Who Gives Good Commentary?

Discuss North American DVDs and Blu-rays or other DVD and Blu-ray-related topics.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
manicsounds
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#151 Post by manicsounds » Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:33 pm

The Blu-ray (and maybe DVD as well) of Grabbers has an excellent commentary hosted by director Jon Wright.

It reminds me of the old Criterion commentaries, sometimes screen-specific, sometimes non-specific edited together audio piece.

Jon Wright interviews various members of the crew talking about various aspects of the production (sometimes while drinking), and then edited the audio into one track. There's a lot more work in this commentary track than the average one these days.

User avatar
manicsounds
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#152 Post by manicsounds » Fri Jun 07, 2013 10:12 am

Watching a lecture TV series featuring Drew Casper on NHK TV at the moment. Anyone know what this show is called in English, or if it's even on in other countries?
In Japanese it's called "Hollywood Hakutetsu Kyoushitsu"

flyonthewall2983
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:31 pm
Location: Indiana
Contact:

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#153 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Fri Jun 07, 2013 10:28 pm

skuhn8 wrote:Tougher list to come up with: actor commentaries. I really only have one that comes to mind: Giamatti and Haden Church on Sideways. I've actually gone back and listened to that one more than once. Hilarious.

Ok ok, there's the Spinal Tap commentary as well (on the non-Criterion, as I haven't heard the Criterion one if it differs).
Even tougher: musician commentaries. This could apply to film composers or musicians for concert DVDs and such.

User avatar
matrixschmatrix
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 11:26 pm

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#154 Post by matrixschmatrix » Fri Jun 07, 2013 11:24 pm

flyonthewall2983 wrote: Even tougher: musician commentaries. This could apply to film composers or musicians for concert DVDs and such.
The one on Stop Making Sense is pretty great, I would say.

User avatar
colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#155 Post by colinr0380 » Sat Jun 08, 2013 4:42 am

I've always been impressed with the Cliff Martinez commentary on Traffic, if that helps!

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: 670 To Be or Not to Be

#156 Post by swo17 » Wed Sep 11, 2013 5:35 pm

davidkalat wrote:[doesn't matter what he wrote]
Well, I know who I'm voting for for member of the year.

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: 670 To Be or Not to Be

#157 Post by domino harvey » Wed Sep 11, 2013 5:35 pm

Thanks buddy!

User avatar
HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

Re: 670 To Be or Not to Be

#158 Post by HerrSchreck » Fri Sep 13, 2013 11:52 am

David K is member of the millenium.

I've heard it said by close friends and co-members here and elsewhere that I may have had a minscule little something to do with the promulgating of Jean Epstein's name and films around six or seven years or more ago via my ranting and raving on forums and trackers (and Usher is still in my top 3 of all time) about how completely blown away I was . . . leading to something like a discovery by a sliver of core cineastes . . . if that is truly the case that's only because David had the conjones to release Usher on DVD twelve years ago. That was probably the most exciting single discovery of a director I had previously heard absolutely zilch about but for a single ballsy disc producer following his belief that if he released something this good, at least SOMEBODY will respond.

And me overflowing with Epstein love, I reached out to him, and he responded immediately (this is something like six or seven years ago).

And everything I just said about Usher-- ditto that for CHRIST IN CONCRETE. Hats of to ya David!

(I know this is off topic, and if this gets split off into a "Lets Embarrass David Kalat With Love & Kudos" thread I'd be totally delighted!)

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: 670 To Be or Not to Be

#159 Post by swo17 » Fri Sep 13, 2013 12:03 pm

I can certainly trace my current love of Epstein back to the two of you.

User avatar
HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

Re: 670 To Be or Not to Be

#160 Post by HerrSchreck » Fri Sep 13, 2013 12:29 pm

Hey bro-- that's completely awesome! Epstein is the most delightfully terminal contagion.

User avatar
EddieLarkin
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am

Re: 670 To Be or Not to Be

#161 Post by EddieLarkin » Fri Sep 13, 2013 3:28 pm

HerrSchreck wrote:(I know this is off topic, and if this gets split off into a "Lets Embarrass David Kalat With Love & Kudos" thread I'd be totally delighted!)
Me too. After exhausting Mr Kalat's commentaries, I started to get withdrawal symptoms and so was forced to go and buy his books. I'm almost through his Godzilla history and have found it exemplary. I've especially come away with a much better appreciation for the post Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster films (up to Hedorah anyway).

User avatar
wigwam
Joined: Mon May 07, 2012 11:30 am

Re: Cohen Film Collection

#162 Post by wigwam » Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:22 pm

jonah.77 wrote: I really wish that folks doing commentary tracks would sit down with the film a few times and plan out and finesse their remarks
I've always felt this way too and the one on For Ever Mozart is one of the greatest in terms of this

Mathew2468
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:40 pm

Re: Cohen Film Collection

#163 Post by Mathew2468 » Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:59 pm

I don't think I like commentaries anymore and I'd rather watch video essays. What are the advantages of a commentary? I like Zulawski's semi-meandering anecdotal commentaries for some reason. Is it at least fun to watch the film alongside Hartley?

User avatar
whaleallright
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 12:56 am

Re: Cohen Film Collection

#164 Post by whaleallright » Tue Jan 21, 2014 11:57 pm

I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with this concept, "fun."

the best commentaries justify the form. I've heard great ones from filmmakers like John Frankenheimer and Steven Soderbergh, and superb ones from critics like David Bordwell and Casper Tybjerg. some commentaries are fascinating beyond what they have to say about the films, like the Verhoeven/Neumeier ones for RoboCop and Starship Troopers, where it often seems that the two parties are making competing claims for authorship.

Numero Trois
Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 5:23 am
Location: Florida

Re: Cohen Film Collection

#165 Post by Numero Trois » Wed Jan 22, 2014 2:26 am

Like jonah.77 said, the better ones add to the enjoyment and understanding of a film. Like anything else, some are useless, some just ok, and some are truly excellent. And at least a few are truly "fun." Like Roger Ebert's commentary for Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

User avatar
zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#166 Post by zedz » Wed Jan 22, 2014 5:48 pm

Also fun: any John Waters commentary. Nine times out of ten, they're better than the actual movie.

Mathew2468
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:40 pm

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#167 Post by Mathew2468 » Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:18 pm

What commentaries needed to be commentaries and couldn't be video essays?

User avatar
warren oates
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 12:16 pm

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#168 Post by warren oates » Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:25 pm

Ensemble making-of/behind-the-scenes commentaries, super detailed scholarly and technical commentaries (which can practically become full-length video essays), commentaries that don't have terribly much to say about the visual aspects of the film, etc., etc.

Mathew2468
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:40 pm

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#169 Post by Mathew2468 » Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:28 pm

Nah... I can't remember any scholarly ones that needed to be so long.

User avatar
warren oates
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 12:16 pm

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#170 Post by warren oates » Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:37 pm

The Wild Bunch is the first one that springs to mind, but I could say the same about any of the Peckinpah scholars' commentaries and dozens of others. Whatever, though. If you want to continue making sweeping and largely baseless generalizations, then why should we care that you're missing out on this Criterion-pioneered way to experience and educate yourself about films?

flyonthewall2983
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:31 pm
Location: Indiana
Contact:

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#171 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:39 pm


Mathew2468
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:40 pm

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#172 Post by Mathew2468 » Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:44 pm

I don't see why it isn't better if the commentator has total control over the choice of images and sounds. The order and speed and everything.

User avatar
warren oates
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 12:16 pm

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#173 Post by warren oates » Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:58 pm

Because not every commentator is purely concerned with the formal aspects of the film at every moment of his/her commentary. Because sometimes seeing the film again as it was meant to be (you know, in the cut where the director presumably had total control) creates a new insight. Because -- wait, why am I even replying at this point when it's clear that nothing will change your mind and, like I said above, none of us care that you've suddenly sworn off commentaries forever for no good reason.

Mathew2468
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:40 pm

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#174 Post by Mathew2468 » Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:03 pm

Whoa, it's a big deal apparently. Not all video essayists are purely concerned with formal etc.

Brevity. And I've heard Stephen Prince's Straw Dogs commentary if that matters.

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: Who gives good commentary?

#175 Post by domino harvey » Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:11 pm

Mathew2468 wrote:Nah... I can't remember any scholarly ones that needed to be so long.
Great rebuttal

Post Reply