DVD Reviews – Film – Clash Music

Neil Young - Archives Vol. 1

Simon Harper — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:55:04 +0000

This has literally made my day. My week. My month. My year. A parcel containing 11 discs has just dropped on my desk and I am smiling from ear to ear.

Neil Young has long promised his Archives set, and has teased his fans by putting its release date back and back and back, claiming he’s perfecting various technologies while busy recording and releasing new albums instead. What I’ve just been blessed with is the mammoth project’s first part - ‘Archives Vol.1 (1963-1972)’. Ten of the discs make up the series, while the eleventh is a preview disc, presumably a short compilation of the best of all of them. (There are no track listings, but I’ve found a web resource that lists them all.)

I’m gonna fly through them and write as I go on what I hear, see and experience. There are worse ways to spend a grey Tuesday…

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Neil Young Archives Vol. 1 – official trailer

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Disc 0 - ‘The Early Years (1963-1965)’

It’s a DVD! Menu page is a great sepia picture of Neil Young and the Squires, Young’s first band in Winnipeg, Canada. You can play all, or go via the Song Selection option, which I've done, taking you to a virtual filing cabinet of the songs filed by year.

First up, 1963’s ‘Aurora’. If you click play, it takes you to a film of the 45 acetate playing, and you hear the Shadows-esque instrumental. Alternatively, you can read the track’s personnel, see photos from the time (with captions), including a great black and white picture from Christmas 1962 that sees young Neil with an all-American short back and sides - long before his trademark hippie-style straight middle parting. You could also click ‘Documents’ and see artefacts relating to the song, including hand-drawn notations, while ‘Press’ throws up local paper cuttings, and ‘Memorabilia’ shows the label of the original vinyl release. It’s a great start, even if the song is largely forgettable, showing absolutely nothing of the Neil Young that was to become...

These treats feature with every song, but it’s wonderful to hear the progression of Neil as a writer and musician across these early pieces. ‘I’m A Man And I Can’t Cry’ tries its hands at Beatles harmonies, and its naive charm of Neil’s matinee-idol vocals gives a fun insight into the direction he was clearly heading... but then diverted down the acoustic road, as demonstrated on the fantastic demo versions of ‘Sugar Mountain’ and ‘Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing’, which later was recorded with Buffalo Springfield. There are also links to get the song lyrics so we can sing along! Don’t think that will go down too well in the office, though.

Disc extras include a biography, a detailed timeline of Neil’s formative career - from the Canadian roots to his venture down to the States - a web link, and DVD credits.

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Disc 1 - ‘The Early Years (1966-1968)’

The sound of screams almost drown out ‘Mr. Soul’ as a picture of Buffalo Springfield on stage graces the menu screen. A voice comes over, sternly warning: “The Buffalo Springfield will NOT perform unless you get back to your seat.” The song selection, then, is the wonderful collection of mid-Sixties Springfield tunes penned by Young. This was the group, of course, led by Stephen Stills, whom Neil would later join up with again as part of the super-group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Songs such as ‘Expecting To Fly’ still radiate beauty, and they become so much more special with the extras’ glimpses into their history. More great photos, more fascinating documents. I think I need to keep ploughing through these...

1. Aurora / The Squires – from the 45 RPM single (mono)
2. The Sultan / The Squires – from the 45 RPM single (mono)
3. I Wonder / The Squires – previously unreleased song (mono)
4. Mustang / The Squires – previously unreleased instrumental (mono)
5. I'll Love You Forever / The Squires – previously unreleased song (mono)
6. (I'm A Man And) I Can't Cry / The Squires – previously unreleased song (mono)
7. Hello Lonely Woman / Neil Young & Comrie Smith – previously unreleased version
8. Casting Me Away From You / Neil Young & Comrie Smith – previously unreleased song
9. There Goes My Babe / Neil Young & Comrie Smith – previously unreleased song
10. Sugar Mountain / Neil Young – previously unreleased demo version (mono)
11. Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing / Neil Young – previously unreleased demo version (mono)
12. Runaround Babe / Neil Young – previously unreleased song (mono)
13. The Ballad Of Peggy Grover / Neil Young – previously unreleased song (mono)
14. The Rent Is Always Due / Neil Young – previously unreleased song (mono)
15. Extra, Extra / Neil Young – previously unreleased song (mono)
16. Flying On The Ground Is Wrong / Neil Young – from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set (mono)
17. Burned / Buffalo Springfield – from the album Buffalo Springfield (mono)
18. Out Of My Mind / Buffalo Springfield – from the album Buffalo Springfield (mono)
19. Down, Down, Down / Neil Young – previously unreleased version (mono)
20. Kahuna Sunset / Buffalo Springfield – from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set (mono)
21. Mr. Soul / Buffalo Springfield – from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set (mono)
22. Sell Out / Buffalo Springfield – previously unreleased song (mono)
23. Down To The Wire / Neil Young – from the album Decade (mono)
24. Expecting To Fly / Buffalo Springfield – from the album Buffalo Springfield
25. Slowly Burning / Neil Young – previously unreleased instrumental
26. One More Sign / Neil Young – from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set
27. Broken Arrow / Buffalo Springfield – from the album Buffalo Springfield Again
28. I Am A Child / Buffalo Springfield – from the album Last Time Around

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Disc 2 - ‘Topanga 1 (1968-1969)’

Named after the Los Angeles canyon where Neil and many other musicians lived, this disc compiles the demos and songs that made up the beginning of his solo career. An alternate version of ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’ begins proceedings. The ‘Press’ section of ‘The Old Laughing Lady’ has a page excerpt from a magazine interview with Neil, the headline of which reads: “Tea fan seeks mate - must own phonograph and be free to travel.” One click and you zoom in to read the text. Fabulous. Album versions of ‘Down By The River’, ‘Cowgirl In The Sand’ and ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’ are just as fresh and lovely to these ears as anything I’ve heard today.

1. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere / Neil Young – from the stereo promotional 45 RPM single-second pressing
2. The Loner / Neil Young – from the album Neil Young
3. Birds / Neil Young – previously unreleased version
4. What Did You Do To My Life? / Neil Young – previously unreleased mix
5. The Last Trip To Tulsa / Neil Young – from the album Neil Young
6. Here We Are In The Years / Neil Young – from the album Neil Young–second version
7. I've Been Waiting For You / Neil Young – previously unreleased mix
8. The Old Laughing Lady / Neil Young – from the album Neil Young
9. I've Loved Her So Long / Neil Young – from the album Neil Young
10. Sugar Mountain / Neil Young – previously unreleased stereo master
11. Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
12. Down By The River / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
13. Cowgirl In The Sand / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
14. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

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Disc 3 - ‘Live At The Riverboat (1969)’

Video footage of the queue, the venue and the assembled crowd build up to the venue. You can also hear him taking to the stage - to near silence. I’ve clicked on Song Selection again. There is no video of the performances; instead there is a visual accompaniment to the live recording. It’s very intimate - Neil is talkative, personal and sounds great. The Riverboat, which is in Toronto, is treated to eleven solo and acoustic tracks. Extras include black and white photos from the event, handwritten notes and lyrics, press clippings, plus ‘Riverboat Raps’ - Neil’s rambling monologues from the gig in one handy nine-track solo!

1. Sugar Mountain / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
2. The Old Laughing Lady / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
3. Flying On The Ground Is Wrong / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
4. On The Way Home / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
5. I've Loved Her So Long / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
6. I Am A Child / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
7. 1956 Bubblegum Disaster / Neil Young – previously unreleased song
8. The Last Trip To Tulsa / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
9. Broken Arrow / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
10. Whiskey Boot Hill / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
11. Expecting To Fly / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

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Disc 4 - ‘Topanga 2 (1969-1970)’

This late-Sixties collection introduces Crazy Horse, Neil’s incredible backing band, and covers the demos for his masterpiece ‘After The Goldrush’, and his contributions to CSN&Y’s ‘Deja Vu’ album. The songs, again, are alternative mixes, unheard originals, and insightful demos.

1. Cinnamon Girl / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
2. Running Dry (Requiem For The Rockets) / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
3. Round And Round (It Won't Be Long) / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
4. Oh Lonesome Me / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – previously unreleased stereo mix
5. Birds / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the 45 RPM single (mono)
6. Everybody's Alone / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Previously unreleased song
7. I Believe In You / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album After The Gold Rush
8. Sea Of Madness / Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – from the original soundtrack album Woodstock
9. Dance Dance Dance / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – previously unreleased version
10. Country Girl / Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – from the album Déjà Vu
11. Helpless / Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – previously unreleased mix
12. It Might Have Been / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – previously unreleased live version

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Disc 5 - ‘Live At Fillmore East (1970)’

As previously released, this six-track document of Neil at the beginning of the Seventies finds him touring the ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’ album with Crazy Horse, featuring guitarist Danny Whitten. It’s notable that this was the last tour Whitten came on. He died of an overdose in late 1972. The songs are accompanied by so many photos from the event. It would be amazing to see filmed footage of this, but sadly there is none.

1. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
2. Winterlong
3. Down By The River
4. Wonderin'
5. Come On Baby, Let's Go Downtown
6. Cowgirl In The Sand

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Disc 6 - ‘Topanga 3 (1970)’

More songs from the canyon, this time revealing alternative versions of selections from ‘After The Goldrush’ alongside proper album versions. There aren’t so many extras on here aside from various lyrics and handwritten manuscripts, however this disc is valued for the solo piano version of ‘See The Sky About To Rain’, recorded live at The Cellar Door in Washington, DC in 1970.

1. Tell Me Why / Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush
2. After The Gold Rush / Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush
3. Only Love Can Break Your Heart / Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush
4. Wonderin' / Neil Young – previously unreleased version
5. Don't Let It Bring You Down / Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush-first pressing
6. Cripple Creek Ferry / Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush
7. Southern Man / Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush
8. Till The Morning Comes / Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush
9. When You Dance, I Can Really Love / Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album After The Gold Rush-first pressing
10. Ohio / Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – from the stereo 45 RPM single
11. Only Love Can Break Your Heart / Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – previously unreleased live version
12. Tell Me Why / Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – previously unreleased live version
13. Music Is Love / David Crosby, Graham Nash & Neil Young – from the album If I Could Only Remember My Name
14. See The Sky About To Rain / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

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Disc 7 - ‘Live At Massey Hall (Toronto 1971)’

This was previously released in 2007. Seventeen solo acoustic songs taken from all albums so far, including his CSN&Y stuff, but at time of performance, most songs would have been unfamiliar to the audience. From their reactions, you’d never have known. Live sound is supplemented by more relevant photo and video montages. The ‘Archives’ extra on this disc offers three great short videos - ‘The Needle And The Damage Done’ and ‘Journey Through The Past’ from Johnny Cash’s TV show in 1971, the ‘Old Man’ from a 1971 documentary, and then a 1997 clip of Neil going through his archives, discussing photos from the 1971 tour. Each is, of course, brilliant. “These young minds will be our leaders in the future,” says Johnny Cash. How right he was. The ‘Radio’ extra features two recordings, ‘Old Man’ and ‘A Man Needs A Maid’, with Redbeard from 1989.

1. On The Way Home
2. Tell Me Why
3. Old Man
4. Journey Through The Past
5. Helpless
6. Love In Mind
7. A Man Needs A Maid/Heart Of Gold (Suite)
8. Cowgirl In The Sand
9. Don't Let It Bring You Down
10. There's A World
11. Bad Fog Of Loneliness
12. The Needle And The Damage Done
13. Ohio
14. See The Sky About To Rain
15. Down By The River
16. Dance Dance Dance
17. I Am A Child
(all previously released live versions)

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Disc 8 - ‘North Country (1971-1972)’

Cine-film of Neil driving his car through a field starts the disc. The songs within would mostly make up ‘Harvest’. An unreleased live version of ‘Heart Of Gold’ from UCLA 1971 starts - the official version follows later, which, considering it’s probably his most universally loved song, has disappointingly few extras. The disc is mostly album versions, which is a bit of a swizz, but presented so beautifully, who can really argue?

1. Heart Of Gold / Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
2. The Needle And The Damage Done / Neil Young – from the album Harvest
3. Bad Fog Of Loneliness / Neil Young with The Stray Gators – previously unreleased version
4. Old Man / Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest
5. Heart Of Gold / Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest
6. Dance Dance Dance / Neil Young – previously unreleased version
7. A Man Needs A Maid / Neil Young with the London Symphony Orchestra – previously unreleased mix
8. Harvest / Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest
9. Journey Through The Past / Neil Young with The Stray Gators – previously unreleased version
10. Are You Ready For The Country? / Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest
11. Alabama / Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest
12. Words (Between The Lines Of Age) / Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the original soundtrack album Journey Through The Past
13. Soldier / Neil Young – previously unreleased mix
14. War Song / Neil Young & Graham Nash with The Stray Gators – from the 45 RPM single (mono)

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Disc 9 - Journey Through The Past. A Film by Neil Young

Sadly I don’t have time to sit and devour the whole 80-minute feature. It’s a freewheeling colour documentary with no discernible storyline, but includes fantastic footage of Neil live with the Springfield, with CS&N, and of course solo. I’ll be watching this in full tonight. The Special Features include a photo gallery, memorabilia and press cuttings relevant to the movie.

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Neil Young Archives Vol. 1 – Blu-Ray preview

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It’s all just a little too much to take while sitting at work. This is what I’m going to have to spend my weekend investigating further. This has been an incredible dip into the first part of Neil’s astonishing ongoing project.

Neil Young has proven himself as a unique talent, dedicating himself to following his muse, and this is no exception. It’s been well worth the wait. How long until part two? Who knows...

Read the full review in the July issue of Clash, on sale June 4. You know it will be glowing...

Live at Babeville

Ben Hopkins — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:46:36 +0000

Purveying a slant of modern folk that slides between being infused with a punk energy and edging towards more mainstream singer-songwriter territory, Ani DiFranco is in the enviable position of having built enough musical credibility over the years to give her an artistic freedom free from the need for blatant commerciality. Indicative of this is the construction of Babeville, a multi-purpose artistic centre created around a former place of worship, and the venue for this live performance DVD.

DiFranco and her band play with a loose, energetic spirit on more dynamic material such as Napoleon and that accentuates the poetry of her lyrics on the solo performances Unrequited and Shy. A resolutely unpretentious performer, DiFranco’s performance isn’t much to look at – even with six cameras constantly seeking new angles – but the music hold its own. Bonus material includes three soundcheck performances (including key track 32 Flavors) and some brief backstage shenanigans.

The Backwoods

Ben Hopkins — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:37:49 +0000

Gary Oldman and Paddy Considine, you say? It seems unlikely, obscene even, that a film starring two of Britain’s finest acting talents could have such a low profile. Having never received a full UK theatrical release, The Backwoods finally heads to DVD heralded by… well, no-one really.

It’s a situation that hardly inspires confidence. And yet the film’s scenario should perfectly fit the Brit duo’s famed intensity. Norman (Considine) and Lucy (Virginia Ledoyen) head to Spain in the hope of masking their marital difficulties. Their friend Paul (Oldman) and his partner Isabel (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón) play host, their remote woodland home a seemingly perfect retreat. But when Norman and Paul stumble upon a young girl inhumanely locked up in a cabin, they feel they have no choice but to take her to the police. But things go awry under a cloud of cultural differences and linguistic misunderstanding, with a group of thoroughly narked locals violently pursuing the innocent foursome.

The Backwoods is a curious entity, with a multitude of minor problems juxtaposing some flashes of brilliance. Most notably, it’s undeniably derivative. There’s nothing new under the sun, but aping the likes of Straw Dogs and Deliverance is a guaranteed way of irking the same audience that The Backwoods is most likely to appeal to. That said, reflecting a similar visual aesthetic gives the film a stylish sheen, the atmosphere has enough raw nerve to carry the story and the soundtrack accentuates this by swinging between sparse percussion and Leonard Cohen.

Oldman leads the cast with a steady performance. He has an edge over Considine, whose already ill-fitting role is hindered by some clumsy dialogue to create an occasionally impressive but mostly unspectacular role. Their counterpoints also struggle. Ledoyen is suitably frosty (a cynic might say bland) and Sánchez-Gijón is expressionistic, but both fight a losing battle with delivering already erratic dialogue in English. Writer/director Koldo Serra hints at some involving characterisation as Norman is on edge with Lucy (a near loveless marriage) and Paul (whose alpha male status dominates), but, even with some interesting moral ambiguity, these themes are ultimately flaccidly primed.

Not that The Backwoods is a disaster by any means. By casting aside any expectations created by the involvement of the two leads and erasing any memory of the film’s most blatant influences, you’ll find The Backwoods to be a reasonable approximation of psychological thrillers of yesteryear. Expect Oldman and Considine completists to be thrilled and disappointed in similar proportions.

Classic Albums: John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band

Chris Todd — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:02:09 +0000

Documenting John Lennon’s first proper album after the messy split of The Beatles, this release covers his 1970 album; Plastic Ono Band.

As with most similar studies, the interesting stories surrounding the recording are too briefly touched upon and concentrate instead on producers gushing about studio trickery they employed.

The story behind the music would have been much more entertaining; Lennon’s heroin withdrawal, his and Yoko’s four months of primal scream therapy whilst making the album, working with the maverick producer Phil Spector and wanting to move out of the shadows of his former band by making a raw rock record featuring some of his most personal lyrics such as, "I was the walrus but now I'm just John".

With extensive archived interviews of Lennon and all the main players involved from Ringo to Yoko and other Plastic Ono band members, it’s a comprehensive account - just not an interesting one.

Gypsy Caravan: When The Road Bends

Ben Hopkins — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:49:54 +0000

Gypsy Caravan: When the Road Bends proves that Romany music is an indelible part of their people’s culture.

This documentary follows musicians from Romania, Macedonia, Spain and India as they embark upon a collective tour of North America. The music varies radically in style from rambunctious to reflective, but it’s almost always infused with energy and lyrics speaking of past challenges.

The concept of the documentary is perhaps a little flimsy, but cutting between live footage, behind the scenes shots and a look at the performers’ home life provides solid infotainment. More pertinently the film provides a closer examination of Romany life as a whole away from the usual vilification. As talking head Johnny Depp pontificates, “It would be great if by experiencing the Romany people and their music, people can learn more about them and understand that what you've believed about these people has been a lie your entire life."

OMD Live: Architecture & Morality & More

Ben Hopkins — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:39:16 +0000

With a set list that combines their most acclaimed album Architecture & Morality in full (albeit with a fresh running order) as well as a selection of their other hits and fan favourites, OMD’s live set should set a benchmark for other bands of a certain… vintage.

Their sole Factory Records release, Electricity, is very indicative of the label’s early days, but its twinkling keys and driving bass still stand out as one of the band’s finest moments. The material from the Architecture & Morality album focuses on a gothic, gloomy synth-driven sound, but Andy McCluskey can land a memorable hook or catchy motif seemingly at will, with hits from Enola Gay to Sailing The Seven Seas indicative of the poppier end of his songwriting.

It goes without saying that McCluskey’s pissed dad dancing fails to impress, but his strong vocals show that OMD are otherwise as good as ever.

(Photo by Demessence)

Enjoyed this? Now read the rest of our special series of features on Factory Records!

Paranoid Park

Ben Hopkins — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:09:50 +0000

A murder mystery of sorts – a how done it rather than a who done it – Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park relies heavily on Christopher Doyle’s cinematography and Rain Kathy Li’s capturing of the graceful art of skateboarding rather than any true dramatic progression. Teen skateboarder Alex accidentally kills a security guard near street skate area Paranoid Park and opts to cast a silence over the entire incident.

Solid as a translation of disenfranchised youth and their collective sub-cultures, Paranoid Park’s visuals are astounding. Yet the lack of a hook – a moment of tension, a fascinating character, a questionable moment – makes for a generally alienating experience. Although the swerving plot allows for a tale that partially down to individual analysis, Paranoid Park still feels like a missed opportunity; that clever narrative device and the undeniably sumptuous photography hinting at a greatness that Van Sant has failed to deliver as a whole.

Out of the Blue

Ben Hopkins — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:59:13 +0000

New Zealand suffered one of its darkest days on November 13th 1990 when disturbed loner David Gray killed thirteen people in the small town of Aramoana. Tracing the events of that fateful day, Out Of The Blue is dignified in its approach, avoiding glamorising Gray’s actions and instead focusing on the intense waves of fear and shock that hit the community. Demonstrating the inspiring human capabilities of bravery in the face of extreme violence, the film makes for harrowing and compelling viewing that also shows an innate respect for the incident’s victims and survivors. Karl Urban is particularly effective as Nick Harvey, a local police officer forced to confront a previously unimaginable scene.

The aftermath of the tragedy is mostly left to the DVD extra features with the focus switched to documentary footage and original news clips. These features perfectly compliment the film, creating a harrowing and emotive documentation of a horrific experience.

Concerts for Teenage Cancer Trust

Ben Hopkins — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:39:11 +0000

The annual Teenage Cancer Trust benefit shows at the stately Royal Albert Hall have become synonymous with strong line-ups, a chance to catch huge bands in a relatively intimate atmosphere and seemingly impromptu collaborations. This release collates fifteen performances, with The Who opening proceedings with a propulsive take on The Seeker and closing festivities with the impressive new(ish) track Tea and Theatre.

The collaborated performances were doubtless better in person; Roger Daltrey and Razorlight’s muscular take on Summertime Blues is decent, if plagued by a dubious sound but Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher’s stab at The Jam’s The Butterfly Collector is much more successful. These aside, it’s mostly a case of bands simply contributing a succession of strong, linear performances with The Coral’s Dreaming of You and Gruff Rhys’ sonic experimentation amongst the highlights. Ultimately, good performances, good songs and a good cause make for a worthy purchase, although Judas Priest are bafflingly musically incongruous next to the likes of Kasabian, The View and Bloc Party.

The DVD can be purchased direct from the Teenage Cancer Trust website before receiving a general release on May 19th.

Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror

AllyHorrax — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:12:55 +0000

If you ever wanted to see a horror movie from the 'hood' this is your chance.

Snoop Dogg makes his horror-debut as the 'crib keeper' in this anthology of stories that opens with a cartoon foreward to the action. In it, the main character Devon (Snoop Dogg) is involved in a gang-war car shooting in which his little sister is killed in the cross-fire. Devon is damned to hell but can hold off his entry to the flames by bringing other souls to Satan: thus beginning a gruesome cycle of death.

The trilogy of mini-films feature a graffiti artist tattooed with magic by The Derelict (Danny Trejo), a rap star with a guilty secret and a group of veteran soldiers who take justice into their own hands.

Though not the most thrilling of tales, this film certainly entertains - offering a few laughs and some surprisingly gory effects.

Rescue Dawn

Ben Hopkins — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:29:18 +0000

War! What is it good for? Making films of heroism and escape, usually served up with a side salad of jingoism. But under the direction of maverick filmmaker Werner Herzog (a man eccentric enough to have appeared in a short film, Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe, doing exactly that after losing a bet with a wannabe first time film director), there was never much chance of Rescue Dawn being such a clichéd genre piece.

Rescue Dawn is a dramatisation of the same story that Herzog captured in his 1997 documentary Little Dieter Needs To Fly. German-born US air force pilot Dieter Dengler (Bale) was assigned to a routine raid over Laos during the Vietnam war, only for his plane to be hit by gunfire that forced a crash landing in the jungle adjacent to the city. Dengler was soon captured, subjected to surreal methods of torture and imprisoned alongside a disparate group of other POWs including the desperate but determined Duane (Zahn) and the seemingly institutionalized Gene (Jeremy Davies). Dengler realises that escape is his only chance of survival, but the desolation of the camp and the savagery of the guards makes the odds of getting out look very slim indeed.

Much of Rescue Dawn’s success can be put down to Herzog’s skills; war films are too often flat, generic characters performing a flat, generic role to get a story of gunshots and explosions from a desperate A to a remarkably heroic B. But Herzog infuses Rescue Dawn with soul; Dengler bristles with charisma, Gene’s cowardly nature is empathetic rather than derisory and the jungle is a depicted as a claustrophobic nightmare of eerie silence and hostile terrain punctuated by sudden shocks of violence.

All of which would mean very little if not for the acting ability of the three lead characters. Bale is typically brilliant, morphing from a beefy pilot to a starving waif of a man and offering many mesmerising contributions. Davies, too, makes Gene a multi-faceted personality when it would be easier, typical even, to portray him purely as a weak individual resigned to his fate. But Zahn is the real star here, a haunted soul ravaged by physical and mental torment.

A few moments threaten to lay on the American patriotism a touch too heavily, but it’s a minor issue as Herzog tells Dengler’s story for what it is rather than making familiar parallels between Vietnam and Iraq.

Kurt Cobain: About A Son

Ben Hopkins — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:10:22 +0000

Kurt Cobain elucidates about family, fatherhood, punk and pop throughout this alternative documentary. Taken from interviews with Michael Azzerad from 1992-1993, Cobain comes across partially as the insecure, tortured artist that he’s been portrayed by the media as, but mostly just a regular guy who wants to make music and look after his family. The story is, of course, very familiar, but the detail of the conversation often offers fascinating opinions and rarely heard anecdotes that really illuminate a public figure that few got to know.

The accompanying visuals taken from Washington State are beautifully structured and add atmosphere to Cobain’s narrative. The soundtrack, pinned by a melancholy score, features songs that influenced his life with The Vaselines’ Son of a Gun and Teenage Fanclub’s Star Sign proving to be uplifting moments. As the closing photos finally focus on Cobain’s face, it’s a poignant reminder that he was a father and son; despite his fame, like so many others.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Ben Hopkins — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:02:20 +0000

Trimmed from its original running time of four hours, Dominik’s exposition of the relationship between outlaw Jesse James and his sidekick/devotee Robert Ford combines poetic visual calm, irregular but detailed dialogue and sudden bursts of violence to mesmerising effect. Dominik’s style here is hugely different from his last film (2000’s Chopper) and has a similar stylistic feel to Terence Malick.

With strong performances by Brad Pitt (James) and Ben Affleck’s brother Casey (as the creepy Ford), the film’s main questioning points are to question whether Ford was cowardly or justified in his actions and whether James is deserving of his anti-hero legend. It all points to a remarkable film and it was certainly one of 2007’s stronger cinematic releases. But as Nick Cave pops up with a somewhat jaunty murder ballad cameo way past the two hour mark, Jesse James feels a touch too laboured to be an era-defining classic.

Nightwatch

Ben Hopkins — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 13:41:02 +0000

Originally released in 1994 and later disappointingly remade by director Ole Bornedal with the help of Ewan McGregor and Nick Nolte, Danish horror/thriller Nightwatch still astounds in 2008 with its DVD release.

Eager to fund his education, law student Martin takes the job of night watchmen at a morgue in Copenhagen. His already creepy occupation is made all the more nervous by the dread created by a serial killer whose peculiar fetish is to scalp prostitutes. Local detective Wormer is on the trail of the murderer, but the situation becomes all the more chaotic thanks in part to Martin’s lunatic friend Jens and the unwitting involvement of his girlfriend Kalinka.

Denmark isn’t exactly renowned for delivering horrors and, suitably, Nightwatch isn’t a film that can be easily compared to the usual suspects. From the outset, the film’s tension is overbearing. Spooked by the atmospherics of his new workplace, Martin’s fear is transcendent, greatly assisted by the sterile neutrality of the building and the ominous buzz of the lighting both gnawing at the nerves.

Nightwatch is also informed by a sick, leftfield humour that’s unsettling enough to blacken the fear factor, with Jens challenging and provoking Martin into enacting dubious dares, the consequences of which complicate the plot credibly. Although the revelation of the murderer is unlikely to surprise anyone, Bornedal’s grinding of black comedy and murderous suspense remains one of the great barely discovered films of the nineties.

DVD bonus features are limited to a trailer and a decent thirty minute ‘making of’ feature.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live At Monterey

Ben Hopkins — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:15:01 +0000

1967’s Monterey Festival was a pivotal moment in music history, representing the launching pad for both Jimi Hendrix’s all too brief career, as well as the igniting point for wider rock festival culture. The set itself is still revelatory; Hendrix and his band play with the energy and ferocity of the yet to be invented punk genre, with the sound being as crystal clear as a live performance from the era can be.

The focus of the Definitive Edition is the bonus material. The new American Landing documentary examines Hendrix’s career before and after Monterey, it doesn’t yield much in the way of new information but is interesting enough. A Second Look is a fun, if gimmicky chance to catch the Monterey performance across multiple angles. Two bonus videos of Hendrix playing live in Chelmsford are included. Apparently the earliest sound and film recordings of the band in existence, the sound is murky but a run through ‘Stone Free’ remains electrifying.

The Flaming Lips: UFOs At The Zoo

Mathew Aitken — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:56:41 +0000

Surprisingly for a band that has been going since 1983 and are renowned for their amazing live shows The Flaming Lips have never before stepped into the live DVD arena.

Well now confetti reigns supreme as they bring their live circus to Oklahoma City Zoo in front of a hometown crowd. Even if you’ve seen The Lips live before you certainly wouldn’t have seen one of their “U.F.O. shows”, in which the band enter via a homemade U.F.O. (it was made in Wayne’s backyard) that then turns itself into a huge light show. It really is as crazy and amazing as it sounds. The set list borrows mostly from their last three albums (‘Race For The Prize’ remains the best set opener ever), although quite why the venue didn’t trigger fan favourites ‘Christmas At The Zoo’ and ‘This Here Giraffe’ is beyond belief. This discrepancy aside, The Flaming Lips have delivered again. Just another reason to see them next time they come to town.

Essential Squeeze

Rob Dabrowski — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 15:34:47 +0000

This release starts with the strangely unnerving ‘Take Me I’m Yours’.

With a dark, menacing undertow it sounds almost like an electropop Echo and the Bunnymen. It’s one of the highlights of the DVD and makes you wander just what Squeeze could have been capable of, but after ploughing through the obligatory, but none the less brilliant, ‘Cool For Cats’ and ‘Up The Junction’, things go rapidly downhill.

Squeeze gradually descended into middle of the road territory, charting the tepid water of Level 42-esque white boy funk and sub-Housemartins jazz pop, before meandering into meaningless drivel in the mid/late 80s.

Having said that, it’s worth buying this collection to watch the progression of the band’s image through the videos - from pseudo new wave cool, to Bon Jovi-esque flowing locks. But the highlight is when Glenn Tilbrook becomes an exact cross between Richard Madeley and Princess Diana in the mid 80s. Priceless.

Dinosaur Jr - Live in the Middle East

Mathew Aitken — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 15:21:33 +0000

No sane person would ever have bet on Dinosaur Jr getting back together.

So when in 2005 terminal slacker J Mascis announced the original line-up were to return to the freak scene it was a tad shocking. Of course any band reforming has to have a DVD release to chronicle their comeback and so here is Live In The Middle East. No, not the band involving themselves with Iraq, but playing The Middle East in their hometown Boston.

What’s different about this live DVD is that no effort has gone into flashy camera moves; instead the camera is down there, front row with the crowd. You can practically smell the sweat. For most bands this wouldn’t work but it suits Dinosaur Jr’s feedback drenched grunge perfectly.

The set dips into most albums, standout tracks being ‘Forget The Swan’ and The Cure cover ‘Just Like Heaven’, making this is a fitting release for the band who stood shoulder to shoulder with Pixies and Nirvana.

Wild Style

Daniel Dangerous — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 13:17:13 +0000

This year the big debate in the hip-hop arena is whether or not the genre is officially dead.

KRS-One has fought back against the non-believers with his upcoming release ‘Hip Hop Lives’, a recent rare unified performance by The Wu Tang Clan at Hammersmith Apollo and a great album from veteran Talib Kweli due out this month have also helped the cause. There’s enough to suggest it is alive and well and that a great underground resurgence of the golden ages is soon to be thrust upon us. Bearing this in mind, Charlie Ahearn’s cult classic Wild Style is not only a timely but necessary re-release. Featuring pioneer of the genre Grandmaster Flash, breakdancers The Rock Steady Crew and tag/graffiti legends Zephyr and Daze this DVD is more an historical document, a moment in time where an epoch was born. For those of you who think you know your hip-hop, put your money where your mouth is.

Rolling Stones: The Biggest Bang

Rob Dabrowski — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 13:08:22 +0000

There are few greater pleasures in life than watching a 63-year-old Mick Jagger shimmy and strut his way across 100 metres of stage. He is the one man that can put Axl Rose and his hypnotic ‘snake-hips’ dance to shame.

If the thought has you salivating, then you should immediately part with your hard earned cash in exchange for this four-disc box set, featuring more than 240 minutes of the Stones live on their A Bigger Bang tour.

Keith Richards may look like a corpse, but he can still pull off a mean lead lick and Mick Jagger has reached the zenith of high camp, making Johnny Borrell look like James Blunt. He pouts and shakes his way through the Stones’ immense back catalogue and a smattering of new tracks, thrown in for good measure.

The box set features more than 50 songs taken from five dates on the 2005/06 tour and even includes a documentary of the tour.