DVD extras

I just finished reading the article about director commentary on DVDs and had to respond to the comment that “some have a hard time believing anyone does [listen]” [“Be Quiet -- The Director’s Talking,” by William Weir, March 29].

I do. I listen. In fact, if a DVD release doesn’t have a commentary on it, I think twice about spending $20+ for it. I can watch a movie on cable or TV without having to spend money on it; what I buy the DVDs for is the extras, especially commentaries.

Sure, some are boring or tedious, but even then they offer some clue about the people who worked on the movie and give some kind of insight into what they were thinking either at the time of the shoot or after the fact. As a movie lover, I enjoy knowing more about what happened before, during and after the shoot. I like to know that a specific scene had to be reworked 12 times because the director and editor had differing opinions about how it should look, but that they ultimately came together for, hopefully, the betterment of the film.

KAT BONSON

Sherman Oaks