The special features are a mix from the previously released 2002 (Special Collector's Edition) DVD and 50 minutes of new material. Disc one has a commentary track by Ed Sikov, author of On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Time of Billy Wilder. He sounds a bit stiff like he is reading notes rather than reacting to what he is seeing, but he provides a lot of good information. Disc two, the special features disc, has nearly two and a half hours of material. Featurettes cover the making of the film, author Joseph Wambaugh discussing its similarities to film noir, Gloria Swanson, William Holden, legendary Hollywood costumer Edith Head, Waxman’s music, script pages and available footage from the original prologue set in a morgue, Paramount Pictures, its studio lot, and more.
The gorgeous, black and white, remastered picture of Sunset Boulevard adds to its overall greatness and is a must-have for fans of movies and Hollywood. However, unless the condition of the 2002 DVD’s picture is average or worse, it’s not worth replacing. The Centennial Collection series also presents #2 Roman Holiday and #3 Sabrina out now and in the next wave on January 19, 2009 #4 Funny Face and #5 Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
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