Usual Suspects, The: Special Edition 2 Disc Set (UK)

This is one of many films I've took recommendation from these here reviews, and once again I'm not disappointed.
I must say thanks to those who didn't give away the plot, and in the same style I'll be doing the same.
If you haven't seen this film please take my recommendation alone, because if I reveal the plot it'll spoil it for you.
I must admit this is the first time I've ever seen this film and I feel bad for missing out on it first time around (not on DVD of course).

The Picture: -

Because I've not seen this before I have nothing to compare it against, but needless to say this is an excellent transfer, I don't think I saw one piece of grain or dirt, presented in 2:35:1 anamorphic widescreen.

Sound: -
Most of the film is dialogue based, but this is a film that disserves a 5.1 track, as the film does contain some outstanding action scenes and the 5.1 add to the tension.
Dialogue is clear and easy to hear, and the films score sound brilliant.

Extras: -
Wow they really pulled no punches on this 2-Disk set, as they dug up some really enjoyable extras, mostly documentaries but they are enjoyable and informative as they provide in depth insight into the movie.

Overall: -
This film was better than I imagined, the plot twists throw the characters about as if they was on a rollercoaster made by the devil…
And the end conclusion really does come out of left field, and knocks you down, and will keep you thinking for weeks (as it did with me).
This package is really worth it's weight in gold and disserves to be in everyone's collection

This package deserves nothing less than a perfect score from Kain^.

Watch this film for the first when I got this DVD. I have to say it is an instant classic!

Fantastic sotry and great performances all round, all on a great 2 DVD special edition.

Top Banana!!

What a wierd concoction of a film this turned out to be! If ur the kind of person who likes a straight forward movie that is only taken at face value, then go watch something else. I think its safe to say that the Usual Suspects is a `thinking mans` movie. And what a movie it is! Although difficult to follow and absorb in places, TUS is excellent viewing. It will however only appeal to a reasonably mature audience, but will attract many viewers all the same. Being only twelve at the time of its theatrical release, I missed out on this gem of a movie initially. The DVD has really shown me what the critics have been marvelling over for the past 7 years! I dont want to give away the plot because TUS is the sort of movie thats best viewed with as little knowledge as possible. Just make sure your brain is in gear!

The 2.35:1 anamorphic image is rather good, but nothing spectacular. The colours are fine and there is no compression problem, but the sharpness is lacking a bit and fine grain is occassionally noticable. The DD5.1 audio track is rather powerful and aggressive at times, with a clear dialogue channel, but is not quite reference material (like T2`s DTS track for example!).

The extras are very good on this two-disc set. Included are audio commentaries, deleted scenes, making of featurettes and much more. A good all round package!

An outstanding film, with an excellent disc to boot. This is a great film that you can watch again and again, and still spot new aspects. If you haven't already seen this film then go out and watch it immediately - and if you're a fan of the film - buy this disc immediately, because it will not disappoint.

We're given a great crisp picture, with a nice audio soundtrack of equal quality… but this disc becomes truly dribble-worthy when you get onto the 2nd disc, and thus the extras. oh. the extras. this is what special editions should be all about - this is one of those examples of extras which proves that you can have quality AND quantity. There are 3 main parts - 2 audio commentaries, a bunch of deleted scenes with intros and a selection of documentaries. The deleted scenes are OK, but are made much more watchable because we are given an introduction as to why they were cut from the editor. The documentaries are fantastic - most of them were made for the DE disc and all are extremely informative and interesting. We also get some outtakes (from the film as well as the interviews for the disc itself) and two trailers.

Overall, an excellent disc, a must buy for any fan of the film especially as it's £8.99 from play.com at the moment.

Content

The Usual Suspects opens with a scene taken from the 'end' of the movie, and it pretty much stays true to this formula throughout. The story is told in flashback form and you are never quite sure if anybody or anything is what it seems. The film is narrated for the most part by the character of 'Verbal' Kint (played by the fantastic Kevin Spacey), a cripple who is undergoing interrogation by special agent Dave Kujan. It is through this interrogation that we witness events unfold.

The basic premise is quite simple: Five criminals, the usual suspects of the title, are brought in for questioning in relation to their suspected involvement in the hijacking of a truck. During this time they are pumped for information and generally played off against one another, to little effect I might add. As Spacey's character puts it, they are five men brought in on a trumped up charge to be leant on by halfwits.

After their release the group, which includes Keaton (an ex dirty cop), McManus, Fenster, Hockney and Verbal himself, decide to exact revenge by ripping off a shipment of diamonds from a bunch of crooked cops. The group then travel to LA to fence the diamonds, where they take part in another, bungled heist. They are surprised to learn that the man who engineered the job, a lawyer named Kobayashi, isn't the person pulling the strings. He in turn works for one Keyser Soze, a mysterious figure whose name inspires fear in even the most hardened of criminals. In spite of his legendary status in the underworld many people are sceptical about his existence, but after hearing about some of Soze's exploits, the group decides that non-compliance is too risky and they agree to do one job on his behalf.

As the usual suspects prepare for this final job the film hurtles towards a climactic finale that is almost guaranteed to leave your head spinning! It's not possible to say much more without ruining this delicately interwoven tale, but I can say that the acting, direction, editing, score and pretty much everything else is superb. The leads nail their characters perfectly, with Kevin Spacey delivering the standout performance. Special mention must also go to Benicio Del Toro, who steals many a scene with his hilarious portrayal of the unintelligible Fenster.

Video

Unlike the Polygram release, this special edition of The Usual Suspects is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and is anamorphically enhanced for widescreen televisions. The quality of the transfer is superior throughout; contrast is good, blacks are solid and the varied colour palette looks first-rate. The image is sharp and shadow detail is excellent during the nighttime sequences. The image does have a few minor issues, such as the occasional speckle and the odd shimmering background, but overall this is a very pleasing transfer. It's not quite up there with the best, but it's not very far behind. For the technically inclined, this disc features a high average bitrate of 9.25Mb/sec.

Audio

For this release, The Usual Suspects has been given the Dolby Digital 5.1 remix treatment. Sound is good throughout, with the all important dialogue remaining clear and centred at all times. This is not a film that relies on big action set pieces, so the rear channels are used sparingly to set the mood. Some good examples of this include a passenger jet flying overhead, the various shootouts that occur throughout the film and the introduction of the score to heighten dramatic tension. The score itself is simply excellent, and serves to draw the viewer deeper into the proceedings. The subwoofer doesn't get much of a look in, but this really isn't a film choc full of big explosions and the like. Overall this is a balanced and very enjoyable mix.

Features

This is the one area where this edition of The Usual Suspects stands head and shoulders above its predecessor. In stark contrast to the bare bones Polygram release, MGM have provided a two-disc set crammed full of supplemental features.

Disc one contains two commentary tracks, the first with writer Chris McQuarrie and director Bryan Singer, with the second provided by editor/composer John Ottman.

The McQuarrie/Singer commentary is the better of the two, as the friends bounce off of one another throughout. They pair provide many useful insights into the film, swapping between factual information and anecdotes on a regular basis. John Ottman also provides an enjoyable track, and brings a unique perspective as both the editor and composer. He's not quite as animated as the other two, but this is understandable given that he is commentating alone. Both tracks chug along at a fair old pace, without too many of the dreaded pauses that can plague commentaries.

The second disc is where the meat is to be found. First we have a featurette entitled 'Deposing the Usual Suspects' which is actually broken up into two smaller chunks. The first of these is called 'Pursuing The Usual Suspects' and features extensive interviews with most of the people involved with the production, including Bryan Singer, Chris McQuarrie, Kevin Spacey and the rest of the cast. At twenty-five minutes in length this featurette is pretty in depth, and doesn't degenerate into the backslapping festival that these things so often do. There are some interesting bits of info to be gleaned, including the fact that Al Pacino almost auditioned for the role that ended up going to Chazz Palminteri, but decided not to on the grounds that he was already playing a cop in another film (1995's Heat). Another thing that is made perfectly clear in this featurette is that Benicio Del Toro is a very odd man indeed, and apparently based the character of Fenster on Mumbles from Dick Tracey… One thing that is also borne out in this featurette is that Kevin Pollak is a bit of an arse.

The second part of the featurette is entitled 'Doin' Time with The Usual Suspects', in which Bryan Singer goes into more detail about the problems he encountered getting the film made and putting the cast together. The actors also talk about their roles and on-set experiences in greater depth, including the reason behind their inability to keep straight faces on the day the line-up sequence was filmed. The blame supposedly lies with one Benicio Del Toro, or more specifically his constant breaking of wind…

Next up we have 'Keyser Soze: Legend or Lie', which takes a closer look at the origins of Keyser Soze, including how the name of the character had to undergo several changes for various reasons. We even get a translation of what the name means in English! If you're looking for the definite answer to the question "Who is Keyser Soze?" then you'd better look elsewhere, as the cast members all have their own opinions on the subject which rarely intersect one another.

'Introducing The Usual Suspects' is an original Polygram featurette, which is fairly promotional in nature. At just over six minutes in length it's not going to divulge too many secrets, with most of the content being covered in greater detail elsewhere. Picture quality also suffers a little in this featurette.

'Heisting Cannes With The Usual Suspects' takes a look at the success the film enjoyed at the Cannes Film Festival. The actors talk a little more about their characters, and we're given a glimpse behind the scenes as the cast give interviews to the media. They all seem to be fairly weary of answering the same questions over and over again, as Kevin Pollak informs us in his own slightly ignorant manner.

'Bryon Singer's Gag Reel' does exactly what it says on the tin. Included are series of outtakes and bloopers from the movie, edited together in quick bursts to provide a mildly amusing spectacle. The highlight of the reel is probably the extremely dodgy 'Keyser Soze Rap', the less about which is said the better…

Next we have 'Taking Out The Usual Suspects' which includes three subsections, the first of which is called 'Interview with John Ottman'. This is another self-explanatory segment in which John is interviewed about his experiences of, and contributions to, the film. He is in a fairly unique position to provide insights, being both the editor and composer. That said, at seventeen minutes in length this drags on for too long and it gets a little boring after a while.

'Bryan Singer Introduces Kevin Spacey & Friend' is an outtake from a particular scene in the film where a member of the public got in the way. Singer really builds this one up, but unfortunately his introduction is longer than the actual outtake, which takes the shine off of things.

'Interview Outtakes' are fairly bland moments like the guys messing up their lines or doing kooky things, until Bryan Singer appears. The director has some interesting things to say about the DVD format, especially some of the not-so-special editions that are currently doing the rounds. In particular he is very critical of the Jaws DVD for not being as good as the laserdisc version! It's nice to hear someone in the industry criticise the way that some films are whored on the home entertainment formats, what with multiple releases with a few new features to keep the fans coming back. I can think of at least one very well known trilogy that has utilised this trick before, on more than a few occasions…

'Deleted Scenes' includes five short scenes cut from the theatrical release by John Ottman, which later turned up in his cupboard (or some such unlikely place). Sourced from VHS, you can imagine that they don't look anywhere near as good as the rest of the video in the set. The scenes are very short, and again their intros last longer than they do. Still, it's nice to have them on the disc and it shows that those involved were serious about presenting a complete package to the consumer.

Rounding off the extras we have the international and U.S. trailers, the latter of which is narrated by our old friend 'Voiceoverman' and includes an Ottman intro in which he discusses the music originally chosen for the trailer. Finally we have about a million U.S. TV spots, which are fine for what they are, but none of them accurately represent the film.

Overall

This is only the second time I have seen The Usual Suspects, but it won't be the last. The film is a delicately interwoven tale that requires a high degree of concentration and repeated viewings to get the most out of it. It's also one of those rare films where characters and events have a completely different connotation the second time around. I don't rate it as the all-time classic some do, but this is mostly because I feel it relies a little too heavily on one element to hold everything together, which prevented me from awarding it a ten out of ten. That said this is still a fantastic film, which at last gets the treatment it deserves on R2 DVD. Highly recommended.

AWESOME FILM. One of those rare films that almost everyone loves. Great performances from a relatively unknown cast and brilliantly directed by Brian Singer. The success of this film lies in the super script that will keep you entertained and puzzled at the same time. As for the twist ending, it adds that extra something to a great film.
The DVD is delightful as well. Could have done with more insight and longer features but there`s plenty to keep the fans happy. If you haven`t seen it, don`t bother renting it, buy it!

WOW AWESOME, this reminds me - "I have to watch it again soon"

Kevin Spacey is fantastic!

MOVIE
Well, I can`t really add much to what has already been said, but as my granddad used to say, `It`s good form to always try` although he never talked about it in this perspective. Anyway, it really is a classic of a film. Although the ending was ruined for me (thankyou very much WIll & Grace) I still saw it and wasn`t too sure, and the twist still took me by surprise. It is just so dramatic. The acting is, in one word, intense, and you can tell the guys all got along really well. The cinematography is a wonder for a $4million movie, and it all just gels together to make the perfect movie

PICTURE
As far as I can tell, this is a fine transfer, and now in it`s original ration of 2.35.1. There are very few marks on the print, and everything is clean, clear and detailed, even in the night scenes.

AUDIO
Now this is a revelation. An incredible soundtrack. so it isn`t booming like a modern day blockbuster, but for the fact it had to be re-engineered to 5.1, it`s pretty damn good.

EXTRAS
The extras on disc two, which is where I shall start are not over the top, with most being talking heads, and they aren`t over long, but they are concise, funny and full of great annecdotes. Chris Gould mentioned quite a few of them in his great review, so I won`t go repeating, but there are a few more such as the Keyser Soze rap (very odd) and Kevin Pollack stating that it would be tough to get any of the guys to talk about Pete (Postletwaite) Don`t know what all that was about. Still a nice package of extras, and a nice front end to, with some very classt menus. On disc one there are a couple of commentaries. Now I`ve only listened to The Singer McQuarrie one, but it is very good. There is a lot of cross-over material between this and the featurettes on disc two, but it is still a very engaging listen.

OVERALL
A great film that can be viewed over and over again and still appreciated, and one with a twist that still amazes me. A nice package makes this a must buy. And for all of those of you that care, I believe it now comes in an Amaray case, so no Digipack (although I like the Suspects one)

Feature:

Bryan Singer`s 1995 thriller The Usual Suspects is a prime example of a great thriller. The classic film follows a man called Verbal Kint (Brilliantly played by Kevin Spacey) as he explains to the police what happened at the San Pedro habour and the events leading up to it, and discussing the mysterious Keyser Soze, The film also features one of the greatest twists in cinema history and will surprise many. The film features fantastic performances from every actor involved (Gabriel Byrne Stephen Baldwin Kevin Pollack-to name a few)
and a great script from Christopher McQuarrie (Who later went
on to write and direct Way Of The Gun) and great direction from Bryan Singer (Who is now directing big budget hollywood
blockbusters like X-Men and it`s sequel).

Sound:

The 5.1 mix is brilliant and the film sounds great!

Picture:

MGM have given the film a decent film transfer, not the best though.

Extras:

MGM have put together a fantastic 2-disc set which features quite a bit of bonus material. The 2 commentaries are fantastic and very informative as is the host of documentaries which features a lot of information on the production of the film. And other bits such as how the cast had to deal with constant name changes to the mysterious crime lord we know as Keyser Soze. The deleted scenes are also good. There is also a lot of involvement from composer-editor John Ottman (Who directed the crap sequel to Urban Legends-not that i`m saying the first one was any good) which is nice to see not just the director and cast being interviewed. Well done MGM, after releasing the bare bones disc way back they
have decieded to do what should have always been done, give this classic the respect it deserves on the DVD format.

This movie is totally great. There are a lot of extra features as well. 10/10.

Mostly set in an LA interogation room, an individual named Verbal Kint tries to convince the cops that not only some crime lord exists, but who was responsible for leading him and his four "friends" into some multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro Harbour. The result: only a few survived. Praised by critics for it`s complex plot and an unforgettable climax.

The flashbacks in the movie copies Reservoir Dogs slightly(Reservoir Dogs is made 1992, this is made in 1995, so no "F*** you, Usual Supects copies Reservoir Dogs" replies), IMO since both are set in the aftermath of an event. (Both are brilliant films, BTW)

Video- Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Colours are sharp and well defined. The only let down is the amount of dirt that occasionally appears.

Audio- In DD 5.1 and French 5.1. As a reminder, this is a dialogue driven film not a SFX driven film(want an SFX driven film, go watch XXX). John Ottman`s score fits the mood perfectly. Dialogue is clear and flawless. The French dub can be amusing at times but it should be sacrificed for English DTS.

Extras: Two audio commentaries on disc one. One from Singer and McQuarrie, a rather lively commentary both gives their anecdotes. The 2nd one is from editor/composer John Ottman, not as lively as the former since he is on his own.

Disc 2 has the usual suspects(pun intended) of extras ;). It consists of 5 featurettes: Pursuing The Usual Suspects, Doing Time With The Usual Suspects,`Keyser Soze: Lie Or Legend`, Introducing The Usual Suspects` and Heisting Cannes With The Usual Suspects. All rather short but worth a look. They cover all of the aspects in the Usual Suspects.

There are deleted scenes w/intro by John Ottman. Before you can access the deleted scenes, you get an intro with Ottman. They presented in letterbox format.

Gag reels w/intro by Singer is relatively amusing. Some of the best parts including the actors abusing each others. It`s short but sweet.

To round off the package, there are 3 interviews (Bryan Singer introduces Kevin Spacey & friend is the most funniest extra on this DVD).

Now, all these extras would warrant a 9/10. No. Why not? What annoys me is that the featurettes have been made into short segments to make it look like there are more extras than there really are. I prefer 1 or 2 feature length documentaries which last 1 hour each or at the most, include a Play All option to avoid hurting my thumb from selecting another featurette. That`s why I will only give it 6/10 for quality.

Overall- Not much to say about this film it`ll leave you dropping your jaw after seeing this.