Did you know the newly re-released “Rob Zombie’s Halloween” includes four-plus hours of documentary footage?
Four hours? I barely made it through the film’s running time as is.
But that’s where we are in the DVD game. Extras are the best way to sell a DVD, or repackage existing DVDs.
And not all extras are created equal.
Take the just-released “Iron Man.” Among the extra goodies served up in the DVD set include Robert Downey, Jr.’s screen tests. It’s a perfect complement to the movie itself, and watching it after seeing the Downey in action only enhances the experience.
The unfairly maligned “Waterworld,” coming to DVD Nov. 4, boasts two versions — the theatrical print and a second version adding 40 minutes of sliced footage. Haven’t seen the extra material yet, but I can’t imagine there’s gold in them there outtakes.
And then you have the 75 minutes of bonus footage attached to the upcoming “Sold Out: A Threevening with Kevin Smith” DVD. The film itself is passable entertainment, but it’s hard to imagine anyone clamoring for even more of Smith’s avuncular stand-up.
(Photo: “Don’t worry. I won’t make you watch the four-hour documentary extras from “Halloween,” child.”)
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
opus 10.16.08 at 8:03 pm
I love all the extra’s, the more the better, even the 30 alternate endings that were never used for a film.
What does suck is that it’s been turned into a way to sell the same movie over and over and over and over. I refuse to buy a movie more than once, even for extra stuff that they held back on for the first release.
cftoto 10.16.08 at 9:13 pm
True, Opus. I bet there are marketing types who plot and plan which extras to hold back, and which ones to release the first time around.
Extras often make me feel guilty for not watching them all, too.
Ronn 10.17.08 at 1:25 am
I am guilty of double dipping or even triple dipping at times. Every time they release a new version of Evil Dead or Evil Dead 2 i buy it. Now that i have moved on to Blu-ray i have found myself re buying a lot of movies that i already own. Only if it is a noticeable upgrade like Blade Runner and the Godfather films.
opus 10.17.08 at 3:03 am
Well if I had blu-ray I would definately re-purchase some of the films. What spooks me about blu-ray is how long before it’s replacement comes along?
jic 10.17.08 at 3:54 am
Probably never, in that the next format will probably be some sort of download.
cftoto 10.17.08 at 4:11 am
There’s the rub, JIC … and I’m guessing it what scares the Blu-ray industry the most.
Frankly, I’ll miss the tangible DVD-style format that looks good on a bookshelf.
opus 10.17.08 at 4:11 am
That was my thought also, but that’d still be a replacement and I’d still have to pay for the movie again. I also suspect the extras will be a thing of the past when that happens also.
jic 10.17.08 at 12:40 pm
Nobody’s going to force you to buy it again, and HD picture quality must be reaching its practical limit (a screen can only get so big before it can no longer fit in the average house). The huge amount and variety of 12cm discs floating around out there means that compatible players will be available long after the formats themselves are obsolete.