Reviews (61)

The Sex Pistols
I truly enjoyed this film. I first heard the Sex Pistols a few years ago becuase my best friend is obssesed with them. If you enjoy the Sex Pistols then you will enjoy this film. It is a movie for fans really, it would not be a good introduction to the band. Or if you enjoy punk rock but haven't heard the Sex Pistols then this would be good. The accents are difficult to follow occasionally but in general it flows well.
Some of the best parts of this movie are the live concert footage. I've not seen many good representations of punk shows on film and these all were excellent. I also like how much time was spent showing the audience, each of them as individuals. I just loved seeing all the kids out there with their mohawks and leather. Its really very much a documentary of the rise of the youth culture in Britan. Punk is a culture within itself and this film documents that rise in England. Also the audience is always being shown as nice, not as scary people like punks are often shown. It sends a message that the punk youth culture is not a bad group of people. The movie gives a very positive image of the youth culture becuase mostly only the band is outrageous.
I feel the film really captures the realities of teenage youth culture as a punk in England in the late 70's. The movie is still relevant today becuase the culture is still thriving tody and its a documentary of its roots. Its an excellent film that anyone with an appreciation for punk culture will enjoy.

Whether you like The Sex Pistols or not...
...The Filth and the Fury is an amazing documentary, and is as good an account of the rise of punk music as it is of the social and political landscape of England in the 70's.

Every aspect of the 26 month long Sex Pistol phenomenon is covered. From the birth of the band, through their most imfamous escapades, to the tragedy that came to be with Sid and Nancy. Band interviews, live footage, news coverage, it's all here! A ton of Sex Pistol info and documentation.

The DVD also contains a bonus documentary about the birth of punk music in general. Made up of interviews with everybody and anybody in and about the punk music circle, it was a nice surprise when I was done watching the main feature.

BOTTOM LINE: If you like the Sex Pistols and think you know everything about them, think again. This film will open your eyes to some great little known facts about the band. Buy the DVD if you haven't already. If you're interested in punk music in general, I also recommend this film, as it has as much to share about the style of music as it does specifically with the Sex Pistols. THUMBS UP!

Get down and dirty
It's not immediately apparent where Punk stands in historical terms. There were only a handful of great bands, the music was rarely memorable, and the whole thing (the real thing I mean, not the post-punk posing) was practically over within four years. Compared with the sixties, when the pop movement encompassed a revolution in sexual habits, drug-taking, fashion, music, film, civil rights, concepts of individuality and community, and even took on and managed to end a major war, it looks like Punk was just one of a number of notable ripples (another being Red Brigades-style terrorism) which extended outwards after 1969.

But ripple or not, it had a bigger cultural impact than anything else on my teenage years: I clearly remember in 1978 a friend pulling out his latest purchase, a record called "Never Mind the Bollocks" and how completely staggered I felt when I looked at this luminous urine-yellow cover, took in the ransom-note font and then heard the noise - I couldn't comprehend it as music at first - of the first few tracks. These bits of vinyl and card seemed at the time as dangerous a thing as a shipment of heroin.

Basically I and most of Britain was in a daze when the Pistols appeared. The sixties had been a huge upheaval, but the energy seemed to dissipate as rapidly as it had appeared. By 1974 the oil embargo, massive inflation, strikes, terrorism, pomp rock, et. al. had all but crushed the mod movement and the airwaves were jammed with coma-inducing pop like the Bay City Rollers and Abba. Moreover, the "establishment", that is the traditional structures of power, having been battered halfway to oblivion in the sixties, were gradually and rather insidiously reasserting themselves.

What this film captures is the electrifying effect the Pistols had on a country that had become complacent in its own dismalness. The famous Grundy interview is as notable now for the toe-curling triteness of daytime TV of that time as for the naughtiness of the Pistols. Footage of the housing estates from whence the group emerged reveals the brutal starkness of urban working-class Britain. With the rubbish piling up on the streets thanks to another strike and utter shabbiness seemingly everywhere, there's a strong impression of a country at the nadir of a massive multi-year hangover. The Pistols woke the country up like an exploding alarm clock, caused an outcry that seems almost funny in retrospect, and made flares, permed hair on males and Emerson Lake and Palmer utterly unfashionable for a couple of decades.

On a more serious note, it is also worth considering that Punk probably helped Mrs. Thatcher get elected in 1979. Much of the population was shocked into believing that a strong law and order Government was the only hope for Britain. So perhaps a bit more than just a historical ripple, albeit in a very ironic manner?

As for the Pistols themselves, it is not hard to see why they only lasted a couple of years: they are the (mostly) living proof that anarchy is great in theory but hard to sustain in practice. There is a lot of bitching between the boys twenty-plus years on, and while most other reviewers seem to have found Rotten inspirational, I thought he was full of s***, moaning about just about everything including bizarre things such as once having had to stay in a motel. Apparently blind to irony, he even at one point launches a heartfelt attack on the people he considers let Sid down: "they had no respect" he wails.

Good film of a fascinating time with well-chosen footage, witty asides (nice idea to compare the Pistols with Richard III), wild music and interesting interviews. My only complaint is that it was difficult to work out who was talking in the voiceovers and not always easy to hear them either.

Never Mind Anything Here's the Sex Pistols
Somewhere in a Snow-White-and-the-Seven-Dwarfs suburbs a soccer mom just unloaded her brood for the match after the Soccer-mom 7-3 shift at the office and now has to go home help the digital-literate Nascar dad with the dinner and hope that the kids are home and the plates are in the dishwasher in time for American Idull, only to find a friend of a friend's copy of The Filth and the Fury laying about, daring you to pop it in the player and find out what rock'n roll was meant to be about before she swoon's to another syrup drip balladeer over-singing supper club karoake standards. Maybe it would be of interest to the aspiring American consumer stereotypes that much of Simon Cowell's ubersnob delivery can be attributed to Pistol's head snarler Johnny Rotten. Their curiosity peaked, they drop it in and discover the Amercian consumer's lifestyle is under bombardment, even though the Filth's recollecting anti- establishment and chaos in the 70's.
Remarkably, one of the instant revelatory moments in this film is how up to date the Pistols look compared to the ridiculously vomitous slabs of polyesteryear fashions their supposedly hip hosts were wearing during the old interview clips. What's more, this is exactly what Lydon (Rotten) hates the most about the Pistols legacy: the mall culture they so deplored finds "punk fashion" cool and watered it down to flavorless damp 4/4-time whining while doing nothing to deconstruct the world into a better place. This is also where the Pistols couldn't last. They were too messed up to fix a world they wanted to destroy. Rotten remains gloriously disgusted throughout the film often leaving your Mom and Dad (who grew up familiar with the Pistols and continously failing to understand them) wondering why he's still in it (to give bollocky pissoff to mums and dads of course).
The other Pistols will continue to provide vigor towards their old antics in rollickingly funny interviews. The serious viewer will understand that Chaos was their goal and not making punk fashionable. And if the soccer mom and Nextel Cup Pops take a second or two to think about how this film and the Chaos that was the Pistols' true legacy are meant to affect them..just imagine..perhaps the world may be a little more dangerous, but it won't be boring and we won't feel cheated.

"drunken prophecies, libels and dreams"
Wow. The Sex Pistols? Never heard a more perfect name for a band. Immediately conjures up all sorts of images. Then seeing photographs of the band and the environment they spawned: like walking into a cultural junk shop and finding some wild, interesting things. Then you hear the music, and you KNOW that things will be all right. The documentary was like watching a wildly painted, gravelly sounding, busted-up auto running laps around the neighborhood grandstand. I sat on the couch, popcorn and soda handy - and watched this documentary twice in one night.

Memories of this sort are like a giant bonfire that everyone throws logs on to keep it going. For the first time, the Pistols toss there own logs onto the fire. Just the thought of the backdrops, colors and possibilities attached to that time and place are wondrous enough. It seemed so open, raunchy and ugly that you can run a million scenarios in your head and still have room for more. The Sex Pistols were at the apex of all this: an accident, a force of nature.

The title alone, THE FILTH AND THE FURY, suggests so much about what you are about to experience. You are told a story in a chaotic manner, images hurled at you - grainy, black and white concert footage; crazy, young English kids acting like they just don't care; seedy bars, streets and garbage dumps; representatives of various government, media and church organizations. Lots of news reels and garish lights. The surviving band members tell their own versions of what happened; their faces cast in shadow to keep you carefully tuned in to the images of the time period. Essentially a history lesson taught by the people who created, and were created by, the moment. I thought it was well done - but left me wanting more. But that was OK, too. Their career was so abrupt, 26 months from start to end - which I think has much to do with interest in them to this day.

"High drama" as John Lydon describes it - is exactly it. Everything suggested by the Sex Pistols, all the random images and brilliant simplicity of the music just feeds the imagination. You can't create that kind of magic with high gloss and untouchable superstars. For my money, Steve Jones was the best interview in the whole thing. The guy is hilarious! He seems like someone you'd hang out with for hours and hours at a bar, drinking beers and exchanging war stories. The commentary by Julien Temple is extremely dull and doesn't add much. The other punk documentary, if it serves any purpose at all, illustrates where they could have gone wrong in the making of THE FILTH AND THE FURY. So, you may want to rent first, but you'll probably want to pick up a copy for yourself. It doesn't wear thin with repeat viewings. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Mickey Rourke is Butch "Bullet" Stein and the late Tupac Shakur is Tank in this stylish, Julien Temple-directed crime drama. Narrative is secondary to atmosphere in the violent, yet sensitive tale of an ex-con (Rourke) attempting to adjust to life on the outside. The minute Bullet emerges from the pen, however, the blood and profanity begin to flow just as freely as the references to Dali and Picasso (his younger brother is an artist). His drug problem is bad enough, but the biggest threat comes from the Kangol-sporting, eye-patched Tank, who intends to get his revenge for the eye Bullet took from him. Classical music and opera, meanwhile, bump up against hip-hop and Barry White. Despite the billing, this is Rourke's show all the way and Tupac's part is quite small in comparison. Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs) and Adrien Brody (The Pianist) star as Bullet's eccentric brothers. --Kathleen C. Fennessy ... Read more

Reviews (41)

THE REALIST AND BEST MOVIE EVER MADE ABOUT THE STREET LIFE
This is the best films I have ever seen. It is a damn shame that a film with such an excellent story line never made the theaters. Bullet has great music from vivaldi and Barry White that make the scenes very powerful and touching. Mickey Rourke plays the part of Butch "Bullet" Stein great. I love his laid back personality in the movie even though he is a heroin addict. Tupac also plays his part of a drug dealer really well and I know some people are dissapointed that he has a small role in this film but you shouldn't like this film just cuz Pac is in it. This film really shows you how a family can be destroyed by a life of drugs and crime. This is my favorite film and I can't describe in words how good it is and how powerful and touching some of the scenes are. We should all try to have Bullets laid back personality because that's what makes Mickey Rourke so great in this movie. Mickey Rourke cowrote this film as "Sir Eddie Cook" which is a name that he goes under as a writer which really shows you how talanted he really is to make such a great film. Hey also was the music supervisor for the film. I love all the scence in the movie but one of my favorites is when Bullet his younger brother Ruby and friend Lester get high while they are driving right after bullet gets out of jail and the Barry White song "Never Never Gonna Give You Up" comes on. That song is just perfect for that part. Any one who says this is a bad film really doesn't understand movies and the message that directors and writers try to get across to people. These people critize because they could never create anything like this and are flat out ignorent so don't even pay attention to their reviews. Tupac is most likely the greatest rapper ever and a pretty good actor but to all the Pac fans you can't hate this movie because it isn't Pacs best. Hey I love tupac too, but I realized that Mickey Rourke is just the coolest guy ever to do this movie because he is perfect in playing the role of a BULLET.
Like I said I could talk for ever about my favorite movie. Just watch it and hopefully you will understand it a like it too.

Last Good Mickey Rourke Movie!
The last great performance by Mickey Rourke (check out the original bad boy pimp in The Pope of Greenwich Village, Angel Heart, Diner & Barfly)...Couple of observations though, the film has the production values of "Family Ties"...don't expect an operatic "Scarface" type Gangster film. The oddball casting and stylistic touches win you over in the end, from the soundtrack to some of Julien Temple's wierd angles. This film must have been written when Mickey was high on heroin, some of it is straight on Mickey Rourke Bad Ass, some of it like the dysfunctional jewish melodrama is out of place. Still everybody should check it out, for a couple of reasons, #1)Its the second film Julien Temple works with a major music star who ends up dying just a year later (Temple directed Sid Vicious in "Great Rock and Roll Swindle")#2 Adrien Brody in a really wierd role, Brody actually worked with Mickey on "Thin Red Line" but Rourke had his scenes cut from the film, its amazing that Brody has gone on to become an Oscar winner and Rourke has since become a character actor. #3 Tupac's Slick Rick impersonation is hillarious...I think also Pudgey guy worked with Tupac on Juice...don't quote me on that one.

Racist garbage
Rourke as a Jewish heroin addict out of prison and hanging in a bad neighborhood in New York City- how original.
This movie stinks- I want my money back! I gave this crap DVD away, Jose!
This film is what is known in the trade as "garbage"!

This movie and my experience
Growing up near Kings Highway and the Stillwell Avenue area, I have hung out around the Marlboro Projects and all around Coney Island. While not as bad as Brownsville or East New York by far at all, its still ghetto and gets it going when it wants to. White gangsters used to own Coney Island and some still throw down and hold it there. Me myself being white, I was able to relate to this movie because it was in my neighborhood. Its very real. Anything goes on anywhere in Brooklyn, and Brooklyn is Brooklyn. That scene in Lafayette's Schoolyard where I used to go when my brother went to that school was classic. Watch this movie, thats all I can say.

You tell that N**ger Bigant's back in town!!!!!!!!

What are these other reviewers taking about?
This movie by far is not either of their best performances. To say it is their best no, far from it. The basic story line deals with Rourke getting out from jail and going back to his folks house. Who of course has a drunk for a father a mother whom puts up with them, a crazy brother and the brother with some talent. Same old story line. If you do watch this movie please do not expect much from it. I can see why it is a very unknown movie. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

An Entertaining Musical Sci-fi Comedy!
"Earth Girls Are Easy" is a musical sci-fi comedy about valley-girl Valerie (played by Geena Davis) living in 1980's Los Angeles, and who is engaged to a cheating, boyfriend doctor named Ted (played by Charles Rocket). Catching her boyfriend at home playing with a nurse, the disgruntled Valerie gets the surprise of her life when a spaceship crash lands in her swimming pool. The spaceship's crew (played by Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans), haven't had any "shore leave" in a long time. Not wanting to cause too much of a stir, Valerie takes the alien trio to her best friend Candy (played by Julie Brown) who owns a beauty salon. After Candy transforms the furry trio into believable human males, Valerie finds their captain, Mac (Jeff Goldblum), very attractive. Wild things happen when the alien trio are taken to a dance club and letting them drive in California traffic!

The fact that this film is also a musical only adds to the humor as there are several original songs by Julie Brown!

If you enjoy remembering the excesses of the 1980's and New Wave music, you will probably enjoy this film!

The Greatest Cinematic Acheivement Of All Time...
Alright, maybe not. But I can't think of a movie I love more. The parody of all things 80's is hilarious to those of us who suffered through them, though at times it's a tad heavy-handed (I mean, the exotic fish named Mercedes, Beamer, Aston & Martin is a bit...well, heavy-handed). But Geena Davis is cute and funny as a sweet, airheaded manicurist. Julie Brown is hilarious. Julie Brown is ALWAYS hilarious. Jeff Goldblum doesn't say much and is very, very sexy as a shaved alien. Of course, everyone knows that Jim Carrey & Damon Wayans were in this before In Living Color made them into stars. Both are very, very funny. Jeff Goldblum is much more a straight man, but this movie left me with a crush on him that I still have.

This movie is a great send-up of all things 80's, especially the SoCal sex comedies and beach flicks. Someone said that they thought this movie was supposed to bring back musicals. I don't think so. It's too quirky and too strange (I mean, the salon Geena Davis & Julie Brown work at is called "Curl Up and Dye" for gods sake). I don't think it was made to be a blockbuster. It is, however, a really good time. Julien Temple is marvelous with film visuals, and the silly, sexy humor is lots of fun. Get this movie. It's a treat not to be missed.

Could be an episode of "Before They Were Stars"
It was all about flash and glitz during the 80s, which makes me wonder why there simply weren't more musicals. Well, at least there was this one. Earth Girls Are Easy is a silly, kitschy romp with songs that are as fun as the goofy storyline.

Valerie (Geena Davis) is a manicurist at a styling salon in "The Valley" called Curl Up & Dye. She's engaged to a philandering doctor (Charles Rocket), and looks forward to the day that she'll be a bride. Life is confusing, but headed in the right direction, Valerie thinks. Until the fateful day when an alien spaceship crash-lands in her swimming pool.

The brains behind Earth Girls Are Easy is Julie Brown, who takes part of the credit for writing the script and the songs, who sang several of the songs, and who also co-stars as Valerie's best friend, Candy. Before this movie, really the only thing Brown had been known for was serving as a vee-jay on MTV. Likewise, two of the aliens who at the time were unknowns would later become comedic powerhouses, Jim Carrey and Damon Wayons. Rounding out the trio of aliens was Jeff Goldblum, who was Geena Davis' real-life boyfriend at the time and who, not surprisingly, plays her character's love interest in this film.

Mostly the movie is a series of setups for each of the songs, as well as some great comedy skits. Keep your eyes peeled during the "Cause I'm A Blond" sequence for uncredited dancer Robia LaMorte, who would later become well known to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as computer science teacher Jenny Calendar - she becomes de-throned as "this month's Miss August" by Julie Brown when she's exposed as really being a brunette.

There's also a great turn here by Michael McKean as over-the-hill surfer Woody.

If you enjoy a good, goofy musical-comedy, you don't want to miss Earth Girls Are Easy.

Terrible Movie
This movie was extremely poor lacking in taste, acting quality and humor.

Snap shot: 1989ish
For better or worse, this film really represents an era, particularly in So Cal. This film is superficial but bright and smart... and has VERY bright colors -- like a 90 minute Starburst commercial. The entire look, in every nook and cranny, is eighties glitzy-junk new wave excess taken to the extreme. And then grunge (Seattle, Nirvana, Clinton:-) put an end to it all, sort of. But while it lasted, the end of the eighties ($ boomtime for So Cal) is shown here in all its glory: Yuppiedom, lots of gadgets, almost disposable clothes, accesories to the max, disposable pop-culture references, and big-haired beautiful women. Julie Brown epitomizes all of the above with a postmodern wink. She is the heart here... while Geena Davis is the straight person, properly vacant, wandering through this neon world. As so many reviewers wrote, the Julie Brown musical numbers are real standouts. And Geena's "Ground That You Walk On" is great too. Highly recommended time capsule. (Compare this film to 1980ish "Xanadu," where lots of this glitz was in its infancy, more serious and innocent). ... Read more

Description

Ten of the world's greatest directors produce one unforgettable film in this sumptuous visual and musical feast based on the most famous arias in the history of opera. Erotic, violent, thought-provoking, funny, and moving, this critically-hailed milestone features the electrifyingly erotic film debut of Briget Fonda, a revealing appearance by supermodel Elizabeth Hurley (Austin Powers), and unforgettable performances from John Hurt (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), Tilda Swinton (The Deep End), Beverly D'Angelo (Vacation), Theresa Russell (Wild Things), and many more! Segments directed by Robert Altman (Gosford Park), Bruce Beresford (Double Jeopardy), Bill Bryden, Jean-Luc Godard (Contempt), Derek Jarman (Edward II), Franc Roddam (Quadrophenia), Nicolas Roeg (Performance), Ken Russell (Tommy), Charles Sturridge (Longitude), Julien Temple (The Filth and the Fury). ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Liz Hurley's first important role in a movie
This movie provided Liz Hurley with her big break. Soon after this, Dennis Potter snapped her up for the lead role in the BBC adaptation of Christabel Bielenberg's 'The Past is Myself'. She became Hugh Grant's girlfriend and the rest is history. She transformed herself physically during her twenties, which is why some viewers have had problems identifying the occasionally nude actress that appears here as the very slim Liz Hurley they now know.

For me, 'Aria' was the classical music community's response to the rise of MTV and the pop video. Directors like Ken Russell and Nick Roeg wanted to show us that opera could be equally colourful and sexy, even if you couldn't dance to it. And they proved their case, to my mind.

But like a pop video, you wouldn't want to watch this too often. There's no substantive connection between each of the videos, so you end up feeling much the same as you would after a 90-minute immersion in MTV.

A Visual and audial smorgasbord
I have loved this movie for years. Granted, it may be for deep film buffs, but it is powerful.

Each vignette offers a top director's interpretation of a provocative aria. Opera lovers know how emotionally provocative the music can be; and that raw emotion is shown by each director.

The love story is one of the most romantic and tragic stories I have ever seen--the images are still in my mind 10 years after first seeing it. I had enjoyed a light introduction to opera before this movie, but after feeling the raw emotions this film created in me, I bought a few opera CDs based simply on first hearing the arias in this movie. There is even some VERY funny stuff is one scene.

So, in summary, the music, images, and emotions from this movies were all so intense, they've stayed with me for years. If you can take the intensity, do not miss out on this powerful movie that can be both sublime and intense at the same time.

The movie that started me on opera
I first saw Aria in the theater back in high school (about 3 million years ago) and only because I wanted to impress a girl way more artistic than myself.

It worked, but not in a way I'd expected. The movie, a series of vignettes, runs the whole emotional spectrum. In my younger days, we were blown away by the Wagner/Roddam piece starring a young Fonda, so loving and jarring at the same time. These days I find all the music beautiful, but one or two of the vignettes boring. The entire movie is beautifully shot and all deserves to be watched at least once.

After having done that you'll find continual enjoyment watching Sturridge, Beresford, Roddam, Jarman, and Bryden's interpretations.

Who knows, you might fall in love with opera too.

Great the first time, tends average, not for everyone
This movie was great the first time, on the big screen. The music and the images shock you, and make you squirm and react to this movie. It's an artistic roller coaster ride.

I've found since, however, that this shocking quality doesn't preserve especially well. My favorite way of watching this movie these days, is to turn the music on, while I'm doing stuff around the house, occassionally looking at the images.

It's artistry, it doesn't hold up under critical thinking.

Who will like this movie? Despite (or perhaps because of) the billing of mature content, I think that this is a good film for teenage viewers with a liking for art films. One must be able to appreciate both the variety and intensity of the images, and be able to forgive the story. Not a problem in an action movie, but for an "art film", it shows it's high concept roots.

Maybe a gift for an opera lover, or an "art film" buff.

A Most Incredible Experience
Aria is 90 minutes of pure wonderment -- I'm not certain what demographic this project was aimed at, but I definitely fall into it. You have to love opera style music yet not be so attached to the operas themselves that the re-presentation of the music offends. You have to enjoy video that your average couch potato won't get, no matter how many mind altering drugs he takes.

To really enjoy Aria, you have to check your expectations at the door and accept it for what it is -- a set of brilliant visual explorations fueled by some of the most incredible music ever written. With any other attitude, you're far more likely to find this a miserable experience. Too vulgar, too highbrow, too bizarre, too surreal, too whatever.

Some pieces tell a solid story, ranging from humorous to tragic. Others lack story line and speak to a different level of consciousness. Pathos. Humor. Death. Life. Celebration. Brilliance. Aria cleanses windows of perception, like a good wine between courses of a meal. On the other hand, it's a main course, in and of itself.

This is not fodder for young children, and most teens won't have the patience for it either. If you thought "Dude, Where's My Car?" was a brilliant movie, perhaps you'd better pass on this one as well. I only wish that more Wagner had been included ... perhaps an Aria II consisting solely of Wagner arias?

(If you'd like to discuss this movie or review in more depth, click on the "about me" link above and drop me an email. Thanks!) ... Read more

Amazon.com

The arc of Janet Jackson's career from the late 1980s to the late '90swas a story of determined growth by an artist and woman. The extent to whichJackson served as a role model for many an adolescent girl during that decade(a phenomenon illuminated on another DVD, The Rhythm Nation Compilation)speaks to the formidable yet feminine image she presented via her music andmusic videos. Design of a Decade includes 16 of her videos from 1986 to1996, taking us through Jackson's early, "don't trifle with me" attitude in the"What Have You Done for Me Lately" era, to her more rapturous, sensual makeoverin "Love Will Never Do (Without You)." Of course, this video is also a record ofsome of the most ambitious music videos ever produced, including Julien Temple'selaborate "When I Think of You," Peter Smillie's "Escapade," and Marcus Nispel'secstatic, fantastic "Runaway." --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Let Janet Take You On A Escapade
With This DVD You Can See Janet Grow Up.. Even Doh It Was Missing A Video From Her Design Of A Decade CD "Twenty Foreplay".. But This DVD Is Still Cool..

Track List...
1. What Have You Done For Me Lately
2. Nasty
3. When I Think Of You
4. Control
5. Let's Wait Awhile
6. The Pleasure Principle
7. Miss You Much
8. Rhythm Nation
9. Escapade
10. Alright
11. Come Back To Me
12. Black Cat
13. Love Will Never Do (Without You)
14. That's The Way Love Goes
15. Whoops Now
16. Runaway
17. Runaway Documentary

The DVD Comes With Dolby Digital 2.0 Sound And PCM Sound... No Subtitles...

The Runaway Documentary Is Like MTV'S Making The Video... LOL...

MAGNIFICENT! Janet is terriffic in all of these videos.
This tape features the music videos for "What Have You Done for Me Lately", "Nasty","When I Think of You","Control","Let's Wait Awhile","The Pleasure Principle","Miss You Much","Rhythm Nation","Escapade","Alright","Come Back to Me", "Black Cat","Love Will Never Do(without you)", "That's The Way Love Goes","Whoops Now", and "Runaway". This video also has a Runaway documentary. I watch this video over and over and I never get tired of it. It's amazing. Janet is the BEST dancer ever. I encourage all of you to buy this video. It is a wonderful collection of Janet's greatest hits!

Janet's music videos
Janet has terrific videos, I love all of them, the choreography is superb and she is a really good dancer. This is the VHS version of her greatest hits CD "Design of a Decade" and has all the songs of the album except for "The Best Things In Life Are Free" (but since Janet can't be seen in that video, it's not really missed) and "Twenty Foreplay" (which would be a great addition).

Those who miss the videos of the "janet." album should buy the VHS release "janet." which has the videos of You Want This, If, Again, Any Time Any Place and a different version of That's The Way Love Goes.

design of a great career
this is a collection of music videos from janet jackson in her prime and at her creative peak. I only wish more videos from the janet album were featured and that miss you much was extended, but I know that this is representative of mostly her A&M work and barely her Virgin work. My favourite videos are nasty, control, pleasure principle and all the videos from rhythm nation as well as the multicultural runaway. Get it today and see what janet did before britney and those kids came along

Amazing, but with a few shortcomings
I agree with the other reviewers about how essential a collection of Janet videos is. The choreography is amazing and her attention to detail rivals that of her brother. I'm giving this only four stars because it could have taken better advantage of the DVD capacity (read: more videos, please!:)

The Control videos are pretty much here in their entirety, but Rhythm Nation is where we begin the edits. I loved the extended chair sequence at the end of "Miss You Much", but it is missing here. They certainly had room for the additional 30 seconds. Come to think of it, they could have included the entire Rhythm Nation movie. Perhaps in a future release. The "Alright" video is also truncated, but even in its edited form is still long enough and enjoyable (very cool to see Cab, Cyd, and the Nicholas Brothers).

Absent from the "janet" release are "If" and "Again". Another reviewer mentioned a few other vids from this CD, but these are the only ones that stood out for me. "If" had this cool Asian underground theme and some interesting choreography, while "Again" was basically just clips from "Poetic Justice". I would rather have seen either of these videos in favor of "Whoops Now".

I'm guessing the omission of some of her later videos was to maintain consistency with the format of the Design CD (but then what is "Whoops Now" doing here?). I'm hoping a more complete retrospective is released soon, but I found this for $9 and couldn't resist. It's hard to sit still while watching these videos, they make you want to dance. :)

Early in their career: Check out JLo (from her "In Living Color" dancer days) in "That's the Way Love Goes". And of course Paula in the "Nasty" video. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1991 concert film was shot in the IMAX format and was originallypresented on enormous IMAX screens, with outstanding visual and audioclarity. The dimensions may have been scaled down for this DVD release, but the show is still huge in energy and talent. Filmed during a European leg ofthe Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels tour, this production boasts 15 songsand an extraordinary stage set with inflatable floozies (for "Honky TonkWoman") and wild dogs (rather cleverly for "Street Fighting Man"). TheStones' set emphasizes material from the late 1960s and early '70s ("TumblingDice," "Happy," "You Can't Always Get What You Want"), but the band'sperformance is so furious that the show is far from a pandering oldies act. Highlights include "Paint It Black," at once brutal and delicate, as well asa muscular "Rock and a Hard Place," a psychedelicized "2,000 Light Years fromHome," and a cheeky "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll." Once kings of a gloriouslysloppy sound, the Stones prove to be as effective in their artistic maturitywith small, breathtaking touches as they are with chunky orchestration. Guitarists Keith Richards and Ron Wood play as if they are of one mind,Richards providing powerful leads while his partner captures some of thetexture of the group's original recordings. Bassist Bill Wyman, still in theband at this phase, offers wit and an encyclopedic grasp of rhythm & blueshistory, while drummer Charlie Watts adds control and swing.Mick Jaggerprowls, climbs around the set, and delivers all the charismatic goods foradoring audiences, even touching the forbidden fruit again in a feverishpeformance of "Sympathy for the Devil." The DVD also includes a full Stones discography. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (16)

bad sound
What happened to the sound quality? I originally saw the Stones' Live at the Max at an IMAX theater in Vancouver, Canada, and it sounded incredible. The sound literally blew my away. But the sound quality in this DVD is simply mute in comparison. I consider the Stones' Gimme Shelter DVD the greatest rock film ever made (followed closely by Pink Floyd's Live at Pompei and The Wall). Unfortunately, Floyd's Live at Pompei isn't on DVD, and the Stones' Live at the Imax is (it should have been left on VHS, or at least digitally remastered for DVD).

I have the THX version and it still sucks!
Like everyone else with any musical taste I love the Stones, and have been following them since I was fifteen and was hooked by "Satisfaction". That said, there seems to always be a propensity by whoever does the mixing for Stones' movies/DVDs to screw up the sound (maybe the Glimmer Twins themselves?). For instance, I have a number of bootlegs from the 1972 tour (Mick Taylor, decadence, hooray!), most of which are brilliant, full-bodied and powerful, then you get "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones", and it is comparatively anemic (actually awful) - guitars too tinny, the bottom rumble eliminated, Jagger too loud, and instead of sounding powerful, it sounds fragmented not like a real band at all. "At the Max" continues this tradition (?). I have videotape of that tour and, again, it is great, but I can't even watch this DVD, they manage to make the Stones sound boring!! The good news is that on Four Flicks, at last, a really decent job of mixing has been done that actually does sound like a Stones' concert - major regret that they didn't learn to do this before Bill Wyman left the band. At least we have "Gimme Shelter", which in its newest incarnation comes pretty close (ever hear it in a theatre with a good sound system turned up loud? Magic!) But unless you must have everything, I would avoid this one.

horrible sound -
what's with the sound on this dvd. The audience noise is louder than the Stones. The musical quality is compared to an old record which has been ran over by a truck. The crowd's screaming and yelling drowns out 85% of the music.

This concert video is the best argument why stadium concerts are not made for music.

The Rolling Stones-Live at the Max
Very good but audio does not even come close to DTS Quality

Too many overdubs...
I saw this in an IMax theater last year and was horrified to see that almost all of the guitar work is overdubbed. Keith's fingerwork doesn't match what is coming out of the speakers at all. You'd think they could actually play the tunes live by now. Quite the embarrassment. I'd rather hear a few bum notes than this dishonest mess. ... Read more

Album Description

Nice price NTSC DVD featuring 18 tracks (including end credits) shot on the 'IMAX system in London, Berlin and Turin this is a classic recording of the Rolling Stones, 1990 'Steel Wheels' tour set. Tracks include 'Start Me Up', 'Tumbling Dice', 'Paint It ... Read more

Reviews (16)

bad sound
What happened to the sound quality? I originally saw the Stones' Live at the Max at an IMAX theater in Vancouver, Canada, and it sounded incredible. The sound literally blew my away. But the sound quality in this DVD is simply mute in comparison. I consider the Stones' Gimme Shelter DVD the greatest rock film ever made (followed closely by Pink Floyd's Live at Pompei and The Wall). Unfortunately, Floyd's Live at Pompei isn't on DVD, and the Stones' Live at the Imax is (it should have been left on VHS, or at least digitally remastered for DVD).

I have the THX version and it still sucks!
Like everyone else with any musical taste I love the Stones, and have been following them since I was fifteen and was hooked by "Satisfaction". That said, there seems to always be a propensity by whoever does the mixing for Stones' movies/DVDs to screw up the sound (maybe the Glimmer Twins themselves?). For instance, I have a number of bootlegs from the 1972 tour (Mick Taylor, decadence, hooray!), most of which are brilliant, full-bodied and powerful, then you get "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones", and it is comparatively anemic (actually awful) - guitars too tinny, the bottom rumble eliminated, Jagger too loud, and instead of sounding powerful, it sounds fragmented not like a real band at all. "At the Max" continues this tradition (?). I have videotape of that tour and, again, it is great, but I can't even watch this DVD, they manage to make the Stones sound boring!! The good news is that on Four Flicks, at last, a really decent job of mixing has been done that actually does sound like a Stones' concert - major regret that they didn't learn to do this before Bill Wyman left the band. At least we have "Gimme Shelter", which in its newest incarnation comes pretty close (ever hear it in a theatre with a good sound system turned up loud? Magic!) But unless you must have everything, I would avoid this one.

horrible sound -
what's with the sound on this dvd. The audience noise is louder than the Stones. The musical quality is compared to an old record which has been ran over by a truck. The crowd's screaming and yelling drowns out 85% of the music.

This concert video is the best argument why stadium concerts are not made for music.

The Rolling Stones-Live at the Max
Very good but audio does not even come close to DTS Quality

Too many overdubs...
I saw this in an IMax theater last year and was horrified to see that almost all of the guitar work is overdubbed. Keith's fingerwork doesn't match what is coming out of the speakers at all. You'd think they could actually play the tunes live by now. Quite the embarrassment. I'd rather hear a few bum notes than this dishonest mess. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

A Study in the Ways of the Imagination
Pandaemonium is one of the better films I've seen in a long time. Some of its themes are much like the ideas (ala Hassan i Sabbah & assassins & hunger for paradise) that have attracted me lately. It is about the poets Wordsworth & Samuel Taylor Coleridge (who wrote "Kubla Khan"). The exploration of the creative force, mingled with the desire to see deep into reality is amazing (Coleridge tried to do it with opium, and both succeeded and kind of destroyed himself in the process). The movie is based on real history but I think it took some liberties to make it a more powerful story. Coleridge also wrote "The Ancient Mariner," and that poem is incredible, I've even more taken by it to see it so lushly explored in a visual sense in how the idea and language came to Coleridge. There's some really funny parts too, like a time when they eat datura and almost fall up off the world (or their perceptions convince them they are about to, and then they start playing with it, realizing the joke, but still pretending that they can fall up.) There's a scholarly literary study on Coleridge published in 1927 called "The Road to Xanadu - A Study in the Ways of the Imagination" by John Livingstone Lowes, a brilliant book, and I wonder if the filmmakers got many of their ideas and details from that extraordinary book.

Recommended for poetry fans... if not poet fans
Like the last reviewer, I don't know a lot about the personal lives of Wordsworth and Coleridge. But history aside, the film is beautiful. The relationships between the poets, Sara, Dorothy, and other friends - whether completely accurate or not - are very complex and wonderfully written and acted.

The film is thought-provoking and visually stunning. It's a great movie about writing, man's relationship with nature, friendship, and addiction. The poetic references worked into it are great for the poetry buff, even if those who have studied the poets in depth may not agree with the way the characters are portrayed.

A Great Movie about Great Poets
"Pandaemonium" just might be one of the greatest movies ever made about poets. There are very few that I've seen that haven't been superficial, over the top or boring. This movie is sublime. The story of Samuuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordworth makes grand entertainment and exciting drama. Linus Roche is a bundle of wild energy as Coleridge, with his addiction to opium (laudanum) taking center stage as a symbol of his ups and downs in his creative energy and mental health. John Hannah is very good as Worthsworh, a poet totally different than Coleridge but bound together at first for the common cause of writing great poetry. The cast is uniformly excellent and the story is exciting with great location photography and visionary scenes on how Coleridge composed and got the ideas for his masterpieces, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Kubla Khan," and the moving "Frost at Midnight." It is a great movie and great sadness, showing the arc of the two poet's careers. It avoids the stilted language and imagery of former historical epics and is as fresh as if these poets come alive now in the 21st century. A movie to treasure and share. Highly recommended. May it lead its viewers to appreciate poetry and poets more and elavate them to a high place where great words and visions are created and cherished.

Pandaemonium--Dumb and Dumber
This movie is stunning in its stupidity. The writers are obviously incapable of even the dimmest understanding of the work of either Wordsworth or Coleridge. In their ignorance they must fall back upon a stereotypical pastiche bearing virtually no resemblance to the history or character of either poet. The legacy of these two literary giants offers a rich tapestry to exploit. Yet here we have an offering which might be summed up in one sentence as follows. "Drugs--wow, man cool, no drugs?--bummer."

The Milk of Paradise
This is a quietly stunning film about the wonders & dangers of exploring the limits of creativity, bringing the power of poetry to vivid life & depicting timeless themes in a period setting. Is it historically accurate? Well, of course not -- but director Temple isn't making a dry, factual biopic, but offering poetry & parable. The choices embodied by Coleridge & Wordsworth (or the somewhat fictionalized representations of these poets) are choices each of us must face every day. How much of our individual creative fire are we willing to compromise for security? Conversely, how far beyond the boundaries of safety are we willing to go while pursuing our individual visions? I don't see how any viewer can come away from this beautiful film without a renewed appreciation for the magic of language; certainly it will send you to the nearest volume of poetry at hand!

Dazzling images, rich colors, transporting words & fine acting all contribute to an intense & moving film experience. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

This late-'80s comedy-musical from video director Julien Temple (Absolute Beginners) has an infectiously buoyant if dumb charm and plays like a cross between Little Shop of Horrors and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. If you loved either of those movies, you'll have a fondness for this one, otherwise you'll be irritated beyond belief. Geena Davis stars as a San Fernando Valley manicurist who finds herself in charge of three aliens after they crash-land their spaceship in her pool. With said transport broken down, Davis offers them head-to-toe makeovers (it's the least she can do), turns the fuzzy aliens into a trio of attractive guys, and lets them loose on the dating scene.She promptly falls in love with the leader (Davis's then-husband Jeff Goldblum); of course, it helps that her slimy fiancé (Charles Rocket) is cheating on her left and right. Aside from its sunny California charm, the only other thing this film has to offer is a bouncy musical score, in particular two show-stopping numbers performed by costar (and the film's cowriter) Julie Brown: "Brand New Girl," in which Davis gets the requisite makeover ("If you want to be a femme fatale / You can't rest on your L'Oreals!"), and the entirely irrelevant but absolutely hilarious cult hit "'Cause I'm a Blonde."Davis does her standard airhead thing (still a novelty in 1989) and Goldblum is a studly if silent lead. Make sure you pay close attention to Goldblum's alien sidekicks, two then-unknown actors named Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans, both of whom manage to steal scenes with surprisingly understated charm. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (38)

An Entertaining Musical Sci-fi Comedy!
"Earth Girls Are Easy" is a musical sci-fi comedy about valley-girl Valerie (played by Geena Davis) living in 1980's Los Angeles, and who is engaged to a cheating, boyfriend doctor named Ted (played by Charles Rocket). Catching her boyfriend at home playing with a nurse, the disgruntled Valerie gets the surprise of her life when a spaceship crash lands in her swimming pool. The spaceship's crew (played by Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans), haven't had any "shore leave" in a long time. Not wanting to cause too much of a stir, Valerie takes the alien trio to her best friend Candy (played by Julie Brown) who owns a beauty salon. After Candy transforms the furry trio into believable human males, Valerie finds their captain, Mac (Jeff Goldblum), very attractive. Wild things happen when the alien trio are taken to a dance club and letting them drive in California traffic!

The fact that this film is also a musical only adds to the humor as there are several original songs by Julie Brown!

If you enjoy remembering the excesses of the 1980's and New Wave music, you will probably enjoy this film!

The Greatest Cinematic Acheivement Of All Time...
Alright, maybe not. But I can't think of a movie I love more. The parody of all things 80's is hilarious to those of us who suffered through them, though at times it's a tad heavy-handed (I mean, the exotic fish named Mercedes, Beamer, Aston & Martin is a bit...well, heavy-handed). But Geena Davis is cute and funny as a sweet, airheaded manicurist. Julie Brown is hilarious. Julie Brown is ALWAYS hilarious. Jeff Goldblum doesn't say much and is very, very sexy as a shaved alien. Of course, everyone knows that Jim Carrey & Damon Wayans were in this before In Living Color made them into stars. Both are very, very funny. Jeff Goldblum is much more a straight man, but this movie left me with a crush on him that I still have.

This movie is a great send-up of all things 80's, especially the SoCal sex comedies and beach flicks. Someone said that they thought this movie was supposed to bring back musicals. I don't think so. It's too quirky and too strange (I mean, the salon Geena Davis & Julie Brown work at is called "Curl Up and Dye" for gods sake). I don't think it was made to be a blockbuster. It is, however, a really good time. Julien Temple is marvelous with film visuals, and the silly, sexy humor is lots of fun. Get this movie. It's a treat not to be missed.

Could be an episode of "Before They Were Stars"
It was all about flash and glitz during the 80s, which makes me wonder why there simply weren't more musicals. Well, at least there was this one. Earth Girls Are Easy is a silly, kitschy romp with songs that are as fun as the goofy storyline.

Valerie (Geena Davis) is a manicurist at a styling salon in "The Valley" called Curl Up & Dye. She's engaged to a philandering doctor (Charles Rocket), and looks forward to the day that she'll be a bride. Life is confusing, but headed in the right direction, Valerie thinks. Until the fateful day when an alien spaceship crash-lands in her swimming pool.

The brains behind Earth Girls Are Easy is Julie Brown, who takes part of the credit for writing the script and the songs, who sang several of the songs, and who also co-stars as Valerie's best friend, Candy. Before this movie, really the only thing Brown had been known for was serving as a vee-jay on MTV. Likewise, two of the aliens who at the time were unknowns would later become comedic powerhouses, Jim Carrey and Damon Wayons. Rounding out the trio of aliens was Jeff Goldblum, who was Geena Davis' real-life boyfriend at the time and who, not surprisingly, plays her character's love interest in this film.

Mostly the movie is a series of setups for each of the songs, as well as some great comedy skits. Keep your eyes peeled during the "Cause I'm A Blond" sequence for uncredited dancer Robia LaMorte, who would later become well known to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as computer science teacher Jenny Calendar - she becomes de-throned as "this month's Miss August" by Julie Brown when she's exposed as really being a brunette.

There's also a great turn here by Michael McKean as over-the-hill surfer Woody.

If you enjoy a good, goofy musical-comedy, you don't want to miss Earth Girls Are Easy.

Terrible Movie
This movie was extremely poor lacking in taste, acting quality and humor.

Snap shot: 1989ish
For better or worse, this film really represents an era, particularly in So Cal. This film is superficial but bright and smart... and has VERY bright colors -- like a 90 minute Starburst commercial. The entire look, in every nook and cranny, is eighties glitzy-junk new wave excess taken to the extreme. And then grunge (Seattle, Nirvana, Clinton:-) put an end to it all, sort of. But while it lasted, the end of the eighties ($ boomtime for So Cal) is shown here in all its glory: Yuppiedom, lots of gadgets, almost disposable clothes, accesories to the max, disposable pop-culture references, and big-haired beautiful women. Julie Brown epitomizes all of the above with a postmodern wink. She is the heart here... while Geena Davis is the straight person, properly vacant, wandering through this neon world. As so many reviewers wrote, the Julie Brown musical numbers are real standouts. And Geena's "Ground That You Walk On" is great too. Highly recommended time capsule. (Compare this film to 1980ish "Xanadu," where lots of this glitz was in its infancy, more serious and innocent). ... Read more

Description

Ten great directors, one unforgettable film. Imagine that ten of the world's most well-known, highly regarded filmmakers were given a free hand to make real any vision. "Aria" is that history-making film. Sexy, violent, thought-provoking and funny, here is the movie critics raved about, audiences flocked to see, and no one could stop talking about. Includes Bridget Fonda's electrifyingly erotic film debut and a revealing, breathtaking performance by supermodel Elizabeth Hurley. Segments directed by Robert Altman, Bruce Beresford, Bill Bryden, Jean-Luc Godard, Derek Jarman, Franc Roddam, Nicolas Roeg, Ken Russell, Charles Sturridge, Julien Temple. ... Read more