For every benefit that technology brings there is an equal, often unforeseen, negative. Compact discs heralded an era of perfect sound reproduction. But with 80 minutes recording time, twice that of LPs, we are now plagued with bloated albums substituting quantity for quality.
Likewise the advent of DVDs offered a clarity of picture that videotape could not match. However, like CDs there was an awful lot of spare room left on that DVD that some errant fool thought should be filled. So was born the directors commentary.
Anyone who has sat through a one can no doubt attest to their wretched banality as the contractually obliged director dully mumbles anodyne anecdotes about working with, say, Judge Reinhold.
So Directors Commentary comes as a suitably subversive spoof. Perfectly lampooning the way in which the invariably bored director, desperate to fill the two hours of commentary, recounts in excruciatingly painful detail a laborious tale of how they selected Harrison Fords sunglasses.
<*dv_1*> Rob Brydon (Marion & Geoff) in the guise of director for hire Peter de Lane, provides the voice over for clips from TV classics like Bonanza. Brydons distracted ramblings are hilarious. He lauds a period drama actress for her ability to get in and out of vintage motor cars: Look at that! Legs, turn, bang. Textbook. Shes sadly retired now. Though you can see her at weekends at Beaulieu, just getting in and out of vintage motor cars. Under Brydons eye seemingly humdrum clips turn out to be a riot of comedic possibility.
<*dv_0*> If only all directories commentaries were this good. Brilliant. |
