For open-minded adults, the film is a minor sensation, and with its newly added material, commentaries, and featurettes, the unrated DVD set is a double delight.
OK, now I don't mean to leave readers with the idea that I think the film is perfect or that it will please every discerning viewer, even the most ardent admirers of the comic-book material it's based on. If the film suffers at all, it is from four things: (1) It's too long. At over two hours I found it dragging by the end and all of its stylistic devices beginning to lose their impact from overuse. (2) Its comic-book mentality is obviously shallow, which doesn't allow for any serious development of its characters. So we get exactly what the graphic novels intended--two-dimensional heroes and villains as noted above. (3) Its voice-over narration, also in keeping with its comic-book origins, can be a further burden when combined with the movie's excessive length. And (4) it's got so much violent action throughout the stories that the violence creates a cumulative numbing effect, eventually desensitizing us to the very shocks that are supposed to be so enthralling.
None of which are serious enough faults to keep "Sin City" from being mostly entertaining. I may not have fallen as completely under the movie's spell as many other viewers, but "mostly entertaining" is good enough for me to look forward to another visit to this "City" whenever possible.
Video:
The theatrical and expanded movies look pretty much as it did in the bare-bones edition. I said it was shot digitally against blue screens, so don't expect the depth of field or the exacting delineation one might normally experience with a conventionally photographed motion picture. That said, the black-and-white photography shows up well, thanks to a high bit rate and a good, anamorphic, widescreen transfer that measures out at about 1.75:1. Fairly deep black levels make for strong contrasts; delineation and detail are smoothly rendered; and the occasional splashes of color stand out sharply. Grain is pretty much absent, although there are a few shimmering lines here and there.
Audio:
As before, the English-only soundtrack for the theatrical version is available in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1, but the soundtrack for the expanded version is in Dolby Digital only. I listened in DD 5.1 and could hardly fault it, unless you just have a thing against Dolby Digital's compression methods. The dynamics are terrifically potent and along with an equally robust bass make an impressive combo. Moreover, the front-channel stereo spread is quite wide and the surround sound quite abundant and pinpoint in its accuracy, furthering our enjoyment of every one of the movie's thrills and chills that come our way.
Extras:
Disc one contains the regular theatrical-release version of the film, with twenty-eight scene selections, in English only, with Spanish subtitles, and English captions for the hearing impaired. What's more, as options you can watch the movie and listen to any of three audio commentaries. The first is with Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, who tell us about some of the things that went on behind the scenes while directing the film. They talk a lot at first about how Rodríguez convinced Miller to do the film at all. Then they explain the occasional use of color and the dark humor in the picture. It's nice having the story's creator here and hearing how they were trying to be as faithful as possible to the books. The second commentary is with Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, with a little help later on from Bruce Willis. Here, the men talk mainly about the technical aspects of the filmmaking. Rodríguez explains that he shot the opening scene before he even had the rights to the story, making it in order to persuade Miller of his good intentions. Later, Tarantino tells us that he was inspired by Italian horror-thriller director Dario Argento to create his color scheme for his little segment. The third commentary is composed of audience reaction at the movie's Austin premičre. Basically, you sit in the audience with them and hear what they say and listen to their laughter and applause and screams. I guess it's for people who don't like to watch movies by themselves.
Next up on disc one we have a series of short featurette. The first of these is "How It Went Down: Convincing Frank Miller to Make the Film," five minutes with Miller and Rodríguez again talking about how they got together on the project. Next is a seven-minute bit, " Special Guest Director, Quentin Tarantino," in which Tarantino talks about his part in filming a segment of "The Big Fat Kill." After that is "A Hard Top With A Decent Engine: The Cars of Sin City," seven minutes with Miller, Rodriguez, and Cecil D. Evans, the transportation consultant responsible for getting together the vintage 1950s' cars used in the film. "Booze, Broads & Guns: The Props of Sin City" is next, ten minutes with prop master Steve Joyner, plus Rodríguez and Miller again and others, talking about the knives, guns, clubs, and such in the movie. Following that is the nine-minute featurette " Making the Monsters: Special Effects & Make-Up," with special makeup effects supervisor Greg Nicotero and others on how all of them decided on the look of the characters. Finally, there's "Trench Coats and Fishnets: The Costumes of Sin City," nine minutes with Nina Proctor, the costume supervisor and others discussing the characters' garb.
"Sin-Chroni-City Interactive" is another feature on disc one. This is an interactive segment that allows the user to choose characters and locations from the film and get a timeline view of the happenings in the movie. The user can see an overview of the scenes in chronological order and then move in to get more detail on any of the events. It seemed overly complex to me, and I didn't spend too much time with it. Disc one concludes with a widescreen teaser and a theatrical trailer for the film.
Disc two is where a lot of folks will start because it contains the new, recut, extended, and unrated version of "Sin City," with an additional twenty-three minutes tagged on. What you get are full-length, expanded cuts of each individual episode presented as separate short films, each complete in its own right. In a brief introduction, Rodriguez explains that you can watch the stories all at once or separately at your own leisure rather than their being intertwined as one long story as they are in the theatrical release. Incidentally, the correct chronology, he tells us, is actually "That Yellow Bastard," "The Customer Is Always Right," "The Hard Goodbye," and then "The Big Fat Kill." Each segment has its own menu of scene selections, but what some viewers may not like is, as I've said, that the only soundtrack available is English in Dolby Digital 5.1, although again with Spanish subtitles and English captions for the hearing impaired. Don't expect a lot of changes in the stories, though; the additional bits and pieces don't amount to as much as you might expect, and nowhere do the filmmakers tell you exactly what was added. Each of the four episodes now sports its own title screen and closing credits, which take up some additional time. I liked the new "Mom" scene in "The Hard Goodbye," and "That Yellow Bastard" appeared to have the most newly added material, including an expanded character, but none of it seems to amount to very much.
Along with the new look to the film, there are some further featurettes on disc two. First, there's Robert Rodriguez's "15 Minute Flic School," really twelve minutes, wherein we find out how the director created the various film effects, cast the characters, etc. Second is the "All Green Version" of the movie, where the whole film is speeded up to less than ten minutes, with nothing but green screens behind the actors. It's weird but captivating and not a little educational, too. Third is "The Long Take," a seventeen-minute section that shows us the entire shooting of the scene Tarantino did with Owen and Del Toro in the car together, with all the takes. Fourth is "Sin City: Live in Concert," nine minutes with Bruce Willis and his band the Accelerators playing the song "Devil Woman" at Antone's night club. To conclude the extras, as though we hadn't gotten enough of Robert Rodriguez, we get a six-minute segment called "Ten-Minute Cooking School" wherein the director shows us how to make "Sin City" breakfast tacos. By the time you're finished with all this stuff, you may not want to see Robert Rodriguez ever again.
Yes, the new "Sin City" comes with every bell and whistle you can think of, but my primary complaint is with the packaging. The box is a good inch thick, yet the two discs come stacked atop one another. OK, the studio decided to include a text copy of Frank Miller's "The Hard Goodbye" with the set, and it takes up a good deal of space. Still, stacking DVDs is not the easiest way either to get to the one on bottom nor get to it without scratching something. And what's the deal with the booklet insert? It contains as much promotional hype as film information, and it doesn't even make room for a chapter list for either version of the movie.
Parting Thoughts:
For all its excesses, and "Sin City" wouldn't be "Sin City" without them, the film is enormously fascinating, mostly entertaining, and always a delight to the eyes and ears (if not always to the stomach). No, this one is not for the kiddies, although anything titled "Sin City" is going to be a distinct temptation when the cat's away. For open-minded adults, the film is a minor sensation, and with its newly added material, commentaries, and featurettes, the unrated DVD set is a double delight.
None of which are serious enough faults to keep "Sin City" from being mostly entertaining. I may not have fallen as completely under the movie's spell as many other viewers, but "mostly entertaining" is good enough for me to look forward to another visit to this "City" whenever possible.
Video:
The theatrical and expanded movies look pretty much as it did in the bare-bones edition. I said it was shot digitally against blue screens, so don't expect the depth of field or the exacting delineation one might normally experience with a conventionally photographed motion picture. That said, the black-and-white photography shows up well, thanks to a high bit rate and a good, anamorphic, widescreen transfer that measures out at about 1.75:1. Fairly deep black levels make for strong contrasts; delineation and detail are smoothly rendered; and the occasional splashes of color stand out sharply. Grain is pretty much absent, although there are a few shimmering lines here and there.
Audio:
As before, the English-only soundtrack for the theatrical version is available in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1, but the soundtrack for the expanded version is in Dolby Digital only. I listened in DD 5.1 and could hardly fault it, unless you just have a thing against Dolby Digital's compression methods. The dynamics are terrifically potent and along with an equally robust bass make an impressive combo. Moreover, the front-channel stereo spread is quite wide and the surround sound quite abundant and pinpoint in its accuracy, furthering our enjoyment of every one of the movie's thrills and chills that come our way.
Extras:
Disc one contains the regular theatrical-release version of the film, with twenty-eight scene selections, in English only, with Spanish subtitles, and English captions for the hearing impaired. What's more, as options you can watch the movie and listen to any of three audio commentaries. The first is with Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, who tell us about some of the things that went on behind the scenes while directing the film. They talk a lot at first about how Rodríguez convinced Miller to do the film at all. Then they explain the occasional use of color and the dark humor in the picture. It's nice having the story's creator here and hearing how they were trying to be as faithful as possible to the books. The second commentary is with Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, with a little help later on from Bruce Willis. Here, the men talk mainly about the technical aspects of the filmmaking. Rodríguez explains that he shot the opening scene before he even had the rights to the story, making it in order to persuade Miller of his good intentions. Later, Tarantino tells us that he was inspired by Italian horror-thriller director Dario Argento to create his color scheme for his little segment. The third commentary is composed of audience reaction at the movie's Austin premičre. Basically, you sit in the audience with them and hear what they say and listen to their laughter and applause and screams. I guess it's for people who don't like to watch movies by themselves.
Next up on disc one we have a series of short featurette. The first of these is "How It Went Down: Convincing Frank Miller to Make the Film," five minutes with Miller and Rodríguez again talking about how they got together on the project. Next is a seven-minute bit, " Special Guest Director, Quentin Tarantino," in which Tarantino talks about his part in filming a segment of "The Big Fat Kill." After that is "A Hard Top With A Decent Engine: The Cars of Sin City," seven minutes with Miller, Rodriguez, and Cecil D. Evans, the transportation consultant responsible for getting together the vintage 1950s' cars used in the film. "Booze, Broads & Guns: The Props of Sin City" is next, ten minutes with prop master Steve Joyner, plus Rodríguez and Miller again and others, talking about the knives, guns, clubs, and such in the movie. Following that is the nine-minute featurette " Making the Monsters: Special Effects & Make-Up," with special makeup effects supervisor Greg Nicotero and others on how all of them decided on the look of the characters. Finally, there's "Trench Coats and Fishnets: The Costumes of Sin City," nine minutes with Nina Proctor, the costume supervisor and others discussing the characters' garb.
"Sin-Chroni-City Interactive" is another feature on disc one. This is an interactive segment that allows the user to choose characters and locations from the film and get a timeline view of the happenings in the movie. The user can see an overview of the scenes in chronological order and then move in to get more detail on any of the events. It seemed overly complex to me, and I didn't spend too much time with it. Disc one concludes with a widescreen teaser and a theatrical trailer for the film.
Disc two is where a lot of folks will start because it contains the new, recut, extended, and unrated version of "Sin City," with an additional twenty-three minutes tagged on. What you get are full-length, expanded cuts of each individual episode presented as separate short films, each complete in its own right. In a brief introduction, Rodriguez explains that you can watch the stories all at once or separately at your own leisure rather than their being intertwined as one long story as they are in the theatrical release. Incidentally, the correct chronology, he tells us, is actually "That Yellow Bastard," "The Customer Is Always Right," "The Hard Goodbye," and then "The Big Fat Kill." Each segment has its own menu of scene selections, but what some viewers may not like is, as I've said, that the only soundtrack available is English in Dolby Digital 5.1, although again with Spanish subtitles and English captions for the hearing impaired. Don't expect a lot of changes in the stories, though; the additional bits and pieces don't amount to as much as you might expect, and nowhere do the filmmakers tell you exactly what was added. Each of the four episodes now sports its own title screen and closing credits, which take up some additional time. I liked the new "Mom" scene in "The Hard Goodbye," and "That Yellow Bastard" appeared to have the most newly added material, including an expanded character, but none of it seems to amount to very much.
Along with the new look to the film, there are some further featurettes on disc two. First, there's Robert Rodriguez's "15 Minute Flic School," really twelve minutes, wherein we find out how the director created the various film effects, cast the characters, etc. Second is the "All Green Version" of the movie, where the whole film is speeded up to less than ten minutes, with nothing but green screens behind the actors. It's weird but captivating and not a little educational, too. Third is "The Long Take," a seventeen-minute section that shows us the entire shooting of the scene Tarantino did with Owen and Del Toro in the car together, with all the takes. Fourth is "Sin City: Live in Concert," nine minutes with Bruce Willis and his band the Accelerators playing the song "Devil Woman" at Antone's night club. To conclude the extras, as though we hadn't gotten enough of Robert Rodriguez, we get a six-minute segment called "Ten-Minute Cooking School" wherein the director shows us how to make "Sin City" breakfast tacos. By the time you're finished with all this stuff, you may not want to see Robert Rodriguez ever again.
Yes, the new "Sin City" comes with every bell and whistle you can think of, but my primary complaint is with the packaging. The box is a good inch thick, yet the two discs come stacked atop one another. OK, the studio decided to include a text copy of Frank Miller's "The Hard Goodbye" with the set, and it takes up a good deal of space. Still, stacking DVDs is not the easiest way either to get to the one on bottom nor get to it without scratching something. And what's the deal with the booklet insert? It contains as much promotional hype as film information, and it doesn't even make room for a chapter list for either version of the movie.
Parting Thoughts:
For all its excesses, and "Sin City" wouldn't be "Sin City" without them, the film is enormously fascinating, mostly entertaining, and always a delight to the eyes and ears (if not always to the stomach). No, this one is not for the kiddies, although anything titled "Sin City" is going to be a distinct temptation when the cat's away. For open-minded adults, the film is a minor sensation, and with its newly added material, commentaries, and featurettes, the unrated DVD set is a double delight.
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