commentary on OUATITW dvd

[drinkanddestroy]

The detailed Video Watchdog article on the cuts of OUATITW includes some remarks on this commentary too.

that comment in the article where Lloyd describes Milius's bit of dvd "commentary" is funny; it is really as Lloyd describes it. That segement of "commentary is simply a 2-minute story about how Leone asked Milius to write the script for OUATIA, and the punchline..... is that Milius didn't have the time to do it.   Indeed, that bit of "commentary" is as pathetic as Lloyd describes it.

(But this is totally Paramount's fault, and not Milius's. Cuz this "anecdote" certainly sounds like it came from a regular interview with Milius (just like those interviews he has in the special features), and the geniuses at Paramount decided to take that bit of the interview and slap it on the dvd as a segment of the film commentary. But it's not that Milius knew that bit would be used in the commentary).

On the special features interviews, Milius really cracks me up, in that he somewhat reminds you of Leone: an enormous bearded guy, with huge glasses, smoking a cigar. And as if that huge pair of glasses on he is wearing is not enough, he has another pair hanging on his shirt, and another pair on the desk in front of him. It's hilarious just to look at that video  

p.s. if I were Milius, I wouldn't be advertising the fact that I turned down an offer from the greatest director of all-time to write the greatest movie of all-time

[Senza]

I recently watched the commentary on the blu ray and have to say that I looked forward to whenever Frayling would start to speak again. Btw, does John Milius remind anyone of Goodman's character in The Big Lebowski?

[drinkanddestroy]

I recently watched the commentary on the blu ray and have to say that I looked forward to whenever Frayling would start to speak again.

I agree.

I have heard a few people complain that on the OUATITW commentary, Frayling sometimes simply narrates the plot, but I really don't recall that. If it is true, it's only on OUATITW. He also neglects to mention in the "Harmonica Rising" scene the history of that scene being removed and re-inserted. But the whole commentary of OUATITW is a mess cuz of the "commentary by committee" bullshit. I don't even know if Frayling recorded a full commentary and they only used parts of it, or if he was told which parts of his they would use. This commentary is such a motherfucking mess, it really irritates me. This movie -- as all of Leone's movies -- really deserve a full commentary by Frayling.

 On the movies where he has done a full commentary: COR, FOD, FAFDM, DYS, and GBU (blu ray only) his commentaries are always amazing and full of useful information, he virtually never reverts to narration, nor he does he leave much dead air. Not to mention the fact that he has a great voice and great commentary style; all of his statements sound like they are coming from memory, unlike some other commentators who have written prepared statements and sound like they are reading off a paper. Even aside from all his knowledge about Leone, Frayling his my favorite commentator just for his speaking style. eg. he gave the commentary on one of the dvd releases of The Magnificent Seven -- this one only http://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Seven-Two-Disc-Collectors/dp/B000BX0VRI/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1361976742&sr=1-2&keywords=the+magnificent+seven+collector%27s+edition -- and I absolutely love it. he is definitely my favorite dvd commentator ever, just for his speaking style, even if he had never done a Leone movie.

Anyway, what I'd really love to see, but it's a dream, is for someone at Paramount to actually say, "This movie, which many people consider to be the greatest Western ever, deserves an unbutchered commentary" and have Frayling record a new, complete commentary for some future release. But I'm not holding my breath.

What I am hoping for, and what I think there is a realistic chance of, is to have Frayling record the commentary for the new restored version of OUATIA whenever they get around to releasing it in English. Now THAT would be awesome 

[Senza]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K30e9O3Nng 

[Groggy]

Btw, does John Milius remind anyone of Goodman's character in The Big Lebowski?

Well, the latter's explicitly modeled on Milius, so that would make sense.

[drinkanddestroy]

watching the bonus features on the dvd, look at John Milius in the interview: he is this huge bearded guy with his cigars, and here is the funny thing: he wears a pair of these enormous glasses, and he has another pair on his desk in front of him, and then another pair clipped onto his shirt!!!!! I was laughing so hard I could barely hear what he was saying. It's like the guy is afraid of ever being more than six inches away from a pair of glasses  

p.s. @Senza, thanks for making the boards livelier this week than they have been in a long time. It's been pretty dead here lately. New young blood always livens the boards for the first few days. But don't let up  

[Senza]

No worries, mate! I appreciate it! I'm glad to be a part of this community with people who share similar interests, and I will do my best to make my contribution and continue to liven up these boards with my own discussions and opinions.  

[Senza]

Another thing about John Milius, after watching The Big Lebowski, this song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbI0cMyyw_M was playing in my head when I was watching his interview on the blu ray of OUATITW