Octopus Overlords

Posted: **Sun Apr 21, 2024 5:44 pm**

Does anyone own this UHD or Blu-Ray version from Arrow? Im wondering how it looks compared to the original. I have a PS4 to play it on but Im thinking my 10 year old monitor is the best I have to view it on if I got it and that may not cut it so why bother.

Posted: **Sun Apr 21, 2024 6:13 pm**

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Last ... -ray/5155/

Apparently "no".

The Last Starfighter debuts on Blu-ray with a disappointing 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. A mediocre-at-best presentation, The Last Starfighter appears to be the victim of rigorous digital scrubbing; plenty of fine details appear to have been washed away. The transfer lacks a sense of vibrancy and appears rather flat and drab throughout. Trees and bushes around the trailer park look like blobs of green mass with absolutely no definition to be found. There's little-to-no grain to be seen throughout, though spots and other debris do pop up from time to time over the image, and not just over the most extreme effects shots such as Xur's holographic appearance at Star League command. Detail appears appreciably higher in space than it does on Earth; the lines, ridges, and other features that make up the many alien faces, for instance, look fairly good, as do the varied alien uniforms that feature a high level of texture. It's a mixed bag to be sure, but The Last Starfighter never takes on a true film-like appearance, instead looking overly manipulated and artificial. Black levels are inconsistent at best, but flesh tones appear rather stable. In a way, the lack of absolute definition reflects the minimal graphical nature of the video game and, later in the film, the special effects, but it's still a rather disappointing visual experience.

Though I suppose if it's all you have, then you don't have a lot of choice.

Posted: **Sun Apr 21, 2024 7:33 pm**

I can wait it out and bide my time.

Posted: **Sun Apr 21, 2024 8:08 pm**

i actually possess a Blu-Ray copy of this you can have. (i got it from a Little Free Library, was going to donate it back when i was done with it... whenever that would be)

Posted: **Sun Apr 21, 2024 11:17 pm**

A lack of film grain is considered a negative?

Posted: **Mon Apr 22, 2024 4:41 pm**

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 11:17 pm A lack of film grain is considered a negative?

i think it is! it's THE reason i got into LaserDiscs - the film grain is preserved. (VHS tapes degrade and are generally just crap all around, and DVDs looked 'too cleaned up' for older films... i wasn't a fan)

Posted: **Mon Apr 22, 2024 5:22 pm**

Ive wanted laser disc since I was a kid and play Dragon's Lair. I find the size and the colors to them fascinating. And the artwork on the covers are amazing and to me why I find them very collectable. I think also they aren't that expensive to collect these days. I would just want a working player before bothering because why collect if you cant also watch. Just dust catchers at that point.

Its why I only have 2 records now. An ABBA and a Cars vinyl. I got them cause they were stupid cheap at a Goodwill and couldn't pass them up but I dont want to play them on my 1977 stereo that packed away. I want to get a new nice turntable yet cheap...and they dont come nice and cheap now days like they did at the end of their original tech time. I like the idea of a laser reading the record so as not to further scratch or damage them but not sure how that would sound. I also LOVE that upside down player I posted about. But on both fronts those things are WAY too expensive. I wouldn't pay $2000 for a record player even if I could afford that.

Posted: **Mon Apr 22, 2024 5:26 pm**

Posted: **Mon Apr 22, 2024 6:33 pm**

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 5:22 pm Ive wanted laser disc since I was a kid and play Dragon's Lair. I find the size and the colors to them fascinating. And the artwork on the covers are amazing and to me why I find them very collectable. I think also they aren't that expensive to collect these days. I would just want a working player before bothering because why collect if you cant also watch. Just dust catchers at that point.

the big problem is the reliability of the LD players - i have two broken ones right now, and there is pretty much no place to get them repaired. if some kickstarter thing came up with brand new LD players with modern internals, i would buy one.

Its why I only have 2 records now. An ABBA and a Cars vinyl. I got them cause they were stupid cheap at a Goodwill and couldn't pass them up but I dont want to play them on my 1977 stereo that packed away. I want to get a new nice turntable yet cheap...and they dont come nice and cheap now days like they did at the end of their original tech time.

almost certainly your 1977 stereo turntable would be much higher quality than a <$100 modern turntable - and likely the radio tuner is also decent quality. pull it out of storage and see if it's all still working. if it needs a new needle, those are extremely cheap. (might also need a new belt at this point, but those are also very inexpensive)

I like the idea of a laser reading the record so as not to further scratch or damage them but not sure how that would sound. I also LOVE that upside down player I posted about. But on both fronts those things are WAY too expensive. I wouldn't pay $2000 for a record player even if I could afford that.

i can _guarantee_ any wear on those records with a properly balanced tonearm and maybe a new needle - yes, with that old turntable - is going to be practically negligible within the rest of your lifetime. that is really not something to worry about... (and especially not with $0.25 thrift-store vinyl)

you've got the equipment already; make use of it while you can.

Posted: **Mon Apr 22, 2024 7:33 pm**

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 4:41 pm
Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 11:17 pm A lack of film grain is considered a negative?
i think it is! it's THE reason i got into LaserDiscs - the film grain is preserved. (VHS tapes degrade and are generally just crap all around, and DVDs looked 'too cleaned up' for older films... i wasn't a fan)

Film grain is a weakness of physical film. What's the appeal of maintaining what is, essentially, a flaw?

Posted: **Mon Apr 22, 2024 7:42 pm**

The digging the digging..Ill see about it. I was so proud of that system when my dad gave it to me on my 8th birthday, I got pics in my album of it.

Its a Lloyds I think. Turntable, stereo, 8 track player. Has or had..may still have it when I look..a plastic square dome that covers the record player part.

Posted: **Tue Apr 23, 2024 3:53 pm**

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 7:33 pm
hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 4:41 pm
Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 11:17 pm A lack of film grain is considered a negative?
i think it is! it's THE reason i got into LaserDiscs - the film grain is preserved. (VHS tapes degrade and are generally just crap all around, and DVDs looked 'too cleaned up' for older films... i wasn't a fan)
Film grain is a weakness of physical film. What's the appeal of maintaining what is, essentially, a flaw?

ask the people who are really into vinyl records, lol*

personally, i like maintaining the original appearance characteristic of films of the time they were released.

* i'm absolutely not on board with the whole 'vinyl sounds better than CD' trope, but i honestly can understand this preference for albums released in the pre-CD era, for the reason i mentioned above.

Posted: **Tue Apr 23, 2024 3:56 pm**

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 7:42 pm The digging the digging..Ill see about it. I was so proud of that system when my dad gave it to me on my 8th birthday, I got pics in my album of it.

Its a Lloyds I think. Turntable, stereo, 8 track player. Has or had..may still have it when I look..a plastic square dome that covers the record player part.

it'll be worth it. bonus is, if the 8 track player also still works, you can pick up 8 track cassettes from thrift stores for really cheap. those haven't really come back. (They Might Be Giants released a limited 8 track cassette version of their last album, and they had many problems getting manufacturing of these things up to par - but i did buy one, ha.)

does it look like this:

Posted: **Tue Apr 23, 2024 7:03 pm**

Posted: **Fri Apr 26, 2024 3:06 am**

since i'm mailing this disc out to Daehawk tomorrow, i watched it for the very first time ever. (i do remember reading about it in ENTER magazine when it was released: https://archive.org/details/EnterMagazi ... 201984%29/ )

i totally remember now someone at school telling me about the scene where the little brother oversaw the main characters making out and commenting "DIARRHEA!". there was more death in that than i would have expected from a PG movie of the time... the soundtrack was amusing, with the apparent directive given 'make it like John Williams BUT NOT TOO MUCH SO'... anyways, was more entertaining than i would have expected. i maybe would have even watched the multiple documentaries on the disc, but i haven't time for that now

Posted: **Fri Apr 26, 2024 11:50 pm**

Heres a couple of treats.

Posted: **Sat Apr 27, 2024 3:24 am**

I love that movie.
VERY surprised they never made an arcade game to go with it or even a pc game.

Posted: **Sat Apr 27, 2024 11:59 am**

http://www.roguesynapse.com/games/last_starfighter.php

Posted: **Sat Apr 27, 2024 4:50 pm**

Punisher wrote: ↑Sat Apr 27, 2024 3:24 am I love that movie.
VERY surprised they never made an arcade game to go with it or even a pc game.

For some reason Atari had it planned and even announced it but never did it. Would have been Tron like awesome.

Posted: **Sat May 04, 2024 11:27 pm**

Ive started watching the blu-ray 25th ann edition of The Last Starfighter tonight. Im to where Alex goes to Rylos. To my eyes it looks crisp and clear and the sound and music are great. It really looks like a recent made movie to my eyes except of course the dated effects. I wanted to compare it to the original but I really cant remember how good it looked. Im guessing this good.

Posted: **Sun May 05, 2024 12:50 am**

Ok done. Still one of my favorite movies ever. Still gives me those warm and fuzzies of the old days. Makes me want to go back in time and see it new in theaters because I dont have a memory of seeing it in theaters only on rental.

I still laugh at the command ship at the end. That thing isn't much larger than a Gunstar yet when it crashes into the moon its as big as the moon. I cant believe they left it that way and released it on purpose.

Always had a crush on Catherine Mary Stewart and she was so beautiful in this movie and a couple others like Night of the Comet. Heck she still is. She is 10 years older than me. Age is nothing .

Heres a pic of Lance Guest who was Alex and Catherine Mary Stewart who was Maggie wit ha fan 2 years ago at the 2022 Houston Arcade Expo

If anyone is interested I have the filming site of the trailer park and store marked in Google Earth. I find and mark a lot of old movie and tv show sites like this or Ba Ba Blacksheep. The trailer park area is private property and gated off now but the store is still there. Too bad the Starlight Starbright sign is gone.

Posted: **Sun May 05, 2024 6:15 pm**

Whoever came up with the Death Bloom weapon is an idiot. Why make the ENTIRE ship rotate like that? Jesus, I'm surprised that their fleet isn't constantly in for cleanings due to the amount of vomit in them after a battle.

Posted: **Sun May 05, 2024 8:12 pm**

It was a prototype ship so no others had it. I did always wonder why his seat had to spin too. Id think it would stay in place while the ship spun.

Posted: **Sun May 05, 2024 11:09 pm**

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun May 05, 2024 8:12 pm It was a prototype ship so no others had it. I did always wonder why his seat had to spin too. Id think it would stay in place while the ship spun.

I thought it spin at a much slower rate to help with vomiting?
Or it was designed to be puloted by aliens who don't get motion sick maybe?

Posted: **Sun May 05, 2024 11:41 pm**

They couldn't have just invented a few rotating turrets to mount on it?

Posted: **Sun May 05, 2024 11:44 pm**

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun May 05, 2024 11:41 pm They couldn't have just invented a few rotating turrets to mount on it?

I thought it had to fire that way to give it a random undetectable foring pattern?
Or maybe it was the rule of cool?

Posted: **Sun May 05, 2024 11:51 pm**

It was the rule of cool. Practically nothing about the death blossom made sense, but it wasn't the kind of movie that tried to make sense (or that needed to.)

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 12:30 am**

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun May 05, 2024 11:51 pm It was the rule of cool. Practically nothing about the death blossom made sense, but it wasn't the kind of movie that tried to make sense (or that needed to.)

Not sure what you mean.
Aliens setting up video games to test humans and see if they have what it takes to save the universe not only makes perfect sense but I'm positive it's based on reality. Now if I can just find the right game...

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 3:41 am**

I'm sry HBA... I don't think I replied to you asking about the stereo. Yes it's almost exactly that. Mine has a different power button.

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 7:35 am**

Punisher wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2024 12:30 am
Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun May 05, 2024 11:51 pm It was the rule of cool. Practically nothing about the death blossom made sense, but it wasn't the kind of movie that tried to make sense (or that needed to.)
Not sure what you mean.
Aliens setting up video games to test humans and see if they have what it takes to save the universe not only makes perfect sense but I'm positive it's based on reality. Now if I can just find the right game...

Donkey Kong

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 1:38 pm**

hepcat wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2024 7:35 am
Punisher wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2024 12:30 am
Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun May 05, 2024 11:51 pm It was the rule of cool. Practically nothing about the death blossom made sense, but it wasn't the kind of movie that tried to make sense (or that needed to.)
Not sure what you mean.
Aliens setting up video games to test humans and see if they have what it takes to save the universe not only makes perfect sense but I'm positive it's based on reality. Now if I can just find the right game...
Donkey Kong

Wait... was Donkey Kong setup by aliens enslaved by a giant ape in a scaffolding factory so they can see if we can defeat theirc ape and free the planet?

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 1:40 pm**

On the planet Nintendocon IV, yes.

Now get in there and save their princess, cadet!

p.s. Burger Time was created by their enemies, however.

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 1:46 pm**

What about Ghosts 'n Goblins?

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 1:47 pm**

Surprisingly, I don't remember that one.

My big ones were Asteroids, Galaga, Joust, Defender and Battlezone.

If you'd shown me what today's console games would look like back in the 80s, I would have keeled over, clutching my chest like Fred Sanford the entire way.

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 1:50 pm**

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 1:53 pm**

Ugh, when I played video games back then, I was looking for an escape. Not a recreation of my daily life.

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 2:05 pm**

I lived in arcades as a kid and could beat anyone or play anything. But that game was too tough for me for some reason. I was awful at it. I hear the console port was just as hard.

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 2:16 pm**

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2024 2:05 pm I lived in arcades as a kid and could beat anyone or play anything. But that game was too tough for me for some reason. I was awful at it. I hear the console port was just as hard.

I couldn't beat many people at the arcade but then i got smart and brought a bat...

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 2:17 pm**

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2024 1:46 pm What about Ghosts 'n Goblins?

Thats obviously recreating a fantasy world for you to get brought into to defeat their surplus of ghosts and goblins.

Posted: **Mon May 06, 2024 3:06 pm**

I look back on those days and realize I was getting excited for what was essentially stick figures with a low frame rate.

Octopus Overlords

The Last Starfighter 4K UHD or Blu-Ray

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