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Backdraft (1991) DVD Review
Backdraft (1991) DVD Credits:
Backdraft (1991) Directed by:
Ron Howard
Backdraft (1991) Written by:
Gregory Widen
Backdraft (1991) Cast:
Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Glenn, Rebecca De Mornay, Jason Gedrick, Jack McGee
Backdraft (1991) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
Backdraft (1991) DVD Release Date:
11th September 2006
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

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Backdraft (1991) Synopsis:

A rookie firefighter tries to earn the respect of his older brother and other firefighters while taking part in an investigation of a string of arson/murders. This detailed look into the duties and private lives of firemen naturally features widespread pyrotechnics and special effects.

Backdraft (1991) DVD Review:

Backdraft was an incredible film upon its release because of the realistic look at firemen. Firefighters have been a fascination of film from the very beginning, even before the medium had been fully developed, but no film has captured the intensity of the lifestyle like Backdraft. The 2-Disc Anniversary Edition looks fantastic. The film is in great shape and it contains all of the same mesmerizing qualities that made it great upon its release, but everything new seems rushed and sadly disregarded. The special features and menus are lacking any real attention, leaving a good package and a great film that could have been placed on a one-disc package. There are too many things missing with a film this great.

There is an introduction by Ron Howard which is broad and emotional. There is also some discussion of the significance of Howard’s choice not to use bad digital effects at a time that they were not as easy to produce, but instead used create very realistic effects with a fire lab. These effects were so incredible that they have become an attraction at the Universal Studios theme park and in my opinion this is where a great deal of the suspense in the film comes from. Audiences can spot digital effects and it registers as fake, but the fact that the crew and actors were amidst the flame while shooting makes Backdraft that much more of a monument to firefighters. Although this short little snippet from Howard is nice, it doesn’t come close to a commentary track, which is sorely missing from the DVD.

The deleted scenes are mostly character bits which were taken out as ell as a few filler scenes. They are set on the first disc in a lump sum; watch them all or skip blindly through them, but they aren’t listed to choose from. Most are pretty small anyways. Igniting the Story is a featurette about the journey from script to screen. It is filled with footage of a much younger Brian Grazer and Ron Howard on set, but the screenwriter and other key figures that aren’t as famous were available for a more recent interview. Some of the interviews from older footage just come off like sound bites to promote the film before it was released. This is the anniversary edition, so these plot descriptions are unnecessary. Not only do most people who purchase the film already know the details of the plot, but there is little need for the obvious in the special features.

Bringing Together the Team is much better because it shows the process in which each of the actors were included into the cast. This is an especially important featurette considering the incredible cast which was put together for Backdraft. Still, many of the interviews are vintage and could have been updated a bit more as much as Howard claims this film affected everyone involved. The Explosive Stunts and Creating the Villain: The Fire are what special features are made for. The fire and the stunts in this film are what makes it such a dynamic film, and examining how they were done in more detail than the Universal Studios attraction includes is great. The scenes in which the actors are really on fire and relying on the other actors to put them out is fantastic. The last special feature is dedicated to real stories from firemen. It is a roundtable discussion with a fire station in Santa Clarita with true heroes.

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Backdraft (1991) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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