IESB - Special Edition Indiana Jones DVDs Hit May 13th!
Monday, 03 March 2008
Own the movies that started the great adventure: Cinema's biggest action hero Indiana Jones returns May 13 in all-new special edition DVDs!
Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and Last Crusade Debut Individually for the First Time on DVD, With All-New, Exclusive Bonus Features on Each Movie.
According to the American Film Institute, he’s the greatest action-adventure hero of all time – and his unforgettable exploits can be relished by fans old and new as never before when all three INDIANA JONES movies debut as individual Special Edition DVDs and in an all-new box set on May 13.
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Released by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Paramount Home Entertainment, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Special Edition DVDs boast all-new, exclusive bonus features that dig deeper into the making of these cinematic milestones than ever before. All three were originally restored and remastered in 2003. Created with fans of all ages in mind, the bonus features provide never-before-seen explorations of the making of these classic movies and showcase the characters, action and extraordinary visual effects that have made the movies indelible cinematic treasures.
Each film makes its DVD debut just days before the highly anticipated return of the “Man in the Hat” in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
“An entire generation of movie lovers will get to see these classic films in a digital format that makes them even more amazing than when they were first in theaters,” said Howard Roffman, Vice President of Lucasfilm Ltd. “These new, individual DVDs are a fantastic way to introduce young audiences to the unforgettable, action-packed adventures of the most daring archaeologist in the world.”
Directed by Steven Spielberg from stories by executive producer George Lucas, the three INDIANA JONES movies earned six Academy Awards® and nearly $1.2 billion worldwide. From the groundbreaking excitement of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) to the sinister mysteries of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and the father-son adventure of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), the heroic Dr. Jones continues to delight audiences with his thrilling on-screen exploits.
Previously available only in a trilogy box set, the three films of THE ADVENTURES OF INDIANA JONES, were restored and remastered to deliver an exceptional viewing experience to existing enthusiasts and a whole new generation of fans. All-new bonus content delves into the making of the legendary series as the filmmakers and cast look back and a new world of adventure opens up with Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and others offering hints about what to expect in the newest installment.
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DVDs
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Special Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 2.0 Surround and Spanish 2.0 Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles.
The disc includes the following special features:
Raiders of the Lost Ark: An Introduction by Steven Spielberg & George Lucas
Indiana Jones: An Appreciation—The cast and crew of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull pay tribute to the original trilogy.
The Melting Face—A recreation of the amazing physical effect of the villain’s melting face in Raiders of the Lost Ark, including
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas commenting on the evolution of visual effects and CGI.
Storyboard Sequence—The Well of Souls
Galleries
Illustrations & Props
Production Photographs & Portraits
Effects/ILM
Marketing
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures Game Demo and Trailer
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Special Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 2.0 Surround and Spanish 2.0 Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The disc includes the following special features:
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: An Introduction by Steven Spielberg & George Lucas
Creepy Crawlies—Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Frank Marshall reminisce about snakes, bugs and rats.
Locations—Travel across the world to discover where the films take place and where they were shot.
Storyboard Sequence—The Mine Cart Chase
Galleries
Illustrations & Props
Production Photographs & Portraits
Effects/ILM
Marketing
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures Game Demo and Trailer
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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Special Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 2.0 Surround and Spanish 2.0 Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The disc includes the following special features:
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: An Introduction by Steven Spielberg & George Lucas
The Women: The American Film Institute Tribute—The three Indiana Jones women (Karen Allen, Kate Capshaw and Alison Doody) reunite for a discussion.
Friends and Enemies—Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Indiana Jones writers discuss how they created the most iconic characters in film history, including a look at new faces in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Storyboard Sequence—The Opening Sequence
Galleries
Illustrations & Props
Production Photographs & Portraits
Effects/ILM
Marketing
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures Game Demo and Trailer
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Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark has a running time of 115 minutes and an MPAA rating of PG. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom has a running time of 118 minutes and an MPAA rating of PG. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade has a running time of 126 minutes and an MPAA rating of PG-13. For even more information about the adventures of Indiana Jones, visit http://www.indianajones.com.
UGO - Indiana Jones The Adventure Collection Review
The Indiana Jones Adventure Collection. Heck, I'll even sit through the inevitable second sequel of Bats (Dare I dream that it will be titled Bats: Guantanamo?) if it will secure me something as choice as the next George Lucas DVD release of a product line that already has far too many DVD releases to begin with. But since I have had the foresight to abstain from purchasing any of the previous Indiana Jones DVDs, this collection actually is a great addition to my collection. But what about those of you who already own the Indiana Jones films?
I grew up with the Indiana Jones movies, saw two of them in the theaters as a kid, and watched all of them countless times on television. So I have never felt in much of a rush to own the movies what with them being so easily accessible. And even as the DVD format has become the standard, director Steven Spielberg has rather frustratingly refused to record commentary tracks for his films, giving me even less of a reason to purchase a set. So I went into this wondering if the extras that are offered would be enough to convince me to buy this set, rather then the next one that will most likely be released following the DVD release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
The good news is I enjoyed the special features included with this set quite a bit. Each disc has multiple documentary shorts included that provide a wealth of insight into the making of the films. Introductions from George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are a welcome addition, with each individual introduction showcasing both known and unknown facets of Indiana Jones folklore. I particularly enjoyed the features focusing on the use of animals in the films, as well as the behind-the-scenes look at how Industrial Light and Magic created that iconic and infamous face melting shot from Raiders of the Lost Ark. (I'm old school – I still call it Raiders of the Lost Ark, not Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark as we're now supposed to.)
Also included are excerpts from a panel discussion with the females stars from the films, a surprisingly interesting look into how the filming locations were scouted, and a handy little pop up trivia feature that was included with several of the featurettes. Each disc also includes a wealth of photos and a solid picture in picture storyboard extra that simultaneously shows the storyboards and the scene from the movie they depict. On top of all this they even include a demo of the new LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures Game for you to play on your computer. Sure it would have been great to include demos of the game for the various game consoles as well, but that is picking nits.
But there is some bad news, and it is unfortunately a rather large hurdle for the set, no commentaries. At the very least there should be some sort of commentary track, and considering that Indiana Jones has become such a huge franchise I don't think it is too much to ask for multiple commentaries for each film. The wealth of knowledge, information and insight that could be doled out in a commentary track that focuses on the effects of the film would be fascinating, and I think people would absolutely love a cast commentary track. If Spielberg, Lucas, Ford and everyone else had so much fun making these films it shouldn't be that big of a hassle for them to sit down in a room and talk about the films they loved making, and we love watching. Especially considering that the three of them were all, like, together during the making of Crystal Skull, as this package was being put together. They couldn't all get together for three nights, had dinner, then yakked into some makeshift mikes as they watched the old movies? WTF?
But is the continued lack of commentaries really enough to not warrant a purchase of this set? Not really, especially if you don't own the films already. But for those of you who already own the previous box set there simply isn't enough additional content to warrant purchasing this good, but not quite great, boxed set.
