Directors who stopped participating in Special Features

[joltman]

I was really disappointed when Drag Me to Hell didn't have a Raimi commentary.

[tylergfoster]

Originally Posted by joltman

I was really disappointed when Drag Me to Hell didn't have a Raimi commentary.

Yup.

I also lament the loss of Scorsese's commentaries. The one on The Aviator was a stitched-together job, if I remember correctly, with some other participants. It's a shame he doesn't even do that, just talk a little about each scene and then use the other cast and crew to fill the rest of the gaps.

That said, I'm almost more disappointed with the gaps from people who were big extras folk but never got the chance for certain films. Like no Raimi Darkman commentary, or no John Carpenter / Kurt Russell Escape From L.A. commentary.

[swaseem]

Interesting thread. Just for my understanding, are directors offered compensation to prepare a commentary for their films or is it usually just volunteered?

I concur it'd would be a real treat to hear their most fondest thoughts and feedback from them, but if a director objects to doing it free, then I can understand.

[Rizor]

Not a single director, but the extras on the Marvel films have sorely gone down to the point where it's essentially a very short featurette, a few minutes of deleted scenes, and a new short film. Starting with The Avengers, they also stopped including their trailers. Must be a Disney thing.

Originally Posted by buck135

I can't understand why there isn't a single Zack Snyder blu-ray that contains a trailer for the film. From Dawn of the Dead to Watchmen to Man of Steel. Nothing. The trailers for his films due to the editing set to great music are amazing. What a loss.

As a big fan of trailers, I've noticed new releases from WB and Universal rarely ever include the trailers for the film. I think it's director request thing though. Christopher Nolan's movies always include the trailers. With Universal, I've noticed Edgar Wright's films have trailers on them too.

[Gamma_Winstead]

Yeah, the marvel films have been very upsetting. The bonus features on the two Iron Man films, and Incredible Hulk were fantastic. Thor was pretty much just decent. Not great, but serviceable. I don't remember Cap 1.

Avengers and on have just had practically nothing worthwhile. It's why I don't own any of them. I'm hoping the phase two set will be loaded, because 20 bucks for a flick with no features two years after it's release is just.... No.

[disneywildcat]

Originally Posted by Gamma_Winstead

Yeah, the marvel films have been very upsetting. The bonus features on the two Iron Man films, and Incredible Hulk were fantastic. Thor was pretty much just decent. Not great, but serviceable. I don't remember Cap 1.

Avengers and on have just had practically nothing worthwhile. It's why I don't own any of them. I'm hoping the phase two set will be loaded, because 20 bucks for a flick with no features two years after it's release is just.... No.

Compared to Disney's other newer non Pixar releases, the Marvel releases still have a decent bonus feature selection, including commentaries, although Thor 2 probably had a better bonus feature set than The Avengers and Iron Man 3. I haven't seen CA:TWS, but I hope Marvel continues to include commentaries in future releases.

[Bk_Tan]

Originally Posted by Gamma_Winstead

Yeah, the marvel films have been very upsetting. The bonus features on the two Iron Man films, and Incredible Hulk were fantastic. Thor was pretty much just decent. Not great, but serviceable. I don't remember Cap 1.

Avengers and on have just had practically nothing worthwhile. It's why I don't own any of them. I'm hoping the phase two set will be loaded, because 20 bucks for a flick with no features two years after it's release is just.... No.

When Disney buys you over, it all goes to shit.

[Socko]

I was thinking it, you were saying it.

Pixar and Marval have been cut down on bonus features.
In the US Pixar gets an extra disc, but in Europe we get stripped down extras.

With Marval every disc is similar.
Gagreel
Deleted scenes
One shot movie
Making of (that runs about 20-30 minutes)
And a commentary if you are lucky.

Gone are the two hours of bonus features from the Iron Man 1&2 era.

[Buzz201]

Originally Posted by Gamma_Winstead

Yeah, the marvel films have been very upsetting. The bonus features on the two Iron Man films, and Incredible Hulk were fantastic. Thor was pretty much just decent. Not great, but serviceable. I don't remember Cap 1.

Avengers and on have just had practically nothing worthwhile. It's why I don't own any of them. I'm hoping the phase two set will be loaded, because 20 bucks for a flick with no features two years after it's release is just.... No.

The retailer exclusive version of Avengers had a 95 minute documentary about the build up to the Avengers (although apparently some of it was taken from previously released footage), maybe Disney will do a similar thing with Avengers 2...

[swaseem]

I'd love to hear Woody Allen's insight behind developing the story-lines he does, his inspiration behind all the characters he's had in his writing, and all those slapstick moments in sleeper & take the money and run. There're a lotta writers (myself included) who'd appreciate that kind of reflection.

[punking]

Not a director, but a writer.

However, I don't think Harlan Ellison will be doing many extras

http://youtu.be/mj5IV23g-fE

[WilsonBros]

Originally Posted by Rizor

With Universal, I've noticed Edgar Wright's films have trailers on them too.

Have had the pleasure of working with Edgar a few times (see avatar to the left...) and you'd be hard-pushed to find a more passionate/enthusiastic filmmaker than he, and his extras reflect this. Where trailers for the Universal movies they are on are certainly no guarantee, you can bet that Edgar absolutely insists on putting them on his releases, so as to give the buyer the full experience. Makes you wonder what kind of extras will be found on the eventual Blu edition of Ant-Man...

With regard to Rodriguez, then the extras found on Machete look almost deluxe compared to those on the sequel, which probably reflects either his sapped enthusiasm for it or a lack of willing funding when the movie tanked the way it did. One of us had the weird pleasure of being the only person watching Machete Kills in the entire auditorium. This wasn't even at a multiplex- it was a local 3-screen cinema!

[blonde_devil]

Originally Posted by swaseem

Interesting thread. Just for my understanding, are directors offered compensation to prepare a commentary for their films or is it usually just volunteered?

I concur it'd would be a real treat to hear their most fondest thoughts and feedback from them, but if a director objects to doing it free, then I can understand.

My understanding is that it is a bit of both. If it is a big movie, the studio may pay them something decent to do it but otherwise the pay is very little if anything.

Nolan seems to be kind of one. He did a commentary for Momento I think but for most since, you will see him in some interviews but no commentary. He hasn't totally cut out but he certainly doesn't do a ton of stuff.

I have no issue with the idea "the movie should speak for itself" but the point of a commentary isn't to tell the people what is going on, it is to share insight into the movie. They can tell where they came up with the idea, changes they made for whatever reason, etc. If they don't want to do anything, that's fine but I think anyone who goes with the idea "my movies speak for themselves" is a bit of an ass.

[tylergfoster]

Originally Posted by blonde_devil

My understanding is that it is a bit of both. If it is a big movie, the studio may pay them something decent to do it but otherwise the pay is very little if anything.

I have no issue with the idea "the movie should speak for itself" but the point of a commentary isn't to tell the people what is going on, it is to share insight into the movie. They can tell where they came up with the idea, changes they made for whatever reason, etc. If they don't want to do anything, that's fine but I think anyone who goes with the idea "my movies speak for themselves" is a bit of an ass.

I think, actually, talent gets paid a reasonable amount these days to participate in exclusive extras, but I could be wrong.

What you say about commentaries bugs me too. Take David Lynch, for example. It's not like he has to explain what's going on in his movies. He could make a commentary that was as experimental as the film itself, and it might be fascinating! Some people would possibly be upset because they want their commentaries to fall within a certain narrow definition of what a supplement like that is meant to do, but forget them.

Even weirder are the people who argue that the artistic sanctity of the film is somehow violated if you watch it with something playing over it (something I believe Spielberg says). Obviously, people can mentally differentiate between WATCHING a movie vs. listening to a commentary.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

I think, actually, talent gets paid a reasonable amount these days to participate in exclusive extras, but I could be wrong.

Very few do - at least as far as major studio releases go, though some indie labels may pay. Warners has a policy not to pay for audio commentaries and most other studios put their foot down after Arnie got paid a small fortune for his disappointing Total Recall commentary because they were terrified of it setting a precedent. In a few cases they've not paid for a commentary per se but included doing a commentary in deals they strike with talent to promote back-catalog titles through interviews, signings and other publicity events (though this is most often used for films where that talent doesn't get royalties from the film itself and needs to be motivated). In many cases now studios aren't doing audio commentaries on anything they think is a marginal title even when filmmakers want to because of the cost of recording and editing them.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

Yup.
I'm almost more disappointed with the gaps from people who were big extras folk but never got the chance for certain films. Like no Raimi Darkman commentary

I'd have been surprised if he did do a Darkman commentary: it was a particularly difficult experience for him between his fights with the studio and other problems, and he does seem to adopt an old school "If you don't have anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all" approach.

[dwk]

Mikchael Felsher of Red Shirt Pictures was on the Rue Morgue podcast and he said that after viewing the DARKMAN epk footage of Raimi he got the impression that Raimi just isn't very comfortable doing interviews and that may be a major reason he doesn't take part in many special features.

[von_Levi]

As a viewer, I've pretty much lost all interest in commentary tracks and other special features.

Back in the LaserDisc era and early DVD days, there was something novel about having this direct access to directors. I remember being blow away by the Raging Bull commentary on Criterion LaserDisc as well as the one on Silence of the Lambs.

In the years since, filmmakers do so many more interviews to help promote their films that by the time the Blu-ray comes around, there's not much new to say (especially when they do a 45 minute interview on a show like Fresh Air). And I can appreciate the filmmakers being fatigued about recording commentary tracks and other special features after spending months saying all the same things on promotional tours.

And to some extent, the quality has slipped. The early Criterion commentaries were edited interviews. Nothing against any filmmaker, but just having them ramble for 2 hours doesn't produce great results.

[UFAlien]

I am so glad that Uwe Boll pretty much always does commentary tracks. They're usually more amusing than his films XD

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by UFAlien

I am so glad that Uwe Boll pretty much always does commentary tracks. They're usually more amusing than his films XD

His blunt manner of speech is hilarious, it's so out of the mainstream for most of these commentaries where everyone pretends to love everything.

The truth of the matter is that studios were paying for the commentaries when DVD sales were much better than they are today. Talent was regularly getting $25,000 to $100,000 to record a commentary for a major Hollywood feature. That is no longer true.