When I first heard a few weeks ago that there was going to be a 3-disc Special Edition DVD release of David Fincher’s “Panic Room”, the first thought that went through my head was, “Why?” The film was only a moderate success at the box office, and as memory served it was only a reasonably good thriller. It’s not even a big special effects movie like “Terminator 2” or “The Matrix.” There have already been two DVD releases that I know of, a regular one and a Superbit version, so I really wondered why anyone would want a massive Special Edition set like this. I figured the only way to solve the mystery was to revisit the film and see just what was being offered in this set. Fincher’s early work as a music video director garnered him enough attention for Hollywood to give him the opportunity to direct the much maligned “Alien 3.” You know the one with the bald Ripley… and actually bald everyone else.

It was such a disaster that his career as a filmmaker almost ended then and there, but he redeemed himself with his follow-up films, “Se7en” and “Fight Club.” It was only after these films came out that people began to realize Fincher really was a good director, and it started to come to light that the problems surrounding “Alien 3” were more the fault of the studios unwillingness to allow him a proper budget. The film that was finally released was more the vision of the studio.

“Panic Room” starred Jodie Foster as Meg Altman, a recently divorced woman who moves into an enormous brownstone in New York with her daughter. It turns out that previous owner was a bit paranoid and had built himself a panic room. The idea is actually a pretty interesting one if you’re at all worried about intruders. I mean think about it, where would you go if you knew someone was breaking into your house. Pretty much anywhere you tried to hide would be accessible. A panic room is designed to be a ‘safe room’ meant to keep you out of harm’s way. In the case of the one in this film, it is constructed of steel, stocked with supplies and has video screens to monitor the rest of the house. As fate would have it, the house is broken into the very first night they spend in it. After a rather daring and suspenseful chain of events, mother and daughter find themselves locked in the room and cut off from the rest of the world. All the while, the three intruders make every attempt to get into the room in order to tie up loose ends.

The first time I saw the film back in theatres I remember being impressed by the slick production value and even feeling a little bit of the suspense, but beyond that didn’t think much of it. I had to have been really tired, or not feeling good, because when I watched it again the other night I was blown away by how good it really was. The cinematography was incredible, and not just for the cool camera shots that brought you into the very walls of the building, but for the way it followed the action. Even the opening title sequence was more impressive than I had remembered.

This time around I began to see why someone might be interested in knowing just how the film was made. This Special Edition set will appeal to fans of Fincher’s work, as no detail of the production is left untold. But even more so I can see this set being a must have for new filmmakers who want to learn the ‘tricks of the trade’ as it were. The first disc has not one, but three commentaries. The first is a cast commentary by Foster, Forest Whitaker and Dwight Yoakum. You can tell right off that they were recorded separately as they never interact, but whoever did the off-mike moderating questions that would get very specific answers from the subjects. The second is by David Fincher, and is a wealth of information about the filmmaking process. The final one is my favorite though, as it is done by writer David Koepp. This in itself isn’t necessarily that great, but he is joined by one of my favorite screenwriters, William Goldman (“The Princess Bride”). Their discussion is an entertaining one, and for what is has to offer is a must listen.

The 2nd disc focuses on just about every aspect of the pre-production phase as well as the production itself. There are a bunch of features on this disc including some early lighting tests and a look at computer storyboarding. We even get a look at Fincher meeting with several people to discuss how one might drill into a safe. As far as the production itself, the documentary feature here runs just under an hour and offers up a detailed overall look at how the movie came together. There are also features on the filming of the film’s chase sequence and some of the makeup effects, as well as an opportunity to use multi-angles to look at the differences between the finished and unfinished format of some of the film’s sequences.

The 3rd disc is all about the post-production, and as such contains the bulk of the extras. There are 20 separate featurettes on just the visual effects alone. They vary in length, and I wouldn’t consider any of them to be a throwaway. I suggest grabbing a drink and some snacks and prepare to sit down for a couple of hours sifting through these gems. Again no detail is left out with some of the features focusing on everything from the afore-mentioned title sequence, the single shot that moves through the entire set (which actually took over a year to shoot), the close-ups of dust particles, to the shots that seem to move through walls. It’s all amazing, and occasionally funny, stuff.

That’s not all however, as there are additional featurettes on the scoring and sound design, and even a sequence breakdown on the creation of some of the scenes in the film. And I used to know almost nothing about the process of color timing beyond the term itself, but thanks to a featurette on the subject, I am a self-proclaimed… ahem… expert.

After the many hours I spent on this Special Edition of “Panic Room”, I have now changed my question from, “Why?” to “Why not?” The film itself is much better than I had remembered, and it was technically more challenging than I would have thought. This new release is amongst the best of the DVD sets I’ve seen so far this year, as educational as it is entertaining. It has more than earned a place on my ‘must-have’ list for 2004.

Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Josie Foster, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakum, Jared Leto, Kristin Stewart
Extras:
Disc 1 – Commentary by Director David Fincher, Commentary by Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker & Dwight Yoakum, Commentary by Writer David Koepp and a Special Guest
Disc 2 – 6 Featurettes on the Prep Phase, Multi-Angle / Multi-Audio Interactive Previsualization with Optional Commentary, “Shooting Panic Room” – an Hour Long Documentary on the Principal Photography Phase, Makeup Effects Featurette with Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr.
Disc 3 – Sequence Breakdowns, 21 Documentaries and Featurettes on the Visual Effects, “On Sound Design” with Ren Klyce, “Digital Intermediate” and Other Featurettes Dealing with the Post Production Phase, Multi-Angle Look at the Scoring Session Conducted by Howard Shore
Specifications: Widescreen (2.40:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Sony / Columbia Tristar
Release Date: 3/30/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (Violence and Language)
Website

We'll give Panic Room: Special Edition an A.