DISQUS

Thierry Côté · 3 months ago

I'm a big fan of the Boogie Nights commentary as well (and I agree that commentaries should be included if they ever re-release his more recent movies) but this list is missing two of my favourites: Roger Ebert on the Citizen Kane dvd, which is a brilliant master class on the movie, its story, special effects, etc.; and another great Cameron Crowe commentary (with his mother) for the Untitled version of Almost Famous.

DwDunphy · 2 months ago

I also liked Ebert's commentary on the original Dark City DVD. It makes me sad that he'll never be physically able to do an audio movie commentary track ever again (but maybe a text subtitle track?)

JeffJohnson · 2 months ago

Two commentary tracks that I've never heard before. Seriously, one of the reasons for writing this piece is so that people would post ones that I overlooked, so I can check them out. (Did I mention I was a commentary track junkie?)

JE · 2 months ago

Just FYI, the fantastic Scorsese/Schoomaker commentary on the Criterion Raging Bull laserdisc was reproduced on the recent-ish special edition DVD and Blu-ray.

JeffJohnson · 2 months ago

Wow, I had no idea. Thanks and I guess that makes it ten!

hemisphire · 2 months ago

#10 should be Clerks or Mallrats, great funny stuff.

WHarrisBullzEye · 2 months ago

I'm partial to all of Kevin Smith's commentaries, but I'll exuberantly second the vote for "Mallrats," which gives a lot of insight into the world of a filmmaker moving from a shoestring budget to having the backing of a major studio.

BobCashill · 2 months ago

Francis Ford Coppola's commentary tracks are generally excellent. The best tracks are a combination of preparation (including reading from notes, which I think is fine so long as it's not too monotone) and off-the-cuff while watching the film. The worst are when the filmmakers, unmoderated, simply tell you what's happening in the scene, which is, you know, self-evident. (A well-prepped moderator is a huge asset in a group talk.)

Funny moments in commentary: Susan Sarandon taken aback by a strange restaurant set in THE HUNGER ("who the hell would eat in a place like that?") and director Piers Haggard dryly relating the daily distress of directing a cast of certifiables--Klaus Kinski, Oliver Reed, Sterling Hayden, Nicol Williamson, and Sarah Miles--in the snake picture VENOM. The original director, Tobe Hooper, chose them, then bolted when the inmates took over the asylum--but really, he had only himself to blame, as Kinski and Reed alone would raise the security level without teaming them. Haggard discussing the day the two actors got into a huge dustup before shocked visitors from Guinness, which produced the film, should really be put on YouTube ("Limey cocksucker!" "Nazi lunatic!").