American Gangster: Unrated Extended Edition

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Title: American Gangster (IMDb)
Starring: Denzel Washington
SRP: $29.98

Further Details:
Universal Home Video has revealed some early details on a new extended edition of American Gangster which stars Denzel Washington, and Russell Crowe. This new cut of the film will contain around 20 minutes of additional footage, bringing the runtime to 2 hours 56 minutes. The two-disc set will retail at around $29.98. A HD DVD/DVD Combo release will also be available for $39.98 with additional web enabled features. The street date has yet to be confirmed for this one, but we'll bring you further details just as soon as Universal make them available to us.

Artwork

[Antoine Doinel]

Will also be available in a 3-disc collector's edition.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Specs:

This new cut of the film will contain around 20 minutes of additional footage, bringing the runtime to 2 hours 56 minutes. The theatrical cut will also be included. Each version of the film will be presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, along with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Extras on the 2-disc will include a commentary with Director Ridley Scott and Writer Steven Zaillian, an alternate opening, a five-part documentary (Tru-Blu: The Real Story, Killer Threads: Costumes, Crime War: Production, Into the Arena: Ali vs. Frazier, and Rhythm of the Street: Sound, Music and Editing), a 3 Case Files (Script Meeting, Heroin Test Show & Tell, and Setting Up the Takedown). The 3-disc edition will include all of the above, along with a Hip-Hop Infusion featurette, a BET Special: The Making of American Gangster feature, a Dateline NBC: American Gangster First Look, a "Blue Magic" music video by Jay Z, a "Do You Feel Me" by Anthony Hamilton Featuring Ghostface Killah, Second Session Digital Files, and a theatrical trailer.

Also available from the 19th February will be a HD-DVD/DVD Combo release of the film. Both theatrical and unrated cuts will be presented in high definition widescreen, along with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track. Extras will include a commentary with director Ridley Scott and writer Steven Zaillian, a Picture in Picture function, deleted scenes, an alternate opening, and an Uncovering the Past: The Real Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts featurette.

[Antoine Doinel]

Specs:

a Hip-Hop Infusion featurette

I shudder to think of what this will be.

[davebert]

Can't be better than the doc on the second disc of Scarface...

[THX1378]

Just going to get the 2 disc since the 3 disc set sounds like some of the extras could be as bad as the extras on Scarface.

[arsonfilms]

Who wants to take odds that the 3rd disc of American Gangster will actually BE the 2nd disc from Scarface? I'm sure a few strategic edits in Fire could get rid of those pesky logos. Who would know?

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Home Media Magazine has a brief interview with Ridley Scott about the DVD.

[John Cope]

So why do you suppose Harris Savides is conspicuously absent from the docs on this set? He's glimpsed in the behind-the-scenes stuff but he's never interviewed or even referred to which I think is pretty odd given how thorough those features are.

[a.khan]

So why do you suppose Harris Savides is conspicuously absent from the docs on this set? He's glimpsed in the behind-the-scenes stuff but he's never interviewed or even referred to which I think is pretty odd given how thorough those features are.

I understand from one of my teachers that Savides is on "sabbatical" (health reasons and soul-searching the digital vs. film conundrum), so may be that had something to do with it.

[John Cope]

That's interesting. Scott does mention him on the commentary track and the main gist of that is to remark on the fact that Savides and he share a great love for film (vs. dv apparently). Anyway, I'd love to hear more on this.