Rich Commentary on “Don’t Come Knocking” DVD

By Mark Phillips, 8-15-06

I'm a big fan of DVDs. I thoroughly enjoy most of the special features that give special insight into the brains of the writers, directors, and actors. One of the most disappointing special features I've viewed was commentary by Stacy Peralta and Tony Alva for Lords of Dogtown. One of the best I've seen is on the disc of Wim Wenders' Don't Come Knocking. New West writer Seonaid Campbell reviewed the movie back in March, but given the film's limited distribution, most of had to patiently wait out our Netflix queue to draw our own opinions. Mine? I loved the it! True to form, Wim Wenders and his team created a smart, visually stunning, and emotional movie. When I say "smart", I suppose I mean that I feel moved without feeling manipulated by the film. I'm not sure exactly why, but I think that's a hard thing to pull off with a movie about the West, or even about a town in the West. Nostalgia is just too easy.
In the commentary, Wim discusses his creative method, Sam Shepard's creative method, and how they collaborated. "I have to have a strong sense of place," Wim claims, "and Sam always writes exclusively from character." Wenders adds a healthy dose of technical details about his locations and includes interesting behind-the-scene details about cast and crew. His love of the Western landscape, of American mythology, and of Edward Hopper are clear in both the film and in director's comments.

If you haven't seen Don't Come Knocking, move it to the top of your queue and make sure to watch a second time with the commentary on.

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