Just wanted to complain about a couple recent releases which, I hope, are NOT representative of a new "trend in packaging".....splitting a long film between two DVDs.
"Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier" and "King Kong: The Deluxe Extended Edition" both have their feature films SPLIT between two DVDs, for no apparent reason other than to milk folks out of more $$$, I think, as these films would each fit on one disc.
It's actually the main reason I didn't buy AN:TCD (that, and the fact that I already owned both single-DVD versions). And I already own KK, so I may pass on that extended version, too.


Has this been done with any other films?

I don't really mind changing discs in the middle of a long movie. If it helps keep compression low, I'm all for it.

Dances with Wolves the Theatrical Cut, I forget if the extended version does too but I think it does also.

Schindler's List

Gettysburg, Gods and Generals (I think)

Lord of thw Rings Extended 4-disc versions

Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut (I think)

That's all i can think of right now...

The special edition of Malcolm X does it as well.

Agreed. In the case of the Extended Lord of the Rings, it was a nice way to take a little breather before diving right back in.

Come and See
Ryan's Daughter
Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears
there have to be many others that don't come to mind right now

And its even easier when you have a 3-disk carousel DVD player like I do.


Titanic (3-disk set)


Are we counting flippers too?

I do not mind this practice on long movies.

Here are a few more:

Ben-Hur - Four-Disc Collector's Edition
Lawrence of Arabia
Godfather Part II
Once Upon a Time in America

Makes perfect sense for long movies - I'm not about to stay put on my couch for 3-4 hours, anyway.

Pearl Harbor

Yep, you are correct.

Also:

Cleopatra
Gone with the Wind 4-disc CE

Add me with the majority that don't mind this practice for long movies.

I think it's been established that the split film dvds are made that way to allow less compression on the films. Otherwise the film would suffer in quality on one disc due to the increase in compression needed to fit it all. Not to mention that DTS or other optional audio tracks take a fair chunk of space, so would either need to be removed from a 1-disc, or worsen the video quality more.

Also, it seems highly unlikely the movie is split solely to increase the price. For example, "Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier" sells for the same price as the "Apocalypse Now - Redux: Special Edition" DVD. Godfather Part 2 costs the same as the other 1-disc Godfather films.

Gangs of New York

1900

the new Seven Samurai CC is split.

I remember when DVDs first came out a lot of non anamorphic discs was split onto the two sides. I thought it was just lazy authoring since they obviously would have fit on the one side. I recall Se7en and Stargate were like that.

Stephen King's Storm of the Century

They screwed up CLEOPATRA. The intermission title is at the end of disc one. but the intro music to the second half is still on the first disc. instead of at the start of disc two where the music begins the second half of the film. Bad way to present a roadshow film.

The earlier titles were flippers because they hadn't perfected dual-layer discs yet.

I don't have a problem with movies being split if they had an intermission and the break is at that point, but if they played continuously in theaters that's how they should be on disc, space permitting. If they have to split a movie I prefer they do it on a 2-sided DVD-18, since technically it's still one disc (and no, I don't have a changer.) I would not buy the new Lord of the Rings discs though because the regular discs have the theatrical versions on one side, but you still have to change sides for those versions on the new ones.

I don't mind at all. Film quality is pretty critical and I wouldn't want it compromised by having a four hour flick on a single side of a DVD. Some of the movies just need to find a better breaking point if they're going to split things up, but most movies are good with it.

Yeah, because at $12.99 "Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier" was a complete ripoff. Without that second disc they could have gotten it down to $12.49.

By the way, what are qualifications to make such pronouncements? How many DVDs have you authored? "These films would each fit on one disc" means nothing if you don't know what you're talking about.

Sorry, I'll take better picture quality over a single disc any day.

Das Boot, Superbit

Malcolm X really sucks cause I think the disc ends right in the middle of a line of dialogue. It's a really stupid cut they made.

Grand Prix is another movie split between 2 discs.

"Space permitting" is the important part there. Studios know fully well that people would much rather have a complete movie all on one side of a DVD. The only times they split a movie, either over multiple discs or multiple sides, is when space isn't permitting.

I really don't see the appeal of a DVD-18, and no, I don't have a changer either. You lose the disc art, you now have to protect both sides of the disc, making handling more difficult, and you still have to get up and eject the disc and swap sides. I much prefer 2 DVD-9s over one DVD-18.

That's because the LOTR LEs contain both the EE and Theatrical cuts on the disc through seamless branching. If you can live without the EE than the original 2-disc set would be fine.