From Dread Central:

Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition, takes a look at the birth of horror theatre in France and the impact it had on both the Broadway musical and, of course, the film itself. As a huge fan of everything Grand Guignol, seeing its history documented from its birth in 1897 to present day was an absolute dream for me! Riddled with still photos and lots of insight, this is one part of this set you just don’t want to miss.

From ING:

Perhaps the most interesting and slightly off-topic featurettes is Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition. Grand Guignol chronicles the history of a horror theater in France and its influence on the Broadway production of Sweeney Todd.

From Obsessed With Film:

Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition – LOVED this nice doc about the history of the Grand Guignol, which very much informs this musical and film adaptation. Once again, many of the old sites that once housed Grand Guignol plays still stand in London to this day, which just amazes me.

From DVD Maniacs:

Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition (19:12) is a fascinating featurette that explores the origins of the Parisian theatrical tradition that started in 1897 in an old deconsecrated chapel and became a phenomena. There are some great pictures of various productions and footage from the theater itself, and some interesting interviews with authors and experts who have written about the history of Grand Guignol. We learn how the theater managed to capture the atmosphere of horror and in turn made a mark for itself. From there the differences between Grand Guignol and English Melodrama are covered before Sweeney Todd’s place in both traditions is covered. Also discussed how sometimes social commentary would creep into the plays and how the French Grand Guignol plays influenced early American horror films.

From DVD Movie Guide:

Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition lasts 19 minutes and 14 seconds. In it we hear from Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries Professors Richard J. Hand and Michael Wilson, The Grand Guignol: Theatre of Fear and Terror author Mel Gordon, “Le Theatre du Grand-Guignol” director Charles Nonon’s great-grandson Eric Horton, “Thrillpeddlers Hypnodrome” producer Russell Blackwood, and “Thrillpeddlers” co-founder/playwright Daniel Zilber. We get an examination of the history of Grand Guignol theater and aspects of the genre. “Tradition” digs into the subject well and proves quite informative.

From Soundtrack.net:

Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition is a 19-minute exploration of the old 19th century Parisian tradition of macabre theater. It’s very in-depth and takes us from the back alleys of Paris where the theater found its roots (reminding me very much of the Théâtre des Vampires in Interview with the Vampire) to the modern day incarnation in San Francisco.

And finally, from DVD File:

Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition (19:14) is my favorite featurette; it focuses on a particular style of theater and film, which began in Paris in 1897 and eventually evolved into today’s horror genre.

Please note, the Grand Guignol bonus feature is only on the special 2-Disc Collector’s Edition.

As the April 1st release date nears, the first reviews of Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd DVD are starting to hit the web. Why do we care? Thrillpeddlers are featured in the documentary Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition included on the 2-disc collector’s edition. It looks like the DVD producers did an excellent job of lining up some truly interesting bonus features, and it’s great to see that they’re getting some good press.

This from Fangoria:

Disc two includes a fine collection of featurettes that cover specific elements of the SWEENEY production, as well as the tale’s background. The latter are actually of the greatest interest, as Sweeney’s London takes a look at the squalid side of the city’s history, along the way revealing the gruesome origins of the traditional barber pole, while Sweeney Alive: The Real History of the Demon Barber chronicles the character through historian and author interviews and vintage illustrations. (It’s pointed out here that the villain was partially inspired by 16th-century Scottish cannibal Sawney Bean, who also influenced THE HILLS HAVE EYES and other contemporary chillers, and that the flesheating which some might find SWEENEY’s most shocking element was actually a staple of many traditional fairy tales.) Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition takes a fascinating look at the famous French showcase for onstage gore, noting its origins as “naturalist” drama, its influence on early Hollywood fright fare and how it fell out of favor in the wake of the horrors of WWII.

Can’t wait to see it (and find out if any of my interview made it into the final cut). I’ll post a full write-up on the Grand Guignol featurette as soon as my copy arrives.

You can order the two-disc collector’s edition from Amazon for only $22.99 ($12 off). So what are you waiting for?