"Watchmen: Director's Cut" Details and Review Thread

[Jedi2016]

Originally Posted by Kentai

The Director's Cut was confirmed to include the comics' original ending, as well as a dropped subplot involving Hollis Mason toward the end of the story. That doesn't even begin to add up to the 28 minutes of additional material promised though, so I expect that there will be plenty more.

Well, to those who have read the comic, it's easy to see where stuff was cut out, and there's plenty of missing material to make up 28 minutes.

However, I have to throw the BS flag about the ending.. everything I've read has repeatedly stated that there was only one ending shot for the film, that it will remain unchanged regardless of which version of the film you see.

[Patsfan123]

Back cover is up!!!!! Breaking news.. First Warner BD (besides HBO) to feature DTS-HD MA instead of TrueHD. With the Robin Hood full use of BD50 and now this.. Things are changing at Warner.

[colombianlove41]

that's awesome!

[nut bunnies]

From what Zack Snyder has said the Ultimate Edition will just have the Black Freighter thrown in and nothing more, although I think they'll also put on that fake documentary that was on the Black Freighter BD. I'd wager they'll make it a digibook too.

[giantchicken]

I'm getting impatient with Amazon's refusal to put this up for preorder...

[Patsfan123]

Originally Posted by giantchicken

I'm getting impatient with Amazon's refusal to put this up for preorder...

It's not amazon, its Warner. Like with the Batman Anthology their preorder date hasnt arrived. It is June 2nd. If you go to DVDEmpire they used to have it for PO, but now it says wait til June 2nd.

[lgans316]

Maybe some top guy at Paramount was working behind the scenes in getting DTS-HD MA instead of Dolby TrueHD. I hope both Paramount and Warner share the encode so that the U.S fans don't get shafted by 16-bit audio and low bit rate VC-1.

[Gekkou]

Wow, I wonder what spurred the move to DTS; I never thought I'd see the day. I mean, one lossless codec is as good as another, but that is very un-Warner-like. The main benefit is that we don't have to deal with them defaulting to a lossy English AC3 track because there isn't one.

As for the 16/48 vs. 24/48 deal; as long as it's lossless I don't care if 8 bits of inaudible noise are stripped out or not.

I was already looking forward to this one, but my anticipation just got ratcheted up with Warner apparently pulling out all the stops and trying something different. I even bought the soundtrack today to hold me over.

[davcole]

I am hoping with this disc having DTSMA that we will see Warner up it's bit depth to 24bits like most other studios.

[joeblow]

Having watched all 5.5 hours of the video comic as well as the theatrical cut and the separate Black Freighter Blu-Ray cartoon, I can say that if the ultimate edition simply melds the Black Freighter part into the extended cut, you may as well not wait for it and get the extended cut + Black Freighter short now.

There's no narrative reason to see it woven into the story like the original graphic novel had it. Watching it separately works fine.

[webdev511]

Originally Posted by lgans316

Maybe some top guy at Paramount was working behind the scenes in getting DTS-HD MA instead of Dolby TrueHD. I hope both Paramount and Warner share the encode so that the U.S fans don't get shafted by 16-bit audio and low bit rate VC-1.

as far as audio quality goes, DTS-HD MA = TrueHD = LPCM the only difference between them is size on the disc.

As far as the video encode goes, it all depends on how long the movie is and how much room the extras eat up.

Sure, there will be a follow up release by the holidays with more discs and extras, followed by a super bit version with maxed out bit rates. Triple dip anyone?

[mahlerfan999]

25 minutes of extra footage!? Talk about a cut going the wrong way. The theatrical release already had issues with poor pacing, this will just compound the issue. I don't think I've seen a movie that so badly needed to be recut since The Phantom Menace.

I hate the trend of putting back in scenes that were originally cut for a good reason. You should simply include them as deleted scenes and leave it at that.

[Krycek7o2]

Originally Posted by mahlerfan999

25 minutes of extra footage!? Talk about a cut going the wrong way. The theatrical release already had issues with poor pacing, this will just compound the issue. I don't think I've seen a movie that so badly needed to be recut since The Phantom Menace.

I hate the trend of putting back in scenes that were originally cut for a good reason. You should simply include them as deleted scenes and leave it at that.

Synder original cut was this release. The studios made him cut it down to the theatrical edition.

[mahlerfan999]

Originally Posted by Krycek7o2

Synder original cut was this release. The studios made him cut it down to the theatrical edition.

Okay so he doesn't know how to make a movie, based on his history I'm not surprised. The studios should have asked for more to be cut.

[Jedi2016]

Originally Posted by mahlerfan999

Okay so he doesn't know how to make a movie, based on his history I'm not surprised. The studios should have asked for more to be cut.

I don't suppose it's occurred to you that the odd pacing may be the result of the cuts, and not a reason for more cuts? Ever seen Kingdom of Heaven? Which version of that did you like better? The comic flowed very well, as I'm sure you know.

[mahlerfan999]

Originally Posted by Jedi2016

I don't suppose it's occurred to you that the odd pacing may be the result of the cuts, and not a reason for more cuts?

You have a good point, I'll reserve judgment until I see the extended version.

Ever seen Kingdom of Heaven? Which version of that did you like better?

I have seen Kingdom of Heaven when it first came out on dvd, I didn't know there were multiple versions though so I don't know what I saw.

The comic flowed very well, as I'm sure you know.

Yup I agree with that, I just didn't like how it translated to the movie.

[cnikirk]

Originally Posted by mahlerfan999

You have a good point, I'll reserve judgment until I see the extended version.



I have seen Kingdom of Heaven when it first came out on dvd, I didn't know there were multiple versions though so I don't know what I saw.



Yup I agree with that, I just didn't like how it translated to the movie.

Plus as a fan of the comic or graphic novel, there were missing parts that I wanted to see. Maybe it will drag but for someone like me that is okay.

[JakiChan]

Is the director's cut the ONLY BD release? Will there be a branching option to watch the theatrical cut?

[Patsfan123]

Originally Posted by JakiChan

Is the director's cut the ONLY BD release? Will there be a branching option to watch the theatrical cut?

Directors cut only. The back cover makes no mention of theatrical or branching.

[Bill C.]

If anything, I suspect we might get the theatrical cut in the Ultimate Edition...whenever that manifests.

[dvdmike007]

I will get the US one for the DC the UK one for the TC and for the head case it comes in
http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProduct...EN_MAIN-939440

[lgans316]

Originally Posted by dvdmike007

I will get the US one for the DC the UK one for the TC and for the head case it comes in
http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProduct...EN_MAIN-939440

Paramount is yet to provide full blown details for their UK/EU release. I expect them to follow the Warner way unless take a different route of encoding using AVC and featuring 24-bit Dolby TrueHD.

[trueblu30]

Originally Posted by mumbles3k

If I'm not mistaken, they've already said that the next release will be in December.[IMG]http://www.*****************/data/img/3816/s09v0317fvxp/00.gif[/IMG]

good to know, i have not seen this one yet but judging from what i've heard, i think i will blind buy this one

[Patsfan123]

Originally Posted by lgans316

Paramount is yet to provide full blown details for their UK/EU release. I expect them to follow the Warner way unless take a different route of encoding using AVC and featuring 24-bit Dolby TrueHD.

Blu-ray Disc - 3-Disc set with a digital copy of the film. Audio is 5.1 Dolby TrueHD. £29.99 RRP Features include:

* The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics
* Real Superheroes, Real Vigilantes
* Video Journals (Webisodes):
o Minutemen
o Sets & Sensibility
o Dressing for Success
o The Ship Has Eyes
o Dave Gibbons
o Burn Baby Burn
o Shoot To Thrill
o Blue Monday
o Attention To Detail
o Girls Kick Ass
o Rorschach’s Mask
* Viral Videos
o 10 Years Of Dr. Manhattan (1970: NBS Special News Report)
o The Keene Act & You (1977: US Public Service Announcement)
o Who Watches The Watchmen? (1983: Celebrity News Feature)
o World In Focus (1985: British Late Night Discussion Programme)
* Music Video – My Chemical Romance, Desolation Row
* Trailers

Courtesy of DVDTimes.co.uk

[Pincho]

Originally Posted by webdev511

as far as audio quality goes, DTS-HD MA = TrueHD = LPCM the only difference between them is size on the disc.

As far as the video encode goes, it all depends on how long the movie is and how much room the extras eat up.

Sure, there will be a follow up release by the holidays with more discs and extras, followed by a super bit version with maxed out bit rates. Triple dip anyone?

It makes a difference to me, because I only have optical 5.1. Now I get DTS surround which is better than Dolby 5.1. I was buying it anyway, but now I am happier.

EDIT: Does the UK not get DTS?

[dvdmike007]

Just WOW

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=2821

[mahlerfan999]

Originally Posted by Pincho

It makes a difference to me, because I only have optical 5.1. Now I get DTS surround which is better than Dolby 5.1. I was buying it anyway, but now I am happier.

EDIT: Does the UK not get DTS?

When you have to run optical you get a higher bit rate dolby which is comparable to dts.

[Pincho]

Originally Posted by mahlerfan999

When you have to run optical you get a higher bit rate dolby which is comparable to dts.

Baraka sounds much better on Blu Ray when I switch to DTS.

[deltasun]

Originally Posted by dvdmike007

I will get the US one for the DC the UK one for the TC and for the head case it comes in
http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProduct...EN_MAIN-939440

at least they picked the correct "head" case.

[Gekkou]

So is the US release going to be two or three discs? The special features look the same as the UK set, but I don't see anything on the Warner cover about how many discs there will be. Since the movie is so long I would think three: one for the feature and interactive stuff, one for the extras, and one for the digital copy.

Originally Posted by deltasun

at least they picked the correct "head" case.

Oh jeez, you went there!

Edit: Okay HDD and Amazon say it's 3 discs. It's interesting that they're going with such an extravagant set when the movie didn't exactly set the world on fire in terms of box office. Not that I'm complaining.