An Observation:Commentary on DVD Deleted Scenes (1 Viewer)

[MarkHastings]

Doesn't it seem like 90% of all the commentary in these deleted scenes goes like this:

"It was really hard to cut this scene. We had to cut it for time constraints (or to move the plot along), although the actors did a great job! I really hated to see this scene get cut"

 

[MickeS]

Yeah, or "The test audience didn't understand why Pete was saying this to Steph in this scene, so it had to go".

All the while I'm thinking "Test audiences must be the dumbest people in the world."

/Mike

 

[DeanWalsh]

The two greatest enemies to the integrity of the director's intent:
1) Test Audiences
2) Harvey Weinstein

 

[MarkHastings]

remember to finish up all of your directors quotes with "...but the actors did a really great job here"

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

Or you have Weird Al's commentary on the deleted scenes:

"This sucked"

"This sucked even more"

"What were we thinking?"

Something along those lines.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Oh, I don't think commentaries for deleted scenes are THAT bad! Usually they're fairly informative.

Guy Ritchie's remarks for the cut sequences on Swept Away aren't all that useful, but they're amusing...

 

[ChrisJefferys]

Just once, I'd like to hear the director say: "We didn't realize until we watched the dailies that -insert actors name-'s performance sucked so bad in that scene. Unfortunately we didn't have any time/money left for a reshoot, so we just cut the scene out instead of possibly ruining the film."

 

[Tony-B]

Jason, Wierd Al fast forwarded through some of the scenes because they sucked so bad.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Doesn't it seem like 90% of all the commentary in these deleted scenes goes like this:

"It was really hard to cut this scene. We had to cut it for time constraints (or to move the plot along), although the actors did a great job! I really hated to see this scene get cut"

I don't really know... I always skip the commentary on deleted scenes because I figure it's just going to the director talking about how hard it was to cut and how the actor's did a really good job in it.

 

[RaulR]

How about the commentary that goes something like: "We spent several months writing, planning and shooting this scene, which cost a gazillion bucks, and the actors really got into it and gave 115% . . . but in the end we couldn't find a place for it in the film because it went completely against all the characters' story arcs and motivations and it didn't really make any sense plotwise."

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

Tony-B, I completely forgot about that. Great DVD!

 

[MarkHastings]

Oh, I don't think commentaries for deleted scenes are THAT bad! Usually they're fairly informative.

Some are pretty good, I just wonder why some DVD's even bother with commentary over deleted scenes when it's the same thing over and over...

"I really got a great performance out of (insert actors name here) and the scene is one of my favorites (always throw in that line in a deleted scene), but it had to go because we needed to move the plot along and most of the information the scene gives has already been established."

 

[Seth_S]

I think the problem is that it's normally pretty obvious why a scene was cut out (or even unimportant), so directors are left to state the obvious.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Some are pretty good, I just wonder why some DVD's even bother with commentary over deleted scenes when it's the same thing over and over...

But if they didn't include ANY deleted scenes commentaries, then we wouldn't get the good ones. Gotta accept the mediocre and bad to get the good stuff...

 

[MarkHastings]

But if they didn't include ANY deleted scenes commentaries, then we wouldn't get the good ones. Gotta accept the mediocre and bad to get the good stuff...

True. I wasn't saying that we need to get rid of them completely. This thread was inspired by my recent viewing of "HeartBreakers" deleted scenes commentary. David Mirkin basically said the same exact line through every scene...it started sounding like a broken record.

But at least he didn't start making random noises like Tom Green (Freddy Got Fingered) - "Beep boo bop bee Poop Poop Poopy! Poopy! Doody!"

LOL

 

[Kevin M]

At least on most DVD you can shut them off....DAMN YOU DEVIL'S ADVOCATE!!

 

[MarkHastings]

At least on most DVD you can shut them off

Unfortunately, I'm the type that likes to hear a good cemmentary track so I force myself through all the bad ones to get to the good ones.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Take a look at the deleted (and unfinished) scenes in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The commentary on most is that Walt axed them because they did not advance the plot or our understanding of the characters.

And it has to be admitted that it was a brilliant editing decision, given how tight are the 90 allotted minutes.

 

[Kevin M]

No Mark, what I mean is that on the DVD extras for The Devil's Advocate you can't shut off the director's commentary at all during the deleted scenes, you can't actually hear the deleted scene's original soundtrack to evaluate whether it is good or bad, all you can hear is the director talking or, if he stops talking for a few seconds, a little bit of the scene itself...I'm assuming this was a technical glitch on Warner Brothers part.

 

[MarkHastings]

No Mark, what I mean is that on the DVD extras for The Devil's Advocate

Whoopsie! :b LOL