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Do you usually watch all the bonus features?

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Do you usually watch all the bonus features?

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Old 05-26-07 | 12:31 AM
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Do you usually watch all the bonus features?

I often find myself wondering when I have this huge collection of special editions and collector's editions and deluxe editions and even editions with stupid names why I even care, given that I rarely watch everything on a disc. Oftentimes I will be more willing to buy because of a specific bonus, like, the commentary and specific commentators, or maybe there are deleted scenes that have been talked about for years on IMDb trivia, or I like the sound of a specific feature, but I rarely watch a disc menu to menu, so to speak.

So I wonder, do you guys buy discs for all the features, one or two specific features based on the specific title, or do you just buy them for the audio/visual specs?

And how many DVDs do you have (approximately) that you think you've watched all the bonus features and/or what do you reccomend watching everything on?

I would search for this thread since I imagine someone's brought it up but searching "bonus features" in this forum is clearly not gonna work.
Old 05-26-07 | 12:37 AM
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I try to. I rarely listen to the commentaries unless it's someone I really enjoy (anything with Bruce Campbell for instance).
Old 05-26-07 | 12:43 AM
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I usually buy them for both special features and audio/video specs. But it turns out I watch extras only for the films I'm greatly in love with, with all others - I skip, although when I buy I think about special features no matter what the film is! I think there were no more than 30 movies I watched extras in whole for.
Old 05-26-07 | 02:46 AM
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I don't usually watch all of the bonus features...I have a bad habit of watching the movie and saying I'll come back to the extras but I normally choose to view something in my unwatched pile instead
Old 05-26-07 | 03:18 AM
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If the special features are fluffy EPK crap that runs 15 minutes or less, I will usually pass on watching it. I know Universal and Paramount puts this on their DVD's.

I like to watch indepth making of documentaries like the Superman Returns DVD or Peter Jackson's stuff on the Lord of the Rings sets.
Old 05-26-07 | 05:21 AM
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I used to go out of my way to watch everything on the disc. Too many boring commentary tracks putting me to sleep caused me to finally give up. Now, I'd rather watch something from my unwatched racks instead.
Old 05-26-07 | 05:55 AM
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I only watch all extras and listen to comentaries to movies I really really like. Otherwise I just try and watch the main part as I have a bunch of unwatched/unopened movies to watch still.
Old 05-26-07 | 05:57 AM
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In a misguided attempt to "get my money's worth" I try to watch everything on every DVD I own. Most of the time I even enjoy it.

It used to be the same with rental DVDs, but many of the movies I've rented lately were so disappointing I couldn't bare to sift through the bonus menu.
Old 05-26-07 | 06:31 AM
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I used to check out all the bonus features, but when I have many hundred unwatched DVDs, I don't watch any bonus features anymore, unless it's something really special. I tell myself I'll do it when I've got less unwatched DVDs, although I doesn't look that'll happen anytime soon.
Old 05-26-07 | 06:32 AM
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Try to.
Old 05-26-07 | 06:36 AM
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I try to make it a point to watch every special feature when I watch a disc for the first time: 1) to make sure the entire disc contains no defects. 2) Because I enjoy them and like to get my full value for my purchase. Only exceptions are commentaries which really aren't a big interest for me (except for just a very few) & still photos (which I don't care about at all).
Old 05-26-07 | 07:28 AM
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Never. There's not even enough time to watch the movies themselves.
Old 05-26-07 | 07:38 AM
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I try to watch the extras. I keep track of which ones I haven't with DVDProfiler so I can eventually get to them.
Old 05-26-07 | 07:47 AM
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I buy alot of TV ON DVD sets and with most of the older titles (esp ones made by sony) they don't even have bonus features. The ones I usually watch are the bonus features on the Scrubs DVDs and The best of the Larry Sanders show which has some of the best bonus features on a TV ON DVD set next to the LOST sets.
Like I said most TV ON DVD titles are kind of short on Bonus features, The Simpsons is also a title that i watch the bonus features. On a side note though i do not listen to commentary tracks.
Old 05-26-07 | 07:53 AM
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I particularly enjoy commentary tracks, especially the ones done for older movies which offer a lot of film history along with the gossip.

The "making of" extras have, for the most part, become a matter of diminishing returns - how many times can I be fascinated by green screen technology or wowed by a CGI demonstration?

If a two-disc choice only offers the typical behind-the-scenes material that we've seen a thousand times already, I've started opting for the single-disc release (which usually has the commentaries anyway).
Old 05-26-07 | 08:43 AM
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Early on in the format, I devoured all bonus material as it was fascinating to know more about the director's vision for the movie. Now, I rarely watch the bonus material unless a movie has completely bowled me over and I NEED to know more. I listen to the commentaries on the second viewing of a movie and will watch those bonus features which aren't common.
Old 05-26-07 | 08:45 AM
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Beigh oneof those rare animals who actually watches the dvd's I own, then I usually watch the good extras. Like someone said previously, if it's a ten minute Entertainment Tonight short, then no. Also usually skip anything involving storyboarding.
Old 05-26-07 | 08:49 AM
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There was a time I did this for any disc I watched (see: sitting thru the 3, I believe commentaries on Armageddon). This is what really put me on the path of being hopelessly behind. I actually started avoiding putting in a super-packed special edition of a movie I wanted to see just because of this.

Now, I cherry-pick what extras I want to see, if any, when I watch a disc.
Old 05-26-07 | 09:43 AM
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I gave up on commentary tracks years ago--what a complete waste of time those are. Otherwise, I'll usually watch the blooper reels and deleted scenes.
Old 05-26-07 | 10:22 AM
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I seldom watch any extra features. I used to watch a good bit a few years ago, at least on movies I really liked. But now I just don't have the time. Lucky to have time for more than 1 or 2 movies a week these days, and I'm not wasting any of that on extra features.

So I usually just buy the single disc versions of movies these days.
Old 05-26-07 | 10:29 AM
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I try to, but I've got so many unwatched discs that I try to watch more films than bonus features. Usually if it's something I really like I'll watch most of the features. I rarely do commentaries unless I'm a major fan of the cast/crew or if I'm doing housework, I'll put it on in the background.
Old 05-26-07 | 10:30 AM
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Never.
Old 05-26-07 | 10:35 AM
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Never. Extras are usually pretty poorly produced, and they never really seem to add anything to the movie for me. I'll watch deleted scenes for a movie I really, really like, but that's about it. I've started buying the cheapest barebones editions of DVD's to suit my habits better, which is great becaues I don't have to pay $15 more for a disc of bonus features I'll never watch.
Old 05-26-07 | 11:21 AM
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It depends on the movie for me. Most movies that come out today are sorely lacking on "bonus material," and I don't call commercials for the movie I just watched bonus material. If it's a movie I like, I will peruse the bonus features, and if I do, it's only once or maybe twice at the most.

For movies I really enjoy I will go back to the bonus features from time to time. Kevin Smith's movies, for example, have incredible stuff that is worth revisiting.

I'd say maybe in all my collection about 10% of what I have with bonus features and special editions have stuff I'd watch again.
Old 05-26-07 | 11:40 AM
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Back in the early days of DVD I watched every single feature and even went as far as to look at every single menu on the disc just to see the background image.

Nowadays I usually just watch the movie and deleted scenes. If it's a movie I really like I'll check out the commentary or making of features.

-Jason


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