What is your favorite commentary? (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

My three favorites are all from laserdiscs:

John Fricke's for the Ultimate Edition of The Wizard of Oz. He did commentary for the DVD/Blu-ray releases, too, and some of his commentary is the same but it's interrupted with sound bites from others and not quite as effective on the DVD/Blu-ray.

Ron Haver for Criterion's Singin' in the Rain.

Miles Kreuger for Criterion's 1936 Show Boat. (I believe MGM re-used it for their Show Boat laserdisc box set, too.)

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Is this the one where he trashes Kirk’s acting? I know someone did that and I found it refreshing though I disagreed with him.

I believe so.

 

[Jake Lipson]

The commentary on Inside Out comes to mind. As usual with Pixar commentaries, It's really informative and fun to listen to, and also has that really funny bi where they call Michael Giacchino to talk about the music, but he's not in. So the commentary actually includes Michael Giacchino's voicemail message as part of the track, which is hilarious.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

Love the commentary from the group members of This is Spinal Tap Criterion laserdisc & dvd release.

 

[sleroi]

Speaking of the spinal tap criterion commentary, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest give an excellent commentary to Criterion's Sullivan's Travels. Even though it is 95% McKean talking it is still quite good.

 

[Race Bannon]

The absolute best commentaries are done by the late Mike Nichols. His best is The Graduate, followed by Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe, and Catch-22.

Some of my upper favorites are the two-person one done in Conan the Barbarian by Arnold and director John Milius. I also love the John Carpenter ones with Kurt Russell in The Thing, Escape from New York, and Big Trouble.

There are countless others. My head is swimming with about 50.

 

[Ross Gowland]

By of a parochial one for an international forum, but the cast commentaries on the 1970s kids sci-fi TV series The Tomorrow People are laugh out loud funny. They mock some of the acting and effects, share behind the scenes gossip, and for good measure constantly joke that the producer/writer was always including scenes of scantily glad young boys being tied up and/or whipped.

The View Askew and League of Gentlemen commentaries are also really funny.

In terms of serious critical insight, the one for Criterion’s L’Avventura shone light on a film that’s subtleties had escaped me on first viewing.

And all of the above are commentaries from 10-15 years ago, back in the days when I had time to listen to them - *sigh*

 

[Alan Tully]

I love the Michael Winner commentary on the Anchor Bay DVD of I'll Never Forget What's 'is Name (1967), he hardly pauses for breath.

 

[Vic Pardo]

What a great thread. Thanks for starting it, Mysto! I'm now inspired to start a new word file to log in the audio commentaries I've listened to (and my reactions) and inventory the ones I own and add suggestions for acquisitions from the previous posts, many of which sound intriguing.

However, I have to sheepishly admit that I've only listened to a fraction of the audio commentaries in my collection. I've listened to between 40 and 50 audio commentaries so far, plus TV shows and cartoon shots with commentaries.

The ones I remember the most fondly (all on DVD):

Burt Reynolds and producer Albert Ruddy on THE LONGEST YARD (1974). Burt has incredible recall and knows a great deal about each of the cast members and whatever football background they had. He's very enthusiastic and Ruddy has the good sense to let him talk and simply ask questions or guide the discussion at occasional points.

Raquel Welch on MYRA BRECKENRIDGE (1970). She is very funny and recalls the horrors of making the film with a caustic wit. "John Huston! Why couldn't HE have directed this movie?" She does it solo and the disc provides a second audio commentary by the pompous British director, whose memory of some of the off-camera incidents doesn't quite match Raquel's. But then, he's more interested in defending the indefensible.

Nancy Kwan and Nick Redman on FLOWER DRUM SONG (1961): Redman is a great moderator and Kwan is full of glowing reminiscences and a love of her career. She's a delight to listen to, but you won't hear a critical word about anybody she worked with. She has kind words about all of them. The one time she got scornful is when she recalled younger people in the industry who don't know film history. "How can you say you know anything about film when you don't know who John Wayne is?" Amen, sister!

https://briandanacamp.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/an-evening-with-nancy-kwan/

 

[Robert Crawford]

I have to say Used Cars is one of the most entertaining to listen to as it made me laugh throughout it.

 

[Alan Tully]

Burt Reynolds and producer Albert Ruddy on THE LONGEST YARD (1974). Burt has incredible recall and knows a great deal about each of the cast members and whatever football background they had. He's very enthusiastic and Ruddy has the good sense to let him talk and simply ask questions or guide the discussion at occasional points.

Ah I have the DVD, I've just checked it, & damnit, the commentary isn't on the UK DVD.

 

[TJPC]

I am really at the point where I think twice about buying any disc without a commentary. The classic movies are the best, especially those for silent movies. The latest ones usually just deteriorate into “she was wonderful to work with”. It is interesting to hear the commentary recorded just after the movie was made, telling

 

[TJPC]

I am really at the point where I think twice about buying any disc without a commentary. The classic movies are the best, especially those for silent movies. The latest ones usually just deteriorate into “she was wonderful to work with”. It is interesting to hear the commentary recorded just after the movie was made, telling

 

[TJPC]

(Sorry — I don’t know what happened here, but here is the rest of the sentence). how wonderful the movie is when you know it was a notorious flop.

 

[cinemel1]

One of the only commentaries that I have listened to multiple times is the commentary by Katherine Orrison, author of “Written in Stone: Making Cecil B. DeMille’s Epic, The Ten Commandments”. She fills up the almost 4 hours of the film with wonderful anecdotes and information. It's obvious she loves the movie. Her book on the filming is also a great read if you're a fan of the film.

 

[Tony Bensley]

For me, there's just so many great commentaries. The ones that spring to mind at the moment are the two Richard W Bann/Rich Correll tracks for the 1930 Laurel and Hardy two reel comedy, HOG WILD, on the 10 DVD set of LAUREL AND HARDY: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION, from 2011. I always find the fun they were clearly both having so infectious, while also being very informative!

CHEERS!

 

[Rob_Ray]

I have to second the nomination of Katherine Orrison's. She knows the film well, she knows the participants well and her love for and knowledge of the movie comes through in a most entertaining manner.

I also loved the commentaries by Ron Haver, Miles Kreuger, Rudy Behlmer, Randy Skretvedt on the L&H films and Charley's Aunt, and Nick Redman, with or without Julie Kirgo.

 

[dana martin]

Off the top of my head, the commentaries with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell on Escape From New York, The Thing and Big Trouble In Little China are all fun because it's a couple of old buddies just having fun reminiscing together.

they are just fun, to listen to

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

Roger Waters' commentary track for Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982, starring Bob Geldof) had me in stitches. I had no idea he was so funny. The movie is just so freaking dark, I didn't expect it. Roger just sits there wittily dismantling it scene-by-scene, just riffing on stuff left and right.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I'll second Dave's recommendation of Roger Ebert on Dark City with the caveat that the revised commentary is a bit distracting due to Mr. Ebert's health issues. It is pretty noticeable (at least to me) when you are hearing the original track and the new sections. (Obviously from the content of the scenes, but I am referring to Mr. Ebert's voice and diction and perhaps energy level.)

One of the best commentary tracks I've ever heard was on Black Hawk Down where four members of Task Force Ranger discuss the mission and contrast it with the film's version of events. I believe it was in this track that we learn that one of the stunt pilots who flew one of the 'Little Birds' for the film actually flew that same craft and mission in real life in Mogadishu.

- Walter.