Page 1 of Do you "Really" watch the special features on DVDs?

Do you really watch the special features on DVDs, if so is it once & that`s it?
On the one`s I have I have never watched them through. That does`nt mean I won`t.
What is the BEST feature, Director talking, new footage, etc etc?

The extras on Moulin Rouge are worth the admission money only. I like anything that goes behind the scenes, and "making of..." documentaries are always interesting, esp. on older films where they look back to when they made them some 10-20 years later (eg CE3K, Jaws, The Thing, Silence of the Lambs).

But you`re right : once, and that`s it, most of the time.

Deleted scenes are what I like, second only to commentaries. It`s good to see the bits that they cut out from films you like, even if you can quite often see why they were cut out! Having said that, there are a few cases where the deleted scenes add a fair bit to the story, and either explain a few things, or alter the plot significantly. I`m thinking Aliens, and T2 to a lesser extent (strange that they`re both Cameron films...). Kevin Smith`s dvd`s also have loads of deleted stuff, and the commentaries to these scenes add a lot of detail and are quite amusing in their own right.

As for commentaries, they can be very good, and worth watching/listening to many times. On the other hand, they can be dull, dull, dull. The commentary for the (remake of) Thomas Crown Affair is one of these. Monotonous voice, irrelevant information, a big snore fest. Contrast this with the excellent commentary Sam Mendes provides for American Beauty, discussing all the intricate details that go into making a film, and being genuinely informative. The funny one`s are also good - Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn pratting about during the commentary for Snatch, then getting told off by a film company exec, is worth a listen.

IMO `making of` docus are interesting, but they do tend to be more of a one watch thing. They also seem to quite often be thrown in as an afterthought - made for tv specials that you see on a Saturday afternoon, just put on the disc as `added value`.
Bb

Yes i`ve watched all the special features i have with my dvd`s.
I like the extra disc and enjoy watching them.

yes i watch special features.
I usually find myself watching music videos loadsa times
I have seen every special feature on the mallrats dvd atleast twice. The deleted scenes are hilarious.
Most special features i watch only once but i find them to be enlightening and very interesting. It is worth watching them. Its worth paying an extra few quid for a disc with more extras as opposed to a cheap disc with no extras.

I like the deleted scenes but only if I know why they were deleted. Some dvds just have them without any commentary.

Alternate endings are good as well but again only if accompanied with a commentary.

Other than that, I don`t watch them. I very rarely watch a film in one sitting in anycase (too many distractions) so I don`t bother with the extras as a rule.

Deleted scenes - Great
Alternate endings - Great
Documentaries - Some can be great, the Bloodsports one in Gladiator was interesting. And some are just `making of` crap
Commentaries - Varies, if I have respect for the director they`re great
Making of - Varies...depends if they were made to be shown on TV in order to boost box office sales while it was showing, if they were, then they`re usually crap


Interviews - Usually crap (and is it me or are those the same ones that Sky shows, and all these film "review" (i.e. we can get cheap content for TV!) programmes show?
Still galleries - Crap
Filmology - Crap
Scene access - Crap

But in general, unless I`m really interested by the film I won`t watch them, and unless it`s film that really moves me I won`t go looking for them when I`m shopping.

I think most of them are just filler.

Godfather extras was great - didnt realise that Pacino wasnt first choice for his part. They were thinking of giving it to Caan !!!

Yeah, deleted scenes, gaffes, alternate endings, music vids, sometimes the trailer, are all good.
Don`t usually scour through all the commentaries & crap - although had to on A.I. to try and get an explanation!