tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post6996664966723574080..comments2024-03-28T06:14:54.076-04:00Comments on And So It Begins...: An Exhaustive and Unofficial Guide to Film CommentariesAlex Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-48855728376415250482023-03-20T13:38:02.500-04:002023-03-20T13:38:02.500-04:00Hey there, whew, that's a tough one. I can'...Hey there, whew, that's a tough one. I can't recall a citable article, but I promise Spike has said that a ton. He's even said it in his director's commentaries, I'm just not sure which ones. If I remember, I'll comment here!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-20555732067189254922023-02-09T19:18:39.205-05:002023-02-09T19:18:39.205-05:00Hi Alex,
Can you recall where you saw that article...Hi Alex,<br />Can you recall where you saw that article on Spike and his commnets about encouraging his NYU students to watch director commentaries?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-38739976125227408842022-01-31T16:01:15.185-05:002022-01-31T16:01:15.185-05:00I love Gilliam's commentaries so much, for exa...I love Gilliam's commentaries so much, for exactly that reason. And I haven't heard Fisher's commentary! Thanks for that, definitely going to check that out. I miss her.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-35328628385570236152022-01-27T06:52:05.491-05:002022-01-27T06:52:05.491-05:00Carrie Fisher's commentary on Postcards From t...Carrie Fisher's commentary on Postcards From the Edge is hysterical. <br /><br />Terry Gilliam gives the smoothest, most fulfilling commentaries that make me feel as if he's a friend sitting next to me in a screening room, sharing what he knows or thought or felt for every minute of each of his films. derekbdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12710943777410073992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-28656083637342984862018-10-25T11:37:40.077-04:002018-10-25T11:37:40.077-04:00Wow, I had no idea Carruth did a commentary for Pr...Wow, I had no idea Carruth did a commentary for Primer! I have to track that down ASAP. I really appreciate you letting me know. And thanks so much for stopping by!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-19415538248439182882018-10-13T06:03:49.731-04:002018-10-13T06:03:49.731-04:00Hi Alex, Shane Carruth did an amazing commentary t...Hi Alex, Shane Carruth did an amazing commentary track for Primer. Throughout it he explains exactly how he went about making such a great film on a micro-budget. Its extremely interesting and a valuable lecture for any low budget filmmaker. Someone uploaded a copy of it to soundcloud, otherwise its only on the 2004 DVD release I believe. Love the blog!Ernohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15106293120255200205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-52959657701612924622018-09-19T17:52:17.940-04:002018-09-19T17:52:17.940-04:00Thanks man! I so appreciate YOUR comments. This po...Thanks man! I so appreciate YOUR comments. This post was a few years in the making, but your comment on my Armageddon post helped give me the push to publish this, so thanks for that!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-16511273110592839582018-09-19T17:51:16.407-04:002018-09-19T17:51:16.407-04:00Thanks! Ohhhh Hardwick has a great commentary on T...Thanks! Ohhhh Hardwick has a great commentary on Thirteen - I forgot about that one! I totally get why people don't listen to commentaries, but they can definitely help you appreciate a film you love even more.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-28614378802770894972018-09-10T08:01:43.101-04:002018-09-10T08:01:43.101-04:00Such a great post, as usual Alex. I appreciate all...Such a great post, as usual Alex. I appreciate all the work that went into this, and though I haven't spent much time listening to commentaries in the past, this has definitely got me to add a good handful to my watchlist. Fantastic stuff!Tylerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14759761229945466986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-56288118093598451112018-09-09T23:09:05.837-04:002018-09-09T23:09:05.837-04:00Great post! I do not listen to director commentary...Great post! I do not listen to director commentary enough. You make me want to go back to my favorite blu rays and do so. I don't know why I don't either. I remember listening to Catherine Hardwick's commentary over Thirteen and I felt I learned so much more about the film. Brittani Burnhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07975067259283007280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-20094890527630843182018-09-08T13:23:58.599-04:002018-09-08T13:23:58.599-04:00I hope you enjoy the ones you check out! Every Fin...I hope you enjoy the ones you check out! Every Fincher track is great, and his one for Fight Club does not disappoint. I love that Tropic Thunder track too. It's so funny but so informative.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-2536675024830085512018-09-08T13:22:55.824-04:002018-09-08T13:22:55.824-04:00LOVE Fincher's track for Gone Girl! I remember...LOVE Fincher's track for Gone Girl! I remember listening to Fincher's track for Gone Girl with a friend, who was not accustomed to Fincher's dry sense of humor. And when Fincher said they had to stop shooting for three days because Affleck refused to wear a Yankees hat, my friend was like, "Wow, that's a bit of an overreaction." And I was like, "Dude... he's <i>kidding</i>." I adore Fincher so much.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-90100039352270477522018-09-08T13:20:50.629-04:002018-09-08T13:20:50.629-04:00And I completely get why people wouldn't be in...And I completely get why people wouldn't be interested in them. They definitely take getting used to. Back in the day, commentaries were far more common than they are now, which is a real shame for today's movies. Today, very few first-run DVD's and Blu-Rays feature good commentaries, but that <i>is</i> the best place to find them. Some dedicated cinephiles upload commentaries on YouTube from time to time, but I've never had much luck matching those tracks with the film. Too much hassle. So I'd start with the DVDs if you're interested. Fincher has done a commentary for nearly every one of his films (Se7en and Zodiac are my favorites, but they're all gold), PTA did them for Hard Eight and Boogie Nights, and Soderbergh did them for nearly every film he made before The Informant! Enjoy!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-80940276234507332272018-09-08T13:15:43.385-04:002018-09-08T13:15:43.385-04:00I love listing our favorite dream commentaries! Fo...I love listing our favorite dream commentaries! For me, Bergman on anything would've been great, though Bergman Island is a very worthy substitute. More realistically:<br /><br />-Steve McQueen on anything, but particularly Shame <br />-Terrence Malick on, well, everything<br />-Steven Soderbergh on anything post The Informant!<br />-Lynne Ramsay on You Were Never Really Here<br />-Shane Carruth on Upstream Color<br />-Christopher Nolan on anything post Insomnia, though it probably wouldn't be difficult to cut together one of those interview style commentaries based on how much Nolan contributes to the special features on his films.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-85815763074746379702018-09-07T16:38:07.243-04:002018-09-07T16:38:07.243-04:00Awesome post! I've never listened to director ...Awesome post! I've never listened to director commentaries; not because they don't seem interesting, but I just automatically choose the movies without them or some movies don't have them. Tropic Thunder might be the only one I've listened to on this list, and it's hysterical. My sister and I love the movie on its own, but it was interesting to hear the small details no one probably thinks went into the production. I've seen gifs of Fincher's commentary on tumblr and they can be hilariously dark and informative. This has really opened my eyes to see which movies I own that have commentaries and giving some a try. The Fight Club track sounds amazing.Katyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00287429151542133314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-46079708046199117232018-09-07T16:08:00.857-04:002018-09-07T16:08:00.857-04:00I don't often listen to the commentaries but I...I don't often listen to the commentaries but I'm gonna have to give it a go next time I rewatch something. Fincher's Gone Girl commentary is so hilarious. I need to listen to that Tropic Thunder one, love that movie!s.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13987831438787776712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-61087469931952759882018-09-07T10:19:55.944-04:002018-09-07T10:19:55.944-04:00Wow, great list! I actually feel kinda bad, becaus...Wow, great list! I actually feel kinda bad, because I've never actually heard a commentary until now. I've had, until this point, the same reaction as the teenager: why watch a movie with additional tracks on it, I couldn't understand anything from it. But I guess it would be perfect for a second view, to better understand it. So, do you find them on special editions of DVDs or BluRays? can you find them online, separately? I'm a bit clueless, to be honest. But I'd love to hear some of them, especially for the movies I really enjoyed or I was impressed by. I think Soderbergh, Fincher and Paul Thomas Anderson would be great to hear!Geektellerhttps://geekteller.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-74087958270519464052018-09-06T00:56:57.150-04:002018-09-06T00:56:57.150-04:00Ah....Ah....thevoid99https://www.blogger.com/profile/03055459287396592446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-74743730866351763912018-09-05T22:17:45.961-04:002018-09-05T22:17:45.961-04:00I'm well aware. Which is why the commentary is...I'm well aware. Which is why the commentary is in a permanently fixed state of dream. Lukehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03231911249238795602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-32439509265004925692018-09-05T01:22:00.383-04:002018-09-05T01:22:00.383-04:00Uh, I hate to break it to you but Michael Cimino d...Uh, I hate to break it to you but Michael Cimino died 2 years ago though there is 31-minute audio interview with Cimino and producer Joanne Carelli on the Criterion Blu-Ray.thevoid99https://www.blogger.com/profile/03055459287396592446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-57546167854394123012018-09-04T21:39:47.926-04:002018-09-04T21:39:47.926-04:00Fantastic breakdown! The GoodFellas and Silence of...Fantastic breakdown! The GoodFellas and Silence of the Lambs commentaries are 2 of my favorites for their having Henry Hill and John Douglass respectively. As a history geek I ador Stone's commentaries for JFK and Nixon. And of course, Soderbergh's tracks are always a go to upon buying a movie of his. <br /><br />Some of my dream commentaries:<br />Michael Cimino on Heaven's Gate<br />PT Anderson on anything post Boogie Nights<br />William Friedkin on Sorcerer<br /><br />Curious what yours would be.<br />Lukehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03231911249238795602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-80973104545336610412018-09-04T12:18:22.408-04:002018-09-04T12:18:22.408-04:00I like Jennifer Westfeldt a lot as well, as I'...I like Jennifer Westfeldt a lot as well, as I'll have to check out some of her tracks. Great call there!<br /><br />Kevin Smith is one of the few people who is able to cram a bunch of people on a room, and somehow get a decent commentary out of it. I remember his track for Dogma, and he's great at keeping everyone on point (when needed), or let it fly off the rails when appropriate. <br /><br />And I love the Spider-Man 2 technical commentary as a sleeping aid. That's hilarious.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-45553323765773986692018-09-04T12:16:00.479-04:002018-09-04T12:16:00.479-04:00Okay I need to listen to Frayling's commentari...Okay I need to listen to Frayling's commentaries right away, and Nicholson's. Those both sound amazing.<br /><br />This is so embarrassing, but I actually have listened to the commentary for Glitter (by the director), and it plays like a Mystery Science Theatre track. Whenever there is a plot hole in the movie (which is often), the director says he relied on "magical realism" for the scene. It is baffling and absolutely hilarious. <br /><br />And I've heard rumors about that Swept Away track, but never braved a listen for myself. Ohhh, Guy.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-43700413190196032262018-09-04T12:12:18.357-04:002018-09-04T12:12:18.357-04:00Thanks so much! And I totally get what your daught...Thanks so much! And I totally get what your daughter is saying. The first commentary track I ever heard was Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson's commentary for Scream, which I put on by mistake (I was a teenager at the time). I remember thinking, "What the hell is this? Why would I want to watch a movie this way?" But I kept going, and was hooked from then on. But, still, it's definitely an adjustment.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-35920909531618176712018-09-04T12:10:04.824-04:002018-09-04T12:10:04.824-04:00I've actually never listed to that Matrix trac...I've actually never listed to that Matrix track, but I'll have to give it a listen now! And no (sad face), Friedkin hasn't done a track for Sorcerer which is a damn shame. He was heavily involved in the Blu-Ray transfer of that film, and I hoped he'd do a track for it, but no such luck. Damn shame. Good luck with Thompson's track, it's a real doozy hahaAlex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.com