Yes, I saw this edition posted on DVDactive as well. It definitely has some nice qualities to it. I believe it retails for around $64.99 which seems a bit pricey…but xmas is coming so this is on my “must have” list.
Amazon lists it as $44.00 when preordered. That, and shipping…
Order it through Yesasia and you have to pay the ful $69.99, but you have no shipping and you get a $5.00 rebate on your next ord…
...oh, wait, that’s what you mean with $64.99.
The Extended Editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy of films made a lot of dough, and opened the eyes of a lot of distributors that it could be, you know, worthwhile to release special editions.
These sets were awesome when they were originally released, and still are stellar. Each release of an Extended Edition would coincide with the premiere of the next film in cinemas, making for an unheard-of level of symbiosis between film and DVD.
That thought can be taken too far of course, as New Line Cinema considered these editions to be just a part of marketing for the new movies.
It’s hard to believe, but some people at New Line Cinema suggested NOT releasing an Extended Edition of “Return of the King”, because there wasn’t a fourth movie so it would just be a waste of money!!!
Thankfully the idiots were overruled and we can fully rejoice in three of the best editions ever released.
Here they are!
As we in the states approach the holiday of Thanksgiving…this rememberance of things past seems most appropriate as it pertains to those dvd sets that we Thank the DVD Gods For ie: The LOTR’s extended edition.
Bandai released some of their titles in the USA in editions which were both great AND cheap!
One of the best examples of these is their Ultimate Edition of “Escaflowne: The Movie”.
Sure, it’s not the greatest of anime, rather it’s the flashier “readers digest” version of the (more loved) 26-part television series.
But for the paltry 15.00 USD I paid for this, when it was NEW no less, it’s a damn fun movie with lots of bang for my buck.
The outer shell, with a feather-shaped window:
With the inner shell taken out:
Opening the inner box reveals a treasure trove of contents: Three discs and a booklet.
Saw this on The Digital Bits: Universal’s upcoming special edition of “Wanted”.
I just got this in from Amazon.com and I’m enjoying both the acrylic case and those embossed bullet shells on both the case and the dvd spindle that holds both discs!!! Did you ever order this one Ard???
Just got the note from Amazon saying they sent it.
My first BluRay… even though I don’t have the player yet.
But I knew upon (pre)ordering this that I would probably buy a BR-player in the coming year, and then I’d be wondering “why did I buy the DVD instead of the BluRay?”.
So I’ll be watching this at a friend’s place. For now…
I just got in the Spanish edition of the LE dvd set of QUO VADIS. This and the German set have identical cover illustrations. (The french edition has the Robert Taylor chariot image). Why Warner Bros. didn’t issue a Region 1 edition of this superb set is still a mystery to me!
Not quite in the same league, I present the LE DVD of “Jurassic Park III”.
This one belongs with (Ang Lee’s) “The Hulk” and “The DaVinci Code”, because it’s a special edition which was mass-produced in too large a quantity.
Meaning the LE quickly ended up costing exactly as much as the normal edition, 8 euro last time I saw it.
Well, I liked III a LOT better than II so I had no qualms buying this. It’s a pretty good disc,demo-material even.
Anyway, the packaging: bright silver on the outside, with something red behind those scratches…
Opening the box reveals a lot of air, and this metallic sheet:
Under the sheet are the actual contents: the (single disc) movie, two storyboard-to-scene cards, a film cel and a certificate of authenticity.
All in all pretty flash, and all that shimmering, pleases the magpie in me, but with all that extra space a booklet seems to have been intended at some point. Now it seems rather empty…
Wow, if any of the Jurassic Parks were like that here in the US i’d buy them all over again! Very nice looking.
Ard Vijn - December 6, 2008, 6:53pm
Damn. Most impressive, TheDoug!
Not quite in the same league, I present the LE DVD of “Jurassic Park III”.
This one belongs with (Ang Lee’s) “The Hulk” and “The DaVinci Code”, because it’s a special edition which was mass-produced in too large a quantity.
Meaning the LE quickly ended up costing exactly as much as the normal edition, 8 euro last time I saw it.
Well, I liked III a LOT better than II so I had no qualms buying this. It’s a pretty good disc,demo-material even.
Anyway, the packaging: bright silver on the outside, with something red behind those scratches…
...
Next I present: The Japanese Sukiyaki Western Django Special 3 disc Edition.
Apparently this is the only version that contains the longer director’s cut.
No subtitles anywhere, but let’s face it: not understanding what is being said is half the fun here!
Anyway, this is a fine looking set. The sturdy outer box is embossed to look like it’s covered in canvas, and is riddled with bulletholes:
Opening the box reveals an even sturdier inner box, and a storyboard book:
Finally, here are all the contents revealed. The inner box holds three discs and a mini-booklet:
This is how I like it, properly “Japanese pimped”, and I hope the upcoming “Ghost in/the Shell” releases are blessed with similar gloss…
