Has anyone watched all the extras in their DVD collection?

[NexusSheep]

I have listened to a couple of commentaries and seen a few making-of documentaries, but that's about it. (I have 65 films).

Does anyone actually watch trailers?
Isolated music scores - anyone ever sat down and listened to one of these all the way through?
Filmographies/biographies - ever read them?

I have promised myself that I will watch all the extras in my collection, before buying anymore DVDs. (Was that a low-flying pig...? :) )

Don't get me wrong, I think it's excellent that the format allows us to experience supplementary material. I just get the feeling that most of these 'special features' may not be so special after all. And they should really stop listing 'Scene Access' as a special feature. That is like saying CDs have 'Track Access'. And 'Interactive Menus' - what's all that about? If the menus weren't interactive, you wouldn't get very far, would you?

Anyway, those are just my thoughts. What do you guys think?

[RBT]

I realy hope I'm not the only one who plucks up the courage to reply, but yes, I have :)

I've got nearly 150 discs now and I have watched almost all of the extra material so far.

Okay, a couple of naff discs in my collection have been missed - but if the film was dire, then the extras are going to be worse...

The Matrix is still the best for extras though. Class-A film too :)

For the record though: If its a question of extras vs better anamorphic widescreen transfers & better sound mixes, then there is no contest.

Extras are just that - EXTRAS - they can be binned IMHO if it'll make the feature better (hint hint, Fox, Warner etc etc).

Ross.

[Narshty]

Unless you review DVDs, I don't anyone bothers. It's just nice to know that they're there.

Has anyone here listened to all four commentary tracks on Se7en who didn't review the DVD? My point exactly.

[Paul Bennison]

When I first started collecting DVDs I watched everything - almost immediately. Renting DVDs was a nightmare if it had a directors commentary - 'cos I'd have to fit the lot into one night (on a one night rental!!!)

Narshty - you're right. Owned Se7en for 3 months now and not listened to one commentary. But I MUST rectify this - I'd completely forgotten about them - 'til now!!!!!

:D

[Cornelius]

Never watched a single extra from any of my dvd's. The last thing I want to do after sitting thru a film is start looking thru trailers, feturettes etc etc. I keep meaning to watch Seven Samaurai again with the commentary but it's over 3 hrs long so I don't think I'll be doing that sometime soon.

[Bapapapa]

Don't be daft.

I can count the amount of extras I've watched on my fingerless hand.

[Lenny Nero]

Originally posted by NexusSheep
I have listened to a couple of commentaries and seen a few making-of documentaries, but that's about it. (I have 65 films).

Does anyone actually watch trailers?
Isolated music scores - anyone ever sat down and listened to one of these all the way through?
Filmographies/biographies - ever read them?

Anyway, those are just my thoughts. What do you guys think?

Well, actually ALL I want from a DVD is for it to have some cast photos/filmographies and I a few trailers, as many as possible. I love trailers, that's the first thing I watch out of all the supplementary material. Production notes with printed or video interviews with the cast are also always welcome. What I don't like/need are the commentaries, because I'll never sit through the movie again in a row (only happened once though, and the only time I've listened to a commentary so far, with Evil Dead Elite R1 Bruce Campbell track), and if you let some time pass and pick the disc up again, I'm not gona listen to the commentary when I better watch the movie itself again. I better have DTS than commentaries, they are useless to me.
Behind the scenes docs, if kept at 10-25 mins range are also great.
Bottom line, the perfect DVD for me would be:

Film in its OAR and DTS
3 Theatrical Trailers and a Teaser
Extensive cast and crew interviews
Production notes
Photo gallery featuring rare cast snapshots and comlpete filmography
Interactive animated menus with motion clips chapter listing.

[Madm@tt]

Well I like to watch extras... THEY KEEP ME SANE!;)
I try to watch everything on a disc but the odd isolated score or production notes may escape me...


PS - I've watched Se7en with all 4 commentaries on - but it gets confusing having them all on at once...:D

[Robby]

I do like to watch all the extras on my DVDs. Yes they can be a bit of a chore, but isn't all the extra's part of why we buy DVD. I think the commentaries are fantastic. I haven't started on the Se7en ones yet until i finish Fight Club. (Only 1 more to go).
For me the most important extras are Trailers, Deleted scenes and Commentaries. I don't really count OAR and DTS tracks as extras, they should be standard, where possible.

I've just gone through some of the extras on Final Fantasy and although some of them are a bit long winded they are interesting.
I like to think i'm getting my monies worth if i watch the extras. Those of you who ignore the extras, in particular the comms, are missing out on a lot. I'm surprised a lot of you have said you don't bother with them.

If studios started issueing bare bones DVDs in OAR and DTS as well as their feature packed counterparts, would you honestly go for the extra-less ones.

I wouldn't

My 2p::D

[Ono]

I have only ever sat through a commentary once and that Jodie Foster's in Contact.


I do watch ALL the trailers though before I watch a film. It helps whett the appetite for the film.


I also watch an making of docus and interviews with the Cast.


Oh, and the outtakes and deleted scenes are always a good un to have.


RBT mentioned wanting best picture/sound over Extras. I partly disagree. I think the studios should give us BOTH. A Superbit-type film on Disc 1 and extras on Disc 2. Audio commentaries can still fit on Disc 1 I am sure.

[Tristan H]

I hardly ever find the time these days. I generally make the effort to watch a good documentary and I'll listen to audio commentaries for classic films, but beyond that it tends to just be the film that I watch. Mind you, I do intend to get round to all 1000+ hours of them eventually :) .

[mrsteve]

I've been grimly ploughing through a backlog for a while now. Quite a few are a real pleasure as it goes, for example:- the commentary etc on "The Beyond", the "Two Houses" documentary on the "House on Haunted Hill" remake, most of the stuff on Alien").
The one to watch out for (in a bad way) is "Chicken Run". Remember the Fast Show sketch? Well....
Special FX commentaries are a tad dry overall.

Tend to find that the older the movie, the more worthwhile the extras. Just got "Wizard of Oz" in the post for one of my honourable daughters for Xmas and.... well you've just got to make sure the disk plays alright! The extras on that little number look excellent.
The commentary and extras on "Blair Witch" complement the movie superbly, as a spcial mention.

The real test will be the hours of extra gubbins on "SW:TPM" and "Final Fantasy", though....

[CraigKORE]

Originally posted by Ono
I I do watch ALL the trailers though before I watch a film. It helps whett the appetite for the film.


Damn, why have I never thought of doing that before!

Cheers Ono, you have just gave me a new "DVD Routine". :)

[Michael Mackenzie]

I've pretty much watched all the extras on my DVDs, but I gave up on the Brendan Fraser commentary on The Mummy Ultimate Edition. zzzzzzzz :p

[Cap'n Al]

I don't watch the extras for the sake of it- if I like the film enough to get the DVD, chances are that I'm sufficiently interested in it to watch a decent making-of documentary, watch the deleted scenes or listen to the commentary. Of course, there are films where it's just not interesting to watch the promotional rubbish or the inarticulate ramblings of some hack, but I'd say that I watch <i>most</i> of the extras on 9/10 DVDs I own, and listen to approximately half the commentaries.

As for those who never watch extras: why????? I can understand not wanting to watch, say, the HBO special on the making of American Pie, but isn't it a bit pointless to pick up a DVD like Monty Python and the Holy Grail or The Godfather, and then not watch any of the extras? :confused:

[Grumpy]

Not yet but I'm working on it (It will never happen while they keep bringing out new dvds)

[la_te_ra_lus_2003]

:):):) I always end up buying 2 disc editions and only buying disks with extras, but unfortuanatly i have watched only the interveiw with james cameron on Aliens and the halloween unmasked thingy on halloween 2=disc. But it aint so bad, ive just started collecting....only 14 films so far

[Xeon007]

I personally love trailers - nice as extras and not too long! However, most trailers (watch them and you'll know I'm right) actually show the last few minutes of a film (although of course, you probably don't know it at the time). I watch the trailers AFTER the movie (although if it's a teaser trailer, it's another matter).

Oh and how many people watched the extras on a film first before they watched a movie and then learnt about the ending? Huh? Hands up!

BTW I think commentaries are hit and miss. Cut and spliced ones suck (as do others). The Matrix commentary was a disappointment. Others can be very good - I thought the American Pie one was excellent.

[SqueakyG]

I guess most of you are the kind of DVD enthusiasts who buy a LOT of discs (more movies than time to watch them in), so you don't have the time to watch the special features. And we all know that feeling of not being interested in the extras once you've owned the disc for a while, because each time you want to play the disc it is to watch the movie.

But I don't have a big disposable income (no disposable income at all, actually), and I'm not a big DVD buyer. 34 movies is all I have. So I only buy the absolute minimum, and they are all films I really adore, and they are all films that I would love to learn about.

So when a disc has special features, I watch them. All of them. It is a waste to not watch them.

The only things I haven't gotten round to are a few commentary tracks... discs with multiple commentary tracks.

I think it is great when a movie comes with GOOD supplementary material. I love it when a commentary track or a good dedicated documentary actually conveys interesting things about the movie. So I look for good strong commentary tracks, and good dedicated non-promotional documentaries.

I can't stand the promotional stuff that was just designed to advertise the movie (stars saying, "I read the script and I loved it so much... I loved working with my co-star... I respect the director so much..."). I don't need that crap. Trailers are sometimes good, if they compare and contrast interesting marketing tactics in different countries; but bog-standard trailers don't do anything for me.

[tomos]

i have a 160ish dvd's and i have never watched any of the extras, xcept for the star wars stuff, the deleted scenes of diehard (not looked at the extras of the other 2) and just 10 minutes ago, looked at the blood sport documentary from gladiator.

[Robby]

Originally posted by Xeon007
Oh and how many people watched the extras on a film first before they watched a movie and then learnt about the ending? Huh? Hands up!

Me i'll admit it.:D Not through choice though.
I had just got Final Fantasy and because my subwoofer is being fixed i thought i'd wait and watch the film when it comes back. So to whet my appetite i thought i'd watch the documentary, thinking i'd only see animatics and loads of people giving themselves headaches over a computer. However i learnt pretty much what happens throughout the whole movie.:mad: :mad:

Never again, i'll make sure i've seen the film first before i watch them.

[camino_real]

I find a good way to listen to commentary tracks is to do some housework whilst they are playing. I often do my ironing in this way and I find that the time just flies. Just make sure the ironing board is facing the TV, put on your selected commentary track and have fun. Simple pleasures are the best.

Stephen W
Manchester, UK

[Michael Brooke]

I usually listen to commentary tracks while I'm writing the first draft of my reviews, thus saving time and killing two birds with one stone.

If they're particularly good - and this is usually fairly obvious early on - I'll stop what I'm doing and listen to them properly, and if they're commentaries by commentators known to be good (Bey Logan, John Waters, etc.) I'll listen to them properly straight off.

[Andy Gray]

If I read a review that recommends certain extras I will watch them otherwise I don't bother. The only extras I watch religiously are HKL ones. I have listened to <u>every</u> Bey Logan commentary track. They are something special and make dire films (Game of Death) so much more watchable.