From dvdanswers.com:

This is just simply Universal milking the cow. Instead of giving us a great DVD of King Kong in 2006, they are now releasing the special features as a limited edition, incredibly expensive DVD set, just a month after the film is released. Universal and their marketing monkeys at work!!!!

Agreed. $39.98 MSRP is pretty high for a documentary set for a film that has yet to be released. All of this, in some form, will probably make it onto a gift set deluxe edition of Kong next year anyway. Patience.

Umm...other than the 80-page booklet, can't you see all the production diaries on the net for free?

No way I'm glad they are doing this. They are doing this in other regions and it makes sense to me. There is a different film crew shooting docs just for the dvd. This will make a good compliment to the Special Edition Disc.

I think that this concept is a great idea... but that price is nuts. This is a glorified advertisement for the film. Of course, I'm a whore and I'll buy it.

Just in case people don't know, the production diaries are released for free at kongisking.net

To me, this falls under the category that "documentary" they made on M. Night Shyamalan that came out around the time of "The Village", in that it's something that should be on the movie DVD, not by itself.

No way, no how am i getting this. They're getting out of hand. Can you imaging making money on movie that's not even out yet.

Fixed

They always heve a seperate crew to do documentary footage, so nothing new. As somebody else said, it's Universal milking the cow early. Boo-hiss.

While I don't necessarily approve of this, I remember watching all of the little shorts and thinking they were quite amusing. So amusing in fact that I think they would seem rather odd with a "serious" toned movie like Kong. I can almost understand why they would release them seperately.

Milking? Maybe. Nobody's forcing anybody to buy this. Go to Kongisking.net and download the fuzzy video clips of the diaries if you like. I'm gonna watch them in anamorphic and Dolby Digital. Plus an 80-page book. Meh $40 MSRP is kinda steep though, of course, but this will be around $20-25 bucks anyway.

the price is just insane, and will definitely keep me from buying it. had it been available at a more reasonable price i could've definitely seen myself buying this if i'd love the film. as for the whole "milking" thing, i don't think they're doing anything wrong making these available on DVD. the PPDs are already up to 5 hours with plenty still yet to come, so the 2 DVDs are certainly needed to fit everything.. and i'd much rather see a 2-disc (or 4-disc) King Kong DVD come out next year with all-new extras. i'd be more disappointed if that release would've just had these PPDs that i've already seen for free online.

Exactly, Grizzly. If that would happen, the diaries being included as the special features of the King Kong SE, people would again complain about "milking", saying how you could get half of the DVD content for free.

Good extras on the uber-edition release of Kong, not as a seperate extra IMO. I'll pass unless they come with a set.

From the International Forum

King Kong Production Diary 2005 from France



they did the same thing for the rings movies overseas.

Shagman, what I mean is they have two documentary crews working...one for the web docs, and one for the dvd extras. Between those crews, the film crew, and the second and third units, lots is going on. I welcome more releases like this. A good multiple hour doc on the making of the film as opposed to the studio fluff on the "Special Edition" or the best buy preview disc, which just shows a trailer and everyone kissing up to each other.

They can be seen for free...and for people who are just into the film and not the special features, i can see why you would pass. For me, it keeps me away from a Pal disc...so I am pleased.

davis dvd

Universal Studios will release King Kong: Peter Jackson's Production Diaries on December 13th. This two-disc limited edition set will include all of the behind-the-scenes production updates that the filmmakers have been posting on the internet. Presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo tracks, the gift set will also come with an 80-page scrapbook featuring drawings, photographs and notes from Peter Jackson, four exclusive production art prints and a letter of authenticity. Retail will be $39.98.

You have to wonder if Jackson will release an EE like LOTR with this stuff included later at the DVD release - maybe a movie only, and then an EE?

i don't know...LOTR is what it is, and the frighteners disc look promising....but not everything he does is going to be getting 4 disc set....i'm sure he will let us know ahead of time if its going to happen right?

You people are forgetting about Netflix.

Definite rental for me.

Too nice a package just to rent:

Damn, that's a helluva release for video diaries....

sold...

More than likely once the Limited Edition is gone, they'll re-release a normal 2-Disc Edition (without the lithographs & goodies). Either that or it'll end up in a Kong Ultimate Edition. This is Universal we're talking about.

Then again, they did shock me that this is a 2 DISC release and not a DVD-18.

This is as stupid and pointless as the Star Wars trilogy repackaging, no matter how nice the packaging. It's dumb. Selling something that's already free for a ridiculous price point.

That said, it's nothing to go bonkers over.