The Criterion Collection

[812crew]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I really like the commentary track for Red Desert.

I did not understand that movie for jack when I first saw it, so the commentary track helped walk me through some of the rough spots.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions! I'm obsessed with L'avventura right now (seen it three times this year already), so definitely looking forward to getting Red Desert.

I also recently bought Speedy, so looking forward to that one too.

[RickDee]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

You wouldn't take a Criterion edition of Jurassic Park? I don't trust you.

Great film but so many more films that need to be released on Criterion.

[jw007]

Can I take a poll here, boys?

How many of you watch the commentaries that accompany a Criterion film?

I used to do this more often but I rarely do now.

So my answer is, I don't usually activate the commentary track.

It's even harder if there are multiple commentaries (which one to choose?!).

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by jw007

Can I take a poll here, boys?

How many of you watch the commentaries that accompany a Criterion film?

I used to do this more often but I rarely do now.

So my answer is, I don't usually activate the commentary track.

It's even harder if there are multiple commentaries (which one to choose?!).

I watched the commentary track with Kwaidan the other night.

It has Stephen Prince, who's the commentary track for almost every Japanese Criterion I've ever owned.

He has good information, but often sounds as though he's reading from a prepared text.

...sometimes I wonder if he's actually watching the movie.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by 812crew

Thanks for everyone's suggestions! I'm obsessed with L'avventura right now (seen it three times this year already), so definitely looking forward to getting Red Desert.

I also recently bought Speedy, so looking forward to that one too.

Bruce did a great job on the supplements and I really hope they get him to do more.
Every year at TCM they do a little game show with him called "So You Think You Know Movies?" to kick off the festival and its always a great time.
Looking forward to it again this year!

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I watched the commentary track with Kwaidan the other night.

It has Stephen Prince, who's the commentary track for almost every Japanese Criterion I've ever owned.

He has good information, but often sounds as though he's reading from a prepared text.

...sometimes I wonder if he's actually watching the movie.

I honestly couldnt care less if they're reading off cards or not, as long as the information is interesting its all I care about.
It's better than getting a commentary with blank patches or some wank off cumming all over each scene like David Fincher on Chinatown.
"Oh I love this shot, this shots great....Oh this scene is great, I love this scene"
Thanks for the useful insight there, Dave

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

I honestly couldnt care less if they're reading off cards or not, as long as the information is interesting its all I care about.
It's better than getting a commentary with blank patches or some wank off cumming all over each scene like David Fincher on Chinatown.
"Oh I love this shot, this shots great....Oh this scene is great, I love this scene"
Thanks for the useful insight there, Dave

Yeah sometimes when it's the director of the film, the commentary can be surprisingly bland and uninformative.

My favorite commentary tracks are the ones where the commentator sounds fully engaged with what's actually playing on the screen.

...that way I feel as though we're watching the movie together.

"or some wank off cumming all over each scene like David Fincher on Chinatown."

I never liked Fincher.

I find it very distasteful to cum all over a scene without at least buying it dinner first.

...that scene is somebody's daughter.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jw007

Can I take a poll here, boys?

How many of you watch the commentaries that accompany a Criterion film?

I used to do this more often but I rarely do now.

So my answer is, I don't usually activate the commentary track.

It's even harder if there are multiple commentaries (which one to choose?!).

I used to listen to commentaries (especially Criterion commentaries) a lot back when I watched laserdiscs. Of course, back then, it was a novelty.

Nowadays, I almost never do. I find I have less interest in re-watching a film with the commentary track on than spending that time watching another film.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by jw007

Can I take a poll here, boys?

How many of you watch the commentaries that accompany a Criterion film?

I used to do this more often but I rarely do now.

So my answer is, I don't usually activate the commentary track.

It's even harder if there are multiple commentaries (which one to choose?!).

Once in a while, I will listen to a good portion of a commentary track, but not that often. I usually dig into the supplements, but watching the movie all over again with the commentary is a big commitment. I've listened to maybe 2 or 3 full commentary tracks the last year, one of which was the Soderbergh/Nichols one on "The Graduate" because their commentary track on "Catch 22" was so great.

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by jw007

Can I take a poll here, boys?

How many of you watch the commentaries that accompany a Criterion film?

I used to do this more often but I rarely do now.

So my answer is, I don't usually activate the commentary track.

It's even harder if there are multiple commentaries (which one to choose?!).

No, unless the director of the film is doing the commentary.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

I honestly couldnt care less if they're reading off cards or not, as long as the information is interesting its all I care about.
It's better than getting a commentary with blank patches or some wank off cumming all over each scene like David Fincher on Chinatown.
"Oh I love this shot, this shots great....Oh this scene is great, I love this scene"
Thanks for the useful insight there, Dave

Agreed

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by jw007

Can I take a poll here, boys?

How many of you watch the commentaries that accompany a Criterion film?

I used to do this more often but I rarely do now.

So my answer is, I don't usually activate the commentary track.

It's even harder if there are multiple commentaries (which one to choose?!).

Used to draw while listening to commentaries a lot, not so much these days.

[MifuneFan]

Watching Floating Weeds with the Ebert commentary feels like watching the movie with a friend, so it's probably my favorite. I've enjoyed all his commentary tracks (Casablanca, Dark City, etc..)

[mja345]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Watching Floating Weeds with the Ebert commentary feels like watching the movie with a friend, so it's probably my favorite. I've enjoyed all his commentary tracks (Casablanca, Dark City, etc..)

Ebert does one with Terry Zwigoff on "Crumb" that I listened to a few years ago. It's worth checking out as well.

[Martin_31]

I never listen to any commentaries. I prefer to read the booklet/pamphlet and watch all the supplements.

[Polaroid]

I love the commentary track for The Double Life of Veronique.

[Sifox211]

Originally Posted by jw007

... How many of you watch the commentaries that accompany a Criterion film?

I try to always do this:

• Watch the film
• Watch all the supplements
• Read the booklet
• Do the commentary

I try to do that for all non-mainstream titles I watch (eg, Criterion, MoC, BFI and Arrow et al.), not very often for the rest. Multiple commentaries (eg., the LoTR films) are enticing but really who has the time??

One of the most enjoyable commentaries I've listened to was for A Bug's Life, although Pixar ones tend to have too much back slapping. A Canterbury Tale was pretty good too.

[I KEEL YOU]

Some director commentaries that we are fortunate to have been recorded by Criterion before the director passed away are true gems and offer insight on little talked about movies that we would've never had otherwise, such as Robert Altman's 3 Women and Peter Yates on The Friends of Eddie Coyle.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by I KEEL YOU

Some director commentaries that we are fortunate to have been recorded by Criterion before the director passed away are true gems and offer insight on little talked about movies that we would've never had otherwise, such as Robert Altman's 3 Women and Peter Yates on The Friends of Eddie Coyle.

Imagine if Kubrick was a live agree'd to do an in depth commentary track for all his films, just for Criterion

[Rad See]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Imagine if Kubrick was a live agree'd to do an in depth commentary track for all his films, just for Criterion

Entirely unlikely