Rating: Summary: being a rock star is easy... Review: 'Meeting People is Easy' is a sort of exercize in empathy... one gets the sense that the film wants you - desperately - to understand where the five members of Radiohead, tired from an endless global tour for 'Ok Computer,' are coming from. Thom Yorke grimmaces, scowls, and looks genuinely p_ssed through interview after numbing japanese interview. This is the guy, after all, who gave us the line "there's nothing more dull / than talking talking bout yourself." Being a rock star, even the shy, sensitive frontman of a British 'art-rock' band is just as draining now as decades of pop-culture cliche have established since the 60s.But director Grant Gee is interested in doing more than whining of behalf of the complaint-rock set. His film is (should be, at least) the companion piece to the band's 'Ok Computer' album. There's a vision being expressed, homogenous to both works, a sad tableau of modern life and the funk that settles into the cracks of airports and freeways. 'Meeting People is Easy' has style and feels like a film made by a fan, or at least a listener keenly in tune with the Radiohead aesthetic. In any case, the film is a must for the Radiohead fan. The time-span depicted - roughly the course of 1997 and early '98 - saw the band at the height (to date) of their public attention. Sales were booming, awards were being passed out like candy, the media were enchanted, enchanted, enchanted. Seeing the guys in action amidst all the wacky hoopla is pretty interesting (Thom's grumpy meltdown while giving a live-via-sattelite acceptance speech to the NME is a highlight). Best best best of all, of course, is the music. The live material played throughout 'Meeting People is Easy' ranges from the super early to initial incarnations of 'Kid A' cuts and beyond... there are embryonic snippets of unreleased and 'Amnesiac'-bound tracks sprinkled around. Especially cool is a sequence depicting abortive recording sessions for the ill-fated, now-quite-dead 'Big Boots,' once slated for release on the "Avengers" soundtrack (phew). The film's finale - a brief live performance of the shimmering organ and xylophone-laden power ballad 'Big Ideas,' is alone worth your $$.
Rating: Summary: Meeting People is Not Easy Review: The title of this documentary should be Meeting People is Not Easy. Grant Gee's 1998 documentary, records the peculiarly postmodern array of identity problems confronting Radiohead following the unexpected critical acclaim of their third album, OK Computer. Less about the band than the intimidating commercial machine that created its success, the video (never released as a film) is a fragmented chronicle built from original and scavenged television broadcasts, color and black and white film, time-lapse photography, security camera video and other still and moving images from various visual media. Gee synthesizes an eclectic range of interviews and concert performances, both alternately compelling and monotonous, with eerie glimpses of post-industrial existence among the first world's mundane and graying suburbs.
Rating: Summary: Radiohead film documents new perspective on rock Review: Meeting People is Easy is SO different from the typical 'rock home video,' it's appalling. With a band as deliberately obtuse as Radiohead, it's no surprise, and it's no surprise that it's great. Delving into the psyche of the band as they are in the hurricane of the 97-98 'OK Computer' tour, it shows the absolute craziness and instability of the tour and how it taxes the mind; all in preparation for the couple of hours on stage night after night. Grant Gee's cinematography is incredible, filled with unique imagery that fits with Radiohead's aesthetic. It really gives the viewer a sense of what the band is feeling (even though it might force the sense of drudgery and paranoia upon the viewer at times). Even if you're not a fan of the band, you should watch 'Meeting People Is Easy,' just on its merits as a film. If you like the band, as I do, you'll find it even more intriguing.
Rating: Summary: great content, but this is not really a DVD. Review: The music is great, the visuals are great, yet just one detail feels awfully wrong: this DVD seems like a VHS on disc. There are basically none of the interactive features we got so used to from DVDs. This DVD is not even really divided into chapters, or scenes, so in order to get from one place to another you have to use the FFWD button... how analog. :*) On the other hand this might be part of the fun, since Radiohead is a real rockband. They do not release cds, they release records. They do not record dvds, they release videos. Rockin'
Rating: Summary: "Crap Of The World" Review: First off, if you like Radiohead because of something you see in them that reminds you of yourself, or what you would like to exspress. Then yes you should buy this... most likely. But really, I got it because I find it so nice to see how music can be great and very simple, like when Thom is just player guitar and singing alone. It's very inspiering, to see that you can be something it's all about just trying hard enough, not physicly but mentally. If you have any idea what im talking about then you should buy this. I also wanna add I really liked the way it was filmed very right brained and such. and that part where he's talking to the austrilian interviewer tored the end it great. and yes I can't spell
Rating: Summary: Fascinating anti-rockumentary Review: "Rockumentaries" always prompt two types of reviews: a)Fawning fans who would sing high praises for ANY graven image of thier idols, or, b)an actual movie review. This is one of the latter. Contrary to what Radiohead worshippers would lead you to believe,it IS possible to enjoy this well-made documentary without being a devoted fan, don't fall for that old college-radio elitist line. In fact, the most fascinating thing about the movie is the general "anti-rock star" vibe throughout.On this level,the film is a throwback to THE seminal rockumentary "Don't Look Back", which featured a mostly uncooperative and combative Bob Dylan. The most telling example is a concert scene with lead singer Thom Yorke expressing his obvious disdain for Radiohead's most "radio-friendly" song "Creep",rolling his eyes and turning his mike to the audience as they parrot thier own en masse Karaoke version; then spitting a couple verses back at them in an off-key, faux-Johnny Rotten style. Quite amusing.Thankfully, the non-linear editing style and quick cutaways keep Yorke's constant off-stage mopey "woe is me, suffering for my art" stance from dragging the film down. The film is unusually atmospheric for its genre, painting an impressionistic portrait of modern alienation reminiscent of recent fictional films like "Safe" and "Happiness". Worthwhile for any open-minded music fan.
Rating: Summary: a MUST for true radiohead fans Review: imagine following the band that is, in a word, your LIFE, admist the artistic talent of grant gee.. watching them at shows, walking down the street, driving on I-76 in philly, recording, during video filming, photo shoots, etc. this film is AMAZING. gee's potrayal of the band in this film is so characteristic of them..i can't really explain it, but this film has a total "radiohead feel" to it. i was glued to the TV for the entire 95 minutes and i did not want to get up. the thom moments are so rad (especially during his photo shoot :) ) and the live footage is great too. includes recordings and performances of new unrealeased material as well, songs that were supposed to be on the new album. i have to admit though, as it has been said time and time again, if you are not a big radiohead fan or a true one, then you'll probably find this video a waste of your time. but, if you adore them half as much as i do, you'll love it too. if radiohead sings the anthems of your life and you are among those of us who are gonna be waiting in line outside of record stores across the US on october 3 (not to mention box offices early new year..!) then you MUST own this video.
Rating: Summary: meeting people is easy Review: This is a truly art film in which a glimpse of the life of radiohead is revealed. From the thousands of photographs to the mundane interviews, this follows the band through the OK Computer tour. The best part of the movie is that it uses many different images and sounds outside of the band and their music to create a continously ominous feeling. Any person involved with film will appreciate the editing. The first time I went to see it (which was actually on the big screen), I was absolutely blown away. Brilliant.
Rating: Summary: This is the title for this review Review: OK, first of all, I just want to say that I'm a BIG Radiohead fan. I'm not just some guy who walked out of nowhere and picked this vid up. Like most people who bought this, I knew alot about the band and their music beforehand.... Normally when I see something which has Radiohead on it I'd give 5 stars without even thinking about it. However, I have to admit that this film is a disappointment. Although there were some interesting sections within the film, seeing the trouble Thom had filming No Suprises speaks volumes about his personality, watching Jonny make insane noises spring from his guitar mid- Paranoid Android... there was no overall fluidity to the piece nor any overall scheme to it. The only order which existed was that the events were chronological which, I'm sorry, is not good enough. And what on earth were those references to Mir about? I thought that was going to lead somewhere and instead it just disappeared. I can see what Grant Gee was trying to do but it just doesn't quite pan out. Any message we might have gleaned from this film is lost behind too much irrelevant stuff going on and added in. You get the feeling that this information has been put in there on purpose, to give a 'Radioheady' feel to it. To resemble the album somewhat. All the spooky atmospherics of the album have been supposedly replaced by harsh editing and blurred shots. In the end, Thom's fear which he describes in an interview with an Australian Interviewer on the video, that successful artists often start to reel out the same old material because of a dread of losing the success that they already have, appears to be coming true. This is poor direction of what could have been an excellent video. I give it a 3 star because, seeing as I love the band, the music and interviews within are all gems anyway, but if not a fan, I'd give it a two or even a one. Not a good way to be introduced to one of the greatest bands ever.
Rating: Summary: Take care Review: My friend saw a copy of this sitting on my desk and thought it was a self help video, somthing like "101 Ways to Score With the Ladies." Apart from that I liked it.
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