It’s really about time this was released on DVD (the VHS also contains the
extras); this is the sort of film that deserves, needs . . . nay, demands, repeated
viewing, for which a VHS tape is not as suitable as a DVD. Secondly, with the DVD you can
jump around and see different bits of the film – and of the extras – much easier
than on tape. And you will want to, believe me. If you know the film, you won’t need
me to tell you it’s the ultimate doco on a metal band; you won’t believe the
candour, the insights, the clothes, the vagueness . . . And now, many years later, there
is an interview with Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner), the maker of the documentary; this alone is priceless.
Remember, this is the band that wrote songs like The Sun Never Sweats, and lyrics like
"the looser the waistband/the deeper the quicksand…" The jokes are visual,
sociological and musical, and the story > is irresistibly fey.
Hell Hole, one of the four music video clips, is a perfect example of what the fuss
isn’t all about; Big Bottom, another one, confirms your worst suspicions.
Best to order up big on pizzas and settle in for a long and crazy night in front of
this one.
Andrew L. Urban
Publication date: October 19, 2000
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