Last week I bought myself a copy of THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON on DVD.
Many of you fine folks probably weren't reading this piddling space when I reviewed it back in the Christmas of 2008, but to sum it up I found the film slightly...lacking. So much so that despite it being on dvd for well over a year, and despite it being directed by one of my favorite directors, I only just now picked it up. Even then, I was more prompted by the fact that it was half off than I was by a burning desire to watch it again.
For reasons I can't completely explain, I decided to dive into the extras of this very feature-heavy dvd rather than start by watching the film itself. To my slight surprise, the features are somewhat endless! After hitting 'play all' on the supplements disc, I was amazed to watch the counter on my dvd player get up over the two hour mark, and still know that there was quite a bit to come. Seeing the amount of work that went into the film is enlightening to say the least.
Funny thing. When dvd's first became my vice of choice seven or eight years ago, i used to always insist on buying the most dee-luxe edition I could find. Then, as time went on and those thick spaces on my shelf went less and less reached for, I began to stray away from these "special editions". I mean after all, how much did I really need to know about THERE WILL BE BLOOD anyway?
But in watching what went in to BENJAMIN BUTTON, I find myself with a bit more of an appreciation for the film. Perhaps even enough to watch it again and write a new piece on it. I guess this begs two questions...
Do you actually find yourself watching some or all of the features on the special edition dvd's and blu-rays you buy? And has going through these features ever made you gain a further affinity for a movie you might not have loved??
Monday, July 26, 2010
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16 comments:
First off - why on earth did you buy benjamin button??? It was trash and I started watching again and couldn't do it. You pick up on even more flaws in teh film.
Secondly, when I first bought DVD's I used to be able to watch the film and all the special features in one night - but that changed, i thinki the first film I couldn't do this with, was Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
Too many special features is a bad thing I think. Nowadays, only a handful are worth watching I find - the samey trailers, samey publicity-material documtaries - opposed to the meaty 2 hour documentaries on the alien quadrilogy ... per film! The philosophy of the matrix trilogy is a great documentary too.
Then again, the last two bond films had rubbish initial release DVD's with, pretty much, short 10mins behind-the-scenes things. Complete crap in comparison to the first TWENTY bond films with decent documentaries on every film - and also more indepth docuemtaries about the bond girls, the gadgets, the titles, etc, etc.
Its a difficult choice - but more often than not, the extra features are a real shame.
Simon
www.screeninsight.com
I find I do not watch the special features on DVDs anymore. The last one I sat through and enjoyed was The Dark Knight. Part of the reason is that not all the extra are really that “special”. An extended scene that was not good enough to make the final cut is not worth the additional $5 price tag in my opinion.
Plus I just got tired of studios releasing the same film multiple times with different special material. How many versions of Star Wars or Dirty Dancing (my wife has three copies) does a person really need???
I do try to watch all of the bonus material on DVD's but it's got to be a pretty spectacular movie for me to buy "special edition" priced stuff - it rarely merits the price tag.
I'd have to say my favourite so far is still the Commentary on Fight club with Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter. It's actually a really interesting commentary and they do point out stuff that I missed the first few times I watched the movie.
Usually I'll only go for deleted scenes for movies I really enjoy, and then once in a while director's commentary if it's one of my favorites. I like learning production trivia and such, but generally I just want to watch the movie!
@ Simon... I'm a completist, and Fincher is one of my favorite directors. Plus, as I mentioned - it was on sale. I'll let you know if my opinion of it DOES in fact change with second watching.
I know what you're talking about though. there was a while there where I would go through every feature on the dvd. these days such moments are very few and far between.
@ CS... I got tired of waiting for special editions that seemingly never arrived. For instance, will we ever be treated to a better edition of HIGH FIDELITY? What about the KILL BILL films?
@ Danger... Good example - that's a disc that is *stacked* with extras. It actually includes three commentary tracks: in addition to the one you mentioned, there's also one by Fincher, and one by screenwriter Jim Uhls with author Chuck Palahniuk. All three commentaries are pretty swell!
@ Alex... I seldom even go that far, since more often than not I find that deleted scenes are deleted for a reason.
I do this with bad films a lot. I watch the extras and gain a semblance for what the filmmakers or actors were trying to do and, if I can see it, I say "Okay... the machine just ruined this one and it got lost in translation." Mind you, this is with bad films like a lot of truly inependents and a shlocky horror films.
I'm glad you finally bought it, I still love this film (though it's an unpopular sentiment). I don't really watch many of the special features - the only one that's a must is the voiceover commentary, and sometimes the directors ramble so much I decide against it.
I find that on most of the classic films I watch, the commentary by film academics totally increases my appreciation of the film. I knew I liked L'avventura the first time I saw it, but was blown away with the film after the commentary by Gene Youngblood commentary. The same goes for Godard's Weekend. I definitely wouldn't have even understood the latter without the special features. So I'm for them.
@ Kaiderman... Yeah, that's sorta what I was thinking when I decided to dive into the BUTTON features. Thinking back on my dissatisfaction with the film, i thought that perhaps some perspective would do me some good.
Still working my way through them, but so far so good.
@ Andrew... I've discovered that commentaries are a very subtle art, and that they tend to suck way more often than the amount of times they enlighten. I started writing about films for a dvd website, and used to have to sit through the commentary track for each disc...brutal stuff sometimes!
@ Blake... If you like those, give a listen to Ebert breaking down CITIZEN KANE. He'll point out dozens of details you might never have noticed.
If it's a movie I adore I will watch every bit of extra footage you can give me. If it's based of an historical event, I'll definitely check out all that went behind it. Otherwise, it's a case by case basis.
I enjoyed Benjamin Button though I will say that I practically forgot I watched it the next day...
I'd just like to echo everything that Simon said.
I rarely watch special features anymore, or at least, I don't make a point to. It's a more spur of the moment decision. And I think I've only listened to one commentary ever, and that was for Fight Club. When I'm finished watching every movie that I need to see EVER, I'll start rewatching with commentaries (though I will watch bad movies for the 45th time; I'm an idiot).
"The features are somewhat endless" -> You mean, like the movie? :)
Hot damn, that flick... There was probably was a good film in there, had it been condensed down to 2 hours or so. This just kept dragging on and on and on.
As far as special features, I sometime watch them if they are on the regular on the DVD and I enjoyed the movie. If I really loved the movie, I also usually go through the director's commentary as well. On the other hand, I never buy "special edition" DVDs, just the regular ones unless they are at discounted prices.
"Lacking" is not the word I would use to describe the movie. If anything, there was too damn much of it, about absolutely nothing.
Which is odd, because I loved the start, I loved the bit in Paris... but the rest of the film was just... nothing.
Until I really needed to go to the bath room some time in what felt like Day 2.
I've found this to be an ongoing issue Hatter. Yes, I'm just like you where the "completist" part of me really "wants it all" but these days I have less and less time to devote to the movie itself let alone the features (endless may they be).
Problem I see is that most of what I've got is simply too much content and more than half is filler/fluff that has no redeeming value. These days deleted scenes are in fact mostly worthless and commentaries are pretty hit and miss.
But the one thing I need more of is time (tough when your married and a homeowner). I bought the Saphire Series Gladiator Blu Ray and I would seriously need a day and a half to make it through it all. Same with The Matrix on Blu Ray and a great many others I own. It's interesting stuff, but man, pack a lunch, you'll be a while:P I have had the LotR special editions but my knees quake when I think of how much time I'd need to view it all.
Glad you have a new appreciation for Button. I know its not for everyone but I think it's fantastic and one of my favorites...mainly because it's an aesthetic masterpiece.
@ Lauren... I think your case-by-case nature is where I've found myself most these days. The movies that really kicked my ass are the ones I want to dig into...the ones I bought "just cuz" get ignored.
@ Fletch... Admittedly, I don't listen to nearly as many tracks as I used to. Perhaps because too many times they were boring as all hell.
Fincher's commentaries usually rock though - Soderbergh's too.
@ Darren... They spent too much time with Ben being middle-aged, which is his most boring time. There's still a lot to like about it, even if it could have done with a better adaptation and twenty minutes less of a runtime.
@ Marc... One of these days I need to find a new site that goes through the features and talks about whether or not they're worthwhile. It'd save me some time...and some loot!
Like I say, down the road I'll watch it again and write another full-on piece about it.
Haven't seen this movie, yet, I'm just not fond of Pitt, but my adoration for Blanchett just might offset that.
As for special features, I'm with Lauren in that it's totally on a case-by-case basis. I'll devour it if I really like the movie and/or the actor, otherwise I don't even bother. I agree Simon, most of the features are a waste of time. I mean, some dvds are just way indulgent putting like 3-4 trailers for the movie. Just what is the point in that?? The same with cast bios and gallery, I mean isn't that what IMDb is for? :)
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