Beastie Boys - Awesome; I Fuckin’ Shot That!
The Dudesons - The Dudesons Movie
Kate Bush - Under Review (An Independent Critical Analysis)
Laibach - Divided States of America
Moby - Live Hotel Tour 2005
Oasis - Lord Don’t Slow Me Down
Tegan and Sara - It's Not Fun. Don't Do It!

Beastie Boys
Awesome; I Fuckin’ Shot That!
ThinkFilm

THE MOVIE

The Beastie Boys have never been ones to do things the same way as everybody else. With the music DVD format the fastest growing segment in DVD sales in North America, it’s about time the Beasties released a concert DVD. But much like their Music Video Collection DVD, released by Criterion in 2000 and featuring multiple video and audio remixes of each of the 18 videos, the Beastie Boys weren’t going to release just another concert video. Instead, the boys from Brooklyn handed out 50 hi-8 cameras to fans with little to no experience shooting video to document the show, in addition to 12 Hi-Def cameras manned by professionals. The result is “Awesome…I Fuckin’ Shot That”, a high energy documentary that puts you right in the center of the action at Madison Square Gardens.

The film shows as much about the Beastie Boys and their wacky sense of humor as it does about the people operating the cameras. The first half plays like a very rough (and described in the title as an “Authorized Biography”) straight concert video. Jumping quickly between the Hi-Def and Hi-8 videos, some of the camera’s have the date & time stamped into the bottom right corner while others focus completely on the fans in their section rather than the performance.

The opening track “Triple Threat” is really choppy and gives the audience a glimpse of what to expect for the rest of the show. The classic “Sure Shot” focuses mainly on Hi-8 shots of the crowd, the soundboard and everything else going on…other than the band. One of the camera operators takes the time to single out Ben Stiller in the crowd and focuses on him for a while. The following songs: “Root Down”, “Hello Brooklyn” & “Time to Get Ill” are a good mix of Hi-Def & Hi-8 footage. On the song “All Lifestyles” the movie starts to get a little wacky, following one of the Hi-8 cameras into the washroom as the viewer relieves himself (In his defence, the operators were told to leave their cameras on at all times).

After that director Nathaniel Hornblower (aka Adam Yauch, aka MCA) starts to go off on some mad tangents playing with the images. At one point during “Shake Your Rump” Mike D dances with a superimposed audience member in front of a palm tree background. The next group of songs are effects heavy, sometimes effectively and sometimes annoyingly. Each song seems to have it’s own effect, the instrumental “Ricky’s Theme” uses long disorienting dissolves to mesh the images from the many different sources together. “Something’s Got To Give” uses a polarization effect which is a bit distracting at times, as well as a CSI style zoom into the strings on the bass guitar being plucked. I didn’t really like the Black & White effects used on “Open Letter to NYC” and “Right Right Now Now”, but I dug the shaking camera effect on “Paul Revere”, giving you the feeling of being right there in MSG and feeling the bass pulse through your senses. The show climaxes, both auditorily and video-ly on “Ch-Ch-Check it Out” with some insanely fast editing that may cause seizures in some people if you’re not careful. The first encore “Intergalactic” follows the band as they perform from the nosebleed section, as many of the Hi-8 cameras don’t even know where to look to find them. The show concludes with the psychedelic “Gratitude” and fan favorite “Sabotage”, followed by end credits where fans (including Ben Stiller again) discuss how much they loved the show and how good the Beastie’s are.

SPECIAL FEATURES
-Audio Tracks: The DVD offers a 2.0 Stereo Mix of the Show as well as a 5.1 Dolby Digital Mix. Also there is an Acappella Mix (self explanatory) in addition to a Commentary track where the boys goof about the stuff going on onscreen, as well as the overall experience.
-Video Tracks: A second Video track allows you to watch the entire feature in Grid Mode (aka Grid Mode Squad), occasionally switching between 62 camera and 9 camera grids.
-The Detour mode pops an icon on your screen sporadically allowing you to branch off and follow some of the camera operators before bringing you back to the feature. Some of the best detours include the BBoys practicing one of the songs backstage before the show, as well as one operator who runs around the building telling people to “Get Excited” if they want to get on the DVD.
-The feature “Never Stop Rapping Yet” is a 10 minute compilation of fans making requests and getting hyped prior to their respective shows. Taken from locations ranging from Japan to German and Melbourne to Montreal, this is a small glimpse into the Beasties fans. Also it gives the band a chance to talk back to some of the fans. Most notable is when a fan requests “Ill Communication”, to which MCA responds “What the fuck? ‘Ill Communication’ isn’t even a song man”. Also, the kid in Ottawa I think sums up the overall feel of the doc when he asks “Can you play every song you’ve ever made?”
-Lastly, the short film “A Day in the Life of Nathaniel Hornblower” is yet another example of MCA’s strange and wacky humor. With an uncredited David Cross donning the beard and Leiterhosen that has become the standard garb of Hornblower, he struts around the NYC sidewalks wearing cross country skiis and tries to convince AdRock and MCA that he is not favoring Mike D in their latest video. Not really my thing, but good for the hardcore fan.

OVERALL

ThinkFilm has been releasing award winning documentaries and thought provoking dramas since their inception, and their first foray into the world of Rockumentary (or Hip-Hopumentary in this case) is yet another original and interesting project. “Awesome…I Fuckin’ Shot That” is a concert video like no other and although it was a bit choppy at times, it felt like it really portrayed the energy of the show and the fans better than any other concert DVD I have ever seen. The sound on the 5.1 Dolby audio track is impeccable. The bass coming out of my sub-woofer often had me feeling like my brain was rattling around inside my head, in a good way. The one problem I had with the sound was that in between tracks it would cut out and then back it. I don’t know if this was just on the copy I had or if this is an issue with the entire print. There were certain points where I felt the effects being used were overshadowing the concert and even the concept of the DVD, most notably during the Black and White segment. But for the most part, I felt that they used the original concept they had very effectively. If you are a Beastie Boys fan you must buy this DVD, there is no getting around it. Unfortunetely I have never had the opportunity to see the Beasties live, but this DVD brings me as close as physically possible.

www.beastieboys.com

-Matthew Gorman

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Kate Bush
Under Review (An Independent Critical Analysis)

A documentary was long overdue on this truly amazing British artist. Kate Bush is considered to be one of the most influential performers and songwriters in music and her remarkable career is analyzed here by various personalities including Musician and producer Morris Pert, who had worked with Kate on her albums, and Radio DJ Paul Gambaccini. All the hits, including “Wow”, “This Woman’s Work” , “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” and her smash debut single, “Wuthering Heights” are covered here.

There are rare interviews from the early 80s, live performances, insight into the meanings behind some songs and glimpses of various music videos. I wish there were more music videos featured since they are so creative and so engaging. You can’t help but be mesmerized when you watch Kate on screen. She can tell a story by just using her hands or her eyes (she studied dance and mime).

Extras: A Kate Bush quiz, additional interviews, more commentaries and Kate accepting an award for best female artist at the British Music Awards.

It’s a shame that Kate Bush is not better known outside of Britain. Serious fans will not want to be without this film.www.katebush.com

Charmaine Merchant

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Laibach
Divided States of America
Feature documentary by Saso Podgorsek

With a band as out there as Laibach, you can only wonder what the fans must be like. But thanks to filmmaker Saso Podgorsek, you no longer have to. His two-hour documentary of Laibach’s Divided States of America tour gives ample time to the fans as well as the band, featuring live footage of the tour interspersed with fan interviews and Laibach music video clips. Self-proclaimed fascists, Church of Satan representatives, Misfits tour managers, freaks, Goths, and everything in between – including suburban dads at the show with their kids – all make appearances in this doc, all expounding on their love of Laibach and the personal resonance of Laibach’s work.

But despite the diversity of those interviewed, undeniable themes emerge nonetheless – namely, the sense of unease that accompanies being a social outsider following the launch of the Bush Whitehouse’s War on Terror. Many fans comment on the irony that in America, the “land of the free”, their freedom to live outside mainstream society is seen as inherently suspect. Filmed shortly after Bush’s re-election, the movie follows Slovenia-based industrial art rockers Laibach around the United States and through Canada, and exposes a sense of profound discomfort among many of the tour’s attendees. Laibach’s fans speak about the distrust mainstream society exhibits toward anything different or unknown, and lament the fall of criticism and rise of homogenization in a very paranoid, post-9/11 world.

It is this socio-political aspect that elevates this movie above a mere music tour vid. Because while the tour and music feature prominently, just as important are the message behind it and the social response. Distrust of government, the power of the individual, and the tyranny of mass society all emerge as prominent narratives, and mix uncomfortably throughout the documentary with Laibach’s pseudo-fascist imagery and pounding, anthemic sound. From that aspect, the Divided States of America is a piece of work that can be enjoyed equally by the die-hard Laibach fan, the curious Laibach neophyte, or anyone with an interest in socio-political arts movements.

The documentary focuses primarily on the United States but there is also Canadian footage – for example, scenes shot outside of Toronto’s very own Lee’s Palace. And while the movie can be criticized as somewhat cliché at times – for example, a few very one-sided confrontations with the police, portraying them as little more than storm-trooping thugs – the depth of analysis it brings is certainly admirable in comparison to other tour documentaries. Concluding with Laibach’s powerfully nihilistic “Life is Life” anthem, the Saso Podgorsek presents through Divided States of America both an intriguing social criticism and an entertaining ode to one of the most creative and challenging musical outfits around today.

- James Sandham

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Tegan and Sara
It's Not Fun. Don't Do It!
Universal Music Canada

We are a fickle people these days, growing increasingly bored by the second unless some new toy plops into our lap every second, keeping our attention from waning and thus being turned on to another new toy, or band for that matter. Indie rock's identical twin sisters, Tegan and Sara Quin, understand the concept of "keeping it fresh", with their hot-off-the-press DVD, It's Not Fun. Don't Do It! Having just completed their tour for their last album, So Jealous, and not yet ready to release a new one, it only seemed logical to keep the fans happy by throwing them a bone.

So with breath that was bated, the anticipation grew to fervor, well, at least on my part. And I know that I am a biased party, but I could look at this with an impartial eye, considering that as usual, the delivery could not match the expectations. The DVD advertises a full-length concert, recorded at The Phoenix, music videos, a documentary recording the joy of touring, an inside look at The Making of So Jealous, a Photo Album and a slightly terrifying marionette show featuring doll versions of the twins [SHUDDER ].

So let's break it down: I did enjoy the interesting photo album concept that Tegan admittedly copped from Sonic Youth where the lens is focused down on to a pile of photos that the twins take turns narrating and flipping through. The live show at The Phoenix, however, translates poorly onto film where the girls’ vocals sound hollow and flat. They do play a couple of oldies from albums past, while focusing mostly on the hits from the new album. Another feature that falls short of its proposed craziness is the documentary that Tegan and Angela Kendall recorded of the So Jealous tour. We know Tegan and Sara for being silly, bickering, punky rockers but what you find out to your own dismay is that the twins ban drugs and alcohol from their band and tours. Admit it, we're all voyeurs to some extent and our society has been bred to relish the deluded antics of rock musicians, so it is both unnerving and admirable for young rockers to go so straight-edge. Not to mention the fact that the whole film seems to have that inside-joke quality where you keep thinking, "I guess you had to be there", when the band and crew take turns locking each other out of the van at a rest stop.

So, even though I will continue to watch this DVD, out of dedication to Tegan and Sara, I will just skip over the never-ending photo session where it's possible the girls talk more than my mother, as well as the creepy doll version of the band played out in the Marionette show at the end. That's all I will say. Just watch it for yourself, but not if you hate clowns and dolls.

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Oasis
Lord Don’t Slow Me Down
Big Brother Recordings

With almost three years since their last album, it only seemed natural to expect another release from the Gallagher brothers. Lord Don’t Slow Me Down, a 2-DVD disc set features a documentary filmed during Oasis’ Don’t Believe the Truth tour as well as a live performance at Manchester Stadium in 2005.

Baillie Walsh’s documentary follows Oasis on the road for a year providing a voyeuristic glimpse at the band as they travel the world. Snapshots of interviews, concerts, birthday parties and the like are all part of this feature which tries to unmask the veil covering the band. Providing an honest appraisal of the band, the documentary makes one realize how boring the Gallagher brothers are when they aren’t engaging in debauchery, thievery and violence. So, while the documentary itself is sound, its subject matter did not provide enough entertainment value to highly recommend. Still, it’s worth the watch to hear the commentary track provided by the band, as they take swipes at everyone on- and off-screen.

The second disc, however, is a jewel as it is an unedited live performance filmed during the tour.  The band is in top form as they perform sixteen tracks from all five albums with less dependence on their earlier material for support. The quality of the footage and sound is excellent, if not your typical concert-fare, and the disc also includes pictures and videos taken by spectators at the show.

Overall, while this package will not gain the band any new fans, it should keep the current ones satisfied  until the next album release.

- Belal Khallad
 

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Moby
Live Hotel Tour 2005
Mute

As much as I enjoy seeing Moby's live performances, it's surprising that this particular concert from Leuven would be chosen for a live DVD. There's nothing particularly exciting about the performance. Moby and his back-up staff rip through 24 numbers 'all the predictable hits' with routine precision. Admittedly, electronica isn't that dynamic live (I don't think New Order has ever put on a good live show) but Moby compensated for this in the past by changing the pace and playing the odd punk song or guitar solo. There's not very much of that here but what really ruins the experience is Moby saying 'thank ya thank ya thank ya thank' in the most annoying fashion after each and every song. Let this sink in. This happens after each song. 'Thank ya thank ya thank ya thank.' Dear God, that's bloody awful. Having said this, the DVD isn't a complete write-off. It features a CD of some great remixes of songs from Hotel and 5 videos. For fanatics only, I'm afraid.

www.moby.com

-Michael Cool

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