ACE VENTURA – WHEN NATURE CALLS: Warner
| A016 |
6.0 |
2.35 |
DPL |
DADC |
Category: Science Fiction / Comedy / Fantasy
This one has been announced for March 12, 1996 a mere four months after its theatrical release. Warner has subtlely taken the opportunity to raise the price on their single disc titles by upping the price to $39.99. Although this is likely not the case since the promotional material is geared for Canada so the reflected price is in Canadian dollars. I was wrong, their prices are still reasonable. This one will be coming from Digidisk Entertainment around that time. Another title for $36.60 which is pretty cheap. The image quality at the beginning turns out to be a big disappointment as the image is too soft. A cute Cliffhanger parody opening. The image improves slightly after that point to earn an overall rating of no more than 6.5. Hard to see why they decided to go with the anamorphic format for this sequel except for the opening parody. A terribly disappointing story this time around that could have unfolded in 30 minutes if not for the silly antics of Jim Carrey. Unlike the first film which had a cute storyline, there is no story this time out and even the Ace character is sadly missing. We get Jim Carrey’s School of Acting for 70 minutes. Alrighty then… As Jeff said, it is not funny that the actor simply does gross and stupid things. Where is Ace? Warner has windowboxed this release, but only very slightly as denoted above. A DVD anamorphic version is also available, but I do not really like this film so I cannot bear to watch it on Laserdisc again anyway.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
The film looked like 1.85:1 in the theatre, but the matting here is greater. The film is probably shot in Super 35 mm which accounts for this tighter aspect ratio. The surround sound is somewhat limited, but when it does occur, it is very well done. Visually, the print is very sharp and much better than the days of “The Naked Gun” type releases. The big trade off with this type of soft matting is that the full screen version opens up the top and bottom thus providing more picture top and bottom while cropping the sides only slightly. A comparison of picture areas would most likely show the full screen version having more picture information on screen than the so called widescreen version. For an example of a film that shows the entire movie frame you need to refer to “Gremlins II.” I had a chance to watch the second film “Addams Family Values” and I was surprised at how uncomfortable I felt. It would seem that all the laughs were forced as I desperately wanted the film to be funny which it was not. Be more funny, be more funny, bang, bang. I saw the original film while I was living in Vancouver. I went with Connie and Vince and a number of her other friends. The film was memorable more for the fact that the front purple flood lights were not turned off during the entire film. We were off to the side, but it made for an awful memory.
AD. POLICE Volume 1-3: AnimEigo
| A020 |
4.5 |
1.33 |
DPL |
Extras |
3M |
Category: Science Fiction / Adult / OAV
These three stories take place in the early days of the AD. Police (as in Advanced Police and not Armored Defense Police) before the arrival of the Knight Sabers. Three episodes totaling 110 minutes in length. The disc is now available so it should be on its way to me this week (April 20, 1994). There have not been any follow up stories in this series so I guess that the popularity was not sufficient. All right, where has my disc gone? It’s been two weeks since it appeared on the charge bill so has someone swiped it or is Customs Canada taking a closer look at it? The three entries are supposed to be very adult and graphic in nature with a heavy dose of violence. It is possible that Customs Canada has detained it, but how would they know what it contains? What are the odds of them inspecting just the right package? If Customs Canada is holding it, I would get some kind of notification in the mail on this and nothing of the kind has been sent yet. I’ve just got the notification of classification by Customs Canada. The notice says that the item has been held subject to the determination of tariffs and duties which will be a first for me. The fool who opened this disc probably does not know that there is a category called laser discs at 4.7% duty. It was bound to happen and here it is. At least it has not been seized by Customs as a banned product. Hopefully this will be resolved soon and be on its way by July. It has arrived this first week of June (7th) and Customs even opened the packaging to take a look at the disc itself. They charged the full 9.5% duty on it which should not have happened. The picture on the cover has been altered slightly / touched up from the original Japanese art. This happened on the Bubblegum Crash discs as well. The disc runs about 110 minutes breaking down into three 25 minute episodes and an assortment of music videos performed in English. To my surprise, those who have watched the program seem to enjoy it much more than the original Bubblegum Crisis programs. The query always concerns whether or not the rest of the series is anything like these three entries. To their disappointment, the answer is no. The releases have been ever so slightly windowboxed as is evident in the presented images. I can believe that at some time, AnimEigo will re-issue this disc in the DVD format. It may only look marginally better than the original Laserdisc, but the disc would most certainly last much longer. I just worry about motion artifacts that are much more prevalent in animated programs than live action material. I’m browsing through a magazine article about a program called “Cool Devices” and they mention this OAV as being notorious for depicting a certain attitude toward women that has lasted well beyond the life of the program itself. A legacy of hate if you will, but I don’t quite see it that way. There is finally a follow-up to this OVA in the works now. It is expected to be place in the time of the new Bubblegum series in 2040 or so. It will be interesting to see if the tone of the original series is maintained, but that is doubtful since the new follow-up is actually a TV series. A capsule report on the individual OAV episodes is provided as follows:
1) Phantom Woman: All three episodes have two recurring characters, Leon McNichol and Jeena Malso even though the focus tends not to be on them. The point of view for this episode is actually from the Phantom Woman (and Leon). The story takes place in 2027, five years before the appearance of the Knight Sabers and it is much darker in tone than the series that inspired this (prequel) sequel. The theme for each program is extremely adult in nature (ambiguous) with a heavy dose of gore and blood. The creators have chosen to take the characters in a different and perhaps more refreshing direction. I am curious as to what happened to Jeena since she is not in the Crisis OAV’s. The AD. Police are portrayed as being much more competent here than in the Bubblegum series. No doubt as Boomer crimes became more sophisticated, the police found themselves out manned and out gunned. The need for the Phantom Woman to be shot again and again by Leon McNichol for the rush of bullets penetrating flesh is a bizarre concept indeed. Jeff commented that the episode feels rather inconclusive. There doesn’t seem to be a beginning or an end as we, the viewers tend to be dropped into a story without the necessary supporting background. How often in real life do things occur that make no sense and have no real meaning? Upon further viewings, it seems pretty evident that the boomer was out to recreate the greatest rush one could have (??) … death and only Leon could provide this. We’re talking about a robot here and this is how she rationalizes things. Since Leon did the deed at the beginning, it makes perfect sense for the boomer to seek him out again. The thinking here is that the rush of death was the only thing that could arouse this boomer so she was actually in love with Leon. (In a weird sort of way.) And if the story continued, she was not going to kill him. Perhaps I’m seeing a bit too much into the program … after all, it is just a cartoon. The muted colour scheme of the program plays a significant role in this as well. A review of the dubbed version on tape was very hard on this program saying that it was too reminiscent of Blade Runner and had no character development. The reviewer oversimplifies the story by implying that the program is juvenile. Something must have gotten lost in the translation since everyone (adult) who has seen this show wanted more.
2) The Ripper: The episode is told from the point of view of a female “Normal Police” officer. The underlying theme seems to deal with giving up one’s humanity one piece at a time. There is a heavy dose of blood here as well and an unexpected ending. Prostitutes are being killed by having their lower organs cut out (uterus et al) and how is this linked to a beautiful company president? The statement that the villain (?) died as a woman is very bizarre and implies something that is very unconventional and possibly offensive. The episode needs to be viewed in order to comment on it. Given a recent discussion with David about the Japanese attitude towards homemaking and a career, this episode makes a great deal more sense. Iris Cara says something that the Chun Li character from Street Fighter 2 also says when she is victorious (“I did it!”). So the question is … at what point are humans no longer considered to be humans. When does the soul leave the body and which part does it inhabit? This is likely the episode that some people find offensive even to this day. It apparently projects a certain attitude toward women that would indicate extreme hatred on the part of men. I think the point is missed though as one has to understand Japanese culture to get a better handle on what the story is trying to say. Something tells me that I should give these episodes another look in the near future. It must be at least five years since I last tried these out.
3) The Man Who Bites His Tongue: This episode is very reminiscent of Robo Cop as a downed officer is turned into an invincible cyborg cop. The point of view of the episode is from the cyborg and the story follows his descent into insanity. Part of the back story is presented in a Manga format. This story is very much like a combination of Robo Cop and Robo Cop II because of the drug use connection. I found myself saying “Nuke, Nuke!” during the episode. Jeff wonders where they conjured up a word like “Fanword.” A few people watched this episode and commented and the extreme graphic nature of the program. They were obviously unprepared for what they were about to see in Japanese Anime.
ADDICTED TO LOVE: Warner
| A025 |
6.0 |
1.85 |
DD/DPL |
DADC |
Category: Comedy / Fantasy / Documentary
The one is a cheap LV from the sales bin at Ken Cranes. The $15 title is cheaper than DVD more or less and the image quality is not that important for a comedy. The film stars Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick and the ever lovely Kelly Preston. The aspect ratio is the typical Warner Laserdisc ratio at something that looks more like 1.90:1. The film may have an AC-3 audio, but it is nothing too special. The two female leads do look nice. The color values are not as intense as they could be and there is the signature video noise that tells you that you are watching Laserdisc. I will have to watch the film completely through to give a better description of the story. And this one is window boxed like all the other Warner Laserdiscs. It’s interesting that this film is about revenge and hurting those that you once loved. Meg Ryan’s character is not very sympathetic and Matthew Broderick’s character is a schmuck. These are stalkers are they not? The other male star shows up in the British import Wing Commander from Fox and plays a much older person.
THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN: Columbia / Tri Star
| A035 |
7.5 |
1.75 |
DPL |
DADC |
|
| A036 |
8.0 |
1.75 16×9 |
DPL |
Extras |
DVD-9 |
Category: Comedy / Fantasy / Documentary
The following is the original entry for the cropped version of the film which was sold off in 1995. (The film would look better if it were letterboxed. I can’t help, but feel that some of the picture is missing. I suspect that the film is only a matted effort though (Indeed it is, but only at 1.75:1). Still, as it is, the film is still stunning to look at and listen to. This film can be considered to be of demonstration quality although a couple of sequences are simply way too bright. At last, a film with a child who is not irritating to watch. The story may be a little disjointed since the film strings along several different stories. The surround track on this disc is incredibly active and must be used in any type of Pro Logic demonstration. Criterion is readying a special edition of this feature with running commentary from the director, but I think I’ll have to pass on this one. As a side note, I never got a chance to see this one in the theatre. Word has it that the Criterion version looks fantastic and makes this version rather plain, but at $ 125 U.S. I’ll have to think seriously about parting with the existing copy. It is a good possibility that Columbia / Tri Star will reissue this film in the widescreen incarnation eventually. I eagerly await this event.) Coming soon from Columbia / Tri Star via Digidisk Entertainment. At 1.75:1 there isn’t much new material that can fit on the screen. But as this is a remaster which may use a print similar to the Criterion version, the image can only get better. Or can it, there are no assurances that the remaster print will be significantly better than the original release. As was the case with some of the other recent remaster efforts, the results might not be so good. The Laser Movie guy says that it looks pretty good. A good sign. The LV newsletter says the film looks even better than the Criterion version … now I want this one more than ever. (In the words of Film Critic Jay Sherman.) It has arrived and it is sitting in front of me. Digidisk brings it right to my seat. The disc is pressed by Sony DADC which was unexpected, but much of their product seems to be excellent these days. The 126 minute film has been spread to three sides with the second side in CAV. There is extensive chapter encoding as the side breaks are slightly different from the old version. There is a short Terry Gilliam / Eric Idle / John Neville interview at the beginning of the program. The stated aspect ratio is 1.85:1 even though the European ratio is 1.75:1. Since I haven’t played it yet … we shall see. Well, it is better, but I don’t think it is “that” much better than before. The sound production is still about the same. The opening documentary runs about three minutes. Robin Williams has an uncredited role as Ray D. Tutto, King Of The Moon. In fact, no mention is even made of him on the cover essay or anywhere else. Some on screen garbage appears in the opening few minutes of the film lasting for at least five frames. I thought it was contamination, but it looks like the source material had some strange speckling on a series of distinct frames. Check the scene where Polly first confronts the Grim Reaper in the theatre. What’s strange is that this colour blotch seems to have been cleaned up on subsequent pressings. This one is about to be released in the DVD format and it will be interesting to see if the commentary track is included from the Criterion edition. Still waiting for Columbia to issue this one, but it may not show up until after the year 2000. It has shown up now at the stores and the initial indication is that this one looks good. The audio is only Dolby Pro-Logic though given the time in which it was released and no major effort was put in to remixing the audio. If the audio is uncompressed DPL, then I will not complain at all. The commentary has not been included with the disc. I did finally pick this one up from Future Shop with a 20% off sale that they had in January 2000. Now as to when I will be able to see this film, that is the all consuming question. I found the time and this one looks very nice. Surprisingly, the Dolby Pro-logic soundtrack still works very nicely with ample ambience and foley effects. The layer change occurs about 68 minutes into the film and the player pauses slightly at that point. I have seen this film enough on Laserdisc that I anticipate when the side change occurs, but of course it doesn’t occur and now I notice that. Sort of a discontinuity in the film. Is this document that I am writing a historic entry or is it one that gets updated and revised with the times and the technology. I am at a loss right now to decide if I should revamp the entire layout and thereby remove all Laserdisc images that no longer are part of the collection.
THE ADVENTURES OF FORD FAIRLANE: CBS/FOX
| A040 |
6.5 |
2.35 |
DPL |
DADC |
Category: Science Fiction / Comedy / Fantasy
Contrary to popular opinion, this is a very slick production that is very amusing. Taken for what it is, a lively comic book, it is essentially a toned down Diceman vehicle, absurd, but still very funny and entertaining. The sound track will give any system a real workout and the visuals are top notch. The film has an aspect ratio of about 2.2:1 which is less than what it should be, but you won’t notice (I rechecked it and it’s closer to 2.30). This is another demonstration disc and it has a Dolby Pro-logic test routine as the final chapter. This disc has a punchout madness marking. I did not see this one in the theatre. Watched the film “Brain Smashers: A Love Story” and the Diceman doesn’t change very much. Still the hippest detective around. Lauren Holly is quite the looker. I can think of a few shots in this film that might make for good video stills, but the letterbox effect will get in the way. This might be a cool film to add as a DVD sometime down the line when FOX issues the film. The chances of it being remastered in 16:9 are slim to none. I am reminded that I need to watch this film again. There are so many one liners in this film. Look for Kari Wuhrur in this film in the role of Melody. It’s funny to read that there are actually quite a few out there yearning for the film to make it to DVD. All the one liners really tell you something about how much this film was under appreciated at the time. It’s a good bet that this one would look and sound great when it is released. The definitive film of the 90’s that wasn’t afraid to just entertain and not be politically correct.
