Back to Bloody Earth News Posted by Jonathan Capps on 12th June 2009, 12:15 Let it never be said that we’re not a bunch of useless idiots. Anyway, it’s Catch Up Time, boys and girls! First up, we got a look at the frankly beautiful Back to Earth DVD menus last week. We were so overcome with sticky joy that we totally forgot to actually say anything about it. Erm, sorry. Basically we’ve got G Deck for the main menu, the Diving Bell for the episodes menu and the bunkroom for the extras (the latter two of which have been lovingly re-created in CG in typical Dwarf DVD tradition and the former has been created by Mike Seymour based on the scene used in the episode.) A few at G&T have been seeing these in motion for the last few weeks now (yes, and we still don’t have a review up, but what the hell did you expect?) and can confirm that they’re as lovely as you expect. The G Deck scene in particular is brilliant, perfectly suited to menu looping and more than a little reminiscent of the Lost DVD menus that show various scenes from different angles. The CG Skutter (despite the nice joke of them giving you the finger) is a little pony but then I didn’t like the Skutter in the episodes, either. It’s incredible, really, that this DVD has been put together so quickly considering that the actual show’s production must’ve damn near killed everyone involved, but I guess it must have something to do with this ‘organisation’ thing I’ve heard so much about. Today’s update concentrates on the imminent release of the DVD to the public (most of you will be getting it on Saturday, I imagine) and it goes without saying that if you’re reading this you MUST buy it. Even if you *do* hate the episodes you miserable, MISERABLE bastards. I’ll be writing a nice big review for the next issue of the fan club magazine but my condensed opinion is that the new documentary is as brilliant as you’d imagine (with a surprise bit of Bonus Info), the featurettes really benefit from being produced alongside the main production (Mike’s SFX segment is especially excellent and, unless I’m very much mistaken, the first time an outside production company (fxphp) has created an extra for a Dwarf DVD), the director’s cut is interesting and the Doug’s commentary reveals something interesting about his Firefox bookmarks. It’s exactly the DVD you’d expect and I might be right in thinking (but too lazy to properly check) that it represents the best Show:Extras ratio EVUR. Be sure to let us know what you think of the DVD in the forums, and we’ll try to have a review up before Series X. Finally, Series III is on iTunes if you’re so inclined to care about such things. There’s also something there about helping Red Dwarf win some shiny awards, or something. Ok, bye!
The cast commentary is fantastic. It could be the best ever in fact. Maybe it’s because they actually remember the shoot! If people want BtE with more laughs they just need to watch it with this playing. It makes episode 1 so much funnier. ‘Ricky Reaction’
> I hope you?ve all taken note of Doug?s wise words in his commentary. The Doug commentary is BRILLIANT. G&T get a nice mention (well-deserved), and it’s full of wonderful insight and detail. The real revelation for me, though, is the real story behind Holly’s absence, but I don’t really want to spoil anything for people who haven’t got the DVD yet. But when you get it, make this your first special feature after the Director’s Cut.
It’s a shame stasis doesn’t exist, really. How fucking long until Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars? November??? It doesn’t bear thinking about.
I hope everyone noticed the little changes to the Cat explanation scene. OK they’re very small but I think it does help it. I haven’t listened to the Doug commentary yet so I don’t know whether he mentions any differences.
>I hope everyone noticed the little changes to the Cat explanation scene. I haven’t got it yet, but that was the scene in episode 1 that felt the most clunky to me. Not the Cat’s actual performance, more the space between lines. If the changes just involved tightening that a bit I’d see that as an improvement.
It is tightened a little. They even cut out the door closing as Lister and Cat come into the room, and for some reason one of the lines is over-dubbed by Danny, maybe to make it sound more natural. The thing with that is that it stands out a lot because I’ve watched that scene so many times. It’s right though. I just wish they’d cut Lister’s ‘this is so weird’. I would have preferred ‘this is too weird’ because then it would have linked with ‘too weird for words’. Annnnyway, it’s all good stuff.
Wow. Doug mentions that John Hoare interview I helped with. I just spat coke over my keyboard. Well done G&T, this site was so much a part of the Dave week/weekend experience. I had no idea you still would be on DVD watching weekend! Brilliant. Shit I need to get a cloth here. Back after watching the 2nd disc.
That was the best documentary of the lot, I looked thinking it was close to the end and to my delight it was only half way through, it fits so much in, the only thing I feel it left out was how Dave approached GNP about these episodes and how they changed from just a celerbration to these episodes. The Smeg Ups are some of the best ever, the “Yo Moma” sequence was fantastic and it had the perfect start, someone falling over. The Deleted Scenes were minimal and I feel the only loss was the Jamie Dodger scene I wish that was in the story, it was a brilliant scene, very funny. Going to watch the Directors cut now, followed by the Doug commentary.
Is posting this being pedantic – http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo121/SoundableObject/gergergewrg.jpg EDIT – This is a Smeg up on the Smeg ups.
Is posting this being pedantic – http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo121/SoundableObject/gergergewrg.jpg She’s got a handle fixed to her right*, um, bossom! ;) *Left to us.
>She?s got a handle fixed to her right*, um, bossom! ;) Looks more like a knocker to me… Zing! Also, is it just me, or can anyone else hear what sounds remarkably like the proton gun SFX from Ghostbusters during the menu scenes on the DVD (just after the Dimension Cutter is fired)..?
I cant find the Easter Egg anywhere is it the Amazon UK preorder video I noticed that wasn’t included
Question: What is said about the PBS showings on the DVD? I thought this was an odd way to announce it being shown over here. Why put that on the DVD and not just give a news release on TOS? Or am I just not seeing it there?
The PBS things are just each of them seperatly asking the viewer to support there local public broadcaster, not much in terms of content. It has been announced I think that it will be shown on PBS, certainly Rob Llew said a while back that it was showing on PBS, besides I though new Dwarf always shown on PBS, certainly Series VIII did though I can’t claim to be an expert on American TV being in Liverpool an’ all.
I know it has been shown on PBS here, although I never saw it myself, only my husband and friend. (I was a late bloomer.) I was hoping there was some info on when we could expect it to air here. I guess I need to find out when the next telethon is going on, since that’s only when they show the good foreign stuff. Usually they advertise the DVD’s themselves (to be “bought” for a donation), so I’m guessing it might be after it’s available to the US market.
Found the egg the first time I watched it (a bit disappointing), and not actually been able to get to again since. Not too distraught.
