DVDizzy Forum

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsi ... 702240.stm

Lizo of CBBC Newsround has reviewed the DVD and confirmed that there is no commentary from Mike Newell.

Well isn't this all just fine and dandy! I feel like a fool for believing Warner Brothers was going to make the Harry Potter dvds better. Maybe I'm being a bit impatient but I really don't want to wait till all 7 movies are out for a rerelease! By then I just won't see the fun in listening to Alfonso Cuaron talking about Prisoner of Azkaban.

Maybe he doesn't like doing them and passed. Who knows!

Lucylover1986 wrote:Maybe he doesn't like doing them and passed. Who knows!

Well, the thing is he even said he will do a director's commentary. I believe Steve Kloves said he would get the previous directors to do it for the previous films too.

Exactly. Mike Newell said he was doing one, and DavisDVD received a tip from someone at WB that the first three were being re-released with meaty features, including commentaries. What adds confusion to this whole thing is the fact that someone (I forget who at the moment), did some clever searching on WB's DVD site and discovered that Goblet of Fire not only had an English 5.1 soundtrack on the DVD, but an English 2.0, as well. With some more searching, this person figured out that all WB DVDs with commentaries had an English 2.0 track listed in their specs from that site. So this could mean several things:

1. The 2.0 track is some sort of descriptive track for the blind (has WB ever even put these on DVDs?).

2. A commentary was recorded/planned but removed from the DVD at the last minute.

3. The U.S. one will have a commentary while the UK one won't (doubtful).

I think #2 is probably what happened. I always throught it strange that since we'll be getting SEs of the first three, they'll probably be extended cuts, and that if that's the case, then WB would release a GoF director's cut simultaneously with the theatrical so that fans only have to double dip on the first three. Apparently WB has decided to turn into Fox and will make us double dip on GoF the way they're going to make us double dip on movies 1-3. What confuses me, though, is that the packaging for the GoF SE doesn't match the first three films. I figured this was because it was meant to match the upcoming SEs of 1-3 in advance, but with the lack of a GoF commentary/director's cut, that theory has been shot down.

Ok. I guess we'll have to wait for the big Harry Potter film collection in 2012 for all the special features and commentaries possible.

Disneykid wrote:I always throught it strange that since we'll be getting SEs of the first three, they'll probably be extended cuts, and that if that's the case, then WB would release a GoF director's cut simultaneously with the theatrical so that fans only have to double dip on the first three. Apparently WB has decided to turn into Fox and will make us double dip on GoF the way they're going to make us double dip on movies 1-3. What confuses me, though, is that the packaging for the GoF SE doesn't match the first three films. I figured this was because it was meant to match the upcoming SEs of 1-3 in advance, but with the lack of a GoF commentary/director's cut, that theory has been shot down.

I too thought that the gray frame border around the cover is a sign that it's the Deluxe Edition. Alas, it isn't. I really hope that we're only going to be double dipping on 1-4 because I want the Deluxe Edition dvds to come out now when I'm still young rather than when I'm 25 or something.

Though I have a feeling WB won't rerelease Deluxe Editions until the last movie comes out so they will make us double dip for 1-7. But now that I've typed that out and thought about it even more, WB will loose money because people would've already bought 1-7 so it's just too much for anyone to rebuy them all again. So, maybe the DEs will come in August or so.

About me not listening to commentaries for HP1-3, take CATCF for instance: it's been 3 months now since the release and if there is a commentary track I wouldn't bother listening to it because I've watched the movie so many times now that I wouldn't be excited anymore for a commentary.

Lucylover1986 wrote:Ok. I guess we'll have to wait for the big Harry Potter film collection in 2012 for all the special features and commentaries possible.

I'm pretty sure J K Rowling insists on no commentaries. It is well known she doesn't want to 'spoil' the magic of the books and the films with too much behind the scenes information being included on the discs.

That said, I was amazed at the CGI feature on the PoA disc, as this seems to go against Rowling's stated intent.

2099net wrote:

Lucylover1986 wrote:Ok. I guess we'll have to wait for the big Harry Potter film collection in 2012 for all the special features and commentaries possible.

I'm pretty sure J K Rowling insists on no commentaries. It is well known she doesn't want to 'spoil' the magic of the books and the films with too much behind the scenes information being included on the discs.

That said, I was amazed at the CGI feature on the PoA disc, as this seems to go against Rowling's stated intent.

In the commentary, she could just give her voice on whether or not she liked a certain scene or how she liked this and that. Even if Alfonso Cuaron talked about making Buckbeak in a commentary, it wouldn't be the same as the 'behind-the-scenes' because they won't be able to show any pictures of Harry on a machine Buckbeak so the magic is still there. Thus I don't see why JK is against commentaries so much, she could just voice her opinion.

Well, this upsets me. I hope this is just a rumor, although, knowing what such good news the commentary was, it's probably true. I'm not even sure now if I'm going to double-dip. Grrrr....

2099net wrote:

Lucylover1986 wrote:Ok. I guess we'll have to wait for the big Harry Potter film collection in 2012 for all the special features and commentaries possible.

I'm pretty sure J K Rowling insists on no commentaries. It is well known she doesn't want to 'spoil' the magic of the books and the films with too much behind the scenes information being included on the discs.

That said, I was amazed at the CGI feature on the PoA disc, as this seems to go against Rowling's stated intent.

Actually, she doesn't care at all. Not only has she never said "no" to meaty features and commentaries for the films, but she's actually revealed a lot of "behind the scenes" tidbits for both the books and films via her site and in various interviews. WB execs are the ones who feel that too much substance on the DVDs would kill the magic (but considering how much more substantial each release gets, we know that's a load of bull to excuse them from making quality DVDs the first time around). J.K. is actually very indifferent towards the films. She enjoys them quite a bit, but couldn't care less about what's revealed about the filmmaking process since she's only involved in the script process with Steve Kloves. That said, I think it'd take a lot to convince J.K. to do a commentary herself simply because she's very self-conscious. She's said that she hates the sound of her own voice, which is why she turned down the chance to do the audio books. I think she may be persuaded to do one (or several) if WB can get several other people to join her, especially Steve Kloves.

It's too bad, really. The only half-decent Potter movie that's been released so far, and WB continues their tradition of poor DVD treatment (not that there was much to say about the first 3).

I'm pretty sure J K Rowling insists on no commentaries. It is well known she doesn't want to 'spoil' the magic of the books and the films with too much behind the scenes information being included on the discs.

That's an unfortunate viewpoint; it probably eliminates a fair number of potential DVD-buyers. If the first 2 movies hadn't been crap, and the 3rd mediocre at best, I probably still wouldn't have bought them based on the poor bonus features.

I'm sure Warner will have no qualms about re-releasing the entire saga after all of the movies are out. This is their biggest franchise right now, and they will make sure to get the most consumer dollars they can. It would not be even close to the largest series to get a re-release. A prime example is the James Bond franchise. I forget what iteration it's on of DVDs, but that is 20 movies to rebuy.

I am buying the HP DVDs as they come out because I like the movies. When special editions come out, probably on Blu-Ray, I will decide whether or not I want to upgrade.

[quote="magicalwands]I want the Deluxe Edition dvds to come out now when I'm still young rather than when I'm 25 or something.
[/quote]

That just made this 30 year old feel darn old

Disneykid wrote:Exactly. Mike Newell said he was doing one, and DavisDVD received a tip from someone at WB that the first three were being re-released with meaty features, including commentaries. What adds confusion to this whole thing is the fact that someone (I forget who at the moment), did some clever searching on WB's DVD site and discovered that Goblet of Fire not only had an English 5.1 soundtrack on the DVD, but an English 2.0, as well. With some more searching, this person figured out that all WB DVDs with commentaries had an English 2.0 track listed in their specs from that site. So this could mean several things:

1. The 2.0 track is some sort of descriptive track for the blind (has WB ever even put these on DVDs?).

2. A commentary was recorded/planned but removed from the DVD at the last minute.

3. The U.S. one will have a commentary while the UK one won't (doubtful).

I think #2 is probably what happened. I always throught it strange that since we'll be getting SEs of the first three, they'll probably be extended cuts, and that if that's the case, then WB would release a GoF director's cut simultaneously with the theatrical so that fans only have to double dip on the first three. Apparently WB has decided to turn into Fox and will make us double dip on GoF the way they're going to make us double dip on movies 1-3. What confuses me, though, is that the packaging for the GoF SE doesn't match the first three films. I figured this was because it was meant to match the upcoming SEs of 1-3 in advance, but with the lack of a GoF commentary/director's cut, that theory has been shot down.

That was me who found out about the English 2.0 track. I think maybe Lizo reviewed the UK version of GOF, because there are no menu screens posted from his review (he posted up a couple of menu screens from his DVD review of POA, which turned out to be the R1 version).

I'm truly disappointed that WB has decided not to include commentary on the DVD, as the sole addition of that extra would increase sales of the 2-disc edition. Still, I'm getting the 2-disc set (it's just a 2-disc Amaray packaging with a silver foil embossed slipcover), because I'm interested in the documentaries and deleted scenes. Who knows, maybe Lizo got a screener copy and the final version will include the commentary... if it's not listed on the main menu, you can toggle between the audio tracks and see if it's there.

As for WB double-dipping on the HP titles, it seems inevitable. I was halfway expecting 2-disc re-releases of the first 3 movies with commentaries (I would love one with J.K. Rowling and the screenwriter) when the GOF DVD was announced, but I suppose that will come during late spring/early summer 2007, before or after the release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in theaters.

As for the screenwriter, Steve Kloves stepped down for doing the adaptation of the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in order to write and direct his adaptation of the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It was announced during filming of GOF that Michael Goldenberg (Contact, Peter Pan) was hired to pen the script for OOTP. Judging by the recent casting and the events being kept in the film, I have to say OOTP is in excellent hands, script-wise. (Kloves will come back to pen the script for Half-Blood Prince.)

Here are the menu shots:


The goblet better have animated flames. I think it will spit out the "Play Movie", "Scene Selections", and "Languages" papers.












Note: It has a button labeled "Next"! Maybe that's the page to the commentary?

magicalwands wrote:Note: It has a button labeled "Next"! Maybe that's the page to the commentary?

No, it won't be. Warners always put their copyright information on a screen off-set from the Languages menu.

Well, seeing the menus certainly got me in some sort of good mood. Now I'm looking forward to getting this (for some reason). Well, at least the extras are better than I expected them to be. I suppose I can (gasp!) live without a commentary, as long as it means I at least have the movie on DVD, because that's what's most important right?

I think those are the menus exclusive to the single-disc edition. Warner almost always includes the theatrical trailer on the first disc of a 2-disc edition, and while the menus may technically be the same on both editions, I think a "Theatrical Trailer" option will appear on the Deluxe Edition's main menu... if not, it'll appear on the second disc.

That said, the menus are definitely a welcome change from the previous three, but I'm surprised that the movie has 29 chapters, which is a bit skimpy for a 2 1/2 hour movie (the first three films had 32-37 chapters!). But I suppose Warner will open the disc with a lengthy montage of clips from the film set to "Hedwig's Theme" (or a section of Patrick Doyle's score from the film), just like the previous films.

azul017 wrote:But I suppose Warner will open the disc with a lengthy montage of clips from the film set to "Hedwig's Theme" (or a section of Patrick Doyle's score from the film), just like the previous films.

I hate those! They always ruin the movie right before you watch it.

As for the menus being for one-disc, are the Charlie ATCF dvd menus different for single and double discs? Maybe commentary is only included on the TWO-disc? That said, when they advertise the dvd in this trailer it says "8 Behind the Scenes Documentary" then later it says "Film Maker Commentary"! In conclusion, I think commentary IS on the dvd but only for the two-disc (and that makes sense.) It will make more people buy the 2-disc so WB will get more money.

Here's the trailer on you tube: http://www.youtube.com/?v=Fr5HFWBPnHA

magicalwands wrote:
As for the menus being for one-disc, are the Charlie ATCF dvd menus different for single and double discs? Maybe commentary is only included on the TWO-disc? That said, when they advertise the dvd in this trailer it says "8 Behind the Scenes Documentary" then later it says "Film Maker Commentary"! In conclusion, I think commentary IS on the dvd but only for the two-disc (and that makes sense.) It will make more people buy the 2-disc so WB will get more money.

Here's the trailer on you tube: http://www.youtube.com/?v=Fr5HFWBPnHA

Well, if the commentary is there on the 2-disc edition, it probably won't be mentioned on the menu itself. The only way to access the commentary would toggle between the audio options with the "audio" button during the movie and see if it's there. (I think Fox did something similar with The Simpsons season 4 box set - one episode had an additional commentary, but you had to use the audio button in order to get to it because it wasn't mentioned on the menu itself.)

As for the menus differing between single- and double-disc editions, they don't vary that much. I saw the main menu for the CATCF DE, and it was the exact same as the single-disc main menu, except it had "Theatrical Trailer" in place of "Special Features". It's pretty much the same thing for most of Warner's dual releases - like The Phantom of the Opera and The Polar Express - the single-disc releases are just the first disc of the 2-disc set sold separately. (Except for films like Constantine, Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River.)

I saw the trailer for the DVD release of GOF and I did note that the trailer did mention "Film Maker's Commentary", but Warner can be deceiving about that. (Hopefully Warner will let David Yates record a commentary for OOTP, because he did do one for the The Girl In the Cafe DVD.)