Spider-Man [WS Special Edition] [2 Discs] DVD

Spider-Man
After incorporating elements of comic book style and design into many of his films, director Sam Raimi helms this straight-ahead, big-budget comic book adaptation, which also marks acclaimed young actor Tobey Maguire's first dip into live-action blockbuster filmmaking. Spider-Man follows the template of the original Stan Lee/Steve Ditko source material, with hero Peter Parker an orphaned, intellectual teen loner living in Queens with his aunt (Rosemary Harris) and uncle (Cliff Robertson), and dreaming of the girl next door, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). On a field trip to a Columbia University lab, Peter is bitten by a genetically altered spider and overnight he gains superhuman strength, agility, and perception. At first, Peter uses his powers for material gain, winning a wrestling match with a purportedly lucrative prize. But when Peter apathetically fails to stop a burglar from robbing the wrestling arena, a tragedy follows that compels him to devote his powers to fighting crime -- as the superhero Spider-Man. When he's not busy fighting crime in a spider suit, Peter moves into an apartment with his best friend, Harry (James Franco), and begins work as a photographer at the Daily Bugle. Meanwhile, his do-gooder alter ego finds a nemesis in the form of the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), a super-powered, megalomaniacal villain who happens to be the alter ego of Harry's father, weapons-manufacturing mogul Norman Osborn. Spider-Man was written by the prolific blockbuster scribe David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Panic Room). ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

Cast Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson James Franco as Harry Osborn Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben Rosemary Harris as Aunt May J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson Joe Manganiello as Flash Thompson Gerry Becker as Maximilian Fargas Bill Nunn as Robbie Robertson Jack Betts as Henry Balkan Stanley Anderson as General Slocum Ron Perkins as Dr. Mendel Stromm

Crew Scott P. Murphy - Art Director Tony Fanning - Art Director Stella Vavvaro - Art Director Steve Arnold - Supervising Art Director Steven P. Saeta - Associate Producer Heidi Fugeman - Associate Producer Francine Maisler - Casting Lynn Kressel - Casting Grant Curtis - Co-producer James Acheson - Costume Designer Eric Heffron - First Assistant Director Sam Raimi - Director Jeffrey Lynch - Second Unit Director Doug Lefler - Second Unit Director Arthur Coburn - Editor Bob Murawski - Editor Avi Arad - Executive Producer Stan Lee - Executive Producer Chuck Jeffries - Fights Choreographer Danny Elfman - Composer (Music Score) Neil Spisak - Production Designer Don Burgess - Cinematographer Laura Ziskin - Producer Ian Bryce - Producer Debra Schutt - Set Designer Easton M. Smith - Set Designer Karen O'Hara - Set Designer Andrea Dopaso - Set Designer Sony Pictures Imageworks - Special Effects Susan Dudeck - Sound/Sound Designer Stephen Flick - Sound/Sound Designer Ed Novick - Sound/Sound Designer Marc-Jon Sullivan - Sound/Sound Designer Greg P. Russell - Sound/Sound Designer Kevin O'Connell - Sound/Sound Designer Jeff Habberstad - Stunts Coordinator Stephen Flick - Supervisor/Manager Susan Dudeck - Supervisor/Manager David Koepp - Screenwriter Christopher Faloona - Additional Cinematography Michael J. Moore - Second Assistant Director Lisa Satriano - Second Unit Assistant Director Scott Stokdyk - Visual Effects John Dykstra - Visual Effects John Frazier - Visual Effects Anthony LaMolinara - Visual Effects Howard A. Anderson Company - Title Design

Spider-Man
Following through on the promise of director Bryan Singer's engagingly earnest but scattershot X-Men, Sam Raimi's big-budget, high-stakes screen version of Spider-Man represents a welcome return to some of the qualities found in the best Hollywood entertainments: satisfying character development, a palpable sense of wonder and amazement, and genuine, unironic good humor. After years of numbing, frenetic action pictures -- from the latter efforts in the Batman series to The Mummy Returns and its ilk -- the care and attention paid to Spider-Man's source material seems almost old-fashioned, in the best possible way. Raimi and ace screenwriter David Koepp retain the best elements of comic-book grammar and syntax -- in the dialogue as well as the pulpy, colorful montage sequences -- as they take minor but justified liberties with the comic's physical details. What's more, the once-controversial casting of talented young actor Tobey Maguire pays off in a big way: his pensive, quizzical nature is a perfect fit for the character. Rarely has there been a more believable everyman (or everygeek, as it were) in a superhero lead, and Maguire's fun with the role is infectious. If minor gripes can be made about the design and execution of the film -- there's an inconsistency in the look of some of the action scenes, for one -- they're quickly forgotten; this is one blockbuster where talk and interpersonal action go hand-in-hand with the thrills. More than just a victory of maximum-saturation marketing, Spider-Man's record-breaking success at the box office can only be interpreted as a sign of audiences responding to a blockbuster that for once follows through on its promise, with characters actually worth caring about. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
 

Anthony LaMolinara: Academy, Best Visual Effects (nominated) Chad Kroeger: Broadcast Film Critics Association, Best Song (nominated) Ed Novick: Academy, Best Sound (nominated) Greg P. Russell: Academy, Best Sound (nominated) John Dykstra: Academy, Best Visual Effects (nominated) John Frazier: Academy, Best Visual Effects (nominated) Kevin O'Connell: Academy, Best Sound (nominated) Scott Stokdyk: Academy, Best Visual Effects (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: cc Widescreen presentation English & French 5.1 (Dolby Digital) Subtitles: English, French, Spanish Weaving the Web: subtitled factoids (pop-on production notes and historical facts) Commentary: Sam Raimi (director), Kirsten Dunst, Laura Ziskin (producer) & Grant Curtis (co-producer) SFX commetary: John Dykstra (special effects designer) & Visual Effects Crew Branching Web-i-sodes Music videos: Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott, Hero; Sum 41, What We're All About TV spots Theatrical trailers Filmographies & character files DVD-ROM: comic/feature comparison, record your own commentary, countdown to Spider-Man 2, weblinks HBO Making of Spider-Man Spider-Mania: An E! Entertainment Special Director profile: Sam Raimi Composer profile: Danny Elfman Screen tests: Tobey Maguire, J.K. Simmons & CGI Spider-Man Costume and makeup tests Gag/outtake reel Conceptual art & production design gallery Historical documentary - Spider-Man: The Mythology of the 21st Century The Spider-Man comic archives Rogues gallery The Loves of Peter Parker Comic book artist gallery Activision game hints and tips DVD-ROM: Activision PC game, 2 playable levels; 3 exclusive Marvel dot.comics (Spider-Man: Blue #1, Black Cat #1, & Peter Parker: Return of the Goblin); Spider-Man Visualizer DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: PG13 DVD Discs Included: 2 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 121 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- Spider-Man (Widescreen) 1. Start 2. Columbia University Research Lab 3. Bitten by a Spider 4. Norman Tests the Performance Enhancers 5. A Big Change 6. Great Reflexes 7. Fight With Flash 8. Scaling the Heights 9. With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility 10. The Wrestling Match 11. Enter the Thief 12. The Death of Uncle Ben 13. Chasing Uncle Ben's Killer 14. Spider-Man to the Rescue 15. J. Jonah Jameson 16. Peter's Photos of Spider-Man 17. World Unity Festival 18. Battle Over Times Square 19. Norman Meets the Goblin 20. Goblin Terrorizes the Bugle 21. The Goblin's Proposal 22. The Alley Kiss 23. Hot Time With the Goblin 24. Thanksgiving Dinner 25. Goblin Attacks Aunt May 26. The Queensboro Bridge 27. A Final Battle 28. Norman's Funeral