He Left His Heart in ‘Avalon,’ ‘Diner’

Before “Bugsy,” writer-director Barry Levinson brought a trio of small-scale, personal pictures to the big screen: “Diner,” “Tin Men” and “Avalon.” All three told semi-autobiographical stories set in Baltimore, Levinson’s hometown.

Recent releases of “Diner” and “Avalon” translate very well to laser disc, illustrating both how effective letterboxing can be and how its absence is occasionally acceptable, though not preferable.

The most recent release, the 1982 “Diner” (MGM/UA Home Video, $40), marked Levinson’s directorial debut. More than “Bugsy,” which only takes a chance in casting with the late rock promoter Bill Graham, “Diner” showcases Levinson’s keen eye for spotting talented unknowns.

Hardly a name in the cast isn’t familiar a decade later: Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Timothy Daly, Ellen Barkin, Paul Reiser and Michael Tucker.

Considered a sleeper by many, the film chronicles the last gasps of high school buddies as college, women and adulthood begin to break up the old gang, who gather in the diner as though nothing will ever change. Levinson watches that evolution with affection and a knowing eye. The film’s big-screen ratio is not markedly hurt in its non-letterbox transfer, with the film’s intimacy retained.

The disc includes the trailer and 50 well-chosen chapter stops.

(The second film in the trilogy, 1987’s “Tin Men,” was released on laser by Touchstone in 1988.)

The 1990 “Avalon,” released letterboxed by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video ($40), effectively illustrates how well intimate films can work in this laser format. Many critics championed this Levinson effort and were vociferously disappointed when it got virtually overlooked at Oscar time. Seeing it up close and personal helps you understand what the fuss was all about.

In many ways, watching “Avalon” on laser disc is a far more affecting and satisfying experience than it was in the theater. Subtle shadings and sharply defined colors make for a striking picture, rare on the home screen. And the nuances and themes of the story are heightened.

Starring Aidan Quinn, Elizabeth Perkins and Armin Mueller-Stahl, “Avalon” follows the disintegration of a close-knit immigrant family through three generations, as conversation at the dinner table gives way to frozen dinners in front of a television. It’s “Brooklyn Bridge” with similar sentiments, but not the sentimentality. “Avalon’s” tender evocations of the passage of time and the fragility and humor of family relationships work wonderfully in the letterbox format.

If your laser player has digital effects, this is one time you can freeze-frame scenes composed as beautifully as paintings and marvel at Levinson’s wonderfully observant eye. Unfortunately, since there are no chapter stops listed on the album cover, you can’t do that easily.

Recorded in stereo, digital, Dolby Surround sound, Randy Newman’s score is rich, haunting and evocative, one of the most moving ever written for film.

It’s ironic how well “Avalon” translates to this home video format, considering that television becomes such a negative force in the movie itself.