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Techtite's DVD Reviews! |
"What makes this added feature so cool is how it has anecdotes from the cast, as they look back on the film experience 'today'...this three-part feature shows the cast of each movie as they looked then (behind the scenes), and as they look "now," in interviews. This is a real treat, for even the most agnostic of Indy fans." --from the review
------------- Sidebar :: ------------- The missing cobra Reflection. Now, one added comment about the DVDs is the omission of many unintentional flaws...including visual bloopers, all of which have been digitally deleted from these DVD cuts. There is a particular amount of banter online about the omission of one memorable blooper: Indy face-to-face with a cobra, the trouble being that the cobra's reflection was visible in the glass dividing Harrison Ford from the poisinous snake (duh? oh course they wanted to protect the lead star from a cobra!!!). This reflection in the glass blooper has been digitally removed in the DVD. However, so what? Given how many people whined like babies about this blooper for over two decades, it's a little late now to say that you "regret" it being removed!
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Indiana Jones:The Complete DVD Movie Collection
A Techtite ReviewAs Always, a review of The Film and The DVD (extras)! The Film: How do you review three classic films? Indeed; they can only be given proper justice, if one were to review them individually. So, if you want the full scoop on each individual film, read Techtite's review of Raiders of the Lost Ark (the first film), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (the second), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (the third), individually. If you wish to read this critic's opinions of the set of films as a whole, read on...particularly if you want to know of the DVD extras, which are only available on "disc 4" of this set. The truth is, if I was to list back in 1997 (when I first started collecting DVDs) what my most-wanted DVDs were, this trilogy would be on the top ten of the list, if not the top 5. These films were that rarely perfect blend of comedy relief, action, suspense, and of course excellent storytelling. The only exception --to a small extent-- would be the third film of the trilogy, which was a little too oddball of a premise to accept, at least not to the fullest extent. In the first and third films, however, Steven Spielberg (as director) and George Lucas (as producer) created some real gems. What isn't great about these films? In short summary, these are the films that put Harrison Ford, as Indiana Jones, on the action movie star map. Sure, he had been in great films before these. Some may not remember off hand that he was in George Lucas American Graffiti at first, offering a very well done performance as "Bob Falfa." This performance would get him the coveted role as Han Solo in Star Wars; a role that trivia buffs know was sought after by, among other people, Burt Reynolds at the time. However, it's when Harrison was cast as Indiana Jones when he was first allowed a role in the forefront of the story, and as such, this was the first chance Harrison had to prove he could handle a title role. The rest, as the poets say, is movie history. The films themselves are similar, in that Indy is an archaeologist, circa WW2, with a sense of adventure in him. He's always looking for the most daring of lost relics, protected in ancient temples, by various booby traps: spikes coming out of the floor, poison darts coming out of holes in the walls, and even a floor covered with deadly snakes. The first film begins with Indy recruited by the government to find The Ark of the Covenant before the Nazi's steal it. As you'd expect, there is more to this holy relic than meets the eye. It's this sort of unknown dangers that make each of the Indy films so great. That's about all I can say without sounding like a cheerleader about the whole trilogy. Look at my individual reviews if you'd like, or let's just move on to the DVD extras, shall we?...
The DVD: I think what makes this set so intriguing is how all the extras are on a fourth disc, titled quite simply "Bonus Material." This is bittersweet, because although this gives a full separate disc for all extras, it does mean one additional thing: no commentaries. Obviously, if such commentaries were offered, they would have to be on the movie discs for each film. No such comment tracks are on any disc. Not that there isn't a fair share of commentary on disc 4, in the form of numerous, feature-length featurettes. This is highlighted by "Indiana Jones: Making the Trilogy," a three-part feature that appears to have been assembled entirely for this DVD set. What makes this added feature so cool is how it has anecdotes from the cast, as they look back on the film experience "today." That is, much like the similarly cool "high school reunion" type featurettes on the Animal House and Fast Times at Ridgemont High DVDs, this three-part feature shows the cast of each movie as they looked then (behind the scenes), and as they look "now," in interviews. This is a real treat, for even the most agnostic of Indy fans. What's even better is the length of these features. The Raiders of the Lost Ark Feature clocks in at just over 50 minutes, the Temple of Doom Feature is over 41 minutes, and the Last Crusade Feature is the shortest yet still impressive at 35 minutes. "The Stunts" (11 Minutes), "The Sound" (13 Minutes), "The Music" (12 Minutes), and "The Magic" (i.e., the FX, 12 Minutes). Doing the math --and rounding to the nearest minute-- this amounts to a grand total of two hours and 54 minutes of feature material; a good reason why this totally separate "disc four" was so needed! In a weird decision in extras; even the trailers are on disc 4. This includes the teasers, trailers, and "re-issue" trailer (if any) for all three films. It also includes a trailer for the to-notch (and very impressive, really) video game based on the series, Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb, for both X-Box and PC computers. Click on the preceding links for my review of this game; it's very good. Or, if you have the DVD set; just look at the game trailer. True, there are no deleted scenes, no "blooper reel," and no other things that amount to the typical DVD "Filler" (photo gallery, cast bios, and so on). However, these are some really nice features --especially the three part "Making the Trilogy," showing each lead star then-and-now -- making this one of the surest of must-haves of the holiday shopping season. Of course, you already knew that, didn't you? I'm sure you already bought this some time ago. If you didn't; what's stopping you...?
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