Hey Hulu, release the Palm Springs Commentary Cut, you cowards! Oh, you did? Cool. Carry on, then.
In what is believed to be a Hulu first, the Disney-owned streamer has released a version of the Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti comedy Palm Springs with a full cast and filmmaker commentary. Quick, where's that "What year is it" Jumanji meme when you really need it? The new cut, available now, also features input from director Max Barbakow and screenwriter Andy Siara.
“As far as I know we’re the first,” Samberg told Variety about the new version. “We realized that ‘Palm Springs’ will always be on Hulu, which is great, but there are elements of the DVD experience that just don’t exist anymore. They were very amenable in talking about ways to get some fun stuff in there.”
Back in my day, damn near every film that arrived on DVD came equipped with a commentary track that provided viewers with unique content related to the film they'd purchased. Some of those commentary tracks were incredibly creative, too. For example, if you watch the commentary track for The Muppet Christmas Carol, the presentation includes a Mystery Science Theater 3000-like setup that features the filmmakers and Muppets commenting on the timeless holiday classic.
Commentaries have come a long way since the days of Laserdisc and DVD, with fans and creators posting their own on YouTube and other streaming sites. Be that as it may, physical media has seen a downshift in the special feature in recent years, and the idea of a streaming service offering an official option for one of its films has been non-existent until now.
Here's the official synopsis for Palm Springs:
When carefree Nyles and reluctant maid of honor Sarah have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated as they are unable to escape the venue, themselves, or each other.
Directing Palm Springs is Max Barbakow, who made Sundance history last year when Hulu and Neon coughed up $17.5 million for the Groundhog Day-like comedy, making it the biggest sale in the festival's history at that time. In addition to directing the film, Barbakow also created the story with Andy Siara, who then wrote the film based on the duo's peculiar premise. Joining Samberg and Milioti for Palm Springs are J.K. Simmons, Peter Gallagher, Meredith Hagner, Camila Mendes, Tyler Hoechlin, and Chris Pang, among several others.
What other films that are exclusive to streamers would you like to see get the commentary track treatment? Leave some suggestions in the comments section below.