Who Else Misses DVD Commentary Tracks? (plus what are your favorites)

[BigBadBruins7708]

So I was thinking about what's been lost as a result of the rise of streaming new releases either on Amazon, Netflix, etc.

There's the obvious and biggest one, the loss of rental stores.

The one I miss the most is Directors/Cast commentary tracks.

I would always love listening to them, and pretty much every time I watched a DVD, it was with a commentary track on. The behind the scenes looks, the stories and just the genuine conversations were awesome and frankly are a pretty big loss.

Some of my favorites are:

Tropic Thunder...mostly because RDJ kept up the voice up until the end, exactly how his character in the movie said he stays in character until the DVD commentary is done

Rounders...had 2 great ones. 1st had Edward Norton and the 2 writers, the other had 4 of the best poker players ever talking about the film and its accuracy. Hearing Johnny Chan, Phil Helmuth, Jesus Ferguson and Chris Moneymaker sit and talk shop is a treat.

Fight Club...get Norton, Pitt, Fincher and Bonham Carter all on it. They have a great discussion on the philosophy and meaning of the movie.

Hot Fuzz...a bit of a hidden gem. Its Wright and Quentin Tarantino. They basically have a 90 minute movie nerd conversation talking about tons of old movies, references and influences

Goodfellas...a fun commentary track with the Henry Hill and the agent that caught him. Is fun to hear their memories and stories from back then.

Click to read more...

 

[The Macho King]

Best commentary track bar none is for This is Spinal Tap. They do the commentary in character - it's basically an entirely new movie.

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

I don't listen to them often, but Hunter S. Thompson's commentary of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is just as awesome as you'd expect.

 

[Jumptheshark]

On a Hill Street Blues audio commentary it was fun listening to Bochco and Co ripping David Caruso. Bochco said something "He had promised me he had changed" and the other guy went "We knew he was lying--you just refuse to admit it". They went on to talk about how Chuck Adamson called them from the show Crime Story asking how to control Caruso. Their response? "Let us know when you figure that one out."

If you remember the show "Crime Story" Dennis Farina who stared in the show was a retired Chicago Detective--The creator of the show Adamson was his former partner

 

[Dont Toews Me Bro]

You realize DVDs are still a thing right?

 

[beowulf]

The commentaries on the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy are packed full of info.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

You realize DVDs are still a thing right?

but commentary tracks have all but died off...hence the thread.

especially the good ones with multiple people or outsiders related to the film's subject matter.

 

[beowulf]

but commentary tracks have all but died off...hence the thread.

especially the good ones with multiple people or outsiders related to the film's subject matter.

I think they mostly include them in the more expensive BR releases now. My brother got me the last SW movie for my birthday and it has a commentary and a mini doc from the director also.

 

[Osprey]

I really like the idea of them and collected DVDs in the early 2000s, especially ones with lots of extras, but I don't think that I've ever listened to an entire commentary track. I've always wanted to, but I just can't bring myself to actually do it because I want to experience each movie as intended; then, afterward, I won't watch it again for years... by which time I'll want to watch it as intended again. I'm just not the type of person to watch a movie casually or twice in a short amount of time, which I'm guessing is the type of person that you have to be to make true use of commentary tracks. Again, I like the idea of them, but they just don't go well with my viewing habits.

 

[Jumptheshark]

another fan fact I learned from commentaries was that in the Al Pacino and Bobby D movie Heat-- the conversation between the two at the dinner was based upon an actual conversations --The guy I mentioned earlier who created Crime story and worked on Heat--was an ex detective and according to him that conversation actual took place in Chicago while he was hunting for proof about the Bobby D character being a criminal mastermind

 

[Dont Toews Me Bro]

I really like the idea of them and collected DVDs in the early 2000s, especially ones with lots of extras, but I don't think that I've ever listened to an entire commentary track. I've always wanted to, but I just can't bring myself to actually do it because I want to experience each movie as intended; then, afterward, I won't watch it again for years. I'm just not the type of person to watch a movie casually or twice in a short amount of time, which I'm guessing is the type of person that you have to be to make true use of commentary tracks. Again, I like the idea of them, but they just don't go well with my viewing habits.

Same with me. I just don't prefer to watch a movie twice in a short amount of time. I'd do it for a TV show epsoode or a short film. Some DVDs have directors commentary for deleted scenes as well, where they explain why that scene was cut. Those are nice as well but not common

 

[Shareefruck]

It's pretty bizarre and backwards how nobody wants to listen to director commentaries these days, but blind viewer reactions are such a big dumb fad.

I actually quite like the potential of that format (people doing extended podcast-y reviews, commentaries, and retrospectives as the thing itself is being played), but it seems to only ever be taken advantage of in the most asinine way.

 

[Burnoutboi]

Check out Gary Busey's commentary on the dvd to The Buddy Holly story. Pure batshit crazy rambling there. Its pretty entertaining.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Nothing will ever top this IMO (some NSFW language):

 

[Ralph Spoilsport]

Best commentary track bar none is for This is Spinal Tap. They do the commentary in character - it's basically an entirely new movie.

Gotta check this out...thanks for the tip!

 

[davemess]

The commentaries on the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy are packed full of info.

Those are really worth a listen, specially the Director/Writer ones.

I like the Cast Commentaries that were done for the first 6 or 7 series of Red Dwarf.

Some of The Simpsons ones were good as well.

 

[discostu]

Freaks and Geeks DVD set had a ton of commentary tracks, including one with all the teachers in character.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

I miss special features and behind the scenes documentaries. I like to know how movies got made after watching them, and Netflix or Amazon probably won't do that.

 

[Osprey]

I miss special features and behind the scenes documentaries. I like to know how movies got made after watching them, and Netflix or Amazon probably won't do that.

Those are much more interesting to me than commentary tracks. I said earlier that I've never listened to a commentary track all of the way through, but I've never skipped going through other bonus content, at least on discs that I've bought. I love the special/collectors editions that have bonus features that take longer to go through than the film, itself. For example, each LotR film is nearly 3 hours, plus 30 minutes of extended footage, and yet each DVD release took me 3-6 hours, spread over multiple days, to go through all of the bonus content. I'm not a huge fan of those films, but all of the bonus content made purchasing all 3 on DVD worth it. Some of my other favorites include the Disney "Platinum" releases of its animated films (like Snow White, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King).

 

[End on a Hinote]

Always thought they should have DVD commentary an option on Netflix.

 

[NewtJorden]

You realize DVDs are still a thing right?

DVD (and even Bluray) rarely have commentary these days. Most of the commentary i heard of are coming with the digital copy, wich i never and will never use.

 

[Dont Toews Me Bro]

DVD (and even Bluray) rarely have commentary these days. Most of the commentary i heard of are coming with the digital copy, wich i never and will never use.

Hmm seems like most of the ones I've come across have. YMMV though, I guess.

 

[frisco]

Mad Men often had 3-4 sets of commentaries per show. The Cincinnati Kid has a nice commentary where they talk about the hands of poker that are played in the film. BTW, still like DVD's over Streaming/Netflix.

My Best-Carey

 

[Pilky01]

I still buy occasional Blu Rays for my cottage collection so I still listen to commentaries sometimes. Mainly just for nerdy shit like the MCU though.

 

[Dolemite]

The Step Brothers commentary is legendary.