DVD Extras: Are we spoiled?

[James Harvey]

We're used to getting DVDs filled to the brim with extras, but then get all upset when we get a bare bones one...but should we really be? VHS's never had any extras until DVDs began using them and there were never any complaints. I purchased 15 X-MEN episodes on DVD without a single extra...and I didn't mind. Extras are cool, yes, but should we get upset when a DVD lacks them?

[Calhoun07]

It just depends on the release. Do we need to see deleted footage or alternate takes from EVERY MOVIE in the world? I don't think so. I don't even think a commentary track is warranted for every release. I do, from time to time, buy releases that don't have much in the way of special features, and that's fine with me, because those releases are usually under ten bucks anyway.

Now, if you try charging me over twenty dollars for a movie with out any bonus features (like 9 to 5, which I will not buy, but would like to see again), then I will complain. It's a catalogue title, they made their money off of it years ago, and they aren't giving us ANYTHING extra, so therefore it should not be priced like a new release with all these bonus features on it.

And the movie companies raised the level of expectations for DVDs with bonus features, as they advertised that DVDs would be able to have all this fun stuff on it. But I don't think every movie in the world needs to have bonus features. Some movies are just fine the way they are (which is also why some directors shy away from having any bonus features put on their DVDs, such as Woody Allen. He feels his movies deserve to stand on their own.)

[Vigo Sprax]

To tell you the truth, I haven't watched half of the extras on my DVDs & many extras can't really be watched over and over again. My main draw for DVD was the quality of the picture and the superior sound.

I own a couple bare bones movies in my collection, often though these are rather cheap (As low as $9). What makes me angry are the rereleased DVDs.

[Brian Cruz]

I've been trying to figure out how do "grade" the extras on DVDs I'll be reviewing for the new page. On Pinocchio I gave the extras an F cause there were so many existing extras that Disney left out for no reason. But when I get around to reviewing something like Mask of the Phantasm, how do I approach grading that? Would I give that a poor grade as well for not including anything of value, or do I figure that it's not something WB would put a lot of work into anyway and give it a neutral grade?

[Calhoun07]

I think it should be based on quality, and not quanity. I know some review sites seem to base the bonus featues on quanity, such as DVDfile.com, where the more bonus features the disc has, the better the disc gets reviewed. That statement may not be entirely accurate, but they do seem to be rather harsh on grading the extras.

I think the DVD release that gets an A+ for bonus features is Toy Story, the Ultimate Toy Box collection. And for one that I felt was poor and could have been better, Unbreakable gets a low, low grade.

[Clayface]

Hmmm, interesting question. I think in some ways we are spoiled - I know I won't even buy a bare-bones DVD anymore - if it doesn't have extras on it, I don't want it. So I think I am a bit spoiled in that regard.

[Joker85]

I would not consider myself spoiled, since I own several "bare bones" DVDs. Most of them are Warner Brothers and have production notes, and maybe a trailer. I buy them not for their extras, but because they are great movies that I would like to have on DVD. The picture and sound are better and they last longer. I don't even usually watch extras but once. Some of my bare bones DVDs include: Batman, Batman Returns, Vacation, Christmas Vacation, and Beetlejuice.

[Calhoun07]

I don't know if it's as much being spoiled as it is just being a smart, cautious consumer. How many people have bought the bare bones edition only to see a features laden version come out later on? Unless it's a title I am mildly interested in (thus wouldn't really be upset if they put out a special edition later) and can pick it up under ten bucks, I won't buy a bare bones edition because in the back of my mind I fear I will get burned when they put out the special edition later. And who wants to pay for the same movie more than once?

[Brian Cruz]

I've had to replace more than a dozen of my DVDs because newer "special edition" versions came out. In fact, sometimes I'd sell the old version and never get arond to buying the new ones. I got rid of my Die Hard and The Fugitive DVDs, but I just don't feel the need to get the new ones yet.

If I base my extras reviews on quality instead of quantity, I'd still have to give MOTP a bad grade, cause it's only a trailer, and not a particularly good one at that. I figure I should balance quality, quantity, and the amount of effort the studio put into the overall package.

[Calhoun07]

Sometimes, extras help a bad movie save some face. Take Hollow Man for example, a truly awful movie that should never be watched and people who watch it and like it...well, to each his own, I guess. But I just hated this movie, but thought the extra features were well done. That is one DVD, if I was reviewing it, I would give the extras a higher rating than the movie itself. But that still doesn't redeem the DVD.