Rating: Summary: It's ok Review: The real videos are pretty good, but I dont understand why those stupid Top of the Pops fake performances were put on there. There is a real video for The Boy With the Thorn in His Side (and maybe others) that should be on there instead. Sure the video I'm talking about is a lip synched deal too, but it's nowhere near as cheesey as the version on here. Anyway, the high points for me were the non-Top of the Pops cuts like This Charming Man, Stop Me..., and There is a Light.... I hear there's supposed to be a dvd with all of their videos coming out soon. Hope so.
Rating: Summary: Gladiollas Uber Alles! Review: This 1992 documentary captures The Smiths "Rank"-era with a lot of crowd favorites; Charming Man, What Difference, Panic, How Soon Is Now?, Shoplifters, Sheila Take A Bow, and Queen Is Dead. Now that's worth the price alone. Spend 45 minutes with a band so good, you'll pine for those days. Speaking of back in the day, just how is Johnny Marr wasting his time currently?
Rating: Summary: Quite good, actually. Review: This collection is loathed by many, and I imagine it would be a shock to those expecting slickly-produced, MTV quality videos. But we are talking about The Smiths here, not a group known for their willingness to do videos. Quite the opposite, in fact. Add in the fact that the Smiths existed during the 1980s, when even the best videos reveled in cheesy glory. :) I quite enjoy the Top of the Pops appearances, which are what this DVD is largely comprised of. Yes, they are rather gaudy, over the top, and *very* 80s, which is precisely why I'm so fond of them. For those of us who never got to see the Smiths perform anywhere, this provides an opportunity to watch Morrissey sashay his way through many of their best known hits, complete with hearing aid and a small thicket in his back pocket. The Derek Jarman films are visually interesting, although frankly they make me a bit dizzy. The sound quality is good, and the menu makes song selection easier. If you're a diehard fan, you should own this. If you're simply someone who liked a few of their bigger hits, well, I wouldn't bother.
Rating: Summary: Waste of money Review: This DVD has the distinction of being the first one I've traded in for something else. What a ball of crud. The "videos" on this collection equate to only a handful of true videos as we old-timers know them from the glory days of MTV - cool images accenting the music, brief shots of the band, etc, and the ones done in that style are pretty neat. The majority, however, are cheesy clips of the boys lip-synching the songs on some BBC dance program in the 80s, and they look like they were all taped in one afternoon, regardless of costume changes. And, after seeing these performances, I can say with certainty that the Smiths were a band that should have only been heard and not seen.
Rating: Summary: A good DVD for Smiths fan only Review: This is a good DVD if you are a real fan of the Smiths. If you only like a couple of songs, I recommend to buy a CD. The DVD is only 50 minutes long and the videos are not so good. But if you really like Morrissey and The Smiths, this is a must have! I also recommend Oye Esteban (Morrissey's DVD). It contains much more videos, and they are better.
Rating: Summary: Should have dropped the "Top of the Pops" stuff Review: This should have been a compilation of only the "proper" videos, which, although it would have been only 20 or 30 minutes long, would have made for better watching. The mimed (and overdubbed) "Top of the Pops" clips are of little or no value, other than seeing some of Morrissey's amusing mannerisms. However, younger fans and those from outside Europe may find them of some historical interest. Besides, why are some TOTP clips missing? Where is "William it was really nothing" (which I know they did) or "Bigmouth Strikes Again" (which they could have culled from "The Old Grey Whistle Test", a non-miming BBC programme of the age"). Inclusion of these two would have made it better, but all in all this video is half interesting, half filler. However it DOES include a video for "There is a light that never goes out" - and who could argue with that?
Rating: Summary: It's not THAT bad :) Review: Well, many hardcore Smiths fans hate this vid, specifically the little "live performance" numbers that are indeed cheesey. But you have to remember: that was the 80's! Aside from that, there are some great artsy videos in here, including the "Queen Is Dead" piece. 5 star music, 3 star vids, 4 stars total. . . It'll make most fans happy.
Rating: Summary: Fun and educational Review: Yes, the videos are kind of corny, but this DVD is a real treat for those of us who were still learning how to walk when The Smiths were at the apex of their career. I liked how the DVD combined Smiths videos with some live preformances letting veiwers who maybe be new to The Smiths see them play. The sound quality is excellent reguardless of the shorthandedness of some of the videos. The only knocks I have against "The complete picture" is the length (50 minutes) and the "The queen is dead" flim at the end. If you like The Smiths you owe it to yourself to check this out, just don't expect to see amazingly artistic videos.
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