20 DVD Commentaries You Need To Hear Before You Die

Commentaries to accompany a film are an add-on which have polarised the film loving community. Admittedly most wonder why they would waste their time committing to a 2-hour breakdown of a film when the actual movie is far more entertaining on its own. This school of thought was best expressed by actor-director Woody Allen €“ one of a handful of film makers to have never made an accompanying audio track €“ who said €œI want my films to speak for themselves. And hopefully they do€. These views are shared by the likes of Steven Spielberg and David Lynch and a large percentage of the cinematic community. However, there is a small yet passionate sub-community of commentary lovers. These people will happily repurchase a DVD or Blu-ray they already own just to gain access to some new insight via the commentary. Though it is indubitable that there are some commentaries that truly aren€™t worth anybody€™s time (like Cloverfield€™s in which Matt Reeves explains that €œthe Brooklyn Bridge footage actually is the Brooklyn Bridge€), there are some accompanying tracks which genuinely are capable of heightening your understanding and enjoyment of a film or just making you crack up with laughter. These commentaries you have to experience are by no means just tacked on to sell more copies of the re-release of a film €“ they genuinely give you a new perspective on a beloved film which had never before considered or just provide some hilarious verbal riffing from the people involved in creating the film.

20. Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

Participant(s): Hunter S. Thompson It€™s unsurprising that the man who committed suicide at the age of 67 and at the funeral ceremony had his ashes blasted out of a cannon (funded by Johnny Depp) should be involved in one of the wackiest movie commentaries available. The Gonzo-journalist and known narcotics lover is famous for having written the semi-autobiographical Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas which was adapted for the screen by Terry Gilliam. If you€™re looking for more insight into the psychedelic movie we suggest you stick with Gillam€™s commentary which is €“ as we€™ve come to expect from the director €“ informative, witty and engaging. However, if you want to get some insight into the one of the most troubled minds of the 20th century let Hunter be the man to sporadically guide you through the 1998 film. Predictably the commentary from a drug-addled Thompson is a hilarious, entertaining experience which lets you know just how bat-s*!t crazy the journalist really was.