 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Jan 23, 2022 - 8:51 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
The Mutant
(Member)
|
Yeah, some favorite directors, composers, etc give pretty bad commentaries. I don't blame them...it's clear they sometimes just don't know what people want to hear or they really don't want to be there. Most of the bad ones I've blocked out.
I do like Jerry Goldsmith's Hollow Man commentary, just because he had some things to say about his job still being an art, etc. that I enjoyed hearing.
Some of the more "technical ones" are tough to sit through. Others completely fascinating.
Ridley Scott, David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino, James Cameron all usually have pretty insightful commentaries. Paul Verhoeven's are never dull. And then there are the hilarious ones that had me cracking up like Tropic Thunder (probably my favorite), Airplane, Chasing Amy among others.
John Carpenter does fantastic commentaries every time. His memory is impeccable too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Francis Ford Coppola's commentary on "Patton" is worthless because he basically has very little to say beyond the fact that he wrote the first draft of the screenplay and by the time the film was shot he was long gone from the project. All he can do is basically give about 10 minutes or so of good material, fall silent and then repeat variations of that other ten minutes the rest of the way. He even apologizes for the fact he can't say much about the production because he wasn't there.
This was clearly a case where they got him to do it just because of his name and without stopping to realize how it wouldn't be that informative.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I liked a some of Peter Bogdanovich's for PAPER MOON. But holy kendall they could have cut out some of the umpteen times he points out that this scene is
---done in one long take
---for verisimilitude
---and everything is in focus
---and they had to use a lot of light to keep it all in focus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I liked a some of Peter Bogdanovich's for PAPER MOON. But holy kendall they could have cut out some of the umpteen times he points out that this scene is
---done in one long take
---for verisimilitude
---and everything is in focus
---and they had to use a lot of light to keep it all in focus.
The late Bogdanovich was very proud of his long takes! I always appreciate the nuts & bolts cinema education one got from his commentaries. I'm sorry there won't be any more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Worst commentary: the "I Dream of Jeannie" pilot episode with Hagman, Eden and Daily. I love them as people, but all it amounted to was "oh that's Zuma Beach" and "boy. we look great."
Best commendaties are from Kenneth Johnson for his various tv shows. He either kept copious notes or he has a steel trap memory. Either way, every one of them is hugely informative. He also always ends with his email address in case fans have questions. I've written him a few times and he was always very kind and generous with his tim.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I liked a some of Peter Bogdanovich's for PAPER MOON. But holy kendall they could have cut out some of the umpteen times he points out that this scene is
---done in one long take
---for verisimilitude
---and everything is in focus
---and they had to use a lot of light to keep it all in focus.
The late Bogdanovich was very proud of his long takes! I always appreciate the nuts & bolts cinema education one got from his commentaries. I'm sorry there won't be any more.
But umpteen times over the course of the commentary? I'd love to have heard from Polly Platt, or Laszlo Kovacs in those moments, at greater length than they got in the extras.
That said, it was otherwise a great commentary.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Somebody please explain why Debbie Reynolds only got to announce speakers on the SINGIN' IN THE RAIN commentary, and scarcely got a word in of her own? Worthless.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The best commentaries I've heard are those by John Frankenheimer, Roman Polanski, Roger Corman, Michael Winner, David Cronenberg, Michael Douglas and Peter O'Toole. Of course they are from the past and I do find my patience stretched when I listen to some commentaries on new releases (I mean new releases of old films - I hardly watch any new films). I often listen to 30 minutes of a commentary and find it's just a mass of biographical information with no analysis of the film, before switching off. Exceptions include the Indicator releases which have excellent commentaries especially those by Jonathan Rigby and Kim Newman.
|
|
|
|
|
|
If I were a feature film director, I would never participate in a "making of" commentary. As a consumer, I very much enjoy them though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If I were a feature film director, I would never participate in a "making of" commentary.
Why?
Because I would probably just rant boring stuff and describe what's seen, possibly throw in this or that anecdote about what happens on set, and by and large be rather uncomfortable doing it.
I think I would want the movie stand for itself and not belabor it with two hours of boring trivia, my mind would probably be already on my next project or movie, so I wouldn't feel like focusing on something from the past. I don't think I would like to re-examine my own work in form of a DVD/Bluray commentary, that's all.
I enjoy good commentaries, but I don't think I would be a good commentator on my own work. I actually think I would make a better commentator on someone else's movie (like John Carpenter on ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, for example).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Somebody please explain why Debbie Reynolds only got to announce speakers on the SINGIN' IN THE RAIN commentary, and scarcely got a word in of her own? Worthless.
2 people get Oscar nominations in this film. Jean Hagen gets plenty of mention in the commentary. Lennie Hayton, WHO DID EXCELLENT WORK HERE, does not. Worthless.
|
|
|
|
|
|
When a movie is good, the director is often the first to get credit.
When a movie is dull, the writer gets blamed first, at least as far as I've seen.
But hearing the commentary that Irvin Kershner did for THE EYES OF LAURA MARS, where he does #1 (see original post) to death, I wonder if he's at least at least as much to blame for this snoozer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
James Bond 007 and STAR WARS blu rays are always a treat and insightful to listen to. Carrie Fisher is funny. Those that could've should've but missed out Alfred Hitchcock but was later on interviewed on his film releases and Steven Spielberg who is included on making of docos! Enjoy John Carpenter commentaries and he did another for Rio Bravo as he's a Howard Hawks fan.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
