special editions (1 Viewer)

[Roland G]

Maybe it's just me, but I think that the quality of Special Editions is dropping quite a bit compared to those released in the early days.

Why is it that a lot of new quality films don't get the deluxe SE that films like Fight Club got.

Solaris
Adaptation
About Schmidt

come to mind...

Sure there are still great SE's being released, but I am getting really tired of those sorta half SEs with a HBO featured and maybe if your lucky... a commentary track.

edit: could somebody move this to Software.... sorry for the mistake

 

[Dan Shogren]

Its just studios getting cheaper and cheaper. As soon as all the idiots moved from VHS to DVD, the amount of true entertainment connisours were dwarfed by the amount of rednecks who wanted to buy a pan and scan movie without any of those confusing extras. The average joe doesnt usually watch the extras, just the true fans of dvds. So because the dvd owners are not all smart multimillionaires anymore, they had to dumb down the content. And that means less development time, which equals more money and cheaper costs.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

How many movies other than Fight CLub got big deluxe editions in 2000? And there have been recent movies that got just as good or better. Black Hawk Down, for instance.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Solaris was a bomb that is unlikely to generate a mass cult following

Great film, but not something you want to sink big bucks on

 

[Patrick McCart]

Not every film needs the amount of extras Fight Club had.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Frankly, there are too many movies getting SE treatment. I never thought I'd hear myself say that, but it's impossible to keep up with the tidal flood of discs with commentaries and documentaries and tons of stuff.

 

[Arthur MR]

PatrickMcCourt, I have exactly the same opinion..it's absolutly subjetive, which movie should have extra stuff like Fight Club or even like Lord of the Rings (gosh 7 hours extra documentaries)...

I'm more interested to get SE's of elder movies..man look at the brilliant Stanley Kubrick Limited Edition Collector's Set, DVD-Fans would kill people to get them! (or it's just me..)


Arthur

 

[Kenneth English]

Frankly, there are too many movies getting SE treatment.

My thoughts exactly.

Back when DVD first started out these "Special Editions" really were something special to me. But now I'm just happy to have a good transfer and good sound. One too many boring/pointless commentaries and "Let's Pat Ourselves on the Back for Making Such a Timeless Work of Art" making-of featurettes have done me in. I don't have the patience (or the time) to wade through the chaff anymore. Besides, very few of the movies that are getting the deluxe treatment deserve it, IMO. I mean, did we need a commentary or behind-the-scenes doc on American Pie or The Mummy Returns? Ugh. No thanks.

 

[Thomas T]

Let me add my voice to the chorus of those expressing distaste of the Special Edition overload. Some films, old (Singin' In The Rain) and new (The Hours), are worthy of special editions but come on, do we need special editions of stuff like Enough with Jennifer Lopez which has just been announced (is someone really wating for this)? What next, a special edition of Glitter with a Mariah Carey commentary, deleted scenes, cast interviews and a making of Glitter documentary?

I'm quite content with my special editionless DVDs of Adaptation and About Schmidt, thank you very much.

 

[Patrick Soucy]

I mean, did we need a commentary or behind-the-scenes doc on American Pie or The Mummy Returns?

The Mummy Returns movie was very good, and the making of featurette was great IMO.

But you're right for American Pie... no special effect here.... and terrible movie....

 

[Arthur MR]

oh yeah..isn't the movie the most important thing on a DVD, I'm almost happy if it could be uncut, ok Director's cut is the best thing..I don't need making of's or documentaries, except of my fav directors, but it isn't really necessary

..but everyone is different...or rich


Arthur

 

[Roland G]

sure you don't need tons of extras

but it seems like less quality movies are more likely to get a SE treatment *lol*

I am happy for you that you are content with your SEless editions of About Schmidt and Adaptation.

I am not. I would care for Special Editions for

Adaptation, The Ring or The Virgin Suicides.

I want to know a little more about the way Spike Jonze, Gore Verbinsky and Sofia Coppola work....

It really seems like "CQ" from Roman Coppola is the only film of a new/young director that got a decent SE.

 

[Yee-Ming]

it's impossible to keep up with the tidal flood of discs with commentaries and documentaries and tons of stuff.

In many ways, I'd agree with the above, especially commentaries which, when good are amongst the best extras possible, but when not are a monumental waste of time. The difficulty is the amount of time one has to invest in listening to a commentary.

That said, the other issue is the quality of documentaries. There are plenty of excellent ones on new releases, but equally there are useless bits of fluff. I'm sure we all want making-ofs of the quality of The Abyss or SW1:TPM, not the HBO "First Look" nonsense.

 

[CraigF]

Agree, too often the extras are just promo pieces for the studio and for their other products, or other irrelevant stuff like games. LOTR, BHD, Pearl Harbor (eg), films with effects or a history behind them, films that were controversial, etc. often have some good extras. Generally it's crap though. Criterion is reliable for their extras, they don't put it on if it's not relevant and informative.

I know some people complain when discs don't have extras, but if it's just going to be trash to fill space, and possibly limit the bits for good stuff, then I'll live without them.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

But now I'm just happy to have a good transfer and good sound.

My thoughts exactly!

Frankly, I have gotten tired of commentaries. Don't get me wrong, it's great to have them there for some sort of posterity - let's the filmmaker(s) have their say, but I just don't have the time nor inclination anymore to listen to all three commentaries on Blue Underground's superb DVD of Dead And Buried, for example - it would take 6 hours and forty minutes of my time to watch the film and then listen to all three commentaries! When I come home from work, I just don't have enough time to kill by watching/listen to all these 'special' features - I have better thing to do. Give me a great transfer and great sound and I'll be happy!

But I will listen to a commentary of a film I really love or if it is said to be a good one.

I find it more annoying when I see brand-spanking-new, yet mediocre films with a klondike of extra features. These films have no legacy, they often have no bearing on the culture of our times, all these features do is unveal the 'amazing' secrets of how they created an alien being or spaceship and also to kiss the asses of people they probably feel indifferent about, but because it's "for the DVD" - GETTING ANOTHER PAYCHECK... yawn.

Criterion are great for extras. To them, it's an extension of the art of the film they are presenting in as high a quality as they can.

Lord Of The Rings: Extended? I didn't buy that. Too much extras - too high a price. AMAZING transfer though. I borrowed it from a friend to watch the film, maybe someday I'll buy it for myself.


Gordy

 

[Roland G]

I honestly don't need a special edition for every singel movie on DVD.

But I would like to have SEs for the films that are breaking new ground or have a unique quality to them.

And it seems like those films don't get the treatment they deserve.

But my guess is that this is due the really short time span between between theatrical and video release.

Maybe we are getting a lot of great SEs in the future of those films

I sure know a

Panic Room and Vanilla Sky SE is coming

 

[Eric Peterson]

I'm not seeing what you're talking about at all, but I guess that's because I primarily buy classic films and they either get the super deluxe treatment or get totally shafted. I very rarely find a new film that interests me enough to purchase the DVD, let alone watch the extras.

I'm a an extras afficianado and often find them more interesting than the movie, so I rate them very high on my requirements in order to purchase a DVD. If they aren't going to give me quality extras, then I'll just rent and save myself $10.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

But I would like to have SEs for the films that are breaking new ground or have a unique quality to them.

I agree. But to me, that doesn't include CGI effects. Actually, I find commentaries on low-budget films amongst the best - guerilla filmmaking and real use of human ideas, inspiration and crazy stories! But you're right, Roland, there aren't much DVD editions of those films.


Gordy

 

[Jimmy Nugent]

"Special" Editions. This has long been a pet peeve of mine. Doesn't there have to be a "regular" edition in order for there to be a "special" edition? Kinda like calling Domino's and ordering a small pizza. "Sorry, we only have medium and large." Uh... no- you can't have medium without a small and a large for it to fit between. So, invariably, I order "the SMALLER of the two". Yeah, I'm a jerk.

"Special" Editions indeed- like the Special "Limited" Edition of Saving Private Ryan. Don't get me started...

I can sum it all up in three words- Marketing, Marketing, Marketing.

Anal Retentive Jimmy

 

[Kenneth English]

"Special" Editions. This has long been a pet peeve of mine. Doesn't there have to be a "regular" edition in order for there to be a "special" edition?

Ha! You took the words right out of my mouth. Every time I see something like Tears of the Sun: Special Edition or Resident Evil: Special Edition I think "Special compared to what?". :rolleyes