Succumbs [VHS]

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VHS Movie Reviews of Succumbs [VHS]

Movie Review: The best R.E.M. video collection
Summary: 4 Stars

The individual videos themselves also draw the focus to where it should be: the music. "Left of Reckoning" is nothing more than a speed-tweaked, jerky, blurry movie of the band wandering around a yard full of whirligigs -- for 20 whole minutes, the length of the "Left" side of the Reckoning album (the vinyl album had Left and Right sides). Then there are videos that show nothing but the band performing the song -- again, the focus is on the musical performance only. Even the most fully-developed of the videos, Fall On Me, draws your attention to the music and lyrics, by flashing the lyrics in big letters across the screen over an upside-down background.

I hate the way music videos draw the focus away from the music and instead concentrate on the visual (think Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera as the worst examples of this -- all visuals, no musical substance). My favorite music video of all time is the Replacements' "Bastards Of Young." The entire video is of a speaker blasting out the song, while a guy sits on a couch listening, and plaster falls from the ceiling. This video GETS IT. It's an anti-video video. The way things should be. The music should be enough to keep your interest on its own. Videos really only detract and distract from this -- not add to it.

And so it is with this R.E.M. video. Unlike most of R.E.M's later videos, the videos in this collection are nothing much. You'll watch "Left Of Reckoning" maybe a couple of times and then just go back to playing the CD of Reckoning instead. And if it doess that, then my friends, that is the true mark of a successful video.

Movie Review: The best R.E.M. video collection
Summary: 4 Stars

The individual videos themselves also draw the focus to where it should be: the music. "Left of Reckoning" is nothing more than a speed-tweaked, jerky, blurry movie of the band wandering around a yard full of whirligigs -- for 20 whole minutes, the length of the "Left" side of the Reckoning album (the vinyl album had Left and Right sides). Then there are videos that show the band performing the song -- again, the focus is on the musical performance only. Even the most fully-developed of the videos, Fall On Me, draws your attention to the music and lyrics, by flashing them in big letters across the screen over an upside-down background.

I hate the way music videos draw the focus away from the music and instead concentrate on the visual (think Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera as the worst examples of this -- all visuals, no musical substance). My favorite music video of all time is the Replacements' "Bastards Of Young." The entire video is of a speaker blasting out the song, while a guy sits on a couch listening, and plaster falls from the ceiling. This video GETS IT. It's an anti-video video. The way things should be. The music should be enough to keep your interest on its own. Videos really only detract and distract from this -- not add to it.

And so it is with this R.E.M. video. Unlike most of R.E.M's later videos, the videos in this collection are nothing much. You'll watch "Left Of Reckoning" maybe a couple of times and then just go back to playing the CD of Reckoning instead. And if it doess that, then my friends, that is the true mark of a successful video.

Movie Review: music video at its best
Summary: 5 Stars

Movie Review: A grab-bag of oldies but goodies.
Summary: 4 Stars

Movie Review: R.E.M. at their most left-field
Summary: 5 Stars

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