MGM Creating a DVD and Online Event With ‘Ronin’

Proving that the DVD experience can go beyond just navigating through an array of bonus materials, MGM is launching an online multimedia event to coincide with the release of John Frankenheimer’s thriller “Ronin.”

The presentation will delight consumers interested in exploring the boundaries of home video technology, but it also raises questions as to the lengths that studios will go in order to sell a movie on video.

Whether an adequate suspenser such as “Ronin” deserves this kind of treatment is also food for thought. The film might appear a masterpiece compared to the tepid cinematic offerings of recent years, but it is still nowhere as good as Frankenheimer’s vintage efforts in the genre.

The online event will take place on March 14 at 5 p.m. and will be available only to those with a DVD-ROM drive in their computers--and, of course, an Internet connection. Consumers also need to preregister for the event, since MGM will be using both the Net and each viewer’s DVD-ROM for the presentation.

First, there will be a 25-minute multimedia tour of the making of the film, using storyboards, sound clips and actual footage. This will be followed by a more traditional 30-minute cyber chat with Frankenheimer.

If you miss the event, you will be able to watch its finished version after March 14, again using both the Net and your DVD-ROM drive.

For those who don’t have access yet to the required equipment, the “Ronin” disc alone has its share of pleasures, among them an audio commentary with Frankenheimer, delivering a sort of “Filmmaking 101” lecture for those who relish the basics of how movies are made.

The disc also includes a staple of Hollywood blockbuster DVD editions: an alternate ending that is infinitely superior to the one in the finished film. At the end of his commentary, Frankenheimer acknowledges that he preferred the alternate ending, but was forced to change it after some preview tests and the consequent studio pressure. This final comment might be the most valuable lesson for aspiring filmmakers wanting to achieve longevity within the studio system.

Laserdisc Releases

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976, Image). More than 20 years ago, this violent and brooding western already showed Clint Eastwood’s keen eye for directing commercial movies. Widescreen version.

DVD Releases

More Tales of the City (1998, DVD International). How much Armistead Maupin can you really take? This exhaustive edition of the Emmy-nominated Showtime miniseries includes more than 4 1/2 hours of audio commentary, deleted scenes, script pages and a photo gallery.

Ernesto Lechner can be reached at LechnerE@aol.com.