# DVD Commentary **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 29, 2001, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860 "2001-05-29T06:00:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2001, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/21 "2001-05-29T23:36:38Z")
Robert Rodriguez’s **El Mariachi** is a brilliant and brutally honest treatise on how to make a feature-length film for $7000. It’s got _Desperado_ on the flipside, too, although I never watched that. (Note: Rodriguez is so good at being cheap that he recycled the script, shots, and setting from _Mariachi_ to make _Desperado_, and the props, sets and even some of the actors from _Desperado_ to make _From Dusk 'Til Dawn_. From $7K saved up by submitting himself to medical testing to Harvey Keitel–but not Harvey’s penis–in three moves!) ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2001, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/22 "2001-05-30T02:42:21Z")
Superman Richard Donner and Tom Manckiwic (sp) The Usual Suspects Sleepy Hollow Tim Burton The Talented Mr. Ripely Anthony Minghella Sense and Sensibility Two diffetent tracks Emma Thompson and another woman and a seperate track with Ang Lee and one of the producers. Amazing to listen to both. Dead Again Ken Branagh To Kill a Mockingbird Alan Pakula I meet him a few weeks befor he died and I got to tell him how much I liked his films. 12 Monkeys Terry Gilliam Jaws Steven Apollo 13 has a few tracks including one by astronaut Jim Lovell and his wife. I really like a mix of ‘how we did it’ and ‘amusing story’ on an alternate track. Sometimes an older film directors track is dissapointing to me. I guess the director is trying to remember stuff but they seem detached. (Sound of Music and The Manchurian Candidate for me) ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2001, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/23 "2001-05-30T03:32:00Z")
I find DVD commentary enhances my enjoyment of the film. I like knowing the technical aspects of film production: why the director chose to use a wide shot instead of a closeup; how a tricky FX shot was accomplished; the significance of a color symbolism I missed. And, being a movie fan, I also like stories of scandal on the set, who was sleeping with whom, and so on. I found Julie Taymor’s commentary on **Titus** to be illuminating in her discussion of bringing together the technical elements in her adapting _Titus Andronicus_ onscreen. \*\*Dark City, Boogie Nights, The Mummy (1999), Logan’s Run, Brazil \*\* all have entertaining cast and director commentaries. In addition, the entire Universal Monsters collection has a commentary by a film historian on each DVD which details the production and scandal of those great old black and white horror movies. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2001, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/24 "2001-05-30T05:21:09Z")
Some of my favorite commentaries: _Ghostbusters_: Done in silhouette in front of the screen, MST3K style. _Dark City_: The Roger Ebert commentary (he called the best movie of that year) should be the criterion for judging all serious commentaries. _The Conversation_: Coppola shares a lot about the story as literature and movie-making technique. But the commentary is worth it solely for it’s revealing the location of the bug. _His Girl Friday_: It’s worth paying a few bucks more for the Columbia Classics version just to get the Todd McCArthy commentary. The Rick Myers commentaries on several deluxe versions of some great Hong Kong action flicks, most notably _Dragon Inn_, and _Once Upon a Time in China_. _Sleepaway Camp_: The Robert Hiltzik director’s commentary is priceless. The man truly does not realize that he’s made one of the great good/bad movies of all time. If Ed Wood were alive to do a commentary on _Plan 9_, it would probably be something like this. ---
**Author:** ![CyberHippy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@CyberHippy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberHippy)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2001, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/25 "2001-05-30T05:28:51Z")
Monty Python’s The Life of Brian has two seperate commentaries, one with Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and Terry Jones, the other with John Cleese and Michael Palin. Both are really funny, and some of the deleted scenes are priceless! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2001, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/26 "2001-05-30T06:04:55Z")
If you liked **Spinal Tap** you must, repeat _must_ get the **Best in Show** DVD. It’s by the same guys, and it’s even funnier, IMHO. Great commentary too. Both of these movies, along with their other classic, **Waiting for Guffman** , which isn’t on DVD yet, had no written dialogue. It was all improvised, which makes it that much more hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2001, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/27 "2001-05-30T06:26:15Z")
Boogie Nights, Magnolia, American Beauty, Sixth Sense, Fight Club, and Rushmore all have excellent commentaries. Rushmore’s is HILARIOUS, thanks to the incredibly witty Luke Wilson. –Tim ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2001, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/28 "2001-05-30T07:36:34Z")
> [@](#): > > I can only name a scant few- any David Fincher movie, and Austin Powers 2. Personally, I thought the commentary on the first Austin Powers DVD was noticeably better than the second’s. Meyers seemed more interested in the first movie, whereas in the second I occasionally got the feeling he was just fulfilling a contractual obligation. > [@](#): > > I loved the commentary track on The Rocky Horror Picture Show with Richard O’Brien and Patricia Quinn. O’Brien’s imitation of Meat Loaf’s Texas drawl was worth the price of the DVD all by itself. > [@](#): > > The commentary on Boogie Nights by PT Anderson is just brilliant Anderson has released two different versions of this DVD, both with his commentary. Does anyone know if he used the same commentary track on both or did he record a new one for the re-release? I recently bought a copy of the DVD version of _The Hollywood Knights_. It’s an enjoyable yet forgettable teen comedy from 1980, which if it has any claim to fame, is best remembered as Michelle Pfeiffer’s first movie. I saw the movie when I was a teen and decided to buy the DVD when I saw it on sale. I was surprised to find that it had a commentary track from its director, the now legendary Floyd Mutrux. Was there really that much demand from fans wanting to know the inner secrets of this two decade old movie? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2001, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/29 "2001-05-30T13:39:44Z")
The Sixth Sense has a great commentary and some great special features. The deleated scenes are really cool because M Knight Shamlamdingdong introduces each one and explains why it was cut. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2001, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/30 "2001-06-08T22:01:17Z")
Okay, had to resurrect this to mention the WORST DVD commentary I’ve heard, which comes along with a horrid confession: I rented the **Dungeons & Dragons** DVD. The movie was lovely to look at, but everything else about it sucked big-time. Anyway, the commentary track is by star Justin Whalin, director Courtney Solomon, and (evidently in a small room all by himself, since he doesn’t interact with the other two) Dave Arneson, co-creator of the D&D role playing game. Whalin and Solomon are two of the dumbest people I’ve ever had the misfortune to listen to; it’s like listening to Bill and Ted on a really bad mushroom trip, but not nearly as entertaining. They just sit there and laugh about how “cool” everything is, like barking seals. Ugh. Trust me. Stay away. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2001, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/31 "2001-06-08T22:49:59Z")
I’ve had my DVD a short time but have enjoyed the commentaries I’ve listened to thus far (including \*Walkabout, Boogie Nights, This Is Spinal Tap, Cockfighter, Se7en, The Great Train Robbery, \*and _Fast Times at Ridgemont High_) Except one: _ **The Thomas Crown Affair** _. Fun movie, but the commentary–ARGH! John McTiernan will drone. Stop. ``` Wait. A Long Time. Drone again. Stop again. ``` After 1/2 hour, I had to shut it off for fear of slipping into an irreversible coma. Absolutely Terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/32 "2001-06-09T00:13:58Z")
I love the commentary on _ **Gladiator** _! Especially on the second disk, showing the cut scenes. My two favorite parts are when Ridley Scott’s discussing the scene showing the Christians being fed to the lions and he says, “I cut this scene out because I just didn’t like the way the lion ate the little boy.” and when Lucilla appears on the screen in one cut scene and Scott says, “She can be my empress anytime.” Most of the commentary on the DVD’s I’ve seen has been pretty good, the one I can’t understand is the commentary for _ **Carrie 2: The Rage** _ not only was that a godawful movie, but the director actually bothered to record her commentary for the DVD! Why? The one thing, I’m really wondering, is what’s the commentary for _ **Battlefield Earth** _ like? Surely, they can’t be apologizing for how horrible that movie was the entire time? (Though, they should.) ---
**Author:** ![bafaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@bafaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bafaa)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/33 "2001-06-09T00:52:34Z")
My favorite commentary is **Fight Club**. Every time I watch that DVD I have to watch it with the commentary on. I prefer commentaries that focus on the movie making process. I also enjoy hearing stories about what happened off screen but sometimes it’s just BORING! I recently bought **The Magnificent Seven** and the commentary is mostly a bunch of old guys just going on and on. Yes, some of it was interesting but eventually I just went back to the regular soundtrack. The documentary on the making of it was good though. I found the **Braveheart** commentary especially boring. Mel Gibson is all by himself and mumbles from time to time. It doesn’t sound like he had even prepared for it. I would have preferred hearing the Scottish extras yelling “Look! Look! That’s me!”. I could only take it for a half hour and then I gave up so maybe it got better. Ridley Scott’s commentary on **Alien** is excellent. You can hear him flipping through pages of notes and he even comments on deleted scenes. Anybody check out the **Galaxy quest** DVD? One of the audio tracks is in the alien language. Very cool! ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/34 "2001-06-09T01:02:32Z")
I second the commentary for the Mummy! Brendan Fraiser’s commentary is very funny. He watches the movie with you and chats about it, but he hadn’t seen it for a while when he made the commentary so he jumps at the jumpy parts and laughs at the funny parts. It’s very cute. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/35 "2001-06-09T01:13:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Raziel \* > \*\*Simple question- have you ever found that a commentary by cast/crew on a DVD has enhanced your enjoyment of the movie? \*\* Seven Samurai from Criterion has an excellent commentary that really helps you appreciate the movie more. Conan the Barbarian has a so/so commentary. And Excaliber has the worst commentary of any film. Bored me to tears. Marc ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/36 "2001-06-09T02:24:59Z")
I certainly have to agree that commentaries on **Fight Club** , **Three Kings** , and **Alien** are superb. I would also like to mention **Men in Black** , which was also done in MST3K style. They even drew on the movie with a telestrator! Some parts were a little dumb, but a good portion of it was hilarious. Certainly you wouldn’t want to watch the movie the first time with it on because it’s pretty distracting, but that’s probably true of all commentaries. ---
**Author:** ![aoty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9e8a1a/32.png) [@aoty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aoty)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/37 "2001-06-09T05:41:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Raziel \* > \*\*Simple question- have you ever found that a commentary by cast/crew on a DVD has enhanced your enjoyment of the movie? > \*\* **Dark City** has two terrific commentaries. One is by Roger Ebert. He provides the best insight into a film I’ve ever heard by someone not involved the movie’s production. His comments greatly increased my enjoyment of the film. For those who have not seen Dark City, I highly recommend it. It is by far my favorite Sci-fi movie of the past decade. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/38 "2001-06-09T08:24:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Most of the commentary on the DVD’s I’ve seen has been pretty good, the one I can’t understand is the commentary for Carrie 2: The Rage not only was that a godawful movie, but the director actually bothered to record her commentary for the DVD! Why? I actually found this commentary quite amusing, for much the same reason that I found the commentary to **Sleepaway Camp** fun. Both movies are terrible, and the commentary from both directors shows how deluded they are about the quality of the movies they’ve made. They actually seem to beleive that they’ve made good movies. I’ve read that Ed Wood actually believed that he made good movies. These directors are living proof that such a thing is possible. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/39 "2001-06-09T19:11:04Z")
Speaking of directors’ commentaries on bad movies…I found the commentary track on **Disturbing Behavior** interesting, because you can sense the director’s hostility toward the studio that forced him to make cuts that wound up ruining his movie. There are 11 deleted scenes on the DVD, and they would have improved the movie quite a bit and generally made the plot make more sense, but the studio opted to cut them. The director seems to seethe through the entire commentary. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2001, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860/40 "2001-06-11T08:24:10Z")
I’m watching the DVD commentary of Men in Black right now. Tommy Lee Jones is pretty boring and doesn’t always seem to know what’s going on. It is almost like he is bored and really doesn’t want to be there. The other guy isn’t so bad though. I wouldn’t rate it as the worst but it isn’t the best. Marc [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-commentary/66860.md?page=3)