posted
Okay, I get the part about releasing two different versions of every LOTR movie. I get devoting four discs to each film, with so many commentaries and special features that 95% of the people that buy them will never in their lives see one-third of what they paid for. But just when I think his balls can't hold anymore brass, I see this:
That's right, the day before King Kong comes out in the theatres, you can buy it on DVD. But, get this, you'll be paying $30 for just the special features. Seriously, does anyone even care enough about special features to sit through them anymore? And now they're supposed to be so amazing that the actual film is expendable?
Maybe I'm way off base here. Is anyone planning on buying this?
Posts: 2804 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
I don't think the idea is supposed to be that the actual film is expendable. It seems like they want to try to have you see the movie in theaters and have all the special features to watch at home either before or after the theater experience, depending on your taste.
I could see the possible appeal of watching a newly released movie and then being able to see the "making of" and interviews with cast and crew before the regular dvd release, while it's still fresh.
But I completely second T_Smith on the price issue.
posted
if there had been a disc released of the LOTR movies with just the special features I would have definitely purchased them Maybe not for 30, but I'd want them.
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
But honestly, when's the last time anyone here has actually sat down and watched all the special features on the average DVD release of a movie or TV series? When I first got a DVD player and special features were a novelty, I used to watch them all. I'd listen to all the commentaries and watch all the behind-the-scenes documentaries and deleted scenes and people wandering around sets and music videos and theatrical trailers and montages of clips from the movie I just finished watching and interviews with people kissing up to each other. But that didn't last long.
Now even when I really like a movie or a TV series, I might be bothered to watch one short documentary. Usually not. Even on things like Lost and Firefly, which are some of my favorite things in all of the world, I haven't watched a single special feature.
As for LOTR, I tried. I got the 12-disc box set as soon as all the movies were available in their extended editions. And I have seen all the actual movies, which I'm pretty proud of. But, try as I might I've only made it about 2/3 of the way through disc one of the special features on Fellowship. And as far as the commentaries, well, I just haven't had a free 48 hours yet to blow on that enterprise.
So yes, special features are very tempting. But I'm starting to get realistic about them. When movies that I own and love like Office Space, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly and The Warriors come out with extra-special editions like they recently have, I spend a few seconds contemplating buying them again. But then I realize that I haven't even watched the features on the versions that I already own, and it starts to feel a little pointless. And that's for versions that actually go so far as to include the actual film that inspired the features.
So back to the original question: how many special features do the rest of you usually watch with your DVDs? How many of the LOTR special features have you sat through? And how likely to you really think you'd be to watch all two discs of production diaries, even if they came free with the movie ticket?
posted
There's only one movie I'd ever buy in the special edition form solely for the special features, and that's Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In fact, I did buy that movie twice and I've never regretted it. I've seen all the special features several times, and they are in many ways just as good as most movies.
And there's only one set of DVDs that I'd ever watch the commentaries on anymore, and that's South Park. That's only because the creators have finaly realized that even in good commentaries, 80% of them are people sitting around saying, "oh, I really like this scene" and chuckling silently. So since they're only likely to have 4 minutes of interesting things to say per episode, they only do commentary on the first 4 minutes of every episode. It's genius.
Other than that, I'll acknowledge that there are a few DVDs that do bonus features well. Red Dwarf, Stop Making Sense and the 2-disc special edition of The Sound of Music in particular have just about the best bonus feature package a movie or TV show is likely to compile. And even then, I'd never recommend anyone upgrade their DVDs for those features if they already had a cheaper version without them.
quote:Underrated entertainment experience: Just watching the movie and ignoring the DVD extras
Why? The increasing focus on DVD supplements encourages publishers to sell popular movies twice—once in a quickie edition, and again in a filler-packed "special collector's edition" that costs twice as much. That manipulative commercial calculation is annoying enough, but worse yet is the quantity-over-quality vibe which that dynamic encourages. More extras mean more money, no matter how empty an experience those extras are. For every disc or set out there with an insightful filmmaker commentary or a revealing alternate ending, there are half a dozen full of self-congratulatory puff-piece documentaries, useless "image galleries," and empty-air twittering about how cool everyone involved with the film was. Every film is a unique experience, but most DVD supplements fit generic patterns, and they don't extend the experience of the film so much as they cheapen it, reduce it to predictable patterns, and then beat it into the ground.
The evidence: Almost any "collector's" DVD or DVD set, but for a recent example, check out the three-disc Titanic Special Collector's Edition due to be released October 25th. Love it or hate it, Titanic tells a love story. And what love story is enhanced by hours and hours of overanalysis and dissection? (Also, what three-hour-plus movie is really improved by 45 minutes of deleted scenes?)
posted
I've seen all the special features for LOTR too. And PJ has always said/been said of him that he loves the DVD format. This new experiment on hyper-expansive extra's doesn't surprize me. I'm sure they will be worth it though!
But what I'm really curious about is the fact that it's coming out the DAY of the theatrical release. Theather companies HATE this. And I can't say I blame them. Who knows what might happen if this becomes normal, for movies to be released on DVD the same day as in the theater. Why even go to the theater?
Many directors and actors say they won't bother making movies if they can't be shown to the public in theater form. It's that collective experiance that makes the movie/stage play/opera so powerful.
Posts: 4953 | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
I bought Holy Grail three times, every time they released a newer better edition of it, and never felt like I wasted my money.
I would have paid for just the special features on LOTR but I wouldn't pay even 15 for the SF on King Kong. I think they are overestimating the value of Jackson's special features. The reason I loved the MP ones, is because they were hilarious mostly. And LOTR was awesome because all the production of the cultures of Middle Earth, and the MUSIC especially were fantastic.
What's going to be on the KK special feature, the story of how ALL of Howard Shore's music was cut from the movie and a new composer was chosen to create all new music?
(Which, ironically, reminds me of Monty Python)
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
I didn't know they withdrew the Howard Shore score. That's weak. I hope he releases it anyway. I might buy it just to annoy them.
Posts: 2804 | Registered: May 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Telperion the Silver: But what I'm really curious about is the fact that it's coming out the DAY of the theatrical release. Theather companies HATE this. And I can't say I blame them. Who knows what might happen if this becomes normal, for movies to be released on DVD the same day as in the theater. Why even go to the theater?
They're not releasing the movie on DVD the same day. They're only releasing the special features.
The movie will come later. I'll be interested to see if they dredge up new features for it, or if they just package the movie with the production diaries and laugh at all the suckers that have to buy it twice.
Posts: 2804 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
I never buy two copies of the same movie. No matter what. The special features are neat sometimes, but I'm not going to spend 30 dollars on just special features. Though some people are probably counting down the days on their little PDAs.
Posts: 6026 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
I've watched special features on some movies
I watched everything on Gladiator (I loved that movie). I just got the new extended edition, and have watched a bunch (but not all) of the new stuff.
I watched a lot of the Lord of the Rings special features...and the actors commentaries.
I also watched all the stuff on Get over it, Hitch, and The Patriot.
Other than that, I just watch bits and pieces of the special features in movies I buy.
I really wish the movie "Frequency" had a version with more features. I really loved that movie.
I also just found that the "deluxe" edition of Batman Begins doesn't have a commentary. Very disapointing. It does have a bunch of other interesting features that I will check out though.
That being said...while I like special features, I would never buy a DVD with only the special features on it. Special features are nice, but the movie is the main reason for the DVD.
posted
I was just at the theatre where I noticed an enormous 8'x10' cardboard display for King Kong, and it still said "music by Howard Shore". Made me remember this thread, as that's where I found out that this was no longer correct. I'd be raging pissed if I were him.
Has anyone heard any reasoning behind throwing out the score?
Posts: 2804 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
I always watch special features on DVDs as well, Narnia... don't feel bad! I was just about to say that, but you beat me to it.
Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
I have seen every special feature on "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"--multiple times. I saw a DVD of CTHD with no special features but subtitled in Korean, so I got that DVD as well.
I absolutely LOVE watching trailers. If a DVD I buy does not have trailers, then I feel really denied!
Hiro-chan loves seeing special features on how movies are made. She never watched movies until she married me. In Japan movies were too expensive to watch or buy (she had the money--it is a personality thing), and because she was a teacher, she had no time to rent/watch movies.
Any little special effect still blows her away. Sometimes I have to remind her it is just special effects. She liked the special features on "A Beautiful Mind" as much as she liked the movie. In fact, she is a special features junkie.
Last night we watched "Finding Neverland." She loved it so much we had to stay up and watch every special feature (expect the running commentary). When there were no more special features, she was very disappointed.
Posts: 2445 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
I watch all the special features on Buffy. I'm getting there on Firefly (I've seen about half). With the West Wing, I'm not so sure, depends on how good they are. I almost never watch them for movies unless I'm really bored, though.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
I remember when RotK first came out: I had asked for it for Christmas, so purchasing the 4-disc set was out of the question. The thing was that I wanted very much to see the extended version and all the special features. Naturally, I rented it. And then I stayed up for two and a half days straight just to get through as much as possible before having to return the darn thing.
Moral of the story: I, too, watch as many of the special features on DVDs as I can - especially cast commentaries. Those are often hilarious (most notably the Brad Pitt/Matt Damon/Andy Garcia one on Ocean's Eleven).
Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
I watch a lot of the special features on my dvds, but I have many dvds that I haven't watched the specials yet. One of the issues is that many of the movies I like come absolutely packed with extras. I have a copy of Seven that has four separate full-length commentary tracks! I've listened to one of them so far.
I like commentary tracks (when the directors or stars have anything interesting to say) but they're one of the hardest ones to actually watch. If I've seen the movie recently I'm not likely to watch it again right away just for the commentary. But if I haven't seen it in a long time I'll probably want to watch it without the commentary because I like the movie itself. So there's actually a fairly short window of interest for watching it with the commentary on.
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