I was watching the extended DVD for Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring over the weeked. Pretty amazing stuff. The more I learn about the making of the movie, the more I am impressed with what a huge undertaking it was. I am also impressed with the incredible detail and craftsmanship that went into the sets, props, costumes, etc.

But in watching the special features, I was able to see sets half finished - white styrofoam blocks being hit and bashed to make them look like a broken down stone wall. I also saw some of the computer effects used to fill out scenes - a wide shot of the town of Bree for example.

So now I'm wondering, when I watch the movie again, am I going to enjoy it as much, or am I going to sit there and think about how they created the set, or the wear and tear on Saruman's robes to make it look authentic, or what Hobbiton looked like before they started building the set?

There is a particular scene in Men In Black where Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith drive their car upside down through a crowded tunnel. From now on when I see that scene, I think of the special feature on the DVD which showed how it was done. That scene is ruined for me.

Does anyone else feel this way? Can "knowing" ruin the magic trick?

I could see how it might ruin it for some but, personally, I find it more interesting watch something after I found out how they actually did the scene. More of an appreciation for a film actually.

I guess if you don't want to see how they made the movie you could always avoid the "How We Made The Movie" video:).

I never watch those things until I've seen the movie at least once. The first time I see a movie, it's about the story. I don't want to know how they made it or the behind the scenes stuff at that point. After I've seen the movie, then I'll watch the behind the scenes stuff and when I watch the movie again I find it interesting in a different way because I'm looking for small things I might have missed the first time, etc.

Originally posted by Bee
I never watch those things until I've seen the movie at least once. The first time I see a movie, it's about the story. I don't want to know how they made it or the behind the scenes stuff at that point. After I've seen the movie, then I'll watch the behind the scenes stuff and when I watch the movie again I find it interesting in a different way because I'm looking for small things I might have missed the first time, etc.

You've touched on what I'm getting at. After watching the behind the scenes stuff, the way you watch the movie changes. You find yourself looking for different things, or seeing things in a different way. Sometimes this can enhance or improve the movie. You might become aware of some sub-plot that you weren't aware of, or notice some character flaw that you didn't before. In contrast, are there times when looking for differnent things or seeing things in a different way detracts from the movie? For me there have been, and I wondered if anyone else had that same experience.

I get your point - it's sometimes harder to watch stuff after I know how they did it.

one of my favorite scenes is in T2 during the mall scene and ensuing chase. I remember the big jump of the Harley was breathtaking in the theater (I can distinctly recall people gasping when it happened). After seeing the making of, and seeing that stund done with the wires and stunt driver really distracts me now when I see that scene.

same with Star Wars - my all-time favorite movie. I can't watch Luke's landspeeder cruising across the desert in the air without noticing now that the very back end of the speeder is off-camera (to hide the aparatus that is holding it up).

Well, for me Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring ruined the movie on it's own for me, though after sitting through all that crap I don't think any extra features would have helped.

I loved Undercover Brother, but the deleted scenes and other special material were so bad it almost tainted my enjoyment of the actual movie. That's about the only time I've ever been affected by them one way or the other though.

The extra's on the Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back DVD (there are about 5 hours of extra crap on the 2 CD set) made me hate Jay & Silent Bob plus all of their friends like J-Lo's gooble gobble boyfriend. The movie was not that bad - I can take some Jay & Silent Bob and I tend to enjoy even the worst comedies, but the DVD extra's made me dislike Kevin Smith so intensely I am considering quitting my job and stalking him. I have doubts I could ever watch any movie by him or his clique again:(.

The Bruce Willis voice over for "Hart's War" was one of the sleasiest DVD extra's scam's ever - they presented it like he was there with the Director and others commenting on the film when it was painfully obvious they just had a few poorly recorded quotes from him to sprinkle in the soundtrack. Ugh.

On the other hand, I am into movies so much that in most cases the "making of" insider info and other extra's make me want to see the film again. In historical pictures the educational extra's about the true life events or the era are fantastic, and are sometimes worth watching before you ever see the movie.

Originally posted by Bee
I never watch those things until I've seen the movie at least once. The first time I see a movie, it's about the story. I don't want to know how they made it or the behind the scenes stuff at that point. After I've seen the movie, then I'll watch the behind the scenes stuff and when I watch the movie again I find it interesting in a different way because I'm looking for small things I might have missed the first time, etc.

Agreed completely. I was quasi-seeing this chick who was heavily into photography, camera-work, and thelike and was a journalism-film major. And for two months before Fellowship came out, all she would talk about is how they did this special effect and what not. She'd walk into my office and say, "You know what, I just saw that Peter Jackson decided to go with..."

"I don't wanna know."

"But this is cool."

"I don't care. Let me know after I see the movie."

"Check out these previews..."

"NOOOOOOOO"


-Anxiety

Originally posted by Killebrew
The extra's on the Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back DVD (there are about 5 hours of extra crap on the 2 CD set) made me hate Jay & Silent Bob plus all of their friends like J-Lo's gooble gobble boyfriend. The movie was not that bad - I can take some Jay & Silent Bob and I tend to enjoy even the worst comedies, but the DVD extra's made me dislike Kevin Smith so intensely I am considering quitting my job and stalking him. I have doubts I could ever watch any movie by him or his clique again:(.


easily, one of the most painful things I've ever seen was seeing Jason Mewes stumbling through that extra stuff. He was so obviously fucked up (and we're not talking weed here) it was diffiult to watch.

I like extras where the plot andcharacters and the like are deepened. Like Donnie Darko.

-Anxiety