Name Discs with Favorite or Exceptional Features That We Like (1 Viewer)

[NY2LA]

Through all the frustrating and annoying things we see on DVDs and Blu Rays, a few good things surface here and there, examples of actually thoughtful, considerate, efficient, user-friendly, imaginative, creative and fun Disc Authoring. Unusual extra features, Maybe it's the rare MOD that was authored like a Special Edition, with exceptionally nice menus and supplements, This thread is to call appreciative attention to good things and encourage more.
-NUMEROUS PLAY OPTIONS
With or without roadshow elements like Overtures, Intermissions, Exit music, with or without featurettes, cartoons, trailers, etc, TV episode or Cartoon discs or list of supplements that offer Play ALL, CHOICE is good. Recently some creative and well thought out options have authored in to some newer discs, and I'd like to encourage that kind of thing. Some older discs have features we miss, let's name them, too.
-MENU OPTIONS
we don't see it often, but some discs offer traditional layered and artsy menus PLUS an option that simply presents all the content in a straightforward list. that is actually thoughtful and helpful.
-EASY TO NAVIGATE SCENE MENUS
It's not as common as it should be, but when we bring up scene selection and have a page full of thumbnail pictures, you should be able to simply right click through the the entire movie in proper sequence, instead of having to click down to the bottom of the menu and over to the next screen of thumbnails over and over. When this ability surfaces we wish to applaud it.
-MENUS THAT ARE APPEALING, ATTRACTIVE, USEFUL, EASY
Including Easy To Read! I love the vintage look a certain studio used to use for their menus and packaging. The menus often looked like a nice lobby card/poster that simply waited on your screen until you were ready. I really miss that. I love the rare discs where they have remembered that they are presenting a SHOW, not programming a videogame.
-MENUS WITHOUT REPETITIVE SHORT MUSIC LOOPS OR VISUALS
Authors that dare to be different by realizing how grating that repetitive stuff can become, and go the opposite direction. The ability to mute a menu is nice.
-EXCEPTIONAL FEATURES
whether it's something clever you don't often see, didn't expect, or it's just that the extras are substantial and or good enough to have added real value to the disc. I would definitely include cases where your interest in the movie was marginal but the extras were so compelling that you were swayed to buy the disc to get them.
-EXCEPTIONAL PICTURE, SOUND
What if they did a really good job of presenting the movie? What if the surround mix is especially fun, is this something you pop in to show off your system to friends?
I'll add to this list as more good features come to mind. Again the purpose here is not to debate the value - we have a place to list things we like here, and another thread for things we don't - The purpose here is to call attention to things we like by listing their actual appearance in each disc.
So please list the disc name, whether it is a previous or current release, DVD or Blu or even MOD, and list the things you like.

 

[NY2LA]

Disney's THE MUPPETS, the latest muppet movie, has a unique feature on the Blu Ray that makes creative use of the format's capabilities...
They call it Disney Intermission, it brings up a random variety of amusing interstitial and preview material whenever you press pause. This can be easily disabled in the menu in case you want to do an actual freeze frame. Randominzing it makes it less likely to become tired.
If you use your imagination, you can think of several ways this kind of authoring can enhance the movie experience if put in creative hands. I'd like to see more programming options that might turn a disc from a software-videogame feeling to a theatrical showcase feeling.
I'm a big fan of the Warner Night at the Movies concept, (not just including extras like cartoons, shorts, trailers, etc. but offering an option to play them as a complete show in sequence with the feature) though I have yet to encounter it myself on disc, because Warner has not used this great idea on movies I watch... Warner owns so many cartoons and shorts, this is a missed opportunity for inexpensive added value, and I'd like to encourage its use on current as well as vintage catalog films.

 

[Yorkshire]

Not massively advanced or technically inventive, but I do like the idea behind the commentaries on Se7en.
There are four:
- The Stars
- The Story
- The Picture
- The Sound
Together they give you an interesting overview of the different components of the film, rather than just the director and a couple of the actors discussing how one of them was late to the shoot that day, etc.
Steve W

 

[cineMANIAC]

I'll be adding to this post as I come across items that I find pleasing and/or useful. For now, I'd like to say that SEAMLESS BRANCHING is a novel idea that should be used more often. To add to the cost of a DVD or Blu-ray some studios will opt to include a second disc for the alternate version, which is stupid and unnecessary. FOX used seamless branching to great effect on THE ABYSS and the ALIEN films. On the opposite end, WARNER should've done seamless branching for THE EXORCIST.
I can't say this enough times but CRITERION gets the menu/play movie thing perfect every time. You pop the disc in, the menu screen appears and you can begin watching the film within seconds. Such a pleasure!
VIDEO COMMENTARIES. Warner Bros., AFAIK, is the only studio to have used this feature. THE GOONIES BD featured a video commentary that appeared sporadically throughout the film via a small window in the corner. This could be a fun way of watching a film if done right. Many times I've wondered what the expressions were on people's faces as they watch themselves on screen. It's also fun to see how people have aged over the years and to gasp at those who haven't aged well .

 

[Charles Smith]

The UK DVD of The Wicker Man (1973) includes a 15-minute video excerpt of the actual recording of the commentary, and it's fascinating. I would LOVE to see more of that kind of thing.

 

[NY2LA]

I'll be adding to this post as I come across items that I find pleasing and/or useful. For now, I'd like to say that SEAMLESS BRANCHING is a novel idea that should be used more often. To add to the cost of a DVD or Blu-ray some studios will opt to include a second disc for the alternate version, which is stupid and unnecessary. FOX used seamless branching to great effect on THE ABYSS and the ALIEN films. On the opposite end, WARNER should've done seamless branching for THE EXORCIST.
I can't say this enough times but CRITERION gets the menu/play movie thing perfect every time. You pop the disc in, the menu screen appears and you can begin watching the film within seconds. Such a pleasure!
VIDEO COMMENTARIES. Warner Bros., AFAIK, is the only studio to have used this feature. THE GOONIES BD featured a video commentary that appeared sporadically throughout the film via a small window in the corner. This could be a fun way of watching a film if done right. Many times I've wondered what the expressions were on people's faces as they watch themselves on screen. It's also fun to see how people have aged over the years and to gasp at those who haven't aged well .

Agree that branching is often a missed opportunity, especially for convenience and saving cost of an additional disc when possible.
I have no Criterion experience but believe the good reports and look forward to seeing for myself when they sell a title I want.
Video Commentaries: You might agree that there are a variety of ways they can be implemented but I do agree they can be interesting and/or fun.... of course they might not explain why one of the cast members disappears from the room at some point, never to return or be mentioned again!

 

[ijthompson]

I very much appreciate the screensavers that pop up on Universal BDs when you pause or sit on the menu for too long. That said, I hate how their motion-menus tend to spoil the whole damn movie (John Carpenter's The Thing, I'm looking at you)!

 

[Mark Oates]

The sight of Peter Jackson channelling Captain Haddock for a CGI Snowy test on The Adventures of Tintin is worth the price of admission alone, as are the retrospective documentaries on the Bond movies, the Technicolor documentary hosted by Angela Lansbury on The Adventures of Robin Hood DVD, and the Cinerama documentary on How The West Was Won. A lot of people ignore extras on discs, but for me they're part of the delight of the medium. My most recent gem turned up this morning - 2Entertain's release of Doctor Who - Death To The Daleks. Among the extras is a short documentary on the big screen version of Doctor Who in the 1960s Doctor Who and the Daleks. Including an interview with director Gordon Flemyng's son Jason (he of LXG, Stardust, Benjamin Button and X-Men:First Class) the short is composed of mute film trims from a lost documentary on the making of the movie. The highlight is a brief shot of Peter Cushing and Roy Castle dancing on the set of the Dalek control room.
Magic.