Oh yes, friends sneer when I tell them how much I enjoy nothing (much) more than watching those directors’ commentaries on DVD and Blu-Ray. But sometimes you learn fascinating facts. Take yesterday for instance. I was listening to John Boorman talking about how he set up the famous duelling banjo’s scene in ‘Deliverance’ when he explained that the kid who ‘plays’ the banjo was chosen for his, ahem, *interesting* face rather than his musical abilities. In fact the lad couldn’t play at all and another boy (who could) was hidden behind him to do all the fretboard fingering. Has anyone else here learnt anything interesting from a commentary I wonder? Or is it just me?
Probably is…
Gary says
Do a google search for images of “Billy Reddon banjo boy from Deliverence” to see what he looks like as an adult. He looks like Bono, that’s what. Poor fella.
My favourite DVD commentary is Spinal Tap. Unsurprisingly hilarious. “He’s dead.”
MC Escher says
Have a look for Danny Dyer commentaries on youtube.
The lack of self awareness is jaw-dropping and hilarious by turns. Unless – unless – he is actually a comic genius and playing it deadpan.
Harold Holt says
I seem to recall the movie Chopper starring Eric Bana, with the commentary by the actual Chopper Reid was quite amusing in places. Lines like ‘huh huh, yeah, I did that’.
Sniffity says
Boorman’s commentary on Zardoz is quite entertaining also…lines like “You could probably fast forward over this part if you want,” and his admission that he packed so much into it because he figured he’d never get the chance again.
And Mike Nichols’ chat/commentary with Steven Soderbergh while watching Catch-22 is as interesting as the film itself.
Arthur Cowslip says
Soderbergh is usually good value on commentaries. The one on The Limey is a great example – basically an argument (at times quite heated) with the script writer (can’t remember his name) about the choices/changes Soderbergh made in bringing the script to screen. Absolutely fascinating to hear two different artistic points of view.
dai says
Am always glad they are there, but confess I very rarely listen to them. The ones I would really like to hear are not possible, Hitchcock, Welles, Wilder etc
DogFacedBoy says
The one for Cannibal The Musical where Trey Parker and Matt Stone get drunk during it.
The League Of Gentlemen do excellent commentaries on Theatre Of Blood and Blood On Satan’s Claw
Kid Dynamite says
Kurt Russell and John Carpenter on The Thing is well worth a listen
DogFacedBoy says
Yes got that on Blu Ray be for Christmas. Kurt’s commentary on Big Trouble In Little China is great too
Paul Wad says
I’ve been listening to one per week for the past few months, with the intention of getting through them all, or through the best ones anyway. I listened to Halloween last week and ordered Big Trouble In Little China yesterday, specifically to listen to the commentary. I’m really enjoying going through them, particularly as I’m cherry picking the most appealing at this stage. I am up to number 15 out of around 400, but there are loads that I really don’t think I’d have the energy for. I reckon I’ll make it past the halfway mark though. I am considering buying a Schwarzenegger film, because his commentaries are legendary, with him basically just describing what is happening on the screen (“there I am punching the bad guy”, “there I am lighting a cigar”), as if he is recording an audio descriptive track for the blind, with the occasional diversion to comment upon the size of the actress’s breasts.
But with regard to the original question, possibly the best nugget comes from the Hot Fuzz commentary with Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino. QT says that whilst he enjoys doing commentaries on other people’s (I just spent far longer trying to decide where to put the apostrophe on that last word than I really should have, so I hope I got it right!) films he’ll never do one on any of his own. So he said that he’d give us a comment about Reservoir Dogs, so you can then put the film on after Hot Fuzz and skip to the bit in question with the comment fresh in your mind. It is the last bit of the diner scene at the beginning of the film, when QT accidentally breaks character but has to leave it in.
Basically, they’d spent so many takes trying to get the ending of the scene right that everybody was getting fed up, because Lawrence Tierney (Joe) kept forgetting the words and mucking up, so when he eventually got it right QT laughs, claps his hands and says cut, totally forgetting he’s in the scene. Watch it, as once you know this it’s quite funny.
Jorrox says
Danny Kyle used to say that that wee fella grew up to be Muriel Grey.
Lando Cakes says
The commentary to 24 Hour Party People, by Anthony H Wilson, is even better than the film itself.