nemein

I'm finding more and more that I just don't bother w/ all the extra special features any more. I used to like going through them and getting some of the behind the scenes look at the movies, used to really love the commentaries to hear what the people involved w/ it thought. However, I don't know if it is the advent of streaming or just don't have/want to take the time to go through all the extra bits any more or what but I find I'm just not doing it as much. Occasionally I still will look at some of them after watching something, or pop in a commentary while doing something else. However, while reading a recent thread in the bargain forum about how retailers are starting to do store specific bonus discs and extra features more and more my initial reaction is that I really don't care. I was just wondering if mine is a common or unique POV.

Alan Smithee

It really depends on how much I like and care about the movie. If I buy a disc I will watch EVERYTHING on it regardless, but when you've seen so many extras you realize there's only so many times you can hear the director say that all the actors were great to work with and that they made the greatest movie of all time. I come from the laserdisc era when only movies that truly deserved extras got them.

danwiz

Strange, but I used to get all excited about all of the extras, listen to any number of commentaries, watch all of the behind the scenes stuff and anything else that was on any DVD. I can remember when - I think it was the original "Fight Club" was released (or maybe it was the 2nd release of "Se7en") and it was said that "it's a film school on a disc!".

But, fast forward to the present and I rarely watch any of the extras. Given a choice, I'll pretty much always buy the movie only version of a DVD nowadays. I don't know what happened along the way, just got tired of them, came to the realization that most commentaries were pretty much a waste of time - the actors/actresses NEVER say "actually I hated working with (that actor/actress), he/she is just so stuck on him/herself that it's disgusting". Nobody ever says that it was a pain in the ass working with some director or anything else. It's always the same old stuff when it comes right down to the it.

So, for the above reasons and also probably for some undetermined reasons, I just don't bother to take the time anymore.

Strapped4Cash

I've actually felt that there have been fewer store specific releases this year, at least when compared to last. However, I think that I focus on TV shows more than most people, so that may affect my perception.

Extras are still important to me as I do like to have the best version of any movie or show that I'm interested in and will pay extra to obtain them. But I can't really evaluate how worthwhile the extras are on any release until after I've watched and/or listened to them all. I've definitely encountered some that have turned out to have little value to me.

EdTheRipper

I used to watch all the bonus features and listen to commentary tracks, but I just got bored with them. I'd rather try to spend my time watching different stuff, as opposed to spending all sorts of extra time on the bonus materials.

Gobear

It depends on what extras we're discussing. I truly enjoy the vintage cartoons and short subjects that Warner used to include on their catalog titles until they decided to dump all their old films into the Warner Archive. Scholarly commentaries definitely add value to a film; for example Tom Weaver provides background on the production details on some Universal sci-fi and horror discs, and Eddie Mueller is always worth listening to on classic noirs.

thetao

I collect extras, so the answer is generally always "yes". I've double-dipped R1 + R2 a number of times to get a full set of bonuses. I was a film student once (which feels like a former life) and enjoy being academic again. Like Mr. Smithee, if I buy a movie, I will watch everything that's included, although in practice, that is proving to take a very long time. Lack of extras doesn't prevent me from buying a DVD/BR, but I do wish studios like Olive wouldn't regard subtitles as optional. IMHO, the base requirements for any release (I'll give Alpha and their kind a waver) should include subtitles or captioning, usable scene access, and the trailer (if available). For Blu-Ray titles I already own on DVD, these had better be among my favorite, favorite films or include some new extra as an enticement, else I pass.

Groucho

Yes! In fact, sometimes I find myself paying more attention to them than I do the main cast.

auto

Nope

LJG765

Depends on what they are. I rarely listen to commentaries. There are so very few that I've enjoyed that I don't even bother anymore unless it's for a specific reason (like challenges).

I do like when they add on shorts, deleted scenes/bloopers. Making ofs, I can take or leave, depending on how in-depth they go. Some are so very basic and repetitive, but I've watched a few that were really interesting. Interviews are also hit and miss. Sometimes you find some good tidbits, but other times it's just patting each other on the back stuff.

So, if there is thought and energy put into them, extras can be great, but when it's just generic, I always wonder why they even bothered.

b2net

The only reason I don't watch most special features, etc is time.... I barely have time to watch my collection and the things in my Netflix queue... I used to watch everything there was about a movie I really liked... and even wouldn't put it back on the shelf until I got it all in.. and now I find myself missing most and putting them back on the shelf or returning a rental w/o even really watching much more than bloopers/outakes..... again.. this is with movies I really like.. so the rest are just lost bits of data on me..

btw.. to place my "other" here.. it is outakes/bloopers...

Matt925

I haven't watched a special feature in years. Rather watch something new.

Cardsfan111

I'm probably similar to most here, in that I haven't invested a great deal of time into taking a look at special features. Even so, I'm tempted to answer that yes, they're important to me. Because when I buy anything these days, I'm much more tempted to make a purchase if a disc is loaded with extras over paying a similar amount for something with no bonus features at all.

BobO'Link

Like GoBear I like the vintage cartoons and short subjects on Warner catalog titles but generally do not bother with extras/special features. I have mixed feelings about those on the Warner titles as it's a pain to properly catalog those worthwhile extras and even more so if all I want to watch is one of the extras for some reason.

Like LJG765 I only listen to commentaries if it's a checklist item for a challenge. Most are just not good and do not impart any worthwhile information. I've tried a few commentaries done by "experts" but many of those sound like they're just reading an essay from a film book. Even so, I *have* found a few that were funny or interesting. I couldn't tell you any off the top of my head but think one was on a Mel Brooks film.

I used to watch deleted scenes but finally came to the conclusion many such scenes are deleted for a reason. Most do not add to the film at all. I don't think I've bothered with deleted scenes in a couple of years. I'd rather see a "director's cut" with those scenes back in their proper place if they *really* have a point/purpose. Even then I want *both* cuts so I can decide if the director or studio was the smarter of the two. Outside of improvements in the image, the so-called Director's cut a of film I highly like is the only one for which I'll do a double-dip.

If a title is available with and without extras for the same price I'll get the extra laden disk even though it's highly unlikely I'll ever watch and of those extras. If not I'm not bothered at all by a extra free edition. In fact if it saves me a couple of bucks I'll get the extra free version every time.

Josh-da-man

Echoing previous comments, it depends on the movie or tv show.

If it's something like Game of Thrones, Hobbit/LOTR, Star Trek, or Star Wars, then I'm definitely more interested in supplemental content than I am with something a standard-issue action movie, comedy, or drama.

Regulus

I like watching Deleted Scenes and Alternate Endings. (Sometimes the Alternate Endings are better than the real ones).

inri222

I just don't have the time anymore. Sometimes the extras take up more time than the movie itself. I have such a large backlog of DVD's & Blu's that instead of watching 2 hours of extras I can watch another movie. But sometimes I will make a rare exception depending on the film and the director, especially if it's one of the masters like Bresson, Bergman or Tarkovsky.

orangerunner

I think the extras have lost their impact over the years. Back in the Laserdisc days they were a new and exciting technology with being able to access them with the press of a button and they were reserved for discs that generally had some importance in the cultural landscape of movies.

Audio commentaries and deleted scenes of "27 Dresses" and such killed the novelty for many.

I don't necessarily watch all the features due to time constrains but I'm glad they are offered on the disc and would be disappointed if they axed them altogether.

rw2516

Just the trailer. I've been collecting them since vhs days. In my database I keep track of which films have the trailer, if not included with dvd of the movie but on another disc, which disc it is. If I upgrade and new version doesn't have trailer, I'll keep the old disc for the trailer, ie: The Hellfighters with John Wayne. Have never double dipped just to get the trailer though.
Most movies/tv shows I have die hard interest in there's nothing out there or everybody is dead. I would buy the Connery Bonds again if he did a commentary or sat down for interview for each film. It would have to be something extraordinary like that.

Trevor

As a collector I've always been OCD about getting as many extras as possible, even (barely) maintaining a thread here dedicated to to what one loses in extras with various DVD upgrades.

And as someone with a shopping addiction I still buy titles asked on cool extras.

But in reality I've found myself watching them more and more rarely. As others have said, things like vintage cartoons and shorts get watched, and an occasional commentary, but not much else.

calhoun07

For the most part I don't bother with them. For a movie I really like and want to learn more about I will check them out, but not as often as I used to.

E_v_i_l

I almost always take a look at any deleted scenes, alternate endings, featurettes, and the like but I always skip the commentaries.

Lastdaysofrain

I'm a sucker for commentaries. I listen to a commentary every night as I go to sleep, so more is good.

wm lopez

I waited and bought DJANGO for under $10 because the extras were lame on AMAZON.
If the dvd was loaded I would have paid $15 to $20.

manicsounds

If there are no extras, then just a rental would suffice. That's one of the reasons I never bought VHS movies, there were rarely any extras.