Why DVD Special Features Matter
The Case for Physical Media, Part 2
Hello, there! A big shoutout and thank you to those of you who’ve recently subscribed. This week’s newsletter should be considered part 2 of last week’s The Case for Physical Media. I cleaved it from the previous piece because it deserved its own real estate. Today we’re talking about special features; also known as extras, bonus features, or supplemental material- whatever your preferred nomenclature.
We’ve got to give credit where credit is due: as mentioned previously, The Criterion Collection is largely responsible for pioneering supplemental material for home releases. With their release of King Kong (1933) on LaserDisc in 1984, they introduced, for the first time, a commentary track by film historian Ronald Haver. It was like having a college-level lecture included for free! Well, not free. Criterion issues were priced at a premium (and still are), but they’re worth it.
The fact is, commentary tracks have become a mainstay of physical media releases. They add so much depth and context to the viewing experience. And if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to hop up on my soapbox for a minute…
I resent the directors that have never done at least one commentary track. I’m looking at you, Spielberg and Lynch. The popular argument is that they want the films to speak for themselves. Come off it! Commentary tracks are an invaluable resource for aspiring filmmakers, and even those that just want to develop a further appreciation for film. Spielberg himself has said that he once received a “live commentary” from David Lean while watching Lawrence of Arabia. It’s time to pay it forward, my dude.
Off the top of my head, some of my favorite commentaries are by Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese. Coppola has generously recorded a ton of commentaries and he’s always forthright in how his films were crafted; little details like in The Godfather where they repurposed the tail end of a film reel showing an empty hallway to add suspense to the hospital scene. Scorsese is just a walking encyclopedia of film, so his references to older films and film history are invaluable. They’re both masters of their craft and incredibly gracious with their knowledge and expertise.
Fun fact: John Hughes only ever recorded one commentary track and it was for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It can be found on the initial DVD release, but was subsequently removed from future releases. You can listen to it here. What are some other great commentary tracks? Would love to hear your favorites!
Obviously supplemental material is not just limited to commentaries. For some films, you have incredibly in-depth making-of documentaries. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the high watermark for that. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, Eleanor Coppola’s documentary on the making of Apocalypse Now.
When my wife and I got married, she had most of the old Disney animated films on DVD. Being the animation nerd that I am, I would watch the making-of documentaries for each one. Those docs are incredibly well-produced! There was a time when this type of material was standard on most major studio releases. Special features provide an education; one that is largely lacking in the digital/streaming ecosystem. I will say that Criterion has ported a lot of their supplemental material over to The Criterion Channel. If you’ve been on the fence about joining, it’s a great time to become a member. It’s better than film school.
Alternate cuts, director’s cuts, and deleted scenes are all additional material you can find on a robust physical release. These offer a great deal of insight into the decisions that were made in shaping the film. Blade Runner is notorious for having four different versions. I still own the special edition DVD and I prefer the “Ultimate Cut”! As mentioned on a recent Rewatchables podcast, you can find a 12 minute scene that was cut from The Silence of the Lambs per William Goldman’s recommendation. By most opinions, the film was significantly improved by excising that material. But it still exists on the physical release!
Criterion isn’t the only heavy-hitter in the physical release space. There are several boutique labels doing amazing work: Arrow Video, Vinegar Syndrome, Kino Lorber, Shout Factory, and Umbrella Entertainment, to name a few. It goes back to the respect for the medium that we talked about in last week’s post. Meticulous physical releases like the ones they’re putting out make us appreciate the films more- even the ones that aren’t as highly regarded.
One that comes to mind is this year’s BluRay/4K release of Super Mario Bros. from Umbrella Entertainment. That package was chock-full of extras! Over the years, the initially maligned film had developed a cult following that evolved through some ardent fans that built the website Super Mario Bros. The Movie Archive. They had amassed an archive of nearly every piece of material related to the film and its production. It was a true labor of love. Umbrella then partnered with SMB Movie Archive for the restoration and release of the 30th anniversary edition of the film. Though I watched SMB numerous times as a kid, I wouldn’t say it was a favorite of mine. But I’ve been tempted to buy the set just for the supplemental material!
We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: films are more than just content. They’re more than just escapism, and more than just distractions. At the very least, they’re the sum total of several years worth of work from a legion of artisans and technicians. They’re also a window into a specific moment in time. Special features add that much needed context to how the film came to be and to the impact it may or may not have had.
Here’s your homework assignment: grab a movie you love off the shelf and watch it with the commentary track. Or watch the making-of documentary. Spend the weekend and watch all of the bonus material. Thank me later. See you next week.
This is something all my friends who diss me for collecting blu-rays/dvds/4ks don't understand. Streaming will rarely include all of the extras one can find on a dvd or blu-ray. It's another important reason why physical media needs to exist today. Your article should be required reading for anyone who thinks physical media should become obsolete.
DVD extras make it easier to understand how movies and television shows were conceived, and why they continue to matter historically.