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Find out as we examine the extras on this week's best movie DVDs...
“CLOVERFIELD”
Stars: Jessica Lucas, Michael Stahl-David, T.J. Miller, Lizzy Caplan
Director: Matt Reeves
Format: DVD
The Extras: Commentary by Reeves; deleted scenes and alternate endings, all with optional commentary by Reeves; “Document 01.18.08: The Making Of Cloverfield” featurette; “Cloverfield Visual Effects” featurette; “I Saw It! It's Alive! It's Huge!” featurette on he creature's design and origins; “Clover Fun,” a gag reel.
Worth watching: “I Saw It! It's Alive! It's Huge!” if only because it's the only time anyone mentions Godzilla - what, were those kids so self-absorbed that they never saw this movie's predecessor?
Worth skipping: The alternate endings sans commentary since they're not radically different and are all about those whiny yuppie-wannabes we've been following around for the last hour and a half (they are, however, interesting when watched with Reeves' commentary).
Worth adding: A version of the movie on Blu-ray; uncut versions of the news reports seen in the film only briefly on TV.
Buy, rent, or ignore: Buy
"THE SAVAGES"
Stars: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Director: Tamara Jenkins (“Slums Of Beverly Hills”)
Format: DVD
Extras: “About The Savages” featurette; Director's snapshots; two extended scenes.
Worth watching: The extended scenes, which wouldn't have worked in the film, but are interesting as artifacts.
Worth skipping: “About The Savages,” a typically safe making-of featurette that isn't bad, but it isn't especially insightful or interesting either.
Worth adding: The original trailer—DVDs should always include the original trailers.
Buy, rent, or ignore: Rent.
“THE ORPHANAGE”
Stars: Fernando Cayo, Belén Rueda
Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray
The Extras: “When Laura Grew Up: Constructing 'The Orphanage'” featurette; “Horror In The Unknown: Make-Up” featurette; “Rehearsal Studio,” which includes audition tapes and footage of Bayona working with the actors; “Tomas' Secret Room: The Filmmakers” featurette trailers; gallery; posters.
Worth watching: The very different Spanish and American trailers so you can see how we seem to have a lot less patience than the Spaniards (though, oddly, the respective teaser trailers aren't as divergent).
Worth skipping: “Rehearsal Studio,” unless you're a wannabe filmmaker.
Worth adding: Footage of the filmmakers promising that they won't turn the film's freaky, mask-wearing protagonist into a catch phrase-spewing joke in “The Orphanage 2: Tomás' Boogaloo.”
Buy, rent, or ignore: Rent
