Another attractive reason for buying Laserdiscs

We all know American cinemas get new releases long before the UK, and may even have a film for sale in the shops while it's still being shown in the cinema elsewhere. But consider the possiblities of a Laserdisc player and TV which can play US NTSC discs. Import an NTSC disc from the US, and own the film as, or even sometimes before, it's on at the UK cinemas!


Vadim's great triumph - Barbarella - just one of the reasons to rush out and get a Laserdisc system.
In the UK we are 'protected' by the British Board of Film Certification, BBFC, which edits every film to meet the familiar U, PG, PG12, 15 and 18 certificates. Some films are deemed so unsuitable that they don't even get a video release. Take the endlessly delayed Reservoir Dogs, and Natural Born Killers. Some remain banned from long ago, such as The Exorcist and A Clockwork Orange.

In the UK we are 'protected' by the British Board of Film Certification, BBFC, which edits every film to meet the familiar U, PG, PG12, 15 and 18 certificates. Some films are deemed so unsuitable that they don't even get a video release. Take the endlessly delayed Reservoir Dogs, and Natural Born Killers. Some remain banned from long ago, such as The Exorcist and A Clockwork Orange.

Time bandits: one of 9000 titles on Laserdisc, and the one which contains perhaps the greatest concentration of short people

However, these are all available for sale uncut in America, and hence to Laserdisc importers. Clearly the BBFC and those companies that wish to encourage the PAL Laserdisc market with exclusive UK distribution rights to certain films, are set against the import business. While it is perfectly within your rights to import a film for personal use, so long as it isn't one on the banned list, those intending to resell are subject to crippling fines.
You must either find a suitable underground dealer, import the disks yourself, or only have access to those NTSC films that have already been released for sale in the UK with BBFC certification. You could of course buy PAL titles, but you wouldn't have them as early or access to the excellent US collectors' editions. The NTSC Laserdisc market is also much more experienced in producing superb quality discs, often boasting the help from such luminaries as Lucasfilm with its THX process.