The 411 Movies Top 5 07.24.09: Week 175 - Top 5 Most Wanted DVD Upgrades

Posted by Trevor Snyder on 07.24.2009

Nowadays, most people won't even think of buying a DVD if it's not loaded with extras, which makes it even harder to believe that some films still only enjoy bare-bones releases or underwhelming "special" editions. This week, the 411 crew takes a look at some films that desperately need a DVD upgrade.



Call me spoiled, but it's gotten to the point where I barely even think about buying a DVD if it doesn't have interesting special features. Whether it's the fear of the dreaded double-dip, or simply a belief that all DVDs should take advantage of all the wonders available to them, I just have a hard time plunking my money down for films that have either no features or underwhelming ones. With that in mind, I thought it might be interesting for us here at 411 to offer our thoughts on some movies that are in desperate need of new DVDs, with a look at:

OUR TOP 5 MOST WANTED DVD UPGRADES

TREVOR SNYDER

5. THE FACULTY

Robert Rodriguez is know for loading up his DVDs with various bells and whistles, so he clearly had no hand in putting together the DVD for his sci-fi thriller/comedy. The film's trailer is the only special feature on the current version. Hell, even the VHS copy I rented back in the day had a music video on it. I'll give you that this isn't one of Rodriguez's more popular films, but the man's name has gained a lot more recognition in the years since its release. Plus, its cast is likewise more impressive today than it was when the movie first came out. It's probably time for this one to be rediscovered, and a new DVD with the typical batch of Rodriguez extras would be just the way to pull that off.

4. THE GAME

All of Fincher's other films have awesome special editions (even Alien 3, which Fincher has pretty much disowned), but for some reason The Game is relegated to a bare-bones version. What the hell? I don't want to tell Criterion how to do their business, but maybe it's about time they looked into adding this – one of the best thrillers of the ‘90s - to their catalog.

3. NIGHTBREED

Clive Barker's film adaptation of his own novel Cabal is one of those classic stories of artist vs. studio. In this case, the studio was Morgan Creek, who immediately started things off by asking Barker to change the name to Nightbreed because Cabal "doesn't mean anything." From there it was one more headache after another for Barker, who then had to watch as his original two-and-a-half-hour cut was cut down to 102 minutes and eventually just dumped out into the marketplace. Now, I'm not trying to make Morgan Creek out to be the total bad guys here – two and half hours probably is a little long for a horror film of this type. But still, it would be nice if they would let us see Barker's full cut and judge for ourselves. Especially since, as it was eventually discovered, all of the cut footage is not even lost, but is in fact readily accessible. Unfortunately, the studio apparently feels there is not a big enough audience for the film to justify spending the money on a new cut and DVD. Maybe they're right, but I for one would love to see it happen anyway.

2. DEAD ALIVE (BRAINDEAD)

Peter Jackson's insanely gory zombie epic is without a doubt one of the most widely entertaining horror-comedies of all time. And so Trimark obviously had to go all out, and give us a DVD with…a trailer. Umm, yay? OK, I get that there probably didn't seem to be much call for anything more than that when this DVD was first put together. But in a post-Lord of the Rings world (and, more importantly, in a post-Lord of the Rings Extended Edition DVDs world), it seems somewhat inexcusable that there isn't a special edition available. I understand that Jackson is a busy guy, but I bet he could (and would love to) find the time to record a commentary, and help throw together a retrospective documentary. And if you want to give it one of those cutesy names that seem to be in vogue, might I suggest the "I Kick Ass for the Lord Edition."

1. TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME

Most Twin Peaks fans already know the deal with this one. David Lynch's original cut of this prequel film allegedly ran close to four hours, and featured a lot more scenes fitting in all of the characters that fans knew and loved from the television series. Unfortunately, a great was cut out, and that missing footage, apparently owned by a French company called MK2, remains unavailable. New Line tried to get a hold of the scenes when they put together their DVD, but to no avail. The New Line DVD does include a decent documentary, but it is those deleted scenes that we fans really want. In recent interviews, Lynch has remained optimistic that they will eventually see the light of day. I hope he's right.

SHAWN S. LEALOS

5. HEAVENLY CREATURES

It is Peter Jackson's most serious picture (until The Lovely Bones this Christmas) and was Kate Winslet's big screen debut. Jackson produced this film at home in New Zealand and knowing Jackson, he has extra footage. I want a commentary and behind the scenes footage. Make this happen.

4. RAISING ARIZONA

All you get on this DVD is trailers. You won't improve too much on the picture or sound quality but I really want to see more extra features on Coen discs. While most Coen discs are bare, Blood Simple has a great commentary track by a fake "expert" who gave a hilarious, ridiculous commentary track. Big Lebowski came out recently with a great special edition too. Please make this one next.

3. SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER, UNCUT

Come one, at least give me a drunk commentary track. Deleted scenes, making of features, extra shorts, anything. Actually, I know what I want - a commentary track by Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny. I would buy that instantly.

2. THE FACULTY

Robert Rodriguez puts out DVDs that are worth every penny. Even his "fluff" pieces are fun, such as the cooking school and the film school are fun. The Faculty, released by Buena Vista has a trailer on it. That's it. The movie is really good and rises above its genre limitations as more than just a retelling of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, giving a smart, original story with a look at a great Robert Rodriguez early in his career. I want a commentary with Rodriguez talking about working on this studio film and what it was like outside the confines of his Austin home base. I'd also like a feature looking back on the filming to see what his cast and crew saw in the man who would become an institution.

1. THE GAME

You want to know what I think are some of the best DVDs special feature wise? Fight Club. Seven. Panic Room. Zodiac. David Fincher knows how to put together special features. Even Benjamin Button has a solid Criterion release and, even though he had nothing to do with it, Alien 3 has great features in the Quadrilogy. However, there is one movie that has nothing on the DVD. It is also grainy and not as clear as you would expect from a David Fincher film. What it is, however, is a great movie with great twists and a movie like this deserves extras. I want to see features talking to Sean Penn, Michael Douglas and David Fincher. I want commentary tracks, deleted scenes and, more than anything, I want a picture cleanup.

ERIK LUERS

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Scent of a Woman - Scent of a Woman now seems to have been forgotten by the American audiences that embraced it some seventeen years ago, but damn it, I like it just the same. The Universal DVD release is barebones to a tee, and that's a shame.

New York Stories - Three great directors, three intriguing stories (okay, two intriguing stories), and an all star cast, and all we get is a Fullscreen, chopped up transfer with no extras? Touchstone Pictures is terrible with their catalogue DVDs. Just look at the barebones DVD release for the very fun and nostalgic Dick Tracy(1990).

Little Children - One of the best films I've seen over the past few years arrived on DVD with a barebones release. This is an excellent film with a terrible disc. It's ripe for cast/director Q & As, commentaries, on set footage, and more. C'mon New Line.

THE TOP 5

5. THE RED BALLOON

I suppose we should be happy that this film finally came out on DVD last year. After all, people had been waiting for it on Region 1 for a long time. But no, that isn't good enough for me! Rather than give us something on the history of the film and its production, the film is presented with zero extras. Give us something at least, Janus! This is a classic film! You could've done an Up balloon tie in for the kiddies or something.

4. AKIRA KUROSAWA'S DREAMS

A well made, late career highlight from the Japanese master, and what do we get on the DVD? That's right. Interactive menus. Aren't all DVD menus interactive? That's like saying "SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE: Ability to Press Play and Watch Movie in Sequence." I really love this film and it's a shame that Warner Bros. dropped the ball on this one (it's one of the few Kurosawa titles not licensed by the Criterion Collection). I haven't bought it for fear of a double dip in the near future, but who am I kidding? I need my Scorsese as van Gogh fix every week.

3. THE WHO'S TOMMY

See me, hear me, touch me, feel me, this movie has gotten screwed over on DVD! Remember Superbit? Me neither. I highly enjoyed this 1975 rock opera and wish that it would be treated with the respect it deserves. Let's get a Jack Nicholson as the doctor (in a very amusing cameo) music video on there! How about we get to know what came out of the TV in that disgusting yet erotic scene in which Ann Margaret rolls around in…..mud? How about a Best Buy exclusive with a free trip to the Acid Queen? I tell ya, to ignore this film only makes Columbia Pictures deaf, dumb, and blind.

2. CRIES AND WHISPERS

Yes, there is already a Criterion release of this film. But have you stopped and looked at what the special features are? A thirty-two minute interview with Ingmar Bergman. That's it. No cast interviews. No film historian commentaries. No retrospective documentaries on the impact of the film. Nothing on the religious allegories present in every scene. Nothing on the shocking bright red fade ins and outs. No tribute to Sven Nykvist. Nothing. Having just released a 2-Disc Edition of The Seventh Seal, let's get a double dip on this one, my Criterion peeps. And you know how much I hate double dipping.

1. FIVE EASY PIECES

By now Chad Webb is probably wondering why I didn't put Nashville on here, so there, I mentioned it. Get your act together Paramount. But my number one pick is somewhat of a tie between Five Easy Pieces and The Last Detail, two Jack Nicholson films in the Columbia Pictures canon from the early 1970s (and Tommy is the third). I love both of these films, but have a slight preference to Bob Rafelson's film. It's such a beautiful piece that it's a shame that there aren't any extras on here. Rafelson is still alive, Nicholson is still alive, Karen Black is still alive, Lois Smith is still alive, and Sally Struthers is still alive, so what gives? Let's get a 30th anniversary started for release next year.

BRYAN KRISTOPOWITZ

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Critters (1986) - This is a great little sci-fi comedy flick from the 1980's that deserves a full on special edition with commentaries, behind-the-scenes stuff, and maybe a fake music video from that Johnny Steele guy. There's got to be all kinds of cool BHTS stuff lying around somewhere. And the movie has an alternate ending that deserves to be something other than an easter egg.

True Lies (1994) - How the hell does this Jimmy Cameron/Ahnold Schwarzenegger action extravaganza not already have a three disc special edition DVD with all of the bells and whistles? It was a big hit, people have been clamoring for a sequel for fifteen years now, so why not do the next best thing? Plus, a special edition DVD might give Tom Arnold something to do besides that awful home video show he does on CMT.

Demolition Man (1993) - Yet another great early 1990's sci-fi action flick that deserves all kinds of in depth documentaries and featurettes on a special edition DVD. What do we have now? Just a commentary. That's not enough stuff for a movie this cool.

THE TOP 5

5. THEY LIVE (1988)/ ESCAPE FROM LA (1996)

I'm listing both of these John Carpenter classics because neither one's DVD, at least in region 1, has a commentary track. I think there's a Region 2 They Live edition where Carpenter has a commentary track with star Roddy Piper, but that doesn't do me any good. So I want to hear Carpenter and Piper (and bring Keith David in on it, too. He's cool. And Meg Foster, too, if she's available) go on about the movie and what it means, etc. And with EFLA I want yet another Carpenter commentary track with Kurt Russell because the three they've done so far (The Thing, Escape from New York, and Big Trouble in Little China) are awesome. There are all kinds of other special features both movies could use (deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes stuff, stuff like that) but the most important thing is the commentary tracks.

4. WARRIOR OF THE LOST WORLD (1983)

This great, cheesy as heck 1980's post apocalyptic Italian sci-fi action classic currently has an ultra bare bones, cheap as hell DVD that you can usually pick up for like five bucks at your local gas station. That's not cool. There should be a "making of" documentary where the flick's director, David Worth, explains how he got the job, and why he made the movie in the first place. There should also be interviews with stars Robert Ginty and Fred "The Hammer" Williamson and Persis Khambatta about their experiences making the movie (do people recognize Ginty from this movie or "The Exterminator"?). And the DVD can include the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode where the movie is mercilessly lampooned. It would be a fun special feature.

3. THE PUNISHER (1989)

This was the best Punisher movie until Punisher War Zone came out last year, and now it's a close second (the Thomas Jane Punisher movie is a very distant third). But that's no reason not to put out a fully loaded special edition of one of the best Dolph Lundgren movies ever made. It would have to have a commentary track with director Mark Goldblatt and Dolph, maybe a commentary track with screenwriter Boaz Yakin (from what I've read, Goldblatt and Yakin don't get along and had a major falling out during the making of the movie, so right there you have a great mini documentary). You'd also have to include the deleted original opening plus all of the other alternate footage (I think there's an alternate ending out there somewhere). I'd also like to have a separate audio track devoted to the soundtrack (still one of the best action movie soundtracks of the late 1980's). Giving this flick the special edition treatment would also be a great excuse for a documentary on how Marvel Comics characters got the low budget movie treatment in the 1980's and 1990's. There's just so much cool stuff that could be done here.

2. HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1995)

I want a full on, special edition DVD of both the theatrical release and the much sought after "Producers Cut" with oodles and oodles of special features on why there are two versions of this movie. Why did Joe Chappelle not like the "producer's cut" and why did he then make the theatrical version? I mean, that's sort of like the "Halloween" movie nerd holy grail right there. And spare no expense and censor absolutely nothing. Let loose with all of the controversy behind the scenes, etc. And, of course, provide new, excellent transfers of both versions of the movie. Now, if we just got a Producer's Cut DVD with all of those special features, etc plus a clean transfer that would be cool, too. Maybe have a special feature with a debate between Chappelle and writer Daniel Farrands over which version of the movie is better.

1. TRANCERS SERIES

The current boxed set for Trancers 1-5 is okay. It's not great, but it's okay. You get the five movies, plus four "Full Moon Video Zones" that originally appeared on the home video releases (they appear on parts 2-5) and a blooper reel on the first movie (they're actually bloopers from the second movie). No chapter stops, no trailers, and an okay transfer. What I'd love to see is an Alien Quadrilogy type treatment for these five movies, with commentaries and behind-the-scenes documentaries on each movie (keep the old Video Zones but also make new documentaries), plus an massive, in depth documentary on what happened to Charles Band's Empire Pictures, the company that made and released the first Trancers, and then an analysis of what happened to Full Moon Entertainment in the 1990's (why did Paramount get out of the direct-to-video genre movie business?).

And wouldn't it be cool if they somehow found a way to get Helen Hunt back for some of these special features? Of course it would be. And get Thomerson on all of the commentary tracks. You'd definitely have to have writers Danny Bilson and Paul DeMeo involved to explain how they created Jack Deth.

Man, if this happened it would be the greatest B-movie boxed set in DVD history. Well, at least I think it would be.

Oh, and Trancers 6 would be excluded from this boxed set because it's awful. I just wanted to get that out there just in case someone asked.

JEREMY THOMAS

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Strange Days - Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Michael Wincott, James Cameron behind the script and the director who's given us the newly-acclaimed The Hurt Locker? Once again I state this is a horribly underrated film that deserves more than bare-bones for a DVD.

Clue - No, I don't consider including all three endings on the DVD it has a "special edition." They air all three endings when it plays on basic cable. This is a hilarious film that ought to have a fun little Two-Disc "cult classic" set.

The Prophecy - I have a very soft spot in my heart for this film and I hate that its DVD release contained barely anything. It deserves more.

THE TOP 5

5. THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT

As a general rule, I loathe Renny Harlin. The man may have made Die Hard 2, but he also made Cutthroat Island, Nightmare on Elm Street 4 (one of the weakest of the series), Driven, Exorcist: The Beginning, The Covenant and 12 Rounds. That is a whole lot of crap right there. But he also made Long Kiss Goodnight, a fantastically fun little action piece that I can't help but love featuring Geena Davis at her hottest and Samuel L. Jackson being the man. Will someone please ask me why, if we can get an "Extreme Edition" of 12 Rounds, we can't get a Collector's Edition of this film? I would love to see some behind the scenes footage, some interviews, deleted scenes (you know there had to be some) and more. Make it happen!

4. HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS

Damn Bryan for getting in my head about this one, but I agree with everything he said 100%. How a Producer's Cut hasn't been released on Region 1 is beyond me, but putting it in a Two-Disc set with the original cut would be a double-dip I would snatch up in a heartbeat. Sorry, I'd say more but Kristopowitz was completely in my head with this one.

3. GROSSE POINTE BLANK

My love of John Cusack films is something I don't really try to hide. I don't honestly believe the man has turned in a bad performance before, and I enjoy a vast majority of his films. This is easily one of the best of them, and it's a bare-bones release. This is enough of a cult classic that it's tailor-made for a special edition set. Hell, they can talk about John and Joan's constant appearances in each other's films as an extra featurette, and include a few 80's music videos from The Clash, David Bowie & Queen and so on. How can you lose?

2. BEFORE SUNRISE/BEFORE SUNSET

Richard Linklater's romantic drama dualogy is my all-time two favorite romances. When I picked up these films a while back, I was utterly shocked to realize that they were bare-bones DVD's. There's not a single feature on either (and no, I don't count the trailer). I would love to hear a Linklater, Hawke and Delpy commentary track for both films, a nice little featurette about the conception of the films and maybe something from cinematographer Lee Daniel. I don't ask much...just give me something, Columbia! How hard is that?

1. EVERY WOODY ALLEN MOVIE

There's one guy who's fought the idea of special editions and feature-loaded DVD's ever since the medium was first introduced. That man is the mind behind such film classics as Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask), Sleeper, Annie Hall, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Hannah and Her Sisters, Bullets Over Broadway...need I go on? Woody Allen's DVD's are notorious for being featureless, because Allen prefers that his movies speak for themselves. As a film critic, I respect his decision. As a fan I say...COME ON, WOODY! How awesome would it be to hear Allen give commentary on his decisions in film-making and his writing/directing/acting process? Who wouldn't love a retrospective set of interviews from Allen, Mira Sorvino, Jennifer Tilly, Chaz Palminteri and more? A special edition set of the Woody Allen films with some decent features would drive many a film fan into a second mortgage I imagine, and happily so.

LEN ARCHIBALD

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Belle De Jour - It's pretty criminal that almost every Luis Bunuel film has received the Criterion treatment except for this (and to a lesser extent, Un Chien Andalou - but that has SOME bonus features), which is one of his most popular anarchist works.

Rosemary's Baby - Seriously? Seriously? C'mon, we all know Roman Polanski is a pedophile, but there is NO WAY IN HELL that his witches brew masterpiece with Mia Farrow and John Cassavettes should be some random $9 dvd with no real behind-the-scenes stories. Get on it, Paramount!

Pixote - I covered this film in my Around the World... column and sadly, I had to do it through a dvd where the only highlights are some trailers for OTHER movies. Put this out as a special edition and include the documentary Who Killed Pixote? with it. Get on it now!

THE TOP 5

5. LAST TANGO IN PARIS

Marlon Brando may be the single greatest actor ever. Period, end of discussion. He may have been a self-destructive man-child, boozer, womanizer and all around nut who did everything he could to *not* be liked by Hollywood (or he just didn't take it as seriously as some people), but dammit, the man had TALENT that was from another galaxy. He has considered this one of his most personal performances and it is on a simple MGM release with no true features. Shame, man. I would've thought after he died, the studio would have squeezed it out for all its worth. Bah.

4. TIE: AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD/STROSZEK

Werner Herzog, you crazy oddball filmmaker you! You've made some bonified genuine classic films in your prolific career, and yet two of your most beloved films recieve the bare bones treatment: Aguirre stars Klaus Kinski as a certified psychopath who is second-in-command (and eventually leads) a spanish expedition to find El Dorado – and everyone goes stark-raving, bat-shit insane. Stroszek is a quasi-dramedy/mindf*ck of a film that basically says that The American Dream isn't really confined to only Americans, complete with one of the most bizzare endings a film has ever created (WOOO! YEAH! WOOOOO! YEAH! WOOP, WOOP, WOOP...as the chicken dances...) I'm gonna end up writing some pretty direct letters to the folks at Criterion AND Mr. Herzog pretty soon. BTW, why isn't Fitzcarraldo and Burden of Dreams released together?

3. PERSONA

Anyone that knows me personally understands my love for two specific non-American filmmakers: Akira Kurosawa and Ingmar Bergman. Kurosawa, though (with the exception of Dreams - good call, Erik!) has pretty much recieved "Special Edition" treatment for all of his important and influencial films, but Bergman has not recieved the same. Some of his greatest works (The Seventh Seal, The Virgin Spring, Wild Strawberries, Through A Glass Darkly) has recieved the Criterion treatment, but not this – which is my personal fave of his. Persona deals with an actress who has willingly turned mute for some unknown reason (world injustices and the cruelty of huamanity?) and is tended at a cottage by a young nurse. Eventually, the seclusion between the two, and lack of open communication grates on the nurse and the personalities of the two begin to mesh, merge and warp until everything gets screwed up. This is one of the great "deconstructions" of film and it is a Low Down Dirty Shame, Keenan Ivory Wayans, that this only gets a commentary and trailer on one disc. I know there's more to this film that that.

2. TIE: NASHVILLE/McCABE & MRS. MILLER

I would like seriously for someone to explain this to me: So, Caligula, one of the WORST movies ever made has received the 2-Disc "Special Edition" treatment (I even saw this at Wal-Mart; God, these people have NO CLUE, do they? It's PORN!) but somehow, someway – one of the greatest filmmakers in history doesn't have two of his seminal works treated in the same way? Nashville is the ultimate "messy" picture – a film with so many characters intertwining in the days leading up to a political concert that it borders on mockumentary. McCabe & Mrs. Miller stars Warren Beatty and Julie Christie and places them in perhaps the most realistic looking western town put to celluloid. Features: Bare bones. Seriously, man...This list is getting me pissed off.

1. ANY WOODY ALLEN FILM

I second this sentiment, and I shouldn't have to explain why. In his heyday, Woody Allen was THE MAN. He was able to mix side-splitting comedy with touching drama (that didn't fall into the "melo" realm) and did it with a visual style that was impeccible. C'mon, people...Annie Hall and Manhattan (especially Manhattan! Conrad L. Hall's cinematography ROCKS YOUR FACE!) isn't being treated as a special edition? Criterion? Hello, Criterion Collection! We have a few movies you need to add...