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There Will Be No Commentary

post #1 of 26
1/26/08 at 7:45pm
Thread Starter 
http://www.cigarettesandredvines.com/news/


Quote:
now for something equally disheartening for most of you: since it seems there will be blood dvd information has begun popping up around the internet, i think it’s safe to let you know the few things i learned about the dvd release when i was last with paul:

> there is no commentary track, nor will there ever probably be one again. paul mentioned to me how alot of the buzz has been taken from doing them because people quote them back verbatim to him in interviews and fun/flippant comments are regarded as gospel. (not a quote, but the gist of what was said)

> the behind-the-scenes footage we reported ages ago that was being shot by austin lynch will, as of this point, not be included on the dvd as a ‘that moment’ style feature. paul said it all turned out wonderfully but that the footage might take away the magic of the film itself saying “it’s just a bunch of people in a desert standing around making a movie.”

> there is an extremely old documentary/footage that was found about mining and oil production from the era. they are planning to cut in jonny greenwood’s score over top of it and make a presentation out of it.

i can’t remember anything else specifically sticking out, but i’m sure there will be tastes of the usual things (trailers, a cut scene or two etc.) more updates as i get them.
Sucks, but I figured since we haven't had a PTA commentary since Boogie Nights, he was through with them anyway.
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post #2 of 26
1/26/08 at 7:52pm
as long as I get Portuguese subtitles
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post #3 of 26
1/26/08 at 8:25pm
Sucks that he's sworn off commentary tracks. There's less and less these days.
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post #4 of 26
1/26/08 at 8:58pm
For good reason. The audio commentary has really begun to wear out its welcome, frankly. It was great when applied to older films, where there was really something to say about their place in film history. An audio commentary recorded four days after the postproduction wraps is pretty pointless. Half the time, they haven't even seen the film play in front of an audience yet; they have no idea whether the movie even works.

The only ones I bother with anymore are for comedies, because that generally means more comedy.
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post #5 of 26
1/26/08 at 10:12pm
I have to say my interest in DVD extras has declined significantly over the years, to the point where I'm really just looking for an excellent transfer and (admittedly) a nice cover. Either the novelty wore off, or the LOTR EEs blew a fuse in my brain. I'd still be interested in commentary or documentaries for films that are technically difficult or groundbreaking (e.g. AVATAR), but as for the director's and actors' musings, it does break the "spell" somewhat. I think Spielberg was far-seeing in his resolute aversion to commentaries.
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post #6 of 26
1/26/08 at 10:15pm
I wonder if they will make that oil documentary relevant to today...?

Anyways, can't wait for this.

One thing I hope that this dvd does not include (seeing as paramount is notorious for this) is a dvd case with those side latches.
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post #7 of 26
1/26/08 at 11:30pm
Fine, who cares? The novelty of commentary tracks has come and gone for me, unless it actually adds to the movie. True, PTA's commentary track on Boogie Nights was incredibly entertaining, but I feel a comment track on There Will Be Blood would take the mystery right out of the film. The film is best left unexplained.

I've been buying DVD's for the film itself anyway, and if its bare-bones, then fine by me.
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post #8 of 26
1/27/08 at 12:39am
I remember Chris Nolan saying once that movies give away too much now, and that it should remain a secret. I think they asked him why no commentary on Batman Begins and he echoed what everyone else is now saying, right after the movie finished, its hard to reflect over it, as it just finished and that some time was needed.

I find myself watching special features less, and am just happy with awesome picture and sound. Of course I don't like that some studios charge an arm for a barebones disc. Sucks even worse with HD formats.
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post #9 of 26
1/27/08 at 2:05am
I dunno. Fincher's commentary on Zodiac was pretty good. I'm not ready to give up on commentaries just yet.
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post #10 of 26
1/27/08 at 3:58am
I generally find that an audio commentary is work to listen to. It's difficult for me to sit down and decide I'm gonna spend two hours thinking about the making of a project rather than the project itself. As someone above said, comedies tend to have the best ones because if they've made a movie worth listening to a commentary on, they are inherently funny people. I remember I used to listen to every single commentary I got. I listened to the Demolition Man commentary with Sandra Bullock, for God's sake.

I also will sometimes listen to commentary for a key scene that particularly interested me, but half the time the speakers virtually ignore it and talk about something less interesting. Sometimes low budget flicks are interesting commentaries, because the people are so earnest and excited just to be doing one.

All that aside, if the Coens released a new Big Lebowski DVD with a commentary, I think I might breakdown and get it.
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post #11 of 26
1/27/08 at 4:07am
This is kinda weird I guess but I sleep listening to commentaries. I have trouble sleeping in silence and even though I enjoy them, most commentaries put me to sleep. I wish porn had commentary. And subtitles for that matter.
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post #12 of 26
1/27/08 at 8:08am
A Daniel Day Lewis commentary would change all you nay-sayers' minds.
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post #13 of 26
1/27/08 at 8:48am
None of you people have heard a Russ Meyer commentary track, I take it.

But indeed, something recorded in post-production is no better than one of those 'Making of' puff pieces that are often included on DVD releases, where everyone says how awesome it was working with whoever, and how great an actor/director/fluffer they are.
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post #14 of 26
1/27/08 at 12:42pm
I agree that most commentarys are a waste of time, but PTA's were always gold. I just hope they release this DVD with the Biblical cover. Somehow I feel like this is going to be a Zodiac type of thing, where a crappy DVD is released first and then a year later we get the one we actually want.
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post #15 of 26
1/27/08 at 12:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sherm View Post
This is kinda weird I guess but I sleep listening to commentaries. I have trouble sleeping in silence and even though I enjoy them, most commentaries put me to sleep. I wish porn had commentary. And subtitles for that matter.
I'm the same way. So weird.

I love commentaries, and have probably listened to every one that exists in my collection. They're obviously hit and miss, but I always find it worth having on while I clean my apt or while I'm doing stuff online hearing random trivia about the making of the movie.
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post #16 of 26
1/27/08 at 1:02pm
Commentaries are the best. Love em all, unless they're mostly silence or William Friedkin narrating his own fucking movie. Even the Halloween Ressurection commentary I learned something about filmmaking from.
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post #17 of 26
1/27/08 at 1:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by damimegood View Post
Fine, who cares? The novelty of commentary tracks has come and gone for me, unless it actually adds to the movie. True, PTA's commentary track on Boogie Nights was incredibly entertaining, but I feel a comment track on There Will Be Blood would take the mystery right out of the film. The film is best left unexplained.

I've been buying DVD's for the film itself anyway, and if its bare-bones, then fine by me.
I feel the same way. I want to see the movie, and unless the comments really lend to what I'm seeing, my life wouldn't be empty without them.
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post #18 of 26
1/27/08 at 2:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KABONG View Post
A Daniel Day Lewis commentary would change all you nay-sayers' minds.
Actually, an in-character Daniel Plainview commentary would be worth be "a whole of ocean of oil!"
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post #19 of 26
1/27/08 at 3:15pm
Quote:
Actually, an in-character Daniel Plainview commentary would be worth be "a whole of ocean of oil!"
"Ah, here's the part where I drank that young gentleman's milkshake. That was a fun day."
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post #20 of 26
1/27/08 at 3:24pm
It would certainly be a "Goddamn helluva of a show"

but really if he doesn't want to do a commentary that's fine. I'd rather have a director not do a commentary than do one that's a complete waste of everyone's time.
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post #21 of 26
1/27/08 at 3:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty View Post
"Ah, here's the part where I drank that young gentleman's milkshake. That was a fun day."
Hysterical. Love it.
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post #22 of 26
1/27/08 at 6:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Ripoll View Post
Commentaries are the best. Love em all, unless they're mostly silence or William Friedkin narrating his own fucking movie. Even the Halloween Ressurection commentary I learned something about filmmaking from.
Schwarzenegger's commentary on Terminator 3 taught me that men like big boobs. And Sam Raimi's on Spider-Man taught me that so-and-so did a really great job on such-and-such, and Toby Maguire is great in this scene.

I'm just finding that more and more of these things are wasted space. Oddly, I find that horror directors (like, as you mentioned, Rob Zombie) tend to be more helpful and insightful, for whatever reason. Maybe the low budgets force them to think about what they're doing.
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post #23 of 26
1/27/08 at 7:02pm
Well Arnold is an actor. He got paid a ton of money and in return he kept a straight face and talked like a robot. Very little insight to be found there.

But horror movies are good. I use Halloween Resurrection as an example because it's a shit movie with nothing particularly interesting about it. But the commentary revealed info on what it's like to make a movie in an established franchise, how to work with certain rappers that the studios force you to put in your film, the kind of rushed production schedule a film like that has, etc.
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post #24 of 26
1/27/08 at 7:09pm
Thread Starter 
I'd rather get a tooth pulled than listen to most commentaries; they're so obviously forced upon the filmmaker who has nothing to say, or vanity projects for egotistical douche bags. But PTA is neither, so while it's a shame he wont do them anymore, I'd rather him leave TWBB alone, as I like the film so much I don't want it tainted with factoids.
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post #25 of 26
1/28/08 at 10:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sherm View Post
This is kinda weird I guess but I sleep listening to commentaries. I have trouble sleeping in silence and even though I enjoy them, most commentaries put me to sleep. I wish porn had commentary. And subtitles for that matter.
At risk of reducing any standing I might have in the boards, I actually listened to ten or so minutes of porn commentary. It was mostly the "writer" and director taking the "straight" entertainment industry to task for not recognizing the depth of talent on display in adult pictures like theirs. "How can anyone see her performance and not stack it up against a Hollywood actress?" or some such as said actress was being double teamed by a pair of satyrs.


Quote:
I like the film so much I don't want it tainted with factoids
I've avoided perhaps too many commentaries because of this fear. Because of Netflix, I don't generally buy too many movies. The ones I do love enough to purchase I don't want exposed to the taint; the others don't usually warrant that much of my time when I can get the next film in my queue.
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post #26 of 26
4/27/08 at 8:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KABONG View Post
A Daniel Day Lewis commentary would change all you nay-sayers' minds.
Can't tell if you're joking or not, but if not, I have to disagree. Day-Lewis is the consummate actor, but a terrible interview. He was on Charlie Rose and basically punted the 2 questions he got posed back to the director after groping for and failing to find the right words. After awhile I forgot he was in the episode. This is not meant to be a diss, since part of me thinks that the craft of acting involves finding meaning in other people's word and ideas, not coming up with your own. That's the writers and director's job, which is who you really want to hear from in commentaries and interviews.
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