too at first but I got used to it. I can understand it on LD boxes to conserve sides. But it sucks when capturing audio for comparisons because you have to remember to go back and find the end points.

[@dvdmike007]

Is the squeeze Unforgiven still the best version on LD

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

As far as I know yes. But I think the overall master source they were using was the same. The US standard pressing has that high rot percentage which makes it essential to get the squeeze or regular Japanese version.

[@biggestliberacefan1988]

Loved the discussion about your recent Laserdisc purchases the box sets are wonderful I have the Bette Davis and Mae West sets transfers and films are fantastic. I also think you will love There was a Crooked Man very underrated Western with a superb cast I only have it on DVD -r off TCM but love this film thank you very much cheers Carl Australia.

[@slave_to_cinema]

Would love to hear that Fox Video of GBU! Wonder if it could be compared with any dvd release?

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

I’m really curious about it as I’ve learned to never count out any master of a Leone film even old analog audio.

[@slave_to_cinema]

@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader definitely! I can only assume its the standard mono we've seen in other LD's but its interesting to compare

[@matheus5230]

Have you seen the video "Domesday Duplicator - Ultimate LaserDisc Preservation" by Tech Tangents?

[@matheus5230]

Do you plan to review this month, or in february, the first Hitchcock UHD collection by Universal, released in 2020?

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Yes I’d like to do all three volumes. I’m thinking about just doing one of my technical review only videos so I can then later do full length videos on all Hitchcock films.

[@matheus5230]

​@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusaderVery interesting approach!

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

@@matheus5230 I’m trying to figure out ways to be able to cover more releases more quickly. I have to review the Universal horror and Hitchcock UHD volumes but my obsessions with those films and their long transfer histories would mean each one needs a separate full video. So if I do a general video on the boxes themselves it might help then I can do separate film analysis videos on each later.

[@matheus5230]

​​@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusaderInteresting. I agree with first doing reviews strictly talking about the quality of the transfers in the UHDs and the remastered Psycho blu-ray.

[@1dbanner]

Great snags all around. I got a copy of that edition of Gone With the Wind this past summer; it's probably one of the rarer discs I have now, and it's glorious. Happy 2024, Spencer!

[@filmmaker610]

Happy New Year DFIC. This is a great collection.

[@krisjs1767]

Who are the seller(s) you mentioned?

[@theworldaccordingtofloyd1035]

Bit fp you have song of the south ?

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Yes, I did finally manage to get the Japanese SOTS. That's definitely one of the major LD titles people try to find. It's a pretty solid pressing just with the hardcoded Japanese subtitles of course.

[@alfredocamba1995]

I've made a 100+ dvd box set this year & no one cares. How do I mail you stuff? You taught me about disc rot & long story short I've got a disc duplicator tower, a dvd recorder, & pioneer dvd dj gear & have gone nuts remixing everything but no one cares about dvds anymore. You're still collecting laserdisc knowing how rot works that is next level