COMMENTARIES – or – The people allowed to talk during the movie

In the last couple of years, I’ve gotten very into listening to commentaries by cast and crew available on DVD movies.

For the unititiated, commentaries are alternate audio tracks you can select on many DVDs, with the cast or sometimes the director talking during the movie as he/she/they watch it.. talking about what how they did what they did.

So, I thought I might list my top 10 all time favorite commentaries.

10) Braveheart – Realy only because Gibson gets caught up in making the film and sits and watches it in silence soemtimes.. its really lamost like you’re watching it with him.

9) JFK – Mostly because Oliver Stone doesn’t talk about the film at all. He instead tells the inside scoop on info he didn’t put in the film, further enhancing his conspiracy theory.

8) Bubba Ho Tep – There are a number of commentaries here.. but my favorite is Bruce Campbell playing Elvis watching the film.. which stars Bruce Campbell as Elvis. Whats fun is when “Elvis” comments on how Bruce Campbell does as an actor impersonating him.

7) Fight Club – Without breaking the first rule, I can say that the rapport between Ed Norton and Brad Pitt is obvious here, and it makes for an interesting listen. Its been a while, but I think that there is also snippets from Helena Carter sitting by herself that seem a bit out of place.

6) Freddy Got Fingered – The commentary is as funny as the movie, Tom Green fans. Of course, if you thought the movie was abysmal (as many – not me – did), then you will think the commentary is too.

5) Kung Pow: Enter the Fist – The only commentary I know where someone takes a cellphone call during the film and has a conversation. This is just like hanging out with a buddy (Oedekerk, whom I LOVE) and its a good, easy listen.

4) The Evil Dead Trilogy: Sam Raimi (now of Spider Man fame) and the aforementioned Bruce Campbell, soemtimes together, sometimes on seperate tracks, Narrate Evil Dead 1, 2, and Army of Darkness.. and its really very good. They’re charming, and also honest about their feelings on the movie.

NOW.. before my top 3.. others that could have made it into the top 10.. Nightmare on Elm Street 1, Star Trek Generations, The Lion King, Good Will Hunting, The Matrix, The Blair Witch Project, XMEN 1 and 2, and the commentaries on the Buffy and Highlander TV shows.

NOW: THE TOP 3

3) The Star Wars Movies. All 5 have commentary by a number of people. The original trilogy especially has good commentary by Lucas, but also honest and sometimes scathing commentary by Carrie Fisher. If you really want to know these movies, listen to these.. they’re great.

2) The View Askew Films. Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob strike back all have loads of cast members recounting, joking, Jason mewes sleeps through two of them, they;re honest, funny, and almost as good as the movies themselves. The rerelease of Clerks and the Clerks Cartoon also include new, additional Commentaries.

1) Is there any Question? THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY – Extended editions. In terms of sheer numbers, each 4 hour movie has 4 commentaries.. but the only really good ones are the Cast and Writers/Director. Still, thats 2 per film.. and that makes 24 hours of excellent, honest, insightful, often funny commentary. Special notice has to be given to Merry And Pippin for being hilarious throughout, and to andy Serkis for participating not only as himself, but as Gollum and Smeagol as well.

THE NEXT COMMENTARIES I WANT TO HEAR… I may have to get the Matrix Trilogy rerelease if only to hear this.. Maybe its a rumor, but I hear they actually got a pair of critics that hated the films and just let them rip them apart as the movies play. Its brave, and, as I was not a Reloaded fan, I want to hear them.

Happy listening!!