30 Hours Of Commentaries 'Rules' This Upcoming DVD

Posted Friday, January 3, 2003 at 10:16 AM Central

by Tim Briscoe

In the early days of DVD -- and even back to Laserdisc -- audio commentaries were an uncommon and very luring addition to the movie. The commentaries allow you to get a whole new understanding of the film as you listen to thoughts of the movie's director.

Now in the adolescence of the format, commentaries have become the rule rather than the exception. Several discs now even contain multiple commentary tracks from the likes of actors, writers, and even technicians.

Director Roger Avary is taking commentaries to a new height with the release of his The Rules Of Attraction disc. The 110-minute feature will contain over 30 hours of audio commentary. And oddly enough, Avary's own comments will not be among those included.

"Most audio commentaries I hear, I don't care about. So often, director's commentary sounds so pompus... Who wants to hear [Rush Hour director] Brett Ratner pontificate on his cinematic theories, which are dumb as sh*t, anyway?" Avary told DVD Premieres magazine. Actor Kip Pardue, bit player Theresa Wayman, director of photography Robert Brinkmann, and assistant director Harry Ralston have all recorded their comments for the Feb. 18 DVD release.

Avary tried to get comedian Carrot Top to record a commentary as well -- and he's not even in the movie. "I thought it would be funny," he said. Avary did get porn legend Ron Jeremy, who makes a cameo in the movie, to record.

The director scrapped inclusion of the film's Dolby 5.1 surround sound and his own commentary to save digital real estate for all the various commentary tracks.

Perhaps Avary should include an option to hear all the commentaries at the same time for that virtual, in-the-theater feel.