Cheap Rebel Without a Cause (Single Disc Edition) (DVD) (James Dean, Natalie Wood) (Nicholas Ray) Price

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Customer Reviews of Rebel Without a Cause (Single Disc Edition)

A True Classic
I barely knew who James Dean was until a friend of mine recommended "Rebel Without A Cause." Now, i believe that James Dean is not only an icon that people (esp. teens) should recognize for his outstanding role as a confused and volatile teen in Rebel, but quite simply a raw human being. He pretty much exemplified the outcry of most teenagers everywhere with this classic line from the film: "You are tearing me apart!" Who can't relate to that type of emotion that one feels for their parents or friends, at times? I was surprised in how i could relate to the characters in the movie, even though they are nothing like me. That's why Rebel Without A Cause is timeless: it speaks for every young generation just as much as it did during Jame Dean's era. Also, everything else about this movie, the way it was made, the plot, the music, etc., just complements every aspect of the film. Of course, James Dean made this film what it is; it's amazing to see his character transform before our eyes, which is a very rare event to witness in a film. <
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>Unfortunately, the three primary characters--- Natalie Wood, James Dean, and Sal Mineo--- all experienced tragic ends. Ironically, just like in the movie, Sal Mineo was murdered, Natalie Wood drowned, and James Dean died in a car crash. All of these people were truly talented actors that i hope will be recognized in this film as well as the others that they were in.

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Excellent Collection of "Rebel" Memorabilia
Movie buffs of all ages will treasure this 2 disc edition of the great classic and lament James Dean's unrecognized potential as a director, screenwriter and all the roles he never had the chance to play. Most of the special features (with the exception of a dismal commentary track with some hokey trivia) really enhance the fun of this collection...these include wardrobe tests, deleted scenes and "behind the scenes" segments which give great insight into the mechanics of film production and the personalities of the players. Peter Lawford's 1974 "James Dean Remembered" proves to be one of the worst "chat shows" in television history, but still has retrospective entertainment value. <
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>Although certainly dated, REBEL still holds up with thematic resonance for contemporary audiences. Dean is breathtaking. Mineo is heartbreaking. A must have for your DVD library!

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"Special Editing" Full of Extras
You can read dozens, if not hundreds, of reviews of "Rebel Without a Cause" here and elsewhere on the internet. In a nutshell, this is a story about the emerging "teenager" in America, post-World War II; troubled, lonely, dangerous and hard to understand. James Dean plays Jim, the new guy in town, the outisder. Even though the cover and movie poster makes him seem dangerous and bad, Jim really isn't like that. He's rather soft, shy, unable to fit in with those his age. Natalie Wood plays the bad girl next door who, like Jim, is misunderstood. Her father turns a cold shoulder to her, leaving her with the only option of acting out in order to get his attention. <
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>What's so different about the "Special Edition?" Unlike the original DVD/VHS release a few years back, this one has extras galore. It's released as part of the James Dean collection. So, it has a lot of extra features that focuses on James Dean the actor. It doesn't stop there. It has a near-40 minute long feature from those who produced the movie that explains how it came about and the different aspects and production points. So, in total, you're getting: <
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>*Commentary by Douglas L. Rathgeb: If you've seen the movie, then you can simply click this on in the menu and listen to this author, who wrote a book about the movie a while ago, talk about a lot of behind the scenes, "did you know...," actor and casting secrets behind the movie. He speaks constantly and tells you just about all you'd ever want and need to know about the movie, including where it differs from the book and he even tries to explain some of the plot holes that may hold the movie back. <
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>*Theatrical trailor: The original trailor to the movie. It's rather long, considering it's a trailor, and is basically a montage of scenes from the film, some that may reveal some of the best scenes before they are seen. <
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>*"Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents" documentary: Long, about 40 minutes. It's informative and again, reveals some things you may not know about the film and answers some questions. I personally found it to drag on a bit and didn't really get interested until the end when they talked about how Dean's death impacted the film. <
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>*"James Dean Remembered" documentary: This is the best feature, in my opinion, on the disc. This was a documentary filmed 20 years after James Dean's death. Sammy Davis jr., Natalie Wood and numerous others sit down and talk about Dean, as they remembered him. There were anecdotes about James Dean's encounter with Marlon Brando, his alleged homosexual life, his odd behavior, his humor, the way he acted. It includes a lot of scenes from his three films, as well as a few other TV show appearances. This feature is nearly an hour long but had me hooked the minute it began. <
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>* 3 Warner Bros. segments: These are little "behind the scenes" bits that feature Natalie Wood, Jim B. (plays the father, perhaps most known for his role as Thurston H. on 'Gilligan's Island'), and James Dean's perhaps famous "don't drive too fast" segment he filmed while shooting "Giant." These are obviously mostly staged and scripted, but that's how they were done back int he 1950s. <
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>* Additional Scenes without Sound: The good point is that you get more scenes from this film that were cut out. You also get to see a lot more of Natalie Wood and James Dean. The alternate ending is also included (partially at least). There are also over a dozen additional scenes. The bad? There are no sounds. Not even on the color shots. They are all silent, tedious, and many of them weren't really additional scenes, they seemed to be extra footage. Do we really want to watch 8 long scenes of people leaving or hanging around the Planetarium? Or James Dean, who can barely be seen, just gazing up at some big contraption in the Planetarium? Or watch an intense scene like the alternate ending ... without any sound? Or kids driving their cars into the school's parking lot? This was nice, we all love additional scenes, but it was rather pointless. <
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>*Rare Screen Test: Basically, the main three, Wood, Mineo, Dean, as they were in the mansion toward the end of the film. It's okay, I didn't find it that different from what was in the film. <
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>*Wadrobe Tests: The actors are trying on different coats, standing around, trying not to look so stuffy and attempting to be friendly toward one another. It's fun to watch James Dean kid around, but that's just about it from this feature. <
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>As for how the film itself looks, it's great. The transfer, reportedly new, is wonderful. You'll see, in the opening main menu and in features, the original film as it was seen in theaters; blurry, muted colors, dark, gritty. None of that here. It's vivid, intense, modern looking. The soundtrack for the most part is good. I'd say the film is at it's best in this Special Edition format. <
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>So, buy this edition. More features, a better film quality, more bang for the buck. Definately worth your time and attention. Everyone should own this piece of Hollwyood history.