Best and Worst DVD Audio Commentaries

[FanGirl]

I am always looking to find good commentaries. What do you recommend? Besides, Kevin of course. He's the only one I know that people quote the commentary as much as the movies.

Which ones are just bad? I think it's Sleepy Hollow where Tim Burton is so quiet you forget the commentary is on until he suddenly speaks.

[Zens_7s]

I enjoy Cameron Crowe's commentary. Say Anything and Almost Famous pop into mind. Say Anything has John Cusack, and that is the only selling point needed there. Almost Famous has that embarrassing Shalom Harlowe call.

[FanGirl]

Which Almost Famous Disc has the commentary? I know there was a regular disc and an expanded. I think my friend has the regular disc I could borrow.

[DangerSeeker]

Blood Simple
Cannibal The Musical
Evil Dead 2

all very damn funny

[Denyse]

I enjoyed the commentary on The Recruit which was no more than a discussion between Colin Farrell and the director...But the conversation is classic Colin...

[jjcourtright]

Zens, did you get rid of your avatar because all the jerks made fun of it? Poor, poor Zens.

[Zens_7s]

My copy of Almost Famous is the regular one, I am pretty sure. (Hope I am not fibbing)

[karmattack]

To answer the question about Almost Famous commentary -- I believe the edition that has commentary is the one called Untitled. It's a special edition of the movie that has edited footage returned to the cut. The commentary track features Cameron, Nancy and Cameron's mom.

The commentary on Fight Club is priceless. I've watched the movie with the commentary on as many times as not, which is a lot. It's pure entertainment with Pitt, Norton and Fincher. The commentary for American Beauty is really good too because it's very informative and is one of our last ventures into the mind of the late, great Conrad Hall.

Commentary for K-Pax? To quote Lewis Black "take a pencil........sharpen it.......and STICK IT IN YOUR EYE!!"

[Zens_7s]

No JJ, it just gave me enough time to find the one that accurately describes my mood most days. The finger (not directed at you of course).

[jjcourtright]

Is that Riff from Rock N Ro...kidding, kidding.

[Zens_7s]

Keep it up funny boy. At least I have discovered that Riff is a girl.

[Omaru]

Theres only one kind of almost famous dvd released here it has rolling stone articles and other features, I think theres a commentary but I cant remember since my copy is at my brothers house at the the moment.

[psychofiend]

The commentary on Jason goes to hell is funny as hell. During a sex scene, the director says something to the effect of "this is so evil I think it should have been call 'The Creators of This are Going to Hell."

[Razorback]

Any Kevin Smith commentary would make the list of best... but the best is on the Black Hawk Down: 3-Disk Deluxe Edition DVD. The real deal commenting on the movie version of their 15 hours of hell is a winner. Not only do they comment on the places where the movie makers got it right and wrong but they also explain why things had to be changed from the book and the actual events. The other commentaries are very good also.

RB

[code6enterprises]

It kinda looks like the mom from Wonder Years.

[MattSinger]

>>Theres only one kind of almost famous dvd released here it has rolling stone articles and other features, I think theres a commentary but I cant remember since my copy is at my brothers house at the the moment.

This is the version he was referring to (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005OM4Q/qid=1058937084/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-4180248-0974312?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005OM4Q.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

The commentary is pretty crummy, because Crowe doesn't really have much to say and what he does say is interrupted by his mother (who is adorable, but mostly spends the commentary going "Oh she's so good" and "Oh he did a wonderful job."). The bootleg cut is worth getting though because not only do you get the theatrical version, but you also get the director's cut which is longer, and actually, even better than the theatrical cut.

[MattSinger]

I particularly like the commentaries on:

FUTURAMA - SEASON 1 (with the creators and cast): Really interesting insights into the show and these people, David X. Cohen in particular, are absolutely hilarious.

CITIZEN KANE (with Roger Ebert) - AKA Everything I ever wanted to know about Citizen Kane but were afraid to ask.

THIS IS SPINAL TAP (with Spinal Tap) - In-character commentary by some of the funniest improvisational comedians around. Adds a whole new hysterical dimension to the flick.

[Zens_7s]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
It kinda looks like the mom from Wonder Years.


[/ QUOTE ]
Ok - get it all out of your system. Suzanne Sommers, some girl named Riff Randall or PJ Soles, the mom from the Wonder Years...Sadaam Hussein's third son: the blonde one with big tits that isn't buried under a house, this emotiocon /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif, L.Ron Hubbard, your ex-wife, your college roommate's labrador retriever, the bagel you had for breakfast this morning, and the fecking fish from Finding Nemo. Have we missed any? Excellent!

Back to the DVD commentary...

[Zens_7s]

I looked, and I have the copy that came out first of Almost Famous, with the commentary done by Cameron and his wife only. Is it worth picking this version that you are talking about Matt or anybody?

[code6enterprises]

This weekend, I was over at my cousins house and I borrowed the Family Guy season 1 and 2. Seth McFarlane and Alex Borstien do commentary for the pilot episode and it is hilarious.

[karmattack]

It depends on how big a fan of the movie you are. "Untitled" isn't a totally different movie because of the extra footage, but it is a little bit better. Plus, it has a bunch of extras and neato mosquito packaging.

[DangerSeeker]

I never noticed the PJ thing. Wow. But we're moving on...

Just went through the Back to the Future commentaries. Meh. THere's some interesting anecdotes and technical information, but it was just hard to keep interested, found myself watching the movie in the BG instead.

[SecretArt]

wasen't really a big fan of Fellowship of the rings when i saw it at the movies...but watched with the comentary this weekend and liked that...

David fincher commentaries are great...love the Fight Club comentary with him, Pitt and Norten

[towelie99]

Can't say I listen to the commentaries much. Don't have the time or discipline. A lot of the time, it's the director and his crew jerking themselves off about how [censored] brilliant they are. I get enough of that in the documentaries, which sadly, I do watch.

I will agree about Kevin Smith's commentaries, though. Only listened to Clerks: TAS so far, and it was funny as hell. In places, it was even funnier than the cartoon, itself, and that was a funny cartoon. Gotta listen to more of his.

My 2 cents.

[towelie99]

As far as other commentaries go, I have heard some good things about The Thing. Commentary is done by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. From what I heard, it becomes apparent 10 min into the movie that both of them are drunk, making for interesting commentary. Not sure if they do this on any of their other films together, which should be roughly 3 (Escape From New York, Big Trouble in Little China, Escape From LA).

I was disappointed to see that Pulp Fiction (favorite movie) had no commentary. If ever there was a movie that I WANTED [censored] COMMENTARY FOR, that was it! /forums/images/icons/shocked.gif I really want to know what his thought processes were on every scene, but that's just me.

[ratm1966]

I think some of his thought processes were...."Hey, pass that bong, I need to come up with another twist to the story line." Now, I am not knocking the movie, as it was a very good movie.

[towelie99]

You could be right.

God, imagine if he came up with the idea for Zed, Maynard, and the Gimp clean and sober? That's just scary! /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[ratm1966]

True....A person might get the idea that maybe it was a secret fantasy of his. After puking, you would say to yourself..."Self? Did he want to be the giver or receiver in that fantasy?" Eeeeeeeew!

[DangerSeeker]

The EFNY lasedisc had commentary, dunno about the DVD. Big Trouble has one, and a helluva lot of extras. EFLA, dunno. And one partnership of theirs I wish would hit video is the TV mini they did, "Elvis: The Movie."

[Razorback]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
A lot of the time, it's the director and his crew jerking themselves off about how [censored] brilliant they are.

[/ QUOTE ]

Give an example because in the hundreds of commentaries that I have listened to I have never felt like the director or his crew was referencing their brilliance. They are either being informative or reflective.

RB

[Omaru]

in a cartoon one I had the, one of the main characters would not shut up talking about howw briliantly the other voice talent did their job, and how sound effects wizzard entered x-sound here to add to the autheticity of the jap to eng translation.

[MinerWerks]

I'll suggest a few good ones:

TOY STORY - A brilliant and fun track with the geniuses from Pixar.
AUSTIN POWERS - The first one is the best, the most easygoing and informative commentary of the three.
BOOGIE NIGHTS - An early DVD favorite. A good group commentary before they got more loose and less focused.
CAN'T HARDLY WAIT - A guilty pleasure of mine. Seth Green guests. It's funny to hear about stuff they had to cut to get PG-13.
LIFE OF BRIAN - The Pythons aren't just funny, they are wicked smart as well.
DARK CITY - Roger Ebert has some fascinating things to say about this overlooked film.
LITTLE MAN TATE - Jodie Foster brings an very enlightened perspective to her directorial debut.
TWELVE MONKEYS - Any Terry Gilliam commentary will be great, but I think this film is best served by the commentary. (Too bad THE FISHER KING Criterion commentary isn't available on DVD)
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN - Robert Rodriguez packs his commentaries with info.
HEATHERS - Another great carryover from the freewheeling days of laserdisc.
KISSING JESSICA STEIN - I found the commentary from the two female leads (also the writers) very interesting.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (Seasons 2 &amp; 4) - Joss Whedon's commentaries on these sets are well worth listening to. Marti Noxon and Jane Espenson's aren't bad either.

[FanGirl]

The commentary on UHF is pretty funny and Weird Al does one thing I wish some commentaries would do which is give the location of where they shot it at. There are a few movies that I would love to go see in person.

[psychofiend]

I think that the commentary on Wes Craven's New Nightmare wasn't half bad.

[FanGirl]

Miner,

Good call on the Can't Hardly Wait commentary. Listened to it last night. I wish the movie had been more popular now to have a rated R version as well. Some of the stuff they talked about sounded hysterical.

[armyantmatt]

I'm not sure which one I would consider the "best", but anything with Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, or Kevin Smith is a contender.

However, I'm sure the worst that I've seen is the Resident Evil commentary, I swear to god, there is a complete void between Milla Jovovich's (sp?) ears. I got nothing from the drivel the actors and director offered for commentary.

[FanGirl]

Resurrecting this thread from the dead to say that over Thanksgiving weekend I listed to the Cannibal the Musical commentary track...it was hysterical! They get so drunk. Thanks for the recommendation!

I also listened to the Can't Hardly Wait track and now I want to see their edit of the movie.

I also checked out the Home for the Holidays track. Very cool. Didn't realize Jodi was such a Cassavetes fan. Good solid track.

[psychofiend]

Best: Hunter S. Thompson commentating Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas while drinking heavily.

[Matt1]

Here's my list. (http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=offtopic&amp;Number=4551&amp;Forum =offtopic&amp;Words=commentary%20tracks&amp;Match=Entire%2 0Phrase&amp;Searchpage=0&amp;Limit=25&amp;Old=allposts&amp;Main=45 51&amp;Search=true#Post4551)

[facetoface]

You don't need the commentaries if you want to visit scene locations for Lord of the Rings. New Zealand is trying to reap in some revenue from tourists by promoting the movie and the locations. "The Welcome to Wellington, home of Lord of the Rings" is even there current slogan at City Hall.

Yahoo! News (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&amp;u=/ap/20031129/ap_on_en_mo/new_zealand_movie_fantasy_2)