Xixax Film Forum

Film Discussion => News and Theory => Topic started by: kotte on November 28, 2003, 04:23:50 PM

Title: Commentary routine
Post by: kotte on November 28, 2003, 04:23:50 PM
How do you listen to commentaries?

Have it on in the background when doing situps? Sit in your sofa with chips & dip and watch it as you would without the commentary?

As I've said, I listen to it when I go to sleep.

PS. I did the mistake of listening to the 'The Usual Suspects' commentary before I saw the movie. If you haven't heard it they tell us who Soze is in the first 5 minutes DS.
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: SoNowThen on November 28, 2003, 04:28:30 PM
Usually just sit there and watch it as I would the regular movie. The only difference is I will answer the phone, or split it up over two days, which I hate doing with movies.
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: aclockworkjj on November 28, 2003, 04:33:41 PM
i usually listen to them while i am working on the computer...i will make the window small and throw it in the corner of the screen.  Listen, work, and occasionally glance.
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: kotte on November 28, 2003, 04:35:53 PM
Quote from: aclockworkjji usually listen to them while i am working on the computer...i will make the window small and throw it in the corner of the screen.  Listen, work, and occasionally glance.

That's actually a good idea. Haven't thought about that. Thanks. :)
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: SoNowThen on November 28, 2003, 04:40:01 PM
I don't understand why you guys wouldn't sit down and watch the thing. I find it gives you the chance to really study the editing and the lighting. Some people like to watch movies with the sound turned off for this reason, but I like the added extra of a running commentary.
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: kotte on November 28, 2003, 04:43:52 PM
Quote from: SoNowThenI don't understand why you guys wouldn't sit down and watch the thing. I find it gives you the chance to really study the editing and the lighting. Some people like to watch movies with the sound turned off for this reason, but I like the added extra of a running commentary.

The commentaries I listen to when I go to sleep are movies I've seen several times before and commentaries I've listened to.

I can't have a commentarie on in the background if I haven't seen the movie. I get too interested.

Sometimes I just want to listen to great directos talk. That's why I have several CDs with commentaries.
Title: Re: Commentary routine
Post by: Weak2ndAct on November 28, 2003, 06:27:17 PM
Quote from: kottePS. I did the mistake of listening to the 'The Usual Suspects' commentary before I saw the movie. If you haven't heard it they tell us who Soze is in the first 5 minutes DS.
How/why in God's name did you listen to the commentary before the movie-- or any movie for that matter?
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: Pubrick on November 28, 2003, 10:38:00 PM
Quote from: SoNowThenI don't understand why you guys wouldn't sit down and watch the thing. I find it gives you the chance to really study the editing and the lighting. Some people like to watch movies with the sound turned off for this reason, but I like the added extra of a running commentary.
that's true.
Title: Re: Commentary routine
Post by: kotte on November 29, 2003, 12:38:01 AM
Quote from: Weak2ndAct
Quote from: kottePS. I did the mistake of listening to the 'The Usual Suspects' commentary before I saw the movie. If you haven't heard it they tell us who Soze is in the first 5 minutes DS.
How/why in God's name did you listen to the commentary before the movie-- or any movie for that matter?

I agree. That was a big mistake. I was bored with my other commentaries, you know. I've listened to PTA, the Coens and Coppola a fucking hundred times. I needed something fresh so I thought 'why not The Usual Suspects'.

I won't do it again. That's for sure.
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: Gamblour. on November 29, 2003, 12:43:09 AM
I watch the commentary like I would any movie, just sit there and listen. Sometimes, my mind wanders and I have to rewind often. Mostly, I only listen to the director commentary, or DP commentary, and then cast. Rarely do I listen to crew only. That's just boring and mostly covered in the special features anyhow. I'm gonna go listen to my LOTR TTT extended with director/writer commentary and then Cast commentary and then the Simpsons season 3, all with commentary. Gonna be a long day.
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: BrainSushi on November 29, 2003, 09:29:14 PM
I usually surf the web while listening to commentaries. Sometimes I need to stop and rewind if the director/writer/producer/actor/historian/whatever points out something specific on screen, so I can have a gander. I also only usually listen to commentaries one time, unless it's worth a second listen.

I also listen to director commentaries first. Any other commentary comes second, but I always like to listen to all of 'em.
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: meatball on November 29, 2003, 09:32:09 PM
..
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: NEON MERCURY on November 29, 2003, 09:49:39 PM
i listen to the commentary track while watching the film..
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: meatball on November 29, 2003, 11:03:21 PM
Quote from: NEON MERCURYi listen to the commentary track while watching the film..

Well, I'd usually do this.. but lately, commentaries have been losing my interest unless they are especially well done.
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: Ravi on November 29, 2003, 11:12:33 PM
Quote from: meatball
Quote from: NEON MERCURYi listen to the commentary track while watching the film..

Well, I'd usually do this.. but lately, commentaries have been losing my interest unless they are especially well done.

Within the first minute or two you can usually tell whether or not the track will be good.  I turned off the Metropolis commentary quickly because the guy was narrating the action instead of imparting knowledge.
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: Gamblour. on November 30, 2003, 12:02:56 AM
Quote from: Ravi
Quote from: meatball
Quote from: NEON MERCURYi listen to the commentary track while watching the film..

Well, I'd usually do this.. but lately, commentaries have been losing my interest unless they are especially well done.

Within the first minute or two you can usually tell whether or not the track will be good.  I turned off the Metropolis commentary quickly because the guy was narrating the action instead of imparting knowledge.

I just watched the 39 Steps, flipped through the commentary a bit, and the same thing here. This was only a minute or so that I listened to, but it was spread over the whole film. At one point she called a coat hook phallic, I had to rewind, listen again, and then turn it off. How stupid.
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: meatball on November 30, 2003, 12:25:16 AM
..
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: Pedro on November 30, 2003, 01:42:03 AM
Watch Sodebergh commentaries...they're excellent.  

As for how I watch them...I just sit down and watch it like it's another movie.  If there's something he notes that I want to especially remember or rip off, I'll write it down.
Title: Commentary routine
Post by: Reinhold on November 30, 2003, 01:47:28 AM
i love monty python commentaries. they just talk about how cheap the movies are.

what i generally do: watch the movie in its normal widescreen thing without the commentary. if there's something that looks really cool, i rewind a bit and hit the sound button on my dvd remote. switches sound modes and the commentary comes on. just hit whatever button you'd hit to switch from "stereo" to "dolby digital 5.1" to "mono" or, in this case, "commentary".