"I Need the Old Blade Runner"

Nicky is much better qualified to comment upon this rare beast - the original theatrical release of Blade Runner... on Beta.
It's one of his favourite films.

Sure, you can get Blade Runner, arguably one of Ridley Scott's best films, on DVD, but you'll be suffering through the interminable director's cut.

Sure, you can still get the original theatrical release, but it means having to purchase a DVD box set with 578,204,000 different versions before you get to the one people paid good money to see at the cinema.

Nicky says there is a very good reason producers make directors edit and chase films.

Scott has enjoyed aftermarket DVD success with the directors' only because of the cult following the original version enjoyed.

Being the early adopter he was, Nicky still has his original Beta video recorder and a heap of tapes that we're now recording onto a digital format.

Not seen Blade Runner? Don't know what the fuss is about?

Take a look at Rutger Hauer's moving performance as Replicant Roy Batty:

Another Brick In The Wall

Love this picture. Only the man's phone (and the lairy sports jacket) really date this image.

It was only taken in 1991 and found in the 1991-1992 Dick Smith Electronics catalogue.

Boasting that it's small and convenient, these babies have a small battery pack that can offer a whopping 1.5 hours of talk time and 8 hours standby.

Ah, 1991 when the biggest hit at the box office was Terminator 2 and its then revolutionary morphing technology turned Robert Patrick into liquid and back.

Ashes To Ashes

Y'know with one of these You'll never miss an episode of LA Law.

Ah yes, LA Law, one of the under rated show from the late 1980s which crossed over into the 1990s, yet struggled at the end its eight year run to remain relevant in changing times.

The show revived Harry Hamlin and Susan Dey's careers and turned Corbin Bernsen into his a star for his lovable rogue Arnie Becker, a number arguably as famous as Gordon Gecko to epitomes the winner takes all in love and business that is supposed to have been a touchstone for the 1980s.

The show was co-written by wretched bleeding heart David E Kelley who took LA Law's trite and true formula for dramas Boston Legal, Boston Public and The Practice.



Ye gods! The things you find looking at IMDB. Kelley is remaking the fantastic, cop/sci fi drama Life On Mars for American audiences. Gag, gag, shudder!

Don't waste your time. See the original:

Who Listens To The Radio?

Portable, personal stereos.

Chortle.

The equivalent today is an MP3 player the size of a man's thumb.

Still, groovy colours and retro styling on a radio you could actually attach to your pushie's handle bars!

All the better for singing along to British actor-singer Jimmy Nail's July 1992 hit, Ain't No Doubt:

Wired For Sound

Check out this hot rockin' stereo system (click the pic for a larger view).

It has not one, but two(!) cassette decks AND a CD player.

All the better to play the latest hits.

Who will win the 1991 Australian Music Awards for Most Popular International Album?

Roxette's Joyride?

Bryan Adams' Waking Up The Neighbours?

Guns 'N' Roses' Use Your Illusion Vols 1 and 2?

You'd just have to watch this clip, hosted by Jason Donovan to find out.



Hey, how come you're paying more than twice as much for the small system that doesn't even have a record deck?

What's up with that man? Vinyl lives!

Wired For Sound

Ah the 1990s. The time of joy, peace and calm after Reagan, Thatcher and Pope John Paul 2 helped see to the end of the global threat of the Soviets and the beginning of great economic prosperity that became apparent from the mid-part of the decade.

And look how far we've come! The Internet, DVDs, iPods, Gigabytes of computing power... the Australian economy of the brink of recession, Russian aggression threatening Europe.

Well maybe some things don't change after all.

OOh, look at that! (Look above right) - Bright shiny technology! The latest and greatest from Tandys from 1991.

Micro cassette tapes! Computers with a 20 MB hard drive and 640K RAM! AM/FM players the size of a paperback novel! A combined TV, cassette player and AM/FM radio the size of a large shoe box.

Over the next few months we'll be exploring this and the Dick Smith Electronics Catalogue of the same vintage.

This is the site to bookmark, geeks!