The Laser Bin

“ ‘Crocodile’ Dundee” (Paramount, 98 minutes, 1986, color, digital sound, extended-play CLV, $39.95) and “The Untouchables” (Paramount, 119 minutes, 1987, color, digital sound, extended-play CLV, three sides, $39.95).

Here are two examples of commercial laser video disc releases that make no attempt to utilize any of the laser player’s unique features. Yet they’re still vastly superior to their videotape counterparts as pure moviegoing experiences, since the image is much clearer than on videotape and the digital sound (especially in surround-sound systems) adds a spectacular dimension to the home-viewing experience. In fact, you can see and hear many things at home that you missed in the theater because of inferior prints and noisy audiences. Since neither of these films relies on big-screen theatrics, detail and nuance become clearer, particularly the set pieces of Brian De Palma’s “Untouchables.” In fact, “The Untouchables” is one film that would have gained immeasurably had it been released as a full-feature CAV laser disc, but it would have needed an extra side to accommodate its length.