What was the last movie ever released on LaserDisc?
Before DVD, there was another innovative beast that changed the landscape of physical media: LaserDisc.
In today’s digital world, it often feels incredibly dated to discuss physical formats, especially ones that predate major formats like DVDs. There are still many that remain popular, like vinyl formats, but people generally tend to venture towards digital formats and streaming when consuming media nowadays, for obvious reasons – it’s easier, faster, and often, much better quality.
If you were to utter the word LaserDisc to any of today’s generation, it’s likely that you’ll be met with confusion or a straight-up poker face. Most people won’t have heard of it, though that’s probably more to do with the fact that it took flight in some countries more than others, like Japan and North America, for instance.
Launched in the late 1970s by MCA and Philips, it was initially called DiscoVision before being rebranded to LaserDisc. At the time, a major box office title was needed to give its official launch some much-needed weight and to convince its markets that it was actually worth paying for, and so the first-ever movie available on the format was Steven Spielberg’s epic thriller, Jaws.
When it gained momentum, another incentive that viewers noticed was its quality. LaserDisc formats apparently had a better sound and picture quality, but their longevity ultimately faltered, especially with the arrival of DVD, which proved to be much cheaper, smaller (LaserDiscs were around 12”), better playback functions, and better backing among potential markets.
What was the last movie on LaserDisc?
By the 1990s, LaserDisc was practically over, mainly due to the popularity of DVD formats. What’s more, no one really noticed the change, or at least, no one felt saddened by the shift, except for those who had grown accustomed or attached to LaserDisc in a brand-loyal, collector way, and accrued the format over the years for novelty reasons.
Mostly, however, DVD was a welcome change, and in 2001, LaserDisc was effectively done, although Pioneer continued to manufacture players for a number of years after. The final film released on the format in Japan was the Hong Kong action film Tokyo Raiders in 2001, and, in North America, it was Martin Scorsese’s drama film Bringing out the Dead in 2000.
All things considered, however, LaserDisc isn’t necessarily viewed by loyal tech followers and collectors as a failure, and, in fact, many view them as rare or coveted items, especially when it comes to specific titles that aren’t available anywhere else. Disney’s Song of the South, for instance, came out on LaserDisc in Japan, but is unavailable in any other US format.
Most titles have been released on alternative formats, but there are still many that aren’t available elsewhere, or ones that are more difficult to find on anything other than LaserDisc. There’s also an element of charm about owning something on the format, especially considering its size and significance as one of the first major physical formats that led to other, more innovative media.
