Legend: Ultimate Edition coming to Blu-Ray on May 31

[Escapay]

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May 31, 2011
$26.99 SRP (currently $18.99 on Amazon.com)

Once a full press release is released, I'll post it here. In the mean time, here's a list of all the extras from the 2002 DVD (which, along with its stripped-down 2005 DVD, is out of print).

Disc One:
-Legend: Director's Cut (1:53:20)

-Commentary by director Ridley Scott, originally recorded in November 1999 (1:53:20) - J.M. Kenney

Disc Two:
-Legend: US Theatrical Release (1:29:22)

-Creating a Myth: The Memories of Legend (50:59) - J.M. Kenney

-Isolated Music Score by Tangerine Dream (1:29:22) - Charles de Lauzirika

-Lost Scenes (13:21) - J.M. Kenney & Charles de Lauzirika
--"Four Goblins" (10:35) - de Lauzirika
--"The Faerie Dance" (2:46) - Kenney

-Storyboards (33:43) - J.M. Kenney
--Lili and the Unicorns (12:01, 72 stills)
--Jack's Challenge (10:11, 61 stills)
--Downfall of Darkness (11:31, 69 stills)

-Trailers (2:38 ) - J.M. Kenney & Charles de Lauzirika
--U.S. Theatrical Trailer (1:24) - Kenney
--International Trailer (1:14) - de Lauzirika

-TV Spots (2:12) - Charles de Lauzirika
--TV Spot A (0:33)
--TV Spot B (0:32)
--TV Spot C (0:33)
--TV Spot D (0:34)

-Photo Galleries (12:25) - Charles de Lauzirika
--Publicity Photographs (2:46, 40 stills)
--Images of Legend (4:49, 71 stills)
--Continuity Polaroids (4:50, 71 stills)

-Bryan Ferry "Is Your Love Strong Enough" Music Video (5:23) - Charles de Lauzirika

-Production Notes (10 stills) - J.M. Kenney

-Cast and Filmmakers (32 stills) - J.M. Kenney
--Tom Cruise as Jack (6)
--Mia Sara as Lily (4)
--Tim Curry as Darkness (4)
--David Bennant as Gump (2)
--Alice Playten as Blix (3)
--Billy Barty as Screwball (5)
--Cork Hubbert as Brown Tom (3)
--Written by William Hjortsberg (menu only)
--Directed by Ridley Scott (5)

-Recommendations (1 still) - J.M. Kenney

-DVD-ROM Features (1:29:22, 145 pages) - J.M. Kenney
--Legend Script-to-Scene (1:29:22)
--Original Screenplay (145 pages)

-DVD Newsletter (1 still) - J.M. Kenney

The listings of J.M. Kenney and Charles de Lauzirika note who produced what supplement. The set was supposed to come out in 2000, and Kenney was the producer for it. Universal then postponed its release by two years (well, it was considered postponed indefinitely until they finally decided on 2002), and in the interim, Charles de Lauzirika (who's done pretty much all of Ridley Scott's films on DVD and Blu-Ray) took over as the disc/supplement producer and added additional features, as well as new menu graphics.

As both versions of the movie will be included, I wonder if it will be separate encodes on the disc or seamless branching. Especially given how much editing was done for the U.S. theatrical version (which is 24 minutes shorter, shift shots around and deletes snippets or whole scenes left-and-right, all the while adding in some redundant shots and showing Darkness' face much earlier, drops the Goldsmith score for Tangerine Dream, features different ADR dubs for several lines, etc.). The 2-Disc DVD featured the movies on separate discs because they were from separate transfers (the U.S. version noticeably softer and grainier).

Too bad they can't go all Blade Runner on this and have a Final Cut on Disc 1, a 3.5 hour documentary on Disc 2, the three official versions of the film (1985 European Release, 1986 US Release, 2002 Director's Cut) on Disc 3, additional features on Disc 4, and the Work Print (125 or 140 minutes, if they can find either one) on Disc 5. But I doubt any new bonus features will be made, meaning we still won't get to hear from Tom Cruise, David Bennant, or Tangerine Dream about the film. :/ At the very least, I hope the Blu-Ray manages to include an Isolated Score for the Goldsmith music, since it couldn't be done (rights issues) for the DVD.

albert

[ajmrowland]

The question is: The cover art looks cheap; is the movie good enough to warrant the branding?

[dvdjunkie]

Again, you don't play the cover..........at least I don't. Maybe you have a player that is different and it plays the cover.................LOL!!!!!!

This movie has been in my Top 20 movies of all time since its release in the theaters. I cannot wait for May 31. I will be first in line at Best Buy that day.

[Escapay]

The question is: The cover art looks cheap; is the movie good enough to warrant the branding?

Universal's use of the banner name "Ultimate Edition" should not be taken as a reflection on the film itself, nor should its cover art.

"Ultimate Edition" was a short-lived line that Universal used on their DVDs in 2001, as the two-disc upgrade from their "Collector's Edition" banner. It was highly unpopular because rather than offer enough extras worth having a second disc, they simply provided widescreen and fullscreen versions of the film on two discs with the same CE extras, along with a couple new ones. The only films to get the UE treatment were:

American Pie (both rated and unrated)
Cats (which actually had a sizable amount of extras on its second disc, making it and Legend the exceptions to the rule)
Meet Joe Black (a fullscreen version was not included, they instead had the 1934 film, Death Takes A Holiday as an extra)
The Mummy (which was re-released again in a more extras-packed two-disc DVD set to promote the third film)
Notting Hill
Patch Adams

Legend started its life as a Collector's Edition DVD, and was going to be Universal's first two-disc DVD set for a movie. However, it was pulled from its November 21, 2000 release date, and by the time Universal decided to release it to DVD in May 21, 2002, they rebranded it as Ultimate Edition, even though the line was all-but-dead by now.

Universal then trotted out the "Ultimate Edition" name later for a re-release of Carlito's Way, simply to give it a new banner name to differentiate from the previous releases (a barebones set and a Collector's Edition). It was used again for the Blu-Ray of Hot Fuzz, even though there was no previous edition that the film was Ultimate-izing from.

With all that said, and to answer the original question...

No, the film isn't good enough to warrant being called "Ultimate" anything. It's probably the worst film by Ridley Scott (and that's saying something since he also directed lousy movies like G.I. Jane and A Good Year), but I've always loved it. It's a lot of fun when you watch it for pure entertainment purposes with low expectations rather than anything important or deeply interesting. It's a train wreck, honestly, with such a slim story, even slimmer character development, and sloppy editing and pacing all around. But at least it has a great score (if you're watching the Director's Cut, with the Jerry Goldsmith score), some amazing sets and creature make-up, and likable performances by much of the cast.

Again, you don't play the cover..........at least I don't.

I don't either.

I will be first in line at Best Buy that day.

Me too.

albert

[milojthatch]

The question is: The cover art looks cheap; is the movie good enough to warrant the branding?

Maybe you prefer a custom cover instead?

http://www.r1db.com/covers/custom-dvd-c ... n-v-2.html

http://www.customaniacs.org/forum/custo ... egend.html

[2099net]

While I'm pleased for Alberto, its a bit galling to see this coming when the Blu-ray release of Meet Joe Black was so poor. Even the HD DVD was better!

I was hoping that the BD Meet Joe Black would mirror the Ultimate Edition DVD and include Death Takes A Holiday (even if only in SD should the restoration cost be too prohibitive) What we got was a release with NO supplements what-so-ever (even the HD-DVD has the Spotlight on Location bit of fluff and a trailer). Also to add insult to injury, being as the same single disc has been authored to cover THE WHOLE OF CREATION the menu is full of crappy symbols rather than words, which look ridiculous on Universal's house menu style.

Its a shame, as I would love to get Death Takes a Holiday in HD, and while Meet Joe Black has many detractors, I actually think the film is an underrated gem - sure, its slow and languid but put it on when you're in the right mood and its a perfectly told, unhurried character piece. I would have loved (for example) this Blu-ray release to have a Brest commentary for example.

Anyhow, well done to Universal for seemingly being about to do Legend right, it gives me hopes for their upcoming Halloween release of The Frighteners (which after MJB I was afraid they produce a similar disc).

[ajmrowland]

The question is: The cover art looks cheap; is the movie good enough to warrant the branding?

Universal's use of the banner name "Ultimate Edition" should not be taken as a reflection on the film itself, nor should its cover art.

No need to tell me. Unfortunately, even after so many discussions about horrible cover art, human nature intervenes sometimes.

And I also assumed it was Warner Bros. Thanks for the info!