Criterion introduced commentary tracks in 1984 (Citizen Kane and King Kong). Since discs at the time only offered analog channels, they only appeared on films that were mono; it wasn’t until digital sound came about (and became entrenched) that it became possible to provide commentary for stereo films. By 1996, commentary was pretty common on art-house and popular releases, and semi-common on cult stuff.
Your anime LD experience is what I experienced with foreign films in general-- original language tracks typically took precedence over commentaries, though I have a few that have English, foreign language, and commentary. (Commentary and one language were mono, of course).
Oh, and in response to the OP’s question-- it’s been touched on by others upthread, but arcades, arcades, arcades. I took a road trip to New Hampshire last year to visit Funspot, the world’s largest classic arcade; while I had fun, it was sad because similarly-sized arcades were common and locally available through the late 80s around here. I’d love to spend some time back then again with pockets full of quarters.
Hate: Crap cars. Cheesy-ass computers. Serial killer glasses. Comparatively primitive diabetes care. Thank you for not objecting to me smoking.
Love: Cheap collectibles. Less palpable noise and tension in everyday life. The chance to nail Kathleen Turner before she turned into a coarse man-woman.
Is there something profoundly wrong with me that the first thing I thought was “hmmm, in 1983 the SO was sixteen and probably just as cute as a bug?” He was still pretty damned cute when I met him three years later. I think I’d probably go look him up (he really likes older wimmens) and take him for one hell of a neat vacation courtesy of that magic credit card. Then I’d take off and tell him if he ever runs into a younger woman who reminds him of me–go for it!
Statutory rape laws were not well enforced back then… Og knows there was little else to recommend the time–butt rock, bad food, “meh” cars, crap beer. Hawaii and Baja California pre-mega resorts would be good destinations, though, and New Orleans has always had good restaurants.
That wasn’t the first time the video aired, though. I remember from the late 1970s, one of the networks – NBC? Or maybe it was a cable network – had special programming from midnight Friday nights into the wee hours. Music videos were just taking off then, but there were few showcases for them. I’d seen the Buggles video prior to MTV. It turned out to be very prophetic indeed.
All these mentions of videogame parlors made me think of pachinko parlors in Tokyo. I’d definitely hit one of those (I think there were still some left in 1983 – there were in 1980).
Yea, man, Sampiro, excellent intro with the Dollar General portal.
The Reagan EraWorms would probably drive my crazy with my current mindframe(not so far off from my youthful, hopeful self back then); t’would be like a Night of the Living Dead Hash-O-Rama to go through again with current knowledge.
Most of the music stuff brought up here; I did that then, saw mostof those bands, cross-country, so guess it does prove No Regrets. I had a very good cultural young adulthood, which formed me to this point.
The second part of your question seems to have morphed into what you would Do with what you enjoyed then, so, me:
I’d take that month off and hightail it to see Frank Zappa, who was my teenage hero back then, and have a good long talk with him, to tell him what music had become past his death in 1993; the whole interesting shebang of internet and all.
For one; he’d probably listen and believe the whole time travel mess, over most folks ya’d be yammerring at, fer two; he’d surely have most interesting things to say about it all. Even 10 minutes of that discourse before being plopped back down in the Dollar General checkout line with the usual bottle of Wisk, would be worth it.
Seeing as the OP mentions both 1980 and 1983, I’m not sure which year I’d actually go to. Either way, I wasn’t born until 1985, so it would be a new experience for me.
The best thing about it would be going to an arcade and playing all of the hits back when they were hits. I’d love to hit Twin Galaxies in Ottumwa, Iowa and hopefully meet a famous video game player. Then I could tell all my friends that Billy Mitchell kicked my ass in Pac-Man or something like that.
The worst part would be, obviously, no Internet. If I planned on going to Iowa, I’d have to book my flight in person. There are some famous people I’d like to meet, but it would probably be considered stalking, so that kind of sucks, too.
I don’t know how into this I would be. If we are talking about 1980 or 1983 (the OP uses both dates), I was a young man of 18 or 21 at the time. All my pleasant memories of those years are a young man’s memories. If I were transported back there now as a man of 46, what am I going to do? Go hang out at the places I hung out then? That’d be really swell…getting to be the creepy old guy. Am I going to do the stuff that I used to do then?
Really, all I can see myself doing is buying abunch of stuff on the credit card (none of which, I presume, I’m going to be allowed to keep) and play with it. Motorcycles, guns, cars…stuff like that; the electronic stuff from back then is pretty crude in comparison to today. I figure the amount of joy to be had from playing Colecovision is fairly limited.
Unless I get to go back and live as a young man again, I believe I’ll just pass.
Pro – High-impact aerobics in classes filled with taut, Lycra-clad female bodies; racquetball three afternoons a week; sex without little blue pills; Police songs, big hair, power ballads. I’d be in my 30s again. Good times!
Con – No Internet or cell phones; computer power at the low end of any scale; AIDS was just entering the national consciousness and there was a ton of misinformation and insensitivity about it.
But if I’m still a guy in his late 50s, fugeddaboudit, I ain’t playin’!
Og knows there was little else to recommend the time–butt rock, bad food, “meh” cars, crap beer. Hawaii and Baja California pre-mega resorts would be good destinations, though, and New Orleans has always had good restaurants.