Kingdom of Heaven

[The Perineum Falcon]

Alexander was better by virtue of sheer lunacy (that, and Stone's obvious interest in the material). It may not have been good, exactly, but at least it wasn't boring.

I didn't think Kingdom was a complete waste. But maybe that's cause I, like meatball, was at some point fascinated by the time period, and remain so, to an extent, today.

Alexander.... I dunno. The last forty minutes (??) or so, whenever it was that the color change happened, were the only minutes that I was interested in the film, at all.

[MacGuffin]

'Kingdom' of DVD docus set for Scott epic

When Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment releases the Ridley Scott epic "Kingdom of Heaven" on DVD on Oct. 11, viewers will have the chance to create their own documentary on the making of the film, a theatrical underperformer that grossed slightly less than $46 million in theaters despite an all-star cast that includes Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.

Working with Scott's production company, Scott Free Prods., Fox created an interactive production grid that allows viewers to assemble their choice of 16 custom documentaries, ranging in length from eight minutes to 90 minutes and based on their own interests.

"We wanted to try to something new," said DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika, who produces all of Scott's DVDs. "I don't know if others will want to do it down the road, but I thought it was a nice one-time experiment to see how it works."

At the main menu, viewers will see a grid "that gives you the power to tailor your documentary to your liking," Lauzirika said. "If, for example, you want to know what the director did in preproduction, you click one button, or if you want to see what the cast did during postproduction, you click on that button.

"If you want to see what the director did during the whole filming of the movie, you can filter out everything else and just get the director's perspective -- or the timeline, or what they all did in preproduction."

Die-hard fans of the film, Lauzirika said, "can just hit play and see the whole thing."

Lauzirika has produced more than 20 DVDs, beginning with "Hannibal" in 2001.

The "Kingdom of Heaven" DVD, which will retail for $29.98, also features five hours of other bonus materials, including a streaming text commentary with historical notes about the Crusades, an A&E "Movie Real" feature titled "History vs. Hollywood," interviews with Bloom and Scott and a preview of Fox's upcoming feature "Tristan & Isolde," starring James Franco.

[modage]

will it feature a Directors Cut?  cause i specifically held out hoping that it will be better than what i heard this was.

[Pubrick]

At the main menu, viewers will see a grid "that gives you the power to tailor your documentary to your liking," Lauzirika said. "If, for example, you want to know what the director did in preproduction, you click one button, or if you want to see what the cast did during postproduction, you click on that button.

i hope they hav a button for "orlando who?"

[modage]

i rented this and fell asleep during it. so maybe i'll give this one another chance?

Title: Kingdom Of Heaven
Released: 23rd May 2006
SRP: $34.98

Further Details:
Fox has announced a director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven which stars Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson. This new four-disc special edition will be available to own from the 23rd May, and should retail at around $34.98. The film itself will be presented in anamorphic widescreen, along with both English Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 Surround tracks. Extras will include an introduction by Ridley Scott, an audio commentary with Ridley Scott, Writer William Monahan, executive producer Lisa Ellzey, film editor Dody Dorn, visual effects supervisor Wes Sewell and first assistant director Adam Somner, some story notes, a multi-part documentary entitled Path to Redemption (Part I: Good Intentions, Part II: Faith and Courage, Part III: The Pilgrimage Begins, Part IV: Into The Promised Land, Part V: The Burning Bush and Part VI: Sins and Absolution), a "Tripoli" Overview & Gallery, a first draft screenplay by William Monahan, Screen Tests, cast rehearsals, a Costume & Weapon Design featurette, multiple galleries (location scouting, production design, conceptual art, and costume), and a Creative Accuracy: The Scholars Speak feature. Completing the package will be storyboard comparisons, an Unholy War: Mounting The Siege featurette, deleted and alternate scenes, a sound design suite, visual effects breakdowns, a press junket walkthrough, footage of the Japanese and London premieres, multiple trailers and tv spots, a ShoWest Presentation, and footage of the Director's Cut and DVD campaign. Stay tuned for the official region one package artwork.

[©brad]

you could do an eight ball of coke and still fall fast asleep watching this fucking thing. 

it really felt like a rough cut (as many of you have noted). bleh.

[Redlum]

http://www.digitalbits.com/#mytwocents

I couldn't make myself give the theatrical cut more than a C+. It was a beautifully-lensed, but woefully incomplete story. This new 191-minute extended cut, on the other hand, is a truly great piece of work. I'd give it an A-, maybe even a solid A.

[grand theft sparrow]

Does that mean he thinks it's "great" great or "Gladiator" great?

[edison]

Amazon has it for pre order for 17.46

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000EHSVQ4/dvdtalk/

[©brad]

who cares. it sucked. why are we still talking about it?

[Pubrick]

who cares. it sucked. why are we still talking about it?

i'm waiting on someone to report if the new version has more eva green.. the good kind of more  .

[Redlum]

who cares. it sucked. why are we still talking about it?

i'm waiting on someone to report if the new version has more eva green.. the good kind of more  .

Yes and no.

Additionally, Eva Green's role as the Queen has been expanded, and she's not there just for Orland Bloom's sexual interest.

Sorry to those who want to let this film die but with all I'm hearing about this new release I'm really intrigued as to whether this could actually be the very first "Directors Cut" DVD that isn't just a money-maker.

Everything I've read so far has hailed it as a dramatic improvement.

My first and most distinct memories of the theatrical cut go back to the ten-minute mark, when I mentioned to a companion that "I don't care about this already." Not so with the Director's Cut, which sucked me in almost immediately.

So if you, like I once was, are skeptical about the merits of 45 more minutes of this film - one which I warned you will get bored, you may fall asleep - give it the benefit of the doubt; great movies are few and far between, particularly when we think we know all there is about them. But sometimes, as in the case of Kingdom of Heaven, truly memorable and significant artistic achievements cannot merely be made; they have to be found, re-forged and re-released. From a box office perspective, Kingdom of Heaven may well be dead and gone; but the Director's Cut DVD assures that its true legacy - as a restored classic and great modern epic - lives on for years to come.

[MacGuffin]

Sorry to those who want to let this film die but with all I'm hearing about this new release I'm really intrigued as to whether this could actually be the very first "Directors Cut" DVD that isn't just a money-maker.

Everything I've read so far has hailed it as a dramatic improvement.

DVD reviews by Bill Hunt, editor of The Digital Bits

Kingdom of Heaven
4-Disc Director's Cut - 2005 (2006) - Scott Free (20th Century Fox)

Film Rating: A
Disc Ratings (Video/Extras): A-/A
Disc Ratings (DD/DTS): B+/A-

If you've read my review of the original theatrical version of Kingdom of Heaven on DVD, you'll know that I've felt that that version of the film leaves quite a lot to be desired. Although visually stunning and as expertly crafted as you'd expect from director Ridley Scott, the theatrical cut has many problems story-wise, including a lack of character depth and motivation, a lack of subtle intrigue, a number of plot events that seem to unfold with unrealistic ease or speed, etc. However, I've also known that the original director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven presented to Fox was nearly an hour longer, and that the studio pressured Scott to trim the running time down to allow for more screenings per theater. As a savvy businessman and producer in addition to his role as director, Scott complied. Unfortunately, the result of all the cutting was a film that's beautiful to look at, but that's largely empty of greater intelligence and substance. Mixed critical reviews and lackluster box office followed, which led many viewers to dismiss the film entirely.

Thankfully though, Scott planned all along that his preferred cut would eventually see the light on DVD. Fox Home Entertainment agreed, and this exceptional 4-disc set is the result. THIS is the version of Kingdom of Heaven that Scott fans have been waiting for. And if you haven't seen the film yet, trust me, don't even bother with the theatrical cut.

The basic plot of the film is covered in our previous DVD review, but suffice it to say that the main thrust of the narrative follows Balian (Orlando Bloom), a 12th Century French blacksmith whose wife has just committed suicide after losing their child - an action that is considered a grave sin, and dooms her soul to Hell. Balian is given a chance to find redemption for his wife, however, when the father he never knew, Godfrey of Ibelin (played by Liam Neeson), passes through the village with his band of Crusaders and offers to take Balian to the Holy Land. As his epic journey unfolds, Balian eventually finds himself a loyal and trusted knight of the King of Jerusalem, serving in the midst of a brewing conflict between the Christian warriors who control the city and the Muslim armies of Saladian bent on retaking it, all of whom believe that God - and right - is on their side.

So what makes this 191-minute cut of the film better? Plenty, let me assure you. The restored footage fleshes out a number of characters and story points considerably. Finally, you understand more of what motivates Balian - you see more of his life and circumstances in France. You see his wife briefly in Balian's memory, and understand his grief better. You learn that he's fought in war previously, and was an experienced engineer, so his cleverness in defending Jerusalem later in the film makes more sense. You learn more of Godfrey's own connections to Balian's home and his village, and why he would not only return to find Balian, but also why the local lord's men would attack them later (it's another family connection). The animosity between Balian and his brother, a local priest, is shown in greater clarity. Once Balian arrives in the Holy Land, you learn that Sibylla (Eva Green)'s marriage to Guy de Lusignan (Marton Csokas) is really one of convenience only, which puts Sibylla and Balian's romantic relationship into better context. You learn that Sibylla has a son (who was completely cut out of the theatrical version), and that her love of her son motivates almost every action she takes (which in turn makes sense out of her bizarre behavior late in the film). You see more of Balian's interactions with King Baldwin (Edward Norton, in an uncredited performance by his own choice), and their developing respect for one another. And, at last, you not only understand why Guy hates Balian (it isn't just about Sibylla), but their animosity actually pays off in a final confrontation that, again, is completely missing from the theatrical cut. I can't stress enough how different this version of the film is, and how much better and more rewarding an experience it becomes, with the restoration of the trimmed minutes.

This improved cut of the film is presented here on DVD in full anamorphic widescreen as you'd expect. It's been split over two discs so as to maximize the video bitrate, and now includes both a musical overture and an intermission break (at the end of Disc One). The overall image quality is excellent, and is notably improved over the theatrical version in the areas of color saturation and compression artifacting. The image is clear and clean, even in the most chaotic scenes, with excellent contrast and shadow detail. Scott's painterly cinematography is well presented here. Audio-wise, these discs offer both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround sound, as was the case on the theatrical DVD release. The Dolby Digital audio is good, with a wide front soundstage, tremendous low frequency reinforcement and lively use of the rear channels. The DTS improves upon this with a smoother, more unified soundfield and slightly more natural imaging. The DTS is my preference, but whichever track you choose, you'll enjoy an excellent surround experience.

As is the case on most of Ridley Scott's films on DVD, the production team at the Lauzirika Motion Picture Company has turned in an outstanding batch of special features for this set. The film itself features a brief video introduction by Scott, who admits that this is the version of Kingdom of Heaven he prefers. Discs One and Two offer a very good audio commentary track with Scott, joined by screenwriter William Monahan and star Orlando Bloom. It's packed with information and interesting little insights about the film's plot, development and historical background. There's a second, nuts-and-bolts commentary by executive producer Lisa Ellzey, effects supervisor Wesley Sewell and 1st AD Adam Somner, and a third track as well featuring editor Dody Dorn. The movie discs also include an optional text track, similar to the one that was on the Gladiator: Extended Edition, called The Engineer's Guide. It offers additional historical information, film production anecdotes and trivia, and even DVD production details.

Discs Three and Four together present a hefty, 6-part documentary on the film's production, entitled The Path to Redemption. The first three parts of this are on Disc Three, beginning with Part I: Good Intentions, which chronicles the development of the film. Included separately here are the early draft of Monahan's screenplay for the film, story notes, a gallery of location scout photos and a video overview of the original Tripoli film project out of which Kingdom of Heaven emerged. Part II: Faith and Courage looks more closely at the pre-production process. Also available in this section are cast rehearsal video, the Colors of the Crusade featurette on the film's costume design, a gallery of Ridleygrams (storyboards drawn by the director), the Production Design Primer featurette, a gallery of production design images and a costume design gallery. The final section of Disc Three focuses on the first part of the film's location filming in Spain. The documentary continues here with Part III: The Pilgrimage Begins. This section also includes the Creative Accuracy: The Scholars Speak featurette (on the historical accuracy of the film), additional galleries of storyboards from the film and a gallery of unit production photography images.

Disc Four offers the second half of The Path to Redemption, starting with Part IV: Into the Holy Land (which, as you might expect, chronicles the film's production as it continued in Morocco). There's a separate featurette here that focuses on the film's epic battle scenes, entitled Unholy War: Mounting the Siege. Also included here are more galleries of storyboards and additional unit production photography images. Moving on, Part V: The Burning Bush delves into the film's post-production process and addresses, among other things, the cuts that were made to the film. In this section, you'll also find 15 deleted and extended scenes (with optional commentary by Scott and Dorn) presented in anamorphic widescreen. Also available here is an interactive Sound Design Suite, which lets you view a scene from the film with a variety of different audio options (from different parts of the audio process), or view featurettes on the work involved at those same stages in the process. It's a great use of DVD's interactive capabilities that actually enhances your knowledge of the film - think of it as an extension of the Interactive Production Grid from the theatrical Kingdom of Heaven DVD. Rounding out this section is a set of four featurettes, covering different aspects of the visual effects process. These include The Burning Man: Fire Effects and Face Replacement, Building Jerusalem: Digital Matte Painting and 3D Modeling, Casualties of War: Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Warriors and Medieval Engines: The Physics and Firepower of Trebuchets, all of which are interesting viewing (personally, I particularly enjoyed the piece on the trebuchets constructed for the production). The final section of Disc Four examines the film's release and contains the remainder of the set's extras. The documentary concludes here with Part VI: Sins and Absolution. All of the film's trailers and TV spots are here too, along with video of the film's press junket and the premieres in London, New York and Tokyo, a gallery of "special shoot" photos, an extensive gallery of poster explorations for the film (including many that feature the title Crusade), and additional credits for the director's cut. Finally, there is the Paradise Found: Creating the Director's Cut featurette, in which Dorn and others address the work that went into creating the version of the film that's presented on this 4-disc set.

Need a nap yet? Trust me, you will after watching all of these extras - not because they'll put you to sleep, but simply for the sheer volume of material and the time it will take you to go through it all (you might want to pack a lunch before you start your viewing as well). These features are exceptionally well-constructed and thoughtful, offering real insights into the making of Kingdom of Heaven. Every bit of this material is worthy of your time and attention. I should note that all of the documentary features here are in anamorphic widescreen, from the featurettes to the galleries (only the TV spots are full frame, as you'd expect). I believe that this set is also meant to have a liner notes booklet, but one wasn't included in my review copy. It's my understanding that there's at least one Easter egg here too - when we find it, we'll update this review with the relevant details.

This, at long last, is Kingdom of Heaven as it was meant to be seen. It is finally a great film - the film Ridley Scott fans wanted and hoped it would be when they first saw it in theaters. It's worthy of inclusion among the director's best works (Blade Runner, Alien, Gladiator and Black Hawk Down) and it's well worth your time on DVD, even at 191 minutes (ESPECIALLY at 191 minutes). Forget the mixed reviews of critics - those all pertained to the other version, which you should just pretend doesn't exist. Kingdom of Heaven: The Director's Cut is a feast for your mind as well as your eyes and ears. Better still, for those of you who are fans of the process of filmmaking, Scott's work or just great DVD special features, the extras on this 4-disc set are a damn fine desert. Very highly recommended.

[grand theft sparrow]

He had me until he considered Black Hawk Down one of Scott's best works. 

But this is the first case ever where a review made me go from not being interested in seeing a film at all to considering blind buying it.

[©brad]

He had me until he considered Black Hawk Down one of Scott's best works. 

but it is.