Let’s face it — Lost is one of those shows: there aren’t many people wavering on whether or not to buy the DVD. Chances are, if you’re a fan, you’re going to be buying the DVD or begging a friend or loved one to buy it for you. Luckily, ABC was kind enough to release the season five DVD set just in time for the holidays. What a happy coincidence!
I’m lucky enough to have gotten my hands on a copy of the Blu-ray set and have gone through some of the special features, and I have the inside scoop for you.
If you’re looking for shear quantity of bonus content, then you will be very happy with this DVD set. There are many small features to spend time with. If you’re a big fan of behind-the-scenes type features, there is a lot of stuff for you. If, however, you are like me and prefer to hear commentary on the story, characters, and events of the show, instead of how they are made, well, there’s not a ton here. Audio commentary is only present on two episodes. I was disappointed to find that the amazing finale, “The Incident,” was not one of those episodes.
The behind the scenes looks include “Making up for Lost Time,” which includes interviews from the cast and crew as they sum up the time traveling elements of season five. “An Epic Day with Richard Alpert” follows Nestor Carbonell around a day of shooting. It’s a fairly interesting look at what a day in the life of an actor on the show looks like, and it definitively answers the question of whether or not Carbonell wears guyliner. “Building 23 and Beyond” features Michael Emerson at the Lost Burbank studios where the post production happens. If you like watching Michael Emerson shaking hands with film editors, you’re going to love this bonus feature. Other behind the scene looks include “Lost on Location.”
As promised, the DVD contains the final installment of “Mysteries of the Universe: The Dharma Initiative.” The majority of this goofy “documentary,” done in the style of a 1980s documentary, is available on the Lost website. I’ve talked about it a few times in my column. There really isn’t any new information provided, and the final part that is only contained on the DVD didn’t add much.
Of course there is the obligatory blooper reel, which is as disappointingly unfunny as they always tend to be.
“Lost University” is only on the Blu-ray disc and it’s the most bizarre special feature that I’ve ever seen. You have to sign up and “enroll” for classes. Then you attend video lectures, study, and even take final exams (Tests! What’s more fun than tests?!?). Scores are tracked and you can make it onto a “dean’s list.” It might be interesting, but it seems like it takes an incredible amount of time, and seems like a big commitment. If you’re curious about it, you can find more information on the official website.
The bottom line is that whether or not the bonus features interest you, the set contains every episode of season five of Lost, and that’s definitely enough for any Lost fan.
(This post was based on a DVD set that was provided for the purposes of review)
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Dec 10, 2009 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
Bob, it seems like you left off a third category of people–fans who are patiently waiting to buy the entire series on DVD in one set. “Lost” seems ideally suited for this. Even if there are no bonus features unique to the Complete Series Set, odds are it’ll be a better price, at least after the initial release. I’ve refrained from buying any “Lost” season DVDs for exactly this reason. I’ll definitely own it–but I want the whole book, not each chapter.
Also, I agree with you that they should provide more about the story and characters. As interested as I may be in the making of the show, I’m much more interested in the mythology and storytelling. Two measly commentaries is incredibly stingy.
For the most part I haven’t been a fan of the full series collections, and mostly because of the packaging. It seems like so many of them are HUGE and try too hard to be “collectible” and in the process become massive and tacky. I prefer something a little more subtle that will blend in on my DVD rack and not become a conversation piece or something I am embarrassed to display in my home.
Granted, that’s not every show, and I hope that the Lost complete series set will be tasteful and not a perfect scale model of the hatch, or come in a box shaped like an airplane.
Good point. I don’t want a crazy-shaped box, either. The only full-series greater-than-2-season sets I own now are “Get Smart” and “Angel”, and both of those fit comfortably on the shelf with other titles.
I love full series collections. So far I have: Get Smart, Buffy, Angel, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Ally McBeal. I was bummed when they released collections for Friends and Seinfeld, since I already had all of the individual seasons. Needless to say, I’m waiting for the complete series on blu-ray for Lost. I’ve already seen all the episodes, so it’s not like I have to see them all again right away.