Anybody hear any good DVD commentaries?

[doggans]

The commentaries for Pirates of the Caribbean 1& 2 are pretty good, too - athough the writers' commentary for the 2nd one is definitely the funnier one. Kinda disappointed they didn't do a commentary for the 3rd movie...

I don't know how accurate this is, but I HEARD they were pissed about some scenes that made the plot more coherent being deleted, so it's possible The Powers That Be didn't want their negative attitude shared with the world through official channels.

[gojikranz]

criterion collection consistently provides interesting informative commentaries. 
Michael Bay/Bruckheimer on the Rock and armageddon are very good commentaries.
steven soderbergh interviewing himself on schizopolis is a fun one.
i like scholarly commentaries they do as well but im a film nerd so not for everyone to be sure.


other than criterion i will second Ridley Scott commentaries as being good ones.  George Romero has some good ones too.

[stansimpson]

i like scholarly commentaries they do as well but im a film nerd so not for everyone to be sure.

As a fellow film nerd, my absolute favorite commentaries are the ones by film historians.  Even Abbott & Costello Meet Frankentsein's film historian commentary is astoundingly rich with detail (script revisions, moments of improv, giving jokes better context).  I don't know what you look for in a commentary but for me, film historians provide it in spades.  Never a dull moment.

Did you know that the very first audio commentary (as we understand them today) was recorded by a film historian for Criterion's laserdisc of King Kong?

And with that bit of info, the Terrible Trivium has now lapsed himself!

[Courtney]

I forgot - the Mr. Show commentaries are amazing. I can't remember the last time I actually watched those DVDs without the tracks on.

[D.B. Barnes]

I forgot - the Mr. Show commentaries are amazing. I can't remember the last time I actually watched those DVDs without the tracks on.

Seconded, thirded, and fourthededth.

[stansimpson]

I forgot - the Mr. Show commentaries are amazing. I can't remember the last time I actually watched those DVDs without the tracks on.

Seconded, thirded, and fourthededth.

'd

[Sharktopus]

Oh, I forgot about Spaced! Fried gold.

And the worst audio commentary ever? The composer of the score for The Matrix. (No, I didn't listen to the whole thing.)

[Darth Geek]

I never listen to the composer commentaries as the music is the least interesting part of the movie making to me. Although the Nightmare Before Christmas commentary with Danny Elfman was great.

[Sharktopus]

I never listen to the composer commentaries as the music is the least interesting part of the movie making to me. Although the Nightmare Before Christmas commentary with Danny Elfman was great.

It was morbid curiosity. Suffice to say, I didn't make it very far.

Sadly, I've found Joss Whedon's commentaries horribly dull, too. (When he's by himself, anyway.) WE DON'T CARE WHAT LENS YOU USED!

[stansimpson]

I never listen to the composer commentaries as the music is the least interesting part of the movie making to me. Although the Nightmare Before Christmas commentary with Danny Elfman was great.

His Peewee's Big Adventure is my favorite composer track.  And the accompanying isolated score is delightful.

And the worst audio commentary ever? The composer of the score for The Matrix. (No, I didn't listen to the whole thing.)

Pssh... not even close to the worst.  I could think of at least a handful more off the top of my head (maybe a dozen if I thought longer about it). 

Like Bowling For Columbine's interns' commentary.  Michael Moore wanted to give "the little people" some say.  Good concept since someone looking in can sometimes have better perspective than someone "too close" to the material.  Unfortunately, it's a bunch of college navel-gazers who have absolutely nothing of value to say.  Simply put, their apathy is infectious.  It's surprising they didn't leave it off altogether.

Then there was this one with a BBC series producer but I can't remember which show (I wanna say it was something like Fawlty Towers but I don't think that was it).  Anyway, the guy sounds like he's at least 90 years old, and he breathes loudly through the whole dang thing.  What makes it worse is that they didn't add any of the show's audio, so it really is a guy breathing and occasionally coughing up something completely pointless... and then... more breathing... with long, phlegm-filled breaths.  It's actually pretty funny how bad it is.  Kinda feel sorry for the dude.

But maybe the worst (and probably most infamous) one is Rosemary Clooney's for White Christmas.  Check out any review of the dvd.  They will all tell you it is the worst ever:

She lets big gaps go by without saying anything, and when she does mention something its often "Oh, here they are" or "Ha ha ha, ohhhh, ha ha."

Now imagine that... for 2 straight hours.

[gojikranz]

I never listen to the composer commentaries as the music is the least interesting part of the movie making to me. Although the Nightmare Before Christmas commentary with Danny Elfman was great.

His Peewee's Big Adventure is my favorite composer track.  And the accompanying isolated score is delightful.

And the worst audio commentary ever? The composer of the score for The Matrix. (No, I didn't listen to the whole thing.)

Pssh... not even close to the worst.  I could think of at least a handful more off the top of my head (maybe a dozen if I thought longer about it). 

Like Bowling For Columbine's interns' commentary.  Michael Moore wanted to give "the little people" some say.  Good concept since someone looking in can sometimes have better perspective than someone "too close" to the material.  Unfortunately, it's a bunch of college navel-gazers who have absolutely nothing of value to say.  Simply put, their apathy is infectious.  It's surprising they didn't leave it off altogether.

Then there was this one with a BBC series producer but I can't remember which show (I wanna say it was something like Fawlty Towers but I don't think that was it).  Anyway, the guy sounds like he's at least 90 years old, and he breathes loudly through the whole dang thing.  What makes it worse is that they didn't add any of the show's audio, so it really is a guy breathing and occasionally coughing up something completely pointless... and then... more breathing... with long, phlegm-filled breaths.  It's actually pretty funny how bad it is.  Kinda feel sorry for the dude.

But maybe the worst (and probably most infamous) one is Rosemary Clooney's for White Christmas.  Check out any review of the dvd.  They will all tell you it is the worst ever:

She lets big gaps go by without saying anything, and when she does mention something its often "Oh, here they are" or "Ha ha ha, ohhhh, ha ha."

Now imagine that... for 2 hours.

the worst audio commentary was the commentary by genesis on the way we walk tour dvd.  first the audio was way to low so you heard the songs far louder than you could hear what htey were saying.  second they didnt say anything.  they just chuckled a few times.  and after the drum solo phil said "thats it?"  really. 

[stansimpson]

Just for fun, RateThatCommentary's Top 50 lowest rated tracks.   

A Few Good Men is on there too (deservedly so).  It's one of my favorite movies (I was an Aaron Sorkin fan before he was "Aaron Sorkin").  Imagine my delight when I first got the Special Edition dvd.  Reiner waits about every 10-20mins (or whenever the scene changes) to say one sentence... then waits till the next scene change.     Pretty bad.

Oh!  And Steve Zahn's commentary for Joy Ride is easily one of my favorites!  He was on Conan once explaining that he didn't think they would use all of what he was saying so he totally doesn't take any of it seriously (and if I remember correctly, gives a slight nod to MST3k).  It's pretty funny and only ruined by the fact that they combined his with a separate recording of Leelee Sobieski most unenthusiastically saying "Look at my nipples."  IMO tho, worth the price of the dvd.

Speaking of Conan, commentary tracks and Mr. Show, did anybody see when David Cross and Bob Odenkirk were on Late Night?  They showed a sample of their dvds with commentary.  Then they showed a sample of their commentary on their own commentary!

[Darth Geek]

29. In the Mouth of Madness -- Commentary track: Director John Carpenter, and director of photography Gary B. Kibbe. Rating: 3.1

They agree with me. That is one of the worst ever. I know lighting is important to a movie (just look at AVP:R to prove that), but good god is it boring to hear him talk. It's too bad because John Carpenter can be fun, if he has somebody fun to talk with, like Kurt Russell on The Thing.

I also totally agree with the inclusion of some of the Seinfeld episode commentaryies with the cast. They have nothing to say and are clearly not interested in commenting on anything.

[Sharktopus]

15. Star Trek: Nemesis -- Commentary track: Director Stuart Baird. Rating: 2.6

I listened to that all the way through, hoping that he'd address the plot a little. Nope. I don't think he'd ever even seen an episode of Star Trek before.

The Venture Bros commentaries are, um, unique. I enjoy them, but your mileage may vary.

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

15. Star Trek: Nemesis -- Commentary track: Director Stuart Baird. Rating: 2.6

I listened to that all the way through, hoping that he'd address the plot a little

What plot?

Nope. I don't think he'd ever even seen an episode of Star Trek before.

Then again, Logan claims to have seen every episode of ST:TNG and he thinks that Troi was the third most popular/important character in the show.