Entertaining special features, outtakes, and trivia

[Brian63]

Do you generally enjoy or dislike watching any of the special features options for TV shows or movies that you watch? Or listen to actor/director/writer commentaries? View the outtakes? Read about the behind-the-scenes trivia or goofs made about the final product?

Even if you generally do or do not, are there are any particular shows or movies that are specifically notable for unusual tidbits of info, beyond the featured show itself?

I almost never watch any special features, cannot recall the last time I ever listened to a commentary, do not watch cast/crew interviews about making the show/film, but I do enjoy reading about trivia and goofs made about movies I just finished watching, via the website IMDB.com. It can either make a movie more interesting or less interesting, to see what else was going on behind the scenes and all the trivia about it.

Particularly when there were cast/crew feuds involved while filming, that makes it more interesting to watch the final product. One extremely surprising example is here, where a minor supporting actor, Bronson Pinchot, had this to say about the lead actor, Denzel Washington:

“[2009, on making Courage Under Fire (1996)] That was a low point, because Denzel Washington was behind the incredibly cowardly bullshit of "This is my character, not me." He was really abusive to me and everybody on that movie, and his official explanation was that his character didn't like me, but it was a dreadful experience. I spent my salary on time with my shrink just for helping me get through it...Denzel Washington cured me forever of thinking that there is any amount of money or anything that could ever, ever make it okay to be abused. The script supervisor on that movie said it's like watching somebody kick a puppy. He was so vile. And after that, I just would never endure it again."

Never would have guessed anything like that from just watching them on screen.



Apparently, the actor who played R2D2 in Star Wars did not like the actor who played C3PO as well:

“[on Anthony Daniels] Anthony doesn't mix at all-he keeps himself to himself. He never wants to have a drink with any of us. Once when I said hello to him he just turned his back on me and said, 'Can't you see I'm having a conversation?' I was blazing with rage. It was the rudest thing anyone had ever done to me. I was furious. It was unbelievable.”



Do you just watch the TV shows and movies themselves, or do you also spend any time reading up or watching any behind-the-scenes features as well? Has doing so ever made a bad show better, or made a good show worse for you? Jim Carrey's "Liar, Liar" movie was a bad one, but the outtakes actually were funnier than the movie itself.

 

[James Brown]

I generally don't enjoy outtakes, myself. Particularly if it breaks the character's image. When I see an actor playing a reserved role then cuss a blue streak because she flubbed a line, it causes dissonance in me. It reminds me that the character is not an individual but actually a person playing a role, mouthing words more akin to a robot. Movie purists will cluck their tongues at me for such a naive view, but it's the view that I have.

Jennifer Lawrence is a fine actor, and I've generally enjoyed the roles she played. But I've seen clips of her "in real life" and she struck me as less mature, more mouthy, shouting at people across the room, guffawing loudly like a frat boy having drunk too much beer. Not at all the sort of person that would appeal to me.

Actor feuds like the ones you described also don't interest me.

If I really really enjoy a movie, I don't mind watching it again with the director's commentary. That enhances a movie for me--hearing why she chose this particular filming angle or that use of shadow and light.

That said, when Pixar introduced some fake bloopers at the end of Toy Story II (if memory serves), I thought it was a genius move.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The Baby Jesus outtake in Serenity was brilliant.

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

I generally don't enjoy outtakes, myself. Particularly if it breaks the character's image. When I see an actor playing a reserved role then cuss a blue streak because she flubbed a line, it causes dissonance in me. It reminds me that the character is not an individual but actually a person playing a role, mouthing words more akin to a robot. Movie purists will cluck their tongues at me for such a naive view, but it's the view that I have.

Jennifer Lawrence is a fine actor, and I've generally enjoyed the roles she played. But I've seen clips of her "in real life" and she struck me as less mature, more mouthy, shouting at people across the room, guffawing loudly like a frat boy having drunk too much beer. Not at all the sort of person that would appeal to me.

Actor feuds like the ones you described also don't interest me.

If I really really enjoy a movie, I don't mind watching it again with the director's commentary. That enhances a movie for me--hearing why she chose this particular filming angle or that use of shadow and light.

That said, when Pixar introduced some fake bloopers at the end of Toy Story II (if memory serves), I thought it was a genius move.

“A Bug’s Life” had “outtakes” first, I think.

The “Carol Burnett Show” outtakes were hard to beat.

 

[Brian63]

The great TV show Smallville (about the early days of Clark Kent, before becoming Superman) may be forever ruined largely because of the later serious criminal activities of 2 of the supporting cast members. One actor was illegally selling drugs and the other was involved in sex trafficking and forced labor conspiracy. Could never fully appreciate that show again, knowing what those 2 actors would later go on to do.



Also, knowing the political/religious views of the cast/crew involved in a production can make it better or worse. I appreciate a lot of celebrities a lot more, knowing what their real-life views are and when they are vocal about them (if I agree with those views). There are some pro-Trump conservatives in Hollywood, like John Voight, that I would probably just avoid their work from now on though.

 

[marc]

I used to regularly listen to the commentary track of movies that I loved. Bloopers, deleted scenes, alternate endings. It depends on the show/movie and what the extra is. Don't have much free time anymore, so tend to be more picky on what ones I'll try out now.

One Dr Who volume had an interesting special about racism in the BBC. It pointed out how one of the main villains in the story was supposed to be Chinese, but was played by a British actor playing up stereotypes, while several Chinese actors had non-speaking roles as servants.

 

[ronburgundy]

I only watch them for comedies, especially if there was a lot of improve involved in the movie, which often means lots of funny stuff on the editing room floor. Even a terrible improved line can be funny b/c of how bad it was and the crews' reaction to it. Same of commentary. I know there are some Will Ferrell haters out there, but I thought Anchorman was top 5 all time funny and it was highly improvised, so the extras, outtakes, and commentary are all highly worth it.

 

[bilby]

I generally don't enjoy outtakes, myself. Particularly if it breaks the character's image. When I see an actor playing a reserved role then cuss a blue streak because she flubbed a line, it causes dissonance in me. It reminds me that the character is not an individual but actually a person playing a role, mouthing words more akin to a robot. Movie purists will cluck their tongues at me for such a naive view, but it's the view that I have.

Jennifer Lawrence is a fine actor, and I've generally enjoyed the roles she played. But I've seen clips of her "in real life" and she struck me as less mature, more mouthy, shouting at people across the room, guffawing loudly like a frat boy having drunk too much beer. Not at all the sort of person that would appeal to me.

Actor feuds like the ones you described also don't interest me.

If I really really enjoy a movie, I don't mind watching it again with the director's commentary. That enhances a movie for me--hearing why she chose this particular filming angle or that use of shadow and light.

That said, when Pixar introduced some fake bloopers at the end of Toy Story II (if memory serves), I thought it was a genius move.

Actors are, almost invariably, extroverted. But introverts are common in reality, and many characters in fiction are introverts - So actors are often called upon to play such roles. And some end up specialising in those roles.

Which can lead to a very jarring impression, when you see someone who you have only previously seen being introverted and shy, being their real extroverted and boisterous self.

Few shy people are attracted to a career in the performing arts, for obvious reasons. And few who do stumble onto such a career are likely to make it big.

 

[TSwizzle]

I haven't seen many out takes and bloopers lately. The last one I saw was Dodgeball and I was specifically told to keep watching beyond the credits. The is an episode of Seinfeld that gets shown regularly that is made up entirely of out takes and it cracks me up every time.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Seinfeld 'episode'? Are you referring to the 'Not That There's Anything Wrong With It (Bloopers)' compilations that are included in every boxed season? They run about 20 min. and they collect the best bloopers from each season. They are good, although about 20% of them consist of Julia bursting into uncontrollable laughter, and, if Michael Richards is in the scene, they will show him scolding her. Jason does the best after-comments on blown lines; he's very quick to ridicule himself or others if they get lost. My favorites are when Jerry Stiller is so insane that the other actors can't deal with his strange expressions and line readings.

 

[TSwizzle]

Seinfeld 'episode'? Are you referring to the 'Not That There's Anything Wrong With It (Bloopers)' compilations that are included in every boxed season? They run about 20 min. and they collect the best bloopers from each season. They are good, although about 20% of them consist of Julia bursting into uncontrollable laughter, and, if Michael Richards is in the scene, they will show him scolding her. Jason does the best after-comments on blown lines; he's very quick to ridicule himself or others if they get lost. My favorites are when Jerry Stiller is so insane that the other actors can't deal with his strange expressions and line readings.

Hmmm, I don't have boxed sets, it's something that just shows up in KCOP every now and again. I have never noticed if there is a title to it.

I just remembered another movie I saw that had outtakes, "We're The Millers". There's a pretty funny gag played on Aniston by the other cast members.