OldBoy

i use Bluray.com for reviews, no offense DVDTalk, you's my peeps, but all these new releases: Birdman, Big Hero 6, Nightcrawler, etc...
are getting stellar reviews in a/v, but why the hell are we getting these shitty extras releases??

it can't be a coincidence? is this the new norm? because it blows chunks out the ass!

davidh777

No one cares about extras anymore. They can find cast interviews on the Internet. Maybe not all the other stuff, but I know I have to really like a movie to watch all the extras.

Remember the days of a movie coming out in two-disc special edition, single-disc widescreen, and single-disc full-screen? Seems like eons ago.

islandclaws

I can't say I always watch bonus features, but when I do want to - like for "Nightcrawler" - it sucks to find virtually nothing.

At least smaller studios keep trying to pack in as much as they can, like Scream Factory.

BuckNaked2k

Re: Birdman, I've read that Iñárritu doesn't do commentaries, etc., so this may be all there is for the potential Best Picture.

fumanstan

Declining home media revenue means little reason to spend money to produce nicer extras, unless the director or whomever really wants to push for it.

Coral

In the early days of DVD I liked having a lot of supplements - it made me feel like I was getting great bang for the buck. I would go through all the extras except for the commentary (which just takes too much time). I soon realized that I would never watch the extras again. Then I found myself skipping an extra here and there - and eventually I just stopped watching them altogether.

Today I just want the film with great picture and sound quality - that's it. I can find enough stuff online (ie. youtube, etc) about the film if I really wanted to.

Much like collecting movies in general, the novelty of supplements wore off for most people.

PhantomStranger

Bingo. The studios have fired huge portions of their home video departments. Special features were once viewed as ways to help sell the DVD or BD, but the studios are pinching pennies wherever they can.

RocShemp

This certainly applies to me as well.

Mikael79

Same here. There was a time when I wouldn't buy a title that skimped on the extras. These days, most of my purchases are digital, and I don't really miss the extras.

Why So Blu?

Yeah, I remember Guillermo del Toro commenting on how he wanted to include extensive extras on Pacific Rim but the studio said there was no money in the budget for extras. He hoped that maybe Criterion would release it someday as that's their thing.

DJariya

So I'm guessing that no one here has the time to watch 2-3 hour feature length making of documentaries? I'm not a fan of fluffy 5-10 minute EPKs, but, if there is an extensive documentary like what Peter Jackson does for his extended editions for LOTR and The Hobbit, I'll try to watch them. I admit that commentaries are tough to make time for unless you really love the film.

Yes, I know there is only 24 hours in the day and most of you have a million other TV shows and movies to watch and catch up on and it's next to impossible to watch all supplemental material on these discs without falling massively behind on other things.

So yeah I know most of you won't spend 12 hours watching the bonus material on 1 movie.

PhantomStranger

The studios believe only the most hardcore fans watch bonus material.

JeffTheAlpaca

The only bright side is for Netflix rentals and I can return them the next day instead of keeping the movie for a extra day or 2 to watch the 52 minute Boyhood cast session.

Sucks for buyers since you should get rewarded for shelling out the dough for physical media and not streaming.

hanshotfirst1138

When the DVD market actually mattered, you could entice viewers with to buy the special edition package. Nowadays, since extras no longer push anyone to buy something, there isn't any reason to put them on. It's sad indeed, but if there isn't any financial benefit, studios likely don't see any reason to put in the effort.

rocket1312

At this point, the only extras I really care about are the scholarly type for classic catalog titles which have the benefit of time and historical perspective (see: Criterion, although the quality on their extras has dipped a little). As far as new releases are concerned, I want to see deleted scenes (if any) and quality making-of documentaries. I skip just about anything else. As long as the a/v quality is good, then I'm happy.

As an aside OP, what does the quality of extras have to do with where you read your reviews? Why even bring up blu-ray.com?

Spiderbite

I have gotten where I don't watch any extras at all any more.

As long as the audio/video is excellent, then I am happy.

The only thing I occasionally watch is alternate beginnings/endings. (and deleted scenes if they contain nudity ) Most deleted scenes are deleted for a reason and just aren't that interesting.

I do enjoy quality documentaries but usually only on movies 20 years or older where there is more perspective and interesting/bashing other people info. Documentaries/makings of current movies tend to suck hard and are just puff pieces or everyone blowing sunshine up everyone else's ass. (Unless you get something like Rob Zombie's full length behind the scenes documentary of his remake of Halloween. I would eat stuff like that up every day.)

gryffinmaster

Put simply, they've become more trouble than they're worth. It's disappointing, but so is the decline in physical media in general.

Thankfully, commentaries aren't costly, so you've still got a lot of releases arriving with those (I dug the track for Nightcrawler, by the way).

tonyc3742

I like alternate scenes, deleted scenes, and gag reels. I can count on one hand the number of full length audio commentaries I've listened to.
I don't mind their passing as much as I thought I would - but I do mind the publishers replacing it with Digital Copies, 3D, etc., in one package. It seems like that's where many have gone, and with it has come a price increase (to my perspective).

sparks

...just the movie please!

EdTheRipper

Same for me. I used to always try to watch bonus features and commentaries before being "done" with a disc. I just started putting them off to the side and before long, I wasn't watching any at all.

OldBoy

but sometimes you want the movie to last just a little longer and that is what extras are for, even the 5-10 EPK's. just a little more glimpse into a fantastic movie, like Birdman or any other big release. Big Hero 6 is animated for goodness sakes and has only a few 5-10 EPK's. animated features used to be the end all of packed releases and now most, sadly, are sparse...

you say you want the movie, but surely you won't buy it just for the movie. i want meat on my bones (like i like my women!).

milo bloom

I have too many unwatched discs and too many other things going on in life to spend more than the bare minimum amount of time on extras. Deleted scenes and outtakes are always welcome, but for most titles I simply don't care what the background extras thought about the catering on the 15th day of shooting.

On the other end though, a feature length making of that's as good as the flick itself (Empire of Dreams for Star Wars for example), that's always welcome.

Eddie W

It boggles the mind that something can be considered a 'shit' release even though it has perfect A/V quality just because it doesn't have enough fluff features that few will watch.

Extras & bonus content never should have become the norm. It was much more special back in the laserdisc days when it was reserved for only special editions of well regarded films. I really don't care if Hot Tub Time Machine has bonus features or not.

inri222

I used to like extras but don't really have time for them anymore. They take time away from me watching another film and catching up with my backlog.
I will only make exceptions for something that is a true classic, a Criterion, or like a Lynch or Cronenberg film.
What I don't get is people who buy stuff only for the extras. I've heard people say "Well film X wasn't that good, but it's got a cool 5 hour making of documentary".
I could spend those 5 hours watching 2 or 3 other films.

The most important thing to me is the film, its content and its technical quality (audio/video/aspect ratio/subtitles/etc).

hanshotfirst1138

As this thread is indicating that even people who used to be the audience for extra features no longer have time for them, I think it's sufficient evidence that they're not going to be around most of the time going forward. Damn you all .