Author Topic: Would you buy R1s without special features? (Read 12978 times)

bats · « **on:** Jan 11, 2002 at 08:57 PM »

Hi people, i just read the news from msnbc yesterday that most outfits/studios that produce dvds are thinking of removing the special features like commentaries, discussions etc from the dvds they make. the reason they gave was that the actors/actresses/directors who appear in these features are now asking for additional payments. It was mentioned that big old Arnold S. ( i cant spell his name) asked for a large sum just to do a voice over for one of his big hits ( i forgot which one).

the writer of the article said that this would be a big letdown because these features add new dimensions and insights into the film and the film makers themselves. its a sort of oral history.

so what do you think? are you still willing to buy dvds that come without special features?

kakabanas · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 11, 2002 at 09:02 PM »

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Hi people, i just read the news from msnbc yesterday that most outfits/studios that produce dvds are thinking of removing the special features like commentaries, discussions etc from the dvds they make. the reason they gave was that the actors/actresses/directors who appear in these features are now asking for additional payments. It was mentioned that big old Arnold S. ( i cant spell his name) asked for a large sum just to do a voice over for one of his big hits ( i forgot which one).

the writer of the article said that this would be a big letdown because these features add new dimensions and insights into the film and the film makers themselves. its a sort of oral history.

so what do you think? are you still willing to buy dvds that come without special features?

Oh I don't care about the commentaries especially the ones that reveal the magic of movie making. They can take it away and I wouldn't shed a tear.

As for actors asking for extra money, that's ridiculous. They were paid millions of dollars, wasn't that enough ? Greed I tell you.

As for Arnold S., yeah, I guess he needed more money especially now that his movies aren't making money like they used to. But then again, do I look like I care ?

Kahon · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 11, 2002 at 09:07 PM »

Hey guys, another thread ------> Those DVD Extras Could Shrink

trekker · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 11, 2002 at 09:14 PM »

I'd be even more choosier than I am right now. These days, I buy the DVDs that I wouldn't even buy because of teh commentaries. If they were to take that out, I'd stick to VHS for the majority of my collection.

Without commentaries and special features, the only reason I'd buy DVD would be: a) I love the film so much I replay special scenes over and over again, which would strain my VHS player and VHS tape were I to do it to them; b) the film quality transfer is awesome; and c) the movie or TV series is very rare.

Looking at my collection right now...I can settle for my Matrix, Ben-Hur, and X-Men as VHSes. My Classic Star Trek collection (TV and movies), Fiddler on the Roof, Lawrence of Arabia, and Jesus Christ Superstar 2000 would still be preferred DVDs, though.

kakabanas · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 11, 2002 at 09:21 PM »

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Looking at my collection right now...I can settle for my Matrix, Ben-Hur, and X-Men as VHSes. My Classic Star Trek collection (TV and movies), Fiddler on the Roof, Lawrence of Arabia, and Jesus Christ Superstar 2000 would still be preferred DVDs, though.

Sabi nga ni Keanu Reeves .. WHOA ! The Matrix on VHS ? Did I get that right ? The dvd that set the standard how dvds are produced and packed with extras today on VHS for your collection? VHS will not be able to capture the crisp clear sound and quality picture of the dvd. Right now, IMHO, The Matrix remains one of the best dvds around.

Say it isn't so trekker !

Kahon · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 11, 2002 at 09:34 PM »

I would still buy DVDs as long as the video transfer is excellent and the sound is top-notch Dolby Digital 5.1 at the minimum, making full use of the LFE and surround channels. For me, extras are, well, extras.

Compaq · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 11, 2002 at 09:40 PM »

Actually, I don't watch film's commentary version. Though this is nice to have (in my personal taste), it was never a criteria for me when buying DVDs. Don't get me wrong, I also enjoy watching "Making of..", "Interviews", "Documentaries", etc. etc. but I think even without these, I will still buy R1s unless my wallet say otherwise.

Cheers!!!
Compaq

Blankman · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 11, 2002 at 11:21 PM »

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Hi people, i just read the news from msnbc yesterday that most outfits/studios that produce dvds are thinking of removing the special features like commentaries, discussions etc from the dvds they make. the reason they gave was that the actors/actresses/directors who appear in these features are now asking for additional payments. It was mentioned that big old Arnold S. ( i cant spell his name) asked for a large sum just to do a voice over for one of his big hits ( i forgot which one).

the writer of the article said that this would be a big letdown because these features add new dimensions and insights into the film and the film makers themselves. its a sort of oral history.

so what do you think? are you still willing to buy dvds that come without special features?

Duh! What did they invent dual- or triple layer discs for? Personally I don't care about commentaries, esp when they're just baffling about how good they were in creating the movie, blah, blah, blah. But if they were to take away some special features, then it'd be an awful waste of disc space, ain't it? Might as well make them all "superbit" just like Columbia does.

JOHN

himura · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 12, 2002 at 01:32 AM »

I don't really care much for commentary tracks. But I do wish the other extras such as, the making ofs, featurettes, storyboards, alterante and/or deleted scenes and the like don't get cut off. Those are the things that make a good movie on dvd even better. If those things can't be found on the original Ri1 DVDs anymore... sigh, I might even be forced to buy R3s since essentially, they'll be the same.

I bought Tomb Raider, Hannibal and Final Fantasy in R3 kse, they were essentially the same as their R1 counterparts.

Geoffrey · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 12, 2002 at 02:02 AM »

I would still buy the R1 even if it doesnt have much extras its because Most of the R1 has a nice and cool packaging compared to R3s. Great for display kung baga.

Spartacus · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 12, 2002 at 02:26 AM »

I'd probably stick to R3 or go on a different format all together (LD or VHS). In fact if a DVD came out on both R3 and R1 and both had exactly the same features, I'd still get the R3 because of cost. Most R3's are cheaper so there wouldn't be much justification to get R1 (for me anyway).

On a side note: Trekker, I highly agree with Kakabanas, go get the DVD of The Matrix. It's a very well produced DVD (of course if you don't like the movie itself that much...).

utoy · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 12, 2002 at 04:05 AM »

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... The Matrix on VHS ? Did I get that right ? The dvd that set the standard how dvds are produced and packed with extras today on VHS for your collection?...

Yes, Virginia. There is a The Matrix VHS with a featurette or two.

kakabanas · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 12, 2002 at 08:38 AM »

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Yes, Virginia. There is a The Matrix VHS with a featurette or two.

Fine, if it makes you happy.

I'd still prefer to watch The Matrix on dvd ... like most of us here I'm sure.

trekker · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 12, 2002 at 08:48 AM »

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On a side note: Trekker, I highly agree with Kakabanas, go get the DVD of The Matrix. It's a very well produced DVD (of course if you don't like the movie itself that much...).

Oh, I *do* have the Matrix DVD R1. What I am saying is that, if R1 prices were to rocket sky high, looking at my collection, given a choice, I wouldn't get the Matrix without the commentaries and the behind-the-scenes. My choice of the films that I choose for my DVD collections is very *personal.* Video and sound quality are only a few of the reasons; the movie has got to mean something personal to me. And The Matrix, wonderful and entertaining as it is, doesn't fit into that category.

nerveblocker · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 12, 2002 at 11:08 AM »

If they take out all the special features except the movie...I guess a lot of threads here will be history like R1 vs. R3, dvdeastereggs, singalongs, moviemaking, etc. This would have a great impact on our site.

If this pushes through, I'd go for R3's and it would push us to also go for pirated. What's the diff? If you get the same banana for a better price...why not?

If they lower the price of DVDs taking out the extra features...then again that changes the whole picture. I'd still buy the orig.

levi · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 12, 2002 at 12:49 PM »

I dont really watch the extras, plus factor lang.

wcvmorasa · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 12, 2002 at 01:04 PM »

commentaries are not my cup of tea. the extra features that I really like are the deleted scenes. I find commentaries so melodramatic, unless they are talking about the funny aspects of the scene. case in point Batman '66 now that is a commentary.

SiCkBoY · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 12, 2002 at 02:27 PM »

my two cents:

The extra features in DVDs won't go away. Nowadays, making featurettes, commentaries, etc are included in the contract of the artists. The scenario wherein an actor would ask for a lot of money just to do a feature-length commentary or whatnot only happens when they are making the DVD for an old movie. Dapat lang naman talaga na bayaran yung mga artists, and whether or not they will pay huge bucks just to get the artist to do a commentary, well that's up to the studio. And of course, not all artists will ask for unreasonable fees.

But with regard to the new movies that are being made nowadays, shooting extra scenes, alternate endings, making-ofs and other whatnots is becoming the norm so that the DVD would sell. In fact, if the movie is a disappointment in the box office, the solution would be to make a great DVD so that the producers and the studio can recover. The Grinch's DVD raked in more dollars than Harry Potter in the box office.

viper · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 13, 2002 at 05:29 AM »

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The Grinch's DVD raked in more dollars than Harry Potter in the box office.

Really! If the DVD is that good, how come there is practically no discussion about it in this board? (Or was there one and I am ignoring it?)

Spartacus · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 13, 2002 at 11:40 AM »

I just thought of something to add to my earlier post. With regards to actors, directors, etc. asking for extra payment to do commentaries; I'm not too opposed to it. Of course I'll also expect that the commentaries that they provide better be good.

trekker · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 13, 2002 at 09:48 PM »

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I just thought of something to add to my earlier post. With regards to actors, directors, etc. asking for extra payment to do commentaries; I'm not too opposed to it. Of course I'll also expect that the commentaries that they provide better be good.

That goes, too, for the extras. One major disappointment was "Mild-Meld", which for Trekkies like me who grew up on Classic Star Trek was probably one of the best last chapters written about the franchise. It's a no-holds-barred very intimate 90-minute dialogue between Trek legends William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy wherein they openly discussed previous subjects they wouldn't even touch on interviews, e.g. Nimoy's alcoholism, Shatner's womanizing, the animosity Shatner generated from the lesser stars, etc.

The material, as I said, is great. The rip-off was the alleged 20-minute behind-the-scenes documentary. It was just one glorified trailer, picking scenes from the actual dialogue! If you've seen the original 10-minute trailer downloaded from the Net, then you've seen half of this documentary! And the 20 minutes culled from the actual material practically only leave you 70 minutes of original unviewed film!

I'm glad a relative gave me this as a Christmas present. I was prepared to buy the DVD solely because of this documentary, hoping to see more treats and listen to a lot more confessions. Had I spent good money on this, sising sisi ako---because as the DVD stands, I would just have settled for the VHS.

And, yes, "Mindmeld" is R1.

SiCkBoY · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 14, 2002 at 07:09 PM »

Viper:

Premise #1: the board discusses good DVDs
Premise #2: the Grinch is hardly discussed in these boards
Ergo: the Grinch is a bad DVD?

just because one particular DVD isn't discussed here doesn't mean it's "not that good." after all, this not an all-encompasing board, right?

espace · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 14, 2002 at 08:04 PM »

On certain titles, yes I would. In my case, the commentary track or lack of it is not a big factor influencing DVD purchase. As the article put it, the studio already has enough material to fill the DVD with extras without having to pay additional talent fees.

I purchase selectively and try to get as much information about a title / DVD before actually purchasing, so if the commentary track goes away, it may not affect my decision. Market forces might even bring the commentary back on weak titles. Coming out with an article like that was designed precisely to elicit reaction from the buying public.

With DVD sales already beating box office for certain titles, studios would listen. They are still testing the waters at this point.

My two cents.

SiCkBoY · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 14, 2002 at 09:30 PM »

i guess a great number of you guys really don't care about the extras. but for me, it's the decisive factor, it determines whether or not i'd part with my hard-earned money.

one reason is that i have a huge VCD collectiona and an even bigger VHS collection, and most of the movies that i really want are already in my collection. hence, coughing up big bugs just to get the same movie on a different format (albeit better) is really tough to do.

however, the extras make it all worthwile. despite the fact the i've seen A Perfect Murder or My Bestfriend's Wedding or the Exorcist gazillions of times before, purchasing the DVD with deleted scenes, alternate endings, feature-length commentaries make it all worthwile.

MigraineBoy · « **Reply #24 on:** May 02, 2002 at 10:27 AM »

My decision is based on three factors:

1. How interested I am with the production process.
2. The price difference between the bare bones edition and the the one with the special feature.
3. The availability of the special edition.

Take for example The Last Temptation Of Christ (R3). I'm pretty sure that this edition does not have as many features as the Criterion Collection release. However, being that I'm more interested in watching the movie than with how the movie was made (I'll be too tired to watch the special features anyway since the movie's so heavy), and the fact that it's significantly priced lower (P999 as opposed to the P1,500-P2,000 selling price of the Criterion Collection), I'm more inclined to go for the R3 release than the Criterion Collection.

However, with The Last Of The Mohicans, I'll probably opt to buy the R1 release (the one with the missing scenes) than the R3 edition (no features at all). However, the P2,000+ price tag of the R1 release and the fact that I'll have to wait for a week or so before I can watch it might make me go for the R3 release.

It's really a case to case basis for me.

weddingsingr · « **Reply #25 on:** May 02, 2002 at 02:21 PM »

Yes I would indeed.

May movies naman kasi for me na talagang movie lang ang pinaka-habol ko, I really don't care if there are special features - especially those non-recent movies (kung OLD kasi ang gamitin kong term eh isipin niyo mga classics) na gusto kong magka-DVD copy lang - masaya na ako duon.

Dati nga eh basta no special features eh super liit ng chances na mabili ko ang DVD na iyon. Pero at some point din tatamarin ka rin pala makita ang ibang special features at habol mo na talaga ang movie na lang.

Sa Pearl Harbor Vista Series, I want to buy it because of the director's cut version and not because of the added features.

Pero may mga DVDs na expected mo talaga ang mga special features like Episode 1, na tipong you're so interested in the making or whatsoever about the movie na tipong sa DVD mo lang makikita.

nerveblocker · « **Reply #26 on:** May 02, 2002 at 02:31 PM »

For me, R1s are for collectors. You wouldn't want to get ripped off or get a lemon like what other R3s are. I'm not sure if the quality of discs are the same for both R1 and R3 but how would you explain the clearer copies of R1 (psychological?)

Another plus factor is the resale value...R1s sell higher and will be more in demand than R3s.

Just my half cent

pioneer · « **Reply #27 on:** May 06, 2002 at 06:53 AM »

Kahit walang features basta naka-DTS na siya OK sa akin.

Larry_Boy · « **Reply #28 on:** May 06, 2002 at 11:02 AM »

i wouldn't buy an r1 without the extra features. we have the cheaper r3 as a very good alternative.

Battousai · « **Reply #29 on:** May 06, 2002 at 04:35 PM »

I think it's a disgrace for a DVD not to have a special features. I mean, that's why they created the format in the first place. Para maramnig extra na milagay for us consumers. Kung ganun din pala na movie lang kasama, then Laser discs would have sufficed( minus factor lang yung size ng discs )
Opinion ko lang po.