I agree that a commentary feels the most "substantial" and even if I know it will probably be boring or useless I'd rather buy a DVD with a commentary than a DVD with a featurette since in theory I'm getting an extra that lasts an entire two hours (or whatever the length of the film is, gaps forgiven).

I am slightly more irritated by the fact that DVD prices have shifted and changed so that 2-disc DVDs are now worth $25.00 when we used to get plenty of 2-disc sets for only $14.99 on release day. Why did we get jacked $10 for the same thing we used to be getting like gangbusters? It sucks.

I think more commentaries should be done Criterion-style, editing the participants together. When I first heard this style, I hated it, because the commentators weren't allowed to bounce off of each other, but now I realize it really separates the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. Plus, if you really wanted to, you could just toss in a session where the commentators were together. Or maybe we just need to embrace the scene-specific commentary and have actors/directors pick three scenes and commentate on them because they feel they really have something to say.

I was just talking to someone about this today.

I struggled to make it through the "Predator 2" commentary, but I couldn't even make it through 30 minutes of a commentary with John Mctierman.

Aw. I liked both of McTiernan's Die Hard commentaries.

Maybe he chugged some Mt. Dew and did a more lively commentary on the Die Hard movies...I don't know.

All I know is that the Predator commentary was boring as hell.

I really don't see a trend, I think you could find just as many dvds being released without commentaries 4-5 years ago as you can today.

I hate this as well, but it is more the fault of retailers. Many times the MSRP of the 2-discer is only a couple dollars higher, but the retailers use the 1-disc as a loss leader and discount it heavily.

I rarely have time for commentatries anymore, or any special features. I will listen when cleaning around my house, but only to ones I think will br good.

But the only reason the 1 disc'er even exists was as an artificial means of inflating pricing.

Instead of releasing only a 2 disc'er and discounting it, they release both and only discount the 1 disc'er. Result: functional price increased on the actual release most folks want.

Audio Commentaries mean next to nothing to me. when a dvd gets hold back a couple of months to get an audio commentary it pisses me off cause i don't listen to them in the first place. alot of people seem to like to hear the actors yamer on.
sometimes video commentaries are fun (a few roseanne episodes on dvd have done that) & the only commentarie i listen to was the 1st and 2nd seasons of reba commentaries, which were pretty intresting but still they were always saying how great reba is and kissing her ass. and in one comm. they compared Kyra to darlene from roseanne?
when the simpsons dvd's come out i just watch the episodes i don't listen to all the commentaries, through it is nice that for the people that like it get it on every episode and the extra features are actually good.

My favorite thing on a commentary track is when somebody chimes in "Hey, who actually listens to these?" and the people start insulting people for listening to commentaries. Hmmm ... so, 100% of the people who hear that, you're insulting. Way to go, guys!

[This made slightly more sense on the 'Freaks and Geeks' set where they stuck a commentary on practically everything, and ran out of stuff to say towards the end, so that was all they had to do... but just don't put it on and waste my time. It's a bait-and-switch; I wanted insightful commentary on the movie, not ill-informed commentary on my life.]

Yeah, but his one for "The Producers" was great. He seemed really proud about knocking out that apartment in one afternoon (two coats!!)

Scott

Yeah, but his one for "The Producers" is classic.

Scott