Hi-Fi Stereo FusIIDx-His ) DATEC+) VIDEO CAMERA RECORDER aed H8&0O BATT REMOTE PHONES Fujix H80 Hi-8 Camcorder There is nothing better at preserving a Hi-8 MP videotape, shoot, and you'll video image than the Fujix , Hi-8 Camcordferrom Fuji. | : get the kind of resolution and clarity that The Fujix H80 features can enhance your own creativity in shooting our exclusive Multi-Action Hand- and editing. DFUJI grip, Stereo HiFi sound, TTL auto-focus- Hi8 MP-Of course, when ing& sSyystem with macro, P plus many Ly other state-of-the- your tapes look this art features. Load it with Fuji’s new double-coated 8mm 8ood, ryyou want to make © 1992 Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. sure they’re seen by the DOUBLE coarme P6120 Fit | .
mage worth preserving isalso worth projecting. VOL.) MIN, — = ama MlMAX ON < [POWER] PUSH-OFF Fujix P-40U Handy Projector widest possible audience. To that end, Fuji offers you In short, Fuji provides the revolutionary Fujix P-40U Handy Projector. all the ingredients neces- sary to enhance the enjoy- The Fujix P-40U weighs less than a pound, but it ment of your video expe- projécts like a heavyweigh—tup to a 40-inch diagonal rience. See it for yourself. To locate your local Fujix retailer, call 1-800-424-FUJI, image to be exact. And since itworks with your television, bikeal9tA VCR, camcorder or videodisc player, you can entertain Fi) FUJI. Anewwayof seeing things.” a large crowd with anything from your own creations, to big sports events, to your favorite movie classics. Circle 1 on Reader Service Card.
FEATURES SHOWDOWN 26 TAPES & DISCS Five 35-inch monitors square off in a battle of sight and sound. By Brent Butterworth 29 30 ART OF THE WIN 32 Want to ace our video contest? Prize-winners share their secrets. By Brent Butterworth 34 HIGH-TECH HOOTENANNY 41 Can karaoke conquer America? We party test the newest laser players. By Stewart Wolpin HANDS-ON TEST: LIGHTS! ACTION! CAMERAMAN! An innovative new camcorder accessory makes every shooter a star. By Stewart Wolpin VIDEO NOUVEAU Mixing tape and technology, video installations are finding new fans among video buffs and museums. By Steve Ditlea INSTALLATION OF THE MONTH: GREAT ESCAPE A stylish media den makes the most of an offbeat element—a private elevator. By Stan Pinkwas REVIEWS 42 101 Dalmatians, Dead Again, Rambling Rose, The Music Man on disc, more EDITOR’S CHOICE / The Commitments. By Kenneth Korman 43 48 DIRECTORY / The latest releases on tape and disc MITSUBISHI HS-CX7U S-VHS-C CAMCORDER, 12 ProScan PSLD41 combi player, Yashica KD-M770 8mm camcorder, Zenith ZB2751 27-inch TV with sound by Bose. By Berger-Braithwaite Labs DEPARTMENTS Cover: CHANNEL ONE / An outcry over cable 6 Toshiba's CF3566A, the FEEDBACK / Letters from readers 7 top tube in our 35-inch GAZETTE / Actor/director Kenneth Branagh, writer/director Gus Van Sant, more TV showdown. Q & A/ Technical queries answered 8 Photograph by Vittorio NEW PRODUCTS / More products and prototypes from CES COLLECTOR’S CLEARINGHOUSE / Traveling through Brooklyn and outer space 23 Sartor READER FORUM / Poor video, high fees fuel a fury over cable 24 Video Magazine 88 Volume XVI 92 Number 1 The VIDEO Magazine (ISSN 1044-7288) is published monthly by Reese Communications, Inc., 460 W. 34 St., New York, NY 10001. Second-class postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing ky Audit office. © 1992 Reese Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. © under Universal, International, and Pan American Copyright Conventions. Reproduction of editorial or pictorial content in any manner Bureau is prohibited. Single copy price $2.50; $2.95 in Canada; £2.50 in U.K. One-year subscription (12 issues) $15.; Canada, $22.47 (includes GST #R125938423) U.S.; foreign, air mail, $40 U.S. Canadian international publication permit #546488. Address subscription orders, change of address, correspondence and inquiries to: VIDEO, Box 56293, Boulder, CO 80322-6293, or call toll-free 800-365-1008. Change of address takes 60 days to process: send old address label, new address, and zip code. All material listed in this Magazine is subject to manufacturer's change without notice, and publisher assumes no responsibility for such change. Printed in the U.S.A. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VIDEO, Box 56293, Boulder, CO 80322-6293. For microform copies of issues or articles, write to: Serials Acquisition Dept., University Microfilms, Inc., 300 North Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106. 4 VIDEO APRIL 1992
SEE DETAILS BELOW. yee Here's a great way to build a collection of your BRUCE WILLIS favorite movies-on laserdiscs! Just write in the 9 numbers of the 3 laserdiscs you want for $1.00 each, plus shipping and handling. In @ exchange, you simply agree to buy two more laserdiscs in the next year, at regular Club | prices (currently as low as $29.95, plus | shipping and handling)—and you may cancel membership at any time after doing so. Free Magazine sent every four weeks i (up to 13 times a year), reviewing our Director's ' Selection-plus scores of alternate choices, including many lower-priced laserdiscs. And you may also receive Special Selection mailings up to four times a year. (That's up to 17 buying opportunities a year). Buy only what you want! If you want the Star Wars* Dances With Wolves*™ Returan sofethe Jedi* Director's Selection, do nothing—tt will be sent 8052002 Re ertices automatically. If you'd prefer an alternate 0564082 selection, or none at all, just mail the response BACK ~[_1**0|42090180029]2 |T€.E1R:RETSHTERIEAXLTRA- card always provided by the date specified. And [TWHOEMEEMAPLIORNEE STRIKES * 2114092 you'll always have 14 days to decide; if not, you TOTAL RECALL 2276032 BACK TO THE FUTURE 8811022 BACKTO THE FUTUREPARTIII_* 4970082 may return the selection at our expense. THE ABYSS 3649012 Money-Saving Bonus Plan. If you continue DIE HARD 3676072 PREDATOR 0012062 your membership after fulfilling your obligation, EXCALIBUR 6021022 BLAZING SADDLES 6003042 you'll be eligible for our generous bonus plan. THE BLUES BROTHERS. 2117062 THE EXORCIST THE DEER HUNTER * |2124072 |BULL DURHAM 2360002 It enables you to enjoy great savings on the BACKTO THE FUTUREPARTII_* |9213042 |BIRD ONA WIRE * |4973052 movies you want—for as long as you decide to THE MAN WHO TANGO & CASH * |6474042 |- remain a member! WOULD BE KING * 0858032 DANGEROUS LIAISONS * 6387002 10-Day Risk-Free Trial. We'll send details of DUNE 2111022 ROAD WARRIOR 6028052 the Club's operation with your introductory 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 0025012 THE LAND BEFORE TIME 5822052 package. If not satisfied, return everything HOW THE WEST WAS WON * 2669082 BUTCH CASSIDY & 0517062 within 10 days for a full refund and no further FIELD OF DREAMS 9203062 |THE SUNDANCE KID obligation. DIRTY DANCING 4955072 |MICHAEL JACKSON: 4686032 For fastest service, use your credit card THE BIBLE * |0747082 |MOONWALKER and our toll-free number. 2115082 |TQH&EABIRDS 1-800-538-2233\"31800277009722 6301032 THE GRIFTERS 3830002 ANNAITIMOANLALHOLUASMEPOON'S Call 24 hours a day: THE COLOR PURPLE ROMANCING THE STONE 0894092 PREDATOR 2 1043072 THE RIGHT STUFF 6043062 EDWARD SCISSORHANDS 1046042 r ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA SPARTACUS 6058082 LICENSE TO KILL * 8802032 ' Columbia House Laserdisc Club 11 Dept. ZZT P.O. Box 1112, 2108072 |BILLY JOEL: EYE OF THE STORM |9683052 LETHAL WEAPON 2 * |6427022 |GHOST * |8260082 | Terre Haute, Indiana 47811-1112'1 1 JAWS 1000082 |DIRTY HARRY 6017082 \\ Yes, please enroll me under the terms outlined in ROBOCOP 2 8040052 |SUPERMAN II Teots002 11 this advertisement. As a member, |need buy only 2 BLUE VELVET % |5150072 |HARRY CONNICK, JR.: more selections, at regular Club prices, within the coming year. PRESUMED INNOCENT + |9621002 |SINGIN’ & SWINGIN’ 9681072 11 Send me these 3 ROBOCOP 2350022 |IMTA'DS WAOMRALD,D MAD, MAD, 0580082 ' laserdiscs for THE DAY THE EARTH i1 $1.00 each STOOD STILL 0576042 |BACKDRAFT §590052 11i : plus $1 cle 8053092 GOODFELLAS 9698082 THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS 6528002 rel n$7.50)n DARKMAN 4981052 THE TERMINATOR * '1 Please Check How |. My check is enclosed LETHAL WEAPON 6308062 BEVERLY HILLS COP [2053022 | Paying: 6502002 |WAR OF THE WORLDS 2094032 FX * ! _)Charge my introductory laserdiscs 2QY/20Z KINDERGARTEN COP 5234072 |CHINATOWN |2025072 1 and future Club purchases to: |__VISA SUPERMAN: THEMOVIE |00130852 48 HRS. 1) MasterCard __ Diners Club __)AMEX |AROUND THE WORLD 2022002 IN 80 DAYS THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER * |8250002 1 RAIN MAN 6036052 |THE GODFATHER HARD TO KILL 2869062 |THE GODFATHER: PART II 0008022 |Acct. No, OUT OF AFRICA 9535052 |THE GODFATHER: PART Ill \\ [ANAMERICAN 2131082 |NORTH TO ALASKA 0018002 | Expiration Date WEREWOLF IN LONDON ' AMERICAN GRAFFITI AKIRA KUROSAWA'S DREAMS 8423022 7140062 |BUGS BUNNY CLASSICS * |7310002 | Signature CLEOPATRA 2113002 |THE TEN COMMANDMENTS * |9608072 * |0579012 |(1956) 2977052 2026062 ' | Name BEETLEJUICE ROBIN HOOD: ' 9768032 1Address THE AFRICAN QUEEN 0511022 PRINCE OF THIEVES * |9778012 1 BORN ON THE FOURTH DOC HOLLYWOOD OF JULY * |4891042 |THELMA&LOUISE * |7432032 1 Apt City % |2603072 |CINEMA PARADISO (SUBTITLED) |3815092 ! BEN HUR (1959) * |3609092 |BATMAN (1989) * |6425042 | State Zip. ALIENS * |0026002 |AN AMERICAN TAIL 2184042 \\ COLUMBIA HOUSE DOCTOR ZHIVAGO * |0043092 |FIDDLER ON THE ROOF * |0551032 ' Phone No. | ) LASERDISC CLUB PATTON SCARFACE (1983) 2168042 1 Note: Columbia House Laserdisc Club reserves the right to reject or 1400N. Fruitridge Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47811-1112 2941082 |ALIEN 0002082 1 cancel any membership. Offer limited to Poalinental Ua: {excluding THE WIZARD OF OZ 1 Alaska). ‘Applicable sales tax added to all orders. (ANNIV. ED.) © 1992, The Columbia House Company * Letterbox ' 41/892
| Er | CHANNEL ONE — MITSUBISHI HTS-100 Most consumers would love to add a home theater system to their home, but the idea of remodeling their viewing rooms just to accommodate the enter- tainment monolith is a frightening construction nightmare. Equally frightening is the confusion that results An outcry over cable from the many remotes and wires that link the various components. Fortunately, Mitsubishi has found a way to take the fear and complexities out of building a home theater with the It’s clear from your response to “The Trouble With Cable” (Jan. ’92) HTS-100 Instant Home Theater. that a significant number of Video Magazine readers are mad as hell The HTS-100 creates ahome theater about the shortcomings of their local cable suppliers and would like to find a way not to have to take it anymore. That’s why we’ve devoted for the whole family. Its operation is so simple that all members of the family our back page to a special “Reader Forum” where you can check out a can instantly take advantage of the sampling of the scores of letters we received from outraged readers fed home theater experience. up with the stonewalling and obfuscation they encounter when they seek satisfaction from local cable operators. The HTS-100 looks like an ordinary box — no blinking LEDs, superfluous Several things struck us about your letters, including their geo- buttons or extraneous knobs. The look graphic diversity (missives arrived from more than two dozen states), of it is actually but most of all the articulate, reasoned, detailed nature of the com- unimportant plaints, and the virtually unanimous perception that local cable because it fits operators are just not responsive to their customers. in back of the There’s a good deal of evidence that Video Magazine readers aren't monitor, so no alhtDaohaluewronrandideSq;nieugofnairalnotictaetmhtl’yahlsti-csiaonsn7ndad3sims-su1ehspm8oaoetwortiJrisfsafmwnaeisucetwtarhhifrvoroyinaWc.mevCheoaTCtfdherwOeeoaminlhlietaonfvhdneaeglviMoritrlohnifecnsatoebufsolonoperfrpteeoasg-pr.rtrriteopugvewnAuisaigldstaae3 yiatrbnisdno,.etgumotowcnepahasbritlhtgreiehaBcaet:irrppedaradtitecsefe.isbr,syi‘tn- = one will even APurdoifoeVsisidoenoal ak l mLipsiaaks po Or eis Railcel aay « simple is actually an advanced audio- VtiiMlnnhiCaesgRtttaeshhOizneenneisarenebasyeineladeioirstcrfsyeottatnhhsdhteoeieeomnricrsrumeecesalleajaudtcnoteiftrdirvuameelnelgdttsyuih,ilfomtasfsphbteeeeoruirvetroicnntfcic.eafeteanoestrcdOuaerfrmbeeboesysocttfofwatouerhrfteershmeentea,ooSdrpepe-etrnrpohiasrfec,it-fecetreghutrhsehiiiti-epnskrleeaisitdslnmieoenpebwcgox-aa.rpqtmbtrueolaeanenlsitaist,htneoayddrssepbsbiipyyamcetnpcrVudioariasdedlei,elodny for-video device. It incorporates a four- pjeorxyopveVicthdtieedetonotehwefeeensebtltehsuctsaoinmatdfseotcrsbhtenasoabtrlleoepgrwyoitdlhulaaicntntdgsthsteaeornvsdsiuhcepeplplrliomegoorruntaemiyssh.adrocdiBa-nnuegtabriuintnyse.drdeaYtrodunuorelrnld,aermssetthsestyotaogeen- channel amplifier with 50 watts per is loud and clear—cable operators just aren’t doing the job. channel for the left, center and right Fortunately, there are signs of better—and channels, and 25 watts per channel for ahead. No matter what the legislative process more competitive — days the surround speakers. With the ampli- produces (the House may be deliberating the in the nation’s capital fier, theHTS-100can provide full Dolby the harsh spotlight cast on cable-related issues issues as you read this), Pro Logic Surround sound — instantly this election year from the moment it is activated by the wcgseoho'uovrrueealrgdnefmogreecnnoittem.rpaertteeigutlipaootnsiiotnif,vreomburteasuilvftasrtiheeftoyrupcosofhnohstuommeoerfsp.voildiWteieoc'arldeeleifnvfooetrrtysfosriyssittneocmrsee,na-sed television's remote control. Connection is as simple as the HTS- 100’s appearance. All that is required is acable that runs from the unit’s input to your TV’s output. There is no need to disturb any pre-existing connections between the television and your video- cassette recorder or laserdisc player. The HTS-100 is an elegant solution to do-it-yoursehlomfe theater that can be enjoyed minutes after it is removed from its packaging. C2RSCoieanrracvddl.iePcreARA is an association of James. M. Barry specialty audio and video Editor retailers. Tolocatea PARA dealer near you, call: (816) 444-3500 6 VIDEO APRIL 1992
VIDEO magazine President and Managing Director, Stereo controversy Jay Rosenfield Thank you for an excellent piece of re- This Is the End: Director Francis Coppola dictated Executive Vice President, porting and for alerting consumers to how the Apocalypse Now disc would close. Edward M. Milarsky the confusion which surrounds the la- beling of “stereo” TVs (“Audio Input,” The disc is excellent, although it raises Editor, James M. Barry Jan. '92). It’s unfortunate some compan- some questions. First, why wasn’t the ies have muddied the accepted meaning disc remastered from a 70mm film Managing Editor, Stan Pinkwas | of the word “stereo” to sell their prod- source? The film I saw in the theater was Technical Editor, Lancelot Braithwaite | ucts to unknowing consumers. While a 16mm anamorphic print mastered Senior Editors, Kenneth Korman, Philips and Sharp will incorporate dbx from the 70mm print, which gave it a Brent Butterworth stereo circuitry beginning some time in 2.66:1 aspect ratio, far wider than that of Assistant Editors, Brian Clark, | '92, we’re disappointed Thomson will the laserdisc. Second, I remember a dif- April P. Bernard ferent ending. As the closing credits un- Contributing Editors: Bob Angus, Mavis continue to advertise its sets as stereo folded in the theater, a night bombing Arthur, Bob Barlow, Frank Beacham, Ivan run brought a fiery end to the Kurtz en- Berger, James Caruso, Steve Daly, Steve | when many do not contain the proper campment. This ismissing from the disc. Ditlea, Bruce Eder, Ron Goldberg, Ty | decoding circuitry this label implies. Harrington, David Lachenbruch, Frank Keith Paynter Lovece, Gordon McComb, Marianne Thomson’s “XS Stereo Sound” does not Regina, Saskatchewan Meyer, Richard Warren, Stewart Wolpin, | properly track the dbx encoding algo- Roderick Woodcock | rithm as Thomson has claimed. Editor’s reply: A source close to the Apoca- lypse Now laserdisc project told us that the Art Director, Lonnie Heller Also, one correction to the caption 35mm interpositive from which the disc was Associate Art Director, Vera Naughton under the separation curves the story mastered yielded the best picture because Art Assistant, Luis Ramos Jr. displayed: The signals used were swept the film was originally shot in anamorphic Production Manager, James LoGrasso | tones. We did not use pink noise. 35mm. The 70mm versions were second- Production Assistant, Gaye Whyte generation release prints blown up from the Typesetting, Janet M. Holland Win Craft original 35mm. The film’s director ofphoto- Licensing Manager graphy, Vittorio Storaro, oversaw the new Vice President, Circulation dbx Technology Licensing video transfer and felt that the disc's ap- and Special Projects, Rena Adler proximately 2.1:1 ratio was the best way to Circulation Assistant, Elizabeth Moss ‘The dropout rate present the film. (It was shot at 2.35:1, not Newsstand Sales Director, Gerald Levine 2.66:1). As for the air-raid credit-scroll in- Marketing Director, Luanne Rao I must respond to Rod Woodcock’s cluded on some theatrical versions of the Financial Officer, Albert Mineo Technically Speaking column (“WHS vs. film, director Francis Ford Coppola report- Business Manager, Janette Evans | 8mm: Is smaller really better?” Nov. ’91). edly insisted that the new disc include the Assistant Business Manager, Two years ago I made the move to Hi8. I film's original ending. Lily Schwartzberg was impressed immediately by the quali- ty of the video and the high number of For the record Publisher, Eric C. Schwartz dropouts. I began running each new tape through my camcorder with the ex- Our February “Videotest” of Corporate Offices, Editorial & Sales: 460 | posure set at zero, producing a black pic- the Fisher FVH-8901 VHS West 34 Street, New York, NY 10001; ture that made dropouts very visible. In VCR mistakenly pictured a 212-947-6500, 212-947-6727 (fax) early tapes I counted more than 100 Panasonic remote. The Fisher dropouts per minute! There’s been a remote is shown at right. West Coast Sales Office: Linda DeRogatis, gradual improvement in the quality of Associate Publisher, 1453 Third Street, _metal-evaporated tape over the last two Suite 490, Santa Monica, CA 90401; _ years, but I believe the principal prob- 213-393-5057, 213-393-5538 (fax) lem is quality control. It’s time we held the manufacturer's feet firmly to the fire. Chicago Sales Office: Milton Gerber, Media Plus, 4409 RFD Stonehaven Drive, Long Richard S. Mavin Grove, IL 60047;708-913-5400, Salt Lake City, Utah 708-913-5403 (fax); 405 North Wabash, Chicago, IL 60611; 312-644-0001, Constructive criticism 312-644-0930 (fax) | I recently acquired the letterboxed, re- Video Magazine welcomes your comments. Detroit Sales Office: John Kennedy & | mastered edition of Apocalypse Now — Address correspondence to Feedback, Video Associates, 16899 Village Lane, Grosse | your ViVA Gold! award in the January Pointe, MI 48230; 313-886-4399, Magazine, 460 West 34 Street, New York, 313-354-1482 (fax) issue being the final appraisal I required. NY 10001. Editor-in-Chief, Art Levis (1936-1991) REESE COMMUNICATIONS @ INCORPORATED APRIL 1992 VIDEO 7
A man for can accent. “We spent a lot of time aeamNemfeenianrrnanatp working on that,” he says proudly, “lis- 'all seasons tening to dialog tapes and working with two great dialect coaches. I also spent You could call him a wunderkind or per- | time in malls and movie theaters in L.A. | haps an enfant terrible, but those terms to listen and also to watch how people are German and French and Kenneth | Welles,” but, he concedes, it’s a lot less || walk. It’s a physical thing as well, you Branagh is definitely Irish. Yet while still intimidating. “It certainly is scary if peo- | kn—opewople in America are a little in his mere twenties, he adapted, di- | ple are going to compare [my] quality of looser than us cold Northern European rected and starred in a monumental _ work [to Welles’]. Still, it’s wonderful types!” to be put in the realm of people crazy filming of Shakespeare’s Henry V, earn- enough to try something daring.” He must have been thinking of Rob- ing Oscar nominations as both actor and in Williams, a supporting actor in the director. At the same time, he co-found- That would describe Dead Again. ed one of England’s most renowned clas- Branagh plays both a California private film, who took only a modest credit in investigator and, in flashback, a 1940s the end-scroll. “I’d met Robin at the sical theater companies. Upon turning classical composer. The detective en- Academy Awards,” Branagh recalls, “so counters a beautiful woman (Branagh’s I was not a complete unknown to him, 30, he directed and played two leading teal-life wife, Emma Thompson) with no and his agents did listen when we spoke. roles in Dead Again (Paramount), an all- knowledge of her identity, and through Getting him was a surprise and a de- American detective movie and an all- light.” American hit. You have to call him the help of a hypnotist (Derek something. Jacobi), incredulously explores Likewise with Andy Garcia, a lead- ing man who also played a supporting “How about a lucky old sod!” Bra- her former life as a 1940s role. “Andy is absolutely his own man, nagh quips. That’s not quite the same as socialite. and he will do whatever interests him, the bandied-about ‘young Orson not go with conventional Hollywood It’s all preposterous, wisdom. He's very intelligent, and wants to do what he feels strongly about. And he was basically waiting for the right pic- ture-carrying role to come along and was very happy to do this in the mean- time.” —Frank Lovece but Branagh carries it Gus Van Sant’sthrough with a straight face and, just as amaz- ingly, a straight Ameri- private party Parallel Lives: Writer/director Gus Van Sant stresses Kenneth Branagh and that he and the cast and crew of My Emma Thompson Own Private Idaho (New Line) in no way | meant to denigrate the state known to (above) bring unique in- | most Americans only as a source of pre- tensity to Dead Again’s mium potatoes. black-and-white '40s “We revere it,” Van Sant insists. flashback scenes. “We put it on a pedestal and worship it. It’s a state which I used to go to to es- | cape. The word and the sound have dif- ferent meaning—sit represents the | | mental state of the character, but it’s also a real place.” Private Idaho, which Van Sant de- scribes as “a meditation on home and family,” is set in the director's adopted hometown of Portland, Oregon. River Phoenix stars as a homeless, narcoleptic | | Street prostitute. Keanu Reeves plays his best friend, a part-time hustler living the low life only until he inherits the family
fortune on his 21st birthday. If this sounds like grim material, it’s tempered by Van Sant’s fanciful, some- | times surrealistic touches and gentle | style. That same style made a surprise hit of his 1989 Drugstore Cowboy, a story of junkies who rob Northwestern phar- macies to support their habits. Despite that success, however, Van Sant chooses | to remain a Hollywood outsider: “I de- “set a film made,” is guardedly optimis- Hollywood’scided to just make movies that I want to tic about opportunities for African- see, projects I didn’t see anywhere else. Americans in the film industry. new colorsThat’s the great strength of working as a “Tt seems as if everyone in Holly- | low-budget filmmaker rather than play- wood is grabbing hold of a black project ing into the Hollywood system, which right now,” Glover told us recently. “It’s won’t make these movies because it The past few years have brought a re- become a fad—the black film is the car needs to make money.” naissance of young black filmmakers in phone of the ’90s. But what we have to | do is institutionalize that interest. And Many of the quirkier elements of | America, with movies like Charles Van Sant’s films result less from whimsy Burnett's To Sleep With Anger, John Sin- that’s going to happen through the kind | than from the filmmaker’s need to do gleton’s Boyz N the Hood and Mario Van of films we’re going to do: films like To Peebles’ New Jack City earning critical Sleep With Anger that not only deal with contemporary America, but with who | yr\" »> ¥} va alle an Li) gpidg raves and unprecedented box-office suc- we are as a people, and how we became | cess. But Danny Glover, star of the just- who we are.” . released Pure Luck (MCA/Universal) and —by his own admission—one of very few black actors who can actually Idaho Spuds: Gus Van Sant (right) counsels Keanu Walt’s World. In yet another marketing coup, Walt Reeves on their Own Private set in Portland, Oregon. Disney Home Video can now lay claim to the biggest- selling home videocassette and laserdisc of all time with more with less. He was also wary, given | the nature of his characters, of balancing Fantasia. Though it was only available to stores for 50 | realism against the potential for exploi- | tation. That’s why, for example, he shot days before going on indefinite “moratorium,” Fantasia | several sex scenes in Private Idaho as se- sold approximately 14.2 million copies on cassette and ries of tableaux. 225,000 on disc. Previous record-holders Batman and “Sex scenes make it hard for both E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial have each sold about 13 mil- lion. Disney’s Fantasia figures only reflect sales in North the audience and the filmmaker to keep Amer—iworcldwaide sales are estimated at 20 million. an objective focus on what’s going on. So this was a way to show that some- Two Steps Back. The bad news: No less thing happened without really showing it—like in old movies the lights would than 15 video rental outlets in Rhode Island re- dim and people would wake up smoking, and you'd get the idea. We could actu- ceived letters in mid-January from an organiza- ally show more without showing much. tion threatening to “light crosses and destroy | And it was a stylistic thing so it didn’t stores...if you do not cancel your orders for Jungle interrupt the story.” Fever.” The good news: Not a single store dropped or reduced its order for Spike Lee's \\Ove Suhr, Similarly, the narcolepsy of Phoe- nix’s character had multiple functions. film, which involves the prejudices stirred by an Alpi lee =e, | “It’s a metaphor for the profound effect | his emotional life has on his physical life, interracial romance. Local authorities are inves- Jungle Fever’s Spike Lee and also for his helplessness on the | tigating the threats. Longtime Companion. The updated edition of The Laser Video Disc street. Plus, it was a nice way to go from a complete guide to laserdisc software, has just hit the stands. one scene to the next, a time-travelling Companion, La- sort of gimmick.” Douglas Pratt, editor and publisher of the invaluable monthly Written by serdisc Newsletter, the Companion reviews the content and technical quality of 4,000 titles on disc. Introductory chapters sum up the history and more than of the format, but the appendi—cwehisch list every laserdisc re- technology leased between 1981 and 1990, including reissues —are a real boon for collec- tors. The $24.95 Companion is available in stores or by writing to New York Zoetrope, 838 Broadway, New York, NY 10003. Call 800-242-7546 for phone orders or information. Shipping costs an additional $5. APRIL 1992 VIDEO
Imagine the Ultimate Videomaking Machine You step out from behind your camcorder... yet it continues to operate exactly as you want it to... panning, tilting and zooming with astonishing accuracy to capture precisely the right events... recording sound with flawless clarity... while you step into the picture and enjoy the most exciting video you've ever created -- from in front of the camera! Cameraman WAND CameraMan is a Trademark of ParkerVision, patents pending.
Introducing CameraMan. The Biggest Breakthrough in Video Since the Camcorder. ntroducing CameraMan™ from ParkerVision, or access the Wand’s Command Center and iE biggest breakthrough in video since the control CameraMan from your easy chair. A convenient Location Pre-Set function lets you camcorder. program up to four locations for instant recall With CameraMan, you can create the most at the press of a button. exciting videos you’ve ever imagined. The Pass the Wand revolutionary CameraMan tracking system among guests follows the action with the precision of a professional camera operator, while you enjoy to make your all the fun of being in your own videos. next party For the first time, you'll be able to preserve special moments as they should be, with come alive. everyone included. And CameraMan works with Leave the virtually every camcorder on the market! kids alone A New World of Creativity with it for The exclusive CameraMan Wand™ creates an some heart- J i warming invisible link to the base unit, tracking the candid action with perfectly-timed camera moves, at moments. Take CameraMan along on special distances up to 80 feet. The Wand also occasions to preserve family memories with no incorporates a professional- one left out. CameraMan is equally essential for quality wireless microphone to dozens of professional uses, from wedding record sound at the source with videos to business brilliant clarity. presentations. CameraMan's fluid pans, tilts and zooms are smoother and Send For A Free Video swifter than any hand-held camera. Place it almost anywhere The only way to fully for creative new perspectives. appreciate everything that Create fully-automated videos, CameraMan can do is to see it for yourself. Our FREE Video will introduce you to the ultimate videomaking experience. To get yours, call 1-800-231-1759. For a Free Video and Brochure, Call 1-800-231-1759 Today! CameraMan PARKERVISION Because your memories deserve the best. Circle 3 on Reader Service Card.
VIDE TS_BERGER-BBRRAAIITTHHWWAAIITTEE LLAABBSS The HS-CX7U is one of two sub- VIDEOTEST compacts marking Mitsubishi’s re-en- 629 try into the U.S. camcorder mar- ket. The other, the HS-CX4J, is a basic VHS-C model. Both fea- ture Mitsubishi's new StableCam ‘rnage stabilizatiton SMI-TVSHUBSI-SCHI new StableCamCAMCOTAEY a MITSUBISHI N67 LA 4 system. It distinguishes between opera- Picture Perfect: Mitsubishi's HS-CX7U features a dual-axis image stabilizer that fixes shaky shots. tor shake and normal camera and sub- ject movement, and only corrects for extreme close-ups. shaking. Unlike Panasonic’s image stabi- lizer, which corrects only for up-and- Other desirable features include a Mitsubishi de- one-page titler in eight colors with re- down movement, this one also corrects verse, auto/sun/artificial light white bal- signed its HS- for side-to-side movement. A button on ance, an integral lens cap and a letter- “CX7U for the ca- the side activates the stabilizer. box mode that puts black bars on the sual shooter who top and bottom of the picture for the wants the convenience of a subcom- The new Mitsubishi subcompacts use the most advanced auto exposure look of a widescreen movie. It also has pact point-and-shoot with the quality system we've seen. It controls an amaz- synchro edit capability, so it can be set of S-VHS-C video and hi-fi audio. Its ing number of parameters: shutter up for one-touch editing with a synchro innovative features include a dual- speed, iris, white balance, autofocus sen- edit-equipped Mitsubishi VCR. axis image stabilizer and six program sitivity and focal center. A user can se- auto exposure modes. It produces an lect programs with settings optimized for outdoor ski/beach, sunset, fast sports with telephoto, party indoor/spotlight, golf with low blurring and portrait with Mitsubishi Minimum Illumination: shutter speed, fade, Locator/Index/Cue: _ eitaverage picture, very good hi-fi audio HS-CX7U S-VHS-C 9.4 lux for 50 IRE and fair linear audio. Ease of use is manual focus, date and | auto mark under certain good, but complicated by a menu sys- Camcorder Iris: auto with BLC and tem. Overall performance is good. If six event modes time circumstances you're looking for an S-VHS-C sub- Price: $1,299 compact, you should check out this Weight & Size (h/w/d): Auto Fade: Viewfinder Controls: Audio: linear mono, hi- $1,299 model. 1.4 Ibs. without battery to/from white focus, brightness fi AFM stereo and cassette; 4-3/8 x 4-1/8 x 8-1/8 inches Shutter Speeds (sec.): VCR Controls: play, Titles/Graphics: one- headphone jack, wire- Hz-20 kHz, +0.1/2.3 normal (1/60), 1/125, stop, pause, fast for- page digital superim- less remote control dB; linear (-3 dB)—100 Image Sensor: 1/250, 1/500, 1/1,000, ward/search, rewind/ poser in one of eight Hz-5 kHz SP, 100 Hz-4 1/3-inch CCD 1/2,000, 1/4,000 search colors with reverse, and RESULTS kHz EP date/time record Lens: {/1.8, 8x White Balance: auto, Microphone: stereo Horizontal Resolution: Hi-Fi Dynamic Range: (8-64mm) power zoom switchable to indoor or Special Features: im- S-VHS—380 lines; 77.8 dB outdoor Jacks: A/V out, S-video age stabilizer, six VHS—240 lines Filter Diameter: 49mm out, remote control program auto exposure Linear Audio S/N: with supplied attach- Viewfinder: electronic S/N Ratios (dB): un- 42.7 dB ment ring with diopter adjustment Tape Formats & modes, still frame, weighted luminance— and onscreen indicators Speeds: S-VHS-C, 43.7 SP, 36.5 EP; Audio Distortion: Minimum Focusing for counter memory, VHS-C; SP/EP counter memory, dual weighted luminance— hi-fi—0.4%; Distance: about 1/2 real-time counter, title flying erase heads, 48 SP, 43.6 EP; un- linear—0.9% inch color, battery remaining Video Heads: 4 wind filter, integral lens weighted video—39.5 indicator, record/digital cap, letterbox mode, SP, 37.7 EP; weighted RATINGS Autofocus: TTL, tracking, tape remain- Cue & Review Search: synchro edit video—45.7 SP, 44.2 switchable to ing, S-VHS, tape ox, SP; 7x, EP EP; chroma AM—40.3 Picture: average powered manual speed, operating mode, Absent Features: SP, 37.5 EP; chroma VPLMIEHODSORESTOIOTLGELRSOATPHS: battery/clock battery/ Fast Forward/Rewind PM—35.8 SP, 35.2 EP Audio: hi-fi—very good dew/tape alarm, event Time: 6-1/4 min./7-1/4 frame advance, slow linear—fair indicator, StableCam, Audio Frequency manual white balance, min. for TC-30 motion, speed play, au- Response: hi-fi—20 Ease of Use: good Remote Pause: dio dub, video dub, Overall: good through wired remote control or edit line of insert edit, auto rewind, A/V out cable standard jacks for au- dio/composite video Program Start output, A/V input, mic input, tracking control, 12 VIDEO APRIL 1992
It doesn’t have jacks for headphones Combi players With many inter- or an external microphone, both of esting features and which are necessities for serious shoot- come in three ba- a sleek appear- ing. This camcorder is really designed ance, ProScan’s for casual users who want better picture VIDEOTEST sic types: budget and sound quality than standard VHS-C PSLD41 succeeds as an upscale com- subcompacts offer. Advanced users 630 models with few bi player. It offers automatic side- should consider Mitsubishi’s HS-C35, a changing, but no digital effects, so it | larger S-VHS-C model with inter- PROSCAN features, models will not produce still frames or slow changeable front lenses. with automatic motion from most laserdiscs. Its CD combi mode turns off all video circuitry to The HS-CX7 is about the size of side-changing, reduce interference, Sony’s ubiquitous TR-series camcorders. PRC opens the tray only far Thanks to its menu system, it has few and top-of-the- enough to accept a exposed controls. While this minimizes CD, and speeds up op- control clutter, it often demands several line players with button pushes where, on many cam- eration. Picture, corders, one would suffice. Fortunately, side-changing and sound, ease of use and it does have buttons for important func- overall performance tions like backlight compensation. digital effects. Be- are all very good. It’s cause almost all an especially good Omebi pl. choice if you own oth- = er ProScan geat. The viewfinder folds over 180 de- buying one is simple —just decide which search produces a flipping picture in- grees for easier carrying and storage. Un- stead of the clear scan produced by re- der it sit play, stop and pause buttons. features you want. If you don’t need dig- cent players from Panasonic and Sony. The zoom rocker does triple-duty: It also ital effects, but enjoy the convenience of (Strangely enough, it did perform clear automatic side-changing, the ProScan scan when used with the remote from a makes menu selections and adjusts man- ual focus. The camcorder has an S-video PSLD41 is definitely worth a look. ProScan TV set.) output, a multipin audio/video output ProScan is the new, upscale brand Like most combi players, the and a jack for an optional wired remote control. It has no A/V input, so you from Thomson Consumer Electronics, PSLD41 offers many playback modes. makers of RCA and GE products. For The programmed play mode lets you se- can’t record from other sources. the most part, the PSLD41 does what lect up to 24 chapters or tracks to be The placement of playback controls other players in its price range do. It played in any order, and allows you to plays all sizes of laserdiscs and CDs, it insert a pause between tracks. The re- under the viewfinder proves a bit awk- automatically changes sides when the peat function may be combined with ward, especially because the HS-CX7 first side of a laserdisc is through playing programmed play or random play, and doesn’t include a remote control. The and it offers a wide range of programmed may be used for a single chapter/track, a optional, full-function wired remote play options, so you can rearrange tracks side or both sides of a laserdisc. The edit option fits an optimum number of tracks makes playback much easier. Since an on a CD. into an allotted time, which is handy for adapter for use in a VHS machine is It does offer a few unusual features, copying CDs to audio cassettes. The vi- supplied, playback on a VCR is encour- sual calender on the display indicates aged. If you intend to shoot in S-VHS- including video noise reduction, which the number of tracks available (up to 19) reduces sharpness but improves the pic- and the one being played, with separate C, you'll need an S-VHS deck, or one of ture on noisy discs. A peak audio level displays for side A and side B. the new VCRs with S-VHS Quasi Play- search button instantly locates the loud- back (SQPB), which play S-VHS tapes est section of a CD, so you set the re- The front panel and the remote con- cording level of an audio cassette deck. trol carry essentially the same set of con- at VHS quality. Ease of use is good. for dubbing without worrying about trols found on any combi player with oversaturating the tape. There’s also a side-changing, with the additions of but- The camcorder has no video or au- CD mode that produces a purer sound tons for CD mode, video noise reduction dio input, so we made measurements from CDs. and peak audio level search. It has no digital effects, so it pro- using tapes recorded on other machines. Because it has no RF output, you Picture quality is average for S-VHS— duces still frames, slow motion and can’t connect this player directly to a not outstanding, but serviceable. Unlike speed play only on CAV discs. CLV TV set that has no video/audio jacks. continued on page 15 most VHS-C camcorders, it has no tracking controls. Its hi-fi audio is very good. The linear audio is only fair, but that’s probably not too important. Be- 00 «C0 PLaren cause there’s no audio dub or video dub capability, there’s little reason to use the linear track audio. Overall, we rate the HS-CX7 good. Its picture quality is nothing special, but the highly useful stabilizer and program event modes take up the slack. a Disc Delight: ProScan’s PSLD41 offers side-changing, noise reduction and a special CD mode. APRIL 1992 VIDEO 13
VIDEOTESTS Kyocera has mar- keted camcorders under the brand | names Finemovie 4Reo SEARCH ep 8, Kyocera and YASHICA Yashica. To re- | F solve this confu- sion, it now plans ‘ t VED: 2 <n eee wrsc EI video equipment. KD-M770 8mm Its camcorders are | camcorder functionally iden- | tical to certain Great Eight: Yashica’s KD-M770 camcorder is packed with features, like a 10x zoom and infrared autofocus. | Sony models, but offer longer warran- | ties, with extra-cost extended warran- you videotape them. A digital superim- | compatible editing controllers available, | ties also available. The KD-M770 | poser captures titles and applies black | or to Sony VCRs with editing jacks. reviewed here is similar to Sony’s CCD- outlines to them, which makes them The KD-M770’s front end looks F501 8mm camcorder. much easier to read. It also scrolls titles Like almost all modern camcorders, up or down. An optional beep warns you | it has an auto lock mode that puts expo- each time the run/stop button is pushed, Why do large sure, shutter, focus, white balance and and a wireless remote lets you control it HIGHLIGHT Sinn earaeordecs backlight control in automatic mode. It | in camera or VCR mode. like Yashica’ sKD- also offers two programmed auto expo- The KD-M770 has enough jacks for | | (eetieestieettall (770 remain pop- sure (AE) modes for portraits and sports. the most advanced shooters, including ||ylar when much smaller ones are | Six manual shutter speeds are available | external microphone, mic power, video/ ||available? Because they’re comfort- up to 1/4,000 second and its manual stereo audio input and output, and an able to shoot with and easy to use. white balance offers hold, indoor and AC adapter which also has A/V output ||The $1,399 KD-M770’s noteworthy outdoor settings. jacks. This adapter makes connecting | features include a 10x zoom lens, ster- A large sports viewfinder hinges up jtuhset cKlDip-Mth7e7a0dapttoera oTnVto stethe vberayck eoafsyt—he | 9posusroeunmdodaensd fporrospgorratsmmaendd paourttoraitesx.- | for low-angle shooting, and an age/event identifier imprints years and months Tchaemrce’osr; daelrso aanLdANyCou’rj: eack,resaodyi‘ t to go. || uPsiectuirs everqyualgiolittoyyd, ii sbugtooadudiaondquaelaisety oifs from one of three dates you selec—ytou can be can add the kids’ ages automatically as connected to any of the 10 or so LANC- | only average to good. Its overall per- | i iy Lens: f/1.6, 10x with LED indicator for mic power, head- formance is good, but smaller and P | Yashica KD M770 (8.5-85mm) two-speed recording/battery/tape phones, LANC remote, and onscreen evel video, stereo audio and ahior feature-laden models are avail- Camcorder power zoom with macro | able in the same price range. Price: $1,399 for wind noise, back- DC out for RF unit Filter Diameter: 46mm light, white balance, Tape F aa Weigi ht & Size (h/w/d):|.| reverse, stop, direction’ |S/n Ratios (dB); un- 2.8 Ibs.: 5-1/2 x 4-3/8 x Mi. nimum piFloedcusing : mshoutntierelsfpoeceuds,, tfradaenrs,port |SePereecord, aSPILP play {2-3/4 inches Distance: 30 inches; Amogdea, WtoapeeAecounatehrs, ti- Video Head: s: 2 sflroawm,e 2fxorawnardd,repcoarudse,(2) ||wweeiigghhtteedd vviiddeeoo——4492..78,, almost to face of lens e in macro AudioA:ilhi-fi AFM stereo bal yee a 1m/2a-giench SCeCnDso,r: 270,000 Autofocus: aeinfrared gross pixels superimpose, zero Edit Search: 1x Titles/Graphics: one- in E Minimum Illumination: Audio Frequency Quuyocera measured—3.6 lux for memory, low battery, ; | Page digital superim- Response: 50 Hz-12.5 50 IRE lowino tape, dew, cau. | CUe & Review Search: poser in 8 colors with | tion, age, time/date and | 9X forward, 7x reverse scroll, mix and black kHz, +0.1/-3.6 dB, -5.6 clock battery Fast Forward/Rewind | border capability dB at 20 Hz, -7.8 dB at Iris: auto with pro- Viewfinder Controls: | Time: 6-1/4 min. for | Special Features: fly. |22 KHz grammed AE modes for diopter focus, P6-120 | ing erase head, still Hi-Fi Dynamic Range: portrait and sports | viewing angle Remote Pause: LANC _ frame, frame advance, | 65.3 dB Auto Fade: to black VCRJ ControlsS:oystop, ek Reitmaolatcee wCiolhn’tr4ol:HoldIR oplyay, insert ediet,eauto Audio Distortion: 0.3% Shutter Speeds (sec.): rewind/search, play, fas ites .ee ar rewind, counter memory |RATINGS normal, 1/100, 1/250, : 1/1,000, 1/2,000, forward/search, pause, p0 Picture: good 1/4,000 Absent Features: frame advance, slow and buttons for start/ White Balance: auto/ digital audio, manual iris |Audio: average/good and record stop, data screen, hold/indoor/outdoor : counter reset, zero RESULTS : memory, rewind/search, pa Arca Microphone: stereo play, fast forward/ Horizontal Resolution: yg | electret condenser Viewfinder: electronic Jacks: external mic, search, direction/frame 250 lines Overall: good 14 VIDEO APRIL 1992
zoom lever and manual focus ring in- Picture quality is good, aided by an low-quality luminance/chrominance stead of the internal focus mechanism separator. Compare the picture with an found on many new machines. But this impressive 3.6 lux low-light shooting ca- has advantages —the manual controls pability. Audio quality is only average to S-video cable and a standard cable, and allow quick, precise adjustment, and good, for an overall rating of good. = use the one that produces the better pic- very fast or slow zooming. The only dis- ture. Also, the digital audio output may advantage is that while most newer LASERDISE PLAYER give you better sound if you use a high- camcorders offer automatic macro focus, quality external digital-to-analog con- verter. the KD-M770’s macro must be activated manually. Another oldie-but-goodie is continued from page 13 Operational ease is very good —it the infrared autofocus, which doesn’t works like most other combi players, but work well through windows or screens, However, you can daisy-chain it with a it may take a little time to learn all of VCR, or use an RF modulator. For- the options because there are so many. or on slanted subjects, but is otherwise tunately, only today’s least expensive TV Picture and audio quality are also very very fast and stable. sets now lack video/audio jacks, and good. Like other combi players, its main you're unlikely to use one of those sets weakness is in chroma PM signal-to- For beginners with little knowledge | noise ratio. The CD mode does not pro- of photography, the program AE modes with a laserdisc player. should be a big help. The portrait mode Two of the PSLD41’s outputs may or duce measurably better CD perfor- throws the background out of focus, may not be useful for you. It has an | mance, but might show improvement if drawing attention to the subject. The S-video output, but on laserdisc players, connected to a top-notch audio system. sports mode uses the highest shutter this is only useful if your monitor has a Our overall rating is very good. a speed practical for the lighting condi- Prascan PSLD41 Counter Digits/ motion, speed play, 55.6, chroma AM— Laserdisc Player Memory: CAV frame— programmed play of up 47,6, chroma PM—40.8 tions, so you get little or no blurring in 5, CLV/CDV/CD time— to 24 chapter/tracks, slow motion and still frame playback program/auto edit chap- Audio Frequency 4 (mins:secs.), chapter/ ter/tracks to fit specified Response: digital—10 modes. track—2/visual index up time, numerous repeat Hz-20 kHz, +0.3/-0.1 The remote control is slightly longer functions (from point A, dB; analog—20 Hz-20 Price: $899 4 19, memory points A segment A-B, chapter/ kHz, +3.2/-1.9 dB than a pack of cigarettes. It controls all B track, side/both sides, major VCR functions, so you can con- program and random) Dynamic Range: trol playback from your easy chair. It Weight & Size (h/w/d): Program Start 99.2 dB (digital) also has a run/stop button and a zoom 18.4 Ibs.; 4-3/4 x 17 x Locator/index/Cue: Absent Features: rocker, so the operator can set the cam- 17-1/4 inches CAV—trame or chapter; remote port, digital ef- Audio S/N: corder on a tripod and get in the picture fects, clear scan, RF 73.6 dB (analog) while still controlling the camcorder. A Jacks: S-video, video CLV/CDV/CD—time or input and output lock switch deactivates the remote. (2), stereo audio (2), chapter/track; all—point Audio Distortion: optical digital audio, A, programmed chap- shies Se Large camcorders do have their ad- headphones ter/track, or random rizontal Resolution: adingailtoagl——00..000224%,% chapter track vantages, namely great balance and Disc Formats: LD—12- 410 lines agp plenty of room for dedicated controls & 8-inch, CAV and Audio: digital and FM Picture: very good large enough to see and use easily. Ex- CLV; CDV—5-inch; analog, both stereo or Picture S/N (dB): un- cept for a couple of titling options dis- CD—5- & 3-inch two independent tracks weighted luminance— Audio: very good played in the viewfinder, there’s no 51.2, weighted lumi- confusing menu system, and the auto Rapid Search: by time/ Special Features: au- nance—55.7, Ease of Use: lock switch makes it easy to use for be- tomatic side-changing, unweighted video— very good ginners. Ease of use is very good. frame, chapter/track, shuttle dial, video noise 49.6, weighted video— Overall: very good point A-B reduction, peak level search, still frame, Cue & Review Search: frame advance, slow 2x, 3x, 10x, 30x DESIGN & OUR ENGINEERS HAVE SUCCEEDED we proudly announce our Newest & Best: *ENGINEERING THE 50/60 HZ DIGITAL FRAME CONVERTER the only VCR/STANDARDS CONVERTER in the world that e plays PAL & SECAM on any NTSC TV e has no vertical hold problems e allows you to make copies of foreign tapes e comes with cable ready tuner & RF modulator TOLL FREE 1-800-749-8779 INSTANT REPLAY 2601 S. Bayshore Dr., Miami, FL 33133 Member of the ELECTRONIC INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION Circle 4 on Reader Service Card. APRIL 1992 VIDEO 15
VIDEOTESTS Although its teak Surround Savings: Zenith’s ZB2751 costs finish and console more than most 27-inch sets, but because it in- design give Ze- cludes a surround- nith’s ZB2751 a sound decoder and speakers, its price is traditional look, very reasonable. the set incorpo- rates an up-to- ZENITH date Bose sound system designed to fulfill the potential 27-inch of laserdisc and VHS hi-fi sound. The pedestal’s monitor/ glass doors con- : ceal a rear-firing recetver Bose Acoustimass woofer enclosure and space for videotapes and a VCR or laserdisc player. A midrange/tweeter speaker resides in each leg of the pedes- tal. The set has its own surround-sound decoder, which uses Bose VideoStage Logic, and a rear-speaker amplifier. Ze- nith supplies two surround speakers with cables, so setting up a full surround sys- tem takes only minutes. The set employs many advanced video features, including light sentry, picture-in-picture, which shows a pic- | which compensates for changing ambi- ture from the TV tuner and a picture For years, Zenith ent light; video sentry, which preserves from the video input. Cable input loop- and Bose have through allows you to use your remote been working to- your last custom picture settings; and a to select unscrambled cable TV pro- gether to get bet- macro system that memorizes a se- | quence of up to five commands and exe- grams. ter sound from TV sets. The fruits of cutes them with one touch. It also has The controls on the set are in a ver- their collaboration can be seen in the ZB2751, a 27-inch monitor/receiver Lenith 282751 Price: $1,395 Remote Control: IR loop-through of anten- that incorporates a Bose sound sys- TV With Sound tem and surround-sound decoder. Weight & Size (h/w/d): wireless with indicators na/decoder in, surround Zenith even supplies a pair of sur- By Bose 242 Ibs.; 39 x 31 x 22 for auxiliary, VCR and amp out inches TV, and buttons for External Speaker round speakers. The picture is very Screen Size: auxiliary, VCR, TV, on/ good, audio is good to very good, ease 27 inches diagonal Connectors: RCA-type of use is good and overall perfor- off, source, flashback, pin jack for surround mance is good to very good. At Speakers: one 6-inch channel up and down, only woofer, two 2-1/2-inch volume up and down, midrange/tweeters, two 4-1/2-inch surrounds in select up and down, Internal Audio $1,395, it’s costlier than most 27-inch individual cabinets adjust left and right, Amplifier Power: menu, 10-digit keypad, 29 W total sets, but because it saves you the cost Type of Tuning: enter, macro, PIP, frequency synthesis freeze, mute, search, Special Features: of an external surround-sound sys- swap, timer, quit, re- picture-in-picture, sleep tem, it’s a good deal. cord, stop, pause, timer, integral surround- index, rewind/search, sound decoder and cee play, fast forward/ amp, light sentry, video Method of Tuning: search and TV/VCR sentry eo—54.1, chroma AM— Total Harmonic programmable scan on | 62.4, chroma PM—62.2 Distortion: 0.6% set, scan plus direct Inputs: 1 S-video, 1 Absent Features: access on remote video, 1 stereo audio, 2 headphone jack Accuracy of Colors: RATINGS very good Broadcast Tuning Range: 2 to 13, Audio Frequency Picture: very good 14 to 69 RF RESULTS Response: at stereo Audio: good/very good Cable Tuning Range: audio outputs—20 122 channels Outputs: 1 loop- Horizontal Resolution: Hz-10 kHz, +0.7/-2.7 Ease of Use: good through video/stereo 550 lines dB audio, 1 stereo audio Picture S/N (dB): vid- Overall: (to external amp), 1 Audio S/N: 63.6 dB good/very good 16 VIDEO APRIL 1992
IT’S OUTRAGEOUS. THE MOST ACCURATE COLOR AND SHARPEST PICTURE OF ANY Oe =) C0) UNCE =)(Ces-=f)ot AV 4 NEXT,»YOU A¥DD THE STUNNING RESOLUTION AND CD SOUND OF |=)LO)\\)= ot ae Bea sa) 1 ~1 THEN, THE PIONEER A/V RECEIVER WITH DOLBY” PRO LOGIC SURROUND SOUND BRINGS IT ALL TOGETHER. ACTUALLY, GIVEN OUR EXPERTISE IN BOTH AUDIO AND VIDEO, TS NO SURPRISE WE BRING YOU THE. .BEST.{N HOME THEATER. Call 1-800-421-1606, ext. 429, for the dealer nearest you. *Actual on-screen image. tronics CUSAD Inc., 1.0ri;; Beach, CA. Omeleiiadee The Art of Entertainment VSX-9900S A/V Receiver. Pioneer SD-P5057Q 50\" Projection TV* and §-T500 Speakers. CLD-3090 CD/LaserDisc Player.
tical column along the right edge of the menu occupies most of the screen, but subjects an unnatural shading. The au- tomatic white balance in most cam- bezel. These control the usual functions, on this model, selections that involve corders usually corrects for this effect, but sometimes better results can be like volume and channel, and also ac- picture adjustments use superimposed achieved by putting an FD filter over the cess the menu system. lens. FD filters are available at good displays so you can see the effect of the camera and video stores. The remote control operates the TV adjustments. Ease of use is good. Allen D. Skocelas Manistee, Michigan set, aVCR and one other piece of equip- Picture quality is very good. Accu- ment. It comes programmed to operate racy of colors is very good, although Creativity with recent Zenith VCRs, and may be re- whites are slightly warm. Audio quality Canon’s Al Digital programmed to operate earlier Zenith is good to very good. The woofer deliv- The Canon Al Digital Hi8 camcorder has only fade to white—no fade to models and those from other manufac- ers discernible response down to 40 black. But you can create the same ef- fect using the overlap button. To fade in turers. The remote accesses all TV func- Hertz, which is impressive for a TV from black, put the lens cap on, hit the overlap button, record for as long as you tions, including PIP with freeze and sound system. The Bose VideoStage sys- want in black, and hit the run/stop but- ton. Now remove the cap, compose your swap options. tem logic decodes the surround informa- shot and start shooting. Your picture will fade in from the black you just recorded. Setup is very easy because you only tion and subtracts varying amounts of Reverse the steps for a fade to black. You can even fade to and from colors by need to make connections for power, signal from the front channels for a con- shooting colored paper instead of put- surround speakers, antenna/cable and a stant output power. Steering artifacts ting the lens cap on. video/audio source. But if you use more are low and can be recognized only if Glenn C. Faigen Silver Spring, Maryland than one video source, you'll have prob- your ear is very close to the surround lems. Although the set has inputs for speakers. Our overall rating is good to video and S-video, it has only one stereo very good. For those looking for sur- audio input. Hooking up a VCR and a round sound in a simple setup, the laserdisc player will require daisy-chain- | ZB2751 is an attractive option. rT] ing the two components, or using a switcher or audio/video receiver. There TECHTIPS is also a variable audio output, which is affected by the bass and treble controls. Many functions are activated through a system with five main menus: Fluorescent fix source, setup, features, audio and video. As with previous Zeniths, the main Fluorescent light tends to give video es Two ways to create professional quality videos without breaking the bank! AZDEN’S STATE-OF-THE-ART VE-100 AND VPC-10 TTUPARRPNOEFSTEHSIOSNSITEOONHAEXOLCUIRVTSIIDNEGOO,FS.© | | Winner of a Design & Engineering Award Our newest product, the VPC-10 at the Consumer Electronics Show, the is truly unique. Combining 3 basic video functions (1) a video enhancer VE-100 allows you to create up to 100 perfectly and signal processor to improve the picture quality and enhance colors, (2) a Special Effects Generator, to create numerous exciting wipes, such as Cut scenes. It’s compatible with all formats. venetian-blind, curtain, and mosaic. (3) a “paint box” for changing the Utilizing the infrared signal of the recording deck, colors on a segment of the picture. All of these functions can be combined and incorporating the “VITC” time code system, it in an infinite number of patterns, sizes, colors, and wipes. Additional Features: 1 Compatible with all systems 2 Record from either of 2 sources allows you to make seamless edits, with 3 frame Q1 split-screen for comparing and altering the incoming and outgoing video accuracy! You can combine several tapes, and signal QOCreate positive or negative images O 2 outputs for making 2 add audio from an external source. Easy to learn, and easy to use, you can be editing within an hour copies simultaneously 4 Color generator controlled by joystick for creating after connecting the equipment. There is nothing of comparable quality on the market even close to entire color spectrum Oi Fade between video picture and background color our Suggested Retail - $459.95. or effect 4 Manual editing can be accomplished by using the fade to black button. Suggested Retail - $459.95 A. ” DE. Pa ® D1i4s7trNibeuwtedHyidneCaPnarakdaRobayd,OPTFrEaXnklCinORSPqOuaRrAeT,IONNY 11010 (516) 328-7500 Send your $10.00 check for Azden's 9 minute video with step-by-step explanation of both units. Returnable for refund ifyou purchase either unit. 18 VIDEO APRIL 1992
a video magazine advertising supplement | VU) PIONGER’ T oe = ad Wy
me theater wh at exactly is a home theater? Some say it is a big picture. Others a cinema- like sound. The possibilities of what a home theater can be are as endless as our imagina- tions, but one thing is common to all variations — a home theater is the integration of high quality sound and video. And no single company has worked so hard to bring this latest phase in the evolution of audio/video to consumers as Pioneer. Build the Home Theater of Dreams finest h OW should you assemble your home theater? What components does it entail? These are the type of questions that often confound consumers, preventing them audio/video from taking the logical step toward experiencing the ultimate sights and sound that today’s technology can deliver. system and Pioneer Electronics has developed the necessary LaserDisc players, speaker systems, the audience audio/video receivers and projection TVs to create a home theater that fits your individ- will come. ual needs. Their extensive line of audio/video components allows simplified connec- tions, unified remote control operation, and electronic specifications that integrate for ioneer the maximum home entertainment experience. SX-9900S Audio/Video High quality integration of both audio and video begins with a combi-disc player like Receiver Pioneer’s CLD-M90, which combines an advanced LaserDisc player with a five-disc compact disc carousel for convenient audio playback. 2 Advertising Supplement cS) The CLD-M90 brings 425 lines of horizontal video resolution to the home theater along with a dazzling CD-sound, making it a key component in any viewing room. As a CD changer, the CLD-M90 has all the most sought-after features that are found in dedi- cated units. It can hold up to five CD’s, which can remain in the unit even while watch- ing a LaserDisc feature, and it also has an ADLC function that automatically adjusts the individual disc output levels, so you can dub your CDs to tape with perfect sound con- sistency. Features common to both audio or video uses of the unit include random accessing of any disc or track and on-screen dis- plays which inform you of the status of the discs at all times. The CLD-M90 is currently available at a suggested retail price of $700. A high-powered audio/video receiver is your next necessary com- ponent buy. For signal routing, system powering and operation con- venience, the a/v receiver serves as the centerpiece of every home theater design. One deluxe example is Pioneer’s VSX-99005 a/v receiver with built-in digital signal processing. The VSX-9900S (sug- gested retail of $1120) has a built-in amplifier that delivers 125 watts of power to the front channel and 40 watts to the center and rear channels. Moreover, the digital signal processor works either in con- junction with Dolby Pro Logic or custom surround fields which include concert hall, jazz club, disco, stadium and church sound settings. Other convenient features include a large fluorescent dot matrix display with five-channel level meters, a jog dial for precise sound adjustments and a video signal selector. Stereo sound of this caliber must be complemented by the finest big screen TV. For this, Pioneer recommends the SD-P5053 50-inch rear projection television. Like the VSX- 99005, the SD-P5053 also has specialized sound fields, including theater, music and sim- ulated stereo modes. It features advanced picture-in-picture, which not only places a smaller picture in the corner of the screen, but also divides the screen into four or nine
segments for multi-program viewing. As evidence of its advanced imaging prowess, the SD-P5053 offers an exceptionally wide horizontal viewing angle of 140 degrees, so that every viewer in the house can see the video picture without neck strain. The image produced is a bright 420 foot-lamberts and it is accurately adjusted for both brightness and contrast by a proprietary dynamic picture optimizer. The SD-P5053 has a suggested retail price of $3900. There are no real hard-set rules for building a home theater from scratch or for expanding your current audio system to accommodate the finest video signals. Just combine a high quality picture with high quality sound and you're there. And just remember one simple name — Pioneer. . One Singular Sensation combination 3.0 th Pi ee One. components in the home theater with their ability to offer the best in both sight and sound. However, Laser Karaoke combination players add a new dimension to the CLD-V820 Laser experience by offering you a chance to become the star in your own home theater Karaoke productions. Combi-Player With a Laser Karaoke combination player, like the CLD-V820 from Pioneer Laser : Entertainment, you no longer are confined to the events that are happening on- Pioneer screen and through the speakers — you can interact with the entertainment itself. Kara ok e Karaoke, which means “empty orchestra” in Japanese, lets you sing along with your favorite songs or your favorite music videos. These machines have been gaining in puts you on popularity in clubs all around the country and now are available to bring a new level of entertainment right into your living room. your home the ater The CLD-V820 is a prime example of why a Laser Karaoke combination player is the stage ideal component for today’s home theater. Not only does it play LaserDiscs with a full range of options that are found on high-end dedicated machines (i.e. flip side play), but it 8 also plays compact discs, in addition to giving you the ability to send your own vocals through the sound system. Advertising Supplement 3 Features of the CLD-V820 include an eleven-step digital key controller, which will adjust the music to match the singer’s voice; one-touch karaoke, which removes the lead vocals from most compact discs and music videos; and multiplex balance control, which adjusts or removes the lead vocal from any multiplex disc without disturbing the instru- mental track. On top of this assortment of capabilities, all Pioneer Laser Entertainment's Laser Karaoke players have been equipped with digital signal processing (DSP). DSP gives the CLD-V820 extensive control over the sounds that it produces, including three surround sound modes and four vocal effects. With DSP you can adjust your voice to a level that your friends will surely be able to tolerate — maybe even enjoy. The surround settings include: hall, which lengthens both the echo and reverberation; stage, which emphasizes direct sounds and suppresses reverberation; and arena, which lengthens echoes and shortens reverb sounds. The vocal settings enhance the sounds even further, and can be tailored according to your musical tastes. They include: pop, which emphasizes high frequencies and shortens the amount of echo; jazz, which emphasizes the low frequency and lengthens the amount of echo; ballad, which features short delay times and subdued echoes; and a chorus func- tion, which adds high vocal sounds of 1/8th and 1/4th pitch to your own, thus creating the effect of more than one person singing. The true beauty of this multi-function unit, however, is that you get a dual side LaserDisc player, a compact disc player and a full-featured Laser Karaoke machine all for around $1000. Karaoke software is priced reasonably with a suggested retail price of $20 per disc. The CLD-V820 can provide hours upon hours of entertainment and can turn virtually any viewing room into a home concert hall — and any singer into a star.
me theater LaserDiscs: The Ultimate A/V ethvheenuontrhievwahliegdh.esptictteucrhyeoauquudaolibiott/ayvi,niddeitgohietasmlyosssttoeumnednftalealrsntdasihontrhmeteantotrfictafhlreometfrfueyecotuhsromofheotmhteeheaLttaheserearteDexirps?ecrWifeinotcrhemo.autt, Pioneer LaserDiscs provide home theater owners with the programming for their home enjoyment, offering the latest ultimate catalog of movie releases and bmDdteiohofgevlioibtretayeol-prasevqlmauueuiraaslrlsaiieobcstulynetadorsttcoaillussatlnsosisduni,gncisdn,ntechaceoerhfnlficyehlecdirt6rgts,eh.5ne0’os0srLtaLispavnersireoodDrgreiDirosigacsimncrameplistrinotolmglveuu,sits.diieoccsnelvempbioordivsetsoiyiebplsrelhooodvwauecnrcadstsieowtsnihstehaatn—ednre-vlwneiierktw-eh The long list of Grammy-nominated musical artists whose work is currently available through Pioneer Artists LaserDisc is one indication of the variety and popularity of this digital audio/high resolution video format. In fact, videos by be purchaTLssioeevuvdeer,r””aolrMarirGecerhnaataveemadlimlyaKobnalmenevoinemd’xeisconlteua“espCsieov.neclseyOurtcthhooenraFsPoGirMornaaSedameorxmnoynpAahr’tolisnusemtsi”“naBLarlaniosdenesdrtDhiaAesvmca“biGliraitebpillsoeeyansefKoiWrnaognrLsdla:dsecWraoDTnrinolsoudctr O forma aCdhttooyonrnam’enaseam’ai“sftcWfhseoe“lraAtdcoeakforbomalueeescntopjiJHmrOocopYiy:cammeceBetanonftHddeuirnsiocdnLeceisalrv,lue”do.$e”n3g“0SWTwiiphineletersshaoeddniosrmOciP.u’hgsiiClniolacnilnpsovv,rii”’ddseeJooes“uaYdsneidasJrcoslnieovsfde’etlch“ioeBnviceHgerorrtitnshepAe,el”rafsfukWollahr,im”tfaninedacyeneldyistyHC—ohuaiscna-kdll Movie lovers must also own delivers the nator 2: Judgment Day (T2)” on Hollywood's biggest special effects extravaganza “Termi- LaserDisc. Aside from the unique experience of viewing . ttsouirurocenwhibfdaioelx-tmescsciehrntneiteochfnaeflewrvsiaedcreahs-iibsoeencvhsreiemneeodnfn-tttChheAeo-nVsAcrsefcnnoroeerlsemdna,tl.Sovoci(kheSwewaeaetrrtszthheeenarreemegvaigakeelwisrnoigntsreMoeqafaurte“celThd.2,t”AVonIadaDsEcwOhaeolislcMpeaegacsaioazftlihpneael.nia)mciattnueaddl impact of scan A edi- fea- audio and pgoconrrloaldTLmeucahmtcseioetsrnrie.gDoi,naTsrchee.rveejemyuBnsaepticrtnaaohsuvefseeemawsotsLheitaaxmtspaearmerdepDvslniasesniscmcvsoeevodfdiaoesthhonetoomhrtheeomdfmutieserhtsieetacrttitheoieprrmaartetsoreeigytcra-oaaluufmpteewrixwascomtinurctolthetthemhiedipnnkltgeeiet.ptmphiWolaniratgtyeshaowotauluhiitgaktnehstLvaatisthsdeoetereobDrLteieaaosspcoeeTwr,VDnp.iertsohdc-e V1 d eo as ‘ effectively as _ : LaserDisc. ®ee eee ee eee e ee e@ eee eee eee eee @e ee e ee eee eee ee ee e e &ee eeeeeG eeee = — $3900 value! Plus 200 VIDEO Magazine T-shirts (approximate retail value of T-shirts $5 each) Here's How To Enter: Define what the term less and enter. Send your definition on “home theater” means to you in 25 words or name and address, attach it to an original a separate sheet of paper, along with your copy of this entry form and send to: Pioneer Home Theater Contest, c/o VIDEO Magazine, New York, 10001 460 West 34th St., New York, erCpnleroeirinsgsztpieeobswsnlietslailrbteRolbueealeelnnsfltoo:eotrrwiefCldiaotte;hnedit,seabllscoltyosntttmaweaoxsirietnsl.mnieaosVrnndosdiiprdrrewieiczqlwteluhesidebrraeeremdeasieplttl.roheoecshLtiireigbedmnisitptaoebnendydsaijfobofruinidledirgaetevsyesitntrtoifrcforytfoetdmehalenidbgVwiyIiboinDlnlnEiaeetwOry.s,p.rCwMiohzaBneigtycaephzeseintrmtneuheorsonitulnasygnebdheotophlcPeedoin.moconpntelEtoeemertsrpteel,sdEoilydeeaeeacnnecttdrhssonreioonecffttsruVtarhInbnetDaesdEUaeOScd.wci,eMtopahnatigsgnaecrza1eni1a58dnteidovaarigyotrrsoyeledaoasenfnry.dntoodtAioiblvrfleiiigcsbpiairnotoaiinulzoinentsdoyf.owrPbiilAypollrnltiebhzeeeeernsteawriowilrraelusrltdbehesmee;idurf,saotrinfdmneombietetedhtderiraeandactsenefecideivrsesfai,dawomnaislnruiodboefsestl,dtiahttaeeuftrtfojeiltusaihdnaagtoneerassltcAoeapwrrsirnhliaalltgeeebq3neu0cwi,iifvenia1snn9alel9era.2n.r.teWsiNnnooo-ttf 4 Advertising Supplement
BY RODERICK WOODCOCK Sony editing cables, Canon pro camcorders and smart modulators [i]:Bave-a Sony SLV-ROS:-VHS VCR, | case. Are there any other differences be- way have also reported this problem on tween these two models? cassettes from the first deck, especially a CCD-V99 Hi8 camcorder and an Elliot Simpson prerecorded tapes encrypted with Mac- RM-E100 edit controller. Unfortunately, the cable that connects the controller to Van Nuys, California rovision. | the camcorder has a five-pin LANC AB Canon spokesman says the two The solution is to rewire. Use an | connector that won’t work with the models are functionally identical, APB switch that allows either your 8mm V99, which has the smaller submini or VHS deck to play directly into your | LANC plug. Is an adapter available, and although the LX-100 is sold by dealers TV set. Or use an audio/video switcher, | | where can I get it? for the professional market, and the LI is like Sony’s SV-B3, which offers several Bernie Applebaum | sold through consumer retailers. Pro inputs. To use an A/V switcher, your TV Castle Dale, Utah | users prefer the LX-100’s discreet black set must have A/V inputs. flNewer models of the RM-E100 have color, which is less obtrusive than the | cables that overcome this problem, white Ll, especially when videotaping [i]:recently read an article that re- surreptitiously. The LX-100 also has a | ferred to a smart RF modulator. but there is an adapter for older models. rubber seal around the cassette door to | What makes it different from others? Sony lists it as a part, not an accessory. protect the tape transport from dust and George Brown The order number is 1-574-228-11 (VK-810). It’s a six-inch adapter with a moisture, and a reinforced grip and New York, New York female five-pin socket on one end and a leather strap. Due to the more stringent male submini stereo plug on the other. quality control tests the LX-100 must [Joos RF modulators are supplied A Sony service center can order it for with some camcorders these days, you. It should cost less than $25. pass, and because pro gear is seldom dis- counted heavily, you'll likely find it sell- especially 8mm models which are often used as players. They combine an RF ing at a higher price. — Two-Way Street: Sony's LANC protocol uses two types of connectors, but both work the same way. According to Cinema Products Corp. (makers of Steadicam JR), one pin carries eight volts to power an editing controller such as Sony's RM-E100. Another passes information in both directions: counter data from the camcorder to the controller, and commands from the controller to the camcorder. [|]:the Sony CCD-TR81 Hi8 cam- [i]:play tapes made with my 8mm modulator with an automatic A/B | corder adaptable to the underwater camcorder through the audio/video switch, and are wired between the cam- | | | corder and VHF input on the TV (or | housing used for the CCD-TR4 and inputs of my Mitsubishi VHS VCR. This VCR). When power is applied to the CCD-TR7? If not, is another compact makes it easy to dub and edit their con- camcorder, the A/B switch automat- | housing available? tents, so that I can reuse the tapes. Nor- ically switches in the camcorder signal. Robert Howard | mal playback appears fine, but when I When camcorder power is cut, it re- activate the search mode, the picture stores the TV signal. This way, you don’t Hampton, Virginia gets very dark. Comments, please. [Js has a new housing available | Bart Flemming | get a screen full of snow if you forget to | | that works with both the TR81 and San Diego, California switch the input. a| fl| the CCD-TRSI. It’s called SPK-TRX []conveniens as your arrangement Video Magazine welcomes your questions. | Sports Pack. It resists rain, dust, splash- Please include a phone number, but not a ing and sand, but is not waterproof. may be for dubbing, it’s not the best return envelope as the volume of mail does for casual viewing. The 8mm signal is not permit replies. All letters may be edited I was all set to buy a Canon L1 Hi8 causing the video gain control circuit of for clarity and space. Address queries to Q | the VHS deck to cut the signal level, & A, Video Magazine, 460 West 34 Street, camcorder when I became aware of darkening the picture. Some readers New York, NY 10001. | a newer model called the LX-100, which with two VHS decks wired together this | appears identical except for its black APRIL 1992 VIDEO 23
BY STAN PINKWAS In the wake of CES, a surge of snazzy gear & promising prototypes. he Consumer Electronics Show in version of its LCD projector with extra Las Vegas, which closed as our reach in the zoom lens and 2.5 times as March issue went to press, left us many pixels as current models. Technics introduced a second-generation THX with more exciting products than system that the company says is de- tight deadlines permitted. Below are 10 signed for self-installation. And SkyPix new products and prototypes previewed announced it will launch its widely an- at the show. Notable also among the dis- ticipated, but delayed home satellite plays were several upgrades and varia- service in April. Its receiver and a three- tions on already familiar products. foot home dish will cost about $850. Sharp, for example, showed a new 4 PRINTS CHARMING INTERACTIVE PORTABLES Goldstar adds the GCP-B600 to the small, but Prototypes for a trio of small CD-Interactive players, all with bright LCD screens, provide a glimpse into growing cadre of video printers. Goldstar’s model, the near future of the newest video medium. Phi- available this summer for $999, includes S-video lips, which only recently fielded the first CD-I jacks and multiframe and multiprint features. player, showed a sleek portable (above), while San- yo displayed a pair of prototypes—one, with an optional mouse, for adults (below) and a bright red model (lef), with an electronic sketch pad, for kids. On the software side, Philips launched two dozen new titles, including CD-I versions of Battleship and Sargon Chess, adventure games called Dark Castle and Escape From CyberCity, and a guitar instruc- tional. Philips also said CD-I players will include extra functions for Photo CD users when Kodak re- leases its new format later this year. “KEYBOARD VIDEO PC Vision, an add-on Yowtons ” board by 50/50 Micro Electronics for IBM- a) style personal comput- ers, allows a user to instantly turn a comput- er screen into a TV ie nro screen and use the 4, keyboard to control acl osses \"s TV settings. Look for it this summer at a Suggested price of $395. 24 VIDEO APRIL 1992
Vv SCREEN GENIE Private Listening The Fox 800 multi- system remote control, New INFRASOUND for $99, uses a large IR500 Cordless Headset lets you touch-sensitive panel to listen privately to TV, as loud control functions other- as you like, without distur- wise requiring up to bing others. eight conventional re- AC-powered trans- motes. It comes mitter connects programmed with infra- red codes for virtually all available compo- nents. easily to any brand of TV, VCR, or TV video game. IRSOO Lightweight, battery-powered headset provides maximum listening comfort. Built in volume control lets you adjust volume from headset without getting up. Addi- tional headsets may be purchased separately. UL Listed. Limited one year warranty. | A SHAPE OF SCREENS TO COME ARKON RESOURCES, INC. RCA’s first widescreen TV set, with a 34-inch diagonal, will be introduced 11627 Clark St. ¢ Suite 101 later in the year, along with a second model bearing the company’s Pro- Scan brand. The sets’ 16:9 aspect ratio will let them play letterboxed tapes Arcadia ¢ CA ¢ 91006 e USA and discs without displaying any black bands. For purposes of comparison, Tel: (818) 358-1133 * Fax: 818-3036157 RCA showed a 16:9 tube in this featureless, mock-up cabinet next to a CSRC5oaeienradcvdl.ieecre conventional 4:3 set. IMPROVE YOUR IMAGES DIAL P FOR PROGRAM < DRUM ROLL | Optonica’s VC-G975U Kenko introduces the Panasonic’s PV-S4280 VHS VCR includes cen- | NEW KC-SET for com- S-VHS VCR includes a ter tape loading, an pact video cameras. This range of editing fea- elaborate onscreen in- two lens set has a .5X tures as well as two ~ wide-angle and a 1.5X jog/shuttle dials and struction manual and a telephoto lens to cap- two remote controls—a ture all the action conventional one and unique new tweak—a . indoors and outdoors. | the company’s Program titanium-coated head Comes complete with Director, which sets the drum, which the com- storage bags and lens | timer through a series caps. of dials. > pany says enhances playback while reducing Our new video filters will protect and enhance the wear and tear. images you shoot. SETTINGS BY DESIGN With video lens supports, transfer units and assorted accessories, Kenko is the only name | Mitsubishi's HS-CX4 VHS-C camcorder is one of a you'll ever need. For the highest quality video lenses, filters and accessories straight trio of compact models marking the compa- from the Kenko factories, ask your local dealer | ny’s return to the U.S. camcorder market. to show you the Kenko product Emphasizing easy use, the CX4 features line or write to Kenko for a dealer six built-in settings for frequently en- near you. countered shooting activities, like | sunsets and sporting events. The | Auto Event Positions auto- matically optimize color, ~~ | exposure, focus and shutter speed as { AMirsupySHI KENKO AMERICA, INC. needed. The “Ski” 17801 Sky Park Circle setting, for example, adjusts the backlight Suite B & Irvine, CA 92714 compensation to ac- commodate subjects (714) 251-9646 se silhouetted against snowfields. > KLPRCAADHCP-ROAILRT,YAONS: CSRC5oaee1inrradvcd.ileecre
BY BRENT BUTTERWORTH ~ The cathode-ray tube — the device that gave birth to video—is still going strong as it nears its 90th T E S T S birthday. Upstart technologies like LCD have gone head-to-head with the venerable tube, and have been trounced every time. Meanwhile, tubes just keep getting better. The best examples of tube technology can be seen in the recent | crop of 35-inch sets packed with the lat- est picture-enhancing circuitry. These new tubes are the biggest consumers can buy, and are proving extremely popular, according to manu- facturers. But are they the best? Only a showdown of 35- inch TV sets could tell us for sure. We asked four leaders in 35-inch monitors —JVC, Mitsubishi, RCA and Toshiba—to send us their top sets. Then we put them through a grueling course: a series of test pat- terns plus a batch of laserdiscs hand- picked to stress the sets to the max. Our test panelists found big differences in | oneer LD-S2 laserdisc player with Mon- ing all the sets this way, panelists were |ster Cable S-video cables. We also | allowed to adjust them as they saw fit. performance, and came to some surpris- ing conclusions | connected a test signal generator for |Some panelists spent several hours ex- about the product category as a whole. technical analysis. perimenting with different picture set- Our panelists tings on a variety of software. Our showdown of the monster were managing edi- The panelists used the movies to monitors included tor Stan Pinkwas, judge subjective aspects of performance: JVC's. $:2:8'99 technical editor sharpness (or detail), contrast, shadow AV-3591S, Mit- Lancelot Braith- waite, senior editor detail, color accuracy and snowiness. subishi’s $2,899 Kenneth Korman, We used our standard test scale of one C823. 5:975 Re contributing editors to five, with one representing poor and Toshiba’s $2,699 Stewart Wolpin, five representing excellent, and allowed CF3566A and two Steve Daly and Ron panelists to give half-points. from Thomson: the Goldberg, and my- $2,349 RCA self. To evaluate picture quality from a technical standpoint, we used a test sig- F35100ST and the THE SETUP nal generator. The first test pattern was $2,499 ProScan We initially a red field, which revealed problems in Pio Jo O.. owe color constancy and color shift. Color compared the big constancy, technically expressed as low hooked them up to monitors using the chroma AM noise, is a set’s ability to produce consistent shades with no dim a JVC JS -X900 Tops for Tweaking: Thomson's ProScan PS35150 settings made at the or bright spots. Sets with low color shift, switcher and a Pi- offers a seven-band, onscreen graphic equalizer. factory. After view- or low chroma PM noise, produce cor- 26 VIDEO APRIL 1992
Screen Test: From left, panelists Brent Butterworth, Lan- celot Braithwaite and Steve Daly evaluate 35- inch TV sets from Mit- subishi, RCA, JVC, ProScan and Toshiba. realistic soundstage that ties audio cues to the video image correctly; and to pro- duce pleasing sound from music tracks. Five 35-inch SHOWDOWN SURVIVORS monster monitors Although even on first glance, the squaorffein a differences between the sets were large, battle of sight it took the panelists a long time to select their favorites. They felt that all the sets and sound. performed acceptably, but that all had significant faults. Four of the five sets rect tones—red fields don’t turn purple SMPTE color bars, the third pattern, were picked as the subjective favorite by showed each set’s propensity to produce at least one panelist. | or orange. The next pattern, dothatch, displays dot crawl on vertical edges and hanging And despite the efforts manufac- a grid of white lines on a black field, | dots on horizontals. turers have put into improving the with dots in the center of each square. | Last, the panelists gave each set a sound on big-screen sets, none of the subjective rating panelists considered these sets’ sound This allowed the systems adequate for demanding pro- based simply on gram material, such as movies and music panelists to detect video. “The sound lags far behind the how much they pictures,” one panelist commented. geometric distor- “The manufacturers should improve the tion, which is an liked the picture audio or de-emphasize it as a feature.” unnatural bowing of each set, re- In picture quality, Toshiba’s CF3566A emerged as the favorite. The or bending of the gardless of its panelists found that its cool, bluish pic- ture edged out the others in every sub- video image. It technical merits. jective category. They especially liked its dense blacks, accurate fleshtones and its also tests the focus We also tested performance on Arsenic & Old Lace (Voyager/Criterion), a black-and-white in the corners of audio, using music movie. The set also scored solid marks the screen (a tra- in the technical evaluation, especially and movie discs. on the red field. ditional problem We examined However, panelists found two faults for big-screen sets) in the Toshiba. First, its sound system and the alignment each set’s ability to averaged only 1.8 in our ratings, a last- reproduce dialog place finish. It produced a harsh sound on symphonic and rock music discs, and of the red, green both clearly and gave dialog a strained, unnatural tone. Its digital surround processing modes and blue compo- Convenient Connections: The jack panel on Mit- naturally; to pump (theater, hall, club and stadium) out powerful, couldn’t overcome the limitations of the nents of a picture, speakers. Second, its complicated, unin- which is called well-defined bass; tuitive menu system was the only one the panelists had trouble with. convergence. _ Subishi’s CS-3535R flips up for easy access. to create a broad, The ProScan PS35150 scored second FBPGOHRBOROTRUOEP:ST in the overall subjective picture rating. The panelists rated it lower than the APRIL 1992 VIDEO 27
SHOWAOWM ScHonAtRrPaNsEtSS 2v.e8 2.9 3e.e7 3.5 4oe3 SHADOW DETAIL Score “COLOR ACCURACY 2.6 3.3 3.8 3.8 4.0 SNOWINESS _—3.2 3.3 3.3 27 44 Card COLOR SHIFT 3.4 3.8 3.5 3.1 44 COLOR CONSTANCY 3.8 3.0 3.2 2.6 3.9 DISTORTION 4.1 3.3 3.3 2.8 4.4 CONVERGENCE 3.7 3.2 3.3 27 3.4 CORNER FOCUS 4.4 3.0 3.3 2.7 3.4 HANGING DOTS 44 4.0 3.0 3.4 3.2 DOT CRAWL 2.6 4.9 3.7 1.3 3.4 AVERAGE 2.7 4.9 3.6 1.3 3.6 SUBJECTIVE 3.4 36 | 3.4 2.8 3.8 IMPRESSION 28 30 | 33 2.6 44 u etc Surround Selections: Toshiba's CF3566A features ularly fond of the Mitsubishi’s soft, cool four digital surround processing (DSP) modes. picture, but none passionately disliked it. “It looks completely realistic on some Toshiba from a technical standpoint, but discs, pale and lifeless on others,” one observed. They found its switchable vid- some found its warm color more pleasing eo noise reduction a bit too effective: It eliminated noise, but cut sharpness sig- than that of the Toshiba. “The ProScan nificantly. “It might be ideal for those with bad cable service,” one panelist doesn’t work so well on colorful movies commented. It was the only set that pro- duced significant levels of flagging (im- like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Fac- age bending at the top of the screen) on a videotape encoded with Macrovision. tory [Warner],” one said, “but overall, The panelists faulted its speakers for its color balance is the best compro- tinny soun—dit earned only a 2.3 aver- age in the audio ratings. A few adjust- mise.” Another dissented: “The picture ments to the set’s five-band graphic | is too warm. It looks sepia-toned.” a The panelists loved the set’s digital | zoom feature, which lets the viewer get a | Super Sound: For an expanded soundstage, RCA’s | close-up of any area of the screen. The F35100ST uses Hughes’ Sound Retrieval System. set’s main fault was a tendency to pro- duce a yellowish hue, or doming effect, during long scenes with bright whites or outputs and a seven-band onscreen | intense daylight. This was surprising be- graphic equalizer. | cause the set’s Invar shadow mask Mitsubishi’s CS-3535R earned the should have prevented such effects. second best average picture rating, al- The ProScan’s sound ranked among though it was the only set no panelist the best in our showdown, averaging | picked as a favorite. The set revealed its | 2.9. It produced very clear dialog and extensive processing circuitry when we | impressive bass, although the panelists put up the color bars — lines between the judged its maximum volume level too bars were virtually free of dot crawl and low for large rooms. The set offers two hanging dots. | nice audio features: surround speaker None of the panelists was partic- | Control Collection: Dialog Done Right: JVC’s AV-3591S has a Dolby | From left, remote con- Three-Channel Logic decoder and a center speaker. | trols from the Toshiba, equalizer helped a bit. The Mitsubishi ProScan, Mitsubishi, has two features the panelists loved—a | RCA and JVC sets. remote that lights up at the touch of a button, and a jack panel that flips to 28 VIDEO APRIL 1992 face upward so the user can attach ca- continued on page 78 BFROOEBMRORTEESST:
f\"e BY BRENT BUTTERWORTH ~ SPECIAL ART OfThtCONTEST | Want to ace our third annual home video contest? Past prize-winners share their secrets. | millions of dollars to make, yet they’re explains, “and marked which counter and frame numbers fell on the beat, | almost unbearable to watch.” then inserted the video at those points. | Usually, I had to try each cut two or | More than anything else, producing three times to get it right.” great home videos takes imagination. To Donohue’s work shows his enthusi- | asm for—and skill with—the cam- | show you how to turn your imagination corder. He got theideas for many of his into a contest-winning video, we'll ex- continued on page 78 | plain the editing and shooting secrets Back to Basics: Steven Ballot shot his winning video with an old tube camera and a $20 tripod. that made the tapes by our past Grand APRIL 1992 VIDEO 29 Prize winners so entertaining. And we'll | show you how to turn your camcorder classics into contest contenders using equipment you probably already own. The Grand Prize is $5,000 worth of video and audio equipment. There are two First Prizes, each $2,000 toward the | purchase of a camcorder and related equipment. And there are also five Spe- — cial Merit Awards, each $100 toward the purchase of prerecorded or blank tapes Keep It Simple: Tom Donohue uses advanced and discs. You’ve got nothing to lose— | gear but relies on editing technique, not technology. each entrant receives a free Scotch EXG n our two previous Video Magazine/ ProCam VHS videocassette! As a high school audio/video in- Scotch Videocassette contests, we've seen videotapes that rival the techni- structor, 1990 Grand Prize winner Tom cal mastery of network broadcasts— Donohue has access to plenty of profes- | videos shot using $20,000 Betacams sional equipment. But he feels he could with flying, computer-animated titles have edited his video with almost any and dazzling digital effects. But all too VCR. “I had special effects,” he ex- often, they lack the creative spark of plains, “but I wanted to stick with sim- ple, cuts-only editing.” more home-grown efforts. Our favorite aspect of Donohue’s Usually, the videos that catch our attention—and win our contes—atre 1990 Honeymoon Tour, which chronicled produced on inexpensive equipment. | a cross-country car trip, is the way he | Many have handwritten titles and lack blended in background music that fit special effects. You see, winning our the subject matter, such as King Crim- | contest—and a share of nearly $10,000 son’s industrial-sounding “20th Century in video components and programs of Schizoid Man” for a tour through a bi- your choice — doesn’t take a great deal of | zarre metal sculpture garden. Donohue’s equipment or formal training. As 1991 | collection of more than 5,000 records | Grand Prize winner Steve Ballot puts it, gives him a wide selection of backing | “Heaven's Gate and Hudson Hawk cost | tracks. “I laid down the music first,” he MAHDAVIAN
W\\GHTEC; al karaoke conquer Americ? Wits, burly. in Karaoke Portables: JVC’s KX-G1 (above) and San- obbyn, a thirtysomething white-col- good spirits, and Robbyn too was laugh- RKLPHAOORPBTRLOOYA:N yo’s prototype player for kids (right) play CD+G lar professional, is a typical karaoke ing with the rest of us by the time she discs, which show lyrics and graphics on TV screens. finished. Best of all, Robbyn’s debut beginner. Nervous, hesitant about launched Video Magazine's karaoke party Party Animal: her debut, she approached the mi- on a hilarious night’s journey into light- Pioneer’s top-of-the-line crophone that would connect her to a hearted fun—plenty of willing, if reluc- CLK-V920 laser ka- laserdisc karaoke player, then broadcast tant, karaoke victims were waiting in raoke player lets her voice to the waiting crowd. Bending the wings. By the time the evening was singers remove lead slightly, Robbyn squinted as the lyrics through, we had thoroughly party-tested vocals from most CDs, appeared on the TV screen and began to not only karaoke’s entertainment value adjust the music key to sing. But the melody proved elusive, and as an American home video pastime, match their own voices Robbyn half sang, half spoke the lyrics to but two new, top-of-the-line laserdisc and add an echo effect “You Light Up My Life” slightly before karaoke machines. to video karaoke discs, they were highlighted, a common ka- which come packaged Karaoke (ka-ra-OK, with a rolling r in laserdisc and CD+G taoke mistake that on the middle syllable) is Japanese slang formats (right, from Nik- put Robbyn two bars for empty orchestra. In Japan, it’s vir- kodo). ahead of the instru- tually a national obsession. Private and mental. The kara- public karaoke clu—rbansging in size 30 VIDEO APRIL 1992 oke-wise in her from tiny, single rooms to lavish night- audience tried to spots —are as common as pizza parlors help Robbyn catch are here. With a passion that defies up to the music. But American understanding, Japanese ka- their help only raoke buffs love to reach for the mic to made things worse. croon favorite songs while CDs or laser- Everyone else just discs add the instrumentals. laughed at her mis- timed phrasing and Japanese companies have long be- off-key notes. lieved Americans would also succumb to But it was all in the pleasures of karaoke and have been carefully nurturing what is already a $590 million U.S. karaoke market, chiefly in bars and restaurants, accord- ing to the Karaoke International Indus- try Association. Our own sing-along heritage is somewhat different. But ka- taoke (which tends to be pronounced in the U.S. as carry-o-kee) isn’t really about singing along. It’s more like sing- ing alone—except in public, which adds a certain tension to the experience. Since the late ’80s, Pioneer and Nik- kodo have been selling laserdisc karaoke players to such bars and restaurants as Singalong in New York City and Santo’s in Los Angeles. But in the past year, ka-
BY STEWART WOLPIN , ty t e newest laser players, Videos setting the mood, WE por taoke makers have been going directly | to U.S. consumers through more than 700 retailers. In fact, consumers now have a choice of four formats: laserdisc, CD + Graphics, videotape and audio tape. The limitation of tape-based ka- raoke is demonstrated in the film When Harry Met Sally... When Billy Crystal serenades Meg Ryan by singing “Surrey With the Fringe on Top,” he has to read the lyrics from a printed booklet. In CD+G systems, Gordon MacRae wan- na-bes read the lyrics off a TV screen, often accompanied by primitive digitized Voice Coach: Nikkodo’s LV-2000 offers two-sided play, a nine-step key controller and a feature that lets images. The new machines carry the singers know it's searching for a selection. concept to a logical technical conclu- sion. The lyrics, highlighted as they should be sung, play while a music video runs in the back- ground. It’s as natu- ral as reading a teleprompter, and as invisible if the audience can’t see Q PIONEER the monitor. “ What kind of equipment can you croon to? JVC, Nik- kodo, Fleco, Las- onic and Lonestar all field CD + G ka- raoke systems. JVC, for example, is just Do-It-Yourself Chorus: Pioneer’s CLD-V820 can add the sound of harmonic voices as well as remove most lead vocals. introducing a CD+G player with makes three standard combi models, the Nikkodo’s lineup includes the $999 speakers and a dedicated microphone, CLD-V510 for $700, the CLD-V720 for LV-100, the LV-2000 for $999 and the the KX-Gl1, for $700. Sanyo too has $850 and the CLD-V820 for $1,000. It $1,800 LV-220A, which has an amp and shown prototypes of CD + G players, in- also offers the CLK-V920 for $1,900, also plays CD +G discs. Sanyo is enter- Se a brightly colored Robo entry for which includes along with the laser play- ing the fray with its LV-P500U laserdisc karaoke player for $799, and Denonet ids. er a two-way speaker system, an ampli- makes a combination laserdisc/CD+G If, however, you choose the laser fier and an audio cassette deck for recording performances. continued on page 64 route, you get a combi player suitable also for laserdiscs and CDs. Pioneer APRIL 1992 VIDEO 31
BY STEWART WOLPIN CAMERAMAN! An innovative new accessory makes every shooter a video star. The most loved and your mumbled comments on the sound- patent-pending technologies, the base hated guest at many track. will fluidly swivel and/or tilt up and a party is the person down to keep the camcorder accurately working the cam- If this is you, even only once in a focused on whatever the wandering corder. We’re all while, it’s time to step out from the wand instructs it to. happy you’re pre- shadows and become the star of your serving this special own videos. A clever new accessory with And tracking remote objects, or sub- moment on video- the slightly sexist moniker CameraMan jects like yourself, is just the start. The tape —thanks very can solve the awkward dilemma of muc—hbut: Would you please get that shooting an event while trying to share wand is also a two-channel VHF wire- stupid camera out of my face? Or quit in it at the same time. CameraMan is to chasing your cute, but camera-shy home video what the Walkman is to the less microphone that transmits clear niece? Or can you fast forward through audio cassette: It completes the promise monaural conversation more than 100 the long shots of the floor, the shaky implicit in camcorders by freeing shoot- handheld tracking scenes, the badly ers from the obligation to shoulder feet. With an optional Camera Control- framed parts with muffled audio? them, and transforms video drudgery Of course, the person behind the lens may not be happy either. Sore- into video fun. armed from bracing the camcorder, blur- CameraMan can do virtually ev- ry-eyed from squinting through the viewfinder, disappointed because your erything a videographer can do only, in own image appears not once during the many cases, better. It consists of a stur- hours you’ve sacrificed to capture the dy, black, 15-pound base about the size fun everyone else was having, you may of a jewelry box that supports virtually wonder why you bothered. The only evi- any camcorder weighing less than 10 dence you even attended the party is pounds, and a 10-inch-high control wand. Using robotic servo-mechanisms, two-way radio communications between base and wand, and more than a dozen Fast And The CameraMan is designed to work intuitively, but its Flexible actual response times bear out subjective impressions. Operational ease is excellent after a little practice, while audio characteristics are good for voice, but poor for mu- Full-Tilt Boogie: The CameraMan, shown in pro- sic (for which it is not chiefly intended). Below are our file, can tilt a camcorder through a 50-degree arc. results: ler, the wand also learns and converts Pan Speed: 4.25 seconds to 5.5 minutes for full 360-degree range; 58.5- such infrared camcorder controls as sec. speed when first turned on; 20 steps zoom, record, pause and fade (for two different camcorders) into RF control Tilt Speed: 3 secs. to 6 min. for 50-degree range; 28-sec. speed when first turned on; 20 steps instructions. Operating Range: More than 85 feet for auto tracking and control; more You can also override automatic than 115 feet for audio tracking to manually control the degree Audio Frequency Response: 300 Hz to 6.5 kHz at -3 dB Linear Audio S/N: 68.3 dB; Audio Distortion: 0.8% —Lancelot Braithwaite ROR WARES 32 VIDEO APRIL 1992
Star Maker: The CameraMan con- sists of a motorized camcorder cradle that pans and tilts, plus a 10-inch-high remote wand—with a built-in wireless microphone— that controls lens func- tions and movement. Lsate) MUTE POWER 7 LOCATION jie of swivel (a full 360 degrees) and tilt (up from little pitchers with curious fingers, WANDCameraMan to 50 degrees), and the speed of pan and opens in segments to reveal only shots (see “Fast And Flexible”). You can those controls you need or want. APRIL 1992 VIDEO 33 4 program the CameraMan to automat- ically pan, tilt and zoom for up to four None of the claims by ParkerVision, different shots. You can further smooth the company that makes CameraMan, camera movement with a two-way “ac- are frivolous. (Although new to video, tion/drama” switch that adjusts the ParkerVision is well-known for ad- unit’s sensitivity to wand movement. vanced control systems in the industrial There’s also a “stealth” mode that keeps heating and cooling business.) Camera- CameraMan tracking when you walk Man reacts faster and suret than any hu- man operator to the wand’s movement. behind an obstacle. Forgive the hyperbole, but the exe- The pans are picture-perfect and free of cution of CameraMan’s design is star- jitter. In fact, CameraMan works amaz- tling; if anything, it’s lovingly over- ingly well both technically and from a engineered. Moreover, despite dozens of psychological standpoint. CameraMan control options, it’s wonderfully simple makes the camcorder unobtrusive. And to set up, thanks to a Five Minutes to Ac- don’t bogart that wand, man: Eventually tion illustrated brochure. The base everyone wants to be on TV. can rest on any flat surface— floor, table, Talk about a device powered by chair, bookshelf—or on a heavy-duty tripod. An internal lead acid battery in imagination. Unfettered family or group the base supplies power for up to three videography is the most obvious applica- hours, and recharges when plugged into tion. Used by a speaker or a moderator a wall outlet. The wand, which operates at a lecture or discussion, CameraMan can create an instant instructional vid- on two nine-volt batteries, has a stiff, sliding hatch that protects the controls eo. Program the settings to pan auto- matically from pitcher to batter to MLPEOHSROSTIOLGLROAPHS: continued on page 62
Stairway to Heaven: Shigeto Kubota’s Du- champiana: Nude Descending a Staircase. What has 24 TVs and no commercials? Daring video installations, mixing tape and technology, are finding new fans among video buffs and museums. | wo dozen TV sets and a pair of ra- universe populated by avant-garde ar- dios are arrayed in a giant W-shaped tists. Although some installations, as the formation many yards wide. The form is known, look like the work of center of the W is an arch big pranksters, without them our cultural enough for people to walk through. The landscape would be different. Artists as TV sets consist of vintage cabinets fitted diverse as the Talking Heads and cho- with new color monitors, which display reographer Merce Cunningham have two videotapes from two VCRs in the applied the innovative techniques pi- structure. oneered in video installations. In fact, eA small monitor rests inside a glass without it there would probably be no jar filled with exposed electronic parts. MTV as we know it. A power cord extends from the jar to a Yet despite the influence video in- standard electrical outlet, activating the stallations have had on other artists, monitor which displays the face of a they are only now beginning to reach a chimpanzee, apparently in pain. wider audience, thanks in large part to eA pair of small monitors are bolted their growing exposure in museums and gag onto both ends of art galleries. Today, video installations a long length of are represented in nearly every museum black pipe which in the U.S. that exhibits contemporary teeters atop a tri- art. On the open market, some works angular stand. A have been acquired for more than video camera $100,000. mounted at the Combining video equipment, origi- center of the pipe nal programs, sculpture and architec- feeds images of ture, these installations transform flat anyone watching electronic images into multidimensional the structure to experiences, rich in texture and mood. the monitors at ei- They also represent daring adventures ther end. by a community ofartists who frequently These three work in other media. Yet, except for works of art — Nam June Paik, such artists as Rath, Connections With Schwartz, Mary Lucier, Bill Viola, Shige- Behind the Curve: Wings by Nam to Kubota, Dara Birnbaum, Joan Jonas, | June Paik, Animal Research II by Alan | Peter D’Agostino and Bruce Nauman Mary Lucier’s seven- Rath and Video See-Saw by Buky | are little known outside artistic circles. monitor Ohio at Gi- Schwartz—are examples of an art form verney (above) with Video installation artists are still a that has grown up side by side with the | rare breed, humanist techies working floral video detail (top). |home video industry, in a sort of parallel |with perhaps the costliest art materials 34 VIDEO APRIL 1992
BY STEVE DITLEA around, at the exact spot where art and historic scene, the sets were randomly technology intersect. Grants from muse- ums and government art agencies subsi- distributed around the gallery. The scan- | dize a limited number of works. But for the most part, video installation artists ning mechanisms in some of the sets have relied on their own ingenuity and || were magnetically manipulated, affect- resources to overcome obstacles. In the process, they have amassed a significant ing the broadcast images. The TV cabi- body of work that illuminates with irony and whimsy basic assumptions about our | nets were marked up and cluttered with television-shaped lives. bottles and objects, while chairs were Video installations should not be scattered about. In the process, wrote confused with what is known as “video art” or “single-channel” videos, which Hanhardt, “Paik changed our percep- are independently produced, artistically inspired programs appreciated for their | tion of television as a cultural form.” content. Video art can be shown any- wher—eor broadcast, as on Alive From The short list of video installation’s Off Center, a program of the Public Broadcasting System. In video installa- leading artists still includes Paik. The tions, the program is part of a hardware construct that typically includes mod- Godfather of the medium, he is credited ified monitors, mechanized components, sculptural objects or architectural de- Body Parts: Alan Rath’s Wave (top) and Animal with creating the first video synthesizer Research II (above) use cathode ray tubes, circuit- in 1973 and with pioneering many inno- tails. Video art can be duplicated; a vid- ry, metals and glass to create provocative electronic vative techniques, including colorizing eo installation is often one of a kind. sculptures. and quick-cut editing. “He certainly in- Few art forms can trace their origins to a specific moment or event, but video installation can be tracked back to the Exposition of Music-Electronic Television, a 1963 exhibition at the Galerie Parnas in the German town of Wuppertal, where the Korean-born Paik first exhib- ited “prepared television—ss”ets modi- fied to produce unexpected displays. According to John Hanhardt, cura- tor for film and video at New York City’s Whitney Museum, who witnessed the APRIL 1992 VIDEO 35
iEAaAb.NsT,. Outdoor Drama: Video installations are exhibited less fre- quently than other forms of art, so the Married With Sculptures: Nam June Paik’s Egg Dara Birnbaum’s Rio best way to follow them is to check lo- Grows (above), which uses eight monitors, and a Vidwall (left), a contro- cal gallery and museum listings. The detail from Shigeto Kubota’s Niagara Falls (right). versial open-air instal- following sites have installations on dis- play or on the way. lation for an Atlanta shopping mall. @ Donald Young Gallery, 2107 Third Avenue, Seattle. Installations by Gary Hill and Bill Viola, through March; _ one-man show by Bill Viola, April. In- formation: 415-448-9484. @ San Francisco Museum of Modem Art, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Fran- cisco. “Passage de LImage,” group show with works by Bill Viola, Michael Snow, Marcel Odenbach, Chris Marker, Thier- ry Kuntzel and others, through April 12. Information: 415-863-8800. @ New Museum, 583 Broadway, New York City. “Age Machine,” installation by Nancy Burson with David Kramlisch, through April 19. Information: 212-219-1355. @ Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Avenue, New York City. “Terry Berkowitz” video installation, May 27-July 5. Information: 212-570-3656. @ Wexner Center for the Arts, North High Street and 15th Avenue, Co- lumbus, Ohio. “A SIMPLE STORY/ Juarez,” installation by Terry Allen, April-August. Information: 614-292-0330. fluenced MTV,” says Barbara London, e Alan Rath. The most technologi- landscapes, although they shouldn’t be video curator at New York’s Museum of cally savvy of video installation artists, taken literally. “Landscapes are a meta- Modern Art. Rath builds electronic sculptures from phor for states of mind, for patterns of scratch, designing his own circuit boards thought,” Lucier explains. In a more re- Paik, who has just turned 60, is now and computer software. At the leading cent work, Mass (1990), she used laser- in a classical phase, recapping previous edge between artificial constructs and discs for the first time to devise a three- themes on a monumental scale. “Some organic forms, Rath’s installations often channel installation of projected video of his latest pieces use hundreds of TV include hands and other anatomical im- sets,” says Bob Riley, media arts curator ages, controlled by computers, on video mixing the choreography of Elizabeth at the San Francisco Museum of Mod- screens. Trained in electrical engineer- Streb with New York street scenes. ern Art. Paik travels widely in Germany, ing, Rath is one of the few artists to use Japan and the U.S., teaching, lecturing computers in video installations. e Bill Viola. Landscapes of Earth and and continuing to expand the video uni- mind also characterize some of Viola’s verse. Other video installation artists to e Mary Lucier. Deterioration and keep an eye out for include: death are key, but subtle themes in the installations. Born in New York, he spans the globe for his work, visiting e Shigeto Kubota. The distaff half of video installations of Ohio-born, New such far-flung locales as the Solomon Is- video’s first family, the Japan-born York-based Lucier. For example, Wilder- lands in the South Pacific, Ladekh in Kubota has been married to Paik since ness consists of seven classical columns the Himalayas and Atsugi, Japan, where 1977. With a background in sculpture that support seven monitors playing a he was Sony’s first artist-in-residence. and painting, Kubota has produced tape about civilization’s encroachment some of the most colorful and playful on the natural environment. The per- Viola’s most spectacular installation, video installations. She is known both manent collection of the Whitney Mu- for single-channel videos and video in- seum includes her Ohio at Giverney Sanctuary (1989), includes an indoor for- stallations, like Duchampiana: Nude De- (1983), an arching composition of seven est of living pine trees in which a small scending a Staircase (1976). This witty monitors embedded in a curving wall. projection screen displays a tape of a homage to French avant-garde artist The monitors show rural landscapes in woman giving birth. An earlier installa- Marcel Duchamp consists of a plywood Ohio and in the provincial French gar- tion, Room for St. John of the Cross staircase with monitors embedded in (1985), evokes the periods of meditation each step. The monitors play a video of dens where 19th-century painter Claude imposed on this 16th-century Spanish a descending nude, recalling Duchamp’s Monet painted some of his most vivid monk by using a projected video image once-shocking painting. of a mountain seen from a multimedia impressionist masterpieces. - cell. “My travels have taught me there was always just one ‘right place’ where Lucier’s installations often depict an idea can come to life,” says Viola. 36 VIDEO APRIL 1992
e Dara Birnbaum. Her massive work Rio Vidwall (1989), commissioned for an Atlanta shopping mall, was hailed as the first permanent outdoor video installa- tion in the country. It also raised impor- tant questions for the medium. An assemblage of 25 27-inch monitors, Rio Vidwall was supposed to continuously’ screen Birnbaum’s 15-minute videodisc of the landscape at the site of the mall before it was built, mixed with TV news images from a satellite hookup. When the project was conceived, video walls, inspired in part by early vid- eo installations, were still new. But by the time Rio Vidwall was built, such walls were a common sight and the mall’s developer wanted to run ads and other programs on it, raising familiar questions about the line between adver- tising and art. Video installations frequently con- front such issues by combining elements apparently at odds with each other: TV’s commerce vs. art’s esthetic vision, vid- eo’s two-dimensionality vs. the three-di- mensional real word, the timeliness of TV vs. the timelessness of art. Artist Vito Acconci, writing in a recent an- thology, argues that video installations are “the conjunction of opposites,” like “having your cake and eating it too.” Video installations are also ephem- eral. “It’s an impermanent medium be- cause video can fall apart,” says Riley. Sometimes, when installations are disas- sembled for storage, all that remains are the videotapes and detailed specifica- tions for reassembly. In fact, the rapid obsolescense of video technologies and the physical deterioration of tape make video installation among the most im- permanent of art forms—a problem for anyone displaying such works. Unlike paintings and sculptures, which can be shown and stored rela- tively easily, video installations require active maintenance and preservation. If you’re curious about those shiny discs you've been seeing all “We have to keep tapes under constant- temperature storage and strike off dubs over, you're not the only one. Hundreds of thousands of people every so often to make sure there’s no have already brought laserdiscs home. It seems no one can signal loss,” Riley explains. And no pass up the latest movies on laserdisc, with its incredible picture amount of preservation can keep older standards from becoming extinct. Ac- (60% sharper than ordinary videotape) and flawless CD sound. cording to Riley, the original scale of You're probably next. Just be careful when you visit your nearby many pieces is threatened, as once-com- laserdisc store. The way it’s been going, these things are likely to mon 19-inch monitors are being re- placed on the market by 20-inch fly out as soon as you open the door. © ! i acorlie screens. : Also unlike paintings, video installa- \\\\ owSCHWARZENEGGER tions make unusual demands for exact placement, lighting and sound, which makes the works “not easily saleable,” according to Donald Young, owner of Seattle’s Donald Young Gallery, one of MWUBGMENT DAY only a few commercial galleries that rep- resent video installation artists. Young continued on page 62 ©1992 Pioneer LDCA, Inc., Long Beach, CA. For a store near you, call 1-800-421 -1621. Circle 49 on Reader Service Card. APRIL 1992 VIDEO 37
im Quite «* new HTS Simply... TRACKER 10 The Best in Sights & Satellite TV System offers Sounds Easy Use, High Resolution Video and Digital Sound The Monterey satellite receiver's unique four-way In addition to a choice of “UHF audio/video switcher lets you easily select from a host of Radio” remote controls, the HTS satellite TV options or as many as three other Tracker 10 provides an on-board audio/video alternatives — and from any room in the MTS encoder that surpasses the house. Your VCR, camcorder or CD player can be on-line standard. No noise, no distortion, just crisp, clear hi-fidelity and entertainment-ready at all times. And with the stereo to complement the system’s unsurpassed video receiver's digital color P-I-P functions, you can toggle quality. Now your MTS TVs in remote parts of the house can on-screen between any two of these inputs at once. receive the satellite channel in stereo. What's more, several Monterey models offer the best in satellite sound in digital or analog stereo, and with Dolby The complete HTS tracker line is available from NBO (Name surround sound and dynamic noise reduction. The Brands Only) where you can get all the equipment you need Monterey is the essential control center to the ultimate to experience the latest in satellite TV home theater home entertainment experience. entertainment. With 100% financing offered in all 50 states, NBO can provide a complete satellite TV system for as little For more information and location of the Chaparral dealer as $29 per month. nearest you, Call: (408) 435-1530 Order our FREE catalog to learn more about NBO’s SATELLITE TV SYSTEMS. Call: 800-346-6466 AllNew! VIDEO SHOPPER ‘Need Some Technical Help? The Magazine y CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Cc E DIA For The Hands- On Video User “Installation Association) is an organization that can help you put together your dream Are you a video home theater system. They can provide you enthusiast who rolls with design information as well as referrals to up his sleeves and qualified A/V installers. For further informa- works with video? Then, the new © tion and referrals, call (800) 233-4230. magazine VIDEO SHOPPER is 1A AUDIOPHILES and videophiles consider- designed for you. ing major A/V purchases would do well to 4 Articles stress how- Aucionco contact PARA (Professional Audio Video to-do-it information, Association Retailers Association). To assure you of editing, pre- and post qualified sales and service, they will put production, taping techniques, program collecting and new you in touch with your local PARA dealer. products and accessories that help you add on, upgrade and enhance your video system. Plus, in every issue, you'll find VIDEO For further dealer information, call (816) TRADER, our very successful newsletter that contains hundreds of 444-3500. ads from people just like you who want to buy, sell or trade anything and everything related to video. IF YOURE considering setting up a satellite home ;‘ theater or want to consult with the experts about For a $9.97 subscription price, you receive 6 issues of VIDEO your current system, you can turn to the SBCA ’ SHOPPER. Send a check or money order to VIDEO SHOPPER, (Satellite Broadcasting and Communications SH| 460 West 34th St., New York, N.Y. 10001. Association of America) for help. Their national information line is (800) 726-7222.
——— LSTALLATIN ro ee | GREAT ESCAPE A stylish media den makes the most of an offbeat element—a private elevator. —_<- VS8 thile another person isc in another room. Wi Sf ywns Behrens Audio sonville and belongs SHOP WITH Showcase or find out where the nearest dealer is for that :ctronic Design and on any advertisers featured in Video your desired shopping option and we'll do the rest! ation (see box, page cirde the product number along with e complex plan with ennifer Palmer. It in- unobtrusive conve- Get more information product. Simply Showcase #1 Showcase #3 Audio and Light Controls A. Send me literature A. Send me literature B. Send me dealer information B. Send me dealer information tizone distribution to Showcase #4 id three outdoor ar- Showcase #2 A. Send me literature chiefly to McIntosh: A. Send me literature B. Send me dealer information B. Send me dealer information continued on page 87 Name KIEVEIRNNAN Address APRIL 1992 VIDEO 41 City
JEO SHOWCASE ioe 72 NEW VIDEO & SATELLITE PROmsiens Quite vw HTS Simply... TRACKER 10 The Best in Sights & Satellite TV System offers | Sounds Easy Use, High Resolution Video and Digital Sound The Monterey satellite receiver's unique four-way In addition to a choice of “UHF audio/video switcher lets you easily select from a host of Radio” remote controls, the HTS satellite TV options or as many as three other Tracker 10 provides an on-board audio/video alternatives — and from any room in the MTS encoder that surpasses the house. Your VCR, camcorder or CD player can be on-line standard. No noise, no distortion, just crisp, clear hi-fidelity and entertainment-ready at all times. And with the stereo to complement the system’s unsurpassed video Quality. Now your MTS TVs in remote parts of the house can receiver's digital color P-I-P functions, you can toggle receive the satellite channel in stereo. on-screen between any two of these inputs at once. The complete HTS tracker line is available from NBO (Name What's more, several Monterey models offer the best in Brands Only) where you can get all the equipment you need satellite sound in digital or analog stereo, and with Dolby to experience the latest in satellite TV home theater surround sound and dynamic noise reduction. The entertainment. With 100% financing offered in all 50 states, Monterey is the essential control center to the ultimate NBO can provide a complete satellite TV system for as little home entertainment experience. as $29 per month. For more information and location of the Chaparral dealer nearest you, Call: (408) 435-1530 Order our FREE catalog to learn more about NBO’s SATELLITE TV SYSTEMS. Call: 800-346-6466 All New! VIDEO SHOPPER Need Some Technical Help? —________The Maaazine CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and production, taping techniq: | 0 Fa products and accessories | 460 West 34th Street enhance your video systen TRADER, our very success New York, NY 10117-0460 ads from people just like y' anything and everything re For a $9.97 subscription j SHOPPER. Seanchdeck ( 460 West 34th St., New Y Lord DcscsncbdosallbiccdEdsssidiadstlslbacdlssd 3 i os ain =n)
Es STAN PINKWAS lis \\NTALLATI OF THE MON TMH GREAT ESCAPE| Blending In: A 50-inch projection TV centers an installation built around a private elevator artfully concealed behind a door to the right of the large TV. A stylish media den makes the mostof an offbeat element—a private elevator. n elegant media room can be a tall the media room, while another person order when there’s an immovable can watch a laserdisc in another room. elevator smack in the middle of the Behrens, who owns Behrens Audio blueprints. But that’s the challenge Lab in nearby Jacksonville and belongs | Bill Behrens overcame with a stylish, to the Custom Electronic Design and | wood-paneled treatment for a home on Installation Association (see box, page Amelia Island, off the northeast coast of 87), worked out the complex plan with Florida. The elevator actually seems to interior decorator Jennifer Palmer. It in- disappear, when not in use, behind a cludes numerous, unobtrusive conve- door paneled to blend into the media niences, like a set system, which is tucked into the left- of Niles light dim- hand side of a shared wall. mers, volume con- The video part of the system is based trols and head- around a pair of TV sets—a 50-inch Pi- phone jacks under oneer Elite and a 27-inch JVC unit— the rim of a coffee placed relatively close together, al- table. though at different heights, because the To handle the home’s owners often like to watch two audio, which in- programs at the same time. A Pioneer cludes surround Audio and Light Controls sound for the Elite laserdisc player and a JVC S-VHS main room and multizone distribution to ~ VCR feed not only the sets, but moni- five other rooms and three outdoor ar- | tors elsewhere in the house. The units Up and Away: Designer Bill Behrens be- are also assigned separate cable chan- eas, Behrens turned chiefly to McIntosh: side the elevator, which runs from the nels, so that someone can watch TV in continued on page 87 i garage to the floor above the media room. KIEVEIRNNAN APRIL 1992 VIDEO 41
101 Dalmatians So why does this film nonetheless Dead Again 1961. Anim. Hi-fi stereo. (G) 80 min. evoke warm feelings of nostalgia in par- 1991. Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, $24.99. Walt Disney. ents who first saw it in theaters? Three Derek Jacobi; dir. Branagh. Hi-fi stereo, cc. (or is it two?) words: Cruella De Ville. (R) 107 min. priced for rental. LD (letter- With memories of the extraordinary boxed or pan-and-scan) $34.98. Paramount. Beauty and the Beast still lingering, it’s The divinely decadent Cruella is one hard to call 10] Dalmatians one of the of the most memorab—laend frighten- In 1949, concert pianist Margaret top-drawer Disney animated features. It ing — characters from our childhoods. Strauss is murdered in a Los Angeles lacks the former’s brilliant score, not to The Antichrist of animal rights groups, mansion and her composer-husband Ro- mention the kind of full-tilt production blatantly expressing her desire to kill the man is executed for it. Some 40 years number (musical or otherwise) that lives pups and skin them for a new fur coat, later a young woman (Emma Thomp- on after the credits fade. This tale of a Cruella is erratic and violent in a way son) turns up, mute and amnesiac, at few Disney characters are allowed to be. the gate of that mansion. Private eye Watching her chew the scenery is alone Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh) takes worth the price of admission. on the task of identifying her. She starts One of the big box-office hits of last talking under hypnosis—not about her life but about Roman and Margaret. The Vy d i: e disbelieving Mike is informed that . Grace, as he calls her, is reliving a past- Dog Fancier: The ruthless Cruella De Ville plots the demise of those cute little Disney Dalmatians. life experience. Apparently Mike was | also part of that life, and the drama is || litter of puppies stolen for their uniquely year in yet another theatrical reissue, 101 about to play itself out again. 4;| spotted fur pushes the “lost kid” button, | Dalmatians reaffirmed the power of Se but lacks the resounding emotional im- straight-on storytelling and quality ani- The premise of Dead Again is so pre- pact of a treasured fairy tale brought to mation. The dogs reportedly required posterous it invites disbelief, but its exe- cution is so assured, it suspends that life. Mom and dad dogs Pongo and Per- that Disney’s staff draw nearly 6-1/2 mil- disbelief entirely. As director, Branagh dita have their charm—even more than lion spots — but these dogs could be poo- succeeds in keeping us in a hermetically their human “pets” do— and some of the dles for all I care. Cruella makes this sealed world where we never question puppies are cute in a generic Disney way, movie crackle. the film’s premise, no matter how fantas- tic it seems. The black-and-white 1949 but that’s all. —Marianne Meyer scenes are filled with a heady mix of ro- mance and dread, while the modern se- quences careen from one wild plot twist to another, keeping us off balance. When Branagh resorts to the little tricks generally associated with the thriller genre, they're used to advance the mov- ie rather than for their own sake. Branagh exudes tortured charm as Roman and ingenuous charm as Mike. Thompson (Mrs. Branagh off-screen) is amazing as both Margaret and Grace, and the pair manage the sort of on- screen star chemistry that is the most sorely missed attribute of “classic” Hol- lywood filmmaking. The wonderful sup- 42 VIDEO APRIL 1992 oo
EDITOR'S CHOICE - 5 kenneth korman | porting cast includes several “name” slyly bends conventions to produce a Warm, funny and quietly inspired, di- | players who were willing to work with deeply affecting tale. rector Alan Parker’s The Commit- Branagh for a pittance after his brilliant When Rose arrives at the Hillyer Henry V. home to serve as housekeeper and nan- ments (FoxVideo, priced for rental) ny, the well-to-do family gets more than There’s enough going on in Dead it bargained for. A refugee from a dirt- sneaked in and out of theaters last Again to reward repeat viewings. At first poor farm, she has an open, guileless viewing you may well have the time of sexuality that quickly becomes a disrup- year, reaching only a fraction of the your lif—eor is it lives? tive force. After literally throwing her- self at the stunned Daddy (Robert Du- huge audience it deserves. It’s a —Sol Louis Siegel vall), she focuses on more eligible men, “small” movie, the kind Hollywood inspiring scruffy boys to lurk in the yard. A Leg Up: Andy Garcia (left) threatens to come between Daddy comes to regard Rose as a prob- never knows how to market effec- Dead Again’s Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. lem child, although Mother (Dern’s tively. But this fictional tale of a Dub- real-life mom Diane Ladd) defends her Rambling Rose high spirits as normal. Only the older lin soul band’s unlikely rise benefits woman’s understanding saves Rose | 199]. Laura Dern, Robert Duvall, Diane when a doctor proposes a surgical “cure” from its lack of big-name stars; Par- | Ladd; dir. Martha Coolidge. Hi-fi stereo. for the girl’s promiscuity. ker (Mississippi Burning, Midnight Ex- (R) 115 min. $92.98. LD $34.95. LIVE. Director Martha Coolidge gets re- press) instead relies on a sharp script “Girls don’t want se—xgirls want markable performances from the players. and a brilliant cast of complete un- Avoiding hillbilly cliches, the radiant love,”’ explains sweet-hearted Rose Dern strikes a balance between clumsy knowns. The film maintains its high (Laura Dern) to wide-eyed young Buddy innocence and sensual charisma. Like- (Lukas Haas). However, the awestruck wise, Duvall adds the nuances that spirits without glossing over the day- men around her can’t grasp the distinc- make Daddy more than a macho car- tion, complicating matters for the simple toon, while Ladd deftly reveals the iron to-day realities of its working-class heroine of this deceptively complex will within the matriarch’s pose. As the comedy-drama. Both a charming ac- 13-year-old verging on hot-blooded ado- characters. count of Depression-era Georgia and a lescence, Lukas Haas steals scenes right subtle feminist statement, Rambling Rose and left: Buddy’s close encounter with The director auditioned virtually Rose is the funniest bedroom session in a month of Sundays. Thanks to intriguing every young musician in Dublin to characters, Rambling Rose makes a com- pelling argument for tolerance — and find the right mix of character—she provides a darn good time to boot. claims to have seen 3,000 performers —Jon Young from the city’s Moral Turpitude: 1,200 working Robert Duvall and Di- bands. Though ane Ladd contend with many of these § the rambunctious Rose. kids have never- acted before, (ame they are com- The Commitments pletely natural before the cam- era. The music they create is aston- ishing: It’s not always a good idea to cover the songs of Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett— “Try a Little Ten- derness” and “In the Midnight Hour” have already been done, after all— but these kids manage to make the songs sound utterly fresh, to make them their own. This is no small feat. (Two band members, including ex- traordinary 16-year-old lead singer Andrew Strong, have been signed to real-life recording contracts by MCA.) A 24-minute promotional cas- sette called The Making of The Com- mitments is widely available in stores as a free rental; it was intended to build interest in the film just before its video release, but it’s best viewed after you've already seen the movie. Its interviews with the “stars” and other behind-the-scenes footage are far more captivating when you've al- ready built up an emotional attach- ment to these characters and their infectious music —and that is some- thing The Commitments pulls off with amazing ease. a APRIL 1992. VIDEO 43
An Angel at My Table and details the series of events that cul- repairman who still lives at home, has 1991. Kerry Fox; dir. Jane Campion. Hi-fi minate in her institutionalization. The just quit/been fired from his umpteenth stereo. (R) 157 min. priced for rental. New final segment, “The Envoy From Mirror job and has finally come to blows with Line. City,” shows Frame’s belated flourish into womanhood and growing artistic his father over the issue of cleaning the Director Jane Campion triumphed triumph, though here Angel flirts dan- bathroom. With cinematic parallels like in turning the concept of mental illness into the potent black comedy Sweetie, so gerously with TV-movie territory. these, it’s inevitable that Maria and it’s no surprise that Campion should be Mathew will wind up involved. For- perfect for An Angel at My Table, a proj- ect based on the memoirs of New Zeal- Screenwriter Laura Jones has admi- tunately, Trust is no off-the-rack, off- and author Janet Frame. Frame was rably adapted the flow of Janet Frame’s | beat Hollywood romance. misdiagnosed as schizophrenic while at- Director Hal Hartley continues the tending teacher’s college, spent the fol- autobiographies and actress Kerry Fox lowing eight years in a series of squalid imbues the adult Frame with the perfect tradition he established with 1990's The hospital wards and was reprieved from a conflict of shyness and zeal. But the Unbelievable Truth: setting a mild shag- greatest triumph belongs to director gy-dog story against the backdrop of Campion, who conveys perfectly that blue-collar suburban Long Island and the greatest threat to sanity is to try to letting his characters tangle into a goony define it. —JW web that snares the viewer but good. Complicating Trust is the sullen effort of Maria’s mom (Merritt Nelson) to trick Mathew into the arms of Maria’s di- vorced sister (Edie Falco), a mysterious baby-snatching that Maria may have witnessed, and, of course, Mathew’s hand grenade. Starkly complex and hilarious, Trust is a low-budget triumph crammed with wisdom that should cost a lot more—JW . —ti” The Fisher King Down on the Farm: An Angel at My Table traces Janet Frame’s life from childhood to success as a writer. 1991. Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Mer- cedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer; dir. Terry lobotomy-like operation only when a Trust Gilliam. Hi-fi surround, cc. (R) 137 min. collection of her short stories won a $94.98. LD $39.95, Criterion LD (letter- boxed) $99.95. Columbia TriStar. noted literature prize. 1991. Adrienne Shelly, Martin Donovan; An Angel at My Table is divided into dir. Hal Hartley. Hi-fi stereo, cc. (R) 109 There’s more good than bad in The three segments. (It was originally pre- min. $89.98. LD $29.98. Republic. Fisher King, though the film never really gels. Jeff Bridges plays a shock-radio DJ sented abroad as a TV miniseries.) The Maria Coughlin (Adrienne Shelly) is drowning in self-pity after one of his tirades leads to unexpected disaster. first, ‘To the Is-Land,”’ focuses on having a really bad day. She’s pregnant, Then he’s rescued from a bad situation by Parry (Robin Williams), a self-styled Frame’s childhood in rural New Zealand — she’s quit/been tossed out of high school knight of the Holy Grail. Upon learning that Parry was unhinged by the earlier in the early ’30s, the first stirrings of her and, if that weren’t enough, she’s just tragedy, he resolves to bring him back to sanity to gain redemption for himself. talent and the first of several family tra- killed her father with a slap to the face. The biggest problem is that Parry is gedies. Part two, from which the film de- Faring only slightly better is brilliant too much a “Robin Williams role,” with Williams so far into hyperdrive that he | rives its title, follows Frame’s retreat to misfit Mathew Slaughter (Martin Don- becomes tiring. So does the direction of | Terry Gilliam, who resorts to murky symbolism plus pretentious camera an- gles and lighting effects that seem espe- cially obtrusive on video. The movie never finds its tone or pace, and suffers from the vain effort to get it down to manageable length. On the plus side, Bridges is excellent | in a difficult role. As the love interests, | Mercedes Ruehl (fiery) and Amanda ovan), a twenty-something electronics 44 VIDEO APRIL 1992 4
assistant (Piper Laurie) enlists her savvy to take it on the lam independently. attorney daughter (miscast kewpie doll That’s when the mob decides to bring in Penelope Ann Miller) to tempt the Li- Milo. Big mistake. Jodie Foster is delightful as the recip- quidator away from this conquest. Director Norman Jewison disguised rocatingly smitten fugitive, and Hopper- the mating ritual as a battle of the sexes the-director has plundered his Rolodex to come up with a “who’s who” of cam- Strike Up the Band: The Fisher King's Robin Wil- more effectively in Moonstruck; here it’s eos, including Vincent Price as the god- just posturing. And except for DeVito’s raider-with-a-hint-of-gold characteriza- father, Dean Stockwell, John Turturro tion and an ending that doesn’t turn and an unbilled Joe Pesci as goodfellas, predictable and insincere, Other People’s Charlie Sheen as Anne’s luckless boy- Money might be better off staying in oth- friend, and the ubiquitous Bob Dylan as liams leads fellow patients in “How About You?” er people’s pockets. a chainsaw-wielding sculptor who, when nate in roles that could have been mere- —April P. Bernard pressed, coolly dismisses Benton’s art as ly generic. And when Gilliam manages “too literal.” Backtrack This reconstructed edition of Back- scenes like the one in which Grand Cen- 1991. Jodie Foster, Dennis Hopper, Joe | track is a nice and weird vindication of tral Station turns into a glowing ball- Pesci; dir. Hopper. Hi-fi stereo. (R) 102 Hopper’s vision. room full of waltzing couples, you may min. $89.98. Vestron. When Backtrack’s main character be inclined to forgive this ambitious epic Milo (Dennis Hopper) whines, “I gave Tatie Danielle its most grievous flaws. —SLS up my career for you!” to his latest flame, 1991. Tsilla Chelton, Catherine Jacob; dir. Etienne Chatiliez. Hi-fi stereo, subtitled. Other People’s Money (NR) 114 min. $89.98. LIVE. 1991. Danny DeVito, Penelope Ann Miller, According to its box-blurb, Tatie Danielle (‘Auntie Danielle’) “is the | Gregory Peck; dir. Norman Jewison. Hi-fi | surround, cc. (R) 101 min. $94.99. 8mm, Married to the Mob: Dennis Hopper’s hit man falls meanest old lady on earth.” However, for intended victim Jodie Foster in Backtrack. | this reasonably accurate statement is LD (letterboxed) $29.98. Warner. Danny DeVito’s “Larry the Liquida- | the fact that he’s a hit man and his new followed by, “Nobody likes her and she likes no one in return.” Potential tor” is the Terminator for the Wall browsers should be warned that nothing Street set, as devastating as Arnold and could be further from the truth in this | French import that positively revels in just as surprisingly lovable. In Other Peo- ple’s Money, he gobbles up companies as the nastiness of its title character. Make gleefully as his daily box of Dunkin’ Do- no mistake, Tatie Danielle (Tsilla | nuts, and when he barks for his secretary Chelton) doesn’t like anybody. But what to summon the manicurist and barber makes Tatie Danielle soar into the outer (he’s about to see his sweetie) he’s al- reaches of outrageousness is the fact that nearly everyone she encounters is most, well, cute. absolutely blind to her ill will—like Larry’s latest target, New England Odile, the elderly housekeeper who adores Tatie right up to the “accident.” Wire & Cable, is a people-first organiza- Tatie then descends on her Parisian tion run by “Jorgy” Jorgenson (played nephew (Eric Prat), his saintly wife one-dimensionally by Gregory Peck). When the Liquidator moves in, Jorgy’s gal was supposed to be the hit-ee gives (Catherine Jacob) and their sons, pro- the line a little more than a twist. But ceeding to wage a one-sided battle of now that director Hopper’s original edit | nerves that leaves the well-meaning Bil- lard family dumbfound—ebdut never Towers of Power: of his 1989 effort is available (a studio _| suspecting the deliberate nature of the Danny DeVito looms cut was released briefly in Britain as large in Other Catch Fire), one can see that Backtrack Tatie malice. Be it faking incontinence People’s Money. was never meant to be just an everyday or ditching her toddler nephew in the park, Tatie is a wizard at the mean turn. love story. Anne Benton (Jodie Foster) is just But when the Billards escape to Greece about to hit the big time with her elec- for a well-earned vacation, Tatie Dan- tronic “message” art when a flat tire ielle finally meets her match in the form strands her right next to a gangland rub- of Sandrine (Isabelle Nanty), the young out. Now the mob wants to show her and vaguely delinquent companion what they do to material witnesses, and hired to keep an eye on her. Directed by Etienne Chatiliez, Tatie after considering what the federal wit- Danielle will delight those who like their ness protection program can do to an ar- comedy black. yw tist’s career momentum, Anne decides APRIL 1992 VIDEO 45
LG eee eae All Tapped Out: Spencer Tracy reaches The Devil and the bottom of his finan- Daniel Webster cial well in the original Father of the Bride. 1941. B&W. Walter Huston, Edward Ar- | nold, Simone Simon; pr./dir. William Die- | terle. Digital mono, commentary on analog | track. 106 min. CLV 2 sides. $49.95. Voy- ager/Criterion. Here’s a restoration that might be better described as a reconstruction. Some 22 minutes of previously “lost” | footage have finally been recovered and reassembled for this underrated classic,| giving us the first complete version of | William Dieterle’s The Devil and Daniel | Webster in 40 years. Basically a seriocomic version of Faust transplanted to 19th-century New England, the film follows the plight of a simple farmer (James Craig) who sells | his soul to the Devil (Walter Huston) in return for “all that money can buy.” Af- like seeing the movie for the first time. ter seven years of increasingly tainted High Plains Drifter good luck, it’s time to pay the Devil his The acting is nondescr—iEpastt- due. Perdition will have to wait though, 1973. Clint Eastwood, Verna Bloom, Billy wood has fewer than 80 lines, though | because the farmer’s soul is saved by the Curtis; dir. Eastwood. Digital mono, letter- Bill Curtis and Verna Bloom are effec- | legal cunning of statesman Daniel boxed, cc. 106 min. CLV 2 sides. $34.98. | Webster (Edward Arnold). Arguing be- tive in supporting roles. The sound has | MCA/Universal. | fore a supernatural court, Webster elo- fine detail but relatively little punch. quently tries to convince a jury of the High Plains Drifter will make you | damned that an American is a free man, And the trailer is a minor but entertain- soul and all. wonder how anyone ever accused Clint ing bonus. —Bruce Eder This simple plot line is conveyed Eastwood of espousing reactionary poli- with striking cinematic sophistication, aided in no small part by Dieterle’s tics in his movies. Amid the murders, Father of the Bride moody direction and Bernard Herr- mann’s remarkable, Oscar-winning tape and maimings that amply fill this 1950. B&W. Spencer Tracy, Elizabeth Tay- | lor; dir. Vincente Minnelli. Digital mono. revenge western/ghost story, he defends 94 min. (plus trailer). CLV 2 sides. $34.98. | Native Americans, Mexicans and every MGM/UA. other minority on hand while re- “Quaint” best describes this charm- score. The key performances are also in- Go Wide, Young Man: spired, especially Huston’s priceless por- trayal of the satanic Mr. Scratch. High Plains Drifter's ingly deadpan examination of a modern || Charming and twinkle-eyed, Huston is widescreen image is fi- wedding. As seen through the eyes of | nally restored on the an unsettlingly likable Mephisto— we al- the bride’s curmudgeonly, soon-to-be- film's new laserdisc overleveraged father (Spencer Tracy), these overblown affairs confuse the pet- edition. most feel sorry that he may lose the ty and the sacred. The film is predictable hero’s soul. and dated— witness the use ofalcohol as The Devil and Daniel Webster is a far a comic device — yet delightful. richer film than the prior video release Father of the Bride benefits from might have indicated. Characters and Tracy's weary, resigned delivery and the subtexts are now fleshed out, revealing touching scenes between father and daughter; Elizabeth Taylor, who doesn’t an ambitious essay on temptation, cor- really have much to do besides look ra- ruption and redemption. While the re- lentlessly attacking white hypocrisy. Two elements lost in TV presenta- stored footage (culled from a redis- | covered 16mm print) doesn’t quite tions of the film are restored on this la- diant as the bride, does that quite well. match up to rest of the fine-grain 35mm serdisc —its widescreen aspect ratio and The movie becomes tedious only when transfer, the overall tradeoff is more its unabashed violence. The Panavision the slapstick gets out of hand. (Oddly, image is cropped slightly, but still revels the film's most inspired moment comes than worthwhile. An informative audio in clever and revealing compositions by in a frightening nightmare sequence that | commentary rounds out this superb Cri- director Eastwood. Between the sharp | looks like an outtake from Carnival of terion presentation. nt| ____—Ron Goldberg picture and the restored violence, it’s | Souls. ) It’s squeaky- clean fun—and |Lact 46 VIDEO APRIL 1992
more genuine in spirit than the recent, The Music Man almost verbatim, Steve Martin remake. 1961. Robert Preston, Shirely Jones, Buddy —Lorraine Cademartori Hackett, Hermione Gingold; pr./dir. Mor- Woodstock: ton DaCosta. Hi-fi surround, letterboxed, The Lost Performances cc. (G) 151 min. CLV 3 sides. $39.98. Warner. 1991. Pr. Bob Kaminsky and Peter Ka- Panning-and-scanning The Music minsky. Digital stereo, cc. 68 min. CLV 2 Man reduces barbershop quartets to sides. $34.98. Warner. trios, turns Onna White’s elaborate pro- When the mudslide we know as duction numbers into claustrophobic ae i ee dances and only makes room for about Woodstock was pegged as the cultural pa abe aN)y 50 of the “Seventy-Six Trombones.” But event of a generation, the reputation of Warner's new letterboxed laserdisc edi- aTSweets From a Stranger: Chef Greg Tompkins tion shows off Meredith Willson’s classic the music performed there tagged along musical at its widescreen “Technirama” decorates truffles in Cooking at the Academy. for the ride. And despite the fact that artists like Richie Havens and John | Sebastian can’t get arrested in today’s best. | 2 8 ie ay} e And this Best Picture nominee de- marketplace (or, in the case of Sly | Stone, can only get arrested), the musi- serves the royal treatment. After 883 Cooking at the Academy | cians who appeared at Woodstock enjoy performances on Broadway as Professor Harold Hill—a con man who, for a 1991. “Pasta,” “Sauteing,” “Poaching & | a status that is historical if not neces- small deposit, can “keep the River City Steaming,” “Candy & Chocolate.” Hi-fi kids moral after school” by forming a sarily enduring. Consequently, the boys’ brass band — Robert Preston trans- stereo. 30 min. each. $14.95 each. Interna- ferred his glib, charismatic character to tional Video Network. hodgepodge of performance outtakes the big screen with pizzazz. Oklahoma! The strength of this 13-tape series, that comprise Woodstock: The Lost Per- featuring chefs from the California Culi- formances possesses a certain value by dint of their mere existence. and Carousel veteran Shirley Jones is nary Academy in San Francisco, is its fo- charming — and in wonderful voice — as cus on technique: Each tape presents At the high end, The Band is cap- tured in a barely salvaged take of “The the starry-eyed librarian who falls under three recipes, all variations on the cas- Weight,” revealing Robbie Robertson in his shaggy pre-Hollywood glory; “Drift- Hill’s spell, but a lisping Ronny How- sette’s main theme. In ‘Poaching & ar—tdhough adorable —is a stretch as Steaming,” for example, chef Brian Mat- ing Blues” is performed by a lineup of the old maid’s much-younger brother. tingly prepares a filet of beef, stuffed the Paul Butterfield band that features a chicken breasts and a whole steamed young David Sanborn on sax; Janis Jop- Morton DaCosta directed The Music fish. Seasoning ranges from the subtle to lin's seething “Work Me Lord” captures Man with an eye toward spectacle, but the spectacular, and all accompaniments are explained and prepared. Miracu- her vitality though it’s patched together of the small-town variety. lowans sipping | with bits of black-and-white videotape; strawberry phosphates in the soda shop lously, all this is done in a stress-free and Crosby, Stills & Nash still seem and racing to greet the Wells-Fargo wag- way, despite each dish’s 10-minute limit. fresh with “Marrakesh Express” and the on are all preserved in Technicolor You're not meant to watch these Beatles’ “Blackbird.” pastels on the disc. Flickering in light- programs, whisk at the ready, while Woodstock: The Lost Performances colored patches is occasionally a prob- standing at your kitchen counter. Recipe has a grubby fossil-like charm that fills a lem, but otherwise the picture looks cards are included instead, and a cook- couple of gaps in the Woodstock ar- great. And if you don’t at least take a book is offered at each tape’s end. What chives. Expect no more and you won’t peek at this disc, well my friends, “Ya these tapes do so effectively is walk you be disappointed. —JW Got Trouble.” —APB through the processes, explaining the Ai whys of each step, including choosing q ingredients, dicing and slicing, and pre- sentation. This forms a solid basis for the beginning cook, while the recipes offer = Lead the Way: new ideas to the more advanced. River City, lowa’s latest The series’ big disappointment is the | heavy-handed presence of Braun, its un- derwriter. The same four commercials j marching band in The begin and end each tape, there are two =| Music Man. sponsor IDs, and the company’s tony ap- pliances even appear in the instructional segments, though thankfully unnamed. But forgive them their trespasses if | you're interested in cooking, because there’s a lot to be learned her—eand it goes down easy. —Terence Poltrack APRIL 1992 VIDEO 47
i The Doctor 1991. William Hurt, Christine Lahti, Eliz- abeth Perkins; dir. Randa Haines. Regarding: William, from Children of a Less- er God's director: Unfeeling doctor learns about compassion when he becomes the patient. Hi-fi surround, cc. (PG-13) 123 min. VHS, Beta priced for rental. Touchstone. George of the Jungle Anim. 4 vols./3 segments per cass. From Jay Ward, the slightly warped brain behind Rocky & Bullwinkle, comes George of the Jungle, Super Chicken and Tom Slick in a “greentoon” promoting environmental awareness. Aired in the late ’60s, early ’70s. Mono. (NR) Approx. 34 min. each. VHS only, $9.98 each. CBS/Fox. The Jungle Book 1967. Anim. Mowgli on disc. Digital sur- All Hands on Deck: Leonard Nimoy discusses his directorial work on a new version of Star Trek IV. round, cc. (G) 78 min. CAV $39.99. CLV satesfae $29.99, Walt Disney. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH record of the era. Dig-ital mono. (NR) 355 T19h8e4. KililingngWFaiteelrdsston, Dr. Haing S. Ngor; An American Tail: Fievel Goes West min. LD $69.98. MGM/UA. dir. Roland Joffe. meetin ra affecting: 1991. Anim. Voices of John Cleese, Dom , Newspaper man and guide form a unique DeLuise, Amy Irving, James Stewart. Go bond in volatile 1975 Cambodia. Digital west, young Mousekewitz! Hi-fi surround, id beeen Se o Howe Ssiudrerou7ndC,AVl.ettLeDrbo$x3e9d.,98.cc. Wa(rRm)er1.42 min. cc. (G) 75 min. VHS, Beta $24.95. LD 1986. Wilsleiam Shatneyra,g Leonard Ni.moy, $24.98 (CLV 2 sides), $39.98 (letterboxed, DeForest Kelley; dir. Nimoy. Outtakes, be- Little Man Tate CAV 3 sides). MCA/Universal. hind-the-scenes footage and an introduc- | 1991. Adam Hann-Byrd, Jodie Foster, Di- tion from the director (a.k.a. Spock) make The Commitments anne Wiest; dir. Foster. Reviews were 1991. Robert Arkins, Michael Aherne, An- this ta—popeening the series along with mixed on this story—a 7-year-old genius, geline Hall; dir. Alan Parker. Superb Adrian Lyne’s Fatal Attrac—tuinioqune. alienated from his peers, is torn between analysis of the rise and fall of a Dublin Stereo, letterboxed, cc. (PG) 136 min. band, from the director of Midnight Express VHS, Beta $29.95. LD (digital) $49.95. Compiles by April P. Bernard and Mississippi Burning. Hi-fi stereo, cc. (R) Paramount. 116 min. VHS, Beta $94.98. FoxVideo. Labels April spotlights the silver screen's finest directors, and Coup de Torchon FoxVideo salutes six with $19.98 “Director’s Choice” 1981. Phillipe Noiret, Isabelle Huppert; dir. or selections. The best picks are Tim Burton’s Edward Scis- Bertrand Tavernier. Round Midnight direc- lass sorhands, Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V and Wim Wenders’ tor’s portrait of a buffoonish cop turned vigilante in 1938 French West Africa was Paris, Texas. Turner debuts several titles from “RKO’s nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar. Darkly comic. Mono, subtitled. (NR) 128 Great Directors,” such as Orson Welles’ The Stranger and min. VHS only, $59.95. First Run Features. John Ford’s The Lost Patrol, all for $19.98. And don’t for- get one man who made the directors look good: special- effects genius Ray Harryhausen, a 1992 special Oscar The Dark Backward winner. Columbia TriStar has priced six of his works 1991. Judd Nelson, Wayne Newton, Lara Flynn Boyle, James Caan, Rob Lowe; dir. at $14.95. Meanwhile, MGM/UA’s $19.98 “Screen Mas- Adam Rifkin. When you're a no-talent terpieces” share a host of Oscar nominations and wins. stand-up comic named Marty Malt, noth- New releases include the powerful I Am a Fugitive From ing can boost your career like a third arm. a Chain Gang plus Norma Shearer’s The Bar- Weirdly fantastic (and fantastically weird). Hi-fi stereo, cc. (R) 100 min. VHS $89.95. retts of Wimpole Street, while prices have been LD $34.95. Columbia TriStar. cut on The Picture of Dorian Gray and more. MCA/Universal isn’t joking with its “April Fool’s Collection,” cutting prices on 16 The Dawn of Sound titles from King Ralph to Dead Men Don't Wear 1929. Color/B&W. Three early musicals— ) ee ‘| Plaid down to $14.95 and $19.95...Cult classics Broadway Melody (the first Academy Award-winning musical), Hollywood Review Edward are at| Columbia TriStar, with The Last Picture Show and of 1929 and Show of Show—sand a fabulous Scissorhands three Monty os Hicks now $19.95. —APB 48 VIDEO APRIL 1992
ee DIRECTORY nominations went to Mike Nichols’ first film directing effort, a look at a college his down-to-earth mother and a child psy- T professor and his bitter wife. Profanity cholog—inostatble as the directorial debut shocked audiences; studio execs, after a of “hot property” Foster. Hi-fi stereo, cc. When Father Was Away on Business screening, said they had a “$7.5 million (PG) 99 min. VHS only, $92.98. Orion. 1985. Moreno D’E Bartolli, Miki Mano- dirty picture” on their hands. Digital sur- round, letterboxed, cc. (NR) 129 min. A Little Romance jlovic; dir Emir Kusturica. ...he was really $39.98. Warner. in a Yugoslav labor camp, punishment for 1979. Diane Lane, Thelonius Bernard, Lau- sharing a mistress with a Communist Party COMEDY rence Olivier; dir. George Roy Hill. Utterly member. A Cannes Best Film, winningly charming: Youngsters taste first love in seen through the eyes of the 6-year-old Livin’ Large son. Mono, subtitled. (NR) 144 min. VHS 1991. Terrance “T.C.” Carson, Blanche Bak- Paris, with Olivier as a courtly con man only, $89.95. Fox Lorber. who helps them plan a special rendezvous via gondola. Digital mono, letterboxed. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (PG) 108 min. LD $34.98. Warner. 1966. B&W. Richard Burton, Elizabeth Tay- lor; dir. Mike Nichols. Thirteen Oscar Paradise 1991. Don Johnson, Melanie Griffith, Elijah THE ULTIMATE Wood; dir. Mary Agnes Donoghue. Visiting 10-year-old boy helps mend rift between young couple grieving the loss of their son. Hi-fi surround, cc. (PG-13) 112 min. VHS, Beta $92.95. Touchstone. The Philadelphia Story FROM eee 1940. B&W. Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart; dir. George Cukor. Vitality - Power to Endure WARREN'S WORLD Hepburn dismissed her “box-office poison” HA igh Performance - Power of Achievement The Innovator of Video label with this, one of the most sparkling & uperiority - Better to @iimifelila Power comedies ever to come out of Hollywood. Tape Distribution and its Based on the Philip Barry play. Remastered, includes trailer. Digital mono. (NR) 112 Sales Partner... | min. LD $34.98. MGM/UA. ¢ Ricochet C reativity - Power to be Inventive 1991. Denzel Washington, John Lithgow, Ice T; dir. Russell Mulcahy. Lithgow, as a deli- ciously sinister killer, methodically works to | destroy the cop who put him awa—pyiece by piece. Hi-fi stereo, cc. (R) 110 min. VHS only, $94.99. HBO. Sarah, Plain and Tall ls Sea a 1990. Glenn Close, Christopher Walken; | dir. Glenn Jordan. Hallmark Hall of Fame InventooWVHS | drama: Nine Emmy nominations were showered on this heartwarmer about a 1910 Introduces the mail-order bride and the family she most advanced touches. Stereo, cc. (G) 98 min. VHS $89.98. LD (digital) $29.98. Republic. line of video tapes ever The 3 Mesquiteers available. 1937-40. B&W. 12 vols. John Wayne, Bob Livingston, Ray “Crash” Corrigan, Bob Steele and Duncan Renaldo populated this western trio, who shot ’em up, knocked ‘em out—and rode off into the sunset with the likes of Rita Hayworth and Louise Brooks. Mono. (NR) Approx. 54 min. each. VHS only, $9.98 each. Republic. We All Have Tales | aOmAmrrc/h 1991. Anim. 2 vols. Raul Julia narrates “The Monkey People,” a South American YAN OS fable accompanied by a Lee Ritenour score WORLD and remarkable silhouette drawings from | New York Times illustrator Diana Bryan; 2655 Nostrand Avenue ¢ Brooklyn, New York 11210 © 718-258-0004 Tracey Ullman puts on voice after voice for Circle 50 on Reader Service Card the French tale “Puss in Boots,” while Jean-Luc Ponty’s score and Pierre Le-Tan’s illustrations flow. Hi-fi stereo. (NR) 30 min. each. VHS only, $9.95 each. Rabbit Ears. We Reinvent the Circus 1992. A spectacular circus like no other, with the traditional perform—etrarpesze ar- tists, tightrope walkers, acrobats, “clowns” and contortion—isdotisng very untradition- al things. Hi-fi stereo. 55 min. VHS only, $19.95. Island Visual Arts/PolyGram. APRIL 1992 VIDEO 49
NO BULL.... DIRECTORY 1-F8O0R0-ONRODERBSULOLNLY92 er; dir. Michael Schultz. Saliva boy lucks DRAMA into TV newsman spot, and is instantly 1-800-NO-BULL6 (662-8556 smitten with fame and fortune. Hi-fi stereo, Hill Number One ce. (R) 95 min. VHS only, $92.99. HBO. 1951. B&W. James Dean, Roddy McDowell; From Canada 1-800-344-BULL(2 55) dir. Arthur Pierson. An Easter broadcast For Information please call (908) 7100 Necessary Roughness from TV's golden years— opening as Ko- 1991. Scott Bakula, Hector Elizondo, Robert rean War soldiers hear the biblical tale— WE ARE AUTHORIZED Loggia; dir. Stan Dragoti. The Bad News featuring James Dean in his first dramatic DEALERS FOR ALL MAJOR Bears play football. Stereo, cc. (PG-13) 108 tole, John the Baptist. Mono. (NR) 60 min. min. VHS, Beta priced for rental. Para- VHS only, $14.95. Rhino. BRANDS OF TVs mount. Star Trek: The Next Generation The Super 1987. Vols. 5-8. Syndication’s top show: 1991. Joe Pesci; dir. Rod Daniel. Slumlord “Haven,” “Where No One Has Gone Be- forced to live in his own building. Hi-fi fore,” “The Last Outpost” and “Lonely stereo, cc. (R) 86 min. VHS, Beta $94.98. Among Us.” Hi-fi mono, cc. 46 min. each. FoxVideo. continued on page 60 most 2\" TO 100 \" INCLUDING ALL, TABLE, CONSOLE, and FRONT and REAR PROJECTION REAL DEAL ON ALL “8x Zoom -HiFi -Hi8 MAJOR BRANDS “Power Zoom ‘Remote © PROFESSIONAL PISTOL GRIP INCL SAMEASSONYTR84$CALL WE ARE AUTHORIZED DEALERS FOR ALL MAJOR +12x Zoom | BRANDS OF CAMCORDERS. VCRs, TVs, AND ‘E15 Digital ‘LowLux :VHSC AUDIO EQUIPMENT. DUE TO OUR LOW PRICES MANY «Palm Size MANUFACTURERS WILL NOT LET US ADVERTISE THEIR NAME OR PRODUCT. IF YOU DON'T SEE IT, PVS770 $1188 CALL. WE HAVE IT. THANK YOU K.B. NO BULL... ‘Digital Professional :. $848 FOR ALL OTHER F301: $CALL F501: $CALL INFORMATION INCLUDING TV'S, PAL MULTI SYSTEMS *8x Zoom ‘Hi 8mm & EUROPEAN EQUIPMENT- *VHSC-VHS Compatible “10x Zoom PLEASE CALL *Low Lux/Superimposer (908) 566-7100 ‘Hii BHM Fico) IEcol 6.0.8, YO‘MAPuSTchIHCIMoSCreA...$CALL LECTROWORKS Returns accepted within 7daysofreceipt—only withpriorauthorizationA.llreturned merchandise mustbeunused andin originalcondition.Seine at ediea pcatigmete whDak,parrycare. ‘Wereserthvereight to limitqualities.Cane handisa alea Oko RensareabetoS restocking fee. Shipping andHandling non-refundable. Not responsiblfeor INC. DBA K. B. VIDEO & ELECTRONICS Customer service hours 10am4pm Monday thru Thursday, EST. 24 Hour Fax Order Line 1-908-566-8234 Circle 8 on Reader Service Card. For Orders only 1-800-662-8559 Technical Info. call 908-566-7100 SUN 10-7 MON-FRI 9-8 AUEFNIWBS.UROLNAQASLELDCUP.LRlSaAz.TIaRH..O3P4.A,RM1N0YE0GTNHwEyT. E34,DMatawan, N.J. 07747 Circle 7 on Reader Service Card.
Search
