ANY GIVEN SUNDAY(PART OF THE OLIVER STONE BOXED SET COLLECTION!)

"ANY GIVEN SUNDAY" wasn't the huge hit it deserved to be, but the newly released special edition dvd may finally win over its rightful audience.
Oliver Stone's script transcends its "football" theme, using the game as a
metaphor for the infinite struggles that are faced in daily life.  This idea
is perfectly represented in Al Pacino's final locker room speech to his team as he comments upon the life-changing ramifications that a few inches one way instead of another, can make! Stone uses a "big" cast of tremendous talent to tell several complex and moving tales.  Almost everyone is wonderful.  While we like Cameron Diaz in some films, she's the one actor terribly miscast here!  She's just not convincing on any level!  James Woods, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, Lauren Holly, even Elizabeth Berkley as a call girl, are all wonderful!  But not Cameron Diaz!
It's also to Stone's credit that "ANY GIVEN SUNDAY" looks more like a traditional film than most of his later work!  There isn't the abundance of filter effects and cross-jump edits utilized so frequently in "U-Turn", "J.F.K", and "Natural Born Killers".  "ANY GIVEN SUNDAY" has the look and feel of a studio film.
The transfer is outstanding!  The clarity and resolution to the image
resembles what's achieved with HDTV!  The depth achieved here is virtually unsurpassed on dvd!  The colors are outstanding and the contrast is flawless! 
The sound mix is equally impressive!  There are bone-crunching effects
achieved throughout the film.  They really bring the viewer directly into
the game!  The LFE effects, and there are many of them, are certain to shake the house!
This new release and the previous version of "ANY GIVEN SUNDAY" offer approximately 6 minutes of new footage not shown in theaters.  However, only the new version offers chapter markings denoting which scenes contain the new footage.
Both versions offer the HBO "FIRST LOOK" special devoted to the film, "FULL CONTACT:THE MAKING OF ANY GIVEN SUNDAY."  It's basically a behind-the-scenes, interview-filled, promotional piece.  It also features a music video, "SHUT 'EM DOWN", with LL COOL J. 
The "new" release also offers supplementary features unavailable on the
previous version.  To begin with, there are "two" audio commentaries.
Oliver Stone provides his typically eloquent, insightful, and instructive
thoughts behind the film-making process.  The 2nd commentary is with Jamie Foxx, and it's horrible!  This is the 2nd commentary on a recent dvd from WARNER BROS.  The first was on "BAIT" and that was pretty dismal too!  While Foxx is appreciative of Stone's direction, and likeable, he just doesn't have much to add to any commentary, as he's now proven "TWICE!"
WARNER  BROS. has packaged the supplementary materials quite well.  They've compiled the supplements into three parts:  Pregame, Halftime, and Postgame.
In addition to the "FIRST LOOK" segment, the "Pregame" segment offers a Home Video Auditon tape of Foxx as well as two screen tests.  It's actually shows Foxx has potential. 
The Halftime segment focuses on the music.  While the previous version also featured the LL Cool J music video, there are two more videos here.
Unfortunately, none of them are in dolby digital 5.1, only 2.0. 

The "Postgame" segment offers the greatest amount of supplements.  For film fans, here's where we get to see all of the deleted and extended scenes! There are 16 such scenes, and while several of them really seem to add enhanced character development, Stone obviously felt they weren't important enough to keep in.  There is also an option for viewers to hear Stone's commentary during these scenes, if desired.  While the quality of these scenes is decent, it's noticeably marred in comparison to the anamorphically enhanced "feature" footage.  There are also several football montage segments.  The "Outtake" montage and the "Location and Outtake" montage are only five minutes in length, but great fun!  A gag reel is also featured but, like even the best "Monty Python" sketches, it wears thin quickly!