DVDs with great specials

[Ella]

No, the DVD-section isn't redundant. I thought about deleting it, but then I came up with a thread-idea. And here we go:

What is the special about DVDs? Well, besides the great language-option, which makes it possible for example for us Germans to see the dubbed version as well as the original version of a movie.

But the really special about DVDs are the specials, right? The interviews, Making-ofs, background information, additional scenes, and what all is interesting about a movie.

So, which DVDs can you recommend because of great interesting specials?
(Surely not DQ in this respect, because especially the last seasons were more than disappointing.)

The best DVD ever with the most and the best specials I have ever seen, is Lord of the Rings, the three special extended editions. It happen to be my favourite movie too, so you can imagine that I was more than glad.

In my opinion, a very good movie deserves a very good 'treatment' on DVDs, that means very good quality, and very good and insightful specials. Otherwise I can watch everything on TV and tape it.

So, which DVDs can you recommend in this respect? Or the other way around: which were disappointing.

[Jen]

Good idea, Ella. I'll return to this a bit later!

[Sophy]

Commentaries

I love to listen to commentaries for certain movies. It's SOOOOO interesting to hear the director or some of the actors discuss every scene in detail.

Some examples of movies that I've actually watched all through with the commentary - SEVERAL times!!

Finding Nemo - Very interesting to listen to all the thoughts about the animations and how they've made everything.

You've got mail - Norah Ephron is veeery interesting to listen to.

Heartburn - Norah Ephron talking about how Meryl Streep is playing Norah herself is fantastic!

Skenbart - A Swedish "modern" movie made in black and white. The commentary is interesting because they comment on things they had to make real special in a scene just to get the "good look" in black and white-version.

Out of Africa - Sydney Pollack talking about Meryl Streep makes my day! You can't guess that I'm a fan of Meryl right!??.... LOL!

Prairie Home Companion - Robert Altman and Kevin Klein - wonderful!

Dr Quinn - Commentaries with Joe Lando, Jane Seymour, Shawn Toovey and Chad Allen, yey!!

Fanny och Alexander - Ingemar Bergman's comments are very very very interesting. I noticed things in the scenes that I had never thought of before and I see the movie with new eyes knowing all his comments.

The Others - Lovely commentary with Nicole Kidman, Julianne More and Meryl Streep. Also another one with the director and Michael Cunningham who wrote the novel is sooooooo great!!

well, that's just some...

Bloopers, Gag reels...

I LOOOOOOVE these! It has given me a new image of an actor many times when you get to see the "real" person all of a sudden in the middle of the acting.

Some DVDs where I love the specials

Sound of Music - I think I would have died 20 years ago when I first came to love this movie, if I had been able to see those interviews with the grown up cast and the making of. GEEZ!!!

The Pirates of the Caribbean-movies - Real cool to see how they make the special effects and the costume for Davy Jones etc.

Out of Africa - Has the wonnnnnnnderful documentary "Song of Africa" which is just great.

Death Becomes her - Love the interviews with the cast and to see how they made some special effects.

Manchurian Candidate - Has a deleted scene which I love!

New DVD-release that I'm waiting for

Sometimes I actually buy a DVD even if I already own one.
Like I will do in this case when it's released.
The Delux Edition of Bridges of Madison County, which is one of my all time fave movies and I've never really seen any specials.
So I really look forward to this DVD.
http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=66703

I'll be back with more!

[Jen]

Yes, special features!!! I love them.

I'm one for commentaries too. Sometimes it's funny how off-topic the actors and film makers might get when they are talking about their films. The funniest things come up. But it's also very interesting when they mention tiny detail or anecdotes about the film I hadn't known/noticed before.

I loved the one in Something's Gotta Give by Jack Nicholson. There was just something really cute about the way he appreciated Diane Keaton's acting. Then again, there's another commentary on it by Diane Keaton which is the strangest commentary ever: she suddenly "arrives" about 15 minutes late, then giggles through all the emotional scenes and says OMG whenever she's on the screen. I still like her, though...

Originally Posted by Sophy

The Others - Lovely commentary with Nicole Kidman, Julianne More and Meryl Streep. Also another one with the director and Michael Cunningham who wrote the novel is sooooooo great!!

Just a tiny thing...Sophy means The Hours and not The Others. Riiiight...? I adore that commentary too, although one of Meryl's comments totally spoilt one break-down scene for me, because now I can't watch it without thinking about that comment and laughing at it.

Bloopers!! They are hilarious! I loved the ones in The Pirates of the Caribbeans. Also, the ones in The Devil Wears Prada were good.

Ooops, it's really late. I had better return to this tomorrow (or more like today)...

[Sophy]

Originally Posted by Jen

Just a tiny thing...Sophy means The Hours and not The Others. Riiiight...?

Oh CRAP! I knew I was eventually going to mix those titles up in here. I almost did it before, but now I really managed

Thanks for clearing it up Jen

[Jen]

lol no problem. My obsessed mind just seemed to notice it. I happen to like both of the films a lot.

[Anja]

Oh! I love the specials on DVDs aswell! especially the bloopers

I agree with Pirates of the Caribbean! Johnny Deep has an amazing sense of humour.. I especially remember a blooper from the 3rd movie where he´s talking about Will can do strange things to his dog called Tim

Plus the bloopers from Two Weeks Notice with Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock are hilarious too

The extras on A Beautiful Mind are great too.. commentaries, working with the script, meeting the real John Nash and much more... You really feel like a part of the production here..

[Sylvie]

I've spent some of my Xmas money on a special 4-DVD release of the Back to The Future trilogy, with of course the 3 movies, a booklet, and more than nine hours of bonuses: a "making of" for each film, various interviews, cut scenes, bloopers, etc etc.

The ultimate BTTF fan's dream!

[Jen]

Anja, that dog joke by Johnny Depp was indeed priceless!!! I actually had to rewind back to it because I couldn't believe what I was hearing...

Wow, Sylvie, 9 hours of bonus features??? That is such a treat, you don't often get that many hours of stuff on other DVDs!!!

I think Sophy already mentioned the extras on the 40th anniversary edition of The Sound of Music. They are great, especially the documentary! Also, there are some original material on the Mary Poppins DVD showing a short clip of the premiere and then a "making of" documentary of the technical site which I found really interesting.

[Anja]

I have to buy the new edition of Sound of Music I guess... The movie is wonderful and want to see the extras so badly!!

Strangely enough I´ve never been a huge fan of Mary Poppins... maybe I should give it another try after all of these years.

[Lizzie]

I used to not mind Mary Poppins when I was very little (when I thought the actress who plays Jane was a big girl - actually she's pretty young, so I don't know quite how old I was, maybe 4! LOL) It must have been on the TV, because we didn't have a video player until I was 5 or something.
But then when I was about 9 or 10, my little sister (then a toddler) was obsessed with Mary Poppins, and hearing it over and over again started to get on my nerves. Maybe I wouldn't mind it so much now.

A DVD I have with great extras is X3 - The Last Stand - 2 audio commentaries, deleted scenes, 3 alternate endings, easter eggs (haven't found them ) and a preview of The Simpsons movie.

[Jen]

lol Lizzie, so you are not exactly a fan of this "oh we are all so merry happy" musical. I don't know, I just happen to have a soft spot for Julie Andrews and musicals, so that's why I like it so much.

Another DVD I love is Amelié. I actually still haven't watched all of those bonus features, I think, but the whole visual image of the film is fascinating to me (bright red and deep green -I can't describe it, but if you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. ) There are lots of stuff on the DVD. For example, the auditions for some of the roles are so interesting. Seeing Audrey Tautou making all sorts of funny faces made me like her even more. I think there's also a commentary by the director, but as it's in French, I didn't understand much of it.

[Anja]

I borrowed Amélie on DVD from a friend and it´s so enchanting and sweet, so I know what you mean.. I alsoloved the audition part and to see her trying out these different hairstyles. She´s so sweet and cute especially when she has to make those different faces for a scene at the market lol... I just want to hug her

[LovelyLène]

I'd reccommend any DVD-box from Stargate SG-1! The specials are great! They show EVERYTHING! From how they created some big explosion to meetings with fans, etc. The things I like most are the behind the scenes features in which the cast and crew jokes around with each other, make fun of themselves and the show; it's just hilarious...

Okay, just wanted to share! Not that anyone would buy a Stargate DVD now... I appear to be the only fan in Europe...

XXX

[Amy]

Originally Posted by Lizzie

I used to not mind Mary Poppins when I was very little (when I thought the actress who plays Jane was a big girl - actually she's pretty young, so I don't know quite how old I was, maybe 4! LOL) It must have been on the TV, because we didn't have a video player until I was 5 or something.
But then when I was about 9 or 10, my little sister (then a toddler) was obsessed with Mary Poppins, and hearing it over and over again started to get on my nerves. Maybe I wouldn't mind it so much now.

I think the fact that Mary Poppins was one of the only movies I ever saw in the theater as a kid weighs into my fascination with it. We didn't go to the movies back then like kids do now. I went with a friend and her grandparents and I remember being absolutely enthralled with it, and I wanted to BE Julie Andrews! I will say though, I didn't love all of it....the cartoon sequence is far too long, IMO, and I thought the laughing guy on the ceiling scene was boring. Good thing we can skip through dvds! (a side-note...my parents saw the Mary Poppins musical in New York a couple years back, and STILL talk about it. I am SO jealous!!! I will be seeing it when it comes my way!)

Jen mentioned the special features on Mary Poppins and Sound of Music...those two dvds are my favorites for specials.

Some other ones with great specials: Dances with Wolves (the behind the scenes with Kevin Costner is really amazing, and the commentary is awesome! Plus we get to 'know' the Native American actors too, and other Native Americans who influenced the movie), A Beautiful Mind, and Seabiscut. I find that the movies based on a true story sometimes have the best dvd specials.