DVD Releases and News

Fresh Fodder: New DVD Releases - 12/05/2006

Arrrrr, it's that time again mateys. Cast aside ye beliefs and get ready for the next installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean." We've got full coverage on the 2-disc collector's edition, including previews of all the extras, so don't miss out.

Rounding out this week, we've got the Director's cut of "Miami Vice", which Ain't It Cool News declares is a better version; "Beerfest" to whet your frat appetites; and the questionable "Pulse." Get to scrollin', ya scurvy cur!

The Stuff We Care About

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
(2-disc Collector's Edition)

Synopsis: For the 2 people that have not seen the flick, our very own Brian Orndorf gave his stellar recap and review when the movie was released to theatres this past summer. Brian graded "Dead Man's Chest" a C+, but for us the movie garners a solid B.

We're not sure why we enjoyed the second installment of Jack Sparrow's adventures more than the first. Possibly we knew what we were getting into this time around, as opposed to "The Black Pearl" where we went in expecting a different style of pirate flick than we received. The sequel, while overly goofy at times, manages to entertain in that summer-movie-buttered-popcorn-kind-of-way, and Johhny Depp has forever ingratiated himself into our hearts as the bumbling, loveable Captain. It is, indeed, the reason why we're here.

This 2-disc edition has a treasure trove of extras, and this week we're bringing you extensive coverage of them all:

Features

Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of adventure violence, including frightening images.
Runtime: 150 Minutes
Label: Disney
Studio: Walt Disney Video
DVD Format: 2-Disc Keep Case (which has a very cool holographic effect on it), Widescreen Anamorphic, 2.35:1, Closed Captioned, Color
DVD Features: Subtitles: Spanish, French, Audio Track 1: English, Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Track 2: French, Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Track 3: Spanish, Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Track 4: Commentary by Screenwriters Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, Dolby Digital 2.0
Region: 1 (USA, Canada and US territories)

Special Features

Disc 1:

Bloopers of the Caribbean
As is typical with most gag reels on DVDs today, this set of bloopers is much too short-lived for the vast amount of antics that must have gone on with this crew. We're not expecting an hour, but at least give us more than these morsels. What bloopers do exist manage to elicit a few chuckles, and as you would expect, the best ones come from "Captain Jack."

Audio Commentary with writers Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
We haven't had a chance to replay the movie with the commentary, but it's interesting that they chose the writers to lead this one, which should make for an interesting listen. Too bad they couldn't get Depp to come along and act like the Captain during the whole thing, however.

Disc 2:

Charting the Return
This is one of those documentaries where you wonder how the hell the movie even got made in the first place as the producers, writers, and director tell the arduous tale of how the movie came to fruition. Given that P2 and P3 were filmed back-to-back, it's a wonder the whole thing didn't fall apart, according to the people involved in this 'Making Of'. In fact, the films came perilously close to being yanked due to budgetary reasons. Worth watching for the awe-factor alone in regards to all the man hours that go into producing the Pirates flicks.

According to Plan
Following up on "Charting the Return," the filmmakers take us through more 'Making Of' for the production shoot where we learn, unlike the title, everything certainly does not go according to plan.

Captain Jack: From Head to Toe
An interactive caricature of Captain Jack, where you can select different pieces of his attire and learn the details of how different parts of the character were created. What is most interesting in the overall picture painted from these featurettes is how much Johnny Depp played a role in creating the character of Jack Sparrow.

Mastering the Blade
3 short featurettes with Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Jack Davenport on their swordplay and action sequences in the film.

Meet Davy Jones: Anatomy of a Legend
While not the History Channel-style documentary on Davy Jones we were expecting based on the title, this featurette on the CGI work done by ILM is equally as fascinating, given that Bill Nighy (Davy Jones) and all his henchmen wore motion-capture suits on the boat as they acted. What we took for an incredible makeup effects job was actually a total CGI paint-over. ILM deserves at least an Academy nod for this one.

Creating the Kraken
There were moments in the film where we could really see the CGI standing out during the Kraken scenes, and others where the beast looked absolutely amazing in the shots. Walk through the difficulties of adding a Kraken into live-action footage in this behind-the-scenes with ILM.

Dead Men Tell New Tales: Re-Imagineering the Attraction
A featurette on the careful makeover of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride at Disneyland and Walt Disneyworld, including Johnny Depp's stamp of approval.

Fly on the Set: The Bone Cage
Quick behind-the-scenes on the logistics and filming of the swinging bone cage scene, including Dwarf regurgitation.

Jerry Bruckheimer: A Producer's Photo Diary
More interesting than your typical still picture gallery on most DVDs, because this one is more like a normal featurette, with an interview with Bruckheimer and the occasional interjection of the photolog he kept during production. Charting the Return
This is one of those documentaries where you wonder how the hell the movie even got made in the first place, watching the producers, writers, and director tell the arduous tale of how the movie came to fruition. Given that P2 and P3 were filmed back-to-back, it's a wonder the whole thing didn't fall apart, according to the people involved in this 'Making Of'. In fact, the films came perilously close to being yanked due to

Pirates on Main Street: The Dead Man's Chest Premiere
Short featurette on the red carpet premiere at Disneyland.

Easter Eggs:

Disk 2, Menu 1:
- Invisible option at the top: Featurette on the incredible amount of catering
- Invisible option on the bottom: Featurette on Davy Jones twin pirates

Disk 2, Menu 2
- Invisible option on the top-right: Featurette with crazy prop master.
- Invisible menu option on the bottom: Featurette on the danger of coconuts.

Miami Vice
(Unrated Director's Cut)

Amazon Synopsis: "Based on the 1980's TV action/drama, this update focuses on vice detectives Crockett and Tubbs as their respective personal and professional lives become dangerously intertwined."

Features

Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 140 Minutes
Label: Universal
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Format: Snap Case, Widescreen Anamorphic, 2.40:1, Color
DVD Features: Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Audio Track 1: English, Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Track 2: French, Dolby Digital 5.1
Region: 1 (USA, Canada and US territories)

Special Features

Miami Vice Undercover
Miami & Beyond: Shooting on Location
Visualizing Miami Vice
Behind the Scenes Featurettes
Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Michael Mann

Preview:

Beerfest
(Unrated Widescreen Edition)

Amazon Synopsis: "Two brothers travel to Germany for Oktoberfest, only to stumble upon secret, centuries-old competition described as a 'Fight Club' with beer games."

Features

Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 116 Minutes
Label: Warner
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Format: Keep Case, Widescreen Anamorphic, 2.35:1, Closed Captioned, Color
DVD Features: Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Audio Track 1: English, Dolby Digital 5.1
Region: 1 (USA, Canada and US territories)

Special Features

Commentary by Jay Chandrasekhar and Steve Lemme
Commentary by Kevin Heffernan, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske
Deleted scenes
"Party Foul" featurette
"Beer 101" featurette
"Frog Fluffer" featurette

Preview:

Pulse
(Unrated Widescreen Edition)

Amazon Synopsis: "When their computer hacker friend accidentally channels a mysterious wireless signal, a group of co-eds rally to stop a terrifying evil from taking over the world."

Features

Rating: Not Rated
Runtime: 88 Minutes
Label: Dimension/Genius
Studio: Weinstein Company
DVD Format: Keep Case, Widescreen Anamorphic, Closed Captioned, Color
DVD Features: Subtitles: English, Spanish, Audio Track 1: English, Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Track 2: French, Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Track 3: Commentary by filmmakers, Dolby Digital 2.0
Region: 1 (USA, Canada and US territories)