Hubert Selby Jr.'s elegiac and mesmerizing novel about four addicts of different varieties appeared in 1978 and ranked alongside Selby's "Last Exit to Brooklyn" (also made into a superior film) as one of his best books. Darren ("Pi") Aronofsky was himself a Selby fan and eventually persuaded the Thousand Arts production company to finance his $5M film of the novel.
The resulting film is as horrific and fascinating as anything ever put on a screen. The plot isn't complicated: Junkie Harry (a nearly unrecognizeable Jared Leto) takes to pawning his mother's TV set for heroin. His buddy Tyrone (Marlon Wayans, in a performance that makes his turn in "Scary Movie" and other junk look like total red herrings) hatches a plan with him to score for a pound of pure and put them on the fast track to riches. Harry's girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) has vague plans of opening a boutique with her share of the gains. And Harry's mother (a truly amazing Ellen Burstyn) is obsessed with appearing on her favorite TV show.
Movies like this are not about plotting but emotion. We know there is no happy ending possible here; what matters is not what happens but how and to what extent. The final 20 minutes -- which have been written about endlessly elsewhere -- are a masterpiece of Soviet-style intercutting and gradually mounting, excruciating tension that does not even end with the release of death, but with the promise of unending, ongoing pain.
This isn't a pretty movie. This isn't a movie for your mother (well, I guess that depends on the family), or a movie for the whole family. This is a movie about despair and destroyed dreams. In short, this is a movie about something -- and it tells its story with such fierce style and power that it almost makes issues of taste or subject matter irrelevant. You may not like the film -- and there are many who don't -- but you can't deny its power, or the skill involved in making it.
I initially had no interest in this film, thinking who wants to see a movie about some two bit dope dealer? My teenage son, however, rented the DVD, and I found myself a captive audience. To my surprise, it was a riveting, well done film. Sure, it was about a two bit dope dealer, but what a story. George Jung, an all American kid from a hard working, hard knocks family, begins dealing marijuana during the 1960s. He develops his business into an empire, and then he decides to branch out into the sexier world of cocaine and really big money. Using his considerable entrepreneurial instinct, he makes a deal with the Columbian drug cartel. Before you know it, he is raking in millions. Unfortunately, the best laid plans often go awry, and there is no fairy tale ending for George. This is a story of hopes, dreams, violence, greed, and betrayal.
Well directed by the late Ted Demme, the film is compelling and absorbing as it recounts George Jung's incredible odyssey in the drug trade, tracking the rise of the cocaine industry in the United States, attendant with all its violence. Johnny Depp, in the role of George Jung, makes him into a likable guy who has bitten off more than he can chew, with ultimately dire results. His is a search for the American Dream, a dream that forever remains elusive.
Ray Liotta is terrific in the role of George's father, Fred Jung, a sensitive and devoted everyman married to a hard, selfish woman, Ermine Jung, a woman who lacks all motherly instincts and is played with gritty determination by Rachel Griffiths. Jordi Molla is excellent in the role of Diego, George's entre into the world of high stakes, cocaine dealing, and Cliff Curtis is excellent as Escobar, the Columbian drug cartel's main man. Penelope Cruz is terrible as George's beautiful Latina wife, Mirtha. She is simply a bad actress whose English is often unintelligible. With the exception of Ms. Cruz, however, the cast is uniformly excellent.
This is the story about a young man who, faced with choices in his life, made the wrong ones and lived to regret it. Johnny Depp captures the pathos of Jung's wasted life. That his characterization is dead on is brought home by Ted Demme's wonderful interview of the real George Jung. This interview is one of the numerous bonus features on this DVD and is well worth watching. It is a poignant interview, as it underscores that Jung's was a life wasted. It also serves to illustrate just how remarkable Depp's characterization of Jung really is. All in all, this is a vibrant, informative, and entertaining film.
Part of the DVD series "The Work of Director ________", a trio of DVDs featuring the work of three groundbreaking video and short film directors, "The Work of Michel Gondry" is an extensive filmography of the director's work prior to his acclaimed feature film debut "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". It was interesting to see these pieces after having seen that film because it is so clear that his innovative and (usually) whimsical vision were present long before that film was released.
Essentially "discovered" by musician Bjork and tapped to do the video for her film "Human Behaviour", Gondry went on to do several videos for her as well as for The White Stripes, The Chemical Brothers, Foo Fighters & The Rolling Stones, among others. All of the videos feature enormous amounts of color, are usually laden with fantasy elements (there are a lot of themes that involve time-shifting) and most either are ironic or dryly humorous. The total effect is completely intoxicating. I have always found Bjork's videos to be wonderful and unusual, but all of the videos in fair succession of one another are a heady experience. The amount of work that went into The White Stripes' "Fell in Love With a Girl" video, which features the band as Legos, with every shot done manually is mind-boggling. Even Kylie Minogue's "Come into my World" (I personally find her insipid at best) was extremely enjoyable because the video, essentially a mobius strip where Minogue is walking around a city block, was so sublime.
The collection also features some commercial work and short films that Gondry has produced during his professional career including a beautifully shot black and white film called "The Letter". Having now seen all three of the collections released by the Directors Label series (including Spike Jonze and Chris Cunningham) Gondry's work is the perfect addition to the series because he brings an element of bright imagination, and while all three directors are creative, his work is laced with a fancifulness that works as a thin patina, under which obvious intelligence lies. I considered "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" to be the best film released in 2004, and Gondry's video work is a strong support for his talent and vision. I highly recommend it.
First, this is an art movie, 2nd it's a road movie (albeit featuring two robots), and for all those who said it sucks because it doesn't contain any Daft Punk music, here's the secret: "Human After All" is the alternative (and far superior) soundtrack to the film. Seriously, cue up the DVD, then put "Human After All" on album repeat; the story, songs, and even beats line up perfectly. In the opening scene, if you synced it up properly, the title track "Human After All" repeats "Human" when they zoom in on the "Human" license plate, then when the robots go into the clean room and the steam pours out of the hoses, "Steam Machine" comes on. There are several other examples, and if you really synch it up, the people even walk in time to the beat in several shots. There, that's why there is no dialogue, that's why the scenes are so long. Even when the album ends and repeats back to the first track, it's still in sync with the movie, now enjoy.
There is a moment in Adrian Lyne's LOLITA that effectively captures the twisted, yet surprisingly innocent feeling that Vladimir Nabokov wanted to portray with his novel. When Lolita, wonderfully played by newcomer Dominique Swain, is rushing up the stairs to say goodbye to Humbert Humbert (Jeremy Irons), before she leaves for summer camp, you realize that the look of excitement in Jeremy Irons face, and the nervous posture he has is that of an innocent child in love.
Indeed it is true that Humbert is a child at heart, a fact which becomes clear early in the movie, when we learn a little bit about Humbert's first encounter with love and its subsequent painful and unexpected loss.
It seems impossible to not compare Lyne's version with Stanley Kubrick's version, made over 35 years ago. I have to admit that I am an avid Kubrick fan, and that I always thought his version of Nabokov's novel, if not faithfully reproduced, was a classic. So it was that with apprehension (and some morbid curiosity) I decided to watch Lyne's version. Boy was I blown away.
It is a terrible thing that our society as a whole, at this day and age, can't see pass the taboo that apparently clogs the story. It is sad because Lyne's LOLITA is an excellent and beautiful film in every respect. From Lyne's carefully crafted visual style, to the outstanding performance given by both Swain but especially by Irons (this is his movie), to the heart-breaking music score by legendary composer Ennio Morricone. Everything is in place here.
It is clear that Lyne has a profound understanding of the novel, he successfully directs the story in a way the slowly engulfs you and never seems to fall into the traps that plagued Kubrick's version. There are a great many things that you will discover in this movie, not the least of which is the realization that, deep down inside, there is a place in each and everyone of us where love seems to have no age. In the end you understand the reasons behind the story, you will see Humbert's joy reflected in your eyes and his tears will fall down your face, but perhaps most shocking of all, you will feel like him.
Please, do yourself a favor and see this movie on DVD. Trimark has done an excellent job by including a very insightful commentary track by Adrian Lyne, a wealth of deleted scenes (some of which I wish were on the film), theatrical trailers, and perhaps the most wonderful feature of all, a casting session with Jeremy Irons and Dominique Swain, where you see them rehearse a scene, and later get to see the final scene. Highly recommended.
"City of God" ("Cidade de Deus") is the story of a boy, but also the story of a "favela" (Portuguese word with similar meaning to slum or shantytown) on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. That shantytown is called "Cidade de Deus". Throughout this extraordinary movie both the boy and the favela grow, albeit obviously in very different ways :)
The boy is Rocket (Buscapé in Portuguese, played by Alexandre Rodrigues), who is born in Cidade de Deus and grows up before our eyes living in it. He is quiet and easygoing, just a non-violent person seeking a way to survive in a brutal environment. Rocket ends up doing exactly that through his passion, photography, that ends up making him an intermediary between the local gangs and the press. He is also the narrator of this movie, the voice that accompanies us throughout many of the stories that "City of God" has to offer...
The other main character of "City of God" is the "city" itself, that starts merely as a couple of houses, but that grows immensely as years go by. The activities in which its inhabitants are involved also change, from petty robbery to organized crime that involves drug dealing and arms trafficking. We see Li'l Zé (Zé Pequeno in Portuguese, played by Leandro Frimino), one of the boys that used to play soccer with Rocket, grow up to become a murderer and a drug lord, someone that makes his own laws. The same happened with others, but Li'l Zé probably represents to most dangerous kind of sociopath that the favela can produce. Rocket and Li'l Zé, same circumstances, different persons, different choices. Who says that where you lives determinates how you are and what you do?. This is an excellent example that that is not always the case...
Directors Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund somehow managed to convey in their movie the full strenght of the novel (written by Paulo Lins) on which "City of God" is based. This film is full of colour and energy, carrying the spectator at a dizzying pace through the twenty years it covers, never giving him time to get bored. It is wortwhile to point out that most of the "actors" didn't have any real experience as such, they just happened to live in different slums of Rio de Janeiro (including Cidade de Deus) at the time when the film was being made. I think that is something that shows in the realism of the results...
On the whole, I can say that I loved "City of God", notwithstanding the fact that it is undeniably bloody and has some very violent scenes. In my opinion, they are not gratuitous, because they help the directors to capture what may really happen in a Brazilian shantytown, and show it to us. All in all, this movie is nothing short of an experience worth having and sharing. If you watch "City of God" and love it as much as I do, do your part and recommend it to others :)
I very much love the music of Sonic Youth so I decided to go ahead and buy this video collection. Although I had no idea what to expect, I must say that I am very happy with what I got. Audio and video quality is as good as you can expect, especially since the videos come from such a wide rage of mediums ranging from low budget video to high quality film. Special features are great also, especially the videos directed by the fans and "My Sonic Room" where a fan paints the cover of the album Goo on her wall.
1. Dirty Boots- The band plays a concert while fans mingle with each other.
2. Tunic (Song For Karen)-Has a public access production value feel to it and it reminds me of David Lynch's Eraserhead. Includes hidden images of Karen Carpenter.
3. Mary-Christ-Mostly close ups of the band mixed with live footage, looks like it was shot with night vision cameras.
4. Kool Thing- Has Singer Kim Gordon holding a black cat while the band plays in a tin foil decorated room.
5. Mote- A mix of the band playing, footage of the film Koyaanisqatsi, and graphic dismemberment footage.
6. My Friend Goo- My least favorite on the disk, a homemade video with singer Kim Gordon in a pink cat suit singing along with a record.
7. Disappearer- The band goes on a strange road trip.
8. Mildred Pierce- Has the band in various locations around Hollywood and Sofia Coppola, director of Lost in Translation, plays Joan Crawford.
9. Cinderella's Big Score- an video about Kim Gordon's relationship to her brother is my interpretation.
10. Scooter And Jinx- Two female strippers star in this video, one poses naked while the other takes pictures.
11. Titanium Expose- Like a non linear short film, memorable for seeing singers Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore making out with each other.
12. 100%- The band plays a house party while footage of skateboarders is cut in.
13. Sugar Kane- Like a grunge fashion show video.
14. Youth Against Fascism- Just a collage of the band playing, motorcyclists, and other stuff.
15. Bull In The Heather- Features Kathleen Hanna from Bikini Kill acting obnoxious.
16. Superstar- a loving tribute to Karen Carpenter, the band is dressed up quite formally on a glitzy stage.
17. Little Trouble Girl- a slick looking video with a sci-fi edge, Kim Deal from the Pixies and the Breeders appears also.
18. The Diamond Sea- Footage from the band on the road.
19. Sunday- Stars Macaulay Culkin and some ballerinas.
20. Hoarfrost- Mostly footage of someone driving around at wintertime.
21. Nevermind (What Was It Anyway)- Has a bunch of people hanging out while Kim Gordon is singing on a laptop computer.
22. The Empty Page- More footage from the band touring.
23. Disconnection Notice- A short film featuring four young adults arguing with each other in a car.
This was fun to watch yet at the same time rather disappointing (maybe depressing would be a better description). Fun if you go into it expecting sex, pretty faces and writhing bodies. But disappointing because there is little else besides. Depressing because the main characters appear so selfish, self-absorbed and are not in fact very likeable. Its main theme is about two emotionally immature individuals, learning rather late in life, the difference between lust and love. It's based on a short story by Tamara Faith Berger who also happens to be director Clement Virgo's wife. To its credit it tackles the lust vs love angle reasonably well.
For our protagonist Leila, life is one sexual encounter after another, free of emotional attachment, free of commitment, free of love. It opens with a naked Leila (the lovely Lauren Lee Smith) alone on the couch, masturbating while watching a porn video. There is no major dialogue until at least 10 minutes into the film and even then it is pretty banal if not trite, reflecting in a way the shallowness of these individuals. Director Virgo notes that he was trying to make a visual film as opposed to a talkie. And visually, it is beautifully shot. Leila goes to a party, meets David (Eric Balfour), with whom she feels an instant and mutual attraction. However he is with his girlfriend, Victoria (Polly Shannon). So she snares another lucky male whom she proceeds to bl__ and fu__ in the parking lot, in full view of David and his girlfriend, who naturally do the same thing, both couples more interested in the opposite pair than in their own partners. David of course is enthralled with Leila and hooks up with her. They have sex. Then they have more sex. And that's all they have. They don't really have a relationship. They don't communicate. They just copulate. Like rutting animals. Throughout the film, sex is depicted as mechanical, selfish and purely physical and although arousing, it is emotionally empty. The main impression I was left with was one of emptiness, hollowness and how sad these people were, physically connecting yet mentally and emotionally all alone. So much so that when David's ailing father whom he's been dotingly caring for dies, Leila cannot empathise, much less give solace. And neither is David of much help when Leila struggles with her parents' own breakup.
Luckless girlfriend Victoria (Polly Shannon) is, for me anyway, the most sympathetic character here. Of the three she is the only one with any insight into their relationship. She is also given some of the more memorable lines in the movie. During her confrontation with Leila, she warns him against David, "He's got intimacy issues. He needs a mommy," and more cruelly but to the point, "You can suck a guy's dick all you want. It doesn't mean he's ever gonna love you." She may be cast as the "other" woman but you can't help sympathising with her and thinking that she's better off rid of him. Virgo's need to have a "happy ending" where the characters come together after realising their love for each other is simply not convincing. It's hard to believe that these self-absorbed, narcissistic personalities could suddenly develop the insight to relate to someone, other than on a purely sensual level. The odd result is that, apart from the sex scenes, the movie when viewed as a whole, has a pretty depressing feel to it. Still, quibbles about the film aside, the sex scenes are not in the least bit disappointing. In fact, they are hot. Very much so. They are a lot more erotically arousing than in the bulk of porn material shot today which is so clinically anatomical as to no longer be erotic.
Although the DVD is unrated, it would most likely merit an NC-17. The sex scenes are as close to hardcore as you can get without it being X-rated. The missing elements are the money-shots and scenes of actual penetration. Otherwise everything else is there, right down to Leila playfully handling David's little thingie.
Lauren Lee Smith is gorgeous to look at and a very good actress. It took guts to do what she did here and I hope it pays off for her in the future. She should be in more films if only she could make time in between shooting "The L Word." In the commentary, director Virgo and Smith discuss how they first met when he directed her in her first lesbian scene in "The L Word."
The film has been beautifully transferred to DVD in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio (enhanced for widescreen TV). The film as we learn in the commentary was shot on Super 16mm so there is a slight graininess throughout as would be expected from this medium. Otherwise it looks gorgeous. Colors are vibrantly rich, black levels are accurately set, the golden summer palette that Virgo chooses for the film comes through handsomely. Sound comes in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 Stereo. Dialogue is recorded at a very low level and is at times barely audible while the pounding music from the nightclub scenes are overwhelmingly loud. Rather like a porn video. I was constantly reaching for the remote to raise and lower the volume. There is an accompanying trailer, a photo gallery and of course the commentary by director Clement Virgo and Lauren Lee Smith who breaks into infectious laughter whenever she's asked to comment on her sex scenes. There is however no behind the scenes footage as advertised by Amazon. In the end, it may not count as a truly thought-provoking or even very credible film but it is arousingly enjoyable nonetheless. From the other reviews here, I take it most viewers will be seeing it for the sex. So, as far as the star ratings go: Five stars for the sizzling hot sex and for Lauren Lee Smith, three and a half for the movie itself.
Conductor Marc Minkowski and director Laurent Pelly collaborated in two other highly successful Offenbach productions that are preserved on DVD: La belle Helene (2000) and Orphée aux Enfers (1997). This new production of La Grande Duchesse de Gérolstein is the latest Minkowski / Pelly collaboration, and it is as brilliant as the two that preceded it.
Felicity Lott is outstanding as La Grande Duchesse. The voice has lost some of its past quality, mainly in the lower register, but the high notes are impressive as ever. Lott 2000 production of Offenbach's La Belle Helene with Minkowski revealed a great ability and talent as a comic actress. She speaks excellent French with a little bit of a "foreign" pronunciation, which makes her performance funnier. The athletic tenor, Yan Beuron is very good as Fritz, the common soldier, both musically and as an actor. The talented Sandrine Piau is luxury casting as Fritz fiancée, Wanda.
Décor and costumes are beautiful and effective, but the lighting is too dark in several places during Act II. Laurent Pelly, the director and designer, is inspired and brilliant as usual. The ballet sequences are original and great fun too.
Minkowski shapes the music with a great deal of charm and wit. I have in my collection the excellent Plasson recording (1975) with Regine Crespin, Alain Vanzo and Mady Mesple. But Minkowski offers us a more complete text, extra half an hour of beautiful and scintillating music: this is the new Offenbach Edition Keck version of La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein and it includes numbers like the stunning finale of act II (La Carillon de ma grand-mère and the Couplets de la plume) that were not available before.
Technical quality (picture and sound) is first class.
"The Fighter" is easily director David O. Russell's most conventional film to date. Russell has been out of the film world for a few years after the mixed reception he received with the release of 2004's "I Heart Huckabees," an underrated film that may have tried a bit too hard. But when Russell burst onto the scene with the subversive "Spanking the Monkey," the exquisitely madcap "Flirting with Disaster," and the audacious "Three Kings"--I knew that I would follow this guy wherever he led! Well, he's back. "The Fighter" comes straight from the underdog sports genre of filmmaking, and in its plotting stays true to the course you would expect. But thankfully, there's a bit more to this appealing tale that's as much about brotherhood as it is about prizefighting. Sold by an A-list cast (the acting awards and nominations have already started rolling in), "The Fighter" manages, for the most part, to transcend the usual cliches with its focus on family.
Telling the true life tale of Micky Ward's unorthodox, and extremely bumpy, road to capturing the world light welterweight title--"The Fighter" appeals to the same everyman underdog sensibilities that countless films have already tapped. Mark Wahlberg, in a refreshingly understated way, lends a calmness to the center of the picture. The rest of the cast, for good and bad, go for broke in large showy performances. Christian Bale, gaunt and tweaking, plays Ward's brother. A former boxer and Micky's trainer, Bale is hapless and helpless as a habitual crack addict and a lowlife criminal. The drama between Bale and Wahlberg is easily the strongest element in "The Fighter" with Bale being both invaluable AND utterly destructive to Wahlberg's career prospects. Wahlberg is continually overshadowed within the family by his needier brother who tasted greatness before completely falling apart.
Make no mistake, in my opinion, "The Fighter" belongs to Christian Bale in perhaps the finest performance of his career and of the year. Stripped to skeletal proportions, Bale inhabits every moment with a desperate intensity. But despite everything, you understand why Wahlberg can't turn his back on his brother. Amy Adams displays a pleasing toughness in a change of pace role as Wahlberg's girlfriend. And Melissa Leo has been garnering a lot of attention as the brothers' mother. Unfortunately, the film is not without its shortcomings. For my taste, Leo is a bit over-the-top as is much of the other family dynamic. There are many sisters on hand, none of whom are developed, and so when the whole clan gets together--those scenes tend to veer over the line of believability.
I can easily overlook these false (and noisy) moments, however, to admire the interplay between the brothers. Every quiet moment is worth it. It's easy to lose Walhberg in all the larger than life shenanigans, but were it not for his simplicity--""The Fighter" might have pushed into overwrought melodrama. As is, he perfectly balances with Bale's manic energy. And I have to say it again--Bale is stunning! For this alone, "The Fighter" stands apart from every other film selling a similar story. Bale, Bale, Bale!!!!! KGHarris, 12/10.
This is a great electronic videos collection. But I can see why some people only give it 2 stars. As I read some people reviews, it seem like they dont know what they are talking about. These are not your daytime "MTV videos". You would only see these videos on MTV if you are an insomiac who watches AMP around 2 A.M. For the trance listeners who made a complaint, what do you people expect on this dvd? Paul Okenfold, Paul van dyke, Sasha & Digweed? I think it is bias to write a bad review just because you are not a fan of a specific electronic genre like Drum N Bass. One reviewer trashed the dvd just because he wasn't interested in DnB. Any REAL drum n bass fans would appreciate Roni Size, Diesel Boy, Photek, Talvin Singh and Goldie even if some have better tracks than others.
I give this 4 stars because of my personal tastes. Eventhough I think Fat boy slim, Chemical brothers, Crystal method, and Prodigy are great on the DVD. I think their videos on this DVD are for a mainstream purpose since they target the average listners. This dvd would have taken a step further if it was to have Aphex Twin, Bjork, Portishead ect. But that is just me, i'm just a snob and going for that Indie/Break Through videos mentality.
Do buy this dvd or just stay up around 2 am hope MTV plays electronic music.
Movie: 3 stars; DVD Extras: 4 stars; CD: 4.5 stars
On the strength of primarily one single song ("1234") that was used for an iPod commercial, multi-talented Feist broke through in 2007 with her album "The Reminder", which is her second album, after 2004's outstanding "Let It Die" album. Feist toured relentlessly to promote "The Reminder", and now we finally get a document from that tour. But did we?
"Look At What The Light Did Now" (DVD 145 min; and CD 59 min.) starts with the 80 min. movie of the same name, and if you think this is a tour documentary, you are sadly mistaken. It is instead a deeply subjective and "artistic" look at how the album came about, intermixed with interviews of the people involved (typical conversation: what about the album cover? should Feist be on it? and if so, how?), and with the occasional clip of a performance (usually part of a song, but not the whole song). The movie is something I doubt I will ever watch again, to be honest. Not engaging enough and frankly not interesting enough. The DVD extras (65 min.) are a different story. They include the full versions of some of the songs you saw in the movie, including a great "Limit To Your Heart", a crazy "This One Jam" (featuring Chilly Gonzalez), 2 short movies (the 15 min. "The Water" and a great 5 min. "Departures", with a clever subplot tied to the "My Moon My Man" video shoot), and the 4 video singles from the album, including of course "1234" but also "My Moon My Man", "I Feel It All" and "Honey Honey". In all, I really enjoyed the DVD extras, although I only wished there were more of the live performances from the tour. The CD (13 tracks; 59 min.) compiles many of the live tracks seen on the DVD, and that's great, as now it really feels like the live CD that the DVD coulda-shoulda been. But beware: tracks 9 through 12 are NOT Feist tracks as such, instead they are solo piano pieces from Chilly Gonzales, based on Feist songs (for example "1234" sounds unrecognizable). I happen to enjoy them quite a bit actually. The last track (also the last scene in the movie) is the Feist duet with Little Wings of the title track, which really sounds nice.
In all, this is quite a mixed bag. I don't care much for the movie, but I really like the live tracks on the DVD and the CD, and in fact I find myself playing the CD more than the DVD. Truth be told, I like Feist's "Let It Die" album better than "The Reminder". I saw Feist on the Reminder Tour when she visited the Bonnaroo Music Festival, and really enjoyed her set, which of course was heavy on "Reminder" tracks but she also play a number of tracks from her first album.
the dvd is a retrospective of one of the best bands of the last part of the 20th century, belle and sebastian. if you are looking into getting a primer on the band, i suggest you purchase "if you're feeling sinister", "the boy with the arab strap" the lazy line-painter jane box set before you delve your finances into this gem.
belle and sebastian fans are notorious for their cult-like obsession with the glasgow band, and this dvd is the perfect fix. it contains old footage of the band and connects them to newer performances to show how much the band has evolved and from 96 to as early as 98 how massive their music spread. the music they were making in 96, 60s pop with velvet underground riffs and subversive arty lyrics sung by the voice of a choir boy, might have taken their influences from bands past but they were doing nothing anyone was doing at the time.
the type of music they played weren't meant for doing promotional work or selling albums. it was for the sake of making music and "fans only" shows that side of belle and sebastian, the side that made them a mysterious group that garnered publicity by trying to avoid it. the popularity of the band also is a testament to the rabid fans across the world who spread the quality of pop music through word of mouth. this dvd is for them.
not only does it show an evolution of a band musically, but in front of the camera as the earlier videos show a shy, more twee-ish interviews which later videos show the band gaining more confidence and comfort in front of cameras, especially in a hilarious interview with some brazilian talk show.
the growth also shows in the music videos, which started out with hand-held super 8s and a casual approach that shows their sincerity, to much more expensive productions. the interesting part is that from point a and point b (where they are now), there is still a sense of excitement and fun and playfulness in their performances that are not only surprising but a pleasure to see in a world where bands generally get jaded after any type of exposure.
the one qualm (like a true idiot fanboy) of this dvd is that i would have preferred to hear the live audio of the sessions on 54th performance of "dylan in the movies" and the whole performance of stevie richards doing the beach boy's "darlin". but those are stupid complaints with what the brilliance of this dvd to this biased fan. highly recommend if you are a fan of this group.
note: after the credits, there is a bonus performance of "legal man" from the top of the pops where the monkey butler (from the "fold your hands child..." cd sleeve a/k/a stuart david) makes an appearance.
This DVD contains many insights of The Smith's two songwriting talents, namely Morrissey and Marr. Seen here for the first time is a less than usual guarded, open but cautious Steven Morrissey revealing much unseen, unedited and rare footage along with a very positive and sparky Johnny Marr interview from their heyday. The precise origin of the bands name is unknown, although they stated that it was a reaction against names they considered fancy and pompous. Somewhat contrarily, in a 1984 interview Morrissey stated "I decided to call ourselves The Smiths because it was the most ordinary name, and I think it's time that the ordinary folk of the world showed their faces."
This collection is loathed by many, and I imagine it would be a shock to those expecting slickly-produced, MTV quality videos. But we are talking about The Smiths here, not a group known for their willingness to do videos. Quite the opposite, in fact. Add in the fact that the Smiths existed during the 1980s, when even the best videos reveled in cheesy glory. :)
I quite enjoy the Top of the Pops appearances, which are what this DVD is largely comprised of. Yes, they are rather gaudy, over the top, and *very* 80s, which is precisely why I'm so fond of them. For those of us who never got to see the Smiths perform anywhere, this provides an opportunity to watch Morrissey sashay his way through many of their best known hits, complete with hearing aid and a small thicket in his back pocket.
The Derek Jarman films are visually interesting, although frankly they make me a bit dizzy. The sound quality is good, and the menu makes song selection easier. If you're a diehard fan, you should own this. If you're simply someone who liked a few of their bigger hits, well, I wouldn't bother.
When the British rock singer/songwriter with the singular name, "Morrissey," was beginning his music career with his first professional band, The Smiths (1983-87), he proclaimed that the band would never do any type of "glossy promotional" videos. Morrissey, or "Moz" as he soon came to be called in Britain, proclaimed that any song is at least 50% imagination; that is, at least half of one's experience while listening to a song is one's own personal interpretation of what it means and what it is.
The Smiths would go on to make a few videos, though no "glossy promotional" ones, and after Morrissey embarked on his solo career, he continued to use the medium of film for artistic expression. But, he never strayed very far from his convictions: with few exceptions, any Morrissey music video can be said to have little or nothing to do with the actual song itself. The vast majority of the videos stand alone as separate artistic works; the fact that a particular song is playing in the background often is inconsequential.
On October 17th, 2000, Moz released a video compilation on DVD spanning all of his solo career to date, entitled "!Oye Esteban!"--originally titled "I Could've Been Elvis" before permission was denied. While this compilation is not definitive, it is a wonderfully compiled collection of many of his most popular videos, as well as a couple that are so rare they were presumed lost.
"!Oye Esteban!" spans almost all of the artist's albums to date: "Viva Hate," "Bona Drag," "Kill Uncle," "Your Arsenal," "Vauxhall and I," "World of Morrissey," "Southpaw Grammar," and "My Early Burglary Years." The video reviews below are presented in the order the songs appear on the DVD.
"Everyday Is Like Sunday": This song is a picture of depression, explicating that "Everyday is like Sunday/ Everyday is silent and gray." It's the scattered tale of a person trapped in "the seaside town that they forgot to bomb," and the singer is backed by what sounds like an entire orchestra.
The video is a brief but rather shocking artistic promotion of animal rights. A girl is depicted walking around a seaside town and an abandoned carnival, seeing evidence of cruelty everywhere: a butcher shop, old women in fur coats, etc. Sporting a shirt with the George Bernard Shaw quote, "I don't eat my friends," the girl scrawls on postcards "MEAT IS MURDER" (the tittle of both a Smiths' album and one of Morrissey's own songs with The Smiths) and "CRUELTY WITHOUT BEAUTY," which she gives to the fur wearers. All in all, it's a wonderful plug for vegetarianism and animal rights. About the only connection with the song, though, is the location of the action: a dreary, depressing "seaside town that they forgot to close down."
"Suedehead": The title actually is the name of a clan of skinheads in Europe; however, this has nothing to do with the song. The song itself is a brief but haunting message to an anonymous friend who relentlessly pursues the singer, sneaking into his room to read his diary but only finding on the pages "so many illustrations." This was one of Morrissey's greatest commercial successes.
The video is a tribute to one of Moz's idol's, James Dean. It opens with the singer in a bubble bath, surrounded by James Dean photographs, Smiths memorabilia, a typewriter, and a book a verse by Byron. The video follows the singer as he, cloaked in black, visits Fairmount, Indiana, James Dean's home town. He's shown going to the theater of Dean's old school (where Morrissey scrawls his name on a wall), and eventually out to the farm where Dean grew up, where Morrissey plays a tonga drum for the cows and eventually finds himself at Dean's grave. The closing shot is of the mourning Morrissey sitting beside Dean's tombstone, surrounded by flowers.
"Will Never Mary": This song is a very brief, yet indescribably emotional message Moz sends out to the adoring cult of fans who send him love letters daily. He explains simply that he dearly appreciates the sentiment, "I'm writing this to say in a gentle way/ Thank you, but no," but, finding himself a celibate, incurably lonely character, he can never reciprocate: "I will live my life as I will undoubtedly die alone."
The video is an unbelievably heartfelt tribute to his fans. It is comprised almost solely of clips from his live concerts. Specifically, the video is simply scenes of his fans--men, women, skinheads and Moz look-alikes--hugging and kissing him, and throwing him to the ground to embrace him, all the while the singer has expressions of gratitude and longing on his face. Coupled with the background song, it's a real tear-jerker. This is quite possibly the greatest and most moving video made. It ends with a fan on stage shaking the singer's hand and bowing in front of his feet. Moz reciprocates the gesture.
"November Spawned a Monster": This song was actually inspired by "Frankenstein" by the New York Dolls, a 70s glam-punk band that Morrissey followed relentlessly. Morrissey's song is the chronicling of the misery and isolation of a poor crippled girl who cries "But Jesus made me so Jesus save me/ From pity, sympathy, and people discussing me." This is another of the singer's greatest commercial successes.
The video is shot in Death Valley, and opens with a shot of Moz sporting a straw hat with "VILE" written on the brim. He is clothed in all black and wearing a large hearing aid (a prop he had worn previously as a Smith, championing the rights of the disabled); and for the entire length of the video he flails and gesticulates in pain and frustration as he croons out the song lyrics and throws dirt at the camera.
"Interesting Drug": The song tells of the squalor and depression of life in the working-class slums (a place where Moz grew up and attended the school of hard knocks). The song has an interesting twist, as the singer turns the aspects of drug use around and says of the interesting drug, "tell the truth, it really helped you." In answer to his critics who would complain that saying such a thing is irresponsible, Moz replies "Look around/ Can you blame us?"
The video is another of his animal rights series, but mixed with aspects of unemployment and adolescence. It opens with school boys graffiting a bathroom by writing on a wall that there are "SOME BAD PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT." The film progresses to Morrissey handing out animal rights pamphlets to these kids after school, which prompts them to break into a research laboratory and free all the test animals.
"The Last Of The Famous International Playboys": This song is a tribute to the English Mafia hit-men, the Kray twins. In the song Moz writes to these two while in prison, asking "do you know my name?" and saying "I am the last of the famous international playboys." This is, of course, flippancy, as Moz is more a retiring shut-in than a playboy. But, the song makes a bold statement on the news media and fame: "In our lifetimes those who kill/ the news world hands them stardom." It is here that Moz, always desperate for fame, admits "I never wanted to kill/ I am not naturally evil."
The video consists of shots of Morrissey singing with his band mixed in with scenes of a young hoodlum as he shadow boxes in his room and roams the streets at night. The implication in this film is that the kid, who is depicted as an angry loner, is the future "international playboy," as he idolizes the criminals made famous by the media and looks longingly at a life of street crime.
"My Love Life": This simple, moving song asks "I know you love one person/ so why don't you love two?" The singer pleads with the listener to "give a little something to my love life." The song ends with "I know you, Love" repeated over and over, with the reverberating "oh, give up," which makes the listener wonder whether this plea is directed at the singer's love interest or back at himself.
The video is in black and white and follows the entire band as Morrissey drives them around Los Angeles in a Roles Royce convertible. All are in fifties attire, with slicked hair and somber expressions. Aesthetically and artistically, this might well be the best video of them all.
"Sing Your Life": The song is directed at the listener as the singer tells of the value of writing and singing honestly and openly, as "any fool can think up words that rhyme." The entire song is comprised of the singer urging "sing your life," as we should enjoy our talent now while we can: "Make no mistake, my fiend/ your pointless life will end."
This live CD + DVD release includes recordings of Justice's signature headbanging live sets along with show footage and various hijinks captured as the band toured the U.S. in March 2008.
I love this album, both the CD and DVD. The live version of "We Are Your Friends" on the CD is enough reason to get this album, and the sound quality is the best I've heard in a live techno album.
But really, the best thing about A Cross The Universe is the DVD. It's a documentary film by Romain Gavras (French director who is the son of famous French film director Costa Gavras, who did the films Z and Mad City), SO-ME (the art director for Ed Banger) and Justice (Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Auge). The documentary isn't just about Justice's tour; it's also about their personal experience. In essence, this film is supposed to show the crazy part of live gigs and touring. Justice really is the rock band of these times, and this documentary shows that, with fast editing and dizzying camerawork that give it an acid-trip feeling reminiscent of other music documentaries by rock bands, like Let it Be, Sympathy for the Devil, or The Kids Are Alright. In terms of content, the strong language, nudity, drug and alcohol use (Xavier feeds aspirin to squirrels, for crying out loud), and actual violence (most notably a real fight with a bunch of drunk guys) would give this doc an R rating, but if you're over 13 this is probably appropriate.
Overall this is a must buy, even if you're not a Justice fan.
I highly recommend this documentary. It is well made, and really interesting. I usually feel let down when a music documentary ends, because I feel like it is being cut short, but I think this is perfect. It is definitely worth checking out.
Part of the Weekend Never Dies; Studio: Play It Again Sam
Life begins when the sun goes down for a group of party-prone friends attending an L.A. rave. The music starts and the dream begins as partygoer Puck gives them each a sample of his new "love potion". This glowing green liquid fuels their inner desires and allows the friends to connect with their long secret loves during the night of dancing, lights, and unadulterated fun. Will a drug deal gone bad ruin the evening or can the uplifting mood of the rave along with Puck’s potion bring out the best in everyone? The weather is hot, the music is pounding, the mood is electric and the stakes are high in this modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s most popular play.
I thought this movie was great!! I am a huge fan of groove and human traffic. this movies dulls in comparison...but I do have to say i was engrossed the entire time!! I absolutely love the music, who do i ask about releasing a soundtrack? the music just plane rocks and the storyline is good as well...however...did those peeps in the beginning ever make it to amsterdamn?????? n e wayz...i def reccommend!!!! 4 starts def!!!
I got this dvd three days ago and have watched it five times already. Yes, it's possible that this movie will appeal more to members of the new orleans rave scene, but others will enjoy it as well. It starts out by introducing a few members of the scene, including disco donnie, a few well-known ravers and a weird rave performer. After a little background and party set up info, it goes right into the good stuff, the state palace party, which I think was freakfest. The video was edited quite well and recreated the feeling of a party at the palace, and then at the peak of the party the graphics start getting crazy and kind of made me feel like I was at the peak of a roll. I will keep this dvd forever to bring back memories of all the good times I have had in that venue. If you've ever been to a party in New Orleans, or want some insight into the culture here, this is a must-buy. BUY IT
