Eye For Film >> Movies >> Tideland (2005) DVD Review
The picture quality is excellent. Terry Gilliam's vision of the countryside shines through in every scene. There are no visible flaws or scratches. The audio quality is fine, although the lack of a surround mix is disappointing. With a fantasy film such as this, being immersed in the audio would add to the experience. There are no subtitles.
The Behind The Scenes documentary is fantastic. It is pure joy to watch Gilliam at work. The narration is a little amateur, as is the section where the director is made to wear a camera on his head. Lost In La Mancha has set the bar high for Making Of docs and although Tideland doesn't come close, it is still a proper and worthwhile attempt, not just a puff piece to fill the space. It outshines 95% of extras on other DVDs.
Gilliam is, as always, thoughtful and thought-provoking in the interviews. As much a joy as it is to watch him work, it's an equal pleasure to hear his ideas about filmmaking. The interviews with the cast are also insightful, but Gilliam is the main attraction.
The audio commentary, Easter egg and deleted scenes were not available on my review copy. Cue lots of grumbling from me about sitting through dull commentaries on other DVDs, and when it finally comes to one I'm genuinely interested in, it's not there. They'll be available on the retail version, however.
All in all, this is a fantastic package. The only downside is the lack of a surround mix.
Great film. Great extras. What more do you want?
Reviewed on: 23 Jan 2007