Best Of JACK-O Commentary Track

THE LIMEY easily has one of the most memorable commentary tracks ever recorded. On the DVD for Steven Soderbergh’s excellent film, the director and writer Lem Dobbs basically argue for the entire runtime. Each had a different vision of the movie and so they end up sniping at each other over what shouldn’t have been changed and what needed to be changed. It is fascinating and uncomfortable in equal measure. Like an audio-only cinephile version of WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, but with more sexual tension.

Its genre counterpart is easily the commentary track for JACK-O. Director Steve Latshaw is joined by executive producer and co-writer Fred Olen Ray to chime in on the 1995 horror film. Similar to THE LIMEY, the main point of contention is what was put into the film or altered—though there are also comments on less than great execution due to financial and time limitations. There are mild disagreements and also not-so-veiled sarcastic barbs Ray and Latshaw throw at each other. It’s less uncomfortable than Dobbs v. Soderbergh, and also aided by the fact that this ludicrous horror film about a wizard and a pumpkin demon terrorizing kids, but it is an unexpected bit of conversation when JACK-O is seemingly so good natured.

(NSFW Note: there is some nudity—which basically kicks off the animosity—in the very beginning but is only briefly on screen)