Best DVDs (features...)

[jasper]

I dare say that more filmmakers ought to produce their work with DVD in mind.

I darn say you would be unwilling to pay extra for this.
Now when most of the cameras and studios go digital it will be easier.
It takes money to press the DVD. Have to pay Bob to do the switching and packing.
DVD are new to the scence. Don't except joe blow director and mega buck studio to use all the tech that is out there.

 

[Miho]

I haven't caught up with the dvd revolution yet, but I believe THE MATRIX has some good extra's on it.

 

[Shadowdancer]

The special edition of "Conan the Barbarian" not only has some good extras, it has extra footage and scenes incorporated into the movie, just like the extended version of "Lord of the Rings" will. Also has an hour-long "Making of" documentary that's pretty interesting.

I know a lot of people didn't like "Moulin Rouge," but if you did like the movie, you have to check out the DVD. It was extended versions of some of the dance sequences that were cut down for the movie. And on some of the dance sequences, you can switch between different camera angles. It's way cool.

 

[dreamthief]

Extras and etc

This is Spinal Tap is great. An awesome comedy and the non-Criterion has an in character commentary that's pretty darn funny.

In a similar vein, the extras for Almost Famous are pretty darn good as well.

From Hell and Memento: Limited Edition are pretty darn loaded too, but my favourite extra has to be Robert Rodriguez's 10 minute Film School on his El Mariachi/Desperado disc. I love El Mariachi but hate Desperado. It just proves that throwing money at a film doesn't make it better.

DT

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I dare say that more filmmakers ought to produce their work with DVD in mind.

This is more and more the case these days.... For LoTR, for example, they filmed hours and hours of behind the scenes footage, and they do this for most big-budgeted movies these days.

 

[LightPhoenix]

Re: Re: Best DVDs (features...)

In fact, there have been a few DVD's put out that totally eschew all extra features in favor of using the maximum bandwidth to provide the absolute best picture quality - there's a new version of the 5th Element that does this...

Oh really???? I'll have to pick that up.

Um, something on topic. Yeah...

Again, with a lot of older movies, there might not be anything but the movie to put on there - even ten years ago no one really thought to save all that extra footage. I'm sure a lot of it was either chucked or is in such poor shape now that it's not even worth it.

Of course, for movies made nowadays, I definitely think that the DVD format should be kept in mind. As someone mentioned above though, that costs money, and all those extras take up space. However, there's no reason for film directors to save a few extra scenes or outtakes or what have you for a DVD. Well, unless those extra scenes are garbage and were cut because they were garbage...

 

[madriel]

I dare say that more filmmakers ought to produce their work with DVD in mind.

I've seen this backfire on a couple of DVDs. They slapped together a couple of commentaries, extra scenes and some other garbage that was a complete waste of everybody's time and money.

One movie had commentaries from everybody but the director's next door neighbour's aunt's fifth cousin twice removed. The commentary from the actor went something like:

"Um, yeah, in this scene the director's standing off-screen and yelling at the crew for more wind. No, wait, it's the next scene coming up."

I kid you not. It was that stupid. Mind you, it was only a rental.

 

[Shadowdancer]

Re: Re: Re: Best DVDs (features...)

However, there's no reason for film directors to save a few extra scenes or outtakes or what have you for a DVD. Well, unless those extra scenes are garbage and were cut because they were garbage...

There are several reasons a director would save scenes for the DVD when they aren't garbage.

1) He's contractually obligated to deliver a movie of a certain length. He has to cut out some good scenes, usually exposition or character development, in order to meet that length requirement.

2) He's contractually obligated to deliver a movie with a certain rating. He has to deliver a PG-13, for example, yet films some bloody action footage or steamy love-making footage that would bump it up to an R rating. So he leaves it out, but puts it into the DVD.

Peter Jackson, for example, filmed some graphic fight sequences for Fellowship of the Ring that he thought would bump the movie to an R rating, so he didn't even try to include it in the original movie. But he plannned to use it for the extended version of the DVD. However, when they submitted the extended version to the rating board, with the new footage, it still received a PG-13.

3) Footage has to be cut from a movie in order to receive a marketable rating. Many movie theaters in the U.S. won't show a movie with than NC-17 rating, no matter what the reason is for that rating: explicit sex scenes, graphic violence, extremely disturbing images, whatever. And many newspapers and TV stations will not run ads for movies with an NC-17 rating. There have been many movies which, upon first submission to the movie rating board, initially received an NC-17 rating. Then scenes had to be cut to get it down to an R. Or they movie first received an R rating, and the studio wanted it to be a PG-13 in order to be sold to a certain target audience, usually 12 and 13 year old boys. This scenes are usually put back in for a "director's cut," or "special unrated version" DVD and video release.

4) Footage is shot for different markets. Many U.S. TV movies are joint ventures between U.S. networks and foreign movie studios. The movie is intended to be shown on U.S. TV, usually cable, and also be released in movie theaters in foreign countries. Some footage, especially footage of a sexual nature or involving nudity, can't be shown on U.S. TV, even on some cable networks (USA, TNT, etc) But they can be put in the version shown in foreign movie theaters. That footage usually ends up on DVDs as bonus material.

 

[Tewligan]

I only have the basic version, but apparently the special edition of Rushmore has the full play that they put on at the end of the movie, and another play as well.