Don’t Write Off Laser Yet

If the experts are to be trusted, laserdisc is dead and its premature demise was prompted by this miracle of compression technology, the DVD or Digital Video Disc. But don’t box up your laserdisc collection yet. If you invested in that format, mesmerized by its lavish special editions and hours of additional materials the discs have to offer, it is far too early to quit.

Indeed, three out of the four outstanding releases showcased in this month’s Digital Media are luxurious laserdisc editions, the type of flamboyant affairs that DVD has yet to offer.

Take, for instance, Image’s special edition of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” When released on VHS, it was priced to sell as the ideal gift for kids to view over and over again. At $99.99 the laser “Hunchback” is a different animal: a collector’s item and a superlative tour into the making of an animated masterpiece.

In terms of sheer vision and the impact of its images, “Hunchback” is perhaps the best feature to come out of Disney’s new era of animation. And one lesson is distilled in the very animated (no pun intended) audio commentary by directors Kirk Wise, Gary Trousdale and producer Don Hahn and the hours worth of other supplemental materials: When used tastefully, computer-generated imagery can actually enrich the more traditional elements of classic animation, creating a work of art that has a virtually unlimited array of expressions.

That type of film is exactly what New York-based Voyager has always picked for its tantalizing “Criterion Collection” of films on laserdisc. Which is why the inclusion of writer-director Kevin Smith’s “Chasing Amy” ($49.99) in this gallery of world film masterworks is a huge surprise.

The film itself, released theatrically last year, is an uneven comedy that despite its hip soundtrack and undeniable ear for dialogue, remains the story of lonely, vulnerable people.

Although “Chasing Amy” has its share of powerful moments, alternating between the poignant and the hilarious, you might as well rent the VHS version. The disc’s supplementary section is presented by Smith himself, and is anything but funny, filled with mindless profanity and the type of humor that make Beavis and Butthead sound like Groucho Marx.

The most overwhelming edition in recent times is Pioneer’s coffee-table laser set of the multiple-Oscar winner “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” ($119.99), prepared with the grandeur that this 1975 classic deserves. Pioneer had already given the same treatment to another one of director Milos Forman’s epics, the grandiloquent film version of “Amadeus.” This latest release, though, surpasses even the wildest expectations. The two-disc set includes a magnificent transfer of the movie, plus an original documentary about its making. Then there’s an elaborate book with both the finished shooting script by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman, and excerpts from Ken Kesey’s original screen adaptation from his novel.

Best of all, Forman’s deep, pensive voice resonates throughout the whole movie on an additional audio track. His complex way of studying a film, both on an emotional and intellectual level, is a pleasure to listen to.

On DVD, Image has just released the 1982 version of the horror classic “Cat People” ($29.99), directed with morbid flair by Paul Schrader. There are no extras here, but the crisp digital transfer is an opportunity to rediscover a fascinating picture that was neglected when it first came out.

Of course, Schrader is no Jacques Tourneur, the brilliant French director responsible for the first “Cat People.” But in his hands, the story of a legendary curse that plagues a young woman (Nastassia Kinski) becomes an explicit tale of sexual repression.

And by intermittently adding shocking scenes of visceral horror to the mix, Schrader creates a dense, frightening study in mood, brimming with texture and otherworldly qualities. That kind of a movie, the flawed experiment that still manages to shake you up, has become something of a rare animal by today’s cinematic standards.

CURRENT RELEASES

Laserdisc

“The Tin Drum” (Image), controversial, unforgettable German epic directed by Volker Schlondorff, it includes a funny, informative audio commentary by the master himself.

“Monty Python’s Life of Brian” (Voyager), the sacrilegious, hilarious take on the life of Jesus boasts two separate commentaries by the complete Monty Python gang.

“Marathon Man” (Pioneer), no extras, but a great wide-screen version of the John Schlesinger thriller starring Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier.

DVD

“The Lost Boys” (Warner), the Joel Schumacher-directed vampire extravaganza could only have been made in the ‘80s. Includes a few production notes and subtitles in three languages.

“Live at Knebworth” (Image), a great 1990 concert featuring the royalty of British rock and pop: Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Elton John and a stunning ending set by Pink Floyd.

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Digital Media is a new column looking at the burgeoning world of Digital Video Disc as well as laserdiscs. It will appear in this space on the first Thursday of every month.