So, sorry if this is a repeat, but I know we have a Favorite Commentary thread, so we should have this one as well. Kind of like a warning to not listen. My example is: The Devils Advocate. I used to really like that movie, until I listened to 15 minutes of the garbage commentary by Taylor "The Hack" Hackford. Did this man truly direct the film? All he does is say "there's a CU of Keanu's boots... now there's a medium shot of a girl. She's crying". Fuck, what is this guy bringing to the table? I can't stand junk like this.
So please list the really shit ones, so I don't ever get myself geared up to see them.
Oh, some others I can think of are Altman's for The Player and Nashville. I love the man, but all he does is say the same thing over and over; "that's not scripted, that's all improv, the actors made that up, it's not scripted". Although the Player is saved by some pretty witty comments from the writer.
The Matrix
Any commentary by Rob Reiner.
Anything by Tim Burton, although it chagrins me to say it. He'll have something funny or interesting to say now and then...when he actually talks. He spends most of the time just watching the movie, quietly, which isn't quite as interesting for us to listen to.
Quote from: MacGuffinAny commentary by Rob Reiner.
Even his Spinal Tap Criterion one? At least I think he did one, didn't he?
I guess the question now is, what, to you, makes a good commentary?
To me, the Fight Club and Boogie Nights commentaries were brilliant, because they gave you some insight into the film, and its process. Haven't seen the Sydney one yet, but I've heard good things as well.
I don't think I've come across any bad commentaries myself, because I'm generally on my first time through with most good movies, and I only listen to the commentaries on the ones I really liked.
Commentaries where there is no new info being given = shit
Like in my example, how Hack just described EXACTLY what you are seeing. If we needed that, we'd watch the movie.
I generally like on-set stories, subtextual explanantions, technical info, and just general "I came up with this scene because..." type personal stuff.
Quote from: GhostboyAnything by Tim Burton, although it chagrins me to say it. He'll have something funny or interesting to say now and then...when he actually talks. He spends most of the time just watching the movie, quietly, which isn't quite as interesting for us to listen to.
agreed. edward scissorhands' commentary is brutal.
i was disappointed w/ the Coen Bros commentary track in TMWWT.
and i listened to 5 minutes of George Lucas on the Ep. 1 dvd before i turned it off.
im a commentary junkie so i hate when the directer sounds bored
but also american beauty was not so great because sam mendez kept stepping on alan ball's words
I didn't like the commentaries for Donnie Darko, Best in Show, and The Man Who Wasn't There. And while My Big Fat Greek Wedding was not a great movie to begin with, it also didn't benefit from it's commentary track.
Quote from: OnomatopoeiaI guess the question now is, what, to you, makes a good commentary?
To me, the Fight Club and Boogie Nights commentaries were brilliant, because they gave you some insight into the film, and its process. Haven't seen the Sydney one yet, but I've heard good things as well.
Sydney has TWO commentaries <drool>
This was a while ago, but I remember that Jackie Chan's commentary on Gorgeous was mediocre.
I've read that the Arnie commentaries are terrible.
Hands down the worst commentary I've ever heard is John Carpenter's on "In the Mouth of Madness". He spends the whole time as though he was interviewing his D.P. for a trade magazine. "That's an interesting shot. What kind of lights did you use for that?" I, on the other hand, spent the whole time thinking, "Carpenter, were you even present for the making of this movie, or what?" Truly awful commentary; bad in the way that movies like "Highlander 2" and the "Rollerball" remake are bad. I mean bad.
Quote from: MacGuffinThe Matrix
in the Don Davis commentary, he seems to be intensely disinterested with what he's saying, like he's slowly strangling himself with his own boredom.
I think the worst commentary I've probably ever heard was with Carrot Top for "The Rules of Attraction". I have no idea why Roger Avery would ever allow Top to make comments on his movie. It's not funny, insightful, interesting or informative in the slightest. It's just plain awful. A film like this deserves much more respect than what that DVD commentary track gave it.
i found some parts of the carrot top commentary pretty funny: "oh, shes out. thats my cue. you cant say no now, ha ha!"
Quote from: filmcriticI think the worst commentary I've probably ever heard was with Carrot Top for "The Rules of Attraction". I have no idea why Roger Avery would ever allow Top to make comments on his movie. It's not funny, insightful, interesting or informative in the slightest. It's just plain awful. A film like this deserves much more respect than what that DVD commentary track gave it.
Damn, I can't believe I forgot about this one (a good sign, I suppose).
It's almost funny if you drink while operating the commentary.
Why and the fuck would he have Carrot on there anyway? What was the rationale behind this????
To be cool in a goofy, frat boy kind of way, I guess. This follows the idea that anything odd is cool, but it doesn't always work out like that.
Quote from: SoNowThenSo, sorry if this is a repeat, but I know we have a Favorite Commentary thread, so we should have this one as well. Kind of like a warning to not listen. My example is: The Devils Advocate. I used to really like that movie, until I listened to 15 minutes of the garbage commentary by Taylor "The Hack" Hackford. Did this man truly direct the film? All he does is say "there's a CU of Keanu's boots... now there's a medium shot of a girl. She's crying". Fuck, what is this guy bringing to the table? I can't stand junk like this.
So please list the really shit ones, so I don't ever get myself geared up to see them.
Oh, some others I can think of are Altman's for The Player and Nashville. I love the man, but all he does is say the same thing over and over; "that's not scripted, that's all improv, the actors made that up, it's not scripted". Although the Player is saved by some pretty witty comments from the writer.
Favorites:
Almost Famous, Fight Club, Requiem For a Dream, Terminator 2.
Hate:
Donnie Darko's commentary is aweful. Jake Gyllenhaal CONSTANTLY interrupts the director every single time he tries to talk. Also, I hate it when directors try and explain the "mystery" of a film. Why do that? That is EXACTLY why David Lynch doesn't do commentaries.
Dances With Wolves' commentary is pretty aweful as well. At least the commentary with Kevin Costner is anyway. I think there are like 28 commentary tracks or some shit on that new SE DVD.
I love commentary usually because it either kills time, offers insight to a movie or both. BUt I can't stand it when the commentary is so few and far between, so you have a the quiet hum of the movie, and random things like "we filmed this shot on site," then it goes back to silence.
No examples come to mind as of now...
Because everyone keeps mentioning the Fight Club one that they liked it, I will too.
My favorite part is how Helena Bonham Carter speaks her extremely British tone and then shifts to do lines from the movie. Around the part where she says the "Cancer, right?" line. Gets me everytime.
Quote from: Ghoulardi GoonWhy and the fuck would he have Carrot on there anyway? What was the rationale behind this????
i read that Avery wanted to have him do the commentary bc he hadnt seen the film before so Avery thought it would be cool to have him make comments on it while watching it for the first time, i listened for about 10 minutes then turned it off.
I don't blame you. That's got to be the shittiest commentary idea I've ever heard.
I mean, Christ......
Quote from: Ghoulardi GoonI don't blame you. That's got to be the shittiest commentary idea I've ever heard.
I mean, Christ......
I'm sure the commentary sucks, but something about that intrigues me. I guess the idea of a commentary is almost like the idea of another movie to me, so when directors don't put 'em on there, I feel like its a big loss, no matter what the other extras are.
I like the idea of a shitload of commentaries, esp. something as bizzare as having someone who's never seen the movie do one. Obviously it would be better if it wasn't Carrettop (not that I can say that from experience since I haven't heard/seen it), but I hope the fact that this commentary has not been well recieved won't kill the chances of people doing such an odd thing like this again.
Also, I hate commentaries where there is gaps of silence. That kills me...
aw
by far the most dissapointing commentary i have experienced is the one for Snatch, Guy Richie and the other person in it (dont even recall) basically let us know that theyre doing it because the studio wanted them to, and it shows :x
Quote from: ProgWRXby far the most dissapointing commentary i have experienced is the one for Snatch, Guy Richie and the other person in it (dont even recall) basically let us know that theyre doing it because the studio wanted them to, and it shows :x
I didn’t like that either!
Also Spike Lee Summer of Sam, I found so very boring.
and Groove all round poor commentary.
Quote from: penfold0101Also Spike Lee Summer of Sam, I found so very boring.
Well, it's great to know that us Region 1 guys don't even get the option.
Quote from: AlguienEstolamiPantalonesim a commentary junkie so i hate when the directer sounds bored
but also american beauty was not so great because sam mendez kept stepping on alan ball's words
Yeah and lickin' his ass!
Quote from: AlguienEstolamiPantalones
but also american beauty was not so great because sam mendez kept stepping on alan ball's words
Glad to see someone else noticed how Sam Mendes thinks the film is great because of what he did. He sounds like an asshole.
He's done decent work thus far, but I think he thinks he's much better than he really is.
commentary tracks of the damned (http://www.theonionavclub.com/features.php?feature_id=45)
Thanks for sharing, B. I thoroughly enjoyed that article! :-D
Worst commentary I've ever experienced:
William Friedkin, The Exorcist (The Version You've Never Seen) DVD
Starts off good, then quickly slumps into an annoying audio relay of what's happening on-screen.
Commentary I thought I would hate but ended up really enjoying:
Renny Harlin, Die Hard 2 Special Edition DVD
I wish I liked his movies more, because he sounds like a great guy to make a movie with.
Rob Reiner, who has already been mentioned on the plus and negative side of this ledger, truly sucks the fun and life out of The Princess Bride with that commentary. Dull, dull, dull...
What did y'all think of the split-screen video commentary that was offered with Jerry Maguire? Way too many kudos and butt-kisses were going around, but it had some value, I thought...
nolan on.following and memento l.e. ..and ritchie.on snatch.......... :sleeping:
I'd put money down that a lot of us are going to dislike the Bowling for Columbine commentary track.
Quote from: CinephileI'd put money down that a lot of us are going to dislike the Bowling for Columbine commentary track.
http://www.dvdfile.com/software/review/dvd-video_7/bowlingforcolumbine.html
After this is one of the disc's few attempts at comedy, the first-ever Receptionists' and Interns' Audio Commentary. The track begins with another brief introduction from Moore to explain what it's all about, basically that he thought it might be fun to listen to people from the low rungs of the production chain who usually never get to be heard. The concept sounds potentially intriguing or at least entertaining, but sadly it is mostly just annoying. Listening to a group of college-age production assistants sit around and laugh at the movie's jokes while chattering inanely away about their insights into the film gets very old very fast. I made it about 15 minutes before giving up. Maybe it gets better after that. My life is too short to waste finding out. To me this joke commentary feels like a waste of disc space. I am disappointed that Moore chose not to record his own commentary track, where he might directly address some of the criticisms laid out against the movie and his filmmaking techniques. Perhaps that's exactly what he was trying to avoid?I turned off the Blood Simple commentary after 5 or 10 minutes.
Yes, that review right there put confidence in me that it'll be a shitty track. And after I read that.. I got to thinking. Moore "thought it might be fun to listen to people from the low rungs of the production chain who usually never get to be heard." So the results of it? "sadly it is mostly just annoying."
So I'm thinking... art imitating life for Michael Moore? This is just backfiring in his face, I think. Thoughts anyone?