Rating: Summary: Fun two-fer for fans Review: "Return to Waterloo" seems something of an indulgence. The mid-life crisis theme is murky but the feeling is unmistakeable. The Ray Davies magic comes through. "Come Dancing" is a compilation of '80s music videos giving ample evidence that Davies is one of the world's great entertainers. If they're not already in your collection on VHS, you'll want to have this one.
Rating: Summary: Fun two-fer for fans Review: "Return to Waterloo" seems something of an indulgence. The mid-life crisis theme is murky but the feeling is unmistakeable. The Ray Davies magic comes through. "Come Dancing" is a compilation of '80s music videos giving ample evidence that Davies is one of the world's great entertainers. If they're not already in your collection on VHS, you'll want to have this one.
Rating: Summary: Something Else (by the best songwriter of last century?) Review: I actually have nothing more to add. But found silly a review who rated it two stars with the comment "add two stars if a Kinks fan...", well I should say deduct two stars if you don't like music. I had the oportunity to see Ray Davies perform "solo" (with a very talented solo guitar player as backer) in Barcelona a few years ago, incredible what a performance! I think Ray is the most underrated songwriter ever. Do not miss it.
Rating: Summary: Something Else (by the best songwriter of last century?) Review: I actually have nothing more to add. But found silly a review who rated it two stars with the comment "add two stars if a Kinks fan...", well I should say deduct two stars if you don't like music. I had the oportunity to see Ray Davies perform "solo" (with a very talented solo guitar player as backer) in Barcelona a few years ago, incredible what a performance! I think Ray is the most underrated songwriter ever. Do not miss it.
Rating: Summary: Add two stars if you're a Kinks fan. Review: I'm a huge Kinks fan (look at my screen name), and this film confirms why I'm a Kinks fan: The music is great, with Ray commenting on the disintegration of the British Empire to hard-driving rock melodies (and even though supposedly Dave Davies had nothing to do with this film, I hear his voice and believe I hear his guitar -- also, even though the RTW soundtrack is not available on CD, a number of its songs are on the Kinks' album "Word of Mouth" so don't tell me Dave had nothing to do with this). However, this film has little plot and no dialogue as we follow a commuter, the Traveller, into London. It has something to do with the Traveller loving his daughter a bit too much, leading her to run away (the song "Missing Persons"); meanwhile, the British Empire has fallen ("Not Far Away", "Expectations"); the Traveller has sold out his country to foreigners ("Sold Me Out"); and there's a rapist in London who is probably the Traveller (Ray's book "Waterloo Sunset" confirms that this is so). The music makes it all worthwhile for Kinks fans. Look for Tim Roth and a cameo by Ray.
Rating: Summary: Not worthy of the Kinks or Ray's talents Review: I'm a huge Kinks fan and had never seen Return To Waterloo (although I had the album released by Ray at the time of the film's release). When it finally appeared on DVD I thought I should check it out. It's a dreary mess of a film notable only for an early appearence by actor Tim Roth. The songs are certainly very good (although not quite up to the level of Arthur or Village Green). RTW stands as an interesting failure.The videos from the Kinks renewed popularity during the late 70's and early 80's are a hoot. Before MTV had reduced videos to little more than slick commericals, videos were amateurish enough to be fun. In this post MTV age they've become overproduced unimaginative messes (although thee are certainly a handful of worthy short "films" from the early years of MTV most are pretty bad now). Oh dear, I sound like a crabby old young man! Anyhow, the videos are fun and it's always nice to see the band performing even if its just lip synching and performances to backing tracks. I'd definitely rank Come Dancing and Do It Again at the top of the videos the Kinks made (the latter song is an underrated gem that borrows the opening chord from A Hard Day's Night and manages to return the favor the Who did for the band when they "borrowed" the Kinks sound early in their career). Worth having just for the videos and seeing the band in more successful days. As for RTW I'd record the songs onto a CDR play that and ignore the film. 1 star for RTW and 3 for the videos average out to 2 for the package.
Rating: Summary: Stunning and intoxicatingly real Review: I've always enjoyed listneing to The Kinks. More so it is the captivating and hypnotising lyrics found between the grooves of their recordings. "Return To Waterloo" sets the mood (as found throughout the lyrics by Ray Davies) as real, honest, dark, touching, twisted, and riveting. This movie I think is more then a simple rock opera or film but also a part of Ray which he gracefully chooses to let us explore. The film takes us on a trip with a man on his way to work and the many strange encounters he is subject too. The music is as usual enticing and true to what Ray Davies as always been to me; a great storyteller. I have been searching for this gem for over ten years and am now priviledged to own this wonderful film. To all Kinks and Ray Davies fans...... Don't go without this one.
Rating: Summary: these videos are amazing Review: Okay. let's not even bother to talk about the Movie Return to Waterloo, because most people never even went there in the first place, so returning to it might really be a way ov alienating a large part of the audience. However, the videos that are part of the Come dancing portion are outstanding. State of Confusion is one of the greatest songs that decade has produced. It's only fair that the visual component be as stunning as it's audio counterpart. The strange consistency is that Ray seems to really love shaving. He shaves in the State of confusion video, as well as the video for predictable. I guess he's really into it. The part where Dave is dresseed as a clown is creepy, especially when he runs backwards on his tip-e-toes really fast. I wonder what the rush was? regardless, it's pretty rad. I like the part where he's smoking and watching rowing, and the screen changes colours and stuff. That sort of thing is pretty funky. It's almost as weird as the part where he's wearing like a referee sport coat with a man-purse and he has a lot of trouble crossing the street. He was probably contemplating all that rowing he was watching. Anyway, this is a portrait of a band at a point that is their best for the point of time that they were at.
Rating: Summary: Well done Kinks tunes Review: Return to Waterloo is a terrific soundtrack but a somewhat strange, artsy movie. The second part of the DVD consists of late '80s Kinks videos: above average video, awesome music and some of Ray's better songwriting. Production quality is outstanding, and the music is wonderful. Watch the movie when you're pensive; watch the videos when you're in a party mood.
Rating: Summary: imagery to delight the senses Review: return to waterloo-by raymond davies-legendary kinks-proves to showcase a genius at best. the movie presents us with an everyday businessman-working classman-who lives day in and day out thru mystery,fantasy, and regrets..all taking place on train(waterloo station) with a great soundtrack of kinks(rays own) songs. a definate must watch for movie goers and fans alike.
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