Platoon: 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition

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flyonthewall2983
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#1 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:38 pm

From thedigitalbits.com:

We also have word that MGM & Sony's 2-disc Platoon: 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition (due 5/30) will include anamorphic widescreen video (from a new HD transfer), Dolby Digital & DTS 5.1 audio, audio commentary by director Oliver Stone, a second commentary by military supervisor Captain Dale Dye, deleted and extended scenes (with commentary by Stone), new interviews with Stone and Vietnam veterans, 5 behind-the-scenes documentaries (Creating the ‘Nam, One War, Many Stories, Raw Wounds: The Legacy of Platoon, Snapshot in Time: 1967-1968 and Tour of the Inferno), the Preparing for ‘Nam featurette, the film's theatrical trailer and TV spots, and an 8-page "journal" booklet.

Is this basically the previous SE, with the addition of the DTS track?

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Fletch F. Fletch
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#2 Post by Fletch F. Fletch » Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:00 am

flyonthewall2983 wrote:Is this basically the previous SE, with the addition of the DTS track?
Not exactly. These features are new:

- Deleted Scenes and Extended Scenes with Commentary by Oliver Stone
- New Interviews with Oliver Stone
- New Interviews with Vietnam Veterans
- “Creating the ‘Namâ€

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hearthesilence
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#3 Post by hearthesilence » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:04 pm

I'm curious about the new HD transfer too. (Too bad it's not an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray disc...)

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Fletch F. Fletch
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#4 Post by Fletch F. Fletch » Tue May 23, 2006 4:12 pm

An article on the screening of the film at Cannes to celebrate its 20th anniversary...

http://news.bostonherald.com/blogs/step ... efer/?p=56

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Fletch F. Fletch
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#5 Post by Fletch F. Fletch » Tue May 30, 2006 1:03 pm

I just checked out this new edition and I have to say if you're a fan of supplemental material then it is defintely worth replacing whatever editon you have with this one.

In addition to porting over all the extras from the previous one (impressive in their own right), there is a collection of deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary by Stone. Nothing to earth-shattering except that some actors, like Johnny Depp get a bit more screen time. The most interesting bit is an alternate ending for Berenger's character which Stone says he now wishes had been used.

All the new featurettes basically flesh out what was covered in that excellent retrospective featurette on the last edition, Tour of the Inferno, but in greater detail. So, you've got one that gives a historical perspective to the time period the film takes place in and puts things into perspective by exploring the origins of the conflict and how the U.S. got involved, a look at how Stone and co. created the conditions of Vietnam in the Philippines on a limited budget (some highlights include a bit about how they created the village in the movie from scratch and did such a good job that locals moved in with no prompting), how Viet vets responded to the movie including a group of 'em talking about it after a screening (some of these guys tell some fascinating stories that are in turn juxtaposed with Stone talking about his own experiences), and a look at what basic training was like with vets talking about their experiences.

All in all in a very detailed package with pretty much all of these new featurettes substantial in nature.

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Gigi M.
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#6 Post by Gigi M. » Tue May 30, 2006 1:15 pm

Here's a review from DVDTOWN:


Video:
This release is touted as being "remastered in High Definition," but Hi Def on a 20-year-old movie is not the same as Hi Def on a 2006 release. Especially in the title sequence there are visible flaws that morph in and out of your picture, with overexposed outdoor sequences. When the men get into the jungle and low-lit conditions the clarity gets closer to what we've gotten used to expecting out of Hi Def, and even at that there's slight graininess throughout. The picture is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, and aside from the opening and one other scene where there are noticeable imperfections, the quality is pretty good.

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