Audio Commentaries - Blu-ray Forum

Bear28 · 12-11-2008, 08:17 PM

Hi,

Im just wondering what the general feeling is on audio commentaries.

I really like them and look forward to hearing the actors/director talk about the film and give some insight on certain scenes, or other info that we would not otherwise have.

I think that taking 2hrs to record some commentary should be pretty much standard as it provides a greater connection to the movie and actor(s) when listening to them talk about their experience while filming.

What I dont like, is when there are audio commentaries from the guy who made the sandwhich that gave it to the grip who in turn gave it to the director.

I've also attempted a poll as well for those who dont wish to comment.

Thanks for your feedback :-)

dvd_mazter · 12-11-2008, 09:31 PM

I do like them but unlike most people who enjoy the in-depth technical commentary, I love just fun chats between cast and crew. I always like Kevin Smith commentaries and all the Apatow production ones especially 40 year old virgin. The technical ones I find boring and dry unless it is a movie I really love.

owa · 12-11-2008, 10:30 PM

I voted nice to have. I never use to check this stuff out but started doing so so I could comment on it in the user reviews and mega threads. As it turns out, some of it is pretty interesting. Anyway, I wouldn't skip a title that didn't provide it but I have been checking out the commentary (if provided) more often these days.

Quinlan · 12-11-2008, 10:33 PM

Expert historians with filmaking understanding can bring so much to light about old movies or foreign films. But must have great verbal skills to keep the listener from boredom. I have enjoyed great commentaries on Akira Kurosawa films from Criterian Collection.

Bear28 · 12-12-2008, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvd_mazter

I do like them but unlike most people who enjoy the in-depth technical commentary, I love just fun chats between cast and crew. I always like Kevin Smith commentaries and all the Apatow production ones especially 40 year old virgin. The technical ones I find boring and dry unless it is a movie I really love.

I agree, just some sort of commentary during the movie...some of the best commentaries are on the Family Guy DVD's...hilarious!

dvd_mazter · 12-12-2008, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bear28

I agree, just some sort of commentary during the movie...some of the best commentaries are on the Family Guy DVD's...hilarious!

I love the family guy commentaries

. If you like Family Guy "taries", check out the ones for Robot Chicken if your a fan, they are just as good

metsfan1545d · 12-12-2008, 12:50 AM

on tv shows i like them but on movies i can never justify sitting thru the movie for 2 hrs again

Ozone · 12-12-2008, 01:07 AM

I always enjoy the commentaries on movies. It's great to get the insight and stories on things as the movie goes on.

Speaking of great commentaries, everyone should give Step Brothers' musical commentary a listen.

dvd_mazter · 12-12-2008, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozone

I always enjoy the commentaries on movies. It's great to get the insight and stories on things as the movie goes on.

Speaking of great commentaries, everyone should give Step Brothers' musical commentary a listen.

That was an unexpected surprise, I was laughing really hard

Barbie-Shrimp · 12-12-2008, 02:12 AM

Some commentaries are cool, but most of them are just the director telling you what's happening in the movie they made. This would be fine if the movie made no sense to you and you wanted the director to help you understand it, but it usually just bugs me, because I'VE ALREADY SEEN THE MOVIE. I wouldn't watch a movie with commentary if I hadn't seen it before, so I don't need you to say, "Right here, John Murdoch bumps his head on the light. That's why it's moving at the beginning of the movie. You'll see him bump his head later, but now you just see the light moving."

That's just an example, I'm not only mad about the Dark City one. There are so many directors that should not do commentary.

Darko · 12-12-2008, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvd_mazter

That was an unexpected surprise, I was laughing really hard

Someone at work was telling me how great it was. I liked the movie a lot when I saw it in theaters.

When I find a good deal on it I'll buy it for the commentary alone.

I love commentaries and think just about all releases should have them. Even bad movies cause its fun to hear them say what they think went wrong or better yet listen to someone praise garbage.

Blodiak · 12-12-2008, 02:18 AM

The only time I listened a movie with comments ''on'' was ''I Spit On Your Grave'' wich made the movie so much better lol...

I really don't care about this...

reginaroadie · 12-12-2008, 04:05 AM

I'm all for commentary tracks. I'm actually a real commentary junkie. When I got SPACED: THE COMPLETE SERIES, I immediately listened to the tracks that were recently recorded with Edgar, Simon, Jessica and guests like Kevin Smith, Quentin Tarantino, Diablo Cody, Patton Oswalt, Matt Stone and Bill Hader. And even though them frothing at the mouths over the prequels got a little boring after a while, they were still really entertaining listens.

I guess when it comes to commentary tracks, if you get a disc that has at least two where one's a "party track" where it's a bunch of people having a good time and the other is a more technical track about the craft that goes into the actual film then you've got the best of both worlds.

But I like all kinds of tracks. The Kevin Smith and Apatow tracks are always fun, and they both do address story, character and the technical details of their films. I also like the tracks that critics and film historians do on older titles that reveal their place in history, the artistry of the film and what it was like to make a film in that time.

I also like tracks that are recorded like ten years after the release of the film. It bugs me that sometimes they record the commentary track for a movie the week or a few days before its release. Sometimes it works like in the case of SUPERBAD where they make fun of the bad review of the film that said that they should have done the YU TU MAMA TAMBIEN ending. But to me, it's too soon. I think you should have some actual distance from the movie or series to be able to reflect on it in a meaningful way.

Like the commentary track with Ang Lee and James Schamus on the Criterion Edition of THE ICE STORM. I love how they open with the fact that THE ICE STORM was the lowest test scored film in Fox Searchlight's history, joke about the irony of the guys that made HULK chastizing the filmmakers that made the FANTASTIC FOUR movies and how the studio was OK with everything they did and that when they asked if the kid absolutely had to die at the end and they said yes, they were like "OK, but if the movie tanks, don't say we didn't warn you." And how a French investor was pissed at them because he thought he was investing in a comedy. You can only get that stuff in hindsight and not a week before the release.

The only thing that bugs me about some commentary tracks is that on tv season DVD's how some of the same info gets repeated in each episode track. Like the one mentioned above, or how on the HEROES: SEASON 1 set, nearly every track mentions the fact that the actress that plays Claire's mom and the guy that played Ted Sprauge (aka. Radiation Dude) are married in real life. Once was enough for me.

But yeah, I'm all for tracks. Just long as they're not boring, I'm good.

BigFoot · 12-12-2008, 06:30 AM

I rarely watch movies with commentaries, so the feature isn't really all that important to me.

Midnightsailor · 12-12-2008, 06:31 AM

Nice to have...but not necessary.

FilmmakingFiasco · 12-12-2008, 07:30 AM

Two words: David Fincher

Moviefan1203 · 12-12-2008, 05:26 PM

It's nice to have, but it isn't a necessity for me.

Adam_ME · 12-12-2008, 05:59 PM

Nice to have, and there are some that are so good I've listened to them several times.

But they're not a necessity as long as there's some solid behind-the-scenes or retrospective documentaries. In fact, I often prefer those since it's easier to work in more participants.

pjasonOH · 12-13-2008, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FilmmakingFiasco

Two words: David Fincher

Absolutely!
The only ones of his I've listened to are Fight Club(not the solo track,but the one with Norton,Pitt,and Bonham-Carter),and Zodiac.
Talk about interesting!

James Cameron is really interesting to listen to,as is George Lucas.
The most pleasant surprise to me was the Sly Stallone commentary for First Blood-excellent track.

Anyway,I enjoy a good commentary,one that the speaker(or speakers) keeps the listener interested,and doesn't have long stretches of silence.

J. J. Hunsecker · 12-13-2008, 09:10 PM

I love audio commentaries, and I'm usually disappointed when a new release doesn't have one. My favorite commentaries are by film historians, like on the Film Noir boxsets, and Warners Ganster boxsets. The Looney Tunes DVDs have some great commentaries.

Next would be commentaries by the film's directors, though some are better than others -- Scorsese gives the reasons and meanings behind each of his decisions, while Mel Brooks's comments are sparse and usually are humorous anecdotes about the crew. I prefer the former, as it's more enlightening.

The most depressing audio commentary I've ever heard was by Terry Gilliam for Time Bandits. It seems some of the dwarf cast members met tragic fates.

That's honestly one of the few commentaries I wished I'd never heard.

The worst audio commentaries are usually by actors. They usually clown around, or repeat things the audience can plainly see.

View Poll Results: How important is it to have an actor/director commentary?
Don't Care	14	16.09%
Must Have	14	16.09%
Nice To Have	53	60.92%
Would Pay More, But Not Must Have	2	2.30%
Would Pay More, Must Have	4	4.60%
Voters: 87. You may not vote on this poll

12-11-2008, 08:17 PM	#1
Bear28 Expert Member Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Surrey, BC Blu-ray collection:48	Audio Commentaries Hi, Im just wondering what the general feeling is on audio commentaries. I really like them and look forward to hearing the actors/director talk about the film and give some insight on certain scenes, or other info that we would not otherwise have. I think that taking 2hrs to record some commentary should be pretty much standard as it provides a greater connection to the movie and actor(s) when listening to them talk about their experience while filming. What I dont like, is when there are audio commentaries from the guy who made the sandwhich that gave it to the grip who in turn gave it to the director. I've also attempted a poll as well for those who dont wish to comment. Thanks for your feedback :-)

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12-11-2008, 09:31 PM	#2
dvd_mazter Power Member Member since:Mar 2008 Location:Winnipeg, Manitoba Home Theater Gallery:9 4K collection:10 Blu-ray collection:740 Blu-ray reviews: 146	I do like them but unlike most people who enjoy the in-depth technical commentary, I love just fun chats between cast and crew. I always like Kevin Smith commentaries and all the Apatow production ones especially 40 year old virgin. The technical ones I find boring and dry unless it is a movie I really love.

12-11-2008, 10:30 PM	#3
owa Blu-ray Knight Member since:Apr 2007 Blu-ray reviews: 96	I voted nice to have. I never use to check this stuff out but started doing so so I could comment on it in the user reviews and mega threads. As it turns out, some of it is pretty interesting. Anyway, I wouldn't skip a title that didn't provide it but I have been checking out the commentary (if provided) more often these days.

12-11-2008, 10:33 PM	#4
Quinlan Member Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Austin Blu-ray collection:5	Expert historians with filmaking understanding can bring so much to light about old movies or foreign films. But must have great verbal skills to keep the listener from boredom. I have enjoyed great commentaries on Akira Kurosawa films from Criterian Collection.

12-12-2008, 12:50 AM	#7
metsfan1545d Special Member Member since:Sep 2008 4K collection:1 Blu-ray collection:134 Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:14	on tv shows i like them but on movies i can never justify sitting thru the movie for 2 hrs again

12-12-2008, 01:07 AM	#8
Ozone Junior Member Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Philadelphia Blu-ray collection:102	I always enjoy the commentaries on movies. It's great to get the insight and stories on things as the movie goes on. Speaking of great commentaries, everyone should give Step Brothers' musical commentary a listen.

12-12-2008, 02:12 AM	#10
Barbie-Shrimp Expert Member Member since:Mar 2008 Location:Grand Rapids, MI Blu-ray collection:45	Some commentaries are cool, but most of them are just the director telling you what's happening in the movie they made. This would be fine if the movie made no sense to you and you wanted the director to help you understand it, but it usually just bugs me, because I'VE ALREADY SEEN THE MOVIE. I wouldn't watch a movie with commentary if I hadn't seen it before, so I don't need you to say, "Right here, John Murdoch bumps his head on the light. That's why it's moving at the beginning of the movie. You'll see him bump his head later, but now you just see the light moving." That's just an example, I'm not only mad about the Dark City one. There are so many directors that should not do commentary.

12-12-2008, 02:18 AM	#12
Blodiak Special Member Top contributor Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Le Canada 4K collection:60 Blu-ray collection:457 DVD collection:71 Blu-ray reviews: 62 Trading Score:8	The only time I listened a movie with comments ''on'' was ''I Spit On Your Grave'' wich made the movie so much better lol... I really don't care about this...

12-12-2008, 04:05 AM	#13
reginaroadie Senior Member Member since:Dec 2007 4K collection:171 Blu-ray collection:600 DVD collection:75	I'm all for commentary tracks. I'm actually a real commentary junkie. When I got SPACED: THE COMPLETE SERIES, I immediately listened to the tracks that were recently recorded with Edgar, Simon, Jessica and guests like Kevin Smith, Quentin Tarantino, Diablo Cody, Patton Oswalt, Matt Stone and Bill Hader. And even though them frothing at the mouths over the prequels got a little boring after a while, they were still really entertaining listens. I guess when it comes to commentary tracks, if you get a disc that has at least two where one's a "party track" where it's a bunch of people having a good time and the other is a more technical track about the craft that goes into the actual film then you've got the best of both worlds. But I like all kinds of tracks. The Kevin Smith and Apatow tracks are always fun, and they both do address story, character and the technical details of their films. I also like the tracks that critics and film historians do on older titles that reveal their place in history, the artistry of the film and what it was like to make a film in that time. I also like tracks that are recorded like ten years after the release of the film. It bugs me that sometimes they record the commentary track for a movie the week or a few days before its release. Sometimes it works like in the case of SUPERBAD where they make fun of the bad review of the film that said that they should have done the YU TU MAMA TAMBIEN ending. But to me, it's too soon. I think you should have some actual distance from the movie or series to be able to reflect on it in a meaningful way. Like the commentary track with Ang Lee and James Schamus on the Criterion Edition of THE ICE STORM. I love how they open with the fact that THE ICE STORM was the lowest test scored film in Fox Searchlight's history, joke about the irony of the guys that made HULK chastizing the filmmakers that made the FANTASTIC FOUR movies and how the studio was OK with everything they did and that when they asked if the kid absolutely had to die at the end and they said yes, they were like "OK, but if the movie tanks, don't say we didn't warn you." And how a French investor was pissed at them because he thought he was investing in a comedy. You can only get that stuff in hindsight and not a week before the release. The only thing that bugs me about some commentary tracks is that on tv season DVD's how some of the same info gets repeated in each episode track. Like the one mentioned above, or how on the HEROES: SEASON 1 set, nearly every track mentions the fact that the actress that plays Claire's mom and the guy that played Ted Sprauge (aka. Radiation Dude) are married in real life. Once was enough for me. But yeah, I'm all for tracks. Just long as they're not boring, I'm good.

12-12-2008, 06:30 AM	#14
BigFoot Blu-ray Guru Member since:Nov 2007 Location:Slovenia (EU) Home Theater Gallery:20 4K collection:77 Blu-ray collection:484 DVD collection:299	I rarely watch movies with commentaries, so the feature isn't really all that important to me.

12-12-2008, 06:31 AM	#15
Midnightsailor Special Member Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Los Angeles, CA Blu-ray collection:32 Blu-ray reviews:1	Nice to have...but not necessary.

12-12-2008, 07:30 AM	#16
FilmmakingFiasco Expert Member Member since:Jan 2007 Location:Minneapolis, MN Blu-ray collection:297 Trading Score:17	Two words: David Fincher

12-12-2008, 05:26 PM	#17
Moviefan1203 Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Pennsylvania, USA Blu-ray reviews: 6 Trading Score:45	It's nice to have, but it isn't a necessity for me.

12-12-2008, 05:59 PM	#18
Adam_ME Blu-ray Knight Member since:Sep 2007 Location:Katy, TX 4K collection:1220 Blu-ray collection:2102 DVD collection:83 Digital collection:5037 iTunes collection:272 Prime collection:312 Trading Score:695	Nice to have, and there are some that are so good I've listened to them several times. But they're not a necessity as long as there's some solid behind-the-scenes or retrospective documentaries. In fact, I often prefer those since it's easier to work in more participants.

12-13-2008, 09:10 PM	#20
J. J. Hunsecker Special Member Member since:Dec 2008 Blu-ray collection:460 DVD collection:270	I love audio commentaries, and I'm usually disappointed when a new release doesn't have one. My favorite commentaries are by film historians, like on the Film Noir boxsets, and Warners Ganster boxsets. The Looney Tunes DVDs have some great commentaries. Next would be commentaries by the film's directors, though some are better than others -- Scorsese gives the reasons and meanings behind each of his decisions, while Mel Brooks's comments are sparse and usually are humorous anecdotes about the crew. I prefer the former, as it's more enlightening. The most depressing audio commentary I've ever heard was by Terry Gilliam for Time Bandits. It seems some of the dwarf cast members met tragic fates. That's honestly one of the few commentaries I wished I'd never heard. The worst audio commentaries are usually by actors. They usually clown around, or repeat things the audience can plainly see.

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