Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: If you are a TMBG fan, which I am sure you are if you are reading this, buy it. All the videos and a bunch of extra stuff including a live video of The Sun which is great! The only thing that is missing is remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, but the sound is still by far better than CD. Very Cool DVD...
Rating: 
Summary: Oh, how paltry MTV looks now!
Review: Jonathan, you might want to check your DVD player, because I had none of the problems you had -- "Play All" DOES play all, and all of the videos have commentary. A few of the older videos are grainy, but I suspect that's more due to the source material, and I doubt they'd go to the trouble of professionally touching up and restoring them.I don't know why they bothered to put the Quicktime "home movies" on the disc. I thought it was odd that they didn't make them available as regular DVD "special features" videos, but then I found out -- they're VERY low quality, and they're only about a minute each -- just snippets of the songs. There could have been much more in the way of extras, but, fortunately, there's a treasure trove of extras available on the _Gigantic_ DVD, and the ones that are included here -- the "Tiny Toons" clips, the "fiery" live performance, and the audio tracks -- are not on the _Gigantic_ disc. Plus, the "commentary" for the "Snail Shell" video is actually another song! Overall, this is a great video collection for TMBG fans. (By the way, I'm sure that the reason "Boss of Me" is not included is that it's owned by Fox, so perhaps they couldn't get the rights to it, or didn't think it was worth it, or maybe they're saving it for the next collection...)
Rating:
Summary: Oh, how paltry MTV looks now!
Review: Jonathan, you might want to check your DVD player, because I had none of the problems you had -- "Play All" DOES play all, and all of the videos have commentary. A few of the older videos are grainy, but I suspect that's more due to the source material, and I doubt they'd go to the trouble of professionally touching up and restoring them. I don't know why they bothered to put the Quicktime "home movies" on the disc. I thought it was odd that they didn't make them available as regular DVD "special features" videos, but then I found out -- they're VERY low quality, and they're only about a minute each -- just snippets of the songs. There could have been much more in the way of extras, but, fortunately, there's a treasure trove of extras available on the _Gigantic_ DVD, and the ones that are included here -- the "Tiny Toons" clips, the "fiery" live performance, and the audio tracks -- are not on the _Gigantic_ disc. Plus, the "commentary" for the "Snail Shell" video is actually another song! Overall, this is a great video collection for TMBG fans. (By the way, I'm sure that the reason "Boss of Me" is not included is that it's owned by Fox, so perhaps they couldn't get the rights to it, or didn't think it was worth it, or maybe they're saving it for the next collection...)
Rating:
Summary: Oh, how paltry MTV looks now!
Review: Jonathan, you might want to check your DVD player, because I had none of the problems you had -- "Play All" DOES play all, and all of the videos have commentary. A few of the older videos are grainy, but I suspect that's more due to the source material, and I doubt they'd go to the trouble of professionally touching up and restoring them. I don't know why they bothered to put the Quicktime "home movies" on the disc. I thought it was odd that they didn't make them available as regular DVD "special features" videos, but then I found out -- they're VERY low quality, and they're only about a minute each -- just snippets of the songs. There could have been much more in the way of extras, but, fortunately, there's a treasure trove of extras available on the _Gigantic_ DVD, and the ones that are included here -- the "Tiny Toons" clips, the "fiery" live performance, and the audio tracks -- are not on the _Gigantic_ disc. Plus, the "commentary" for the "Snail Shell" video is actually another song! Overall, this is a great video collection for TMBG fans. (By the way, I'm sure that the reason "Boss of Me" is not included is that it's owned by Fox, so perhaps they couldn't get the rights to it, or didn't think it was worth it, or maybe they're saving it for the next collection...)
Rating:
Summary: Great collection but...
Review: The collection is great but on the John & John commentary, John Linnell is extremely hard to hear which is extremely dissapointing.
Rating:
Summary: Great collection but...
Review: The collection is great but on the John & John commentary, John Linnell is extremely hard to hear which is extremely dissapointing.
Rating:
Summary: Well, whaddya know ... these guys are kinda cute!
Review: The first thing that strikes me about They Might Be Giants' video collection Direct From Brooklyn (originally released on VHS in 1999, now available on DVD) is that John Linnell and John Flansburgh are rather easy on the eyes. (Okay, so beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but this beholder likes what she sees.) Linnell, who sings lead in most of these clips, has loads of energy and charisma, as well as a modesty about him that makes him all the more attractive (you won't see him in skintight leather pants or buttless spandex, cavorting with groupies); plus, he manages to make the accordian seem sexy and cool -- it's no wonder that he has more than his fair share of lady admirers. Flansburgh, the glasses-wearing, left-handed guitar player who sings lead on "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head," "Hotel Detective," and "The Guitar" (and shares lead vocals with Linnell on "Istanbul"), has a boyish sweetness about him; like Marshall Crenshaw, he seems not like a conventional rock star at all, but rather like an exceptionally talented fan. In most of these clips, though, he often offsets this sweet persona with a stone-faced, Elvis Costello-like intensity. To paraphrase the movie Swingers (1996), John and John are so "money," they don't know how "money" they are. A clip-by-clip guide (in full color, unless specified otherwise):
1) "Dr. Worm" (1998): Fast-paced black & white clip with goofy cartoon sequences.
2) "Snail Shell" (1994): Cool clip, shot in Germany at what looks like an old-timey TV studio.
3) "The Guitar" (1992): Shifts between classy b&w and vibrant color; Flansy shares the spotlight with Linnell (who wrangles with a bass guitar) and guest vocalist Laura Cantrell.
4) "The Statue Got Me High" ('92): TMBG's first big-budget; the space motif cleverly builds on Apollo 18's CD packaging.
5) "Istanbul" (1990): Alternates between 2-D and 3-D animation; utterly bizarre.
6) "Birdhouse in Your Soul" ('90): Dreamlike; watch out for the "Stop rock video" signs!
7) "They'll Need a Crane" (1988): Shot in NY's Central Park; shifts between the Johns and some elderly gentlemen performing the song (color) and boating on a lake (b&w); classy, and as conventional as They get.
8) "Purple Toupee" ('88): Alternates between the Johns rocking out (b&w/tinted) and Coney Island carnival footage (color).
9) "Ana Ng" ('88): Shifts between the Johns in misery at their desks (b&w) and the Johns goofing off outside (color); features no lip-synch (!).
10) "Hotel Detective" (1986): Alternates between the Johns rocking out (Linnell on the sax, Flansy on a Bo Diddley guitar) and super-cute animated sequences.
11) "Don't Let's Start" ('86): Frenetic b&w clip filmed at the site of the '64 World's Fair in NY.
12) "Puppet Head" ('86): TMBG's exuberant, no-budget debut (colorful, but with some grainy b&w shots); and have I mentioned the boyish good looks of the Johns?
13) "Particle Man" (from the "Tiny Toon Adventures" cartoon series): A hilariously literal interpretation of the lyrics, set in a wrestling ring.
14) "Istanbul" (from "TTA"): Not as well-crafted as the Johns' own visual representation of the song, but actually funnier. Generally, the imaginative, surreal clips are about using video as a creative outlet rather than as a mere marketing tool; hence, no selling of sex, and no straight "performance" clips. The various directors (including Flansburgh himself on "Dr. Worm" and "The Guitar"!) load these videos with witty visual surprises; the Johns supply utterly unique choreography, unbridled enthusiasm, charm, intelligence, and a refreshing lack of vanity. Among the DVD extras: The Johns' audio commentary is not especially insightful, but nonetheless amusing and filled with fun trivia; the 2002 live clip of "Why Does the Sun Shine" is notable only for the presence of Their fire-breathing tour manager; and the three audio tracks ("McGyver," "Your Mom's Alright," a 2002 remix of "Man It's So Loud in Here") are just okay. I recommend this disc to anyone who hasn't seen these fine videos yet, and anyone who has worn out their VHS copy. I suppose the coolest thing about this disc is that it gives you the option of watching the videos straight through (see the "watch all" option on the main menu), or of watching one clip at a time (see the "watch one" menu) in whatever order you want and however many times you want.
Rating:
Summary: Required
Review: Think of this as required watching for any serious TMBG Fan.
Rating:
Summary: Videos are fun, Commentary is Priceless!
Review: This DVD is definitely a must-have for any TMBG Fan. The video commentary is absolutely hilarious! Other extras include a few audio-only songs, and a live video of "Why Does the Sun Shine?". There's not much more to say. It's just classic TMBG fun!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This is a perfect companion for every Giants fan. Many music videos that MTV nevered played. Included are some animated music videos from the now defunct Tiny Toon Adventures cartoon.
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