LOS ANGELES -- "Ladder 49" made its debut on DVD this week after a DVD release party benefiting the Los Angeles Fireman's Fund was held at the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard.
The DVD includes numerous bonus features that fans of "Ladder 49" will want to see. These include a "Making Of" segment, deleted scenes, commentary, the "Shine Your Light" music video and a short documentary on real Baltimore city firefighters called "Everyday Heroes."
Ladder 49 DVD: Order Yours Now
Over 100 firefighters were invited to the party from nearby fire stations, organizers said, with dozens turning out from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the city of Los Angeles Fire Department.
The event, hosted by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, also reunited cast members and movie Director Jay Russell with some of their firefighting mentors from the Baltimore City Fire Department, Chief William J. Goodwin Jr. and Lt. Mark Yant, who both appear in the movie.
Goodwin said he had missed the movie-making experience and came out to the Los Angeles DVD release party for "one last hurrah."
"You don't realize you miss it until it's over," he said. "It's hard to believe it's been two years since the filming."
The March 7 event was staged with a St. Patrick's Day theme, like one of the bar scenes in the movie.
The movie's biggest stars, John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix, were not on hand, but many of the supporting actors came out including Balthazar Getty, Morris Chestnut, Kevin Chapman, Robert Lewis, Kevin Daniels and Tim Guinee, who was inspired by his role to become a real firefighter in New York state. Other actors on hand included Brooke Hamlin, who plays Phoenix's daughter in the movie, and a few stars who were not in the movie, including Jane Seymour.
The deleted scenes feature more of the supporting characters, most notably expanding the roles of Tim Guinee and Balthazar Getty. The scenes also expand the scope of the story. The most poignant deleted scene shows Joaquin Phoenix and Jacinda Barrett watching the news of the World Trade Center attacks on television, and the effects of the tragedy at the fire station.
The rest of the bonus features show the reality behind the Baltimore City firefighters and the film-making process.
"Everyday Heroes" follows several firefighters and their families as they go to a real Medals Day ceremony, like the one depicted in the movie. The real-life stories are all the more touching as they capture the real humor, real tears and real fear of the firefighters, their wives and their children.
The "Making Of" segment reveals some interesting technical details of the massive warehouse fire scenes, such as how Joaquin's floor collapse was engineered.
The segment also offers an intimate look at the actors as they undergo firefighter training with Baltimore Lt. Mark Yant, and comment on everything from the ladders, to the maze, to the live fire training.
Related:
- Firehouse.com Ladder 49 Coverage
- Ladder 49 DVD: Order Yours Now
