the first DVD commentary

[Cat_In_A_Top_Hat]

So, what was the first movie with a DVD commentary? Also, what is it that started the trend? It seems like it began in the 90s, but I’m not entirely certain on it.

[Johnny_L.A]

Wiki:

The value of audio commentaries as a marketing tool was revealed during the heyday of laserdisc, the laser-based video format produced before the introduction of DVDs.

<snip>

The first audio commentary was featured on the Criterion Collection release of the original King Kong movie, on laserdisc in December 1984. It featured film historian Ronald Haver and his first words were:

“Hello, ladies and gentlemen, I’m Ronald Haver, and I’m here to do something which we feel is rather unique. I’m going to take you on a lecture tour of King Kong as you watch the film. The laserdisc technology offers us this opportunity and we feel it’s rather unique — the ability to switch back and forth between the soundtrack and this lecture track…”

[friedo]

As Johnny points out, it began with the LaserDisc format, and most early DVD releases reused much of the special feature content from the LaserDisc releases of the same movie.

The commentary on the Criterion Collection DVD for Chasing Amy famously begins with Kevin Smith saying something like, “This is a commentary track for the Chasing Amy LaserDisc, and I fucking hate DVD!”