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ETERNAL SUNSHINE 2-Disc Collector's Edition

post #1 of 6
2/20/06 at 12:55am
Thread Starter 
I saw the Collector's Edition displayed next to a shelf of Superbit DVDs at Best Buy yesterday and wondered why the hell I only owned the barebones edition, what with this being a huge fave of mine.

There aren't many extras packed on that second disc, but they're all quality while they last. There's a nice mini-doc involving Michel Gondry's filmmaking process. The guy truly is a visual genius in the purest sense. The doc does a great job of showing how he's able to relate his abstract ideas to his filmmaking team and actors. An interview/conversation between Kate Winslet and Gondry is another highlight. I guess Gondry wanted Winslet to play the role of Clementine since late 2001, and made sure she kept her schedule open in case the film finally got greenlit. I love Winslet, intelligent and sweet and extremely talented (she should've won the Oscar for Best Actress last year). The deleted/extended scenes didn't interest me in the least. The featurette showing how the Saratoga Avenue scene was conceptualized and filmed truly is awe-inspiring as a fan of filmmaking in general.

A booklet comes with the DVD, with pics and quotes from the film and critics.
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post #2 of 6
2/20/06 at 1:55am
Honestly, this double-dip thing is backfiring in my case. I'm finding that releasing a new edition of a film I already own isn't making me want to buy it anymore. In fact, extras, especially audio commentaries, have become something of a scam in my opinion. Everybody wants those making-of docs and deleted scenes and multiple commentaries, and they get all quivery when they're announced. But why?

I watch the extras once, if that. The fact is, though it's become almost mandatory to do an audio commentary, very few filmmakers know how to do it. The market is flooded with commentaries in the vein of "so-and-so did such a great job on this film" and "this is the scene where this happens". The sheen is off them. They're great for older films, as time has given the commentators some perspective on the movie's place in cinematic history. But DVD release is now so close to theatrical release that they're recording these things before the film has even been released, sometimes before it's even finished.

None of which has anything to do with this movie. Sorry. But I doubt I'll be running out to get it, brilliant though it is.
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post #3 of 6
2/20/06 at 2:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigel St. Buggering
Honestly, this double-dip thing is backfiring in my case. I'm finding that releasing a new edition of a film I already own isn't making me want to buy it anymore. In fact, extras, especially audio commentaries, have become something of a scam in my opinion. Everybody wants those making-of docs and deleted scenes and multiple commentaries, and they get all quivery when they're announced. But why?

I watch the extras once, if that. The fact is, though it's become almost mandatory to do an audio commentary, very few filmmakers know how to do it. The market is flooded with commentaries in the vein of "so-and-so did such a great job on this film" and "this is the scene where this happens". The sheen is off them. They're great for older films, as time has given the commentators some perspective on the movie's place in cinematic history. But DVD release is now so close to theatrical release that they're recording these things before the film has even been released, sometimes before it's even finished.

None of which has anything to do with this movie. Sorry. But I doubt I'll be running out to get it, brilliant though it is.

Agreed.

I have tons of DVD's with extra features I've never watched. Most of the time, it's just difficulty in finding someone who will watch them with me, as I don't watch too many DVD's by myself. I mean, who wants to sit through the audio commentary of "Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon"? Do I?
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post #4 of 6
2/20/06 at 2:48am
Thread Starter 
I'm not much of a double-dipper myself, and I rarely buy a film twice unless there's something truly noteworthy that's been added to the package. I'm a sucker for audio commentaries, though that depends on who is doing the talking. In ETERNAL SUNSHINE's case, Gondry and Kaufman's commentaries were on the previous release, so that wasn't the draw. I really wanted to get a richer perspective on Gondry's filmmaking technique, nothing more, nothing less. And this is one of those rare films that I don't have any qualms about buying again, as I really adore it. As a general rule, a DVD release won't get a second look past me unless I eternally love the film itself (meaning I know I will watch it again in the near future), no matter how many new extras are crammed in.
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post #5 of 6
2/20/06 at 8:17am
Well I'm really into special effects documentarys and deleted scenes. Just always wanted to know how the mind of an editor and sfx guy work. I'm also hoping I can maybe pick up something practical for use in my mini movies.

But I have a short attention span, and really anything pretty crappy gets the skip. I really don't listen to commentaries unless someone begs me to. I've been burned by one too many crappy ones.

If blu-ray/hd want to innovate, find a way to make commantaries better (the follow the white rabbit thing on The Matrix seems pretty interesting, but maybe have the video play on the side as the movie goes on in the background).
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post #6 of 6
3/5/06 at 8:41am
I'm glad I haven't bought this dvd yet. If I find out beforehand that there will be two versions of the dvd, then if I am interested in the special features and extras in the bigger package, I'll wait to buy that. But when they sneak these on you after you already own the dvd it really does suck. I actually like watching dvds with commentary and special features. Especially when they are for movies that I enjoy more than average. Eternal Sunshine is one of them. I'll be grabbing this dvd, then. Thanks for the heads up.
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