Article: The 15 People You Meet Listening to DVD Audio Commentaries (1 Viewer)

[Richard Kim]

The Onion AV Club has a new article lampooning DVD commentaries. Pretty interesting read:

http://www.avclub.com/content/node/49455

This one got a laugh from me:

 

[Reagan]

Nice article.

I also feel that The Narrator (#3) and the The Nitpicker (#4) are pretty bad (I mean, I love a good commentary, but these types do more harm than good). But nobody can touch the The Irritating Academic (#1) for pure obnoxiousness. Just try to get through a certain commentary track on Basic Instinct (you know which one) without falling asleep.

I actually like most of the rest of the list.

-Reagan

 

[Aaron Silverman]

That article is hysterical -- because it's so true!

I loves my commentaries, but Narrators and Strong Silent Types really irritate me.

 

[Dick]

Can't believe that, within fifteen choices, not one mentions the most irritating trait (to me) in commentaries: THE MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY, in which director/producer and/or cast are c-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-l-y saying things like, "She was just great in this," or "he did a marvelous job," etc. And possibly the most overused and egotistical director comment: "Oh, this is my favorite scene..." (usually repeated a half-dozen times during a given movie).

 

[Mark_TB]

My pet peeve is the "You Had To Be There" type of commentary. It usually involves two or more members of the production, with comments like:

"Oh! Remember the day we shot that scene?"

"Oh, yeah! That was funny/crazy/sad/etc.!"

But with no further explanation for the listener as to precisely why it was funny/crazy/sad/etc.

Mark

 

[Mark Kalzer]

No mention of the Confused Commentator who thinks they cannot talk about anything that happens later in the movie so that they do not spoil it.

Because...clearly, no one who listens to commentaries has actually watched the movie. I mean...that saves so much time for me personally! I get the movie and I get the commentary! It's a little different for TV shows I grant, but movies?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Yup - those are probably the biggest complaints I have when I listen to commentaries, along with too much praise for all involved.

BTW, for a perfect example of The Indifferent Cast Member, look no further than Beyond the Valley of the Dolls where John La Zar whines much of the time. Actually, he's not indifferent - he seems actively bitter and angry. He doesn't understand why he's there and gripes about money. He also picks on other cast members in attendance - the guy seems like a capital J JERK!