Being
Evel
(2015/MVD/FilmRise DVD)/Sad
Vacation: The Last Days of Sid and Nancy
(2016/MVD Visual DVD)/With
Great Power... The Stan Lee Story
(2010/Umbrella DVD)
Picture:
B Sound: B Extras: D/B/D Documentaries: B
PLEASE
NOTE:
The With
Great Power...
Import DVD is now only available from our friends at Umbrella
Entertainment in Australia, can only play on Blu-ray and DVD players
that can handle the PAL DVD format and can be ordered from the link
below.
Three
new biographical documentaries that hit the DVD format that are
definitely worth a look...
Being
Evel
Have
you ever wondered what it would be like to be fearless? If so, you
will defiantly want to take a look at this exciting new documentary,
Being
Evel
(2015), that puts you in the shoes of the one and only Evel Knievel -
one of the most colorful and memorable characters of the 1970s.
Produced by Johnny Knoxville and some of the filmmakers behind
Jackass
and Bad
Grandpa
(both Knoxville productions as well), we get a look at Knievel's life
in the spotlight that was a mix of good and bad - with his personal
life, his run-ins with the law, and some archival interviews and
clips that succeed in telling a most interesting biography that
sounds so outrageous it's almost fiction.
Johnny
Knoxville and a host of others look at Knievel's work on the Wide
World of Sports, his quick rise to fame and fortune and the several
complications that followed. Directed by Award Winning filmmaker
Daniel Junge (Beyond
the Brick),
this sharply edited and fun documentary has plenty of jaw dropping
moments that you won't want to miss that was a winner at the Sundance
Film Festival and several other outlets.
Presented
in standard definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and a
lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix, the presentation is up to par
with the format and look and sound fine. A transfer in HD would
obviously be welcome, but since the media is a mix of old footage and
new, there isn't too much to complain about.
No
Extras.
Sad
Vacation: The Last Days of Sid and Nancy
You've
likely seen the Alex Cox film Sid
and Nancy
(1986, reviewed elsewhere on this site) and listened to every album
by The Heartbreakers, now explore the infamous case study behind the
music as Documentary Filmmaker Daniel Garcia (The
Rise and Fall of the Clash,
Looking
for Johnny)
lifts the veil and gives us a unique look at the bizarre (and
shockingly destructive) romance between Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen
and the events that led to their demise at the Chelsea Hotel in New
York in 1978. Featuring a great soundtrack and several fantastic
retrospective interviews with those who knew them well, this is a
rare and unique look at two names that will never be forgotten and is
a must watch for fans that is sure to open some eyes and shed new
light, even for experts on the subject.
Narrated
by Hugh Morgan, the documentary features newly unearthed information,
firsthand accounts, and interviews with: Efrom Allen, Rachel Amodeo,
Roberta Bayley, Gaye Black, Den Browne, Leee Black Childers, Victor
Colicchio, Steve ''Roadent'' Conolly, Donna Destri, Kenny ''Stinker''
Gordon, Bob Gruen, John Holmstrom, M. Henry Jones, Hellin Killer,
Walter Lure, ''Neon'' Leon Matthews, Honest John Plain, Howie Pyro,
Gino Riccardi, Cynthia Ross, Andy Shernoff, Casino Steel, Phyllis
Stein, Sylvain, Allan Tannenbaum, Kevin Tooley, and Ned Van Zandt.
Presented
in 1.66:1 widescreen and a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo English
audio track, the film looks and sounds fine for the DVD format and
features solid editing and sound presentation throughout. Also worth
noting are the several different and unique locations where the film
was shot, including great shots of the hotel and interviews with some
subjects on the street and in different hallways and locations of
where Nancy's death took place, I found the filmmaking style very
engaging and out of the norm for the documentary feature.
Special
Features include Bonus Interviews, Trailers and a Music Video, we
recommend seeing this one with the equally interesting speculative
piece Who
Killed Nancy?
With
Great Power... The Stan Lee Story
Stan
Lee is arguably the biggest name in the history of comics as he has
created some of the world's biggest superheroes including Spider-Man,
Thor, The Hulk, The X-Men, and Iron Man to name a few, and has lived
a long and prosperous life.
This
new documentary film features several great interviews with not only
big name celebrities that have been involved in productions based on
his work like Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, Patrick Stewart,
Nicholas Cage, Kevin Smith, and loads more but big name comic artists
like Jim Lee and Marvel Studios current President Kevin Fiege. A
living legend, Stan Lee's life is not only a marvel on the page but
in real life too.
Directed
by Terry Douglas, Nikki Frakes, and Will Hess, With
Great Power... The Stan Lee Story
(2010) is a well made documentary explores Mr. Lee's early years to
the present, as he brings to life over 500 characters that have been
mostly household names. Some focus points in the film star from his
time spent at Marvel, to his later years with POW! Comics - a label
of his own creation. Stan's personal life is also highlighted as we
get to learn about his family as well and some of the sacrifices he
had to make before he got to be a household name. This documentary
is great for artists and comic fans that are curious to know more
about Stan and is sure to inspire some as well.
Presented
in standard definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and a
lossless Dolby Digital 5.1 English track, the film looks and sounds
fine for DVD. Several archival interviews and segments of old
television show excerpts are used and different in quality but
overall, everything looks pretty solid and up to standards for the
format.
No
extras.
To
order either of the
Stan
Lee
Umbrella import DVD, go to this link it and other hard to find
releases at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
