The Departed coming to DVD 2/13/2007

[azul017]

One of my favorite movies of 2006, Martin Scorsese's remake of the Asian crime thriller Infernal Affairs, The Departed, will be released on R1 DVD on February 13, 2007. The movie will be released in Warner's atypical fashion: single-disc edition in separate full-screen and widescreen formats (SRP is $28.98 ), and a pricier 2-Disc Special Edition (SRP is $34.98 ). See art for both editions here.

Here's the lineup of extras:

Disc One: Main Feature (Widescreen Single-Disc and 2-Disc Special Edition):

- 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer
- English, French and Spanish DD5.1 Surround
- English, French and Spanish subtitles
- Theatrical trailer

Disc Two: Special Features (Special Edition only):

- 9 Additional Scenes with Introductions by Martin Scorsese
- "The Story of the Boston Mob" Featurette
- "Crossing Criminal Cultures" Featurette

--

Wow, is Warner slacking in the extras department. I expected a Scorsese commentary and a long making-of documentary, at the very least. Very disappointing on the WB's part... just for the WB's laziness, I'll get the single-disc edition.

[Escapay]

The lack of commentary could mean one of two things:

1. It's being saved for the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray In-Movie Experience (IME)

2. It's being saved for a double-dip extended edition later on.

I pray it's the latter mainly because as much as I'd love to have a high-definition player and be able to have these IME's available, I'd still very much like an audio commentary that the standard DVD can fall back on.

Escapay

[azul017]

The lack of commentary could mean one of two things:

1. It's being saved for the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray In-Movie Experience (IME)

2. It's being saved for a double-dip extended edition later on.

I know that, and I highly suspect that if The Departed hits it big at the Academy Awards, the WB is most likely to do a re-release with a commentary and better extras to cash in on the film's popularity. I doubt it'll be an extended edition, though. (The 2-disc SE extras are too paltry for me to bother with.)

And as the HD-DVD and Blu-ray releases, I have yet to see a day-and-date HD-DVD and/or Blu-ray release to feature the IME (Bryan Singer said Superman Returns would have it, but it didn't), as it seems that films that have already been released on DVD (like Batman Begins and V for Vendetta) are getting the IME. I hope The Departed will be the first one, though.

But if that occurs, I'll already have the standard edition of The Departed in my possession.

[AwallaceUNC]

I really want to own this movie ASAP, as it was <i>so</i> good. That's hardly worth a pricey 2-Disc set, though... who are they kidding? As azul017 said, I need a commentary and a decent making-of (or something along those lines) to justify the price. I guess the wise thing to do is wait for the upgrade, but I'm impatient. Maybe I'll wait a week or two and buy the single-disc used.

-Aaron

[Harbinger]

Woot! I think i'm a get it. I love the artwork! I'm gonna get the 2 Disc of course. Just wish they didn't jack up the SRP because there's a 1 disc version too.

[castleinthesky]

This film is my most anticipated movie to have on DVD. It is clearly the best film of 2006 (and I even havn't seen all the films). This film is the best film since Return of the King in 2003. I will buy the 2-disc, which I only do for films I really love. Most of the time I only buy one disk editions. This film has to win best picture if the Academy wants to redeem themselves from the crap that was pulled last year.

[James]

I didn't really want to see this film when it came out, but now that it's been nominated for so much and it's been touted as an Oscar contender, then I might have to. The actors in it are capable enough to hold a movie like this and take it to another place with audiences, so I might rent it on DVD, and if it's good enough, maybe a purchase will follow. When it first came out, I thought that, at most, it was a slightly above-average thriler/drama, but I should've known that whatever Scorcese makes, it's top-notch. I hope that he wins best director, but I also want Sofia Coppola to. She should be the first woman to win it, as Marie Antoinette, seems like a very risky and promising film. Go Sofia!
-James

[Sulley]

I feel with castleinthesky that this was the best film of the year and deserves every award it can earn. Scorsese has to get one this time. I will be royally pissed if they snub him again. He also deserves a Lifetime Achievement Oscar, but that's getting off topic. The Departed is one of my favorite movies of all time, one of the best I have EVER seen. Couldn't recommend it more.