Fan Commentaries

[black__omega]

Hey, I just got done reading Roger Ebert's latest Q&A, and he answered some questions about an article he wrote in Yahoo! Life (which I haven't read). In it he supposedly suggested that since there a so many paint-by-numbers commentaries, that we as fans sit down and record our own commentaries on our computers in mp3 format and post them up for others to listen too.

All I have to say is: COOL!

While I can see some minor tech issues it getting it into a useable idea for some DVD people, it is a neat idea. I don't know about many fan commentaries I could listen to, but I wouldn't mind making some for a couple of my favorites. I think it would be kinda fun to have an outsider opinion who doesn't play yes-man to the film.

As far as bandwidth and filesize goes, I don't think a simple low sampling mono audio track in mp3 would be that big.

What do you guys think?

[Wirehed]

I think it's cool.. I guess.

Didn't Underpants do this once?


Maybe I'll try this for fun sometime.

[SolidSnakeASS]

I don't even have time to listen to the real commentaries. Well on occasion I have, but only for my favs.

[Underpants]

Originally posted by Seamonkey
I think it's cool.. I guess.

Didn't Underpants do this once?

Yep. But regardless of the millions of Heartburn fans there are out there, I ain't sharing it (Just to refresh memories, I recorded one on the linear track of a VHS for fun)

But this does sound like a neat idea. No approval is really needed from anyone. Someone could just start a site and offer to post them. I think as long as you can't hear the original material in the background (and this is the easiest way to do it anyway...use subtitles to refresh your memory of dialog), there's no copyrite issues involved or anything.

A Real Audio or Media Player stream would be cool for this too. Well, MP3s stream also.

[Travis Bickle]

It does sound like a cool idea! Well, what do you think about this Chromy? Another sub-forum perhaps?

[black__omega]

Okay, i've given this some thought, and I think it could work. Granted if it ever caught on we would have to deal with bad fan commentaries, just like bad fan sites.

What movie would you want to commentate on? I think I'd only want to do a few of my favorites, and even then finding something interesting to say for 2 hours is pretty tough. Soon or later unless you have a lot of knowledge on the subject, you going to end up just sitting there laughing at the jokes like some director's do in the middle. Which is where having a couple particients would be kinda cool.

So... Who's going to have the balls to be the first to sit down and post one up?

[MrTony]

I don't think I could do it. There's no way I could manage to talk at all for the whole length of the movie, much less be insightful at the same time. My comments would consist of stuff like:

"See that shot? It's neat."
"I love this part."
"Man she's hot."
"This reminds me of a Simpsons episode."
"My beer's empty."

And so on. So I guess I won't be doing this.

[black__omega]

yeah, that's the kinda stuff I'd worry about how to sit through, but on the other hand, there are a lot of fans out there who could talk circles around movies, imagine hardcore Star Trek or Star Wars commentaries by the geekest fan you can find.

[black__omega]

I looked around and found a link to Roger Ebert's original article on the subject at Yahoo! Life:

http://www.yil.com/columns/column.as...020201&page=01

[Jerm]

Originally posted by black__omega
yeah, that's the kinda stuff I'd worry about how to sit through, but on the other hand, there are a lot of fans out there who could talk circles around movies, imagine hardcore Star Trek or Star Wars commentaries by the geekest fan you can find.

This was done, on Star Trek TMP, the text commentary my Michael Okuda. Pure geek info.

[black__omega]

yeah, Mike's trek tech commentary was kinda neat, learned one or two new facts. I kinda would have liked to have had it in audio form though, I've read so many of his books and stuff, I'd kinda like to hear some audio comments by him.

[feldon23]

MrTony,

Obviously, we would want a fan who is intimately familiar with a movie who has a LOT of insider info on how certain shots were filmed, or who can point out filming flubs and mistakes, etc.

The creator of http://www.thegoonies.com/ could probably record a pretty good commentary of the movie The Goonies.

I could record a commentary for the last episode of Quantum Leap, but it would be mostly negative. I'd be pointing out how many mistakes they made in it.

[MrTony]

Originally posted by feldon23
MrTony,

Obviously, we would want a fan who is intimately familiar with a movie who has a LOT of insider info on how certain shots were filmed, or who can point out filming flubs and mistakes, etc.

Well, of course. I was trying to point out, in a humorous manner, that I, and possibly others, couldn't do it. Apparently I failed.

[Marty McFly]

I've only been able to listen to the Ghostbusters and Naked Gun commentaries. I love listening to them, I just haven't had time to sit down and watch all of mine. For the most part I check out the trailer and deleted scenes besides the film itself.

[Disco Stu]

I'm planning on recording one soon, but onto VHS, because I have a DVD player with no macrovision. I'm pretty good at impressions, so I'm going to do one as Paul Verhoeven's unsuccesful and bitter brother, Bob Verhoeven, as he gushes about "Showgirls." I plan to keep the same mannerisms that Paul has on his commentaries.

I want to do one on "Top Gun" (although that would mean renting it), but considering the homosexual subtext as a point of departure.

I'm open to other ideas, apart from the one I recorded a little while ago as Joan Cusack on Grosse Point Blank, ever so grateful and yet resentful of her brother constantly giving her only bit parts in his films.

[SolidSnakeASS]

posted by Disco Stu:
I'm planning on recording one soon, but onto VHS, because I have a DVD player with no macrovision. I'm pretty good at impressions, so I'm going to do one as Paul Verhoeven's unsuccesful and bitter brother, Bob Verhoeven, as he gushes about "Showgirls." I plan to keep the same mannerisms that Paul has on his commentaries.

I want to do one on "Top Gun" (although that would mean renting it), but considering the homosexual subtext as a point of departure.

I'm open to other ideas, apart from the one I recorded a little while ago as Joan Cusack on Grosse Point Blank, ever so grateful and yet resentful of her brother constantly giving her only bit parts in his films.

You're crazy! I could probably do some commentaries for films I've seen hundreds of time, like Rushmore or Boogie Nights, but I can't see why someone would listen to them.