In Reply to: Amen. posted by Joe Murphy Jr on July 16, 2002 at 17:35:36:
Joe, I bet don't you ever utter a complaint when you visit France.As for DVDs, I think of it this way:
Most of these overblown DVD sets don't cost more than a single DVD, so it's a real bonus and you're rarely paying more for the bonus stuff. The studio isn't counting on us to pay more for the bonus features; they're banking on more people to buy the movie because it's a more attractive package.
Whatever extra money the studios make on special edition DVDs, it ain't going into a fund for making better films. I don't think the extra money they're making helps or hurt the cause for quality films. But think about what DVD sales may offer: if studios can count on making money off DVDs, it'll be more workable for them to make films for a smaller audience that may need help turning a dollar with video sales instead of just weekend box office grosses.
As for better quality DVDs, moving the extras on a second DVD in theory frees up more space for a better transfer and sound on the first. You could do a superbit-quality transfer on DVD1 *and* all the extras they want to put on DVD2. The DVD engineers do have to walk that line between putting on good features (and I don't mean just E! fluff pieces) and improving the print. I'm talking about director's cuts, extra scenes that the director loved but just couldn't fit into the theatrical version. Big sets allow fewer compromises for the consumer.
It all boils down to whether you like the movie or not. I appreciate getting the bonuses on the second disc of Citizen Kane and my Criterion DVDs. Lots of stuff that I may only watch once, but it's not costing me $10 more. If it's a movie I don't like, who cares! I'm buying it. If it's a movie I love, I get cranky if they don't give it the special 2 DVD treatment, quality print *and* extras.
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Follow Ups
- why 2DVD sets rock! - TA 22:17:21 07/16/02 (1)
- France? - Joe Murphy Jr 14:55:34 07/17/02 (0)