July 2004

Extras, Extras, Read All About 'Em

It’s hard to tell when extra features first became commonplace on DVD. The first extras were collections of theatrical trailers and typewritten pages of cast biographies and production notes. As the format matured, and improved compression techniques freed up more space on DVDs, meatier extras began to emerge. Still, even today, many extras are little more than recycled press-junket interviews and peeks "behind the scenes" that were originally designed to create excitement before a film’s theatrical release. Such stale filler is commonly used by Hollywood to give the impression of "added value" without costing the studio extra money.

Not all extras are filler. Many films’ DVD extras show a great deal of pre-planning and investment by filmmakers and the studio. The best examples are scheduled in the preproduction phase of a film, before it hits the theaters. Videographers are retained to document the production as it unfolds, researchers may be hired to give context to a film’s historical significance, and talent is placed under contractual obligation to record commentaries. These sorts of extras provide the most interesting information with the highest production values.

But is the audience for extras large enough to rationalize the expenditure? Or are they simply needless collections of trivial information meant to justify the high price of a format that costs only a few dollars to manufacture?

While I don’t have the space here to classify the thousands of DVD releases currently available, I’ll point out some titles that I’ve found to be of the highest quality, and that might answer the question.

Aspiring filmmakers and the film geek

Many filmmakers see extras as an opportunity to explain their craft. Others consider this disclosure of trade secrets to be brazen sacrilege that undercuts the suspension of disbelief. How can an audience get lost in the fantasy of a filmed story when they have an intuitive understanding of how such sleight of hand is accomplished?

David Fincher seems to think that people can understand the process of filmmaking and willingly suspend their disbelief. Even after three years, the New Line Platinum Series edition of Fincher’s modern classic Seven (*****) is an excellent example of how extra features should be measured. No fewer than four commentary tracks give solid insight into the production -- one of them is an in-depth analysis of the script and story by British film historian Professor Richard Dyer. Several of Fincher’s films, including Fight Club (**1/2) and the recently released Panic Room (Special Edition) (***1/2), include excellent commentaries and insights into the techniques and methodology that comprise filmmaking. The sections detailing a film’s three phases -- preproduction, shooting, and postproduction -- are especially impressive. Although 21 special-effects documentaries might sound like a lot, I found them fascinating.

If you don’t have the time to sit down and watch extras for three days straight, try one of Robert Rodriguez’s "Ten Minute Film School" sequences. In a surprisingly short time you’ll get a very informative view of how this maverick makes such high-quality products. If you want more detail, just sit back and listen to his caffeinated, jam-packed commentaries. The creator of El Mariachi (***1/2), Desperado (***1/2), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (***1/2), and the Spy Kids trilogy (***) knows how to convey complicated ideas concisely. Where other filmmakers have a hard time filling in a minute of commentary with average observations, Rodriguez will give you a hundred enlightened tips on how to shoot a film. Rodriguez is defined by his passion. This is a man who genuinely loves his craft.

The king, or Lord, of extras is Peter Jackson. The extras offered on the theatrical releases of his movies are a joke, but what’s offered on the Special Extended DVD Edition versions of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (****) and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (****1/2) is the opposite. Between commentary tracks (four per film) and the very thorough documentaries, the viewer has a full 24 hours of fantastic insights about each production, from start to finish. There are no lulls in the discussions, and at no time did I look at my watch. This set of features is as compelling as each groundbreaking film. Those of you who questioned the commitment Jackson and his crew had in bringing an honest adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work to the screen will see evidence of a level of responsibility to the original material that few filmmakers possess.

The common movie lover

If you’re not the type to spend days watching filmmakers explain and teach their craft, then a retrospective might be just the thing to watch during those network summer reruns. A retrospective is a look back at a production long after the theatrical release and the DVD have made their money. Retrospectives give the viewer a refreshing reassessment of what happened behind the scenes, with no political kissing and making up or tiptoeing about. The talent, now free of the marketing demands of contracts, can tell it as it was. The results are often funny, frank, and entertaining. These DVDs frequently include the original press-junket documentary, which permits an interesting comparison of attitudes between the two periods.

For example: Had you spoken to Steven Spielberg shortly after he completed Jaws (*****), you might have received a guarded opinion of the nightmarish production. More than two decades later, his recollection of the experience has the honesty of a man who has success and maturity behind him. Members of the cast and crew who participated in The Making of Jaws look back and laugh about the time it took to get the malfunctioning mechanical shark, "Bruce," up and running, and about a young director who showed an admirable level of patience.

Patience and passion are traits that Francis Ford Coppola has demonstrated throughout his career. His masterpiece trilogy The Godfather (****) was an experience that perhaps tested this perfectionist’s resolve more than the mumbling rants of Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now. You can still see the love Coppola has for his cast and crew in the documentary The Godfather Family. This is one of my favorite retrospectives, not only for its unflinching honesty, but because of my Italian heritage. When Coppola speaks, I can almost hear my father talking.

Perspective is achieved when time has passed. Director Bryan Singer moved on to the success of X-Men when his The Usual Suspects (Special Edition) (*****) was released. Getting a second look at how the production unfolded is a testament to how, in Hollywood, you need to know people to get things done. Kevin Spacey’s anecdotes and Bryan Singer’s flat-out honesty about his experience are joys to hear. It goes to show you how much luck has to do with Hollywood success. Singer is a definite talent -- he’s just lucky Spacey noticed his potential, and as well as that of screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie.

Other retrospectives worth noting are the "Fear of God" on The Exorcist (25th Anniversary Special Edition) (*****) and the documentary on The Silence of the Lambs (Widescreen Special Edition) (*****).

Extra fluff

Countless five-minute HBO "specials," deleted scenes that only reinforce the reasons for their omission, and commentaries rife with long pauses, pointless tangents, and feel-good group sessions are not the exception but the rule in the majority of DVD releases. Nor do I have much love for New Line’s Infinifilm treatments. Having hotlinks within the film redirect you to more information has the effect of killing a story’s forward flow. I’d rather watch the film than the extras; to merge the two is annoying. Oh, and would someone please realize that those DVD-ROM games and Web links never work well!

Some of the worst DVD extras I’ve sampled include Guy Ritchie’s embarrassing commentary for Snatch (**1/2); the painfully brief, disjointed, and poorly narrated package of extras accompanying the classic children’s film The Iron Giant (*****) (Vin Diesel should never narrate); and the collection of scenes deleted from Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones (**).

I would also suggest that every "extras" disc in the theatrical-release DVDs of The Lord of the Rings trilogy should be mailed back to New Line to protest their greed and wastefulness. That said, New Line’s Platinum Editions do provide consistently well-produced extras.

Too many DVDs can be filed under the category of "Filler." Good rules of thumb are to stay with the studios and filmmakers who have proven their ability to produce excellent extra features, and to keep away from those DVDs that make a point of using extras to sell themselves.

…Anthony Di Marco
anthony@hometheatersound.com

• Go Back