DVD Audio Commentaries

[Lamaclown]

Do you ever watch movies with the audio commentaries on?
Once I've seen a movie a few times I usually will give it a shot. It is cool sometimes hearing what went into the movie. Some have had good ones, others just stunk.

Pirates of the Carribean was one that stunk. I got tired of Kiera Knightley and the guy who played Norrington talk about how wonderful they were.

Another that annoyed me was The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Lucy was very annoying, I think even the other cast members were getting annoyed with her.

One I enjoyed was Van Helsing (I know, I am probably one of the three people who enjoyed that movie). The actors were quite entertaining in the commentary.


Any audio commentaries you've listened to that you would recommend to listen to or avoid? Or, do you think that people who listen to them are no-life losers?

[Balantai]

Big Trouble in Little China has an awesome commentary. It's been a long time since I listened to it, but if I remember correctly, it's just Russell and Carpenter sitting around watching the movie and getting drunk together.

Also, I enjoyed Mel Brooks' commentary for Space Balls. It's as if Mel hadn't seen the movie in about 10 years and was laughing at all the jokes. Very comical.

[Jormi_Boced]

I do with every movie that I really like.

[lefton4ya]

Originally Posted by Balantai

Big Trouble in Little China has an awesome commentary. It's been a long time since I listened to it, but if I remember correctly, it's just Russell and Carpenter sitting around watching the movie and getting drunk together.

Also, I enjoyed Mel Brooks' commentary for Space Balls. It's as if Mel hadn't seen the movie in about 10 years and was laughing at all the jokes. Very comical.

I listened to the Big trouble commentary and half of it is Kurt Russel laughing hysterically - it actually got boring after awhile but for some reason I listened to it.

I think my favorite commentaries are either with actors just having fun and hardly talking at all about the story or development of the movie, and my least favorite ones are some haughty narcissistic directors or producers who say things like "What I did here was tried to artistically represent the essence of our struggle in this world" during some fight scene. However, sometimes people talking about the movie makes you appreciate it more. Some commentaries like this I have actually listened to multiple times:

Get Shorty - In a movie about making a movie it is amaziing how much the actual making of Get Short is exactly like what the movie itself was making fun of. I.E. Originally Danny Devito was going to be the John Travolta character but they changed it before filming be cause he was too short - completely ironic and is only one of many things in the commentary that make you appreciate the movie more after listening to the commentary.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow - fun to listen how a nobody got to make a big budget movie.
Goonies - It was just fun seeing/hearing them grown up.
Back to Future 1,2,3 - My favorite movies growing up, and you can learn something new about continuation in the films (I also liked the On-screen factoids)
Memento. If you have the Special edition or UK edition, there are actually 4 different commentaries for the last scenes where the director says some completely different observation in each, although most of the commentary is pretty boring. P.S. The DVD menu for the special edition was the most insane menu ever - you had to take a psych test to get to special features. I can't wait till Chris Nolan does commentary for Inception - he will probably have 8 different commentaries about what in the movie was really happening, and the Menu will be menus within menus where each level of menus slows down and takes you into another movie unless you remember your token.

Also, recently I have been buying & listening to Rifftrax of movies and it is hilarious. It is my the makers of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and they just make fun of movies. I have listened to all the Star wars movies and Twilight and New Moon (the only way I would watch those movies)

[Jim]

Bubba Ho-Tep has one of the commentaries with Bruce Campball talking in character as Elvis.

Brother Bear has Bob & Doug Mackenzie in character as the two moose (mooses? Moosi? )

Galaxy Quest has a commentary in the Thermian language.

The Thing is another fun John Carpenter/Kurt Russell conversation commentary.

[Balantai]

Originally Posted by Jim

Brother Bear has Bob & Doug Mackenzie in character as the two moose (mooses? Moosi? )

"...many much moosen!"

(Sorry. It's an obscure reference to one of my favorite comedians. )

[Lamaclown]

Originally Posted by lefton4ya

I think my favorite commentaries are either with actors just having fun and hardly talking at all about the story or development of the movie, and my least favorite ones are some haughty narcissistic directors or producers who say things like "What I did here was tried to artistically represent the essence of our struggle in this world" during some fight scene. However, sometimes people talking about the movie makes you appreciate it more. Some commentaries like this I have actually listened to multiple times:

That is what I liked about the VanHelsing commentary.

Originally Posted by lefton4ya

Goonies - It was just fun seeing/hearing them grown up.
Back to Future 1,2,3 - My favorite movies growing up, and you can learn something new about continuation in the films (I also liked the On-screen factoids)

I know what I am renting this weekend

[Onacara]

Originally Posted by Balantai

"...many much moosen!"

(Sorry. It's an obscure reference to one of my favorite comedians. )

I before E except after C..... ALWAYS!!!

[lefton4ya]

Originally Posted by Jim

Galaxy Quest has a commentary in the Thermian language.

Forgot about that. Me and my friend started watching that movie in a silly mood and I was doing my normal press all up, down, left, right combinations on all menus looking for easter eggs and ran across this "Soundtrack" and for some reason were were laughing for about 15 minutes straight during this track. To this day it is an inside joke that we mention something about a particular movie movie having a Thermian language track and we just crack up.

Also,
I shot a moose, once.

Spoiler Alert!

I know your not referencing Woody Allen, but that is what the quote made me think of.

I shot a moose, once. I was hunting up-state New York, and I shot a moose, and I strap him on to the fender of my car, and I'm driving home along the west side highway, but what I didn't realize was, that the bullet did not penetrate the moose. It just creased the scalp, knocking him unconscious. And I'm driving through the Holland tunnel - the moose woke up. So I'm driving with a live moose on my fender. The moose is signaling for a turn, y'know. There's a law in New York state against driving with a conscious moose on your fender, tuesday, thursday and saturday. And I'm very panicky, and then it hits me: some friends of mine is having a costume party. I'll go, I'll take the moose, I'll ditch him at the party. It wouldn't be my responsibillity.
So I drive up to the party and I knock on the door. The moose is next to me. My host comes to the door. I say "Hello. You know the Solomons". We enter. The moose mingles. Did very well. Scored. Two guys were trying to sell him insurance for an hour and a half. Twelve o'clock comes - they give out prices for the best costume of the night. First price goes to the Burcowiches, a maried couple dressed as a moose. The moose comes in second. The moose is furious. He and the Burcowiches lock antlers in the living room. They knock each other unconscious. Now, I figured, is my chance. I grab the moose, strap him onto my fender, and shoot back to the roads, but - I got the Burcowiches. So I'm driving along with two jewish people on my fender, and there's a law in New York State ... tuesdays, thursdays and especially saturday.

The following morning the Burcowiches wake up in the woods, in a moose suit. Mr. Burcowich is shot, stuffed and mounted - at the New York Athletic Club, and the joke is on them, because it's restricted.

[screwDriver]

I've seen a few. The ones I liked includes Lord of the Ring Trilogy and The Seven Samurai.

For LOTR Trilogy, it was both fun and informative. I remember the 4 hobbits gets to comment about what happened during certain scenes, some jokes or funny moments or even how Sean Astin got mad at Andy Serkis at one point.

The Seven Samurai was different from most commentaries I've seen. For one, this is a very long film (207min) that it actually provides a 10 or 15 minutes break in between, which was literally blank screen for that duration. The commentator was Michael Jeck, I honestly don't know who he is, you are free to Google him though. Unlike directors/script writers 'boasting' how clever or how good things turned out. This commentator disect what director Kurosawa have done and almost on every scene. He informs the audience of cultural or periodic customs and traditions or provides a "what I think Kurosawa wanted to show" kind'a information. Basically, it is very informative and insightful commentary that helps you appreciated the film on a much deeper level.

[lefton4ya]

Sorry to necro (from two weeks ago), but I forgot to mention my favorite commentary - not from a movie but a TV show - Newsradio (specifically Season 1 & 2). 20 of 29 episodes have commentaries and I always enjoy them. The creator/writer Paul Simms is on each and various other combinations of 1-3 actors, writers, directors, etc are on each. This is the perfect mix and they are all quite entertaining. You get to find out:

• What each of the actors was currently up to when the DVD came out (they all had other TV shows, movies, and/or plays)
• What the actors favorite & least favorite part of the show were.
• How bad the writers are and how much they procrastinated by joking around to the piont of having the rep of the worst but funnest staff in all of TV.
• Practical jokes the cast and crew pulled off.
• Which of the actors/writers where sleeping with who (for real)
• How high Andy Dick was on stuff.
• Fond Remembrances and Deep Thoughts of Phil Hartman.

Season 3 and 4 commentaries wheer decent, but paled in comparison to Season 1 & 2.

[Margloth]

Sideways has a very entertaining commentary with the two leads. They have a pretty good goofy chemistry.