Audio Commentaries are sometimes a forgotten gem in the world of film. But how often do they get heard, and are they even worth hearing? This series of reviews will take a look at some of the best, and perhaps worst, audio commentaries on some classic films. Exploring what, if anything, they bring to the film. Any commentary review suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.
Who does this Commentary? The Beauty and the Beast commentary is from directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, producer Don Hahn and composer Alan Menken.
Beauty and the Beast is in the IMDb Top 250, and quite rightly so. This Disney classic, released in 1991, is undoubtedly an excellent Disney film. Immensely popular on release, the film was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 1992 – an honour not usually bestowed to animated films. Here at Cultured Vultures, we have already reviewed Beauty and the Beast, and with a live-action remake ready to grace our screens in 2017, this seemed like a good time to revisit this childhood classic and check out the commentary.
The Beauty and the Beast commentary has a good range of people on it, as we hear from both of the directors, a producer and the composer. There are many references to the film’s lyricist, Howard Ashman, who also wrote the lyrics for The Little Mermaid. Sadly, Ashman died before the film was released, but his contribution to the film is certainly very great, as this commentary discusses.
The four men speaking on the commentary seem to have a good relationship as they discuss the film, and this appears to be a relationship they have maintained over the years since the film was released. The range of discussion jumps around all aspects of the film, including the animation work, voice casting, and perhaps most importantly, the music. There are also some comparisons with the film and the eventual Broadway musical which came from it. Noticeably, there is no song from the Beast in the film, but this is not the case with the stage musical, as we learn.
Although this is a children’s film, the commentary is certainly not going to entertain many children. Likewise, if anyone is listening to this commentary to hear about Disney in general, they will not get much information. It mostly focuses on the people behind the film, and their individual contributions to Beauty and the Beast. There are the occasional comments of interest also, such as pointing out the original designs for the Beast, which are contained in the animation around castle.
We already know that Beauty and the Beast is an enchanting film, which is beautifully illustrated and has many, memorable songs. For those keen fans among you, this commentary may add to your enjoyment of the film, whilst also offering you an interesting insight into the process of creating a feature length animation.
Commentary Score: 6.5/10
This is an interesting commentary, but only if you are interested in Beauty and the Beast itself. The commentary lacks information on the Disney Corporation and their other work, which perhaps other Disney film commentaries will contain more of.
Favourite Commentary Moment: During the voice recording of the scene where the Beast dies, the actress voicing Belle, Paige O’Hara, was crying throughout. Stopping the recording to ask if she was okay, Paige looked up, raised her hand and said ‘acting’. Clearly, O’Hara is a pro.
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Commentary Review: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)
Audio Commentaries are sometimes a forgotten gem in the world of film. But how often do they get heard, and are they even worth hearing? This series of reviews will take a look at some of the best, and perhaps worst, audio commentaries on some classic films. Exploring what, if anything, they bring to the film. Any commentary review suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.
Who does this Commentary? The Beauty and the Beast commentary is from directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, producer Don Hahn and composer Alan Menken.
Beauty and the Beast is in the IMDb Top 250, and quite rightly so. This Disney classic, released in 1991, is undoubtedly an excellent Disney film. Immensely popular on release, the film was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 1992 – an honour not usually bestowed to animated films. Here at Cultured Vultures, we have already reviewed Beauty and the Beast, and with a live-action remake ready to grace our screens in 2017, this seemed like a good time to revisit this childhood classic and check out the commentary.
The Beauty and the Beast commentary has a good range of people on it, as we hear from both of the directors, a producer and the composer. There are many references to the film’s lyricist, Howard Ashman, who also wrote the lyrics for The Little Mermaid. Sadly, Ashman died before the film was released, but his contribution to the film is certainly very great, as this commentary discusses.
The four men speaking on the commentary seem to have a good relationship as they discuss the film, and this appears to be a relationship they have maintained over the years since the film was released. The range of discussion jumps around all aspects of the film, including the animation work, voice casting, and perhaps most importantly, the music. There are also some comparisons with the film and the eventual Broadway musical which came from it. Noticeably, there is no song from the Beast in the film, but this is not the case with the stage musical, as we learn.
Although this is a children’s film, the commentary is certainly not going to entertain many children. Likewise, if anyone is listening to this commentary to hear about Disney in general, they will not get much information. It mostly focuses on the people behind the film, and their individual contributions to Beauty and the Beast. There are the occasional comments of interest also, such as pointing out the original designs for the Beast, which are contained in the animation around castle.
We already know that Beauty and the Beast is an enchanting film, which is beautifully illustrated and has many, memorable songs. For those keen fans among you, this commentary may add to your enjoyment of the film, whilst also offering you an interesting insight into the process of creating a feature length animation.
Commentary Score: 6.5/10
This is an interesting commentary, but only if you are interested in Beauty and the Beast itself. The commentary lacks information on the Disney Corporation and their other work, which perhaps other Disney film commentaries will contain more of.
Favourite Commentary Moment: During the voice recording of the scene where the Beast dies, the actress voicing Belle, Paige O’Hara, was crying throughout. Stopping the recording to ask if she was okay, Paige looked up, raised her hand and said ‘acting’. Clearly, O’Hara is a pro.
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.