Hello,
I guess this is the current 'Best Of DVD' thread, so I think my comments best fit in here. I got this DVD for Christmas (like many of you, not?) even though I don't have a DVD player (well, I have a DVD-ROM on my computer). So I popped the disc in and started watching. Let me start with some questions (negative energy?) so that I have that out of the way and I can and on many positive notes.
- Why all the small changes in video's (Mysterious Ways has the lyric chance, HMTMKMKM has the US (censored) version with Mr. Swampy's instead of Mr. Pussy's, LNOE has no text anymore and now I read that also The Fly has some different shots)?
That's the only non-positive comment I can make of this DVD. The rest is awesome to me. 28 Videos! 22 Commentaries! Documentaries! Rare footage! This is U2 heaven. For me, the commentaries are maybe the highlight. I've seen most videos often (as I had taped them from TV) so with the commentaries I see the videos in a whole different light.
Anton Corbijn and Phil Joanou are my favourite commentators. As a fellow Dutchman I can understand Anton perfectly (so no problem there). He also discusses the meaning behind his videos, a meaning that often goes further than the one of your average director. And he knows what I want to know (just when I thought during the Please video 'How did he find these people?' he started talking about the casting).
Phil is also great. He's full of anecdotes and can explain all the technical aspects in a clear way. There's never a dull moment in his commentaries.
I have a bit more trouble with the ones by Kevin Godley. To me, they sound a bit dry. He often mentions what we are seeing and not the story behind it. As there are also some silent spots in his commentaries it is sometimes a bit boring. In that light, the least succesful commentary is the one for HMTMKMKM. I think that's a great video (cool animation), but they don't go into it that much. He and Maurice Linnane mention a bit what's going on on screen and how much fun they had making that video, but not much about the process of making it (I think an amazing feat of the video is that the animation and the live action parts really complement eachother). Still, I prefer any commentary over none at all and most are quite special.
The documentaries are also quite cool. Maybe the 'Electrical Storm' one is more of a promo featurette, but the other two are really insightful. The 'Sarajevo' really highlights why it was so special to play that city. Of course, being the fanatic, it was way too short with way too little video from the actual concert, but hey, you're a fanatic or not. What actually surprised me was the quality of the Zooropa live footage. It looked really fresh, DVD worthy.
Speaking of live footage, I thought the video quality of the Gone performance looked better than the Popmart trailer on the Elevation 2001 DVD. That trailer had a really soft look and dull colours. Here, the look is still quite soft (not sharp), but the colours are more vibrant. Full DVD-release anyone?
Somebody asked why they didn't use the 'regular' video of UTEOTW, but instead a live-cut. When watching it tonight I thought that both Gone and UTEOTW were a very good sample of U2's two live tours of that decade, making the document (of U2 in the '90's) more complete.
It is a great Christmas gift. Now I have to start saving for a real DVD-player.
C ya!
Marty
not a word of that made sense to me.
*dirty thought*
I wonder why they cut it? 
hi Sting
