Favorite Audio Commentaries?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/12/14 at 2:45pm

One of my favorite commentaries has always been Jodie Foster's on CONTACT. I think it's one of the most informative that I've ever heard, from an actors POV. However I just finished watching THE HEAT with commentary from the MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 300 guys and I think I laughed just as hard as I did when I first saw that film. It might be my new favorite.

I'm curious which other tracks people really like. Because while I own thousands of discs I haven't had the time to listen to all the different commentaries on them so it's hard to know if I've missed a really good one.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 1/12/14 at 4:45pm

Terry Gilliam's audio commentary for Brazil. You can hear the anger and passion simultaneously in knowing that this was his cut on screen and the studios did not know what to do with it. But my favorite detail was that Gilliam mentioned DeNiro's involvement and how DeNiro really wanted to play the Jonathan Pryce role as Sam. I keep trying to imagine that movie in my head with that casting.

Ebert's commentary on Citizen Kane.

Lem Dobbs vs. Steven Soderbergh on The Limey commentary. A rare commentary where it is totally contentious from beginning to end but you totally understand the sides taken by the writer and the director.

Altman for Nashville

Scorsese and Schrader for Taxi Driver

Edgar Wright for nearly everything but I love Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (that film has 4 different commentary tracks by the way that are each entertaining)

I know people on the board were not as receptive to The Hurt Locker as I was but Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal's commentary on the actual conditions of filming and the dealing with resources really illuminates how that whole film was made the way it was.

I tend to like the commentaries of Michael Mann, Soderbergh, Wright, Mike Leigh, and John Carpenter. They tend to zone in on their film and not be repetitive with what they have to say from movie to movie.

Updated On: 1/12/14 at 04:45 PM

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/12/14 at 5:37pm

The commentary for the Grace Jones film "Vamp" with Dedee Pfeiffer, Gedde Watanabe, and director Richard Wenk is like watching the movie with old friends. Very lively. It's a decent flick, too if you like 80s stuff. The DVD has other extras as well and it's definitely worth picking up considering how cheap you can get it online.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/12/14 at 5:44pm

I second Ebert's on Citizen Kane.

And I can't believe I haven't listened to Jodie Foster's on Contact. I have the disc and need to play that one.

I also love Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, because Denise Nickerson gets pretty tipsy while recording it (they often serve wine, beer, and cater the sessions ... and she visited the crafts services table a little too often). It's kind of astounding to listen to Violet Beauregarde get loopy.

Oh! Another one like that ... Rosemary Clooney had way too many margaritas while recording the commentary to White Christmas. She gets all "rosy" by the end of it.

I also love John Fricke's commentary for The Wizard of Oz, Haskell Wexler's commentary on Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Many others ...

EDIT: I love listening to the various commentaries on the Twilight Zone set. The Blu-ray edition has commentaries on almost every episode now. (The DVD set had quite a few less.)

Updated On: 1/12/14 at 05:44 PM

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 1/12/14 at 7:43pm

All of Paul Verhoven's commentaries are really good.

And, of course, THE GOONIES commentary starring Martha Plimpton and John Waters' commentary on MOMMIE DEAREST ("The whole family wears ascots!!").

[finebydesign]

Posted: 1/12/14 at 8:12pm

John Waters are by far my favorite.

[bradwds]

Posted: 1/12/14 at 10:36pm

Jordan, Guillermo del Toro does very insightful and entertaining commentaries. My favorites are Pan's Labyrinth, Devil's Backbone and his solo commentary on the Blade 2 blu ray. Even the one for Pacific Rim made me appreciate the movie more. Also, check out the Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg commentaries on Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End. Roger Ebert's Dark City commentary is great.

There is also Commentary the Musical on Dr. Horrible's Sing along blog. John Carpenter and Kurt Russell commentaries on Big Trouble in Little China and The Thing are highlights.

Updated On: 1/12/14 at 10:36 PM

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 1/12/14 at 10:39pm

I love Frank Oz's commentary on the LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS DVD. It's amazing to hear how much work and detail went into making that film. The commentary made me appreciate the movie so much more!

[jnb9872]

Posted: 1/12/14 at 11:43pm

The old Criterion release of THIS IS SPINAL TAP had Guest, McKean and Shearer do a commentary in character ripping the "hack job" that Marty DiBergi did on them. It's almost like a sequel in and of itself, if I recall.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 2:57pm

It's obviously not a great movie, but the audio commentary on "Legally Blonde 2" is hysterical. It's Jennifer Coolidge, Jessica Cauffiel, and Alana Ubach basically making fun of the entire movie (except to say how pretty Reese looks and how funny Sam Pancake is). Jennifer is especially bitter towards Sally Field and it's honestly one of the funniest I've ever heard.

[mikey2573]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 10:41pm

One of my all time favorites is the kids from WILLY WONKA. They sound like such a fun group of people!

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 10:56pm

This probably depends on how much Liza you can take, but I LOVE her commentary on Liza with a Z. Not really all that informative, but... I love how she tries to remember random dancer and musician names and then just kinda gives up... It's like watching it with her and (several) martinis.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 1/14/14 at 7:43am

One that just came to mind was the wonderful commentary provided by Miss Nancy Kwan and Nick Redman on the Flower Drum Song DVD. I've always loved Miss Nancy Kwan but I loved her so much more after listening to her commentary. She just showed so much respect and love not only for the film but for her co-stars and mentioned that she tried in vain to find Miyoshi Umeki, who had literally disappeared from public view.

Unfortunately Miss Umeki passed away only a year later. Which led me to think whether Kwan did find her before she passed. I like to think that she did.

Not really a commentary, but the documentary short on the evolution of Flower Drum Song is also very entertaining and informative. I especially like the segments featuring Miss Pat Suzuki, who is still so sassy and brassy after all these years.



Updated On: 1/14/14 at 07:43 AM