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Almost Famous Untitled - The Bootleg Cut (Director's Edition)

Almost Famous Untitled - The Bootleg Cut (Director's Edition)

List Price: $34.99
Your Price: $27.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Cameron Crowe hits the nail right on the head
Review: This movie could almost have been my story. Like William Miller, the 15 year old lead character in Almost Famous, I too found myself immersed in the backstage world of the 70's concert scene. Unlike young Miller or Cameron Crowe (who the character was pretty much based on), I wasn't a writer, I sold vintage guitars to all the touring bands that hit Houston starting in 1974 but I too was only 15 and was basically the same wide-eyed kid. I remember 'your name's not on the list' and being in love with a 'band-aid' or two that only had eyes for the band members. This movie captures exactly the way it felt back then: the musicians, the road crews, the music, the girls, everything. I ended up being a guitar tech, then a road manager and finally a manager before I left the business a couple of years ago at age 40. Ironically for me, (you'll understand why after you've seen the movie) I was the tour manager for Steve Marriott's, Humble Pie from 1982 to 1985 but I don't think I ever won a girl in a poker game like Reg.

There were a lot of little details that made it very real for me. There's a shot of the band's tour manager when he introduces the band. After he finishes, the camera lingers on him for a bit and you get a feel for the amount of pressure this guy is under. This particular character wasn't really fleshed out that much in the movie so I was surprised to see this particular shot but I'm glad it didn't get cut.

The DVD quality is excellent on this one and bonuses include a 'Making of' feature, original trailer, production notes and cast and crew details. The DVD also includes several full-length Rolling Stone articles written by Cameron Crowe in the `70's. About the only thing missing was a deleted scenes section.

Comedies like Still Crazy and Spinal Tap do a great job of lampooning this eras rock bands while still paying a sort of tribute and both are excellent movies but this movie falls into a category of its own. It took me back to what it was like in the very beginning when I first fell in love with rock and roll. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Cameron.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Was Rock & Roll really this boring?
Review: Cameron Crowe's affectionate autobiography will make anyone who grew up in the 70's feel a tug at their heartstrings as they remember their first Rock Concert. Beyond that this movie never really goes beyond its feel good veneer settling for contrived situations, cliches and familiar manufactured endings - except for its cant miss soundtrack, Cameron's good times dont quite translate to film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best Movie I've Seen in a Long Time
Review: I had high hopes for this movie. I didn't catch it in theatres, but I work in a video store and have been counting down for the past month until the day I could finally rent it. After what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, I finally watched the movie. I was blown away and despite the high hopes I had held my expectations were surpassed by a supreme margin. The acting was perfect, flawless. Each character was matched with an actor who captured the spirit to a 'T'. Jason Lee is in his best role ever, despite it being a seemingly small part. Billy Crudup is now in the running for my personal list of best actors. And of course, it was great to see the lovely Fairuza Balk return in another simply dazzling film. Even with the perfect cast a movie could still do badly, but Cameron Crowe added a beautiful script, and lastly, an extremely well done soundtrack that epitomizes the feeling of the movie. It even includes "Fever Dog" by Stillwater. The story was too great for words. I hoped that it would not end. I was too caught up in the story, and I wanted to find out the rest of the epic. What happened to Stillwater? Where does William go from there? And Penny? But even with questions, I was left feeling like everything was perfect in the world, longing to have grown up in such a lovely time where bands had long hair and self indulgent guitar solos, and people actually yelled "Does anybody remember laughter?"

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Another miss by the Academy Awards
Review: The Academy Awards will be for not. The best Picture of the year was not nominated. I saw all the films with the exception of Chocolate. This film was beautiful. Its was done to perfection, and is one of those rare films that allow you to escape to another time. I rate movies on a simple scale....Bad, okay, Good, and never want it to end. This I never wanted to end. Excellent film to own and watch over and over again. The sound track is one for the ages.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Does not include 30 minutes of extra footage!
Review: This is a great movie, one of the best. But this DVD does not include 30-minutes of extra footage, or any kind of directors cut. It is the same as the theatrical version. The extras are o.k., but nothing special (not even an audio commentary).

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: DO NOT BUY! (Great flick, but so-so DVD)
Review: Don't get me wrong, "Almost Famous" was hands down one of the best movies of the year. However, the film's director, Cameron Crowe, is planning to do a Special/Collector's Edition DVD as soon as he finishes filming "Vanilla Sky."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Thank you
Review: This movie is about the relationship between rock journalist and the world of rock and roll. If you like rock and roll and a coming of age story this one is for you. Almost Famous is a solid movie through and through. I have had the opportunity to write reviews for rock shows and hang out with "rock stars". Cameron Crowe and I are one in the same. The first time I saw this movie, I had chills for its duration. If you are infactuated with rock and roll, and want a glimpse of the magical relationship between music and journalism, please buy this movie. Although I only write for a small town paper, and not Rolling Stone, I completely identify with Crowe, being star struck, not getting interviews, not having things turn out the way they are supposed to. I owe my life to rock and roll. Everything I want to aspire to and be is in this movie, everything I want to say to rock and roll as a fan and a journalist is in this movie. Crowe has said that Almost Famous was his love letter to rock and roll. Mr. Crowe, thank you for writing it for the both of us.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: ...(Great movie, disappointing DVD)
Review: Don't get me wrong; I love this movie. I thought it was the best film of 2000. ... The cut seems identical to what I saw in the theater, and there are no deleted scenes included. The only important extras are a music video, a behind-the-scenes making-of special, and Crowe's original RS articles. Also, this is a 1.85:1 transer, not a 2.35:1 transfer as some sources claim. So there you go.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good Flick, But Not As Great As Most People Say It Is
Review: I didn't get a chance to see Almost Famous in the theaters, so when it came out on DVD, I immediately rented it. The story is fun and there are some fine performances by Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Jason Lee and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. However, I thought the characters played by Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand were extremely annoying and definitely not worthy of the Oscar nominations they have received for their performances. I think Cameron Crowe must be friends with Goldie Hawn and agreed to get closeup after closeup of her little girl Kate so that she can become a star based on her beauty. But she doesn't do much for the film in my opinion (the same goes for former Oscar winner Anna Paquin, who plays one of Kate's fellow "band-aids").

I also thought that since the character played by Fugit (Billy Miller) is essentially Cameron Crowe himself, he pretty much has portrayed himself as a perfect child with few faults. I find it a little hard to believe.

Overall, it was a good movie, especially if you enjoy the great music that is part of the soundtrack. But, it isn't "classic" material.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great movie, but...
Review: Great movie, but where exactly was the "Director's Cut with 30 minutes of never before seen footage" that Amazon has been advertising? My guess is that the whore studio will release that version in a few months, the same way they did with "Boogie Nights" and a host of others.

My copy of "Alomost Famous" has the same exact movie that I saw in the theater. It contains a 30 minute "making of" feature that I saw on HBO. There are no outtakes or deleted scenes and certainly no extra footage. There isn't even the standard voice-over audio track yet. The buyer needs to beware that this DVD is not coming with everything promised on this site.

The movie itself is a classic and worthy of 5 stars, but the DVD is nothing special. I guarantee you the REAL DVD will be released in the near future.


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