Fight Club (US)

What an absolutely _superb_ disc - the transfer is excellent, the movie is an absolute beaut, and the master stroke of putting all the extras on the second disc to allow more and more and more stuff to be put on ... wow! Nice box too - good to see companies veering slightly from the usual keep case for this kind of thing.

I bet the R2 release in Q4 2000 is _nothing_ like this ... go on Fox, prove me wrong!

WOW - what a disc......it makes you wonder why this materpiece was shunned on the Big screen. The title comes with loadsa special features on a second disc. Taking advantage of both the mutli-angle and varying audio commentry. Disc 1 alone features four audio commentaries...with disc two delivering behind the scenes, outakes, publicity material, concept art and more.

From the man who brough us SEVEN....David Fincher delivers a quirky title...with amazing special effects and an alround brilliant performance from Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter. A second viewing is required just to get your head around the plot....leaving you asking why was this film...ignored by all the movie award ceremonies!!

One word of advice.........if you dont have this title go out and buy it now. A must for any collection....guaranteed...especially when you know the region 2 title....will not be as good.

Oh and read the quite funny fake FBI warning at the start of disc 1!!

dvd

Why does everybody else give this 9`s, 10`s! it screams 10!!!!! OUT OF 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I won`t bother with the plot as you will see it everywhere, so.....

This was the 1st Region 1 disc I got and apart from the select members of the Creiterion (or how ever u spell it) collection, is the best. I love commentaries anbd this doesan`t fail, the 2 with David Fincher are brilliant the one with the author and screenwriter is entertaining but the 4th more technical commentary p***ed me off: I don`t really dig the technical stuff. The trailers and tv spots may all be mixed versions of each other (if i see anymore other fight club trailers that start with Tyler saying "Have u ever been in a fight?" i shall scream. I don`t have a THX compatible player (i doubt many people in the uk do either) the 5.1 track is sublime the localized effects (the people in the street the wsounds of the Paper Street house) are amazing. The picture is also superb. By the way, the Dust Brothers soundtrack will never sound better. This film is a bittingly realistic look at the inner workings of many men`s lives and the twist may seem very stupid but i feel it is more satyisfying than anything THe Sixth Sense could have come up with. Superb

too good to describe, see it for yourself!!

One of the most publicly overrated movies I`ve ever seen. I`m going to listen to some of the critics next time I consider buying a film that I`ve never seen before. The thing about Fight Club is that it`s just so unbelievably average. I`d understand if I hated the film with a passion, because that just says something about my personal taste. The acting is OK, the script is unoriginal though. A little too self important. It`s something I can see appealing to teenagers who so desperately want to be individuals, they`ll like anything and everything that hints at being a little off the wall.

When I saw the film, I was far more impressed with the amazing DVD transfer than anything else. Whenever I`d get a little bored with the storyline (which was quite often after the first half hour) I`d just try and get as close to the screen as possible to see if there were ANY picture flaws... none at all. The special effects were amazing and the documentaries were extremely interesting. The 4 completely unnecessary audio commentaries however are dull. Only one was needed, and the extras could have filled up just one disc instead.

Overall looking at the list of extras is more of a treat that watching them though. It`s difficult to navigate around the second disc, and the long long time it takes to view the copyright warning screens is irritating. Personally I`d much prefer to have a DVD with a few brilliant and interesting documentaries (e.g. The Matrix) than all of the unnecessary crap shoved onto this disc for the sake of it.

I don`t know where to start with this review. I really can`t remember the last time I saw a film that impressed me as much as Fight Club. I`m also kicking myself for dismissing this film at the cinema. I can clearly remember seeing the trailer, during a showing of something like The Matrix, and actually saying to my girlfriend how bad it looked. How wrong I was. Still, much of this can be attributed to the trailer and to the film`s title. Fight Club. Doesn`t sound like the most inspiring piece of cinema ever to come out of Hollywood now does it?

The film centres around Ed Norton`s character, the nameless Narrator (although he is known as Jack in certain circles and for ease this is how I shall refer to him). Jack has a problem, he has insomnia. For six months he been living his life in a place that`s not quite asleep, not quite awake. All this ends when he joins a self-help group for men with testicular cancer (which he does not have). Through the group he is finally able find a release for his emotions and is able to sleep at night. That is until another faker, Marla Singer, shows up. Jack feels Marla`s presence reflects his own deception and he is once again stricken with insomnia. It is about this time that Jack meets Tyler Durden, a soap salesman who believes that self-improvement is masturbation, and self-destruction is where it`s at. Jack and Tyler start Fight Club, a place where men can come together and beat the crap out of each other in cathartic bouts of violence. But as time goes on Jack feels more and more isolated from Tyler, who seems to have his own sinister agenda. What is Tyler really up to? And just what is Project Mayhem?

Fox have really gone to town with this release. This Special Edition features not one, but two discs packed full of content. Disc one contains the film, presented in it`s original 2.40:1 aspect ratio, anamorphically enhanced of course. The print is THX certified and is outstanding. I didn`t notice any compression problems at all and the level of detail is fantastic. The film is takes place mostly in the dark, but everything was still very clear. One excellent addition to the first disc is the inclusion of THX test signals which enable you to properly set up your system for optimum viewing conditions. Tests for both audio and video are included and they really do make a difference. As well as outstanding video quality, Fight Club delivers one of the best DVD soundtracks I`ve yet to hear. The Dust Brothers` fantastic soundtrack sounds glorious in Dolby 5.1, just check out the title sequence for proof of that. The speakers are given a real workout, creating an incredible surround experience that really puts you in the centre of the action. Also included on the disc are Dolby Surround tracks in both English and French, and an amazing four commentaries! These include; 1 - Director David Fincher; 2 - Brad Pitt, Ed Norton, Helena Bonham Carter and Fincher again; 3 - Writer Chuck Palahniuk and Screenwriter Jim Uhls; 4 - Production Designer Alex McDowell, Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, Costume Manager Michael Kaplan, FX Supervisor Kevin Haug and Animator Doc Bailey.

The second disc contains the supplemental material. Included are 14 behind-the-scenes segments on production and visual effects, with alternative video and audio tracks, 3 Theatrical Trailers, 12 American TV spots, 2 European TV spots, 3 Spanish TV spots, 2 Public Service Announcements (from Pitt & Norton), 5 Internet spots, Dust Brothers music video, 7 deleted/alternate scenes, massive photo galleries (with hundreds of production photos, effects stills, production artwork, storyboards, posters, lobby cards, press kit etc), Ed Norton interview transcript, cast & crew bios and a booklet. Some of the deleted scenes feature multi-angle shots of the action. These are used to show the completed shot in comparison with the raw footage from the set. There are many trailers featured, mostly from the US, but there are a couple of international trailers and even some Spanish specific ones! The special effects documentaries all feature voiceovers from the relevant people. The Public Service Announcements are both amusing, especially Pitt`s.

On to the performances. Both of the principal actors do a fine job with the material. Pitt is excellent as Tyler Durden, but his performance is overshadowed by Norton`s fantastic effort. Not being the world`s biggest Brad Pitt fan I was pleasantly surprised by how likable he was in this role. Ed Norton on the other hand blew me away in "American History X," and I was expecting big things. He doesn`t disappoint and delivers yet another brilliant performance. Helena Bonham Carter is also excellent as Marla Singer, a character that you will see in an entirely different light after multiple viewings of the film. Special mention must go to Meat Loaf, who did a great job as the castrated ex-bodybuilder Bob.

This is by far the longest review I have written for this site. Perhaps it`s because the film is still fresh in my mind, or perhaps it`s because there`s just so much content it`s hard to get over the quality of this release in just a few words. Whatever the case, I have watched Fight Club every night since I bought it and I notice something new and interesting every time. I really can`t recommend this film highly enough, it`s probably the closest I`m ever going to get to giving tens across the board and you simply have to buy it!

Slightly overrated, in my humble opinion.
This movie starts with amazing visuals, slowly declines to a big violence-o-rama (while creating some very crucial plot holes), only to reach the last part of the movie and its grand finale with a big bang.
Norton is very good in his role. Pitt is just his average self.
The video transfer is awesome. This is as close as one can get to perfection. The first half hour of the movie is stunning visually and the transfer shows it very effectively. The rest of the movie is mostly dark and the scenes are rendered very well.
The DD 5.1 soundtrack is explosive. Again, you`d feel its massive impact throughout the first hour of the movie, but the rest is also very well done. The usage of the surrounds is extremely effective (both for dialog and sound effects). The airplane scene is the most realistic one I`ve ever heard.
The menus are animated and contain some special effects.
The extras include just about everything possible about the movie. I won`t get into details, but most of the extras (excluding the storyboards, perhaps) are really nice.
Bottom line - a very violent movie (perhaps too violent?!?) that will definitely leave its mark on you.

I cant think of anything special to add to this clutter of reviews, but I think this disc deserves an extra review to bump up its profile and score.

This film is brilliant the second or third time round, especially if you listened to the commentry and found all the secret things.

Yep this film rocks ass big time. Good in all departments. Perhaps a bit too many extras though, but I cant really complain beyond that.

PS this score is just to raise the profile a bunch, although it probably deserves it anyway.

I cannot add much more to a group of already great reviews, except that I want to say this film is quite frankly amazing. The cast are superb, the acting is top quality, the picture quality is 10/10, the sound rocks!. The film stands out as a groundbreaking achievement in cinematography with some great direction and a bone-crunching storyline which will stay with me for a long while. I won`t ever forget this movie.
Buy It now! You have to see it!

Insurance drone Jack (Norton) can't sleep, and haunts self-help groups for fatal illnesses until he encounters Tyler Durden (Pitt), a charismatic anarchist who invites him to move into his decrepit house after his condo is blown up. Jack and Tyler have recreational fist-fights, which expand into an underground masculinist movement. However, cracks appear in the relationship as Tyler cops off with a Goth bizarro (Bonham Carter) and his pranks go from subversive to near-homicidal.

This is an intensely-designed and brilliantly-made movie that more than repays the care taken with this disc. It's stunning on a first look, but repeated viewings will enable you to tease out many subtleties.

This double-disc set comes in ingenious packaging.The case is designed as brown paper bag with the the disc casing inside with a booklet.

"Fight Club" is presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen and looks great with the exception of some very minor dirt.Jeff Cronenweth`s cinematography is very dark and intentionally destaturated.There is also a THX optimizer to enhance your
viewing.

The audio fares very well with Dolby 5.1 surround EX that remains very aggresive and egaging.The song during the credits sounds terrific.

Disc 1 contains no less than 4 commentary tracks.The first one features solo commentary by Director David Fincher that is quite engaing and interesting.The second commentary features Fincher,Brad Pitt,Edward Norton,and Helena Bonham
Carter.The three guys were recorded in the same room with Helena recorded separatly.This is the best commentary to listen to as it is very entertaining and full of information.
The third track features novelist Chuck Palahniuk and screenwriter Jim Uhls.Both have a lot of fun describing the
differences between the novel and movie.The fourth track is very technical and features costume designer Michael Kaplan,
Production designer Alex McDowell,F/X supervisor Kevin Haug,and Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth.

Disc 2 features 17 behind-the-scenes vignettes with numerous
commentaries and multiple angles.Also to be found are deleted scenes that explain why they were deleted,a plethora of TV spots,trailers,photo galleries,storyboards,the fight club catalogue,and more stuff.

First rule of owing a DVD player: buy this release

From the Director of Aliens 3 and The Game comes the story of an insomniac who goes to support groups to help ease his pain. But when he meets Tyler Durden his life is about to change as they start a bare-knuckled fight club in the basement of a bar.

CONTENT

Brilliant. This movie has many twists and turns that keep you attatched to the story. Both Edward Norton and Brad Pitt deliver powerful performances and the script is pure genius. This dark film grabs a hold of you from the start and refuses to let go.

VIDEO

The dvd looks quite good. Aspect 2.40:1 Not perfect though, sometimes not as sharp as it could be.

AUDIO

Sound is good and clear with the options of English 5.1 Surround, English Dolby Surround and French Dolby Surround.

FEATURES

17 Behind the scenes Vignettes with multiple angles and commentary. Outtakes and Deleted Scenes, and 4 commentary tracks. The deleted scenes weren`t too exciting and i can see why they chose to get rid of them. Going behind the scenes is the best feature. Pretty Good features all in all but not of the best resolution (a bit grainy).

OVERALL

This movie remains one of my favorites because it is so re-watchable and was put together so well. It is a masterpiece that has no limits or boundaries. Its one that can easily be watched more then once. Great DVD package!

a long film with not as much fighting as it looked from the name and there could have been more but the film had clever bits but also bits that didnt make sense

lots of stuff on this dvds and the film was quit good but i dont no if ill bother to watch it agian

Intro- Here`s my first re-evaluation of an all time cult classic, Fight Club. It was directed by David Finch, who previously directed The Game, Se7en and the under-rated debut Alien3. The film was adapted from a novel of the same name written by a one Chuck Palahniuk. The film is quite faithful to the source material but some really die hard fans of the novel will denounce the film and call it sacrilege as with many adaptions of novels. The protagonist of the film is nameless guy known as Narrator, he is rich, single, lives in an expensive appartment and suffers from insomnia. One day, he decides to join a group support meeting mostly just for fun albeit he goes under sever aliases particularly likened to those used by Robert De Niro such as Rupert and the most obvious one Travis. As, our nameless protagonist attends more and more meetings, he finds himself sleeping like a baby. His life then came crashing down when a chain smoking lady named Marla enters one of his meetings and then all of them. Like the narrator, Marla also attends these meeting mostly for fun (although the Narrator denies that he attends them for fun). Shortly, he ends up in his old ways, back into the world of insomia. It gets more weird after this, flying back home from a business trip, he bumps into some odd individual named Tyler Durden who is a soap salesman. He and the narrator introduced each other and he gives the narrator a business card. As the narrator heads back home, he finds out that his appartment has been blown up. Having nowhere else to live, he decided to phone Tyler where they met again in a pub. After a few pitchers of beer, Tyler though it would be a good idea to start a fight outside the pub. Although the narrator is reluctant at first, Tyler told him that no-one is looking and the narrator punched Tyler albeit right in the ear. From this point on, Tyler and the narrator start a secret fight club that becomes immensly successful.

On it`s initial release, the film was meet with mixed reviews. While many critics have raved about the film and called a cult classic, others have simply denounced it as a film that promotes violence and glorifies facism. Most notably, famous US critic Roger Ebert refered to Fight Club as "macho porn". While the film itself did not fare very well at the box office, it managed to gain back it`s losses through DVD sales and word of mouth. I remeber one magazine which gave Fight Club a very poor review and on it`s DVD release, it was the most wanted DVD of that year (2000).

Video- I`ve said it earlier and I`ll say it again, 1st rule of Fight Club is that you don`t talk about the DVD! The film is presented in 2.40:1 anamorpic widescreen and for a DVD that has been released 6 years, it`s still better than some of todays releases. The overall transfer for the most part is faultless. The sharpness is fine albeit there is some small instances of edge enhancement. The colours have been deliberately made all washed up (as per Fincher`s wishes) and look rather dark in places. A few have complained about this, but I can assure you that this a deliberate move by the director as a homage to a technique used by Gordon Willis.

Sound- Unlike the first disc where the only soundtrack on this disc is DD 5.1 EX, there is a DD 2.0 surround sound as well and a French DD 5.1 which I personally avoid altogether. If you can`t learn to read subtitles, then I would suggest not bother watching films. As I said in my previous review, this mix is a very aggresive mix and there bassy. I would say it`s one of if not the most bassiest sound tracks I`ve ever heard of all my 160+ collections. It`s very active, all speakers are well used from the Dust Brothers score to the beating of Tyler Durden and many other characters in the film. Be prepared for lots of rumbling from your subwoofer.

Extras- The R1 version is now out of print so don`t expect to find it very easily. You`ll have to search for the R1 version on Ebay or something. The DVD is packaged in a digipack with the cover art looking like some sort of packaging. Inside the DVD is a booklet containing chapter stops and quotes from the author himself Chuck Palahniuk along bunch of critics. This release has the most audio commentaries of any release, there are 4 of them!

The first audio commentaries is from director David Fincher alone. The commentary is quite interesting and here he provides an insight to the film. The next one after that is probably the most interesting of the 4 commentaries, Fincher is joined by Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter although she isn`t in the same room as the other 3 when she provides her commentary. Overall, a great talk track, they discuss the production of the film and provides interesting anecdotes such as Norton being physically taller than Meat Loaf and that him and Pitt attended soap making classes as a preparation for their roles. The next one is by Chuck Palahniuk and screenwriter Jim Uhls again recorded seperately, this talk track is mostly concerned about the writing aspect of the film. The last one is by Production Designer, Director Of Photography, Costume Designer and FX Supervisor, again like with the previous one this one is also seperately and this one is more concerned about the more technical parts such as CG.

The next disc has the extras. There are 5 sections, Crew, Work, Missing, Advertising and Art. In Crew, this has biographies for Cast and Crew usually a few page for each one. Next, is Work where there are several multi angle behind the scenes footage, all of them come with storyboards or concept drawings while some of them have a commentary. The last featurette in that section is a 5 minute On Location footage.

Next is Missing where is mostly comprises of Deleted or extended scenes from the film. "Chloe and Rupert" is just an extended scene prior to the narrator confronting Marla after a session. "Marla`s Pillow Talk is another extended scene which has been cut for pacing reasons. Copier Abuse is a comparison of a scene where the Narrator`s boss asking about the sheet of paper containing the rules of Fight Club. Both are same but one has been edited slightly differently. Tyler Quits Smoking/Jack Quits Works is a two angled scene. "Walter" and "Tyler`s Goodbye are more extended scenes. This next deleted scene is the infamous Angel Face Beating up scene cut out by the BBFC and therefore removed the deleted scene altogether. Here, it shows more footage of Angel Face`s beating whereas the final version emphasised on the audience`s reaction. It also featured rehersal footage.

Next is Advertising where it comprised of 2 Theatrical trailers, several TV spots, 2 very amusing mock PSAs one with Pitt and the other with Norton (the former being the most funniest), a music vid by the Dust Brothers, 5 internet spots, several promotional galleries consisting of publicity shots and general stills from the film. Last but not least is a text interview with Edward Norton. A pity that it`s not talking head footage.

The final section is Art which comprises of several storyboards, visual effect stills, paper street house, costumes and makeup, pre-production paintings and brain map as seen on the 2nd section.

Overall- Fight Club is still the original and darkly humourous film I`ve first seen back in 2003. One damn fine film, a must see. Don`t be put off by the number of negative reviews given to this film, they just don`t understand it.