Getting LOST in the Presentation
LOST: The Complete Third Season perpetuates the high production standards of the previous DVD releases with video and audio quality that is again second to none. It also boasts another strikingly expansive set of special features supplemented by imaginative interactive menus. Each DVD menu showcases a different location from LOST, and rather frequently, clicking around on various elements in the pictures takes you to a hidden Easter egg (there are several in all). While there are no chapter menus, there are chapter stops (so you can still navigate left and right on your remote to skip to the next commercial cut, for instance).
As for the special features, most of them are confined to disc seven, which is dedicated entirely to the Extras. Here’s what The Complete Third Season has to offer (take a deep breath):
· Commentary tracks on four episodes
· The World of the Others (14 min.) – Some of the cast members who play the Others talk with us about their roles as these mysterious characters, as well as their thoughts on how they fit into the bigger picture. The writers and producers also chip in with their own provocative interpretations.
· Lost Flashbacks (5 min.) – This is just a collection of short flashbacks that were cut from a few of the episodes on the set. They’re fun to have, but mostly one-and-done.
· Lost On Location (approx. 60 min.) – Behind the scenes of the production of ten episodes of the series. These are all very entertaining; it’s fun to watch the interaction between the actors and quite fascinating to hear the sapience of the writers/producers as they talk about some of the coolest LOST episodes produced to date (hearing them discuss some of the more confusing elements of the show can be eye-opening).
· The Lost Book Club (8 min.) – While short, this is probably one of the most interesting of all the extras on this set. Here, the show’s creators (and some actors, as well) discuss the literary references embedded within the various episodes. They note a number of different works which are either directly referenced or simply alluded to throughout this third season, including Of Mice and Men, The Stand, The Wizard of Oz, and The Lord of the Flies. Perhaps more than anything, this eight-minute peek into the minds of the show’s creators proves the meticulousness by which they operate.
· Lost In A Day (25 min.) – This is probably my favorite featurette of them all. Here, a camera crew follows the LOST teams around for a full day of work, documenting the action along the way with the help of a narrator and cleverly splicing all the footage together in a time-sequence fashion to give an accurate sense of the fast-paced nature of work involved. You’ll see seven different episodes being produced in the same day (!!), including some quality time with Michael Emerson, who, in contrast to the dark, manipulating Benjamin Linus whom he plays, is quite the jokester in real life. From start to finish, this is a truly enjoyable and remarkable peek into the work that goes into the show.
· Crew Tribute With Evangeline Lilly (7 min.) – The playful and very funny actress behind everyone’s favorite convicted felon, Kate, hosts this gracious mini-documentary about the people behind the scenes doing all the thankless jobs that go into making LOST.
· Deleted Scenes (17 min.) – It’s admittedly hard to get excited about deleted scenes (as they were deleted for a reason), but these are still fun to watch, and at seventeen minutes, there’s quite a bit here, too.
· LOST Bloopers (7 min.) – I’m always a fan of blooper reels, as it gives you an opportunity to see the true composure of the cast as they mess up. This collection of clips is well-selected and provides plenty of laughs both from the actors and the viewers.
· The Orchid Instructional Film (2 min.) – A teaser-type video that provides a look into the sinister atmosphere behind the production of the fictional Dharma videos featured in the show.
· Terry O’Quinn: Throwing From the Handle (2 min.) – Locke’s actor talks briefly about how he picked up knife-throwing while on the island simply because his character apparently was into it. Here, we see him attempt to nail a dollar bill pinned to a tree at a respectable distance.
· Cast in Clay: Creating the Toys of Todd McFarlane (5 min.) – A rather vapid self-advert featuring LOST action figures.
· The Next Level: Inside the Video Game (4 min.) – Along with the Cast in Clay featurette, this is probably one of the most ho-hum bonus segments included in this collection. Watch it if you’re a fan of the game I suppose.
· Easter Eggs (? min.) – You’ll have more fun finding these on your own, but I think my personal favorite was the full version of the Dharma brainwashing video. There are well over a dozen of these in all!
Overall Comment
It’s tough to imagine a more complete package of LOST material than this. While it gets off to a rocky start, the season quickly jumps back on track and eventually transitions into one of the most appealing collections of episodes so far. And the special features, as always, are reason enough for any fan to invest in this DVD set.
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