DVDizzy Forum

Don´t know if it should be here actually but I believe so.

Don´t know about you guys but the Extras that give you an insight on how a movie was made makes me really appreciate a movie. Especially lots of things that are taken from granted.

For example, just watched the whole Making Of on the Brother Bear BR and as many faults the movie may have once I saw how much effort was put into it, what the directors had in mind, the visual aspect of it, how the songs were made and what meant for the story and so on. These really helped me to value the film much more.

Sure, there are times when you don´t want to know so to preserve "the magic". But to me, all movies should have these making of material included.

Even more so for animated movies. Adults like them too and it will also help kids understand the labor put into them.

So, in terms of Extras... Do you think this stuff should be included?

These days I tend to spend more time watching extras than the movies. In fact, it's fair to say I have several discs I have no intention of watching the films, but have enjoyed watching the extras. Mostly this is because I already have copies of the movies (such as with the Titanic Blu-ray) but there's a few where I just want the extras. I'm buying the new upcoming UK Phantom of the Opera (1925) Blu-ray (despite already having one) for the full-length Lon Chaney documentary and the UK Night of the Hunter for the two and a half hour Charles Laughton Directs The Night of the Hunter documentary.

A disc with exceptional extras is the French Silent Hill 2 disc Blu-ray. This not only contains good documentaries, interviews and (important to me) the trailers it also has a fascinating Picture-in-Picture track where you can view the footage with no effects added. It's incredible just to see how often digital effects are used in modern movies in ways you wouldn't expect - from removing cameras from reflections to environmental effects/landscapes etc. After devouring the whole content of the release, I really feel I know not only how the film was made, but what the filmmakers were thinking at the time. Never would I expect such an examination of a film of the like of Silent Hill. Well done to the French for making such a wonderful disc (and making most of it accessible in English too!)

Personally I don't think Animated films are a special case. Actually, I think once you've seen two or three documentaries about animation you more or less know the technical issues. All you can do is discuss the artistic decisions - which are just as valid for live action as animation. But I enjoy any documentary which doesn't just state what happens during the creation, buy why.

Yeah, I've always had a love for extras, and if more people watched a few, there'd be overall greater appreciation for a lot of movies.