The Velvet Underground Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Velvet Underground Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 16, 2023

Todd Haynes' "The Velvet Underground" (2021) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by Todd Haynes and film editors Affonso Goncalves and Adam Kurnitz; interview with Jonas Mekas; interview with Mary Woronov; a collection of avant-garde films; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

If there is one thing that becomes crystal clear after the end credits of Todd Haynes’ film appear it is that The Velvet Underground meant a lot of different things to a lot of very different people. But wasn’t this established a long, long time ago? It was and no one was under the illusion that it was otherwise. So, what does the film accomplish by reconfirming it?

It is not easy to give a simple answer. I feel that some of the interviewees share stories that a casual viewer unfamiliar with the rich history of The Velvet Underground would find quite intriguing. For example, a lot of Mary Woronov’s -- an old favorite of mine -- recollections are pretty juicy, but she has always been outspoken and they are not exactly groundbreaking. Is it really shocking news that Woronov does not think very highly of Cher and her critique of The Velvet Underground? Or that the members of The Velvet Underground instantly knew that the minds of the hippies in California were operating on a completely different frequency? Anyone that was not part of the hippie community, including of course everyone that had anything to do with The Velvet Underground, was fully aware of this fact.

John Cale admits that around the time The Velvet Underground began recording their second album proper communication within the band was non-existent, and Nico, despite doing her part as required, had drifted so far away that she had essentially become a solo artist focused on poetry. Again, is any of this shocking news? I do not think so. Even if Nico’s association with The Velvet Underground had abruptly ended at this exact moment, she still would have appeared on the radar of people that were interested in the scene that the band represented. Nico benefited from her association with The Velvet Underground as much as The Velvet Underground benefited from their association with Nico.

What about the consequential collapse of the crucial relationship between Lou Reed and Andy Warhol? There is a lot of material with both, but Haynes dedicates very little of the film to the collapse, which is unfortunate, but admittedly entirely understandable as well. Why? Reed was an incredibly difficult, often simply impossible to tolerate band leader. Woronov describes him as a “tortured person”, but given his true personality and attitude toward the rest of the people around him, this seems like a compliment. Unsurprisingly, not too long after terminating his relationship with Warhol, Reed gave Cale the boot, too.

Amidst the avalanche of contrasting recollections about the good and bad that defined The Velvet Underground only Jonathan Richman, the frontman of The Modern Lovers, focuses on the music. Richman explains how the unique harmonies he heard reshaped his perception of rock music and pulled him into a soundscape that he never imagined existed. From there, he began hearing and seeing differently, and his life profoundly changed for the better. This is a unique story. However, it is hardly news that all true fans of The Velvet Underground uncovered the same soundscape. Also, unlike Richman, from there many transitioned into some very dark places and never returned.

The commercialization of The Velvet Underground is an indisputable development that the film recognizes as well. But the film links it almost exclusively to the shift toward pop music, which began with Reed’s experiments with different ranges of harmonies. The commercialization of The Velvet Underground was a bigger process. It had more to do with the evolution of its public image and its market exploitation than the type of music the band recorded and performed for its fans.

I have mixed feelings about this film. Its strength is in the sincerity of the interviews it gathers, but together they do not produce a coherent and illuminating story about The Velvet Underground. I expected and wanted it to be a gateway to the place Richman describes and from there move to and reveal the place where Reed spent time creating. At best, the film only pretends to be that kind of a gateway, so this special experience never materialized. Watching the film, I felt like I was simply having my memories refreshed on a subject that still needs to be tackled with proper authority.

*The Velvet Underground can be seen with on-screen annotations that identify the various avant-garde shorts/films that are utilized in it.

The Velvet Underground Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Velvet Underground arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"Supervised by director Todd Haynes and cinematographer Ed Lachman, this digital master was created in 4K resolution. The original Dolby Atmos soundtrack was remastared from the digital master audio files.

Colorist: Joe Gawler/Harbor Picture Company, New York.
Sound design: Leslie Shatz, Economy Sound and Digital, New York."

The Velvet Underground looks spectacular on Blu-ray, which is hardly surprising given that it is a very recent project. Obviously, the archival footage has native limitations that reveal fluctuations and noticeable drops in quality, but this is very common on documentaries that utilize date material. The recent interviews look excellent. On the original new material, colors are outstanding and overall balance is excellent. There are no stability issues. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Velvet Underground Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the entire film with the Dolby Atmos track but tested various sections with the Dolby Digital 2.0 track as well. The recent interviews sound great on both tracks. The music does benefit when I switched to the Dolby Atmos track, but it would be best if you approach the release with modest expectations. To be completely honest, I think that Dolby Digital 2.0 serves the entire film quite well, too. Why? Because there are many switches between the original and archival material where the move to the lossless track is impossible to describe as dramatic. But the Dolby Atmos track does handle specific areas better, so I was in no way trying to imply that it is not the best option to view the film.

The Velvet Underground Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Teaser - presented here is an original Apple teaser for The Velvet Underground. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Avant-Garde Films - presented here are three vintage avant-garde films.
  
  1. Award Presentation to Andy Warhol (1964) - this film is presented without sound. The suggested soundtrack is the following five tracks from the Supremes 1964 album Where Did Out Love Go: "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", "Where Did Our Love Go", "Ask Any Girl", "Baby Love", and "Run, Run, Run". A text message by Jonas Mekas is included. (13 min).
  
  2. Venus in Furs (1965) - this film was originally shown to "insider" audiences at membership screenings at the Bridge Theatre (also known as the New Bowery Theatre) on St. Mark's Palace, Manhattan. The following year, the film was screened at the Eight and 1/2 New York Film Festival, an event organized by Jonas Mekas at New York City's Elgin Theatre. Information courtesy of Eye Filmmuseum. Presented without sound. (22 min).
  
  3. Walden: Diaries, Notes, and Sketches (1964-1969) - presented here is an excerpt from the film. A text-message from Jonas Mekas is included as well. With sound. (8 min).

• Interviews -
  
  1. Jonas Mekas - in this recent video interview, Jonas Mekas recalls his move to New York City in the 1960s and how he began shooting films, and discusses the socio-cultural scene in the city and how the work of European immigrants/artists and American artists defined it. Mr. Mekas has some pretty interesting comments about the cinema of Andy Warhol and the earliest version of The Velvet Underground. The interview was conducted in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).
  
  2. Mary Woronov - in this recent video interview, Mary Woronov discusses her drug habit (and dislike for acid), her appearance in an early Andy Warhol film, and her interactions with The Velvet Underground and the personality of its members. The interview was conducted in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).
  
  3. Jonathan Richman - in this recent interview, Jonathan Richman of The Modern Lovers explains how the music -- and some very particular harmonies -- of The Velvet Underground changed his life. The interview was conducted in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).
  
  4. Todd Haynes, John Cale, and Maureen Tucker with Jenn Pelly - this filmed via Skype conversation is moderated by Jenn Pelly of Pitchfork. A lot of exchanges address the conception of Todd Haynes' film, the history of The Velvet Underground, and the art scene in New York during the 1960s. The conversation was filmed in 2021. In English, not subtitled. (49 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by Todd Haynes and film editors Affonso Goncalves and Adam Kurnitz for Criterion in 2022.

• Booklet - 26-page illustrated booklet featuring critic Greil Marcus' essay "A Ride on the Velvet Underground" as well as technical credits.

The Velvet Underground Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you are looking for an authoritative exploration of the legacy of The Velvet Underground and the scene that the band was associated with, it is unlikely that you will discover it in Todd Haynes' documentary. Why? The documentary gathers plenty of sincere and interesting interviews with people that had important roles in The Velvet Underground and a genuine bond with the scene where the band thrived, but it does not produce a coherent and illuminating story. Perhaps this is not possible because The Velvet Underground was such a difficult band to profile and its mere existence meant completely different things to different people. On the other hand, I felt that the documentary was often eager to imitate aspects of what it was supposedly examining, which seemed quite odd to me. Loyal fans of The Velvet Underground should consider picking up Criterion's Blu-ray release, but everyone else will be better off with a rental.