YoungRemy
07-19-2006, 05:56 PM
http://www.ugo.com/channels/DVD/article.asp?articleID=19269
AWESOME; I… SHOT THAT DVD REVIEW
A stroke of genius must have touched MCA (aka: movie director Nathanial Hornblower, aka Adam Yauch). In order to shoot the DVD for their Never Stop Rapping Yet tour, the Beasties waited for a gig in their neck of the woods (ie Madison Square Garden) to hand out 50 handheld cameras to members of the audience. The name of the movie comes from a pep talk given by the crew to the amateur photographers, "There's one hardcore rule: You can do whatever you want. Just keep shooting. 20 years from now, you're going to be able to go, 'Awesome, I f***ing shot that.'"
With the help of some professional cameramen, the entire concert was captured from 62 different angles. The Beastie Boys are a high-octane group, full of hijinx, but above all, they're entertainers. They can play off of the crowd, they can play with the crowd, and they can always make the crowd sing. A lot of their music is new music at first, but there's no escaping the songs that keep parties hopping and people moving. Classics like "Paul Revere," "Brass Monkey," "So What'Cha Want," and "Sabotage" making the cut, fans of the older music won't be disappointed. Then again, with the Beastie Boys no one would be disappointed at that show. Definitely not Ben Stiller, who shows up during the credits, accompanied by his wife to testify to the gloriousness that is the Beastie Boys.
With 50 handheld cameras capturing 50 different angles, editing was going to be murder for this movie. More importantly, editing was going to make or break the concept. Bits of hilariousness are sliced into the concert, but scenes are sometimes chopped together in rapid-fire jump cuts, scenes are rewound, and sometimes, you're presented with a grid of 9 (or 64) different angles at once. Thank God the music stays consistent, as it was tied into the sound system.
Everything about this DVD concept is completely original and so well thought out. After opening the DVD case, you'll find the insert is actually the "Awesome; I F***kin' Shot That" Operations Manual. It looks and reads like a VCR instruction manual, right down to the fonts used. Simple (and I mean, simple) instructions on how to operate the DVD are provided, including an explanation to their "Hidden Detour" special feature concept. Essentially, turning this feature on will indicate where Easter Eggs are and you can check out side-stories, which are sometimes completely ridiculous, and sometimes are interesting stories about the fans.
The special features on the disc are a blast. Sometimes, they stand out as hilarious hijinx brought by hilarious guys. "Never Stop Rapping Yet", the bonus named after their tour, features fans from venues all across the world (at least Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the USA), asking for their favorite songs, showing off their costumes, and just raving about the band. Look closely enough and some of these fans are recognizable as Kid Rock, Jack Black and System of a Down. "Show Intros" is a series of skits at four Australian shows, featuring Mix Master Mike either screwing with Slipknot, busting down a coke party, beating Lleyton Hewitt at tennis, or just plain screwing around just before he heads onstage. "Jeremy Crooks' Angry World" speaks for itself. Jeremy's not a happy man, but he's damn hilarious to watch. The only black eye in the special features is the "Day in the Life of Nathanial Hornblower." Sure, it'll be funny to some fans, but watching MCA dressed in a "Swiss" disguise, being both degrading and highly abrasive can be left for MTV's Jackass.
Most fans of the Beastie Boys are going to buy this DVD regardless of any concept or intriguing idea. Awesome, I… Shot That works as a concept DVD, a musical DVD, a tour DVD and a freakin' unique idea. The commentary track included with the disc doesn't stand out as anything special by any means since the boys just talk about random things, not necessarily relating to the DVD. One last special feature will let you see pretty much every camera angle in a grid for the entire length of the concert. That way, if you were one of the amateur photographers (listed on the inside cover), and you're hanging with your buddies while checking out the DVD, you can turn to your friend and yell, "Awesome; I fuckin' shot that!"
Show: A
Look: A-
Sound: A-
Extras: A-
Overall: A-
Review by Kyle Braun
AWESOME; I… SHOT THAT DVD REVIEW
A stroke of genius must have touched MCA (aka: movie director Nathanial Hornblower, aka Adam Yauch). In order to shoot the DVD for their Never Stop Rapping Yet tour, the Beasties waited for a gig in their neck of the woods (ie Madison Square Garden) to hand out 50 handheld cameras to members of the audience. The name of the movie comes from a pep talk given by the crew to the amateur photographers, "There's one hardcore rule: You can do whatever you want. Just keep shooting. 20 years from now, you're going to be able to go, 'Awesome, I f***ing shot that.'"
With the help of some professional cameramen, the entire concert was captured from 62 different angles. The Beastie Boys are a high-octane group, full of hijinx, but above all, they're entertainers. They can play off of the crowd, they can play with the crowd, and they can always make the crowd sing. A lot of their music is new music at first, but there's no escaping the songs that keep parties hopping and people moving. Classics like "Paul Revere," "Brass Monkey," "So What'Cha Want," and "Sabotage" making the cut, fans of the older music won't be disappointed. Then again, with the Beastie Boys no one would be disappointed at that show. Definitely not Ben Stiller, who shows up during the credits, accompanied by his wife to testify to the gloriousness that is the Beastie Boys.
With 50 handheld cameras capturing 50 different angles, editing was going to be murder for this movie. More importantly, editing was going to make or break the concept. Bits of hilariousness are sliced into the concert, but scenes are sometimes chopped together in rapid-fire jump cuts, scenes are rewound, and sometimes, you're presented with a grid of 9 (or 64) different angles at once. Thank God the music stays consistent, as it was tied into the sound system.
Everything about this DVD concept is completely original and so well thought out. After opening the DVD case, you'll find the insert is actually the "Awesome; I F***kin' Shot That" Operations Manual. It looks and reads like a VCR instruction manual, right down to the fonts used. Simple (and I mean, simple) instructions on how to operate the DVD are provided, including an explanation to their "Hidden Detour" special feature concept. Essentially, turning this feature on will indicate where Easter Eggs are and you can check out side-stories, which are sometimes completely ridiculous, and sometimes are interesting stories about the fans.
The special features on the disc are a blast. Sometimes, they stand out as hilarious hijinx brought by hilarious guys. "Never Stop Rapping Yet", the bonus named after their tour, features fans from venues all across the world (at least Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the USA), asking for their favorite songs, showing off their costumes, and just raving about the band. Look closely enough and some of these fans are recognizable as Kid Rock, Jack Black and System of a Down. "Show Intros" is a series of skits at four Australian shows, featuring Mix Master Mike either screwing with Slipknot, busting down a coke party, beating Lleyton Hewitt at tennis, or just plain screwing around just before he heads onstage. "Jeremy Crooks' Angry World" speaks for itself. Jeremy's not a happy man, but he's damn hilarious to watch. The only black eye in the special features is the "Day in the Life of Nathanial Hornblower." Sure, it'll be funny to some fans, but watching MCA dressed in a "Swiss" disguise, being both degrading and highly abrasive can be left for MTV's Jackass.
Most fans of the Beastie Boys are going to buy this DVD regardless of any concept or intriguing idea. Awesome, I… Shot That works as a concept DVD, a musical DVD, a tour DVD and a freakin' unique idea. The commentary track included with the disc doesn't stand out as anything special by any means since the boys just talk about random things, not necessarily relating to the DVD. One last special feature will let you see pretty much every camera angle in a grid for the entire length of the concert. That way, if you were one of the amateur photographers (listed on the inside cover), and you're hanging with your buddies while checking out the DVD, you can turn to your friend and yell, "Awesome; I fuckin' shot that!"
Show: A
Look: A-
Sound: A-
Extras: A-
Overall: A-
Review by Kyle Braun