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ragingfluff 
"Currently lost in Canada"
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Beanmimo 
"August review site"
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 Posted - 06/30/2007 : 18:28:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Shiv
Martin Scorcese is aaaaawful.
If you want to hear Scorcese talking about movies find his history of filmmaking. Wonderful Insight.
quote:
The commentary on Thirteen with the director Catherine Hardwicke and the teenager who co-wrote the film Nikki Reed added to the value of the film. It was also clear that Hardwicke had a great relationship with the young actors in the film.
Could not agree more.
And about garden State. |
Edited by - Beanmimo on 06/30/2007 18:30:30 |
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GHcool 
"Forever a curious character."
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Posted - 06/30/2007 : 20:54:31
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Most of the commentaries I've heard were pretty good ones, but many people I know don't like commentaries at all. Good ones I've heard recently include:
Star Wars: A New Hope - George Lucas's stuff is ok, but pretty well known (Campbell's influence, etc), but sound designer Ben Burtt's commentary is fascinating. With this movie, he basically invented modern sound design. He goes through every iconic sound (lightsabser wooshing, lazer gun firing, Darth Vader breathing, R2D2 whistling, Chewbacca growling, space ships flying, all the aliens and creatures) and traces its origins.
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - Again, the visual effects and sound design people have some very interesting things to say. Lucas's stuff isn't as interesting.
The Mask - I had never realized how revolutionary this film was in its own way until I heard the commentary. The producers, director, writer, and visual effects people trace the history of the production. This was a risky film. The creative casting launched the careers of Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz. This was among the first films to feature CGI as one of the main selling points and perhaps the first ever major Hollywood film to use CGI for comedic effect. The visual effects designers said they had to create new software to do some of the effects in the film.
Casablanca - there are two commentaries on this. One by a film historian is deadly dull and I couldn't sit through it for more than 10 minutes. The other one by film critic Roger Ebert is fascinating in its insights on the film and its surrounding history.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit - Similar to the commentary of The Mask. The director and other key filmmakers got back together years later to discuss the production history, casting, the phenomenal risks taken, and some of the new technology developed specifically for the film. |
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randall 
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 07/01/2007 : 12:03:29
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quote:
Originally posted by GHcool
Most of the commentaries I've heard were pretty good ones, but many people I know don't like commentaries at all. Good ones I've heard recently include:
The Mask - I had never realized how revolutionary this film was in its own way until I heard the commentary. The producers, director, writer, and visual effects people trace the history of the production. This was a risky film. The creative casting launched the careers of Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz.
Yes to Diaz, no to Carrey: he'd already become a star with the first ACE VENTURA movie. I'm certain because I bought the novelization rights, and when they were sold, far in advance of the picture, Carrey was still a nobody. But I knew him from IN LIVING COLOR, I knew the Mask comics, I knew IL+M, and from the script before me I understood they were going to Tex Avery for inspiration rather than Quentin Tarantino. By the time it was released, Carrey was already the bee's knees because of ACE and his talking ass, and I looked like a genius. Mistakenly, but perception is very important.
Diaz, yes. This was the first time we got a load of her. |
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Downtown
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 07/01/2007 : 17:29:48
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| It depends on the movie, films that I know by heart I'll check out the commentary. |
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Downtown
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 07/01/2007 : 17:36:06
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quote:
Originally posted by GHcool
Most of the commentaries I've heard were pretty good ones, but many people I know don't like commentaries at all. Good ones I've heard recently include:
Star Wars: A New Hope - George Lucas's stuff is ok, but pretty well known (Campbell's influence, etc), but sound designer Ben Burtt's commentary is fascinating. With this movie, he basically invented modern sound design. He goes through every iconic sound (lightsabser wooshing, lazer gun firing, Darth Vader breathing, R2D2 whistling, Chewbacca growling, space ships flying, all the aliens and creatures) and traces its origins.
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - Again, the visual effects and sound design people have some very interesting things to say. Lucas's stuff isn't as interesting.
Interesting, because I'm really not that impressed with those. Burtt's commentary is interesting, but a lot of the info he offers is stuff I'd already heard in countless TV documentaries about Star Wars. Lucas's comments really don't add much of value (although they're not nearly as useless as Fisher's), and I don't think he's always being honest about his intentions when he was first making the OT films.
Irwin Kirshner's commentary on Empire Strikes Back is fantastic, however. |
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GHcool
"Forever a curious character."
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Posted - 07/01/2007 : 18:45:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Randall
quote:
Originally posted by GHcool
Most of the commentaries I've heard were pretty good ones, but many people I know don't like commentaries at all. Good ones I've heard recently include:
The Mask - I had never realized how revolutionary this film was in its own way until I heard the commentary. The producers, director, writer, and visual effects people trace the history of the production. This was a risky film. The creative casting launched the careers of Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz.
Yes to Diaz, no to Carrey: he'd already become a star with the first ACE VENTURA movie. I'm certain because I bought the novelization rights, and when they were sold, far in advance of the picture, Carrey was still a nobody. But I knew him from IN LIVING COLOR, I knew the Mask comics, I knew IL+M, and from the script before me I understood they were going to Tex Avery for inspiration rather than Quentin Tarantino. By the time it was released, Carrey was already the bee's knees because of ACE and his talking ass, and I looked like a genius. Mistakenly, but perception is very important.
Diaz, yes. This was the first time we got a load of her.
According to IMDb, Ace was released in Feb. 1994 and The Mask was released in July 1994. I don't know which film completed production first, but the casting on The Mask was certainly made before the release of Ace and was considered an incredible risk because he had never starred in a released feature film at that point. According to the commentary on the DVD, it was mostly the director, Chuck Russel, who pushed for both Carrey and Diaz in casting. |
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randall
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 07/01/2007 : 22:32:15
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quote:
Originally posted by GHcool
quote:
Originally posted by Randall
quote:
Originally posted by GHcool
The Mask - I had never realized how revolutionary this film was in its own way until I heard the commentary. The producers, director, writer, and visual effects people trace the history of the production. This was a risky film. The creative casting launched the careers of Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz.
Yes to Diaz, no to Carrey: he'd already become a star with the first ACE VENTURA movie. I'm certain because I bought the novelization rights, and when they were sold, far in advance of the picture, Carrey was still a nobody. But I knew him from IN LIVING COLOR, I knew the Mask comics, I knew IL+M, and from the script before me I understood they were going to Tex Avery for inspiration rather than Quentin Tarantino. By the time it was released, Carrey was already the bee's knees because of ACE and his talking ass, and I looked like a genius. Mistakenly, but perception is very important.
Diaz, yes. This was the first time we got a load of her.
According to IMDb, Ace was released in Feb. 1994 and The Mask was released in July 1994. I don't know which film completed production first, but the casting on The Mask was certainly made before the release of Ace and was considered an incredible risk because he had never starred in a released feature film at that point. According to the commentary on the DVD, it was mostly the director, Chuck Russel, who pushed for both Carrey and Diaz in casting.
That's what I said above: he was still a nobody when I bought the MASK rights during production. But Jim Carrey was a movie star by the time of the release of THE MASK, making both me and Chuck Russell look like geniuses. Believe me; I was there. ACE wrapped first, well in time for THE MASK to cash in on the new Jerry Lewis.
You have your facts right, and Russell's casting was as risky as my own purchase at the time ["it's an indie comic, and anyway, comics fans don't read books without pictures, and besides, who the hell is this fireman guy: where are the stars?"], but film history will show that it was ACE that "launched" Carrey, not THE MASK. |
Edited by - randall on 07/01/2007 22:40:38 |
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randall
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 07/01/2007 : 22:55:38
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quote:
Originally posted by GHcool
According to IMDb, Ace was released in Feb. 1994 and The Mask was released in July 1994. I don't know which film completed production first, but the casting on The Mask was certainly made before the release of Ace and was considered an incredible risk because he had never starred in a released feature film at that point. According to the commentary on the DVD, it was mostly the director, Chuck Russel, who pushed for both Carrey and Diaz in casting.
I don't want to get all Bill Clinton on ya, but it depends on what your definition of "starred" is. [A big joke among NYC theater audiences for years has been the PLAYBILL credits: if you had a film walk-on, you were "featured"; if you had a minimum of one stinking line, you "starred in." Nowadays the actors just list the films, so the pre-curtain guffaws have somewhat subsided.] Carrey had been all over EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY and PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, not to mention his memorable cameo in THE DEAD POOL. But yes, when he shot THE MASK, he had never been asked to Carrey a picture before: the effects-heavy MASK probably took longer in post than ACE, but not six months... |
Edited by - randall on 07/01/2007 22:58:26 |
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Shiv
"What a Wonderful World"
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Posted - 07/01/2007 : 23:46:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Randall
quote:
Originally posted by GHcool
According to IMDb, Ace was released in Feb. 1994 and The Mask was released in July 1994. I don't know which film completed production first, but the casting on The Mask was certainly made before the release of Ace and was considered an incredible risk because he had never starred in a released feature film at that point. According to the commentary on the DVD, it was mostly the director, Chuck Russel, who pushed for both Carrey and Diaz in casting.
I don't want to get all Bill Clinton on ya, but it depends on what your definition of "starred" is. [A big joke among NYC theater audiences for years has been the PLAYBILL credits: if you had a film walk-on, you were "featured"; if you had a minimum of one stinking line, you "starred in." Nowadays the actors just list the films, so the pre-curtain guffaws have somewhat subsided.] Carrey had been all over EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY and PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, not to mention his memorable cameo in THE DEAD POOL. But yes, when he shot THE MASK, he had never been asked to Carrey a picture before: the effects-heavy MASK probably took longer in post than ACE, but not six months...
You obviously know what you are talking about so I'm not arguing with what you have posted. A question - would you agree that Carrey in The Mask showed his acting abilities in that he played a quiet character and a zany character. Do you think he would have become such hot property just based on Ace, which was a one tone character? |
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randall
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 07/02/2007 : 02:16:13
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quote:
Originally posted by Shiv
[quote]You obviously know what you are talking about so I'm not arguing with what you have posted. A question - would you agree that Carrey in The Mask showed his acting abilities in that he played a quiet character and a zany character. Do you think he would have become such hot property just based on Ace, which was a one tone character?
Interesting question. You might ask the same of Robin Williams, who was a serious acting student at Juilliard [with Chris Reeve!], but made his bones on his incredible improvisational ability, which is still what most people like about him. They went nuts for the balls-out improv guy. Similarly, Carrey's fans went nuts for the Jerry Lewis clown persona that ACE hipped them to. Both guys are actors -- in fact, their duh-duh personas are theatrical creations. In my previous posts, I was only trying to point out relative timelines. But to answer your question, yes: I think either guy could have broken out as a dramatic actor if he had ever had the chance, which is what the clown costume gave them. Become a star? Naaah: that requires a talking ass. |
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 07/02/2007 : 07:23:18
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quote:
Originally posted by Randall
Become a star? Naaah: that requires a talking ass.
Are you dissing Eddie Murphy!!!   
BTW- haven't heard "hipped them to" since my days in the Village circa 1965!
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GHcool
"Forever a curious character."
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Posted - 07/02/2007 : 07:36:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Randall
quote:
Originally posted by GHcool
quote:
Originally posted by Randall
quote:
Originally posted by GHcool
The Mask - I had never realized how revolutionary this film was in its own way until I heard the commentary. The producers, director, writer, and visual effects people trace the history of the production. This was a risky film. The creative casting launched the careers of Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz.
Yes to Diaz, no to Carrey: he'd already become a star with the first ACE VENTURA movie. I'm certain because I bought the novelization rights, and when they were sold, far in advance of the picture, Carrey was still a nobody. But I knew him from IN LIVING COLOR, I knew the Mask comics, I knew IL+M, and from the script before me I understood they were going to Tex Avery for inspiration rather than Quentin Tarantino. By the time it was released, Carrey was already the bee's knees because of ACE and his talking ass, and I looked like a genius. Mistakenly, but perception is very important.
Diaz, yes. This was the first time we got a load of her.
According to IMDb, Ace was released in Feb. 1994 and The Mask was released in July 1994. I don't know which film completed production first, but the casting on The Mask was certainly made before the release of Ace and was considered an incredible risk because he had never starred in a released feature film at that point. According to the commentary on the DVD, it was mostly the director, Chuck Russel, who pushed for both Carrey and Diaz in casting.
That's what I said above: he was still a nobody when I bought the MASK rights during production. But Jim Carrey was a movie star by the time of the release of THE MASK, making both me and Chuck Russell look like geniuses. Believe me; I was there. ACE wrapped first, well in time for THE MASK to cash in on the new Jerry Lewis.
You have your facts right, and Russell's casting was as risky as my own purchase at the time ["it's an indie comic, and anyway, comics fans don't read books without pictures, and besides, who the hell is this fireman guy: where are the stars?"], but film history will show that it was ACE that "launched" Carrey, not THE MASK.
Wait a minute, are you saying you bought the novelization rights for the screenplay of The Mask? If so, I'm proud to say that I read it when it was first published! I liked that it included scenes that were cut out of the movie. |
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randall
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 07/02/2007 : 10:34:26
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quote:
Originally posted by GHcool
Wait a minute, are you saying you bought the novelization rights for the screenplay of The Mask? If so, I'm proud to say that I read it when it was first published! I liked that it included scenes that were cut out of the movie.
Yep. Thanks for the dough!
That happens a lot, because the author is only working from a shooting script. Frequently, the flick's still in production, but on no occasion is it already finished: IOW, there's nothing to see. |
Edited by - randall on 07/02/2007 10:34:48 |
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ChocolateLady 
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 07/02/2007 : 19:04:36
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quote:
Originally posted by Se�n
Never watched a movie with commentary. I'm one of those people who seldom watches a movie again, unless it's brilliant in which case 2-3 times in 10 years might be what it gets. (There is the occasional exception such as MOTP.)
So the idea of watching a movie while listening to someone talk about it doesn't appeal. I'd rather watch a movie I haven't seen before than re-watch a movie with commentary.
Perhaps one day when I run out of good movies to watch I'll re-watch some with commentary. 
I agree with much of what Sean says here. I think I've only once watched a DVD with the commentary, and that was only commentary on the deleted scenes, and why they were deleted. However, I almost always watch the deleted scenes, and often like to see the interviews with the actors and director. I just wish more DVDs would come with outtakes - those are always the best!
(Interestingly enough, some of the best outtakes I've ever seen were on Pixar films!)
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DVD Commentaries
