The "Special Features" DVD
In my opinion this disc is a huge mistake. The only interesting material on the
disc is the Deleted Scenes, the Interview with the director, screenwriter and
producer, and partly the guided tour, even though it is too linear (you can't
retrace your step, and you can only go one way) - and what happened to the magic
ceiling of the Great Hall? The DVD lacks commentaries, "behind the scenes", how
they selected the actors (some recordings from the casting would have been neat),
how they did the broomstick stuff, how they did the Sorting Hat, etc etc etc.
The deleted scenes should have been incoorporated into the movie itself, as the
cover suggests it is (Additional Footage means longer movie to me, and not
"Deleted Scenes" as it is). The catastrophy is, that you can't watch these scenes
unless you get some money, a wand, catches a key and all other kinds of silly
stuff (that lasts forever). Btw: The solution to the potion mixing is this:
Question 1: Asphodel and Wormwood
Question 2: Monkshood and Wolfsbane
Question 3: Snake's Fangs and Porcupine Quills
A far easier track to the deleted scenes is this (UK edition):
- Go to the main menu (the great hall) after you insert your 2nd disc
- Select title 81 (this should be possible on most DVD players)
by doing this you've just catched the flying key
- Select the yellow potion (top middle)
- Grab the stone
- Enjoy the deleted scenes
The deleted scenes themselfes are somehow hidden until you grab the stone. They
have title number 27 to 33.
If you want to go to the classes scene without heading to Diagon Alley do this (UK edition):
- Go to the main menu (the great hall) after you insert your disc
- Select title 17, chapter 28, and wait until you are returned to Diagon Alley
- Return to the main menu (the great hall), where the classrooms have been unlocked.
If you're using a non-UK edition the title numbers mentioned above might be different.
If so, you'll have to use trial-and-error yourself.
It would be a lot easier had they just added a "Muggle" menu option. Anyhow, I
still think they should have added the deleted scenes to the movie, and added
Snape's task, and most of the other stuff I mentioned above. That would take
the movie to the same level as Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring did
for Tolkiens classic.
And now you might wonder what happend to the scenes with Pheeves. I've been
told that they were finished and were cut due to the length of the movie.
Apparently they've been deleted from the deleted scenes too...
And for the "Special" DVD they could have learned a lot from Final Fantasy,
and even more from Lord of the Rings (especially the Extended Edition).
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