Do we really need 3 or 4 commentaries on each DVD? (1 Viewer)

[Randall Dorr]

David, why do you assume that having commenetary tracks will ALWAYS lower the audio/video quality? I doubt commentaries use up that much space. Of coures if we want an answer to how much space they use, we can ask Mr. Prior. (In case you didn't know, he is a DVD producer who has done, among others, Fight Club, Titus, Rocky Horror, the Die Hard SEs, Planet of the Apes, and the eventual Pearl Harbor Vista Series.)
And you keep refering to the studios. Don't you think the artists who actually make the films want to have a say? They worked hard, and they want to tell us a little bit about what went into the making of the film.

listening to them

Then why do you feel there should be fewer of them? So you heard a few semi-boring tracks that you think would have been inproved if they were combined. That's understandable. You should complain about that disc, rather than assuming there is something inherently the matter with having three or four commentaries.

 

[Artur Meinild]

I haven't yet heard all 4 tracks on Fight Club or Se7en (and maybe I never will), but I can't complain about them being there...

 

[Damin J Toell]

Another example is "The Mummy" commentary with Brendan Freisher" (sp?). I have not listened to it, but I have heard some complaints about it. Instead of having his own commentary, they should have had Rachel Weise (sp?) with him to make it even more fun and exciting.

As an aside, when you make complaints about something you've never even heard, you shouldn't be surprised when people disagree with you.

If you don't like commentaries by a single actor (which seems to be a trend in your posts), skip them. I'm sure, however, that there are some Brendan Fraser fans who loved his commentary. Why should they lose out because your tastes aren't being met? This is why more choice is a good thing. You avoid the commentaries you probably won't like while people who want those commentaries get a chance to hear them. Everyone wins. So why complain? Not every single feature on a DVD is going to please you. I think you need to accept it and move on. And let those who enjoy "boring" commentaries get their wishes fulfilled. They're not hurting you.

The DVD world doesn't revolve around a single type of viewer. They're trying to please many different tastes at once. It's not always easy, apparently, but complaining about having "too many" choices only results, ultimately, in there being less choices, with less viewers being pleased. Basically, you're asking that less HTF members get pleased by DVD features because you don't like them. It's no wonder that people are disagreeing with you, is it?

Imagine an HTFer complaining that, say, sci-fi films are bad. And that, furthermore, the funding and making of sci-fi films takes away from time and money that could be spent on "good" films that the HTFer prefers. Therefore, the HTFer argues, there shouldn't be any sci-fi films made anymore. Do you really think the argument would go over well? Are you really arguing anything different? You want to take features away from viewers so that your idea of what's "good" should be fulfilled.

DJ

 

[David Ruiz]

Damin J Toell:

Imagine an HTFer complaining that, say, sci-fi films are bad. And that, furthermore, the funding and making of sci-fi films takes away from time and money that could be spent on "good" films that the HTFer prefers. Therefore, the HTFer argues, there shouldn't be any sci-fi films made anymore. Do you really think the argument would go over well? Are you really arguing anything different?

Yes, very different indeed. I never said that all commentaries are bad. Most commentaries, I find very interesting, and I learn lots of new things about the movie, that I would not have known, if I had not listened. There are some commentaries, that I have listened to 5 or 6 times, because I enjoyed them so much, but I'm just saying they should really watch the disk space. Until DVD has 1,000 gigabytes of disk space, they should really be careful on what they use it on. I'm sure almost everyone here can agree that they would rather have image quality that looks as good as looking out of your door, and audio quality that is SO AMAZING and crystal clear, than have 700 commentaries on 1 DVD.

 

[John Berggren]

In case you didn't know, he is a DVD producer who has done,

among others, Fight Club, Titus, Rocky Horror, the Die Hard SEs, Planet

of the Apes, and the eventual Pearl Harbor Vista Series

I have to thank David again then, for getting me to take a chance on Fight Club and Titus. Both were excellent films who's benchmark DVDs encouraged me to take a chance. The features were excellent, and they served to get me to check out 2 incredible films. I'll have to check out the well-priced Pearl Harbor Vista Series soon too.

More on topic: Julie Taymor's extraordinary commentary makes me wish she'd tackle more Shakespeare. I don't think I've seen Shakespeare in more capable hands. Of course, I wouldn't begrudge her new material either. She's fantastically intelligent and really knows her craft. Hers is a commentary I'd recommend even to the uninitiated.

 

[MartinTeller]

I think I should pipe in again, since I think maybe people are responding to what I said and not what David said.

Needing to explore every available extra is my particular quirk, my neurosis, my Achilles heel. You're right: no one is FORCING me to listen to every commentary... except me. I've been burned many times by excruciatingly boring (Edward Scissorhands, The Player) or annoying (Desperately Seeking Susan, Killer Klowns from Outer Space) commentaries. And yet I still feel compelled to listen to them all the way through, or else I might miss some minutely interesting tidbit. Fortunately, I'm gradually getting over it and becoming more picky about which extras to watch/listen to.

I would never, ever have any extra content REMOVED from a DVD. In fact, I would much rather use the space for 4 commentary tracks than on something that would make the picture/audio 0.05% better for people who spent $10,000 on their HT systems.

 

[Jefferson]

I think that commentaries on some modern films, I could do without.....but who knows how I'll feel in the future? They will probably be a great part of film history decades from now......I wish I had an Orson Welles commentary on Citizen Kane, and also one from the other actors, and another one with cinematographer Gregg Toland. TIme will tell.

 

[Chris Lock]

> they are simply there for an easy paycheck for a couple hours "work"

The people who do commentaries aren't usually paid for that time.

 

[Damin J Toell]

I'm sure almost everyone here can agree that they would rather have image quality that looks as good as looking out of your door, and audio quality that is SO AMAZING and crystal clear, than have 700 commentaries on 1 DVD.

Making absurd examples is one thing, but do you have any proof that a single DVD you're complaining about suffers in audio and video quality due to too many commentaries? Note that full bitrate DTS rarely gets used these days anyway, regardless of the number of commentaries present, so there's likely no causal link at all between commentaries and full bitrate DTS.

DJ

 

[Damin J Toell]

I was once involved in a project to persuade Orson Welles to record a commentary track for "Citizen Kane." Seemed like a good idea, but not to the Great One, who rumbled that he had made a great many films other than "Kane" and was tired of talking about it.

Presumably, this was an effort on behalf of Criterion to get Welles to record a commentary for their 1984 laserdisc release (spine #1).
DJ

 

[Roland G]

I really can't understand it when people say that we don't need those commentaries.

YOU JUST CAN't ANSWER SAY WE DON'T NEED THEM.

Commentaries are the best way of preserving a audio piece in which the director talks about his movie.

You know....imagine there would be no commentaries and in 30 years...you would be very sad if there were no 4 commentaries for Fight Club available. As for the other movies. I think that anyone participating in the creating of a movie has the right to record a commentarie...to says they are useless is really like saying "why do we need that film on DVD".

By i found the "American Pie" commentarie on the original fun. Shoot me.

What commentaries are doing, is archiving! You don't have a right to say that this process should be stopped in my opinion.

Maybe I am a little too drastic...but i really think it is important to have as many commentaries as possible on a movie. And when you think they are not special anymore because nowadays everyone is recording one...well then you weren't interessted in them in the first place.

It's just a crime to cut a commentarie in favor of picture quality.

I still wish there was a 5th Dust Brothers commentarie on Fight Club.....

 

[DaveF]

Before I got into DVD, I watched movies for the enjoyment. I never paid attention to the "Art" of film. Now I find that after watching movies and listening to the effort behind them,

Kraig - you put into words my thoughts exactly!
As for the catering guy commentary, based on a segment in the 12 Monkeys documentary, during a lunch in the catering tent, I bet the catering guys (and other unseen staff) would have some juicy details to share
So I say, bring on the Caterers' Commentaries

 

[David Prior]

I'll chime in once more to address something that seems to be coming up a lot. Commentary tracks take up considerably less space than even a half-bitrate DTS track. Commentaries, particularly on discs of longer films with multiple tracks, are usually encoded in mono or 2.0 stereo at a much lower bit rate than would be acceptable for a feature audio track. In 99% of the cases, losing one of these tracks would not make the difference between DTS or not, nor would it signifigantly raise the video bit rate. In the other 1% of cases, when we're riding the line, we DO drop commentaries. It's happened before and will happen again. Nobody, particularly filmmakers, is interested in compromising the archival presentation of a film for the sake of a commentary track.

 

[Beau]

I wouldn't mind if there were 1 commentaries, or if there 100 commentaries. I only listen to the ones that I REALLY like the movie, so I don't care. I listen to all of the commentaries to the movies I like and if there are more than 1 then I just get more out of the disc.

 

[Steve Christou]

Actually I've always wanted to hear the tea-ladies commentary on a film, you know...

"Ooooh I remember spilling the tea tray when they were filming this bit, and that Michael Douglas always wanted chocolate biscuits with his tea, oooh look at his saggy arse teeheehee, aaah Miss Stone bless her, she never did wear any knickers you know.... and oh look this big fat guy, forgot his name, he always wanted his coffee black no sugar, I think he fancied me, he was always pinching my bottom hahahaha...."

 

[Anthony R]

Regarding the comment about leaving off poor-quality commentaries to make room for a better quality transfer-- does a commmentary take up enough room to make a difference? I don't really know much about this kind of thing, but it seems to me that commentaries are, after all, only audio and probably take up very little room.