By Robbie Jones
My money doesn’t go many places. If it hasn’t been spent on food, it’s gone straight over the counter at my local supermarket or CeX, and I’ve walked away with a DVD or a Blu-Ray. I have just over 400 movies sitting on my shelf and because of this, I’m asked the same thing time after time after time:
Why would you buy a film you’ve already seen?
Of course, my answer is always “Well if you like the film, it’s always nice to own it, not to mention most films I buy I haven’t seen, and there’s special features etc.” But they don’t listen. I live in a generation that downloads most of their entertainment. Download if you must… But you’re missing out. Big time.
My money doesn’t go many places. If it hasn’t been spent on food, it’s gone straight over the counter at my local supermarket or CeX, and I’ve walked away with a DVD or a Blu-Ray. I have just over 400 movies sitting on my shelf and because of this, I’m asked the same thing time after time after time:
Why would you buy a film you’ve already seen?
Of course, my answer is always “Well if you like the film, it’s always nice to own it, not to mention most films I buy I haven’t seen, and there’s special features etc.” But they don’t listen. I live in a generation that downloads most of their entertainment. Download if you must… But you’re missing out. Big time.
See, as pointless as it sounds, not many people bother with special features. They don’t care how the film was made, what the cast had to say about it, the scenes that were cut, the gag reel etc. They just wanna watch the movie and nothing more, which is why they either rent or download. But they have no idea of the cool stuff that hides from them. I’ll admit it, I’ve turned a blind eye to the odd cast interview or director’s commentary, but with every movie I buy, I always see the special features. Hell, it makes the price worth it! But in my time collecting DVDs I’ve learnt something: The best special features are the ones you didn’t even know were there.
Yes, I am of course talking about Easter Eggs, the hidden messages, inside jokes or special features that can be sought out on many DVDs. The term was coined at Atari by personnel who were alerted to the presence of a secret message that had been hidden by game designer Warren Robinett in his game, Adventure. The term has been said to evoke a traditional Easter egg hunt and has appeared in pop-culture around the world, including a crucial role in the 2007 Doctor Who story Blink, with the Doctor leaving clues on DVD Easter Eggs.
Now whilst Easter Eggs can be found in movies, TV, CD’s, game etc. I’m going to stick with the ones found in the deepest depths of my favourite DVD’s. Here are some of my favourite DVD Easter eggs (and I warn you now, these most likely will not work with rental copies of films, only the normal version. I will specify which edition of the DVD is needed to find the egg).
Yes, I am of course talking about Easter Eggs, the hidden messages, inside jokes or special features that can be sought out on many DVDs. The term was coined at Atari by personnel who were alerted to the presence of a secret message that had been hidden by game designer Warren Robinett in his game, Adventure. The term has been said to evoke a traditional Easter egg hunt and has appeared in pop-culture around the world, including a crucial role in the 2007 Doctor Who story Blink, with the Doctor leaving clues on DVD Easter Eggs.
Now whilst Easter Eggs can be found in movies, TV, CD’s, game etc. I’m going to stick with the ones found in the deepest depths of my favourite DVD’s. Here are some of my favourite DVD Easter eggs (and I warn you now, these most likely will not work with rental copies of films, only the normal version. I will specify which edition of the DVD is needed to find the egg).
Snatch 2 disc edition – Brad Pitt subtitles
Snatch, Guy Ritchie’s masterpiece about gangsters, gypsy boxers and a diamond heist, stars Brad Pitt as Mickey O’Neill, a pikey from which Jason Statham buys a caravan. Now legend has it that Pitt was cast in the role due to how awful/great his Irish accent was in a film he made with Harrison Ford – and it’s not much better here, but it is quite funny. However, sometimes he can be hard to understand (and sometimes that’s the joke of the scene). Well if you’re one of the people who struggle to get what Pitt is saying, here’s what you do: On the main menu of disc one, highlight ‘Play Movie’ and press up to reveal a speech bubble coming out of a pig’s mouth. Press enter and you can have the option to turn on ‘Pikey’ subtitles, which come on screen whenever Brad Pitt talks. I personally think that one is hilarious!
Snatch, Guy Ritchie’s masterpiece about gangsters, gypsy boxers and a diamond heist, stars Brad Pitt as Mickey O’Neill, a pikey from which Jason Statham buys a caravan. Now legend has it that Pitt was cast in the role due to how awful/great his Irish accent was in a film he made with Harrison Ford – and it’s not much better here, but it is quite funny. However, sometimes he can be hard to understand (and sometimes that’s the joke of the scene). Well if you’re one of the people who struggle to get what Pitt is saying, here’s what you do: On the main menu of disc one, highlight ‘Play Movie’ and press up to reveal a speech bubble coming out of a pig’s mouth. Press enter and you can have the option to turn on ‘Pikey’ subtitles, which come on screen whenever Brad Pitt talks. I personally think that one is hilarious!
Donnie Darko – Deleted scene
Love it or hate it, Donnie Darko was very original. Creepy, well written, well acted and a little bit confusing, it divided audiences in two, much like this deleted scene. On the main menu, highlight ‘Special Features’, and press the right arrow on your remote. You will see a small rabbit appear in Frank’s eyes. Press enter and you’ll see a deleted scene from the end of the movie. Leave the scene running, and it’ll play again with commentary by director Richard Kelly. As this plays, another white rabbit appears in the corner. Press it to a see a deleted scene of Donnie carving pumpkins.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 2 disc edition – Keith Richards
On disc 2, go to the Moonlight Serenade section. Place the arrow next to the main menu option and then press the down arrow on your remote twice. This should highlight the skeleton’s tooth. Press enter. You will now see a brief interview with Keith Richards who comments on how he reacted when told he was the inspiration for Johnny Depp’s performance of Jack Sparrow.
Love it or hate it, Donnie Darko was very original. Creepy, well written, well acted and a little bit confusing, it divided audiences in two, much like this deleted scene. On the main menu, highlight ‘Special Features’, and press the right arrow on your remote. You will see a small rabbit appear in Frank’s eyes. Press enter and you’ll see a deleted scene from the end of the movie. Leave the scene running, and it’ll play again with commentary by director Richard Kelly. As this plays, another white rabbit appears in the corner. Press it to a see a deleted scene of Donnie carving pumpkins.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 2 disc edition – Keith Richards
On disc 2, go to the Moonlight Serenade section. Place the arrow next to the main menu option and then press the down arrow on your remote twice. This should highlight the skeleton’s tooth. Press enter. You will now see a brief interview with Keith Richards who comments on how he reacted when told he was the inspiration for Johnny Depp’s performance of Jack Sparrow.
Alien Quadrilogy boxset (9 discs) – ‘A Boy and his powerloader’
Despite its ups and downs, the Alien series is usually considered one of the best and is known for having great special features. Insert disc 4, which is the Aliens bonus features disc, and select ‘Post production’ menu. Highlight ‘The Final Countdown’ and press the left arrow on your remote to highlight an icon on the top right. Press enter for an interview with Van Ling, who talks about how he got a job with James Cameron and how he built a seven-foot powerloader (from the movie) for a Halloween party.
For more cool DVD Easter Eggs, check out the book The ultimate DVD Easter Egg guide by Jo Berry, which was the inspiration for this article and what I used to find these eggs. Also check out www.eeggs.com to find all sorts of eggs from movies, TV, DVD’s and games!
What are your favourite Easter eggs? Let us know in the comments!
Despite its ups and downs, the Alien series is usually considered one of the best and is known for having great special features. Insert disc 4, which is the Aliens bonus features disc, and select ‘Post production’ menu. Highlight ‘The Final Countdown’ and press the left arrow on your remote to highlight an icon on the top right. Press enter for an interview with Van Ling, who talks about how he got a job with James Cameron and how he built a seven-foot powerloader (from the movie) for a Halloween party.
For more cool DVD Easter Eggs, check out the book The ultimate DVD Easter Egg guide by Jo Berry, which was the inspiration for this article and what I used to find these eggs. Also check out www.eeggs.com to find all sorts of eggs from movies, TV, DVD’s and games!
What are your favourite Easter eggs? Let us know in the comments!
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