At the risk of sounding like a shallow populist, I would recommend Roger Ebert's DVD commentaries for DARK CITY and CITIZEN KANE (the latter of which summarizes material from several sources, including Pauline Kael's book on the film). I also rather enjoyed the commentary on the MASK OF SATAN (aka Black Sunday) disc, delivered by an academic whose name escapes me now. And the interspersed, almost competetive, commentaries by Robert Altman and Michael Tolkin for THE PLAYER certainly illuminate conflicts in the filmmaking process, although Altman is otherwise a dry, ridiculously self-effacing bore on this disc. Also insightful into the filmmaking process are the director's commentary and behind-the-scenes features on the JEEPERS CREEPERS DVD. At all costs, avoid commentaries by Peter Bogdanovich, who spends his time stating the obvious. With a few occasional exceptions, you are correct--DVD commentaries, particularly by more than one person at a time, tend toward the insipid. --- Jonathan A. Cullum Contracts & Grants Accounting Auburn University 303 Samford Hall Auburn University, AL 36849-5110 voice: (334) 844-6194 fax: (334) 844-4844 "The world is quiet here." >>> [log in to unmask] 9/20/2004 12:47:01 AM >>> After some initial experiences with shallow or just plain silly commentaries on DVD "Special Editions," I wonder whether anyone has positive recommendations regarding DVD releases that have additional materials which in some way illuminate the film, the process of film making, or the art of cinema. Recommendations, please? Thanks, Henry Breitrose Department of Communication Stanford ---- For past messages, visit the Screen-L Archives: http://bama.ua.edu/archives/screen-l.html ---- Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu