|
Metallica: Year and A Half Parts 1 & 2 Director: Adam Dubin Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Academy Ratio Format: Color Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Running Time: 180 minutes Studio: Wea/Elektra Entertainment Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 1999-11-23 Buy from Amazon |
|
From Description Part 1 of A Year and a Half captures the band working in the studio on their Grammy-winning album Metallica and features the videos "Enter Sandman," "The Unforgiven" and "Nothing Else Matters." Part 2 covers the saga of Metallica on tour as it unfolds through concert performances, jam sessions and daily adventures in locker rooms, hotel rooms and arenas around the world. |
 "Excellent!"The video follows the group during the recording and after the release of the "Black Album". Plenty of interviews and informal footage with some music here and there.  "Metallica Early On "Being a Metallica fan, I did rather enjoy this trinket of Metal Music History. The early 90's proved to be a crucial time for Metallica as documented in this movie. The turning point of Metallica's "Black Album" and the touring that followed helped the band to procure a seat (the number one seat) on the Rock/Metal charts. Watching the production/recording of the album, the marriage of sonic producer Bob Rock helping out, and a bunch of roudy 20-something world-class rockers is pure entertainment. Their haughty self-importance is hard to take at times (see Lars), but definitely sheer entertainment. The live footage of the band across world venues is worth the price alone. It shows how much of a live band they really are. Also included are their videos from the album, which are nice to have sprinkled into the mix of the movie. Although this movie is nothing to Some Kind Of Monster (their latest movie), it shows the old Metallica that grew right into the reputation of Alcoholica, women, drugs, touring, rock-n-roll life on the road extraordinaire. It is interesting to see them back then, the organic beginnings of the biggest Metal band of all time. During this movie they are poised to claim that throne, and don't even know it yet. Very interesting to watch, just don't let your kids watch--not only will they see nudity/etc., they might get some crazy idea of becoming a rockstar. "One of the best music documentaries I've ever seen."I'm a both a musician and a filmmaker, so I'm extra-picky about music documentaries. This one stands as one of the best visual representations I've ever seen of what it's like to be a musician. Sure, it's shot on video, so don't expect the glorious black-and-white photography of U2's Rattle and Hum or Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz. Sure, the camera is often wobbly. But what director Adam Dubin does so well in this piece is capture the intricate details of recording an album, in Part 1. The setting was ripe for such exploration: This was shot during the crucial period when Metallica, then known as one of the most uncompromising bands in music, was first paired up with ace producer Bob Rock, known both for his crystalline productions and his rock-hard stubbornness. The ensuing conflict among band members and producer makes for endlessly fascinating viewing. Part 1 exhaustively explores every aspect of recording Metallica's eponymous 'Black Album' (obviously, you'll get much more out of this documentary if you know the album well). Highlights include Kirk Hammett's frustrating search for a solo to "The Unforgiven"; the battle between a sore-throated James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich; and a vocal session where you become intensely aware of just how much editing is required to put together one perfect lead vocal take. If you love music but have never immersed in this process, it's extremely illuminating -- it points out to you how the music comes into being. Plus you get three videos -- the casual studio-performance piece "Nothing Else Matters"; "The Unforgiven", a beautifully photographed expressionistic piece under director Matt Mahurin's lyrical, languid treatment; and the classic "Enter Sandman", a manic romp which stands as director Wayne Isham's crowning achievement. Part 2 is a little more for fans. With its numerous live performances and less coherent structure, this part appeals more to longtime fans of Metallica who want to see how the band works when the scope of its fanbase suddenly increased tenfold. There are still fascinating bits even for casual perusers: The tensions between the Metallica/Guns N' Roses camps when the two bands joined up for a massive, trouble-ridden tour; an after-show meeting where the Metallica members discuss changes and critique one another; and backstage footage from the Freddie Mercury tribute concert. The two official videos, "Sad but True" and "Wherever I May Roam", are passable, with near-interchangeable footage and a distinct lack of character. I used to put on my old VHS copy of Part 1 every couple of months just to delve into the terrific in-studio interactions of Bob Rock and Metallica. The release of both volumes of this video on DVD was a pleasant surprise to me, and anybody who wants to know more about the process of being a professional musician (and star) should check this one out. After seeing the amount of painstaking work put into each stage of the band's music, you might be less inclined to crucify Metallica for fighting against Napster. "The Real Metallica"The first part of this superb documentary takes you through the creation of the album that changed metal music forever. Excellent studio footage, as well as no holes barred coverage of the production decisions for the record. Combine to give you an excellent view of what the album took to create. It also clearly shows that Lars Ulrich is a complete prat!! The second part takes you through the mammoth tour that followed the release of the black album; including the tour with Guns n Roses, playing in Moscow, and the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. All in all it is a superb buy for anyone who wishes to see the roots of todays band. Also in some ways it can provide a stepping stone to the less accessible, pre Bob Rock Metallica Catalogue. When you see the amount of production that went into the black album it gives you a fresh view on their previous albums and you can appreciate how special Master of Puppets really is... "Metallica - year and a half"Cool dvd which follows band over the period when they wrote the black album then toured |