Rating: Summary: cuts to [...] at the best parts Review: I'm sorry. I am a true Radiohead fanatic but this video is painful to watch. Just when you think you are about to see the most solemn beautiful version of Lucky it cuts to some [...] of photographers taking pictures of the band. It goes down hill from there.Not an entire song on the whole video although you get annoying bits and peices. Not an entire interview on the whole video although you get annoying bits and peices. Boy wouldn't it be great if there was one song on here? What you are left with is just a cult of personality peice. I watched it one time hoping it would improve. It never did and I had to gave it to my nephew.
Rating: Summary: Hell yeah! Review: Hard working group! Great music... great video! Well worth it for Radiohead fans!
Rating: Summary: An Interesting View of a Touring Band Review: You get a look from the inside of what it's like to be Radiohead in 1997 - your record 'OK Computer' has come out and you are touring in support of it and next thing you know you are receiving tons of awards and more attention than you ever dreamed of. So, what is you reaction? This film explores the way the different members of Radiohead react to the way the press treated them on their 1997 World Tour and it's a very eye-opening view of the subject. It is also done in a style that, although quite disorienting and loud at times, is very fitting for this band which has gone to the extremes of making music that is at times very interesting and at times somewhat unlistenable. Definitely worth a single viewing for any fan of rock music in general and for Radiohead fans for sure.
Rating: Summary: Really incredible Review: This documentary is one of the most audio-visually moody and stunning works I have ever seen. The colors, the the grainy quality of the super-8 camera, and the overlay of incredible radiohead songs makes watching this video and incredible experience. Director Gee pairs the hectic life of radiohead on tour with some examples of people criticizing them to create the idea that everything is out of control. While I hated to hear a British woman saying "again, music to slit your wrists to... this is one of the most miserable tunes I've ever heard" (in reference to radiohead's single, No Surprises) -- it really shows you that there are some incredibly stupid people out there who don't know the first thing about what good music really is. One of the most interexting scenes, I feel, is when Thom is filming the video for "No Surprises," in which he is wearing a diver's-helmet which slowly fills with water as he sings. This is an incredible scene as we get to watch the actual video and then see the takes of Thom gasping for air as he releases the water from the helmet. I am an avid radiohead fan, and I promise any other radiohead lovers that this movie is essential to understanding more about wo they are. I walked away feeling so much more respect and reverance for them, and I now feel as though I had met them in some sense... I absolutely recommend this to anyone who is considering buying it.
Rating: Summary: confusing look at a great band Review: This DVD is for diehard fans only. I found the whole thing rather confusing and difficult to decipher, but I suppose that was sort of the point, but I would have prefered something a little less artsy and more informative. Lots of mumbling brits talking in indecipherable accents about subjects that you have no idea about. Some interesting camera work with some cool shots, but overall a disapointment.
Rating: Summary: AMAZING! Review: Wow. I just picked this up the other day after reading a review on amazon.com about it. Let me tell you, incredible. It really doesn't have any other features besides the 90 minute documentary but its worth every penny you pay for it. Incredible. The music is absolutly suberb(it is Radiohead afterall) the filming was very unique and interesting as well. Wow
Rating: Summary: Better than a trip to the airport Review: This movie is a perfect companion piece to the album OK Computer. For one thing they share a common theme.....constant travel and motion.....Airports, highways, terminals, streets....everything in the film coincides somehow. Most of the footage is of promotional interviews. By the end of the film, you grow nearly as tired of hearing the questions as the band, and Grant Gee's style of distorting shots and bits of sound with blips, beeps, and flashing colors adds to the constant tension which seems to be building up throughout. The live footage is very energetic, although many songs are repeated several times (Paranoid Android, Exit Music for a Film) and some crucial Radiohead staples aren't included (Let Down, Fake Plastic Trees). Much of the footage is shot with a handheld cam to give most everything a grainy texture. This is clearly a unique documentary....the Band had absolutely nothing to do with making it (not once does a member even acknowledge the presence of a camera) but it still retains their style perfectly. Grab this before it goes ut of print.
Rating: Summary: A Worthwhile Purchase for a Radiohead Fan Review: As others have stated, the band does portray a rather boring life as documented, however the concert scenes are fantastic - and it offers an interesting perspective into an interesting band.
Rating: Summary: So you wanna be a rock star? Review: In this film, Grant Gee does an excellent job of capturing Radiohead's utter bewilderment at the height of their fame. Gee accompanied the band on a grueling 102-show, four-continent tour following the 1997 release of their magnum opus and every critic's album of the decade, OK Computer. He takes a very passive role in filming; the viewer is a mere fly on the wall as the band members endure countless mind-numbing interviews from giddy magazine reporters and sycophant DJs. I like how so many of the interviewers' questions are left unanswered via a quick cut to another scene, since we all know what we want to say to this: "what is the stupidest question a journalist has ever asked you in an interview?" The cynical ramblings of lead singer Thom Yorke give no surprises to those familiar with his trademark moodiness. But even the normally cheerful bassist Colin Greeenwood slips up in one interview, saying "I hate it" as he talks about the hectic schedule. Of course, Colin immediately does what Thom would never do - he takes back his inflammatory statement and is very apologetic to the semi-interested chain-smoking 20-year old across from him. (For a minute there, he lost himself.) Colin is so accomodating to the media that he even takes a stab at speaking French in an interview in Paris; he's the most sympathetic figure in the film because he seems to have the most optimism to lose. Thom is what makes the band tick, and this is apparent in the movie. The gloomy theme is set early, as Thom warms up his voice for the first concert of the tour by building up to an inhuman ear-splitting wail. The rest of the band stays out of his way, allowing their star to retreat alone to the dressing room while a post-concert party rages just outside. You can understand his desire to hide when you see the machine-gun style photo shoot he endures later in the film. Thom's behavior has progressed to the point that people now think it is funny to see him break down, as he does while filming an acceptance speech for the NME album of the year award. Thom's profane outtake is broadcast at the awards and met with amusement by the audience. Perhaps the creepiest scene is the filming of the "No Surprises" video, in which Thom wears a diving helmet that slowly fills with water. In order to make it look as if he stays submerged for a few minutes, the normally soothing song is sped up to an Alvin & The Chipmunks pace, providing an insane accompaniment to Thom slamming his head against the glass in frustration when he can't hold his breath long enough. The DVD takes a lot of energy to watch. The sluggish interviews are exchanged with loud, harshly lit live performances shot from awkward angles and long distances, as if Gee had sneaked his handheld into the arena like a bootlegger. Fragmented text flies across the screen too quickly to digest. The audio of the interviews is poor, and the DVD is not split into chapters for easy searching. But by making the movie difficult to watch, Gee has actually succeeded in making the viewer share some of the band's exhaustion and confusion. Most non-Radiohead fans will probably not have the patience to go through all of this. But if you love Radiohead, you should own this film.
Rating: Summary: a good doc, but a bit misleading Review: I am of the opinion that this is not so much "a film about radiohead" as the cover states. This is more of "a film involving radiohead". This film is less aimed at an overall picture of the band, and more aimed at a peek inside their struggle in trying to tour for an album amidst heavy media attention and their newfound "legend" status. As such, the film succeeds in presenting a picture of the tour that is almost as frustrating to watch as it must have been for the band to live. Text interviews and live interview footage are cut and mixed in a dreary repetitive collage that almost numbs your mind. The little bit of concert footage that is present gives the same feeling. You can almost hear Thom saying "do we have to do this song AGAIN?!" when we see the band performing 'Creep' for the third time. At one point, he simply holds the microphone to the audience and lets them sing the chorus.. but it's obvious that he isn't doing it to 'pump the audience up'... he's exposing the tired ritual of a performance for the parody that it is. Through the course of the film, you can see the progression from a band who is modest and quite surprised about the attention that is being heaped upon them, to a band who is almost bitter at the 'responsiblity' that comes with being the darlings of the moment. If you are looking for a VH1 'behind the music' type view of Radiohead, this isn't it. If you're curious about why the band seems so edgy and distant with their music, this glimpse into their frustrations might be an important piece of the puzzle.
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