Laserdiscs

"The Beguiled" is one of my favorite movies of all time.

"Clint Eastwood and Geraldine Page star in this tense psychological drama of love and betrayal.

During the Civil War, a wounded Union soldier is sheltered by the headmistress and students of a girls' academy in the South. As his health returns his desire increases, but can he trust these women not to turn him in?

The soldier takes his chances, but soon realizes his benefactress can't be trusted...with his love or his life! His lustful ambitions quickly turn against him and the story follows through a series of nerve-shattering events, including scenes that are among the boldest and most shocking ever witnessed on film."

"Tucker" with Jeff Bridges is, typically of movies with Jeff Bridges, very good. It's the story of Preston Tucker, the "dynamic engineer and an enthusiastic showman who envisions the car of the future. Against mighty odds he manages to bu9ild a fleet of them - only to have his factory shut down by Detroit's Big Three automobile manufacturers. They took away his car-but nobody could take away his dream."

"The King of Comedy," with Robert DeNiro and Jerry Lewis, blew me away the first time I saw it. Jerry Lewis' performance is DeNiro's equal or better in this non-comedic role.

"Glengarry GlenRoss" also blew me away the first time I saw it. Highly recommended for the performances in this story "of desperation and betrayal based on David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize-winning play."

I swapped these for a bag of working but obsolete computer peripherals. Now I have something play on my old Laser Disc player along with the Judas Priest disc I swapped something for a couple of months ago. I don't know his music yet, but I suspect the mighty Priest will now be balanced by Solomon Burke's Purely Music concert disc. "With his big, powerful voice and fervent-but-controlled emotionality, Solomon Burke was a pioneer of soul music in the early sixties. He made some of the first soul records by setting his gospel "preaching" style in song forms, borrowed from R & B, Rock & Roll and other secular music."Sounds good so far.

What's that they say about junk and treasure?

Update:

Solomon Burke rocks! If you like blues, soul and rock & roll, he knows how to rock.

It had been a while since I played any laserdiscs, big old things that they are. I'd even forgotten what I have. Not a big collection, but in addition to the five new ones above, I'll have to go back and watch

"priest...live" recorded during their 1986 "Fuel for Life" tour. I think I was there for part of it. I've seen Judas Priest several times, Rob Halford on his own once or twice, and I've never been disappointed. This is a great disc to have.

The Moody Blues at Red Rock with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.

"Cyndi Lauper in Paris" is another really great disc to have. Cyndi Lauper's voice gives me chills. What a show!!

"Utopia - Redux 92 - Live in Japan" is good. I'm not that much of a Utopia fan but this is good stuff, too.

"Anita Baker - One Night of Rapture" annoys me. Anita Baker is great, but I hate hate hate the fact that they interrupt the perfomances for people to say shit I could not possibly care less about. Just music, please.

"Fantasia" is, of course, Fantastic. Chapter 9 is Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, which I've always loved, and which always reminds me of a great film I don't have, "Soylent Green."

"The Sound of Music" What can I say?

"Jurassic Park" The first one. Nowadays special effects are commonplace, but Jurassic Park was one of the first ones, and what a flick it is. The book was better, of course, but hey...

I've got a few DVD's, too.

• All three Terminator flicks
• The Outlaw Josey Wales (terrific movie)
• Rush in Rio
• Animusic
• Ray Charles - Live in Brazil
• Stomp - OutLoud
• Riverdance - Live in New York City (I really like some of it, but some of it gets old.)
• Trinity and Beyond - The Atomic Bomb Movie (wow, to have been there)

If the house was on fire and I could only get out with one of these, it would have to be "The Outlaw Josey Wales," "Cyndi Lauper in Paris" and "Priest --- Live".

I have to take my hat off to "In America". I was really glad they left the lights off for a while after it ended because I didn't want to show any tears. What a great movie! "In America"

There are lots of great movies, of course. I have not seen them all, nor do I remember all the great ones I've seen right now.

"The Long Day's Dying" Late 60's. Amazing combat movie, never released on video that I know of.