Description: This Recut & Extended Edition is the ultimate SIN CITY DVD Collection and features a new, never-before-seen extended version of the original motion picture, the original theatrical release with three new commentaries, and extensive brand-new bonus material! Also included, a complete SIN CITY graphic novel: "The Hard Goodbye." The acclaimed hit from director Robert Rodriguez delivers explosive stories straight from the pages of Frank Miller's hip series of "Sin City" graphic novels ... and stars Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Jaime King, Clive Owen, Brittany Murphy, Rosario Dawson, Devon Aoki, Alexis Bledel, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah Wood, Nick Stahl, Michael Madsen, Carla Gugino, and Michael Clarke Duncan.
How Are the Bonus Features? Robert Rodriguez has always loved DVDs, so the bonus features are extensive. On the first disc, there is somehow room for the theatrical cut of the film with its DTS track (the extended versions have only Dolby 5.1), two commentary tracks, an alternate audio track with a live audience in Austin, Texas, an interactive map of characters and locations, and 47 minutes of featurettes covering Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino, cars, costumes, props, and special effects. The first commentary is Rodriguez and Miller discussing the concepts and the cast. The second commentary is mostly by Rodriguez, but Tarantino drops in briefly for the scene he directed (with Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro in the car), as does an enthusiastic Bruce Willis for his segment.
The Tarantino scene gets a lot of attention on the second disc as well, in a 14-minute take in which he can be heard coaching the actors. Also on the disc are Rodriguez's usual "flic school" (among the topics is how scenes were created by merging footage of actors who never actually met), footage of Bruce Willis's band performing in Austin at the time of the shooting, and another Rodriguez cooking school (this time it's breakfast tacos). But the most interesting feature is the "green screen version" of the film: the entire film as it was shot in front of the green screen, sped up to play in only 12 minutes. You can see the actors (in color!) interacting only with the props and each other. Last, there's a DVD-sized complete comic book of The Hard Goodbye.
What's New in the Extended Version? "The Customer Is Always Right" (the opening sequence with Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton) has no new footage, but now goes straight into the one-minute epilogue with Hartnett and Alexis Bledel that closed the theatrical cut. "The Hard Goodbye" (with Mickey Rourke as "Marv" ) has two new sequences totaling about two minutes: Marv encounters his mother and finds his gun, and talks to Weevil in the club. In "The Big Fat Kill" (with Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro), some short dialogue is restored, along with another wicked slice by Miho (Devon Aoki)--about a minute total. "That Yellow Bastard" (with Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba) has about 3.5 new minutes: there are more visitors to Hartigan's hospital bed, including his wife and a nurse; Carla Gugino's Lucille character comes to assist Hartigan when he wants to get out of jail (probably the best addition); and Mr. Shlubb and Mr. Klump have some more lines. --David Horiuchi
Sleek, Entertaining, and Fun As Hell For one, I am not a fan of either graphic novels nor comic books (though I do not dislike them, they simply aren't my "thing"), though I do like the occasional movie based on the aforementioned. Sin City is such a movie, based on Frank Miller's gritty, crime fiction graphic novel. But that's not why Sin City is a really good movie, it's because it's extremely fun to watch.
Sin City, like Pulp Fiction (though nowhere as good =), heh), features little stories in one picture. But that's where the comparison really ends (don't even think about saying the dialogue or characters are anywhere as good). While Pulp Fiction has a lot of monologues and deals with such actions as cleaning out cars with chunks of blood, Sin City's three intertwining stories deal with more, erm, bigger plots (nothing quite like heists or bank robberies, though). Sin City's sotries are a bit unconvential as well, not pulling off the big, fantasy heists and bank robberies, but not mundanely trivia either. Perfect.
The cast and characters aren't terribly unique, consisting of cops, hookers, vigilantes, and overprotective boyfriends. The cast themselves are good, though there are some questionables. Bruce Willis, Michael Clarke Duncan, Michael Madsen, and the like are all respectable actors and do a great job, while others, most likely Jessica Alba (who in my opinion, is't half as pretty as people say she is), are pretty questionable when you think about. Fortuntaly, Jessica ALba doesn't say much in the movie, and just sits there.
But's it's the absolutely jaw dropping art style that makes Sin City stand out, giving it that absolutely slick and gritty style that just completes and trascends the movie into it's own. The extremely stylized black and white visuals pop out even more without the use of color, thanks to the amazing use of shadows and some aural like-glow over the whole thing (give or take). Words really can't do justice to it's style. It's even better with the setting, a fantastically designed dream city, with equal parts elegance and sleaziness, with personality in every apartmment, back alley, dock, and red light district. The select colorization, topping off the amazing art style, makes the colors pop out even more sensually, such as some gorgeous shots of a few of the women's eyes (except when it comes to that yellow dude, obviously). The soundtrack, with some use of saxophones, adds even more color, being misty, erotic, and smokey.
Supposedly, a sequal is due out, and if, in the future, Robert Rodriguez decides to make every story into a feature, I'll be sure to catch all of them in the movie theater. Hopefully, the sequals will be able to mantain what makes this movie great. For those who are looking for the next Pulp Fiction, stop looking because there is no such thing =). However, it's the type of film that Quentin Tarantino would have loved to make, and it's the type of the movie that all fans of that movie would love. Reccomended.
B
Sin City (2005)-Unique! Sin City (2005) After reading several Amazon reviews I saw there was no need to write another except to sign up as an additional uniquely satisfied customer. In the past I have been critical of films with too much explicit violence. Not so in the case of Sin City which expressed its screen violence filtered through wonderful comic book images which were both realistic and surrealistic at the same time. Very entertaining and interesting and I rate it at five stars.
Compared to The Spirit, this is a masterpiece Co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller (who clearly has a lot more to learn if you've seen his solo debut The Spirit), Sin City looks more and more impressive as flicks like Spirit and Watchmen strive to create the same excitement. It's $16 more than the standard DVD but it does contain both a restored theatrical edition as well as a lengthier Uncut Edition that was clearly put together with a lot of care. Loads of extras include Rodriguez hosting a "15 Minute Film School" among much else. A digital copy would have put this over the top. Pricey but worth it for hardcore fans. The Spirit ($39.99 on BluRay; Lionsgate) comes with a BluRay and standard DVD and digital copy and you won't enjoy watching any of them. Overheated and embarrassing adaptation of the classic hero. Visit me at michaelgiltz dot com.
Awesome Awesome picture and sound. Don't hasitate because its a black/white movie, its striking in visuals. If you loved the book, you will love this tranfer. A must buy
Theatrical or Episodes, not extended theatrical First of all, I give the film 5 stars, that said, the blu-ray is only worth 3.
Why? Because the best way to veiw the film is as a film, not as 4 short films. Yes, it's great to be able to veiw both ways, but, why is the additional footage not in the feature-legnth cut? The extended version is not a complete film, it's each story re-edited to separate short-stories. It's not the same tension or experience as the theatrical cut, which would be improved by the added footage.
Now the blu-ray quality is there, the film's AVC @ 22.mbps average, and the DTS MA is nice though I have yet to grasp why DTS MA is 24/48 and not 24/96 (truely thunderous audio!) Still, it's a visual feast, an excellent film. If you have the 2-disk DVD edition, this is the same thing, exactly, in hi-def.
Certainly worth the hi-def upgrade, but lacking a true extended cut.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
