Greetings,
I like to know stuff. I do. When I watch a movie or a TV show, a lot of times, I'm really interested in how things are done or the stories behind the scenes or just how the people working together got along. It's why I am ever so grateful for DVD commentaries. My word, they have brought such joy to my life.
Yes, I am one of those people who gets giddy when I see that there is a commentary in the special features, or, better yet, multiple commentaries. I don't know what it is, but I find it quite fascinating to hear those who worked so hard making a movie tell us about everything that went into it. It almost can make you see the film in a different light, for better or worse, and yes, there is the risk of things changing in a way you wish they hadn't. Frankly, I think it's worth the risk, especially when you can get some amazingly great commentaries to some fantastic movies.
Some that I really enjoy are the ones by Cameron Crowe for Vanilla Sky and Almost Famous. That last one featured his mom, which was, at times, hilarious. I get a kick out of the one for School of Rock, hearing Jack Black talk about the great time he had with the kids. I absolutely love the Rocky Balboa commentary where I can listen to Sylvester Stallone being his brilliant and inspiring self. Yeah, I said it. And, of course, I adore my White Christmas DVD with a play by play from Ms. Rosemary Clooney. I mean, come on now.
However, not only do movies have these, but a lot of television shows feature commentaries on their DVDs. Yay for that! And some of them are quite generous. I think every single episode I own of Leverage has one, and how great is it when I get to hear Michael Rosenbaum stop being all broody as Lex Luthor and bring the funny for a bunch of Smallville episodes. I think I even heard him do a Seinfeld impression one time. And I remember sitting there listening to the creators of Lost talk over an episode as I desperately hoped for them to answer at least one question for me as to what the heck was going on. Okay, maybe these things didn't always bring me joy. I kid...a little.
Although, I suppose I should take the time to say this. Yes, I do love commentaries, if they are good. Holy crap, I have heard a few that were so not that. I would say that some of the worst are pretty much just really boring. I won't be rude and mention names, but if you've heard them, then you know. I'm not saying the ones I think are boring cannot be informative. They probably are, but I like to be entertained whilst I am being informed. It is possible to do that.
Now that brings me to a major reason why I love these things. You just really never know what you're going to get. I have to say there are some times when the commentary can be just as entertaining, if not more so, than the film itself. Crazy, I know, but in some cases, it's true. There's a treasure trove out there, I'm not kidding. You wanna hear Vincent D'Onofrio mention Vanilla Ice, you wanna hear Mickey Rooney express the fact that he SO does not want to be there, you wanna hear Joel Schumacher basically apologize for the bat nipples? Well, there it is. Right the heck there in a commentary. They are where awesome stuff is hidden away, waiting to be found. I mean, I could go on and on and mention a ton more films and shows that do this, but there are just too many. So go and seek, my friends.
To be honest, there is one more thing. I know that a lot of the people interested in commentaries are aspiring film makers who want to know what goes into a big project like that. It's actually a good thing for them to do, I think. Now I don't know if I personally will ever make a movie, but I do like to know what goes into one. I know there are plenty of documentaries and featurettes that can give you some info, but there's just something satisfying about watching a scene and hearing about how it was made as you watch it, or hearing someone tell a story about something as it happens. For me, it just makes me appreciate the work so much more. I know there are plenty of people who make movies that don't seem to care too much about it. Again, no names, but they know who they are. Still, I know that there are film makers who do nothing short of pour their heart and soul into their work in order to make something that they are proud of and that we can enjoy.
So, thanks, good directors and producers and writers and actors and whatnot, for making all these fantastic movies. And then for telling us all about it.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
