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Warner Brothers Announce The Matrix: Special Edit
Kartik3 writes "IGN.com is reporting that Warner Bros. is releasing a 2-disc special edition DVD of The Matrix (loaded with extras) on April 29th and The Animatrix (An Anime series set in the world of the Matrix) DVD on June 3rd." If Animatrix is half as cool as the promo comic that was given out at the Matrix opening, I'll like it.
That's what the matrix is.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
A blue Pill and a Red Pill ;)
...I have no way of knowing: is this 2-disc set going to be substantially different from The Matrix plus The Matrix Revisited which are available now? I mean, I already have both of them. I don't see why I should have to pick up another.
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
I miss Animaniacs so much! is Dot gonna be Trinity in Animatrix?
Oh, wait......Nevermind
Warner Home Video will be repackaging The Matrix as a 2-disc set. The new edition will essentially contain the current film and The Matrix Revisited discs. Revisited will be padded out with new promotional features like "Preload: On the Set of Reloaded," episodes 1&2 of The Animatrix: The Second Renaissance, a preview of The Animatrix, "What Is the Game?" trailer for the new Infograme "Enter The Matrix" videogame , a sample of music from Reloaded, and a Marilyn Manson "Rock Is Dead" music video. The set will also include a free ticket offer to The Matrix Reloaded. The Matrix: Special Edition is due on April 29 and will retail $27.95. Oh, and the packaging will be "foil-wrapped" (insert eye-rolling).
Speaking of The Animatrix, this more ambitious project will be released on June 3rd. This disc will include nine short films conceived by the Wachowski brothers, delving into the world of the Matrix and its characters. The collection of shorts, ranging from traditional anime to full-blown CGI, will come from world-renowned anime directors Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Koji Morimoto, Mahiro Maeda, Takeshi Koike, Peter Chung and Andy Jones." Episode include "The Final Flight of the Osiris," "The Second Renaissance Parts 1 & 2," "Kid's Story," "Program," "World Record," "Beyond," "Detective Story," and "Matriculated." The Animatrix will retail $24.98. As for the two actual sequels, the Reloaded and Revolutions DVDs are already in production and are being promised as "breakthrough discs".
You can watch the Animatrix trailer here
John
The drops of water don't know themselves to be a river; and yet the river flows.
What is it with this footage manipulation crap everybody is doing? i mean just release the film in its entirety and stop holding out on us. Im starting to feel like im being taken by a realy sick and masive bait and switch scam. I can see haveing a directors cut but this is getting out of hand
We substituted the coffee Slashdot normally drinks with "Sandoz Crystals", Lets see if they notice the difference
Ooo! Foil packaging!
Doesn't sound like a new edit. I really doubt I'm going to be replacing my old Matrix DVD.
I used to work (until quite recently) in the Entertainment section of a Kmart. When they released the Lord Of The Rings DVD (2 disc), people bought it in droves, and as I'm sure you'd guess, it was a best seller for months. Then once all the fuss has died down, they re release it in a special four disc edition, the extra discs containing a few average documentaries on the making of LOTR plus an extra half an hour of unseen footage. Of course, it sold like crazy again.
As I was running the transactions through, I'd often ask (or sometimes just be told by) the customer, that they'd already bought the two disc set, but they had to have the extra discs for their content. Most of these people weren't your 'typical' hardcore nerd type person that obsesses about things like this: they were 'ordinary' people (like your older brother, or your mum), who were doing this.
They'd also mention (and this is my point) that the next time things like this came out, they'd hold off until they released the "Special Extended Edition"s of all the really big name movies (LOTR, MATRIX etc).
I admit that I've almost done this too, I bought the original Matrix DVD, and I bought the original LOTR dvd set (2 disc), and now that they've brought out the newer ones, I was not only quite pissed that they've brought out 'bigger' versions, I half contemplated buying the new editions. Now I've not forked over that money, and I certainly won't do it. However what I will do, and I'm sure that a majority of people will too: is to hold off buying it until they have released the Super Special Extended Amazing Edition of whatever movie it is.
Their sales will drop until they realise they can't get away with it.
They should call it "The Matrix: Repackaged"
First they get you to buy the Matrix when it comes out on DVD. Then they release a 2-disc "Special Edition" a scant *three years* later!
Bastards!
Great, another form of matrix decomposition to hate.
Well, in two years it'll be just in time for the extended, expanded, special three-movie collector's edition of the director's cut. Brewed with a premium blend of bonus material and loaded with never-before cared-about footage, enhanced with gaffer commentary in both the gaffer's native language and three others, not to mention the several TV specials that you've seen before, but haven't yet been given the opportunity to pay a premium for.
Here at Warner Bros, we appreciate the free advertising given to our Matrix entertainment product.
We also appreciate how many Slash Dot readers purchase these "special edition" DVDs. It's comforting for us to know that all this talk of "boycotting the media corps" and "don't give them any of your money" is just hypocritical hot air.
Sure, most of you have seen the movie already and could just save your money, or (ha ha) use it to support lesser known directors and actors who could use the exposure, but you choose to give it to us. We thank you for that.
Rest assured, this money will go directly to our pockets, and occasionally to the pockets of a needy senator. Occasionaly, due to court orders and other circumstances beyond our control, we are forced to give some money to the actors, writers, and artists who create the movies.
Again, we thank you dearly for your support of our wholesome movie industry, and we look forward to your future purchase of our upcoming 3-DVD "Matrix Multiplied" set. We know you'll buy it for that extra 30 minutes of footage. And of course the "Matrix Engaged" 4-DVD set which comes out after that, which comes with a set of Matrix stickers with your favorite personas.
It's through your unwavering interest in our products that we're able to bring you innovative new products such as: pay-per-use DVDs, annoying copy-protection schemes, and corrupt corporate-welfare legal schemes like the DMCA.
Sincerely,
President
Warner Bros
I really hope the "extras" include a new commentary track. Have you guys ever sat through the commentary that comes on the DVD. It is a *painful* experience. Its such a great great movie that its sad to see such monotonous commentary. Carrie Moss has some interesting and funny comments, but honestly she just isn't present enough throughout the track. Instead its two of the "geeks" that helped put the movie together ( one was in charge of visual effects). Although some of the technical insight is interesting -- for the most part you find them talking through the best parts of the movie about totally unrelated subjects, or extending valid points way too far. Maybe I'm being a little too critical on something that's supposed to be off the cuff, but it just seemed like the techinical guys didn't have a clue as to how to make the commentary interesting for your average viewer. However, geeks never have been great at stimulating conversation for the masses for minutes, let alone hours.
:-) ).
I love listening to the commentary tracks on DVDs -- Fight Club and Training Day being two of my favorites -- as they offer insight into the movie's themes and motif's and new perspectives on something you may have taken for granted after 5-10 viewings. After so many years and so many viewings, I'd love to finally know what the brother's think of their creation or hear more from Laurence or Hugo (probably not Keanu though
You leave yourself in a bit of a pickle. Either you watched the Matrix yourself, which makes you just as pitiable, or you didn't see it and therefore aren't in a position to comment on whether we should pity others who have. Sorry, just couldn't resist. :-)
GreyPoopon
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Why is it I can write insightful comments but can't come up with a clever signature?
Watching the Matrix on VHS is akin to watching The Blair Witch Project on DVD...
Yes, multiple sets suck, but some companies will put out shitty versions first or decide to come out with new versions for promotional reasons. Think about how many versions of Star Wars have come out over the years? Off the top of my head they're come out with the original releases, the THX remastered releases, the Special Edition releases, and the new set that came out a few years ago with some extra promo footage. Considering that the last 3 sets came out in both widescreen and pan and scan (a shame to see this crap coming to DVD... but that's another rant) that's at least 10 different sets. Sooner or (more likely) later we're going to have the DVD releases and there might very well be regular and special edition releases of both... not to mention the actual special edition releases to follow that.
Terminator 2 has had two releases so far with another one on the way (can't have anything to do with the third movie now can it) to oust the previous so-called "Ultimate edition". Stargate has been out in 4 editions on DVD alone with another one coming out soon as well.
For whatever reason you'll have extra editions for reasons good (LOTR needed time to produce the special features and compose the music and such) and bad. Think of the excellent newer version of Seven, or Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Sometimes though they don't even get the new version right (the new version of Reservoir Dogs is misframed and has color problems, but the old one had terrible video quality and sound) and it's worth it to come out with something better.
The bottom line is to look around before buying something in case a new version might be on the way, no matter how long (Goodfellas has been in production for a while). If the current version is a bit weak on features or poorly made and a fairly big film... wait. The new version will probably come around eventually.
I have the Matrix DVD (in its cheap-ass warner carboard box), and its english-only. Does anybody know if the 2 disc special ed will have more than one language (French and Spanish)?
I buy few Warner DVDs because they are so much cheaper than most other DVDs...they all come in this cheap, flimsy folded cardboard box (wich sounds as though you're breaking it every time you open it), and usually have only one language available and laughable extras (oooo! animated menus! wow!).
The recent ones seem to have gotten over the monolingual deal and have some actually interresting extras (the powerpuff DVD is from Warner, and its got 3 languages and funky extras like character commentaries). But I'd like to know in advance.
You can't take the sky from me...
since the Matrix was very much inspired by another anime, Ghost in the Shell.
really turned me off, sold most of my collection on eBay, keeping only about 25 really essential films. This repackaged version of The Matrix won't lure me in, and frankly, as long as I get anamorphic transfers of full theatrical cuts, I could care less about all the extras. Outside of something really amazing like the additional footage they are tacking back into the LOTR films, they can keep thier multiple versions of every release. Way to cannabalize your own market and dump on your customers. Oh wait, I forgot we are dealing witha **AA group, that explains it.
There's an extra character who was never seen in the original matrix. Instead of taking just one pill, she took the red pill, the blue pill, and had morpheus cook up a dozen other types.
Picture here