I like extras on movies.  I like to know what went on behind the scenes.  I like to know the struggles and stuff that go on during the making of a movie.  Commentaries?  Bring 'em on.  Deleted and alternate scenes?  I'll take 'em.  Interviews and discussions?  Sounds good to me.

So when it came time to upgrade my collection to Blu-ray I tried (still trying, actually) to make sure that my collection can benefit from the upgrades.  More extras versus the DVD's are always good.  Sometimes I'll get something on Blu without the extras if I think the picture quality and sound are worth it.  (More often than not it is.)

Usually the Blu-rays are "first time on Blu" of movies that were put out on DVD years ago.  Blah DVD's (not movies) that get much better treatment on Blu.

Sometimes you get the exact same thing on the Blu-ray as you do on the DVD.  So upgrading to Blu is easy and painless.

One thing that goes on with new releases is extra extras on the Blu-ray.  The same as the DVD but with an extra commentary, or an extra featurette, or something.

Sometimes you get screwed.  A great example of this is Armageddon.  I have the Criterion collection on DVD, which contains the extended version of the movie.  When I heard Armageddon was coming to Blu-ray I was happy.  I love that movie.  But the Blu-ray only contains the theatrical release.  So I am forced to keep the DVD because it has the other, longer version.

Another good example (or bad example, ya know) is Terminator 2.  This movie has seen (I believe) three incarnations on DVD, each with different extras.  Then when it came out on Blu it was also released in a limited edition "Six-Disc Limited Edition Set + Endoskull Bust."  Cool, I know.  The problem was instead of putting all the previous extras on Blu, they just packaged the last 2 DVD releases with the Blu-ray.  Cheesy.

Every now and then somebody nails it.  They get it so right it almost makes me cry with happiness.  Disney has figured it out.  When they put out Blu-rays of movies that were out on DVD years ago, the Blu-rays contain the same extras plus a few more new to Blu.  The absolute greatest example of extras on Blu-ray isn't by Disney, however.  It is Fox's ALIEN Anthology. 

The ALIEN Anthology not only contains the extras from the last DVD release (ALIEN Quadrilogy) but the release before that, too (ALIEN Legacy.)  Oh yeah, I almost forgot...you're also getting all the goodies from the LaserDiscs.  Yup, that's right: LaserDisc.  (I used to own all the Lasers.  Big ALIEN geek, you know.)  All those extras, two versions of each film, commentaries, deleted scenes, and MU-TH-UR mode.  MU-TH-UR mode is kinda like Warner's Maximum Movie Mode but with different "channels" to choose from.

Of course sometimes I just get movies 'cause I want them regardless.  The extras are just, well, extra.


Clicking on the images below will take you to Amazon.com.