The Interview

Starring:Hugo Weaving, Tony Martin (II), Aaron Jeffery, Paul Sonkkila, Michael Caton, Peter McCauley, Glynis Angel, Leverne McDonnell, Libby Stone, Andrew Bayly, Doug Dew
Director: Craig Monahan
Studio: New Yorker Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

It's virtually impossible to approach No Direction Home without a cluster of fixed ideas. Who doesn't have their own private Dylan? The true excellence of Martin Scorsese's achievement lies in how his documentary shakes us free of our comfortable assumptions. In the process, it plays out on several levels at once, each taking shape as an unfailingly fascinating narrative. There is, of course, the central story of an individual genius staking out his artistic identity. But along with this Bildungsroman come other threads and contexts: most notably, the role of popular culture in postwar America, art's self-reliance versus its social responsibilities, and fans' complicity with the publicity machine in sustaining myths. All of these threads reinforce each other, together weaving the film's intricate texture.

Scorsese's 200-plus-minute focus on Dylan's earliest years allows for a portrayal of unprecedented depth, with multiple angles: a rich composite photo is the result. The main narrative has an epic quality: it moves from Dylan growing up in cold-war Minnesota through Greenwich Village coffeehouses and the Newport Folk Festival, climaxing in the controversial 1966 U.K. tour that crowned a period of unbridled and explosive creativity. In his transition from Robert Allen Zimmerman to Bob Dylan, we observe him concocting his impossible-to-describe, unique combination of the topical with the archaic, like an ancient oracle. Scorsese was able to access previously unseen footage from the Dylan archives, including performances, press conferences, and recording sessions. He also uses interviews with Dylan's friends, ex-friends, and fellow artists, and, intriguingly, with the notoriously reclusive Dylan himself (who looks back to provide glosses on the early years), fusing what could have turned into a tiresome series of digressions and tangents into a powerful whole as enlightening, eccentric, contradictory, and ultimately irreducible as its subject.

Some of the deeply personal bits remain unrevealed, but Dylan's preternatural self-assurance acquires a slightly self-deprecating, even comic edge via some of his reflective comments. Alongside the arrogance, we see touching moments of the young artist's reverence for Woody Guthrie and Johnny Cash. Joan Baez, in a poignant confessional mood, comes off well, and the late Allen Ginsberg is so seraphically charming he almost steals the show a few times. A crucial throughline is Dylan's hunger for recognition and ability to shape perceptions so that would be singled out as not just another dime-a-dozen folk singer. It's illuminating--particularly for those familiar with the artist's latter-day aloofness on stage--to see his reactions to audience booing in the wake of his "betrayal" in this fuller context. No Direction Home also makes clear--in a way that wasn't possible in D.A. Pennebaker's iconic Don't Look Back--how Dylan's ability to manipulate his persona always, at its core, protects the urge for expression: Dylan's ultimate mandate, as an artist, is never to be pinned down. As Scorsese masterfully shows, the myth around Dylan only grows bigger the more we discover about him. --Thomas May

DVD features: This two-disc set of Scorsese's full two-part documentary includes treats such as Dylan working on a song at his hotel during the UK tour as well as performing several songs as in concert or on TV.

More for the Dylanologist

No Direction Home: The Soundtrack
Chronicles: Volume One (paperback edition)
Bob Dylan Scrapbook

Don't Look Back
The Bob Dylan Bootleg Series
The Last Waltz

Description

The two-part film includes never-seen performance footage and interviews with artists and musicians whose lives intertwined with Dylan's during that time. For the first time on camera, Dylan talks openly and extensively about this critical period in his career.

Customer Reviews:

Great for what it is.......2007-03-20

This documetary was absolutely fascinating and very well executed in every way. That being said, the only thing that was a slight disappointment was that this masterful filmmaker either couldn't or chose not to cover the entire breadth of the career of this truly compelling artist. It covers only the 1960's; granted the time when Dylan was at probably at the peak of his creative powers, but that is only equal to about 1/4 the whole story. At a running time of almost 4 hours, I personally would have liked to see a more complete portrait of the man & his life. That is my only complaint, though. I can still say this film was nothing less than absoluetly riveting and one of the best documetaries I have ever seen and probably ever will see.

portrait of a mythic young artist and then some...........2007-03-16

You don't have to be a Dylanologist or even a generational fellow traveler (though it doesn't hurt) to be completely captivated by Martin Scorcese's 200 min. documentary of the magnetic early career of the legendary artist. With a carefully textured combination of archival footage- some never seen before- and contemporary interviews, including a revealing and engaging running commentary by the notoriously elusive subject himself, Scorsese portrays in fascinating detail the unlikely and uncanny transformation of the small town Bobby Zimmerman into the daemonic lyrical genius whose clairvoyant creative fusion with the nascent Sixties' zeitgeist shaped and catalyzed a momentous cultural tipping point like no other artist of his time. It is a great story told by a master story teller.

For me, however, the ultimate achievement of this film goes beyond its vivid portrait of a mythic young artist. It is the nagging and even haunting question that the film eventually leaves us with; the indecipherable mystery- in plain sight- of Dylan himself.

The genius of Scorcese is what he is able to show us. That there is such a thing as an artistic charismatic; that there are larger than life phantoms who appear seemingly out of nowhere, whose mesmerizing, mercurial incandescence can manifest a preternatural subjectivity so intense and at the same time so permeable they are able, in the swirling ebb and flow of their creativity, to transfigure themselves over and over again at will. In doing so they are able to bring their art to a white hot heat that galvanizes and transfigures the imagination of almost everybody it touches, and, after the fire has subsided, leaves an indelible stamp that even they do not understand.

Dylan's a Riot.......2007-03-14

Classic Dylan quotes:
(1) Dense interviewer: "How many other folk singers have you influenced?"
Dylan: "136"
(2) Interviewer: "Do you think Donovan writes good folk songs?"
Dylan: "No... but he's a nice guy"
(3) Interviewer: "Do you consider yourself primarily a poet or a singer?"
Dylan: "I consider myself primarily a song and dance man"
(4) Interviewer: "Are you for or against the war?"
Dylan: "Yes"
(5) Joan Baez: "How come you don't want to sing on stage with me, Bobby?"
Dylan: "Don't take this the wrong way, but I hate your voice"
(6) Interviewer: "Does electric music hurt your ears?"
Dylan: "What?"
(7) Dylan: "People try to figure out the meaning of my songs. I don't even know what they mean"
(8) Don Rickles at a function, to Dylan: "You'll make it in this business if you'll just stop mumbling."
(9) Interviewer: "Why do you smoke cigarettes?"
Dylan: "What else are you going to do with cigarettes?"
(10) Interviewer: "What's it like being a Jew from Minnesota?"
Dylan: "Not sure, I've never been a Jew from anywhere else."
(11) Interviewer: "What were you trying to say in 'Blowin in the Wind'?"
Dylan: "I don't remember"

Masterful portrait of the man who is mercury..........2007-01-27

...Meaning you can't easily pin him down. Yet between Scorsese's excellent documentary & Dylan's own Chronciles (Vol.1) this is as close a revealing display of 'who'/'what' Dylan is, and how that means different things to everyone interested in him and his art. I think the film brilliantly explores the facts, myths, contrivances, and oh yeah, impact the man's music and the path it cut through American culture and beyond. His impact IS so immense that it's easy to forget that he's just a man with a guitar/piano, a pen/typewriter, scraps of paper and cigarettes who has somehow been able to filter the complexities of humanity - be it love, anger, fear, outrage, compassion, sarcasm, loneliness, hope and humor via deceptively simple music and incredible poetry. He is a mirror, but not always the reflection of that mirror. As he sang in 'The Man in Me' (New Morning) "The man in me will hide sometimes to keep from bein' seen/But that's just because he doesn't want to turn into some machine". Still, Dylan is always an open book to anyone - whether or not you are of his generation, ignored him at the time this film explores, were born after this era (I was born in early 1968 in Rochester - a day's drive from his base at the time) or you have only recently discovered him. That is a hallmark of great art and a great artist - there's always something different you find everytime you tap into it.

Scorsese's research into his subject is excellent - from interviews (starting with Dylan himself) to contemporaries both alive and gone (Ginsberg, Van Ronk), thoughtfully plucked film footage including from 'Eat The Document'(including some outtakes(?)) not surprising since Scorsese as a young man edited both Pennebaker's film of the Monterey Pop Festival of 1967 and the documentary of Woodstock. There are many revealing moments, too numerous to list here and many more questions raised about the relevence of the artist to late-twentieth century, cold-war era culture.

The pace is perfect, the threads many and artfully woven together. And stands up well to repeated viewing as a result. However, I take one star away because a discussion/exploration of the apex of his gradually frenzied pace and output - 'Blonde On Blonde' is *completely* omitted. I'm still scratching my head about that one. The record that best illustrates the genius and contradictions of the end of the era the film look at isn't even given a passing mention! Why? Not particularly interested? Had to cut any segment on it out to make the original TV broadcast time limit? Having said that, this is my sole disappointment with what otherwise is a fruitful and fascinating attempt to nail down the droplet of genius that was/is Robert Allen Zimmerman/Bob Dylan.

"Not as represented".......2007-01-20

"Not as represented" is the phrase used when rating a seller on Amazon.

"No Direction Home" could be validly advertised as concentrating only on the earliest part of Dylan's long career. If it is to be part of a continuing series on the artist, it would be fantastic. But:

The first disk is fascinating. The controversy with the folk purists takes up quite a bit of time.

Unfortunately, the second disk deals with nothing but an old and unimportant controversy. Fewer whining fans and more of Dylan's recent career would have been welcome. Dylan's final impatience at the constant requests for his viewpoints on the whole silly business was very understandable. It ends up being an older fan's documentary about music politics.

The man has moved on. If this documentary was truly about a whole career, why, as my husband said, was there no "Blood on The Tracks"?

When Scorsese finishes the documentary he could just keep Dylan's performances on the second disk and flip the rest. Considering the length of Dylan's career, he's probably going to need the disk space.

The first disk is a treasure -- probably the reason the second disk was such a disappointment.

Average customer rating:

A true classic!!!
I <3 Lestat! I <3 this movie!
The Movie That Introduced The World to the Modern Vampire
A Masterpiece
An erotic vampire tale!

Interview with the Vampire
Starring: Tom Cruise , Brad Pitt , Kirsten Dunst , Stephen Rea , and Antonio Banderas
Director: Neil Jordan
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004RFFS
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Amazon.com essential video

When it was announced that Tom Cruise would play the vampire Lestat in this adaptation of Anne Rice's bestselling novel, even Rice chimed in with a highly publicized objection. The author wisely and justifiably recanted her negative opinion when she saw Cruise's excellent performance, which perceptively addresses the pain and chronic melancholy that plagues anyone cursed with immortal bloodlust. Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst are equally good at maintaining the dark and brooding tone of Rice's novel. And in this rare mainstream project for a major studio, director Neil Jordan compensates for a lumbering plot by honoring the literate, Romantic qualities of Rice's screenplay. Considered a disappointment while being embraced by Rice's loyal followers, the movie is too slow to be a satisfying thriller, but it is definitely one of the most lavish, intelligent horror films ever made. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

A true classic!!!.......2007-06-04

I just want to go on record and say, this is my favorite movie of all time! (Based on movies I have seen.) I saw this movie when it was first released back in 1994, and being as young as I was, I didn't understand it.

Flash foward to now. After buying and reading all of the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, I was instantly heel-bent on getting my hands on a copy of this movie! I was able to watch it again, and I must say I believe this movie is a true work of art, and an instant classic.

The adaptation from the novel to the on-screen story is changed ever so slightly (omitting some parts as most book-to-movies often do) but keeps the whole thing flowing seemlessly together, while also maintaining the substance the viewer needs to fully appreciate the film.

The acting is beyond amazing. Many people called into question Tom Cruise playing the character of Lestat (I am not a huge Tom Cruise fan either) but I can honestly say he did an amazing job with such an important role. Having Brad Pitt play alongside Cruise as the character of Louie only caused Cruise to step his game up as well. Pitt was still fairly young in this movie and he shows a dark energy about him that gelled naturally with the movie.

Who can forget the young Kirsten Dunst, as the loveable and innocent Claudia! A break-out role for the (at the time) young star that propelled her to future A-list status. (What if Leelee Sobieski had gotten the part?) Dunst plays her role so well, you do actually forget that she is just a child in the movie! Add the incredible acting by Antonio Banderas, and you do have a young all-star cast!

The story itself remains true to the novel. A tale of lonliness, friendship, immortality, loss, grief, and acceptance. This movie never over-does the story to make it more "Hollywood," they just seem to let the movie take a course of its own and let the characters do the story-telling. This movie will leave you with many questions, as well as a feeling that everything is settled and the end course has been set.

This movie is well worth every penny you spend to rent or buy it. I whole-heartedly recommend this movie for any and all movie fans! A true 5-star classic.

I <3 Lestat! I <3 this movie!.......2007-06-01

Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt dont suck in this movie so dont let them scre you off. Stays true to the book and characters. I really love Lestat but Rice is a ***** that sues her fans.

The Movie That Introduced The World to the Modern Vampire.......2007-05-20

Anne Rice created the modern vampire with her novel, and the movie did it justice. Brad Pitt is definitely what makes the movie, he plays the role of the depressed vampire Louis perfectly. This the movie also has the very young Kirsten Dunst playing the role of Claudia, and she is an amazing actress for one her age at the time. The overall film is just perfect, from location to wardrobe, it feels like a trip through time. It's just a shame that the second movie wasn't as good as this movie. The movie "Interview With the Vampire" will go down in movie history as a classic and won't be forgotten any time soon if ever.

A Masterpiece.......2007-04-10

"Interview with the Vampire" is bar none, one of the best vampire films ever made. Based on the first novel in The Vampire Chronicles, by Anne Rice...Interview is directed by Oscar winner Neil Jordan ('The Crying Game') and scripted by Rice herself. I remember the first time I saw this movie, 6 years ago, and immediately reading the first book. Not only is it a great vampire film, but it's also a terrific literary adaptation. Rice only removed things from the novel that weren't completely necessary and, in doing so, created a brilliant, passionate script. The film stars Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas, and Christian Slater. Seeing these names doesn't really shout "masterpiece." Incredibly, every actor is suited very well for their role.
The film opens in modern day New Orleans, where a vampire named Louis (Pitt) has agreed to give a reporter (Slater) an interview. The story then jumps back to the late 1700's, where Louis was a 24-year-old, suicidal plantation owner who had recently lost his wife and child in childbirth. His invitation to death is open to anyone, but it is Lestat (Cruise) who accepts his offer. Lestat kills Louis and, before he dies, offers him the chance to live forever. Louis accepts. This offer means that Louis will live forever and stay eternally youthful, but must stay away from sunlight and must feast on the blood of others. Unable to take the lives of humans (something Lestat does with ease), Louis begins feasting on rats and other animals; When Louis ends up taking the life of a young girl, Lestat turns her into a vampire and she becomes Claudia (Dunst), the daughter/lover of Louis and Lestat. Louis and Claudia become a kind of Romeo & Juliet type, but they remain complete opposites. Claudia is more like Lestat, deadly and cruel...Odd, since she hates Lestat. Jumping ahead a bit, Louis and Claudia eventually end up in Europe where they meet Armand (Banderas), the self-proclaimed "oldest living vampire" and head of a theatre troupe called The Theatre de Vampyre. I don't want to say much more about the plot to avoid spoilers. When Cruise was cast as Lestat, Rice publicly critisized the decision but later recanted her comments when she saw the film. On the DVD, in the bonus features, she rants about how good Cruise was. And he is incredible, this is one of his best performances. I've only read the first book (I'm currently reading "The Vampire Lestat"), but Cruise captures this character so well. He's charismatic, good-looking, but capable of being cruel and evil as well. Pitt delivers one of his best performances too as Louis. Louis is a complex character, who needs to a complex performance to really capture him. Pitt handled that completely; Watch his eyes throughout the film and watch how they go from young and youthful to world weary and sad. Dunst, who was thirteen when she made the film (I think), also delivers a spectacular performance. Since the character begins as a child and, by the end of the film, is still a child but with an adult mind; Dunst showed incredibly maturity in the role. Few child actors could have captured the emotion she did. I can not rave enough about this movie. Vampire/Dracula movies are the most cliched and overly used stories out there, but "Interview with the Vampire" is bursting with originality. It's not a horror film, despite it's subject matter. It's really a drama and much of Louis's story is heartbreaking. The gothic look that Jordan gave the film works very well to set the tone and atmosphere of the film. Even if you're a person who despises horror films or movies about vampires, I highly recommend this movie.

GRADE: A

An erotic vampire tale!.......2007-04-07

This is one of my all-time favorite vampire movies. The cast led by Tom Cruise as the vampire Lestat, and Brad Pitt as the vampire Louis does an excellent job of bringing to life Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire. The costumes and sets are evocative of the respective eras the vampires live through, and the cinematography is lush and sensual, evoking the decadent lifestyle that Lestat leads...even Kirsten Dunst has a role here as a child vampire, and her famous line "I want some more" has been rendered immortal in movie history. The chemistry between Lestat [Cruise] & Louis [Pitt] is believable and in fact, they give one of their best dramatic performances in this movie. All in all, a cinematic treat.

Average customer rating:

Do yourself a favor and get it
Motown disappointment
FANTASTIC!
I never really liked Motown...
Standing In The Shadows of Motown

Standing In The Shadows of Motown
Starring: Richard 'Pistol' Allen , Jack Ashford , Bob Babbitt (II) , Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin , and Eddie 'Bongo' Brown
Director: Paul Justman
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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Standing in the Shadows of Motown: Deluxe Edition
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The Temptations
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20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Funk Brothers

ASIN: B00008J2HC
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Amazon.com

Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a must-see film for any fan of the Supremes, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, or any other classic Motown stars. This swinging documentary celebrates the Funk Brothers--the team of studio musicians who powered dozens and dozens of hit Motown songs--by combining reminiscences, reenactments, and clips from a recent concert put on by the Funk Brothers, featuring singers like Chaka Khan, Ben Harper, and Joan Osborne on classic tunes like "What's Going On," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," and "Heatwave." This crafty gang of elderly musicians will charm your pants off with a slew of entertaining anecdotes. Though it seems that there's a lot of dirt they're declining to dish, the movie deftly outlines the history of Motown, surely the most significant music label in American history--the label that turned segregated "race music" into chart-topping success. A soulful delight. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Detroit, Michigan, 1959. Berry Gordy gathers the best musicians from the city's thriving jazz and blues scene for his new record company: Motown. For the next 14 years these players are the heartbeat on "My Girl," "Baby Love," "Ooo Baby Baby," "Bernadette," "I Was Made To Love Her," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "Dancing In The Street," and every other hit from Motown's Detroit era. By the end of their phenomenal run, the unheralded group of musicians plays on more Number One hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles combined, making them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. They call themselves the Funk Brothers. But no one knows their names...this is their story.

Customer Reviews:

Do yourself a favor and get it.......2007-07-04

This might be the best 10 bucks you'll ever spend if you like Motown or heck if you like music. It leaves you wanting to know more and many of us who grew up with this music should know more. While some of their stories are heartbreaking it was a pleasure to see Pistol Allen smiling behind the drums even though he was so sick he would die shortly after the completion of the film. It was a sad moment too when two of the surviving brothers describe their last encounter with James Jamerson who would die the day after their visit. But there is fun too, fun for the Funk Brothers and fun for us as we are honored to hear these guys play and play they still can. The band is still very tight and very good. The vocalist do an admirable job of interpreting the hits. It would have been nice to have been graced with Marvin Gaye's and David Ruffin's presence but this is about the Funk Brothers and I for one am damn glad I got to see it.
Thanks to Dr. Lick's for putting this together.

Motown disappointment.......2007-06-27

I was looking forward to seeing the actual footage of the singers. I do appreciate the story of the fellows behind the artists but still, I think the video would have been more enjoyable had they included the actual singers.

FANTASTIC!.......2007-06-18

I rented this from Blockbuster,and immediately bought it. It's sooooo good and informative, I can't describe it. I loaned it to someone who stayed up until 2:00 a.m. to see the whole thing. There are absolutely great live performances from: the late Gerald Levert, (His "Shotgun" is outstanding) Me'shell Indegeocello (sp.)(who sexes up "You Really Got A Hold On Me"), Bootsy Collins, ("Cool Jerk"). Joan Osborne does a great ("What Becomes of the Broken Hearted") and Ben Harper all sing 2 songs. (The only performance I HATED was Ben Harper's "Heard it through the Grapevine"). Chaka Khan, Montell Jordan & Tom Scott also appear. The remaining "Funk Brothers" musicians who played behind the Motown groups,tell funny stories about each other, how they met, Berry Gordy and the label's performers. They even go to "Hitsville" where it all started. There are reinactments, and old photos. It's so good I've seen it at least six times. You will almost cry at the finale when they introduce everyone, even the musicians that have passed away. Their photos are on stage with the remaining members. There is a second disc of extras that I have yet to finish, but the movie itself is wonderful. I've watched it with Black and White people, young and old, and everyone loves it. Go get it. Now.

I never really liked Motown..........2007-05-25

...and the Motown sound. I saw it as a saccharine, watered-down parody of Soul for mass consumption.

This DVD changed all that for me.

The story of the Funk Brothers and their different personalities --personal and musical-- was fascinating and a revelation. The music is top-notch and the modern vocalists they got for this film and for the excellent soundtrack --buy it, even if you think you don't like the Motown sound-- bring out the magic of those famous tunes I dismissed at an earlier age.

Maybe the current crop of singers have more soul or more influences to draw on than the originals artists, or maybe the engineers/producers sucked some of the guts out of the original tracks... I don't know, but these songs sound great!

What is more or less the same is the line-up of the Funk Brothers, finally getting a very small measure of the recognition they deserve.

The filmmakers and the the artists featured in this film turned me from detractor to a fan of the Motown sound. I can't give a better review than that.

If you like music documentaries and you haven't seen this one, you're missing one of the best!

Standing In The Shadows of Motown.......2007-05-14

Excellent documentary brings to light the artists behind the music that was the "Motown Sound".

The Fog of War - Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara

Average customer rating:

...... THE ADVENT TO AMERICA'S ....." NEW MILITARY+INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX"........
A very human account
dust to dust
The Mediocre Achievements of a Mediocre Man
Excellente

The Fog of War - Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara
Starring: Barry Goldwater , Lyndon Johnson , John F. Kennedy , Nikita Khrushchev , and Curtis LeMay
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001L3LUE
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Amazon.com

The Fog of War, the movie that finally won Errol Morris the best documentary Oscar, is a spellbinder. Morris interviews Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and finds a uniquely unsettling viewpoint on much of 20th-century American history. Employing a ton of archival material, including LBJ's fascinating taped conversations from the Oval Office, Morris probes the reasons behind the U.S. commitment to the Vietnam War--and finds a depressingly inconsistent policy. McNamara himself emerges as--well, not exactly apologetic, but clearly haunted by the what-ifs of Vietnam. He also mulls the bombing of Japan in World War II and the Cuban Missile Crisis, raising more questions than he answers. The Fog of War has the usual inexorable Morris momentum, aided by an uneasy Philip Glass score. This movie provides a glimpse inside government. It also encourages skepticism about same. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

...... THE ADVENT TO AMERICA'S ....." NEW MILITARY+INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX"...............2007-06-03

This is no movie...this is no documentary; however, you go face to face with one of the bloodiest butcher's in our history concerning 'the welfare' of our Armed Forces...it's the closet thing to a McNamara autobiography as he revels in introducing himself to the ordinary hard working American and the valiant troops who languished in Vietnam; truly, he now appears in a light colored trench/coat out of the fog and mist of the war years [WW2 thru Vietnam]...he is very amicable, cozy and almost human, while revealing momentous times that shine light on a 'different' Robert McNamara who was Secretary of Defense under Presidents: Kennedy-Johnson...precisely, he had the lives of every member in our fighting Armed Forces tightly in the grip of his blood/soaked hands...he was dicitorial/authoritive and only held accountable to 'his' President[s]...he relished his role of Sec of Defense and the custodian/ship of a new concept of how America will go to WAR from Vietnam right up into the Iraq war...full knowing what this 'US Military-Industrial Complex' is all encompassing...just prior to President Dwight Eisenhower's retirement, he warned the American people to be most wary of this exclusive 'Military-Industrial Complex'.....after a comprehensive education at University of California and later Harvard University, the top men of power seeked and desired McNamara's counsel; henceforth, he was with the elite that makes America march to their collective drums...I don't buy his tear-filled mea-culpa on film at all...not at all...I say every mud combatant/soldier, who suffered severely in the WAR in Vietnam [1962-1967] should be his judge, and you'll learn from their deprivations, and no chance to win the war...just how he was truly HATED [talk about another Martin Borman]...Bob, I suggest, you take your quest for an elite life, which you attained, now go, with hat in hand and pander your wares somewhere else...I'm never buying your revised/snake oil...good riddance!!.....SSGT CHRIS SARNO-USMC FMF

A very human account.......2007-05-29

An up close and personal look at the responsibilities of those who make war happen. Shows humans with a superhuman task.

dust to dust.......2007-05-02

This brilliant series of interviews with Robert McNamara should be required viewing for *anyone* before he or she is authorized to venture an opinion regarding what America should or should not do with its power. I do not begin my review because of any clear sense of the virtue or villainy of Bob McNamara's legacy as president of the Ford Motor Company, Secretary of Defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and long-time president of the World Bank.

Far from it, the spendidly drawn impression is how dangerously concentrated power becomes in the hands of fragile, myopic, regular men and women who in many--most?--cases want to do the right thing.

McNamara's memory ranges from World War I to the extinction of River Blindness in Africa through the World Bank's efforts. For understandable reasons, the camera and the questions linger most on the Viet Nam era, for this is where McNamara took 'the world stage', as he puts it.

Clearly enamored of John Kennedy, McNamara had a more complex relationship with Johnson, whom he admired but with whom he came to disagree in a process that led to McNamara's firing just shortly before Johnson made his epic decision not to run for reelection.

As THE FOG OF WAR touches time and again upon the deliberations that framed the Bay of Pigs crisis and then the Southeast Asian war itself, one hears via the clarity of taped conversations how little we knew and, proverbially, how close we came to ultimate war.

McNamara has passionate remarks to offer on the very timely matter of taking America's strength into battle when we have failed to convince our allies of that course.

Kudos to McNamara for complicating his legacy even more by achieving astonshing things through some of the World Bank's better years.

Required viewing.

The Mediocre Achievements of a Mediocre Man.......2007-05-02

What happens when supposedly great men, upon closer examination, turn out not to be so great, after all? What happens in this particular case is a piece of icon-washing fostered by Errol Morris who apparently couldn't think of a better subject to film a documentary about.

All the accolades regarding this film would lead one to believe that it is about a titanic human individual who achieved great things, but when one actually watches the film, one sees nothing of the sort. Robert McNamara, a man who, in early pictures and footage of himself, is so bursting with arrogance and self-importance that he all but glows, played Mephistopheles to Kennedy and Johnson up until about 1967. That is to say that he provided these men with war strategies and troops and generally brought about the means by way of which their wars could be fought.

Errol Morris is an expert filmmaker and, as usual, his film is graced with the hypnotic music of Philip Glass, whose soundtracks are all but indistinguishable from one another. Indeed, the soundtrack from Koyannisqatsi might have been substituted here to provide exactly the same effect. Morris's camera angles and editing are never boring, but this viewer does not share his fascination with his interview subject.

McNamara evinces guilt about his involvements in war and appears on the verge of tears in many scenes as he recalls difficult decisions made about the Vietnam war. But as the film winds down, it becomes evident that McNamara is proud of his "achievements," although it is difficult to see how sending 58,000 young Americans to their deaths can be regarded as an achievement to be proud of. McNamara would have been better off had he remained as the head of the Ford Motor Company. Perhaps then his "achievements" that he is so proud of might have really added up to something instead of a head full of phantom shadows and dead soldiers.

It is generally considered bad form to give low ratings to an Errol Morris film, and this viewer certainly agrees that he is a very good filmmaker, indeed. Unfortunately, here his choice of subject matter fails him, for McNamara is rarely insightful regarding his role as Secretary of Defense. One comes to the film expecting McNamara to shed light upon obscure happenings, or to reveal dark secrets about what went on behind the scenes, but no such luck. In effect, all McNamara can muster up is a half-hearted "that's the way it was." There are no insights on the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as the back of the DVD case promises, and the stunning revelations regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis amount to nothing more than that in those days, we actually came close to nuclear war and that it was only averted by sheer luck. Hmm. The film suffers throughout from this kind of glibness.

McNamara just isn't that interesting. Whatever his talents as a CEO, this is not a man given to insightful philosophical speculation. And it shows in the superficial comments that he makes about war being "just human nature."

Nice try, Mr. Morris. Next time, how about doing a film about somebody who really deserves the time and expense spent upon them?

--John David Ebert, author of Celluloid Heroes & Mechanical Dragons: Film as the Mythology of Electronic Society

Excellente.......2007-04-06

If you're looking for a blind lashing out against American militarism, skip this movie. It's a look at the life of Robert McNamara, and along the way we're asked to look at warfare differently. It's Errol Morris at the top a' his game.

Matt and Khym: Better Than Ever (Real People, Real Life, Real Sex series)

Average customer rating:

Beautiful and believable
Tony Comstock is better than ever with his latest glimpse behind the couple's door
Hooray for love!
Utterly Beautiful

Matt and Khym: Better Than Ever (Real People, Real Life, Real Sex series)
Director: Tony Comstock
Manufacturer: Comstock Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NA1NXA
Release Date: 2007-01-03

Product Description

Comstock Films offers a new vision of couples' sexuality in this groundbreaking series of documentary-style features of real-life lovers. Barely out of their teens when they got together, Matt and Khym spent many years generously taking of others instead of concentrating on themselves. Now in their thirties, Matt and Khym have taken the time to rediscover the joys of married life and married sex.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful and believable.......2007-06-17

This is the first of the Comstock movies I've seen, but it absolutely won't be the last. This really is something different - "documentary" erotica, about a real couple not so different from anyone else.

The first half of the movie features the two talking to a silent, unseen interviewer. They describe their relationship, from the time they met, to their wedding (surprisingly like my own), through years of a complex and full home life. Throughout, they describe the career of their physical relationship at each period. It comes across as happy and a bit ordinary - I like that, it creates a kind of comfort with the couple that I don't have good words for, and teases me into caring about them.

The interview is broken into segments of a few minutes each, interleaved with moments from their bedroom love-making. That seems natural, too, the kinds of activities and positions I've enjoyed rather than bizarre contortions to create some camera angle. The interview ends about halfway through the movie. At that point, the bedroom scene restarts, then plays beyond what we saw in the first half. Because the interview made the two seem more real, my own arousal comes from theirs as if they're sharing it with me - not vicarious or voyeuristic, but friendly.

If you've been put off by adult films in the past, you probably had good reason: negative tone, forced activities and pacing, and people that look like plastic and sound worse. There's none of that here. It's warm, private, and above all happy - and isn't that what a love life should be?

-- wiredweird

Tony Comstock is better than ever with his latest glimpse behind the couple's door.......2007-04-05

Tony Comstock is the creator and master of a new genre of films: explicit couples' sexuality documentaries. Comstock states that "intent to arouse" is often cited as the dividing line between art and porn. Of all the emotions a director might hope to induce in an audience, arousal remains the last taboo, and Tony Comstock takes it head-on.

Matt and Khym: Better Than Ever is an affirmation of married love and sexual exploration. The pair got together in their early twenties, and now after over a decade of marriage, the spark is still there. Comstock's other films feature a porn couple, a hip New York pair, and young gay lovers, so this look at married love is an exiting new angle in his series.

Amazon also carries Comstock titles Marie & Jack (Comstock's first film, with married pornographic actors), and Xana & Dax (an older blonde and her Brazilian lover). I only wished they also carried his first-rate gay male feature Damon & Hunter.

Hooray for love!.......2007-02-19

Matt and Khym are a beautifully sexy, real life couple and I was completely charmed as I listened to them tell their story in the documentary style interview that opens this wonderful film and totally captivated to witness their lovemaking in the erotic scene that followed.

They seem to enjoy themselves in front of the camera in a way that welcomes us as viewers into their intimate life and into their bedroom with a disarming frankness that's become a trademark of Tony Comstock's films. As a result, this lovely film has been welcomed into my own bedroom on a number of occasions!

Not only do Matt and Khym shine and bubble over with a tender enthusiam for each other that seems to make them literally sparkle, but the film itself has the most beautiful lustre. It has a look that lends weight to the idea that love, sex, pleasure and intimacy are indeed important and special and wonderful. With his distinctive style, Tony Comstock has once again cleverly combined visual beauty, sexual heat, genuine chemistry, sympathetic characters and compelling real life stories into an erotic, well crafted film that I'm delighted to recommend.

Matt and Khym: Better Than Ever, just like all the other sexy Comstock Films I've enjoyed, was a real pleasure to watch alone and a great joy to share with a lover. It's sex filmed with grace, style and skill, with respect for the lovers and for the viewer.

Matt and Khym: Better Than Ever shines!

Utterly Beautiful.......2007-02-15

I was so moved and delighted by this DVD that I emailed Tony Comstock to tell him that as soon as I got done watching it. For those who have misgivings about the content or quality of mainstream porn, this offering from Comstock may be just what you're looking for in that it is genuine, heartfelt, and sexy. For those like me who do delve a fair amount into mainstream porn, I recommend Matt and Khym as a magnificent and refreshing testament to how hot the depiction of genuine sex in the context of obvious true love can be. Very highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

A classic for all time
A Story of Two Honorable Men in a World Gone Awry
Awesome!
Troubling times when a man takes on the machine
Truth to power

The Insider
Starring: Michael Paul Chan , Lindsay Crouse , Russell Crowe , Colm Feore , and Michael Gambon
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CWRX
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Amazon.com essential video

As revisionist history, Michael Mann's intelligent docudrama The Insider is a simmering brew of altered facts and dramatic license. In a broader perspective, however, the film (cowritten with Forrest Gump Oscar-winner Eric Roth) is effectively accurate as an engrossing study of ethics in the corruptible industries of tobacco and broadcast journalism. On one side, there is Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), the former tobacco scientist who violated contractual agreements to expose Brown & Williamson's inclusion of addictive ingredients in cigarettes, casting himself into a vortex of moral dilemma. On the other side is 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), whose struggle to report Wigand's story puts him at odds with veteran correspondent Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer) and senior executives at CBS News.

As the urgency of the story increases, so does the film's palpable sense of paranoia, inviting favorable comparison to All the President's Men. While Pacino downplays the theatrical excess that plagued him in previous roles, Crow is superb as a man who retains his tortured integrity at great personal cost. The Insider is two movies--a cover-up thriller and a drama about journalistic ethics--that combine to embrace the noble values personified by Wigand and Bergman. Even if the details aren't always precise (as Mike Wallace and others protested prior to the film's release), the film adheres to a higher truth that was so blatantly violated by tobacco executives seen in an oft-repeated video clip, lying under oath in the service of greed. --Jeff Shannon

Description

THE INSIDER recounts the chain of events that pitted an ordinary man against the tobacco industry and dragged two people into the fight of their lives. Academy Award(R)-winner Al Pacino (1990 Best Actor, SCENT OF A WOMAN; THE RECRUIT) gives a powerful performance as veteran 60 MINUTES producer Lowell Bergman and Academy Award(R) Winner Russell Crowe (2000 Best Actor, GLADIATOR; A BEAUTIFUL MIND) co-stars as the ultimate insider, former tobacco executive Dr. Jeffrey Wigand. When Wigand is fired by his employer -- one of the largest tobacco companies in America -- he agrees to become a paid consultant for a story Bergman is working on regarding alleged unethical practices within the tobacco industry. But what begins as a temporary alliance leads to a lengthy battle for both men to save their reputations, and much, much more. As they soon find out, Corporate America will use all legal means at its disposal to save a billion-dollar-a-year habit. And as the corporate giants soon find out, Bergman and Wigand are honorable men, driven to smoke out the evidence. Also starring Christopher Plummer (MALCOLM X) as anchor Mike Wallace and Gina Gershon (FACE/OFF), THE INSIDER will chill you with its cold, hard edge -- and thrill you with its unbelievable twists and turns.

Customer Reviews:

A classic for all time.......2007-07-04

One of the most important stories of the 20th century.

It didn't just change 'big tobacco'. It changed corporate ethics. Just look at the more ethical behaviour of 'big alcohol' today and you can trace its roots to the story of The Insider. It is an education to everyone in business. The events re-established the independence and proper role of the press as one of the pillars of civilised society.

Consumers world wide owe a great debt to Dr. Geoffrey Wigand, (the whistle blower) and Lowell Bergman, (the 60 Minutes producer). Two men who put their careers, even their lives on the line for an ethical principle and in defence of society. There are few such men or women. Their example should be emulated by all.

One of the best films of the 20th century. Such a story deserves excellence in its telling. Sharpe, it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Appropriately dramatised, the characterisation is convincing. This is not just a simple linear story, but multi-layered. To see the layers you need to watch it more than once. One layer missed by most reviewers is the contrast between the wives of the two men. One understanding and supporting, the other self-interested. The inevitable consequences are shown. How true to life we do not know, but that back story is worthy of its inclusion. If you want to learn the craft of story telling, be it in print radio or film, then learn from The Insider. Thanks to Michael Mann, Russell Crow and Al Pacino for its brilliant telling.

This is a story that should be known world-wide. A film that should be watched world-wide again and again. It is perfection is social education. A griping tale that teaches us all how to behave.

Dr. Wigand and Mr. Bergman, I salute you.

just Jack

A Story of Two Honorable Men in a World Gone Awry.......2007-03-15

THE INSIDER is so many things at once that it becomes hard to catalog them. It is, at the same time, a movie about two men who fight against the system and large corporations, a semi-historical account of the real life whistle blower who brought down the tobacco industry with the help of an intrepid news reporter and news agency, an examination of ordinary characters made into heroes by extraordinary pressures, and an exploration of journalistic ethics. At a little over two and one half hours, director Michael Mann manages to squeeze everything into a tightly woven film that delivers everything it promises.

The film opens up on a disconcerting image of cloth, only to realize that it is a head covering over the face of a man being escorted by armed soldiers through the dangerous streets of Lebanon. Who is the masked man? Where are they taking him? Finally, they reach their destination and the masked man is seated in a chair before Hezbollah leader, Sheikh Fadlallah. The meeting is about a possible interview between the Sheikh and 60 Minutes anchor, Mike Wallace. Despite his dangerous circumstances, the masked man is surprisingly bold in the negotiations and manages to secure the interview. The masked man is soon revealed to be none other than 60 Minutes produces, Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino).

Meanwhile, a tired executive makes his way home in an unexplained daze. We later find out that he is Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), a former head of research and development at tobacco giant Brown & Williamson, who has been recently fired for nonsense reasons. Wigand has an expensive life, two daughters (one with asthma), and the prospect of losing his job is tremendously hard to bear. The severance package they have offered him is limited, but does include medical. But everyone knows that no one hires ex-tobacco scientists in the health profession. Where will he find employment? How will he support his family?

With our two main protagonists situated and developed, the plot begins to thicken in order to bring our two heroes together. A package is mysteriously sent to Bergman containing insider tobacco documents. The only problem is that they are written in technical language. Bergman is given Wigand's name as a possible "translator," thus entwining our two protagonists for the rest of the film. After much cat & mouse, Wigand eventually agrees to meet with Bergman to discuss the job. Bergman's excellent instincts sense that there is a lot Wigand isn't sharing and he discovers the reason. Wigand has signed a confidentiality agreement with his former employer, agreeing not to talk about company business on pain of losing his severance and medical benefits. Slowly, Bergman begins the process of convincing Wigand to blow the whistle on his former employers.

What evolves is a classic tale rooted in real world events. The first half of the film is dedicated to getting Wigand to testify and give an interview for 60 Minutes, risking his family's life, financial well-being, and sanity along the way. Most films would have ended at this point, but with about an hour left to go, the film makes a dramatic turn, almost completely dropping Wigand out of the plot. Under threat of litigation, CBS News decides not to run Wigand's interview. Suddenly, Wigand is at risk of doing everything for nothing. Bergman is outraged by CBS's decision and the film follows his character's attempts to fight against CBS to get it released.

Hence, THE INSIDER is about two men who each fight their own respective corporations. But while one can't ignore the "man versus the machine" aspect of the film, ultimately it doesn't seem to be Mann's primary interest. What THE INSIDER truly focuses on is the character of our two protagonists. Wigand decides to testify and blow the whistle on his former employer because he has betrayed his values working for the company. He was a man of science and a man who worked for healthcare companies, he tells us early on, but who sold out for the money they offered him. Wigand is, at times, an uncomfortably honorable character and the film seeks to restore himself in his own eyes. Bergman is equally engrossing and, thanks to Pacino's superb performance, is, perhaps, even more inspiring to watch. CBS's threat not to release the material is not an attack on the freedom of the press or on Bergman's hard work. It is an attack on Bergman's personal integrity and honesty. "I have never burned a source," he tells us emphatically. Whatever Bergman promises, he delivers. And he shows us that he is willing to pay dearly in order to maintain that integrity.

The performances are brilliant all the way around in this film. Crowe's performance of a man pushed to the edge by extraordinary forces is brilliant. I was nervous in every scene he was in and wondered if he would snap at any minute. Pacino, as mentioned, is wonderful in his part, in a rather understated performance. Christopher Plummer seems to capture Mike Wallace completely. Though not many of us have had the chance to see Mike Wallace "off camera," there is a certain believability to the performance that is undeniable. No one gets to be the anchor of 60 Minutes unless he or she is prepared to play serious hardball. It was refreshing to see. Reminiscent of ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, this film also manages to give you a very candid look into the making of broadcast news and all of the work that goes on behind the scenes (some of it quite dangerous) to produce a story. Michael Mann's directing is quite capable; the music and sound compliments the beautiful imagery; and the script is well crafted.

All in all, THE INSIDER is a great film that should have taken home some Oscars. I highly recommend it.

Awesome!.......2007-03-06

This is truly a GREAT movie--its story, acting (Pacino and Crowe are superb), directing, and set design. It has all the ingredients of a great true-to-life thriller. To some it will be quite an eye opener about the lengths the giant cigarette companies will go to protect and enhance their investment at the expense or harm of their loyal customers. Also, what happens when one of its scientist blows the whistle and the dire consequences that follow in his business and personal life. DON'T MISS THIS ONE! It's message and delivery are PERFECT.

Troubling times when a man takes on the machine.......2007-02-28

The machine in this case, is big tobacco. It is a giant business that is maybe too much for one man to take on. That is until a guy named Jeffrey Wigand did just that. Russell Crowe has played a lot of main parts before and after this movie, but his portrayal of this man was great. Crowe shows us a solemn, somber man who works for a large tobacco company as a scientist doing research. He has a falling out you could say, and is soon watched, harassed and blackballed. He decides to expose some major truths about what is really going on with the cigarettes and the research going into making them...well you know. Al Pacino is also in this film and does a fine job as a 60 minutes producer who tries to bring Wigand's dilemma to the people so they can see for themselves. A lot of Red tape and some big business aspects stand in the way though, and Wigand's life spirals into further decline. This is a great film and the special features show interviews with the real Mr. Wigand. I did not like Christopher Plummer portraying the part of legendary 60 minutes journalist Mike Wallace though. The two look nothing alike, and Plummer is much larger in size than Wallace. That is the only thing I found wrong with this film. It is very moving and I recommend it.

Truth to power.......2007-01-19

This film is a gutsy portrayal of the lengths the cigarette manufacturing industry would go to, to profit from their deathserving product. Russell Crowe brilliantly portrays the "insider", the "whistle blower", who publicly has the courage to state how the industry is serving up death
surreptitiously to a naive American public,despite threats against his and his family's life by the cigarette company he had worked for. Al Pacino brilliantly portrays the representative of CBS's 60 Minutes, who
offers the vehicle through which the "insider" can speak to the American public.

Classic Albums: The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon

Average customer rating:

AWESOME EDITING
Insightful glimpse into a brilliant album.
Best Historical Rock and Roll Documentary Ever Produced
Amazing!!!!!!!!!1
Superb DVD

Classic Albums: The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon
Starring: Storm Thorgerson , Nigel Williamson , Bhaskar Menon , Nick Mason , and David Fricke (II)
Director: Matthew Longfellow
Manufacturer: Eagle Vision USA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000AOV85
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Amazon.com

The most phenomenal recording in rock & roll history is thoroughly examined in Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon. The Floyd's 1973 masterpiece remained on bestseller charts for nearly 14 years, and its enduring importance is honored here by all four members of Pink Floyd and key personnel (engineer Alan Parsons, mixing supervisor Chris Thomas, sleeve designer Storm Thorgerson, and others) who played essential roles in the landmark album's creation. Produced for the Classic Albums series that originally aired on VH-1, this thorough and thought-provoking study highlights a track-by-track dissection of the LP's master tapes (including the spoken-word passages that bookend the album), superbly interlaced with archival footage, early demo tapes, concert animations, and latter-day acoustic performances by David Gilmour, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright to demonstrate each track's contribution to the final mix--a sonic exploration that extends to the illuminating bonus features. Informative interviews abound (including Rolling Stone senior editor David Fricke), and much-deserved credit is given to saxophonist Dick Parry, solo vocalist Clare Torry, and former Capitol Records chairman Bhaskar Menon, who fostered the album's U.S. commercial success. For Floyd fans, musicians, and studio technicians alike, this is a must-have addition to any DVD library. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" Classic Album is the creative story behind the masterpiece: "Dark Side Of The Moon". "Dark Side Of The Moon" transformed Pink Floyd from art house favorites to global, stadium superstars. Prior to 1973, Pink Floyd maintained a relentless gigging schedule and by the time they came to record "Dark Side Of The Moon" had already created many of the basic tracks. "Dark Side Of The Moon" would be the first Pink Floyd (post Syd Barrett) album where Roger Waters would supply all the lyrics around a concept: The Circle of Life. With the timeless qualities of its production and musicality, allied to the hypnotic evocation of its central themes - alienation, paranoia, madness, war and death, "Dark Side Of The Moon" would become the album that would dominate the 70's and 80's (with a record number of 741 consecutive weeks in the Billboard 200). This program takes an in depth look at the making of the 1973 album. All four members of the band Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright are featured in exclusive interviews. Roger, David and Richard play songs and demonstrate themes from the album. Alan Parsons (the original engineer) takes you through the multi track tapes giving a unique insight into the musical fabric of the record and the program is illustrated throughout with archive footage. "Dark Side Of The Moon" with its combination of great songs, inventive effects and one of the best known sleeves ever, tapped into the world's collective subconscious and became a landmark in Rock history and a truly Classic Album. Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" Classic Album is the creative story behind the masterpiece: "Dark Side Of ThThanks for all your help.e Moon". "Dark Side Of The Moon" transformed Pink Floyd from art house

Customer Reviews:

AWESOME EDITING.......2007-06-17

I gave this as a gift. We watched it then I took it back for MY collection. I'm no friend when it comes to Floyd. This DVD exposes some amazing tracks and never before seen (and heard) stuff that blew my mind. Alan Parsons sits at a mixing board and plays with the MASTER TAPES right before your eyes like it was nothing at all. Sheesh.

Again, this blew my mind. What a great DVD. A MUST for Floyd fans!

Insightful glimpse into a brilliant album........2007-06-01

First I want to say that the Eagle Rock series Classic Albums is sheer quality. I have several of these DVDs and I have not been disappointed. I think this one is the best one so far (probably because Dark Side is my favorite album). Anyway, this DVD gives great insight into the writing, recording, and producing of Darkside. It has interviews with all the members of the band and Alan Parsons. There is a crap load of bonus material. If you love Dark Side and you are even remotely interested in what is involved in the creation of a brilliant album than this DVD is an absolute must. I have watched this one more than once simply because there is so much information to absorb and it is extremely interesting. Oh by the way avoid the hacky Wish You Were Here documentary, it is not part of the Classic Albums series and it is not from Eagle Rock.

Best Historical Rock and Roll Documentary Ever Produced.......2007-05-12

I've never seen a historical rock documentary go into as much fascinating detail as this one does.

I was most impressed by the fact that the producers were able to get the original recording enginner, Alan Parsons, in the studio with the original master tapes and walk through the recordings track by track giving you a glimpse of the small pieces that make up the whole of this great recording.

If the other artists and albums in this "Classic Albums" series didn't suck so hard, I'd buy every single one of them. Unfortunately, out of the whole work of these documentaries, there are only 2 or 3 projects that interest me in the slightest. I do, however, plan on investing in other DVD's from this series that feature artists that I like.

For any Floyd fan, this is a must-own.

Amazing!!!!!!!!!1.......2007-05-12

As a big Pink Flody fan, this movie could have been a still cam on the recording of "On the Run" and I still would have given it 5 stars! HOwever, to anyone that is even slightly familiar with The Dark Side of the Moon, this is a must watch DVD!

Superb DVD.......2007-03-26

I am a big fan of David Gilmour and Pink Floyd. This DVD gives you an inside look at what smarts these guys had in creating this album. Very innovative and definitely ahead of their time. I love the acoustic moments in the DVD. A must have for any Pink Floyd fan especially at this price!

Average customer rating:

Worth Watching
The Iceman Interviews
Iceman Is A Great Name For This Man
The Hitman
The Iceman Interviews

The Iceman Interviews
Director: Jim Thebaut
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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The Iceman - Confessions of a Mafia Hitman
The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer
Murder Machine (Onyx)
Gladiator Days - Anatomy of a Prison Murder
Serial Killers 2-pack

ASIN: B0000C23T4
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Description

An abused young man. A hair-trigger temper. A trail of dead bodies. What makes a cold-blooded killer tick? THE ICEMAN AND THE PSYCHIATRIST is now available for the first time on DVD. Renowned forensic psychologist Dr. Park Dietz gets up close, personal and even confrontational with psyche of one of the most dangerous men alive. Bringing together the earlier THE ICEMAN TAPES: CONVERSATIONS WITH A KILLER and THE ICEMAN: SECRETS OF A MAFIA HITMAN with the newly released Dietz interview, this new special edition, THE ICEMAN INTERVIEWS is the ultimate compendium of the mind of a murderer. Includes Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski's riveting on-camera confession, exclusively for HBO, of the murder of police officer Peter Calabro. Making news in February 2003, Kuklinski accepted a plea bargain for a concurrent 30-year term to his 60-year prison sentence and implicated Sammy "The Bull" Gravano in the crime. THE ICEMAN INTERVIEWS - this new special edition is guaranteed to run chills up and down your spine all over again.

Customer Reviews:

Worth Watching.......2007-06-12

If you like documentaries this is worth watching. It was worth the money i spent on it. It is a good movie also, if you like anything to do with the mophia.

The Iceman Interviews.......2007-06-02

THIS IS JOURNALISM AT ITS BEST - CAPTIVATING AND RIVETING; WELL DONE.

Iceman Is A Great Name For This Man.......2007-05-15

I have never seen such a cool customer - you really have to see this DVD to believe it.

The Hitman.......2007-05-08

Don't bother. Get the HBO DVD and call it good. This is just a poor repeat.

The Iceman Interviews.......2007-05-06

If you are a true crime addict, as I am, this interview will chill you to the very core. The Iceman was a stone-cold killer and this interview gives one insight into a mind without feeling. He did, however, show human emotion when speaking of his wife and children. A wonderfully well-crafted interview that should not be missed.

Average customer rating:

ONE OF THE BEST FEMALE COMICS EVER!
Very Funny
Funny
Seven Stars for Wanda
WANDA SYKES

Wanda Sykes - Tongue Untied
Starring: Wanda Sykes
Manufacturer: Comedy Central
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Wanda Sykes - Sick and Tired
Kathy Griffin - Allegedly
Lisa Lampanelli - The Queen of Mean
The Queens of Comedy
Take It Like a Man

ASIN: B00009W8NH
Release Date: 2003-07-22

Customer Reviews:

ONE OF THE BEST FEMALE COMICS EVER!.......2007-06-25

This is one of Wanda's best sets! Truely a gifted comedian! This is funny stuff.

Very Funny.......2007-04-30

Very funny, especially the last comedy central part...
I didn't so much like having to find and play the additional bits rather than smoothly transitioning onto the next screen.

Funny.......2007-03-27

I loved this DVD. Wanda Sykes is very funny. I even got her second DVD Sick and Tired. That's just how funny she is.

Seven Stars for Wanda.......2007-03-25

She is the funniest comedienne around, maybe ever, yes ever. At first you think she's like some Queen Latifah-um, um, um (with the sway) "attitudinal" (to quote Judy Tenuda) sister, then she gets all political (an' sh*t) and it's absolutely brilliant. No pseudo-intellectual Jon Stewart left crap with that smug sarcasm. She goes for the funny bone and yanks it out; like Chris Rock. BAM!

Example. Enron rant:

"I'm ain't afraid of no gang banger. When I see a white guy in a suit with a Wall Street Journal, I run. I've never been mugged of my future."

She is right on--seriously. No pulling punches. Yank it out, girl! Go on.

BAM!

WANDA SYKES .......2007-01-29

THE DVD WAS A GOOD ONE, BUT I MUCH ENJOYED THE LATEST "SICK AND TIRED" MUCH BETTER.

Average customer rating:

Essential viewing for all of my guitar pupils
A Time Machine
It was a Christmas gift
Entertaining and a good light introduction to Hendrix, but not more....
Look no further...

Jimi Hendrix (Deluxe Edition)
Starring: Arthur Allen , Albert Allen , Stella Benabon , Eric Barrett , and Paul Caruso
Director: Gary Weis , Joe Boyd , and John Head (III)
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Jimi Hendrix - Live at Woodstock
Jimi Hendrix - Blue Wild Angel (Live at the Isle of Wight)
Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsys (Live at the Fillmore East)
Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Plays Berkeley

ASIN: B0009E3234
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Amazon.com

If any artist deserved a hagiography it was Jimi Hendrix, and Joe Boyd's 1973 "authorized" tribute adequately sanctifies the legend. Perversely for a documentary, it achieves this simply through well-chosen concert footage rather than through the insights of the various talking heads. Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, and Germaine Greer are all wheeled out to wax lyrical about their days with Jimi, but nothing is more eloquent than watching and listening to him play. From "Hey Joe" in grainy black and white on the Ready Steady Go TV show, classic footage of Monterey, Woodstock (yes, "The Star-Spangled Banner"), and the Isle of Wight festivals to an acoustic 12- string rendition of "Hear My Train a' Comin'," Hendrix the musician speaks for himself.

But if Hendrix the musician shines through, this is not the most insightful profile of Hendrix the man. The circumstances surrounding his death, for example, are hardly touched upon (girlfriend at the time Monika Dannemann gets only a few seconds of screen time). Interview footage with Hendrix himself plus some occasionally rambling and incoherent comments from such intimates as his father, army buddies, ex-girlfriends (including Linda Keith, who "discovered" him in New York and brought him to England), and fellow musicians all take second place to the music itself. The most sensible quote comes from Little Richard, who proves once and for all that he's utterly bonkers when he says of Jimi's music: "At times he made my big toes shoot up into my boot." --Mark Walker, Amazon.co.uk

Description

The long-awaited Deluxe Edition of the 1973 theatrical documentary Jimi Hendrix is loaded with extras and completely remastered and remixed to provide exceptional sound and picture quality This is the biography of Jimi Hendrix, the world famous guitarist who died much too young. Featuring the guitar wizard on stage and behind the scenes, classic concert footage is interspersed with interviews with friends and prominent musicians giving first-hand recollections, including Pete Townshend, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Little Richard, Lou Reed, Buddy Miles and more. Includes songs "Hey Joe," "Rock me baby," "Like a rolling stone," "A Star Spangled Banner" from Woodstock `69 and many more, from his beginnings to his Monterey, Woodstock and Isle of Wight performances

DVD Features:
Featurette:From the Ukulele to the Strat RT 63:00 min (Over 60 minutes of additional interviews) Remembering Hendrix through interviews with family and friends Including Father Al Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Drummer Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, Girlfriend Fayne Pridgeon, Buddy Miles, Linda Keith (she discovered Jimi in NY), Pete Townshend, Jimi's Producer/Engineer Eddie Kramer, "H" Parker, Jimi's Road Manager Eric Barrett and Gerry Stickels Touring Manager
Interviews:Candid interviews from well-known Rock & Roll icons like Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend and Buddy Miles.

Customer Reviews:

Essential viewing for all of my guitar pupils.......2007-04-18

You must see this at some point in your studies with me . . . and you must write a REPORT! About the whole thing! EVEN THE EXTRAS like "From The Ukulele To The Strat" and "The Making Of Dolly Dagger" and yes "Stone Free Uncut!"

A Time Machine.......2007-04-05

This video was like a time machine. It took me back to the early 70's. A glimpse of a bygone era of Rock and Roll. The musical performances were wonderful with good quality video and audio. Jimi's acoustic performance of Waitin' for a train was worth the purchase price.

It was a Christmas gift.......2007-01-24

My coworker mentioned her Jimi Hendrix DVD had been ruined by her kid, so I thought it would make for a great Christmas gift to get her one. She was very pleased and even went out and bought a new dvd player.

Entertaining and a good light introduction to Hendrix, but not more...........2006-12-11

I believe that this documentary is likely to appeal to two kinds of people. First, those that don't know a thing about Jimi Hendrix, and that will be able to watch an engaging introduction to his life and music that doesn't go to far but entertains. Secondly, those fans that want to have absolutely everything that has to do with Hendrix, and that will treasure this dvd.

On the other hand, I don't think that those spectators that simply want to watch an excellent documentary about a musical icon will be happy with this one, because even though it is good, it is far from outstanding or even very good. It doesn't have enough information about Jimi Hendrix, and it lacks depth. It is entertaining and a good light introduction to Hendrix, but not more.

All in all, I can say that this documentary is good, and deserves at least 3 starts out of 5, but not more. If you expect a documentary about a musician that will make you watch it again and again, give "No direction home" (by Scorcese, about Dylan) a try.

Belen Alcat

Look no further..........2006-11-13

I'll confess up front that I have an emotional attachment to this movie which will color this review - I saw it several times at the cinema during my teenage years, and owned the soundtrack (which i played to death).

Having said that, this is the best Hendrix biography I've seen, & I've seen all of them (I think). The live footage is a cherry-picked selection of Hendrix's best onstage moments (and let's face it, if he only gave the world the ~2.5 mins of Monterey opener "Rock Me Baby", it would be enough), and as others have already said, the 12-string Hear My Train a'Comin' is the jewel in the crown.

The interviews are secondary, but they represent a fascinating snapshot of life in 1973. They are of Jimi's time (or close enough) and by those who knew him. They are incisive, contradictory, insightful, and quite often hilarious. Talking about Hendrix seems to bring out a sincerity and honesty in most of these people which is compelling. The "Ghetto Fighters" are great, and Little Richard is - well, Little Richard.

Buy it.

Steve

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