Good & Bad Audio Commentaries

[RenOldman 0]

I Don't know know if this has been discussed here so here goes:

I know Audio Commentaries can be a hit & miss with some people. Personally speaking this is one thing I do look for when buying a dvd movie. I was just wondering:

1. What Audio Commentaries have you enjoyed & would recommend to others?

2. What Audio Commentaries were you let down by?

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Audio commentaries can be a joy to listen to for two reasons. 1) Insight is given into the creative process and the making of the film. 2) It's a relaxed and funny commentary.

I've enjoyed the following commentaries:

24 - Season 2 (cast commentary on disc 1)

Bad Boys

Futurama (all four volumes)

Ghostbusters

The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy - Extended Editions (Director's Commentary and Cast Commentary on all three)

The Simpsons (all five seasons out so far)

Speed (Producers' Commentary)

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Not every one of these is as good as the next, and some are insightful (LotR director's commentary) and others downright mayhem (Futurama volume 3), but they're all enjoyable, IMO.

- Marc

[Hitch 57]

One of my favourite commentaries is between director Richard Donner and his then editor Stuart Baird on the DVD of THE OMEN Funny, subtle and poignant. I haven't heard the SUPERMAN commentary yet. Dick and Stu. Or Stu and Dick. Or Dicky Stu. PLEEEAAASSEEEEEEEE

Another one I like is Jerry Goldsmith's commentary on HOLLOW MAN. It's good to hear Jerry use the "F" word. And also sad he didn't do more of them before his untimely death.

Kate Mulgrew's sexy Katherine Hepburn-ish voice on DENTURES is the best one I've heard in years. Her scathing attacks on co-stars Calista Flockheart and Jon Bon Jovi is legendary.

Ridley Scott lighting up his trademark cigar at the beginning of ALIEN is fun to listen to.

My least favourite are those commentaries made by Alan Smithee who justs sits and says nothing. A bit like me. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Also, IGN.com has a list of good commentaries here.

And if you've got some time left, a list of bad commentaries here.

[Lurker 5]

Ridley Scott commentaries are usually very good.

George P. Cosmatos on Cobra is terrible.

Neil

[Morlock 11]

One of my favourite commentaries is between director Richard Donner and his then editor Stuart Baird on the DVD of THE OMEN  Funny, subtle and poignant.  I haven't heard the SUPERMAN commentary yet.  Dick and Stu.  Or Stu and Dick.  Or Dicky Stu.  PLEEEAAASSEEEEEEEE

Another one I like is Jerry Goldsmith's commentary on HOLLOW MAN.  It's good to hear Jerry use the "F" word. And also sad he didn't do more of them before his untimely death.

Great commentaries indeed. The Donner ones are wonderful, The Omen and Superman are two of the absolute best ones out there.

The Usual Suspects is a classic, the funnest track ever.

The Mummy Returns has a great, great track filled with the director and editor making fun of how stupid the movie is.

This is Spinal Tap is great, it's like an extension of the movie.

Roger Ebert's tracks for Dark City and Casablanca were quite good.

Almost Famous- wonderful track, with the director and his mother.

Used Cars- Bob & Bob & Kurt give a hillarious commentary.

Solaris- I couldn't stand the movie, but the commentary by Soderberg and Cameron is one of the most interesting I've heard.

And, in general- all Kevin Smith ones are great (especialy Chasing Amy and Mallrats), and Ridley Scott consistantly gives the best commentaries out there, honest, entertaining, fascinating (at least of the five I've heard).

These are the ones that come to mind. I always turn off bad ones, so can't really offer too much in that vein.

[John Crichton 4]

Among those not mentioned already:

The two commentary tracks on the special edition of Monty Python and the Holy Grail are both real good. It's the only time I've ever heard the Pythons talk about their work while not "in character", and you really get a feel of how damn smart they all really are.

Nicholas Myers' on the Director's Edition of Star Trek II.

The commentaries on the Buffy and Angel sets are of consistent good quality, with Joss Whedon's nearly always being among the best I've ever heard.

[Lurker 5]

You actually like The Omen commentary? I like the rapport, but I'm not sure what movie Donner is commenting on. It sure isn't The Omen.

Neil

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

Fincher's and Branagh's commentaries are always very good. Informative and entertaining.

Marian -

[Henry B 50]

Not that I listen to audio commentaries much... but I'll tell ya... Attack of the Clones... horrible. I remember that during the chase through Coruscant, the special effects director or somebody spent an ENTIRE MINUTE pointing out a split second X-Wing/TIE Fighter cameo. I had to watch it dozens of times to see it. But there's John Knoll, patting himself on the back for his hilarious little SFX cameo... Another thing is Lucas pointing out the Jango-hitting-his-head joke. He makes such a big deal out of that thing (as is evidenced by the new Star Wars sound mix).

[benefactor 3]

Paul Verhoeven commentaries (Die Vierde Man; Flesh+Blood; Starship Troopers) are usually very... intensive. He seems to be so passionate about everything he talks.

Sam Mendes and Alan Boll were great at American Beauty.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I hear somewhere during the RoboCop commentary he just shouts out "I love violence!"

BTW, did he do a commentary for De Vierde Man in English?

[Morlock 11]

You actually like The Omen commentary?  I like the rapport, but I'm not sure what movie Donner is commenting on. It sure isn't The Omen.

Huh? I found it to be quite specificaly commentary for The Omen .

Not that I listen to audio commentaries much... but I'll tell ya... Attack of the Clones... horrible.

I forgot- I did indeed listen to the commentaries of AoTC and TPM (for JW mentions), and found them to be quite terrible commentaries.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

 Huh? I found it to be quite specificaly commentary for The Omen .

As I understand it, Donner has taken to some revisionist views about this film.

I think he says something about that Damien is not actually the Anti-Christ and it's all imagined by a delusional Thorne.

Very contradictory to what can clearly be seen in the film.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I don't remember much of AotC, but I certainly found TPM very informative, and it shed some light on decisions made along the way (and some unintended insight into where it went wrong). AotC was a step down, but I still found it enjoyable, although I don't really remember any details.

[Morlock 11]

 Huh? I found it to be quite specificaly commentary for The Omen .

As I understand it, Donner has taken to some revisionist views about this film.

I think he says something about that Damien is not actually the Anti-Christ and it's all imagined by a delusional Thorne.

Very contradictory to what can clearly be seen in the film.

True, I forgot about that aspect of it. He seems to be under the illusion that the film can be read in two ways- one literaly, and one as if Thorne is simply delusional, which has no basis if you've ever seen the movie. But, then again, he's also under the illusion that he's made a great movie with this one.

[Hitch 57]

Well I've found my DENTURES dvd.

[Damien F 1,742]

Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz have the most enjoyable commentaries I've ever heard. Really recommend them.

[Hitch 57]

If it's a masterclass in audio commentary you're after, then it's worth checking out the commentary by Bette Davis and Joan Crawford on the "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" dvd. Epic on the Ben-Hur scale.

[Kendal_Ozzel 36]

I don't listen to commentaries nearly as often as I did back when this thread was started. I think last couple I did were Fincher on Zodiac and Whedon on The Avengers, both of which were excellent.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

The Tim Burton Batman commentaries are legendary. An incredibly annoying amount of uhh's and you know's, but still incredibly hilarious and entertaining. I also loved Cameron's TItanic commentary.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Elfman's Red Dragon commentary is boring as hell

[Quintus 5,399]

Did Morlock ever say he was leaving?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm assuming he never intended to leave. Probably killed by some Palistinians.

I miss him

[nightscape94 965]

Any commentary by Kevin Smith and gang, especially Clerks: The Animated Series.

Any of Ebert's commentaries. I'm only familiar with Dark City, Casablanca, Citizen Kane and Floating Weeds.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

The Tim Burton Batman commentaries are legendary. An incredibly annoying amount of uhh's and you know's, but still incredibly hilarious and entertaining. I also loved Cameron's TItanic commentary.

Cameron is so soft-spoken in his commentaries, he's given me ASMR.

[Balto's Claws 2]

Audio commentaries aren't something I've particularly been interested in. However, I will say the best one I ever heard because it was so unexpected was the commentary from Rutt and Tuke on Brother Bear. People were saying they wouldn't buy the blu-ray if it didn't have this commentary on it. Its basically a comedy schtick between Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas in their respective characters. That was worth watching.

Bad ones are the ones I can't remember even watching.