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Pearl Harbor (2001)
Starring: Ben Affleck
Sometimes bigger is actually better. Nearly matching the size of director Michael Bay's ego, this massive four-disc set is a veritable Pearl Harbor archive, and ironically, Bay's film remains the least interesting component.
Pearl Harbor
(DVD - Vista Series Director's Cut) (2001) It's a purely conventional Hollywood take on the tragedy, using a clichéd love triangle between two ace pilots (Josh Hartnett, Ben Affleck) and a Pearl Harbor nurse (Kate Beckinsale) as an "intimate" means of spectacularly re-creating the attack that thrust America into World War II.
The director's cut adds little to the previous DVD release, apart from authentic R-rated carnage during the Japanese raid, and minor expansion of the Hartnett-Beckinsale romance.
Commentaries range from superfluous (Bay and film historian Jeanine Basinger) to highly entertaining (Ben Affleck and costars) and technically informative (primary production team), and a spirited examination of visual effects (with Bay and ILM supervisor Eric Brevig) is guaranteed to fascinate anyone interested in physical effects and CGI. A broad "making of" documentary is noteworthy for one-time viewing, while abundant historical records make this a valuable compilation of definitive materials.
The History Channel's "One Hour over Tokyo" and "Unsung Heroes of Pearl Harbor" provide depth that Bay's movie lacks, and Charles Kiselyak's interactive timeline is arguably the finest feature included, providing an in-depth historical perspective on U.S.-Japan relations.
Even a brief reenactment of a Pearl Harbor nurse's journal is moving in a way that Bay's film can only try to be, while the "Interactive Attack Sequence" provides a multifaceted exploration of the entire production process (a highly educational feature for aspiring filmmakers).
All in all, these four discs offer an admirable balance between Bay's technically impressive but ill-conceived epic and a thorough, fitting tribute to those who endured hell on that fateful Sunday in 1941.
Other Formats: VHS,
VHS
widescreen, VHS
dubbed in Spanish, DVD
with DTS Stereo, DVD
with DTS Stereo, Theatrical
Pearl Harbor
(DVD - Vista Series Director's Cut)
Encoding: Region 1 (US and Canada only)
Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Box set, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound
Rated: Not for sale to persons under age 18.
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
DVD Features:
- Commentary by Michael Bay
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Commentary by Technicians, including the DP, Production Designer, and Costume Designer
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Commentary by Jerry Bruckheimer with stars Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, Josh
Hartnett, and Alec Baldwin
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Mail-in Certificate for a $10 Rebate for Owners of Previous Editions, Expires 1/2/03
Disc One
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Intro and letterbox explanation by Michael Bay
Pearl Harbor: The Director's Cut - Rated R (Part 1)
Disc Two
Pearl Harbor: The Director's Cut - Rated R (Part 2)
Disc Two, Three & Four
- Hours of Interactive in-depth "Making Of" features
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"Journey To The Screen: The Making of Pearl Harbor" segments (approximately 45 minutes) including segments on Battleship Row Attack, Sandbag Explosion, Dorrie Miller At The Guns, The Airfield Attack, The Scramble To The Planes, The Dud Bomb, The Oklahoma
Gimble, The Doolitle Raid
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The Surprise Attack - A multi-angle breakdown of the film's most exciting sequence (approximately 30 minutes)--includes video intro by Michael Bay
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Multiple video tracks that will include pre-visualization: Storyboards, artwork,
animatics, effects plates, green screen, and final sequence--All accessible by switching angles
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Commentaries from veterans
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Pearl Harbor Historic Timeline - a set-top interactive feature produced by documentarian Charles
Kiselyak. Through an innovative animated timeline, viewers will be able to select historic videos, audio clips, text, or photos that set the stage for the events in Hawaii, or follow how they impacted world events that transpired as a result of the conflict. (Approximately 30 Minutes)
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Soldier's Boot Camp - This segment follows the actors as they take preparation for their roles to an extreme. In the first segment, Ben
Affleck, Josh Hartnett and their co-stars are put through grueling paces by an over-enthusiastic drill sergeant. The second segment follows Alec Baldwin through his officer training. (Approximately 30 Minutes)
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"One Hour Over Tokyo" - The History Channel's documentary
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Super-8 Montage - A collection of unseen super-8 footage shot for potential use in the movie by Michael Bay's Visual Assistant, Mark
Palansky.
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"Deconstructing Destruction" - an in-depth conversation among filmmakers with interactive industrial light and magic sequences
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Nurse Ruth Erickson interview
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"Unsung Heroes" - The History Channel documentary
Widescreen anamorphic format
Number of discs: 4
Other Formats: VHS,
VHS
widescreen, VHS
dubbed in Spanish, DVD
with DTS Stereo, DVD
with DTS Stereo, Theatrical
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