Alan has written sleeve notes and contributed interviews to numerous DVD releases including CREEP, THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, ANTIBODIES, THE LAST HORROR MOVIE, PARTY MONSTER and RAZORBACK. He has also presented intros for the SCANNERS box set and the Mario Bava Collection. He is an in-demand DVD commentary host and has provided them for SANTA SANGRE with director Alejandro Jodorowsky, FEAR X with director Nicolas Winding Refn, TRAUMA and THE CARD PLAYER solo, and THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE with fellow critic Kim Newman.

ALAN JONES' DIARY

The time: Sunday morning April 15, 2007. The place: De Lane Lea Studios, Dean Street, in the heart of London's Soho. That's where I moderated the DVD commentary on Tinto Brass' still controversial art-sex movie Caligula . It was the only time Dame Helen Mirren, this year's Best Actress Oscar winner for The Queen , could record the track before jetting off to New York to star in Jon Turteltaub's sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets . I'd interviewed Mirren before, most recently on Inkheart and Calendar Girls , and have always found her a delight. My admiration quadrupled after her almost total recall on everything to do with the much maligned Bob Guccione produced Italian epic that became a cause celebre when he inter-cut hardcore porn into the extended running time four years after it was made in Rome in 1976.

The version we commented on was the Film 4 British cut that basically removed all the re-shot Penthouse Pet footage hewing it closer to fired Brass' original vision. Mirren categorically didn't want to see any of the more outrageous inserts anyway and, at one point, covered her eyes during the head-severing torture machine scene in the gladiatorial arena. She had some tremendous anecdotes about co-stars Malcolm McDowell, Peter O'Toole and John Gielgud, writer Gore Vidal and Guccione. She also exploded many of the rumours that have since accumulated over the years about the ill-fated depiction of the eccentric, cruel and depraved reign of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the third Roman Emperor who ruled from 37 to 41.

Mirren and I were joined by writer James Chaffin whose book about the un-making of the movie is published in October, tying in neatly with the Image double disc DVD set release in America. Having done numerous DVD commentaries now ( Santa Sangre , Trauma, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Fear X, The Burning ), I can honestly say the Caligula one was the most enjoyable experience. 135 minutes of wall-to-wall reminiscences from the classiest and most fearless actress in the business. 

THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE commentary review

"The majority of the extras are on the second disc, but the first platter contains two trailers (International and Italian), two American TV spots, and the most important, an audio commentary by British journalists Alan Jones and Kim Newman. This is, simply put, one of the most enjoyable academic commentaries ever recorded. While at first glance it seems strange to have two writers, who had nothing to do with the film, record a feature-length commentary, but as Jones published "Profondo Argento" and Newman has been writing for years for Video Watchdog and others, they definitely know their stuff and reveal tons of information about the film and its participants, and the genesis of the production from conception to theatrical release. More interesting is their discussion of what elements of the film have and haven't aged well, observations of the cinematography and other technical aspects, and analyzing character motivations and the various motifs and themes Argento uses in this film and throughout his career, as well as Argento's influences (Bava, Freda) and those influenced by him (DePalma). The idea of listening to two fan friends discussing the film for 96 minutes may not sound fun to some viewers (it didn't to this writer), but Jones and Newman keep the commentary lively and insightful and this might be the best Eurocult commentary of its type since Tim Lucas' Bava commentaries. Reuniting them for another commentary would be a good idea. A highly recommended listen!"

DVD Drive-In

"Once again, a strong set of supplements from the Blue Underground crew on this two disc set. The first disc offers a trailer gallery (International trailer, Italian trailer and two tv spots) and a commentary by Profondo Argento author Alan Jones and fellow UK film critic Kim Newman. Simply put, this track is how a critic-led commentary should be done. Jones and Newman provide the listener with a detailed historical context for the film, covering everything from Argento's inspirations for the script to the film's importance within the genre and Argento's career. Between these two poles, they also work in a great deal of insightful critical commentary and intriguing behind-the-scenes stories. Best of all, they accomplish this all with a breezy, conversational style of discourse that makes it fun to listen to the track"

DVD Maniacs