The alleys of Sin City just got darker thanks to the release of Frank Miller’s Sin City (Recut, Extended, Unrated) two-disc set – which delivers a new way of watching one of the best comic book adaptations that hit the big screen this year.
Director Robert Rodriguez, along with creator Frank Miller and guest director Quentin Tarantino, succeeded in making a movie that was literally like watching the comic jump from the page to the big screen. The movie combines four of Miller’s Sin City stories - The Customer is Always Right, The Hard Goodbye, The Big Fat Kill, and That Yellow Bastard.
The movie, which is mostly shot in black and white in front of a green screen, has a huge cast of Hollywood stars – including Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah Wood and Jessica Alba.
The film’s plot, which is told mostly through voice over that reminds you of the old Bogart films, captures the tone and look of the Miller comic. Its unique filming and solid performances from the cast help suck you into the story.
Rourke delivers one of his best performances in a long time through his character Marv – the tough guy from The Hard Goodbye with no qualms about killing in his pursuit of the people responsible for framing him for murder.
He fits in perfectly with the film’s gritty tone and hardboiled dialogue. Willis and Owens blend into the performance of Rourke, and each actor seem like they really belong in such a violent city.
Marv sneaks past his mother's door in a new scene from The Hard Goodbye
The new edition of the DVD is great for fans of the movie or the comic fans. It comes loaded with special features, and offers the audience to watch each story adaptations separately with new footage added into each. Rodriguez tells you that it is cut this way so that fans of a certain story can jump straight to that portion of the movie.
The Hard Goodbye contains new scenes that are about two minutes long and includes Marv’s mother, and Rourke “talking” to Weevil in the strip club. The Big Fat Kill has some more dialogue added to it, and some more action. That Yellow Bastard sees more of Willis in the hospital and more of what happened once he was released from jail.
In addition to having new scenes cut back into the different stories, the new edition comes loaded with special features that will make you appreciate the movie even more.
The first disc comes with an all-new feature commentary with Rodriguez, Tarantino and Miller; an audio track featuring a recording of the Austin audience reaction to the movie; a look at convincing Miller to make the film; and different “making of” features.
The Green Screen version lets you see the movie without effects
The second disc (which has the unrated version of the movies divided by story) continues Rodriguez’s 15-minute film school – which takes you into the movie making process; the 10-minute cooking school – where Rodriguez shows he is also a great cook and shares his Sin City Breakfast Burritos recipe; The Long Take; the All Green Screen Version of the film; and “Sin City Live” – concert footage that was recorded when Bruce Willis performed with his band at Antones.<!--page-->
Rodriguez shows off his cooking skills
The Long Take is a continuous look at the Tarantino scene where the director can be heard working with the actors. It runs about 15 minutes, and doesn’t offer too much compared to the other features in the set.The All Green Screen Version looks at the movie before the special effects were put in. Rodriguez speeds up the movie so that you can watch the entire film in about 10-15 minutes.
This is a really interesting special feature, and gives you an inside look at how the actors worked in a green screen environment, and what was required of them to get the movie made. The All Green Screen Version is probably one of the most entertaining features in the set.
Although it is advertised as 20 minutes of more footage cut in, the movie is still pretty much the same as what was released at the theater. The new footage consist of mostly dialogue with a little more action cut back into the film – such as scenes with Marv talking to his mother and some more violence with the Miho character.
The two-disc DVD is a good addition for fans of the movie, but won’t impress people who weren’t really blown away with the first version of the movie. Unlike the Lord of the Rings extended versions, there isn’t much added that helps make the movie even better, and the new special features may not be enough to make fans, who bought the original release, want to double dip.
Comic fans will also enjoy The Hard Goodbye 200 page graphic novel (that collects the stories that ran in Dark Horse Presents #51-62) included in the DVD set. This is a great item to include and you can literally follow the comic and the movie almost word for word.
Tarantino gives Owen direction
Frank Miller’s Sin City was one of the best comic movies to come out in a long time, and the special recut, extended, unrated version of the movie is something that fans will really enjoy. It doesn’t add much to the original cut of the movie, but the special features do justify the new version. Having the film cut back into its individual stories is a fun way to watch the movie, and the new release will leave you counting the days until we can see the sequel.
I would highly recommend the DVD set to any comic fan or anyone that was blown away by the theatrical version. Rodriguez really captured what made Sin City a great read, and the movie lives up to the hype it created.
Frank Miller’s Sin City (Recut, Extended, Unrated) is available for pre-order at Amazon for a Tuesday, Dec. 13th release. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD’s database for more information.
Hugh waynerightFeb 10th, 2008 - 22:54:50
I only just got a copy today,,,I can't wait To see Goldie in all her naked glory!! Woo Hoo !!!!!
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