Best DVD Commentary Tracks

[Loomis]

I have to admit that I've stopped listening to commentaries as much as I used to, unless it is an old favourite and the main reason I bought the DVD was for the commentary.

The Simpsons commentaries are always easy to listen to. Lots of fun, sometimes not entirely on topic but usually pretty informative. The main thing is that they provide consistent laughs, and it is a pleasure to come back to. I can usually listen to a run of 6 per disc without thinking about it.

The Evil Dead 2 commentary with Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell is possibly one of the best commentaries out there. Put those two in a room together, and you get completely hilarious madness.

Likewise, although I've lost a little respect for Kevin Smith (i.e. he tried something different with Jersey Girl, didn't work, so he slagged it off and went straight back to Jay and Silent Bob), the commentaries - especially the group commentaries with Affleck involved, are usually side-splitters.

Also, anything by Robert Rodriguez is going to teach you so much about film, that you will never need to go to film school.

Star Trek - I can't really get into the audio commentaries, but their textual commentaries are well-put and very informative. I preferred the regular text for them, though, as opposed to those fancy graphics they started using with Generations.

I'd have to agree with you there. Those text commentaries are usually excellent, with the walking encyclopedias (the Okudas) always digging up some fascinating reads. Similarly good ones can be found on the Doctor Who discs, which almost always have a cast commentary as well (the latter varies in quality from cast to cast).

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

My favorite has to be:

Pirates of the Caribbean- Screenwriters Stuart Beattie, Ted Elliot, Terry Rossio, and Jay Wolpert: On POTC, there are 3 commentaries actually. The one with Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski is disappointing as they do nothing but go, "Hey it's so-and-so, oh he's a great guy and a great actor" and "while we're at it, the so-and-so did a terrific job on doing this" it gets really annoying. While the one with Jerry Bruckheimer, Kiera Knightly and Jack Davenport is also disappointing because Bruckheimer does a commentary for like 1 mintue while the other two approached a more comical commentary which was more annoying than funny. However, the one with the screenwriters is AWESOME. Maybe it's because I have a dream to becomming a screenplayer one day, but I just loved hearing this. They pretty much told you how EVERYTHING about being a screenplayer in the movie industry works. They also tell you about alot of fun facts for the movie, and where they got their inspirations from and how they came up with the story and their intensions for the movie.

[musicradio77]

"Snow White" was the only Disney film on DVD to have an audio commentary by Disney historian John Kaymaker.

[Escapay]

"Snow White" was the only Disney film on DVD to have an audio commentary by Disney historian John Kaymaker.

It's Canemaker, and he's done several commentaries for Disney:

Fantasia:
-Part of a group commentary
-One where he hosts Walt Disney interviews

Dumbo:
-Solo commentary

Peter Pan:
-Part of a group commentary

Escapay

[Mason_Ireton]

I wasn't quite sure where to post this thread. So I decided to post it here.

Most people aren't fans of the deep behind the scenes stuff (I.E full length Documentary) and yet there's a certain type of bonus features that offers a different aspect of appericating films....The Audio Commentary... I'm a deep fan of the Commentary especialy when it comes to the Disney Classics. Such an insight to learn bout how differents approaches to a scene/character/setting applied with progressing the story further. We can also discuss bout our fav. commentaries.

Now I know that not all films deserve commentaries but there's a few that I wouldn't mind recieving commentaries.

Harry Potter Triology (We might get one on the the 7th film)

Cinderella (Defintly deserved one)

Lady/Tramp (Same reason)

Alice In Wonderland (Maybe we'll get one when Tim Burton's Verison is released)

[Flanger-Hanger]

Love when Rudy Bhelmer (that's how you spell his name right) does them. Got to give him props for doing Gone With the Wind by himself for 4 hours (no easy task!).

[Mason_Ireton]

I'll have to check that out, not a fan of G.W.T.W but then again I've never seen it, so I guess I could watch it with the commentary , I'll have to rent out Wizard Of OZ:Dexluxe Editon and listen to the commentary again. I thought John Lassater did a splendid job on the commentary for Sleepin Beauty along with Lenoard Maltin and Andreas Dejas. Defintly lookin forward to hear J.B Kaufman's commentary on Pinocchio, he was good with the Silly Symphony dvd and Popeye The Sailor: S2/S3

[blackcauldron85]

I'm a major fan of documentaries on DVDs, but for some reason, I just don't listen to the commentary. The only movies I've ever listened to the commentary for were Newsies and Sleeping Beauty. I really should listen to the commentaries on my DVD, because I know that they are a wealth of knowledge. I'm a visual learner, so I don't know if that's a part of it- I'd rather watch clips of people talking versus just listening to them? I have no idea.

[Mason_Ireton]

Really had a difficult time watchin commentaries on Dinosaurs: The Series cause the people sorta played around so it killed my excitement for TV Commentaries. Yes the commentaries for feature films are often educational sometimes I perfer the "Makin Of" documentaries then the commentaries. I wonder if they would produce an commentary for "Deathly Hallows" (HP 7) cause then we'd have a full exploitive behind the scenes of the whole series, heck I'd be surpised if JK Rowling was part of it.

[Lazario]

I used to be a serious junkie for audio commentaries. Now, it's kind of all about who you like hearing from. Not too many people give great commentaries.

[carolinakid]

Streisand's commentaries on YENTL and A STAR IS BORN are FABULOUS!
But really, what else could they be?

Jon

[Escapay]

I wasn't quite sure where to post this thread. So I decided to post it here.

Or you could bump this up instead:

Best DVD Commentary Tracks by 2099net, created January 15, 2006

Now I know that not all films deserve commentaries

On the contrary, I think every film deserves one, regardless how good or bad it may be (the film, not the commentary, as there are such things as bad commentaries). For most films, it allows filmmakers/actors/historians to discuss the making of the film, or simply have a fun little chat while watching it. And in some special cases, an audio commentary helps put a film into context during specific moments if it lacks a documentary about the making of the film. A majority of the classic films from 20th Century Fox (especially during their Studio Classics and Fox Film Noir lines) would often just have a commentary as the major bonus features (trailers as well).

Harry Potter Triology

It hasn't been a trilogy for close to 5 years now, Mason.

Anyway, I'll add my comments on commentaries (lol) later but let me just say that my favourite is...

The Ten Commandments (1956) audio commentary with Katherine Orrison - this is by far one of the BEST commentaries ever done, and I'm not just saying it because TTC is my favourite film of all time. Orrison has done extensive research on the making of the film and much of what she says in her commentary comes from various interviews and discussions she had with people who worked on the film. Then again, she did write a book about the making of the movie (Written in Stone), so she has that to draw on as well. But really, the woman is nonstop when it comes to talking about how the film was made and personal anecdotes shared with her from the people she interviewed.

albert

[Mason_Ireton]

Well I knew that bout the Harry Potter Series, but I still consider it a triology in my opinon. also thanks for pointing out the prev. thread for me, much appericated.

I really enjoyed listening to Andrew Stanton's commentary on Wall E very educating, insightful loved how he explained the film's long production and how sound was gon'na play a major role thru communications.

[PeterPanfan]

How is it considered a trilogy (trilogy, by the way), when it has seven books? A trilogy is defined as a series of three books, movies, etc.

[Escapay]

Douglas Adams often called his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series as "A Trilogy in Five Books".

Still, I don't understand how one can consider seven books to be a trilogy.

albert

[Mason_Ireton]

Can we plz stop with the cappin please? I get the point and it was an honest mistake thank you.

[drfsupercenter]

I heard the commentary to Batman and Robin was good as they director pretty much apologized for the movie?

That being said I actually liked Batman and Robin... *grabs a sheld as most sane people start shooting*
I need to listen to that commentary, though.

I liked the Star Wars commentaries... really, I haven't had time to listen to many commentaries as I'm still way behind on the movies I need to watch. If you guys can recommend some really good ones I might think about it. (Now, those "visual commentaries" with the subtitle tracks are awesome, so I can still enjoy the movie normally but have a behind-the-scenes look)

[Lazario]

I heard the commentary to Batman and Robin was good as they director pretty much apologized for the movie?

That being said I actually liked Batman and Robin... *grabs a sheld as most sane people start shooting*
I need to listen to that commentary, though.

When I saw the movie, I didn't think there was anything seriously wrong with it. I don't know what the Haters-Club on this movie are smoking. Besides- Alicia Silverstone is amazing. They complained about her! Chubby?? What the hell did they want from this movie? Courtney Love would have been skinny enough. Most skinny women are too tired from not eating to kick much butt. I also thought Uma Thurman was great. Ahhnold was typical Ahhnold, still no worse than Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever. Ahhnold delivered schlock, the same stuff you get in all his performances. He didn't hurt the movie. But with Tommy- you expect a great performance and you usually get one. He was so hopped-up and out of it, he made Jim Carrey look subdued!

There were also complaints that the movie was too gay. That I've never understood.

[Escapay]

When I saw the movie, I didn't think there was anything seriously wrong with it.

1. Nipples on the suits. Most consider it the anti-Christ of Batman suits, and I would not agree with that. But seriously, they served no purpose and just stuck out (pun intended).

2. Ice skates. You know, just in case Batman needed to infiltrate the Ice Capades or something.

3. George Clooney as George Clooney, not George Clooney as Batman/Bruce Wayne. Horrible horrible casting decision.

4. Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy (and Bane). In other words, two villains too many.

5. Batgirl. Ultimately unnecessary to the entire story, regardless how good Alicia Silverstone was in the role.

6. The entire thing pretty much is a two-hour toy commercial held together by the thinnest of storylines and laughable performances.

albert

[2099net]

6. The entire thing pretty much is a two-hour toy commercial held together by the thinnest of storylines and laughable performances.

But on the plus side, secretly, we all enjoy watching toy commercials don't we?

I'm in too minds about Batman and Robin. On one hand, its a complete mess, on the other its so OTT it has some value.

What's clear from the commentary is Warner execs are just as much to blame, if not more so, than Schumaker's. I mean, regardless of what they green lit (and they knew more or less what they were signing-off on at the time... had input even) when you're financing a movie costing that much, you'd think somebody would keep an eye on it.

It really upsets me that Batman and Robin got through the corporate tree without comment, and yet the Avengers movie was totally trashed by the same executives.

If you want to see a really bad movie with an excellent commentary, which really goes into the problems of time, money, over-enthusiasm and well, basically the woes of hiring Uwe Boll as a director, check out Altman's track on House of the Dead. It's still probably my favourite commentary track ever, and the stories he tells are many times for horrific than the film itself.

PS. For all of that, for its budget, I don't think House of the Dead is that bad a film. I've seen films with 20 times the budget come out worse at the end of the day.