Watchmen comes out on DVD tomorrow, and there will be several choices to make. Here’s a guide to what you’ll have to choose from.
Watchmen Theatrical Cut: The basic movie that you saw in theaters. Barebones, with minimal special features. $14.99 at Amazon, available in widescreen
Watchmen Director’s Cut DVD: An extended edition of the movie, running 3:06. Among the special features in this edition is the documentary, The Comic That Changed Comics: The Original Novel’s Groundbreaking Impact, which explores, you know, the original novel’s groundbreaking impact. Comic artist Dave Gibbons comments in this segment, but Alan Moore chose long ago not to have anything to do with the film.
Also included are 11 webisodes, which explore many elements of production on the film, the My Chemical Romance Desolation Row music video, and a digital copy of the theatrical version.
Watchmen Director’s Cut
Watchmen Director’s Cut on Blu-Ray: Contains everything in the Director’s Cut DVD and several extras.
Disk 1 contains the Ultimate Watchmen Experience (aka Maximum Movie Experience), which features director Zack Snyder on screen to walk you through key scenes, showing graphics from the comics, real world timelines and other interactive features. You can see a preview of the Maximum Movie Experience at YouTube.
This edition will also feature BD-Live, which allows you to watch the movie in sync with your friends online and will also integrate with Facebook.
Disk 2 features two extra documentaries. Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes explores the psychology of superheroes in the film and in our own. Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World explores the science of superheroes, particularly Dr. Manhattan.
The Blu Ray Edition
Watchmen Amazon Exclusive Nite Owl Ship Edition: Features all of the content on the Blue Ray Edition, and comes in a model of Nite Owl’s ship, which is complete with sound and blinking lights. The Nite Owl Edition
Watchmen Ultimate Collector’s Edition: This one won’t ship until December, but you can sign up for a coupon worth $10 at WB Insider Rewards. This edition spans five disks, with another version of the movie, this time with the in-world comic Tales of the Black Freighter woven into the action. The set will include new commentaries by Dave Gibbons and Zack Snyder, Hollis Mason’s Under the Hood documentary and the complete Watchmen Motion Comics.
Amazon is also offering a free digital copy through its Video on Demand
Related posts: