7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
MORRISSEY 25 LIVE is a legacy concert film marking 25 years of the solo career of one of the world's most iconic and enigmatic performers. Shot during Morrissey's most intimate gig in decades at the Hollywood High School in Los Angeles on March 2nd, 2013, the film opens with fans talking about their unwavering devotion to the singer and the unique appeal of this unusual venue a striking contrast to the sold out arena concert at the Staples Center on the previous night. Tickets to the concert in the 1,800-seater school auditorium had sold out in 12 seconds and this now legendary concert became Morrissey's penultimate performance on the US Tour. The first authorized Morrissey film for nine years and featuring many classic tracks from the artist's prolific repertoire, Morrissey 25: LIVE is an unmissable DVD release for fans worldwide. Bonus material includes a behind the scenes documentary at Hollywood High. Track Listing: 1) Alma Matters 2) Ouija Board, Ouija Board 3) Irish Blood, English Heart 4) You Have Killed Me 5) November Spawned A Monster 6) Maladjusted 7) You're The One For Me Fatty 8) Still Ill 9) People Are The Same Everywhere 10) Speedway 11) That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore 12) To Give (The Reason I Live) 13) Meat Is Murder 14) Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want 15) Action Is My Middle Name 16) Everyday Is Like Sunday 17) I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris 18) Let Me Kiss You 19) The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
Starring: Morrissey, Boz Boorer, Anthony Burulcich, Gustav Manzur, Jesse TobiasMusic | 100% |
Documentary | 41% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: LPCM 2.0
English, French, German, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
If you were asked what the single most influential British band of the 20th century was, chances are your answer would be one of only two iconic outfits, either The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. It may come as something of a surprise, then, to hear that Britain’s own New Music Express, kind of that country’s version of Billboard and Rolling Stone combined, instead named The Smiths as the title holder of that particular honor. While The Smiths never quite had the overwhelming success on this side of the pond that they did in their native England, they did achieve a certain renown over here and they paved the way for their lead singer Morrissey to take off on a sometimes odd but always interesting solo career.
Morrissey 25 Live is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Productions with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. This is often a really beautiful looking presentation, though as so often seems to be the case with live performance videos, occasionally the stage lighting gets in the way of being able to discern fine detail. That's more than made up for, however, by a beautifully sharp and generally well defined image which also features consistent contrast and nicely solid black levels. Director James Russell captures the concert from a variety of angles and for once there's not the nonstop "hyperkinetic cutting syndrome" in attendance, meaning you can actually see what's going on.
Both the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 mixes on Morrissey 25 Live sound great, supporting the singer's very distinctive voice and his nice sounding band. One thing that kind of surprised me here is just how sparse some of the arrangements were, but that actually allows individual lines and instruments to come through all the more clearly. Fidelity is top notch throughout this presentation.
Morrissey 25 Live presents the always slightly off kilter singer sounding surprisingly spry and energetic. The concert has a nicely filmic sweep and the song list is very enjoyable. Recommended.
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