The Phanton Menace
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| Film Info | |
| Cinematic Release | 1999 |
| Public Release | |
Synopsis
This spectacular two-disc DVD set was certainly worth the wait. Simply put, this is the most comprehensive packaging of supplementary materials so far assembled for DVD. Most importantly, Lucas film offers an anamorphic, 2.35:1 film transfer and a highly active Dolby 5.1 audio mix. Disc 1 includes an insightful commentary with Lucas--his first for DVD--and other key personnel, making for a great tour. The bulk of extra treasures can be found on Disc 2, including seven deleted scenes completed just for this set that possess the same quality as the film; in fact, some moments (the "Air Bus Taxi" and "Pod Race Grid" sequences) are so good that Lucas reincorporated them into the film proper. Viewers can also enjoy no less than 12 Web documentaries, five informative featurettes, the popular John Williams music video "Duel of the Fates" and numerous galleries of stills, trailers and television spots. Better yet, Lucas premieres "The Beginning," a 66-minute documentary edited from hundreds of hours of behind-the-scenes footage. This is not your standard-issue studio documentary, instead "The Beginning" is an Oscar-worthy, cinema verityé-style exploration of the creative process behind every aspect of the film's production. One of the most memorable moments involves a late-day visit to the set by Steven Spielberg: watching Lucas and Spielberg behave like kids in a candy store is one more reminder why the Star Wars saga remains enduringly popular.
Over six hours of additional material, including: Audio commentary by George Lucas (Writer/Director), Rick McCallum (Producer), Ben Burtt (Co-Editor and Sound Designer), Scott Squires, John Knoll and Dennis Muren (Visual Effects Supervisors), Rob Coleman (Animation Supervisor)
Seven Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes with full visual effects completed solely for this DVD release
"The Beginning" - Documentary offering unprecedented access inside Lucasfilm and ILM during the making of the film (one hour)
Multi-angle storyboard to animatic to finished film feature
Five "Behind-The-Scenes" Featurettes--Storyline, Design, Costumes, Visual Effects, Fight Scenes
Music Video- "Duel of the Fates" (John Williams)
"Lynne's Diaries" - the 12 part documentaries
Three Image Galleries--Theatrical Posters, Print Campaign, Never-Before-Seen Production Photos
Original Theatrical Teaser and Launch Trailers
Seven TV Spots--including the legendary "Tone Poems" Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
