The
Broken Circle Breakdown
(2012/Tribeca/Cinedigm DVD)/DEVO:
The Complete Truth About De-Evolution
(2014 Upgraded Edition/MVD DVD)/Pussy
Riot: A Punk Prayer
(2013/Cinedigm DVD)
Picture:
C+/C/C+ Sound: C+/C/C+ Extras: C-/B/C Main Programs:
B-/B+/B
Our
latest set of music releases are all more interesting than expected,
including a classic reissued again...
Felix
von Groeningen's The
Broken Circle Breakdown
(2012) is our one
narrative drama, a Belgian import love story about Country Music
musician Didier (Johan Heldenbergh) and a big fan of Americana named
Elise (Veerle Baetens) who instantly fall for each other. Nominated
for Best Foreign Language Film, this is not a formulaic meet-cute
flick, but a smart, interesting, different and sometimes bold film
that celebrates America and America lost as well as asks about where
the world is going by its fandom of a quintessential culture.
The
acting is convincing, the script sharp, the music actually richer
than most actual Country Music (if you can call it that these days)
coming from the major record labels and is more remarkable on some
levels than others. The storyline has some good twists and the leads
offer palpable chemistry. A nice surprise, you're likely to hear
more about it and if interested, highly recommend you catch up with
it sooner than later so nothing gets spoiled about it for you.
Tribeca's winning streak of solid film picks continues.
A
brief on camera interview with Director von Groeningen is the only
extra.
As
this title was being prepared, we got the sad news that drummer Bob
Casale had passed away at the age of 61 of heart failure less than a
year after drummer Alan Myers also passed away. They were both part
of DEVO, the groundbreaking, innovative, bold, highly original and
remarkable Rock band that was one of the first Punk bands and first
New Wave bands before the terms took hold. Founded in 1972, they
held nothing back and created some amazing music. Showing up not
long after the debuts of The Velvet Underground and David Bowie, they
also were groundbreakers in visual arts, so the arrival of MTV a
decade later would only help boost them on their rise and DEVO:
The Complete Truth About De-Evolution
is being reissued on DVD by Music Video Distributors in an upgraded
version for 2014.
Though
their biggest hit, the 16mm-filmed Whip
It!
(filmed in 1980) was a hit in 1982, they made plenty of what we now
call Music Videos before and this really began for them as their 1978
major label album debut and first-ever full-length album Q:
Are We Not Me? A: We Are DEVO!
for Warner Bros. caught the attention of many. Bruce Connor came up
with a video for their middle class working man critique classic
Mongoloid
which used all kinds of effective archival footage. Getting this
seen on some TV shows and in various venues, it became the first of
many films, including some without music. It is included on this
DVD.
Band
member Gerald Casale took over directing the music clips with the
band showing up in liver clips and actual videos with a sort of
narrative (if not always apparently so) for songs including clips for
Be
Stiff,
(I
Can't Get No) Satisfaction,
Come
Back Jonee
(all 1978), The
DEVO Corporate National Anthem, The Day My Baby Gave Me A Surprise
(Casale w/Chuck Statler), A Worried Man, Secret Agent Man (the
original version of which was the theme song for the hit British TV
spy series Secret Agent (aka Danger Man, reviewed elsewhere on this
site) with Patrick McGoohan
(later of The
Prisoner);
all 1979), Girl
U Want
(Casale w/Chuck Statler), Whip
It!,
Freedom
Of Choice
(aka freedomofchoice,
all 1980), Through
Being Cool,
Love
Without Anger,
Beautiful
World
(all 1981), Time Out Of Fun, Peek-A-Boo! (all 1982), That's
Good,
The
Theme From Dr. Detroit
(both 1983), Are
U (aka
R U) Experienced
(not included here for copyright reasons, 1984), Disco
Dancer
(1988) and Post-Post
Modern Man
(1990). All are included here with a second version of Post-Post
Modern Man
(dubbed the Rocky Schenck Remix in an informercial style from the
same year; Schenck's long career includes (appropriately) the Fish
Heads
video for Barnes & Barnes, Them
Bones,
What
the Hell Have I?
and Grind
for Alice In Chains and I
Will Go With You
for Donna Summer.)
These
are some of the most subversive, smart, intelligent Music Videos ever
made and are as relevant today as ever. The band's reputation has
only grown since they began and Casale likely knew this re-release
was on the way. DEVO is one of the greatest band's the United States
ever turned out and this collection is still ahead of its time, still
influential and most music acts have yet to catch up with what they
did here (most are not even trying). They made no major music videos
since this was first released decades ago in an older format.
Extras
repeat all of those from the previous 12-inch Voyager video LaserDisc
and Rhino DVD, including several frame-by-frame archives of album
covers, posters, stills, singles, T-Shirts and text with more stills
about the band's history (with the best control of them ever), Bruce
Conner's remarkable shot film for their great song Mongoloid,
interview with early band producer Chuck Statler, three rare early
performances by the band. LaserDisc commercials, other short films, a
bit about their remake of a Jimi Hendrix song and
audio commentary by Gerald V. Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh. MVD has
added new menus and three more concert
performances in Gates
Of Steel
from the Live
1980
DVD and Dual Disc release, Uncontrollable
Urge
from Live
In The Land Of The Rising Sun
DVD and a 1996 Sundance performance of Mongoloid.
You
can read more about those previous MVD DEVO releases at these links:
Live
1980
Dual Disc (now out of print and very valuable!)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2960/DEVO+Live+1980+(Dual+Disc
Live
In The Land Of The Rising Sun
DVD
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1640/DEVO+-+Live+In+The+Land+Of+The+Rising+Sun
Just
as bold as it turns out, Pussy
Riot: A Punk Prayer
(2013) features the anti-Putin, all-female Punk Rock band who has
been in the news for a while now and during the Sochi Olympics, keep
making news. However, this did not happen overnight and who knows
what will have happened to them of late as you read this one. This
excellent co-directed/compilation documentary shows the disturbing
events of Vladimir Putin taking over as Russian President yet again
despite the supposed implementation of post-USSR/Soviet democracy and
how four music-loving gals just could not take it anymore, could not
handle the disturbing melding of church & state and did something
about it by protesting with music and wild stage performances.
U.S.
media has done a lousy job in showing and explaining what exactly
happened, but not here, where we get exceptional details every step
of the way how they became instantly political and decided to
literally risk their lives, freedom and future to have a future and
seeing and feeling like there was not one under the extreme
circumstances. Sure, more will continue to happen, but that will
make this vital document that shows that music and the arts still
matter proves once again the power of the arts.
Running
93 minutes, it is very journalistically sound, compelling, rich and
shows why more artists worldwide need to support these four women
now, immediately for their courage, morality, integrity and
willingness to risk all to get their country and lives back. What we
think of as girl groups have always had a long tradition of
greatness, like The Shirelles, The Supremes, The Go-Gos, The
Chordettes, The Three Degrees, LaBelle, The Shangri-Las, The
Vandellas, The Crystals, The Dixie Cups, The Ronettes, The Chiffons,
The Angles, The Orlons, The Murmaids, The Toys, The Sweet
Inspirations, The Honey Cone, The Pleasure Seakers, The Pointer
Sisters, Sister Sledge, Bananarama, En Vogue, Wilson Phillips,
Klymaxx, The Spice Girls, SWV, TLC, Destiny's Child, The Bangles, and
so many others worldwide. Pussy Riot is their spiritual and Artistic
equal in the
world
of music sisterhood and now more than ever, they deserve the respect,
support, help and recognition for speaking up when so many are too
afraid or confused. Pussy
Riot: A Punk Prayer
is a very important music documentary, one of the best in years and
is highly recommended. Consider it must-see viewing as the situation
snowballs (and down with the Cossacks!!!)
A
trailer and via satellite interview with band member Katya
Samutsevich.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image on Circle
may seem a little soft at first, but as you watch, you'll realize it
is styled to look this way, but if it were any softer, I would have
to rate it lower. The 1.33 X 1 image on the DEVO
videos unfortunately use older video masters of the videos that were
first shot on 16mm film, then on analog NTSC videotape. The filmed
videos need HD transfers from the original film elements and the
analog tape upscaled to 1080i. Slight area is missing on all four
sides of all videos versus the older Rhino DVD release as well. That
leaves the anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on Riot
mixing several video sources from standard to HD video, but it looks
decent overall.
The
lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 on Circle (in Flemish with burned-in
subtitles) and Riot, both having music in their situations,
fictitious or not, yet, the soundfield is inconsistent as the former
is dialogue-oriented often and the latter has its share of weak
stereo and even monophonic audio that can sound compressed. The
lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo on DEVO is down a few generations like
the video, but could and should easily sound better than it does
here.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
