mh67511

UGH, I am pissed off!

Ok I loved The Bourne Identity a lot, one of my favorite movies. Well I was excited to heard that they were releasing an Extended edition and I just got it today!

FREAKING RIP OFF!

Both the Slipcover and the Case say "EXPLOSIVE EXTENDED EDITION!" Explosive? Are you kidding me???

On the Menu you go to "Play" and then can choose the "Theatrical Version" or "Explosive Extended Edition" (no joke, that's what it says on the screen), so naturally I chose the "Explosive Extended Edition." It says something about "clicking on an icon" when it appears which I assume just meant hit "Play."

Anyways, I choose "Play" and some commentary begins! WTF? Didn't I choose "Play" not "Play Commentary"? If I wanted a commentary I would go to "Bonus Features" and choose "Commentary." Anyways.... It's the producer talking about 9/11 (of course) and how it affected the movie. It did? I guess I must have missed something, because I never saw a single terrorist in this movie. Then someone related to the movie stupidly comments how there will never be an explosion in a movie again. Ok. Apparently he DIDN'T see The Sum of All Fears. Yeah, pretty big explosion in that movie.

Finally the commentary ends and the movie begins. Sigh of relief. When the "Universal" logo appears, so does a yellow crosshair icon in the lower-right hand. I am wondering why it's there, but think nothing of it. The movie begins playing and....there is no "Explosive Alternate Beginning." I keep waiting. And waiting. And waiting. And finally it dawns on me...I DIDN'T CLICK THE ICON.

I go back, CLICK the icon, and see the "Explosive Alternate Beginning." In all honesty it was nothing more than a non-explosive, boring, 2 minute, unnecessary addition. Something happens and then the entire theatrcal version plays. No new scenes. No exploding gas stations. Frankly, NOTHING explosive. And the kicker was...the "Explosive Alternate Ending" never played. I ended up having to go to "Bonus Features" and then choose the alternate ending. That turned out to be the SAME ALTERNATE ENDING THAT WAS ON THE REGULAR DVD, with a short clip added to it...nothing explosive, nothing special, and really quite lame.

First off, I expect the addition scenes to be added seamlessly into the movie. They were terrible quality and were not even "added" into the movie if you understand what I mean. Basically, clicking the icon pauses the theatrical version, plays the alternate beginning, then returns to the theatrical version. Not what I was expecting.

To top it off, there weren't really any great new special features on the extended version. There are a few extras, nothing special, and I have no idea why they weren't included on the regular DVD to begin with.

There WAS a free ticket to The Bourne Supremacy, but I would have rather just paid the $7 bucks to see the movie and not even gotten this DVD.

If you already own the DVD, DO NOT BUY THIS DVD! It is a complete rip-off and I am sick and tried of movie studios playing these kinds of tricks on consumers. Does anyone know the Universal phone number? I seriously want to call them and voice a complaint.

You know Independence Day did the same thing I believe. I remember seeing how they released a version this past may and I was wondering why, considering the movie is 8 YEARS OLD and there were already 3 previous versions!

So basically the moral of the story is, if you own a DVD and a new version is being released and it includes a free movie ticket, DON'T but the new DVD. It's just a shamless way to promote their new movies and will probably be a disappointment! If you DON'T own the movie, then by all means go ahead, but if you do it's a big waste!

mh67511

Chapter Two:

THE FREE TICKET EXPIRES AUGUST 8TH, 2004!!!

UNBELIEVABLE! I bet people will buy the DVD after August 8th and be shocked to discover that the Free Movie Ticket IS EXPIRED!

last beautiful girl

That sucks. I'm glad I got the original when it first hit shelves back in 2001-ish. I wouldn't want to shell out money for a 'extended edition' if it wasn't extended. And that sucks about the free ticket. I know I'd be pissed and want my $$$ back.

A lot of the older movies I've bought(like 'the breakfast club' and 'clueless') don't really have any special features.

I feel your pain.

Princess Bing

Oh man, that does suck big time. I was pretty disappointed with the Basic DVD, too. All it had was Scene Access for special features. Ugh. I swear, sometimes, these bootleg DVDs that people just make up are better.

mukooh

edited for too much information.....

mh67511

Well the movie studios whine and complain about people making boot leg copies, yet they release DVD's that have no or very little special features, or they pull these little "re-release" schemes. I have NO sympathy for them.

Timeo

Yep. It's called double dipping. And it's a plague. Tons of movies that are being double dipped that are coming out soon. IT'S A GOD DAMN SHAM.

shrrshrr

For legal purposes - Fan Forum in no way endorses people who illegally boot-legging movies (or any other media).

mh67511

Well I went to Hastings today and sold that DVD to them. At least I got some of my money back.

All I have to say is you can't cry piracy while you are ripping off the consumers.

shrrshrr

True dat.

UnsilentMajorty

The other thing about so-called piracy is that it is the biggest, hypocritical thing they cry because of a couple of things:

1) Screeners are sent to the press for review - So, I suppose that since Ebert of some reporter from say, The NY Times gets a copy of "The Village" so they can watch it at work or at home and review it for the paper makes them a "pirate" right?

2) Celebrities can check out brand new, current in-theaters movies -- like books at a local library -- If they work for certain studios. I kid you not.

I.E. Ben Affleck can check out "Aliens vs. Predator" and watch it at his house (on DVD or VHS) if he just happens to be working or have a contact at 20th Century Fox (who produced AvP).

3) They release the DVDs, VCDs and SVCDs in Asia and Europe first, sometimes BEFORE the actual film hits their theaters.

What is the big factor that all of these instances of "piracy" have in common?

THE STUDIO IS THE ONE WHO MAKES THE MOVIES READILY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

It's not just some kid going into a theater and setting up a video camera most of the time. A lot of the boot-legs are studio copies of the films that leak because of some of the things I mentioned above.

If they want to cry "foul" then take a good look at themselves and see exactly where the lapses in "security" are (It's not hard to see, eh?).

------

The other issue is that I hate it when studios make those anti-piracy commercials with the likes of James Cameron talking about how it "takes money away" from the talented crafts people and then you see some actor playing a kid who works at your local multiplex saiing, "It takes money out of my pocket" if you pirate a movie.

Bull*****.

A) Everyonoe who works on a movie from the crafts people to the director to the set designers to the janitor that sweeps up the sound stages at night HAS ALREADY BEEN PAID.

They were paid MONTHS (if not years) ago once the film was in production... Especially, the upper echelon like the actors and directors who made hundreds of thousands of ddllars (if not millions) making the film. They are guranteed to get paid even if the movie bombs and/or doesn't get finished (movies must get made one way, or another because studios bond-out movies and form corporations as legal protection in case someone bails out).

It's not a regular, DAILY, 9-to-5 job where they can loose money... But they try and paint it that way to the general public as a sympathy ploy. Give me a *****ing break.

The same goes for the kids who work at the local multixplex.

They are paid a guranteed salary (even if low) THAT DOES NOT DEPEND ON HOW WELL THE MOVIE DOES. All that money -- boxoffice sales -- goes to the distributors (studios) as part of the profit that the theaters and distributors share in turn for both making (the studio) and showing (the theater) the movies.

Anyway...

I don't condone piracy, but I just get sick of the hypocracy that HW loves to tout about why there is such a problem... The same thing the music industry does -- They produce crap and charge almost $20 a CD -- When the real source of the problem is corporate greed on studios parts more than anything else.

mh67511

Wow that was really interesting, I didn't know that, so thanks for posting that. I don't really condone piracy either, but I think that ultimately it's just something they use as the only reason for declining sales, if they really are declining.

SuperDeluxe

Never ever make a blind buy of a dvd like this..

Always do some investigatory work before you buy dvds.

This is where I go..do a search, more than likely others will be discussing it

www.dvdtalk.com

SuperDeluxe

Look, you have to be smarter than the movie companies. Take the knowledge and apply it. If you do you're homework, You will holdoff on some dvds, because many releases get double dipped..usually they release the bare bones version, and then the extended version.

I do see their point though, Usually they can release a bare bones one, because people just clamor to have just the 'movie' itself out on dvd as quick as it can. However, those like me..(loves the extra stuff on it), would rather wait..for the 2nd release.

So if you're just someone that likes to have the movie..and quick..buy the barebones one that comes out quickly.

If you're like me..and like to have the extrastuff as well..wait awhile for the 2nd disc.

This is reason number one why I havent bought Hellboy yet..Directors is coming out in november.

mh67511

I know, I was stupid to get it, but their damn marketing got to me...I swear corporate America wins every time.

This time the barebones version was realeased SECOND. Go figure...